Will I ever get reviews done on time again?
Title: Misfit in Love
Author: S. K. Ali
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication Date: May 25th, 2021
Ratings: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Goodreads Summary:
In this fun and fresh sequel to Saints and Misfits, Janna hopes her brother’s wedding will be the perfect start to her own summer of love, but attractive new arrivals have her more confused than ever.
Janna Yusuf is so excited for the weekend: her brother Muhammad’s getting married, and she’s reuniting with her mom, whom she’s missed the whole summer.
And Nuah’s arriving for the weekend too.
Sweet, constant Nuah.
The last time she saw him, Janna wasn’t ready to reciprocate his feelings for her. But things are different now. She’s finished high school, ready for college…and ready for Nuah.
It’s time for Janna’s (carefully planned) summer of love to begin—starting right at the wedding.
But it wouldn’t be a wedding if everything went according to plan. Muhammad’s party choices aren’t in line with his fiancée’s taste at all, Janna’s dad is acting strange, and her mom is spending more time with an old friend (and maybe love interest?) than Janna.
And Nuah’s treating her differently.
Just when things couldn’t get more complicated, two newcomers—the dreamy Haytham and brooding Layth—have Janna more confused than ever about what her misfit heart really wants.
Janna’s summer of love is turning out to be super crowded and painfully unpredictable.
When S.K. Ali’s debut, Saints and Misfits, was released in 2017, I was a big fan. It really snuck up on me. I loved reading about the a girl embracing her Muslim culture, instead of a teen rebelling against it. I was shocked to learn that the author was writing a sequel and despite enjoying both books—after a reread of the first—I don’t really find the sequel to be necessary. Saints and Misfits, as well as the characters, doesn’t leave that much of a lasting impression to warrant any kind of follow-up. While it is a solid stand alone, I wasn’t yearning to learn more.
Misfits in Love picks up two years after the first book for the wedding weekend of Janna’s older brother Muhammad. Janna is ready to accept Nuah’s affections and can’t wait to be reunited when two more boys are thrown into her orbit. She ends up moving through the weekend tackling her feelings with new, old, and familial relationships.
What I enjoyed: Muhammad and Janna had such an incredible relationship. He constantly supported her, while still giving her the room to make her own decisions and mistakes. The sisterhood that blossomed with her new sister-in-law was something that developed really beautifully from the first book. There were some interesting conversations regarding internal racism within the Muslim community. I’ve noticed more of these conversations in books recently.
What I didn’t like: The characters felt a little dull. By adding two more “potential” love interests, Janna had become boy obsessed. I wanted to see her take this important weekend to be with her family and she kind of takes it for granted. I really expected more from the character and the story in general.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lindsay Glenne 