Much Ado About Nada

By: Uzma Jalaluddin

Narrated by: Farah Kidwai

Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

A sparkling second-chance romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion...

Nada Syed is stuck. On the cusp of thirty, she’s still living at home with her brothers and parents in the Golden Crescent neighbourhood of Toronto, resolutely ignoring her mother’s unsubtle pleas to get married already. While Nada has a good job as an engineer, it’s a far cry from realizing her start-up dreams for her tech baby, Ask Apa, the app that launched with a whimper instead of a bang because of a double-crossing business partner. Nothing in her life has turned out the way it was supposed to, and Nada feels like a failure. Something needs to change, but the past is holding on too tightly to let her move forward.

Nada’s best friend Haleema is determined to pry her from her shell…and what better place than at the giant annual Muslim conference held downtown, where Nada can finally meet Haleema’s fiancé, Zayn. And did Haleema mention Zayn’s brother Baz will be there?

What Haleema doesn’t know is that Nada and Baz have a past—some of it good, some of it bad and all of it secret. At the conference, that past all comes hurtling at Nada, bringing new complications and a moment of reckoning. Can Nada truly say goodbye to once was or should she hold tight to her dreams and find their new beginnings?

©2023 Uzma Jalaluddin (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Much Ado About Nada is the contemporary take on Persuasion that I've been waiting for. I've been a huge fan of Uzma Jalaluddin's since her debut novel, but this one has become my favorite. Nada is feisty, complicated, and wholly relatable, and watching her love story with Baz unfold gave me butterflies at times and squeezed my heart tight at others. As ever, Jalaluddin expertly balances explorations of family, faith, and love in a smart and authentic way. I am such a fan."—Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Happy Place

"I'll read anything Uzma Jalaluddin writes. Her latest embroils a pair of stubborn ex-lovers in a Jane Austen mess a la Persuasion: frustrated tech engineer Nada is tired of her job, her mother's matchmaking, and living at home with her parents; the last thing she needs is a run-in with Baz at the local Muslim conference in Toronto. Nada and Baz's past won't stop tripping them up—is it possible they still have a future? Much Ado about Nada is warm, witty, and utterly charming."—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code

"Perfection! At once achingly romantic, wonderfully funny, and with a cast of characters that makes you want to move to Toronto immediately, Much Ado about Nada is a book you'll wish you could read again for the first time. Uzma Jalaluddin is one of the best writers in romance today—and this gorgeous book proves it."—Sarah Maclean, New York Times bestselling author of Heartbreaker

could be better

I am a mom of two young ones and currently into Muslim writers. Audible works great for me as I can listen on the go. I am so grateful to Uzma for her work. I loved Ayesha at Last and the romance between Aysha and Khalid and Hana and mr.silver shades kept me hooked too. But in this book I felt like I didn't get to know Baaz much. I would have loved find out more about his childhood. Why was he trying to get away from his parents? What was it about Nada that made him fall for her, especially after she bullied him. I also loved the other two novels because they didn't have the typical graphic romantic scenes that are offensive and vulgar. I didn't appreciate the detailed kissing scenes because it's a Muslim novel and we have our haya, modesty, our values.

Everything it’s supposed to be!

I had such a good time with Much Ado About Nada. This book was in my most anticipated books of 2023 and it lived up to my hopes. Once again Uzma Jalaluddin has delivered a cast of characters that all feel grounded, real, and, where applicable, absolutely charming. I truly enjoyed spending time with them. This plot was especially compelling with many moving parts that all tied up nicely in the end (and left me craving chai.) All together Much Ado About Chai was fabulous from first page to last. Highly recommended!!

New to me

For me, this story was a window, not a mirror. I am neither a Muslim nor a person of South Asian descent. I am not remotely qualified to review the specifically cultural aspects of this story, but I do read an awful lot of romance novels. With regard to that genre, I’m happy to say that this book is very well done. The characters were engaging, the story had complexity, and parts of the book were downright funny. The description of the novel points out that it is written as an homage to Jane Austen‘s Persuasion. That’s one of my favorite romances of all time, and while the influence of that novel is evident, down to a few places where the author has actually used direct quotes modified into modern English, The storyline doesn’t follow the exact same plot, so enjoying this book is not a case of retreading old ground. I definitely think this book is worth a credit, and if like me, the culture depicted here isn’t your own, the author provides enough context to help you understand, and enough information to help you feel like you’ve come away having learned something as well as having been entertained.

So good!!

I love seeing Muslim love representation! This story was so amazing, I have read all the authors books and LOVE them all❤️

Love it

It’s the perfect read for me. I got to learn and emerge myself in other cultures

Lukewarm

I liked some aspects of the story but I found myself unconvinced of Baz’s love for Nada, especially after she bullied him as kids.