Three Holidays and a Wedding

April 1, 2023

After bonding during a turbulent flight to Toronto, seatmates Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson wind up snowbound at the inn hosting the bridal party of Maryam's sister in a story celebrating Three Holidays and a Wedding, with Christmas, Eid, and Hanukkah all converging; from internationally best-selling author Jalaluddin (Ayesha at Last) and Reese's Book Club-honored Stapley (Lucky). Prepub Alert.

Copyright 2023 Library Journal

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 28, 2023
Jalaluddin (Ayesha at Last) and Stapley (Lucky) join forces for a holiday romance with charm to spare. The self-explanatory title lets readers know exactly what they’ll get, but a few twists along the way season the story nicely. On the surface, Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson don’t have much in common, but when they’re seated together on a plane to Toronto in the middle of a “snowmageddon,” the turbulent flight and subsequent emergency landing in the festive village of Snow Falls, Ontario, leave the pair deeply bonded. Stranded in a winter wonderland as the town prepares for the upcoming Christmas, Ramadan, and Hanukkah holidays, both women find pathways to happiness. Maryam learns that her lifelong crush, Saif Rasool, happened to be on the same flight and has finally noticed her, while Anna is torn between a life with her boyfriend and the handsome, mysterious actor Josh Tannenbaum, who’s in town filming a holiday movie. Proving that “holiday miracles can happen anywhere, to anyone, no matter what they celebrate,” the authors deliver heartfelt romance and plenty of cheer while also tackling heavier issues, including the weight of immigrant parents’ expectations and grief. It’s a keeper. Agents: (for Jalaluddin) Ann Collette, Rees Literary; (for Stapley) Samantha Haywood, Transatlantic.

Starred review from August 1, 2023

Best-selling novelists Jalaluddin (Much Ado About Nada) and Stapley (Lucky) join together to write an utterly enchanting holiday romance. Set in the year 2000 when Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan overlapped, this cute story is about a group of travelers who get diverted by a winter storm and end up stranded in the small, picturesque Canadian town of Snow Falls. Anna is devastated by the storm: she was on her way to meet her perfect-on-paper boyfriend. Alone and missing her mix of Christian and Jewish traditions, she connects with a sweet local guy who shares her holiday customs--and gets her the way no one else ever has. Meanwhile, Maryam is traveling with an entourage--all of whom had been heading to her sister's wedding, now postponed indefinitely. Part of the wedding group includes Maryam's childhood crush, Saif. As they work to ensure that the group can continue to honor Ramadan in this remote town, Maryam and Saif get to know each other beyond their mutual misconceptions and find that second chances at love do exist. VERDICT This charming multicultural and multi-faith romance sparkles with an adorable cast of characters and a storyline that reads like a movie one would want to watch again and again.--Migdalia Jimenez

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 15, 2023
While en-route to Toronto for the holidays, Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson both find the snowstorm of the century throwing a monkey wrench in their plans when their plane is rerouted, leaving them stranded in the small Canadian town of Snow Falls. Jalaluddin and Stapley make ingenious use of the rare occurrence in 2000 when Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan all overlapped to fashion a splendidly entertaining tale that thoughtfully illuminates the holiday tenets of these three faiths while also gifting readers with a pair of candy-cane-sweet love stories.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.