Yours, Eventually

by Nura Maznavi

A mesmerizing debut novel set in a tightly knit Pakistani American community where a young doctor gets an unexpected second chance with the first love she never got over when he becomes one of the most eligible bachelors in town.

The Ibrahim family is facing a crucial moment: Their patriarch just lost his fortune as the result of a Ponzi scheme, and the family is picking up the pieces. At the family’s core is Asma—successful doctor and the long-suffering middle daughter who stepped into the family center after the death of her beloved mother years ago. Despite what the prying aunties think, Asma is living the life she has always wanted, fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a doctor . . . or so she thinks.

In walks Farooq Waheed, Asma’s college sweetheart whose proposal was cruelly rejected by Asma’s aunt and father. Now, eight years later, Farooq has made his fortune by selling his Silicon Valley startup and is widely considered one of the most eligible bachelors in California. As he enters Asma’s social orbit, she finds herself navigating a tricky landscape—her pushy sisters, gossiping aunties, and her father’s expectations—on her path to reconciling the past and winning Farooq back in the present. If there is still time.

Yours, Eventually is a story about a young woman finding the courage to follow her heart and coming to the realization that living your life according to what other people think is no life at all.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Second Chance Romance, Adult Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published February 18, 2025

Reviews

[chan ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was tough...

i REALLY love when contemporary romances are diverse, honestly it's what i'm looking for these days. i like learning about different cultures/religions especially as it relates to romance. but the family in this book was so exhausting and frankly shitty. i was initially so into the idea of second chance romance but sooooo little emphasis is placed on the hero/heroine connection. it's mostly about this heroine trying to balance respecting her family and gaining her independence. which is valuable certainly. but as a romance, i think this falls a little flat :(

[Sherwood Smith]

I really enjoyed the glimpse into Pakistani culture and the well-designed characters. While I was warned that it used Jane Austen's PERSUASION as a template, I guess I hoped more for interpretive variation, but it was so on-the-nose that the story felt a bit jerked along to follow the model. Still, I really liked this writer's style, and will look for more by her.

[Jackie ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect setup for a Persuasion retelling! I love a good second-chance romance.

I had originally requested to read Yours, Eventually on Netgalley only to be violently rejected 😭 All the months of waiting and I finally got to read it! Austen retellings can be hit-or-miss, but I would consider this a hit!

[tia ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this sht is so frustrating and I blame Jane Austen. second chance romance has me PUNCHING the air sometimes even tho it’s my fav trope

I absolutely loved the pakisanti american rep and how deeply woven the family dynamics tied into our female main character’s motives/struggles

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice closed-door romance- I loved seeing a bit of Muslim Pakistani culture, the pressure to be married off, meddling aunties and family honor. Asma is a good main character, this is a second chance romance based on Jane Austen's persuasion. The one that got away is Farooq. She broke off their engagement after her rug exporter father and Aunt did not approve. Farooq was a college drop out. Now it is 8 years later and he has sold his company for $500 million dollars. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he is a lot more interesting to her now. Her father has lost most of their family money in a Ponzi scheme.

I liked the writing and learning about the culture. It was jarring to see how much stock the older people put into being married and having children. It caused so much pressure for Asma and her other unmarried sister. I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between Farooq and Asma, but I could see her growing and not caring as much what people think. I enjoyed the author's style, the dialogue was very believable and characters were well developed.

[Zainab Bint Younus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am *always* a sucker for Jane Austen retellings, and 110% moreso for Muslamic versions. And while Uzma Jalaluddin did a Canadian Muslim desi version of "Persuasion," I was still pretty excited for Nura Maznavi's American Muslim desi take on the same novel.

The one downside of modern Austen retellings, however, is that they're always just a bit more flippant and never have the depth of the original work.
As a light read, "Yours Eventually" works well enough. The main details of Persuasion have been plucked accurately enough, and it's easy enough to recognize the themes of social hierarchy dynamics, families obsessed with social climbing, and making decisions based on what people will say.

However, I was disappointed in that this book was less explicitly Muslim-y than just... cultural Pakistani. Everyone has Muslim names and there are passing references to janazas and Quran parties, but what I really look for in Muslamic retellings - a genuine connection to Islam, characters' spirituality etc - was sorely lacking.

I wouldn't even really call this a halal romance given that there are numerous instances of hugging and kissing before marriage that isn't seen as an issue at all. It was definitely more of a cultural Muslamic setting than anything featuring religious characters.

It also lacked in emotional depth - I really didn't feel the angst/ regret/ nostalgia that characterizes the core essence of "Persuasion." Also - no epic Wentworth-esque letter!!!! How not!!!! Tbh the romance angle itself fell very flat - I didn't **feel** any chemistry between Asma and Farooq *or* Asma and Omar. It felt very much... told rather than shown, especially with Farooq.

My final conclusion is that this book makes for a pleasant enough casual read, but anyone expecting truly Austenesque vibes x more emphatic Muslamic context will be disappointed.

[Kirstin · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only reason I finished this book was to complete a Goodreads challenge - this was literally the only book on the list available at my library. I had no idea the main character was supposed to be an ER resident until I started reading the book. As an actual current ER resident, this book drove me INSANE. The inaccuracies about emergency medicine as a field, medical training, and how medical specialties work in general are innumerable. 


The Legionairres subplot was unhinged (no ER doctor is ordering a legionella urine antigen), and Asma 100% has a hero complex in this. How does she not have a job set up when she's graduating from residency in a matter of weeks? Do they not have ERs in Sacramento? Not to mention there is no "private practice" in emergency medicine, and she would not be able to get a job in internal medicine since she did not train in that specialty. I could go on, but even besides all of that, the resolution of the main conflict is so anticlimactic. This book was frustrating in so many ways.

[romancelibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Yours, Eventually is a Muslim Pakistani-American Persuasion retelling. Asma and Farooq were college sweethearts, but Asma broke things off after her aunt convinced her that marrying Farooq, a then college dropout, was a bad idea. Now, 8 years later, Farooq comes back into Asma's social circle when his family leases her home.

This was a solid Persuasion retelling and it is really well-written, especially for a debut. The author nailed the elements that make Persuasion such a pining and aching second chance romance. In terms of characterization, I feel like Asma is a mix of Anne Elliot and Elizabeth Bennet? She's sarcastic and has a bit of an "I'm better than everyone because I'm not vain" type of superior attitude at times. Although I was a bit annoyed at this blend of Anne and Elizabeth, I liked that this actually ended up being an important point of contention between Asma and her sister Iman. It added so much more depth to Asma's relationship with her sisters, the latter proving themselves to be more than just "vapid."

In terms of arcs, I liked the execution of almost all of them. The Louisa Musgrove arc felt true to Lubna's (Louisa) characterization and even her engagement to Naveed (Benwick) didn't feel out of place. The only thing I'm really disappointed about is the anticlimactic love declaration. There is no swoony love letter, but there's another important object of affection that comes into play. But I don't know...it didn't feel as momentous as it should've felt, probably because they get interrupted by their chaotic desi family lol. But I liked that we saw a bit of Asma and Farooq after he officially asked for her hand in marriage.

Oh, this retelling has a new character that doesn't have a counterpart in the original classic. Asma's best friend, Fatima, embodies the desi girl who did everything her parents asked her to. Fatima's presence basically reinforces the author's justified critique of the desi community. She's also the voice of reason and plays the devil's advocate to push Asma to see things differently. At first I thought Fatima would be Mrs. Smith, but that was not the case. Nonetheless, she was an interesting addition to the story.

This is one of FOUR Persuasion retellings coming out this year! If you're interested in reading all of them, feel free to join my storygraph challenge.

A note for Muslim readers: this is not a 100% halal romance. There is dating and kissing in the flashbacks. The Islamic aspect is very toned down. We know they are Muslim, but it kind of felt like religion was just a part of their culture/tradition.

[Mai H.]

ANHPI TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I found the best romance book I have ever read. Yes.

"Yours, Eventually" shows us that everyone's happiness can look different and family's advice is not always a rule to follow. Because, of course, you should follow your heart first! :)

Our main character, Asma, is a good and devoted daughter, a great professional and a nice person. So, when her ex comes back into her life after the heartbreak that took place 8 years ago, she finally begins to understand who's the important person in her life (it's HER!!!) and what that person wants.

This is the sweetest story and the most tense book I have ever read! And I teared up a couple of times too. Plus, it was very enlightening to be in the middle of a Pakistani family and culture.
The book reminded me a bit of "7 days in June" by Tia Williams, which I loved a lot.

4.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for this ARC.

[Ayushi (bookwormbullet) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Dutton Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.25 stars rounded up! It's always so great reading romances set in your hometown :) I loved how the chaotic Desi Muslim community was represented here--it delivered some incredibly funny (and often relatable and frustrating moments). I would honestly categorize this more as a women's lit novel with themes of family and navigating your independence as a Pakistani woman in your 20's. The romance is definitely very sweet, but the novel is not as romance-heavy as I expected. There is still a lot of yearning and lingering glances in this book, like a true Austen novel, and I was hooked the entire time!

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[Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book.

3.5* rounded up

Muslim and desi retelling of any Jane Austen novel, sign me the eff up. I love Persuasion and feel like with the societal and cultural pressures it works well. I liked the characterisation of Asma, I enjoyed her journey and the way the characters were adapted.

The story flows well, besides a few changes at the end that weren't bad but were not my preferred way of interpreting Persuasion. I appreciate this was the authors take but the changes to me were not for the better which is why it lost a star and a half for me.

Will also say I loved the scene with Asma trying to learn a recipe from her aunt with her not explaining measurements or spices cos as a Desi Girl, I related to that hard.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a heartfelt and moving second chance romance debut about Asma Ibrahim, a Pakistani American ER doctor who unexpectedly is forced to spend time with her recently engaged ex, Farooq, who is now a wealthy engineer.

I liked the big messy Muslim family drama, the family dynamics and the tightknit Pakistani American community, which the author does a great job of illustrating both the upsides and downsides of in this book about family and love.

Good on audio narrated by Soneela Nankani and perfect for fans of Austen’s Persuasion and authors like Sonali Dev or Sajni Patel. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

disappointed with this one. every member of the main character’s family was annoying and i felt like there was zero connection between her and the ex she still loved. they spent most of their time feeling awkward or mad or annoyed around each other and the ending of them getting back together was so rushed and had very little buildup.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quiet, smart emergency room surgeon finds her life in turmoil when her family’s fortune is gone and they have to leave the family Bay Area home for Sacramento, her first and only love makes good and comes back into the area, and she’s suddenly has the chance to change past decisions. Nuri Maznavi wrote an engaging heart-felt Pakistani- American contemporary retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

Asma Ibrahim is the daughter of a once prosperous, social-climbing rug merchant. Her older sister is glamorous and as spendthrift-y as her father and her younger sister is a married hypochondriac. She has quietly fulfilled her career dreams by becoming a doctor and working a big hospital emergency room, but to her community’s Aunties and Uncles, she’s a disappointment because she’s unmarried. She has regrets and never stopped loving the man she gave up because she obeyed family duty rather than the heart so of course she can’t accept another man.

But, then Farooq is back in the good following the sale of his grandly successful company. She has to watch him from a distance, sadly knowing she let her chance at happiness go without a fight. He’s back though, so maybe there is a chance if she’s confident enough to make a different decision from the past.

Yours Eventually did a fabulous job moving Persuasion not only into contemporary times, but also into a Pakistani Muslim community. I enjoyed how Nuri Maznavi’s writing stood out as her own as she gave tribute to Austen’s story with a fresh new face. Asma was a well-written character who had a deal of growth throughout the story, but particularly in the end. In ways, this felt more like a women’s fiction than contemporary romance with the focus on Asma’s change and discoveries about herself and the family and cultural element being stronger than the romance for the majority of the time.

Speaking of the family, I thought this portrayal of widowed father, three disparate adult daughters, and his widowed sister kept things lively and the surrounding group of Pakistani Muslim American community so vibrant and fun giving balance to the more serious tones of Asma’s personal journey.
I appreciate the surprises of where the author took the story in the end.

Yours Eventually was a solid, satisfying retelling that gave a new take for all readers including Persuasion fans. Loved the cultural diversity and the classic themes blended in this contemporary sweet romance.

I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.

My full review will post at Books of My Heart on 2.19.25.

[lissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love love love discovering new books that take me outside of myself. Thank you too @duttonbooks for introducing me to yet another book that focuses on unique family cultures.

This was giving ‘Never Have I Ever’ the netflix show and ‘crazy rich asians’ — I love reading books about tight nipped families and their cultural obligations.

This one did not disappoint at all. It’s always interesting for me to read and gain knowledge about different cultures and how their roles are expected and encourage within their families. Like who to marry, how to act, what careers they are expected to pursue. It was everything I like and dislike to read.

Sometimes I forget that even in a ‘free’ country like America, women (especially) have to not only face the world, but also their familial obligations. In my head I’m screaming just marry whoever! Dress however! You’re free, you can make your own decisions!!

BUT, alas it’s not that easy. What I liked about this book is how the author handled these matters with care. Some traditions are valuable to uphold and treasured throughout the generations. We just have to be open enough to understand.

[thank you for the gifted copy @duttonbooks @nuramaznavi]

[Tami Fidler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for a Jane Austen adaptation and this book did not disappoint. This is an adaptation of Persuasion, set within the Pakistani culture, and I think this story lent itself to this setting in particular. Jane Austen is noted for her irreverent wit and commentary about the inequity in class and culture. Still, I think people also fail to note her love of family and how family is so essential. This book portrays the best of those aspects of Jane Austen's Persuasion. We see how the love of family created heartbreak; however, that same love of family helped Asma to rediscover herself and come into her own. This was such a clever adaption of a story fraught with so many emotions. I was so engaged with this book that I could not put it down, I was sad when it ended, but glad I had read this lovely story. Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yours, Eventually by Nura Maznavi is a retelling of Jane Austin's Persuasion but set in modern day California and with South Asian families. The Elliots are the Ibrahims, and our protagonist Anne is Asma.

For those unfamiliar with Persuasion (and Yours, Eventually), our wallflower protagonist falls madly in love with a caring but poor man in her early adulthood. When her family disapproves, she gives up the match but is heartbroken. Eight years go by, and our main character spends this time caring for her indolent and selfish family, and pining for the lover she jilted. Eventually the caring but poor man returns to their social circle - poor no longer - and very eligible indeed!

I enjoyed this adaption, particularly because the author didn't feel the need to pander to a white audience. The story is soaked in South Asian culture, social norms, and language. There is such a natural mirroring between 18th century expectations for unmarried English women, and the South Asian expectations for 21st century women that Maznavi has managed to keep the core of the story unchanged; a difficult task for any adaptation and one she achieves well. She uses desi language like lengha, daal, haldi and zuhur namaz without ever providing an explanation of the terms. Not every reader would enjoy this, but I found it highly authentic.

My main criticism of this novel is that, while it perfectly captured the gossipy nature and obligations of family, it could have focused more heavily on Asma and Farooq's (Captain Wentworth) burgeoning love. Asma's anxiety and neurotism around Farooq doesn't quite have the same charming quality as Anne's wallflower nature. I found myself wanting to shake her out of her resentful self-sacrificing on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, Farooq also didn't have the same charisma as the original character, which made the romance a little bland.

I'd still recommend this book for those who love Austin's Persuasion or want a dose of culture outside their own.

3 stars

[lili · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5

more family drama and i love it. liked the complexity of story and the internal struggle asma had.

i felt as though the resolution between farooq and asma was done too quickly. you have 8 years of baggage why how you work it out in 5 minutes?

oddly comforting read

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ★ rounded up because i love jane austen ok

[Hannah Trower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another adept Desi version of Jane Austen's "Persuasion". I didn't enjoy this *quite* as much as "Much Ado About Nada", but this was still an enjoyable quick read. I particularly enjoyed the medical plotlines, and wish that they had more screentime (and resolution). Hard to put down.

[Amy Broman · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 In this modern Muslim American retelling of Persuasion, Farooq and Asma meet again years after college when Farooq’s proposal of marriage was rejected by Asma’s father. Now members of the same close knit social circle, Asma and Farooq must come to terms with their heartbreaking past and move forward, with or without each other. Well written, engaging, and pitch-perfect.

[Farah ♡]

persuasion by Jane Austin desi retelling? sign me up!

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am surprised by how much I liked this! I would say its somewhere between 3.5 and 4 star. The book follows our main character, Asma. She is finishing up her residency to become a doctor and she's apart of a strong Pakistani family. She's the middle of 3 sisters and her mom has passed, so she feels a strong loyalty to her family and need to please them. She broke off her engagement with Farooq years ago because her auntie told her that her mom would want her to pursue her career and not get distracted by a relationship (like her mom did). Now Farooq is back in her life and dating a member of her large extended family. She has been missing him and not been with anyone else since, but as you might expect he's a little bitter. The book is a romance between Asma and Farooq, but moreso its Asma figuring out what she wants out of life and who she is living for. She learns that if she lives for other people, she will always be resentful and it won't make anyone satisfied or happy because there will always be more. I do think the romance could've used some help. I don't feel like we knew Farooq at all and I wasn't really rooting for them because of them as a couple, but instead because I liked Asma and wanted good things for her. I loved the medical element of this. Overall, a good read!

[Lindsey Domokur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because it was supposed to be a retelling of Persuasion and it really did hit that mark for me. I could tell which character was which, and there were some added additions with her sisters that I enjoyed as well. I love Persuasion because it is a slow burn but this one was even slower for me. I think if we got Farooq's POV or even saw some pining it would have helped for me. Their story followed the original, but I didn't feel their connection quite as much. I know that Farooq wanted to prove that he made it and show Asma and her family what they were missing, but I didn't feel like at the end there was as much of a show stopping moment as there was with the original. I am not sure if I was expecting too much, but the end was completely glossed over and I felt like I was thrown into an epilogue when I didn't have the resolution I was looking for at the end of the book. All in all, if you are a fan of Persuasion, I would give this a try. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Penguin, Netgalley and the author for an early copy.

[Skye N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devoured this one up in one sitting coz it was that good?!😩the pages flew by and the pace was great too no wonder I was hooked
the only complaint I have is that we didn’t get more of Asma and Farooq😭
I wouldn’t say this book was perfect in all aspects( but hey it’s a debut- Cant expect it to be right?) but this was pretty okay-ish for a debut novel🥰The story felt so relatable at times. Especially the characters🫠
Wish it had less drama though😂again Cant actually expect it from a Desi story Can I?😂desi and drama go hand in hand ig🫠
Not a very big fan of second chances unless done right but the reason why they had to break up in the first place was a bit too relatable for me🥹and smh they worked everything out thank god🫠❤️
All in all, it was messy, relatable and surprisingly heartwarming🥹❤️loved it

[Vaibhavi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was almost a perfect book for me. I adore persuasion so freaking much and this adaption came so close to being perfect, except the end.

I like how we explored asma’s choices in depth. Like making a choice to get married as a 19 year old is kind of a bonkers decision but her regret and yearning is real. Persuasion is all about angst and yearning leading to a happy climatic happy ending. I will say that this book, like persuasion, has a ton of angst and yearning so I really enjoyed 3/4ths of the book. Plus the book made a great choice to flesh out the personalities of the sisters and give them more depth, which I really appreciated and enjoyed reading.

But I really don’t think the ending landed.
The Asma and farookh relationship had a LOT of false starts, which is fine given the original subject matter but you also expect the pay off to be worth it. Like persuasion, I expected and wanted a big romance declaration in the end like “for you alone I think and plan” type of dialogue. But it just wasn’t there? They got together in such a deeply anticlimactic fashion, I felt robbed. Like my patience was taken advantage of.

I also think this book was marketed incorrectly. It’s not really a rom com.
This is more about a south Asian woman and her journey of learning how to navigate her own desires competing with her family’s demands for her. And it does it really well. I think the author has really nailed the dynamics of an aunty-centric, “log Kya kahenge” brown culture. Not that I mind but if you expected a romance, you will be disappointed.

Even if I can forgive the lack of romance in the book overall, I really don’t think I can forgive the ending. I think I needed more oomph to tie it all together.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up. Persuasion is my favorite Austen, primarily because I love its sad and pragmatic heroine, Anne Elliot. Yours Eventually is a pretty faithful adaptation, but Asma didn’t quite hit the Anne Elliot mark for me. She landed as more self righteous than resigned. I think this is perhaps necessary in a story that wants to modernize the character and give her greater agency.

I think that fleshing out Asma’s sisters was an excellent choice. I think Farooq was dreamy but we needed more of him. Nothing here lived in the same zip code as ‘You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago.’

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A desi version of Persuasion - that's all I heard before I knew I had to have this book! I enjoyed following Asma and her pursuits for happiness, even if she didn't know what she wanted at the start. I liked her male interest Farooq, with the two of them having evident chemistry together when they interacted. I did feel the ending was a little rushed and would have liked it played out a bit more but that's just for my own satisfaction. This was a fun read and I'd be keen to try more by this author.

[Zehava (Joyce) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. I enjoyed this book and I kept wanting to read it. I enjoyed the aspects of the story that were original and I liked learning about the Desi community. The parts I didn’t like were the parts based on Persuasion. The actual love story was non-existent, we almost never see the two love interests interact in any meaningful way, which was fairly irritating and of course, miscommunication was plentiful. There were enough other parts of the story that I enjoyed that I was still able to enjoy this book. I think that Jane Austen fans might enjoy this book even more.