I am very much a Great British Baking Show stan and had to read the novel by my favorite-ever contestant (seriously, Nadiya's gorgeous wedding cake? Her face upon winning? All the tears). This is a winsome, endearing family drama about living in a large family and dealing with life's crises. The relationships between the sisters are stellar, though the book felt heavy on plot at times. Another round of trimming and edits would have helped. 3.5 stars. ( )

A frothy read, simmering with a mix of asian culture and delightful banter.

For a complete review, please click on the link below:

http://onerightword.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-secret-lives-of-amir-sisters-nadi... ( )

Growing up in the English village of Wyvernage, the Amir family are used to being the only Asian family around. Each of the sibling has their own issues: Fatima is overweight and cannot seem to pass her driving test even with the help of her long-suffering instructor Ash; Farah is happily married but cannot get pregnant; Bubblee has moved to London and is determined to avoid having a marriage arranged by the family; only son Jahangeer mysteriously will not say what his job is and is in contact rarely; and youngest daughter Mae is obsessed by social media. When Farah's husband is involved in a serious accident the family secrets are revealed and the siblings relationships are tested.

I so wanted to love this book however, for me, this book is cloyingly sweet even when trying to be dramatic and is 'fluffy' in the extreme. Having said that, I am not the target market for a novel such as this. This is pure chick-lit light with a Bangladeshi twist and, if considered in that context, is a great example of the genre. The book trades on Hussain's name but is clearly a collaboration and Hussain's writing partner is acknowledged, which is more than usually happens with celebrity novelists. Hussain knows her public and has given them exactly what they want from a fictional book with her name on it, her brand is strong. I think Nadiya Hussain is a breath of fresh air in media circles so I cannot be too hard on this! ( )