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Sinan and Leyla
"What if I was Mr. right though and you blew me off?"
SINAN is charming, relentless and always goes after what he wants in life.
LEYLA generally likes to be left alone and has no desire to get to know anyone for the purposes of matrimony, especially given her family's track record with arranged marriage.
ANYWAY...
"Mr. Right does not exist. He's a myth. A rumour."
RIGHT?
SINAN is charming, relentless and always goes after what he wants in life.
LEYLA generally likes to be left alone and has no desire to get to know anyone for the purposes of matrimony, especially given her family's track record with arranged marriage.
ANYWAY...
"Mr. Right does not exist. He's a myth. A rumour."
RIGHT?
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 6, 2016
6 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 18, 2020
3.5 stars
The muslim romance genre has slim pickings. This is a well known fact. So when this came on to my radar, I was definitely going to read it.
Sinan and Leyla were endearing characters and they grew quickly on me. Leyla works in a bookshop (hello dream job) and lives with her mum, aunt, and cousins. Leyla's mom's failed marriage has made her cynical about love and to some extent, she doesn't believe that Mr. Right exists. She's quite resistant to the arranged marriage process but agrees to meet Sinan. Sinan is a teacher and while he knows that Leyla is not really interested, he is quite intrigued by her.
You can read my full review https://coffeeandshortbread.wordpress...
The muslim romance genre has slim pickings. This is a well known fact. So when this came on to my radar, I was definitely going to read it.
Sinan and Leyla were endearing characters and they grew quickly on me. Leyla works in a bookshop (hello dream job) and lives with her mum, aunt, and cousins. Leyla's mom's failed marriage has made her cynical about love and to some extent, she doesn't believe that Mr. Right exists. She's quite resistant to the arranged marriage process but agrees to meet Sinan. Sinan is a teacher and while he knows that Leyla is not really interested, he is quite intrigued by her.
You can read my full review https://coffeeandshortbread.wordpress...
November 28, 2020
Sinan & Leyla is a contemporary love story following Leyla who has agreed to an arranged marriage.
This is Amir’s first novel and it’s a very well thought out one. It’s well written and very easy to read and follow. The story is told through Leyla’s perspective and we follow as she come to terms with what this arranged marriage will change her life.
There are a good set of characters, which I really liked, especially Leyla’s cousin who seemed to speak her mind. They were all quite funny and entertaining. Saying that there were a couple of occasions where I started to get a little annoyed with Leyla’s actions, but overall she was very likeable.
What I found particular interesting in this book was learning a bit more about the Muslim Culture. I have Muslim friends but the majority of them have married outside their culture so things were done very differently.
As I said at the beginning this was a little out of my comfort zone but it turned out to be a really good read, and would happily recommend to anyone looking for a quick cosy contemporary love story.
This is Amir’s first novel and it’s a very well thought out one. It’s well written and very easy to read and follow. The story is told through Leyla’s perspective and we follow as she come to terms with what this arranged marriage will change her life.
There are a good set of characters, which I really liked, especially Leyla’s cousin who seemed to speak her mind. They were all quite funny and entertaining. Saying that there were a couple of occasions where I started to get a little annoyed with Leyla’s actions, but overall she was very likeable.
What I found particular interesting in this book was learning a bit more about the Muslim Culture. I have Muslim friends but the majority of them have married outside their culture so things were done very differently.
As I said at the beginning this was a little out of my comfort zone but it turned out to be a really good read, and would happily recommend to anyone looking for a quick cosy contemporary love story.
February 25, 2020
Written since 2015 and finally recently published, this is a realistic Muslim fiction story albeit very liberal in terms of faith and very conservative in terms of culture. Many P&P and other pop culture references make an appearance, too. Overall, a cute Muslim authored read.
September 19, 2020
Finished this book early September but just have time to write a review today!
Sinan & Leyla is a chick-lit Muslim novel where the protagonist, Leyla is a 26-year-old, whose aunty whom she calls Khala thinks is already old and is at the age where she should get married. One day, after being prodded so many times by her family members, she has agreed to an arranged meet-up with Sinan, who is a 33-year-old teacher and is ready to settle down to have a family. The first meeting does not go well with both, however, during the second meeting, Leyla confesses to Sinan that she has no intention to get married and she only agrees to meet up with him to appease her family. Sinan, although accepts her reasoning, does not give up too soon. Sinan makes a pact with Leyla that they should try get to know each other for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, they make a decision to have their Nikah. However, drama ensues when their plan to Nikah involving someone in their family. Not only that, during their marriage, someone from Sinan's past appear and things are beginning to stir more dramatically during that time.
I have a really good time reading this book. It's heartwarming and to be honest, I feel like Leyla is myself because I can relate to her thoughts sooooo much!! In hindsight though, as a Muslim, my knowledge about arranged marriage is quite hollow. In my circle of friends, I only knew one person who had an arranged marriage (but the friend is a Non-Muslim) and he is happily married now. All my Muslim friends, even mine and my family's, we got married the mainstream way i.e. became friends at first, and then we dated and then we got married. So, when I read the book and it's about arranged marriage it is honestly an eye-opener to me. A lot of times when I read the book, I feel really hard to relate to. There were a lot of "why can't Leyla do that", "why did Leyla agree to soon" etc etc etc
Anyway, I highly recommend this book. It's lighthearted. The most important thing you should do when reading this book is to have an open mind especially if you are a Non-Muslim. Even Muslims should do that too because our cultures around the world is different. So, just sit back, read and enjoy the book!😊
Sinan & Leyla is a chick-lit Muslim novel where the protagonist, Leyla is a 26-year-old, whose aunty whom she calls Khala thinks is already old and is at the age where she should get married. One day, after being prodded so many times by her family members, she has agreed to an arranged meet-up with Sinan, who is a 33-year-old teacher and is ready to settle down to have a family. The first meeting does not go well with both, however, during the second meeting, Leyla confesses to Sinan that she has no intention to get married and she only agrees to meet up with him to appease her family. Sinan, although accepts her reasoning, does not give up too soon. Sinan makes a pact with Leyla that they should try get to know each other for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, they make a decision to have their Nikah. However, drama ensues when their plan to Nikah involving someone in their family. Not only that, during their marriage, someone from Sinan's past appear and things are beginning to stir more dramatically during that time.
I have a really good time reading this book. It's heartwarming and to be honest, I feel like Leyla is myself because I can relate to her thoughts sooooo much!! In hindsight though, as a Muslim, my knowledge about arranged marriage is quite hollow. In my circle of friends, I only knew one person who had an arranged marriage (but the friend is a Non-Muslim) and he is happily married now. All my Muslim friends, even mine and my family's, we got married the mainstream way i.e. became friends at first, and then we dated and then we got married. So, when I read the book and it's about arranged marriage it is honestly an eye-opener to me. A lot of times when I read the book, I feel really hard to relate to. There were a lot of "why can't Leyla do that", "why did Leyla agree to soon" etc etc etc
Anyway, I highly recommend this book. It's lighthearted. The most important thing you should do when reading this book is to have an open mind especially if you are a Non-Muslim. Even Muslims should do that too because our cultures around the world is different. So, just sit back, read and enjoy the book!😊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2021
This book is a really lighthearted and heartwarming story about two people who meet through an arranged marriage "hook-up" and go through the ups and downs of starting a relationship. I thought it was both really cute and also realistic. It didn't sugar-coat some of the difficulties that might come with meeting someone through an arranged marriage, but it also wasn't the stereotypical "forced" or miserable experience you might expect from an arranged setting. I really liked the representation, as well as the strong female characters.
While the characters are obviously Muslim and their faiths and cultures play a role in their personalities and decisions, it wasn't very explicit. The story did not make it seem like everything about it was "Islamic" or specific just to Muslims--I didn't feel like it was trying to make a very bold statement about their beliefs or faiths, although it was always present and the author never seemed to shy away from including aspects of it in her story.
However, I do wish certain references to "culture" were a little more elaborated. A few times, the characters vaguely mention the role of their "culture" in their practices--I wish there could have been more explanation in these instances. For example, the characters are both Indian and Arab. What kind of Arab? And where did these practices come from? What are they called, how are they influenced? It just made me curious and I would've appreciated a bigger, more explicit exploration into the role of faith and culture in the characters' lives instead of them being used as references.
That being said, I really appreciate the overall arch of the story and I love how there is an emphasis on the importance of good communication, responsibility, and trust--not just between the couple, but also between friends and family. There is a good balance of different perspectives from the characters which I also really liked. So, verdict: if you want a light read to warm your heart and keep you interested in the story, give it a read!
While the characters are obviously Muslim and their faiths and cultures play a role in their personalities and decisions, it wasn't very explicit. The story did not make it seem like everything about it was "Islamic" or specific just to Muslims--I didn't feel like it was trying to make a very bold statement about their beliefs or faiths, although it was always present and the author never seemed to shy away from including aspects of it in her story.
However, I do wish certain references to "culture" were a little more elaborated. A few times, the characters vaguely mention the role of their "culture" in their practices--I wish there could have been more explanation in these instances. For example, the characters are both Indian and Arab. What kind of Arab? And where did these practices come from? What are they called, how are they influenced? It just made me curious and I would've appreciated a bigger, more explicit exploration into the role of faith and culture in the characters' lives instead of them being used as references.
That being said, I really appreciate the overall arch of the story and I love how there is an emphasis on the importance of good communication, responsibility, and trust--not just between the couple, but also between friends and family. There is a good balance of different perspectives from the characters which I also really liked. So, verdict: if you want a light read to warm your heart and keep you interested in the story, give it a read!
February 20, 2020
'Sinan and Leyla' is a story with a well-thought out plot, relatable characters with depth, and dialogue that is funny, genuine, and engaging. What more could you ask for? The author has an incredible talent with stringing words and forming stories in a way that naturally pulls you in. I'm looking forward to more work by this talented author.
July 20, 2021
Although it felt slow at first, things picked up and I really, really enjoyed the latter half. I don't usually read love stories, but this one held my attention - not only for the great storyline and wit, but also as a reminder of young love and chivalry...inspiration for couples, no matter how long they've been married. Looking forward to many more stories from this talented writer.
August 12, 2020
This was really cute and funny for a self published book. I read it in a day!
December 2, 2016
Sinan and Leyla is a love story of two different people falling in love through arranged Marriage. When Destiny has decided for them ,who are they to deny it ! Each chapter is interesting than the rest, it is funny and emotional at the same time. You might end up crying in few pages and later find yourself smiling in next pages.The people of SouthEast Asian origin and Indian Subcontinent can relate to it quite much because arranged marriages are quite a normal thing there. In Fact the life of people rotates around weddings only, from finding a guy/groom for their children, fixing their marriage, then making the arrangements of weddings and later the look after of the newly wed couple and then worrying them to start a family asap. It is all very normal in our families and which is why reading this book becomes our stories too.It highlights very well the problem of single mothers and kids raised without father, and the hypocrisy of male domination in our society. Towards the end Sinan and Leyla becomes so known to you that parting from them at end of book makes you sad. This is the debut Novel of the Author and I wish him much success ! The story is much gripping and definitely deserves a reading.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews