The Marriage Clock audiobook

I LOVED this book. Like totally loved. Leila is funny and adorable and you only want good things for her (and men who don't ghost her say "BAM" too much or ask about her genetic history or gives her his honest age...). You really feel how she's torn between loving her culture and being frustrated by it (and her well-meaning, lovable, but at times frustrating parents). Her struggle for balance is so genuine.And every single character is so well-drawn, form Leila's group of friends, to her various dates (and their parents, to her family in India, each is unique and special and you can totally hear everyone's voice. And the writing--beautiful. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments as well as poignant ones. Lelia's story is familiar and unique and where her journey will take her is up in the air through the entire piece, keeping you reading until the very end. I am so happy I got to read this as an ARC. I can't recommend this book enough!

For anyone who’s ever been pressured to settle down, been on a horrendous date (hello filtered photos), or has had all the Indian matchmaking Aunties in your life try to marry you off (okay, maybe not that one) - The Marriage Clock is going to be as fun of a read for you as it was for me. Relatable, smart and witty with a heroine that you can’t help but root for as she makes her way through the disasters of dating and familial pressure. Zara Raheem has knocked it out of the park with this one. I received an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was a spark that I needed in life. As a single, 24-year-old college student busy with her own life, marriage is something I have not yet even thought about, and this book definitely opened my eyes in different ways. The Marriage Clock made me realize marriage and love shouldn’t be something forced and rushed upon and that this chapter you encounter in life will come when you meet the right one. Thank you Zara Raheem for reminding me that love shouldn’t be based on a clock, and that it’s something to be worth waiting for.

3-1/2 stars, rounded up because it left me in a good mood Now that she’s reached the impending-spinsterhood age of 26, Leila Abid’s Muslim South Asian American parents are adamant: Find a husband, and find him soon. They even pick a date: Their 35th wedding anniversary, three months away. So Leila dutifully starts a dating campaign to find a man who matches the desired attributes she once wrote on seven napkins*, trying every method available: apps, matchmakers, speed-dating. But while there are plenty of available men, none of them seems to be Mr. Right. And that deadline keeps looming ever closer. I picked this up expecting a romance, but it turned out to be a very different book. And I actually liked the book it turned out to be better than the one I was anticipating. So, nice fake-out, book! The first half of the book is pretty light. Each chapter presents one episode in Leila’s dating scheme, and is related wryly and unemotionally as a sort of comedy of manners. Every method of seeking love offers some kind of stumbling block, and she manages to trip over all of them. I thought this was all presented very entertainingly, especially since the chapters are short and don’t dwell on Leila’s experiences -- this is a mostly angst-free story, although Leila does find herself strongly affected by some of her interactions and experiences. (In a way, this was what I was hoping for from Is There Still Sex in the City? but didn’t get.) The second half of the book gets a bit more serious. Leila begins to panic, but she also begins to have deeper conversations with other people about What Marriage Means, and finally asks herself what exactly she wants from a marriage, rather than what everyone else, especially her parents, seem to be telling her she should want. I really enjoyed this book. It’s a good mixture of lightness and depth, with its story presented warmly and empathetically. It’s also a very quick read. This was definitely a pleasant surprise. ------------------------------------------------* “Seven Napkins” would also have been an apt title for this book, as they get referred back to many times over the course of the story.

This is a lovely and hilarious book about family, love, and finding yourself as an adult within your culture's expectations. I devoured it in three days and was so sad to see it end! Raheem deftly draws a cast of very real characters that I felt for and grew to love very quickly. I laughed out loud at several moments! A really fun and thought-provoking read.

So fresh and charming and fun! I adored being in Leila's world, from her girls' nights with her friends to her conversations with her loving, pressuring parents to her many first dates. What a joy to read.

Loved the writing and the content is so relatable. I recommend everyone to read this book.

~3.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️First of all, this is not a romance novel. This is Womens Fiction.In short, this book tackles the social pressure for women to get married and have kids as early as they can and how damaging that pressure is in everyday life. For example, for some people, if you are in your late 20s or in 30s and yet not in a relationship or childless, you are failure, which is a horrible mentality. Another important element mentioned is the way men generally have a free-pass from that pressure.The topics Raheem adresses in her debut novel is not the most joyful, but this books remains very light-hearted and reads like Chick-Lit. I truly appreciate the optimism of the story.Even though the MC, Leila, was too judgmental, I approve her final choice. I think her final decision is the best for her.I truly loved the message of this book. We need more books like this.Well done, Zara Raheem. 👏🏼

This was such an enjoyable read! Leila finds herself pulled between cultures when it comes to dating, love, and marriage, and I rooted for her as she navigates all kinds of dates, some cringe-worthy. This line, especially, made me laugh out loud: "I wanted to grab twenty units of Botox and pump them into his face until he looked like the Mahmoud in the photographs." This is definitely a book most women can relate to. The relationship with her parents was sweet and believable, and I was surprised by the ending!

This forthcoming novel (July 2019) might easily be written off as "chick lit," but behind the humor, the angst, the determined search for a husband, is a pretty powerful look at the life of a first-generation Indian Muslim young woman whose family's expectations for her are marriage--first, last, and everything. While reading this, I happened on a new NPR report about marriages in India where arranged marriages still account for 4 0ut of 5 unions and where there are dire consequences for choosing to marry outside your religion or caste. Author Raheem does a fine job exploring the various sides of freedom of choice and arranged marriages, and her characters are interesting and three-dimensional personalities. Even the mother, who seems so overbearing, is more realistic than caricatured. This is an eye-opening book for "non-desi" readers and would also be excellent material for discussion groups.

Excellent book. Really opened my eyes to the Muslim culture. Leila's dilemma was presented in a very real fashion. Her thoughts and struggles were real and poignant. I applaud her decision in the end.

THE MARRIAGE CLOCK was a fun, fast read. Leila is a convincing modern heroine and the Muslim/Indian-American cultural context added depth and interest to her story. I found the speed-dating scene hilarious, the rainstorm swoonworthy, the swift reversals surprising and the resolution satisfying.

The Marriage Clock by Sara Raheem - the rom-com of the year!I absolutely adored this book. Who doesn't stress about finding the right guy? Now throw in being in a culture where your parents can arrange your marriage, and it might be a little more stressful. But don't worry...they give you three months to find the perfect guy (if he exists).This book brings so much charm and perspective, and honestly was a breath of fresh air. It was a fun and smile worthy book that packs a lot of culture and hilarity into what can be the most stressful time of someone's life. Friendship, family, culture, and the dating game are all on display in this book. I cannot hype this book up enough. It's a unique rom-com that will make you laugh, potentially cry, and grimace at how brutal dating can be (oh those bad dates... we've all had one).Four out of five stars.

ARC provided by the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, thoughts expressed in this review are completely my ownHey When Dimple Met Rishi check this out, THIS is how to have a very good rep and a good plot.I absolutely LOVED this book!It was really well written, the language was simple and straight to the point.The plot was interesting to say the least, there was always something going on and it had no down moment.I loved the rep in this book, both racial and religious.Usually when I read books with muslim characters they're either perfect muslims who do nothing wrong at all, or completely disconnected from their religion.Leila felt more relatable because she was this person who loved her religion and her culture, but at the same time screwed up here and there and did things that are wrong then recovered from them.I absolutely loved that ending! It was what I was hoping would happen in the end but I wasn't sure it would. I kind of felt like I went through a self discovery journey throughout this book and I emerged more confident and sure.The one thing I must point out though, is the fact that there was no translation for the Hindi words used in this book.I think it would've been better if the book itself contained a translation of said words, so that non-Indian readers wouldn't have a hard time looking the words up every time then going back to reading.All in all, this was such a great read and I'm so glad I picked it up.

Thank you William Morrow Books & Zara Raheem for my free copy.This was a quick read filled with fun, hearbreaks, wisdom & depth. Leila is given a 3 months ultimatum from her parents to find a boy of her choice from their community, Leila comes up with an 46 qualities checklist that will help her finding her life partner and falling in love with him which is somewhat influenced by Bollywood romantic movies. As her desperate search to find her life partner begins, there comes series of awkward hilarious conversations between her parents, her dates & her girlfriends; off-course not for Leila but for us, readers especially the one’s she has with her motherAlso, being a South Asian myself, I could understand Leila’s frustation to respect her parent’s requests along with doing what’s right for her too. Its not easy to say NO to parents especially when it comes to marriage. They love their children but when it comes to marriage, they are out of controlI loved how the circumstances matures Leila to understand what she actually wants in life & the things she has to confront. The question is whether she will choose herself or her do what parents are expecting from her?Zara while keeping the story realistic has touched the issues that women face not only within South Asian community but everywhereI am sure you will enjoy reading this as much as I did.

THE MARRIAGE CLOCK is a fun yet poignant debut that follows Leila, an American-born Indian woman whose parents are determined to marry her off to a man of their choosing within the South Asian-Muslim American community. Leila has her own plans, though, which include being swept off her feet by a man equal to a Bollywood hero. When she strikes a deal with her parents in which they’ll allow her three months to find a husband on her own terms before they step in, the adventure really begins. What follows is a series of hilariously awkward dates and unexpected heartbreak, and it’s through this clock-ticking journey that Leila discovers what she is and isn’t willing to fight for, and what love really means to her. This book is effortlessly charming, relatable, funny, and vibrant, with a deeply satisfying ending that will have you cheering and perhaps even feeling inspired. I can’t wait to see what Zara Raheem writes next!