Books Like Love from A to Z

S. K. Ali’s Love from A to Z is the story of Zayneb, a Muslim teen activist who has been suspended for confronting her Islamophobic teacher, and Adam, a Muslim teen who is hiding a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis from everyone he loves - two strangers who meet on a plane to Doha, Qatar, and whose lives become tangled across the spring break that follows. It is a young adult romance with a journal structure - Zayneb’s “marvels and oddities” - and it works because it is clean, warm and deeply felt: a love story about faith, family, grief and the wonder of being truly seen. If you loved it, you already know what you are looking for: more clean young adult romance, more books with Muslim teens at the center, more love stories with heart and faith. This guide gathers the best books like Love from A to Z.

Why Love from A to Z Works So Well#

Love from A to Z works because it is a romance built on seeing. Zayneb and Adam meet as strangers and become, over the course of the novel, the people who see each other most clearly: Zayneb sees past Adam’s cheerful mask to the grief and illness he is hiding, and Adam sees past Zayneb’s anger to the fierce, loving person beneath. The novel’s structure - alternating journal entries - lets the reader watch both of them fall in love from the inside, and the “marvels and oddities” list gives the book its gentle, hopeful frame: Zayneb’s resolution to notice the marvels, even in the middle of her grief and anger. It is a clean, warm, faith-full romance that takes its characters’ identities seriously - their Islam is not decoration but the ground of who they are.

The books that follow in its footsteps share that quality. They are built on the same engine: a clean, warm romance, young people with faith and family, and the wonder of being truly seen. If you loved the way Love from A to Z made you feel, these are the books that will make you feel it again.

The Themes That Define the Genre#

Books like Love from A to Z cluster around a few themes, and knowing them helps you choose your next read:

First love and being seen. The signature theme: the wonder of falling in love with someone who truly sees you - your grief, your faith, your whole self.

Faith and identity. The genre’s depth: the characters’ Islam - or other faith - is woven into who they are, and the novels take it seriously.

Grief and family. The genre’s weight: the characters are carrying something - illness, loss, a parent’s disapproval - and the love helps them carry it.

The chance meeting. The genre’s engine: a plane, a train, a coffee shop - the accidental meeting that changes everything.

The Best Books Like Love from A to Z#

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin#

The closest cousin in the genre: Ayesha, a Muslim teacher with a secret dream of being a poet, and Khalid, a conservative Muslim man who keeps his own secrets, are set up by their meddling families - and despite their disastrous first meeting, they keep being thrown together. It is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in a Muslim community in Toronto, and it has the exact Love from A to Z formula: the clean, warm romance, the faith taken seriously, the meddling families and the slow discovery that the person you thought was wrong for you is the person who sees you best. It is clean and utterly charming, and it is the single best next read for Love from A to Z fans.

Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed#

The sharpest cousin: Maya Aziz, a Muslim teen in Chicago, dreams of film school in New York - while her parents dream of a nice Muslim boy and a future close to home. When a terrorist attack is blamed on a young Muslim man with the same last name, Maya’s life is upended, and she must navigate prejudice, family and her own ambitions. It has Love from A to Z’s heroine and her faith with a sharper edge: the same clean romance, the same Muslim teen at the center, the same family drama - with the weight of the world pressing in. It is clean and powerful, and it is the perfect pick for Love from A to Z fans who loved Zayneb’s activism.

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon#

The most romantic cousin: Natasha, a girl whose family is being deported in twelve hours, and Daniel, a boy who is supposed to be at a college interview, meet on a New York street corner - and the novel unfolds as a single day of falling in love, with the universe itself conspiring. It has Love from A to Z’s chance-meeting engine and its clean, warm romance: the same wonder, the same family stakes, the same conviction that a single day can change everything. It is clean and utterly romantic, and it is the perfect pick for Love from A to Z fans who loved the meeting.

Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali#

Ali’s own earlier novel: Janna Yusuf, a Muslim teen who loves photography and has a crush on a boy named Jeremy, is hiding a secret - she was assaulted by a popular boy, and she is trying to decide what to do about it. It is Love from A to Z’s more serious sibling: the same heroine, the same faith and family, with a heavier story at its center. Note: it handles the assault with care and is best for older teens, but its portrait of a Muslim teen navigating faith, family and trauma is essential.

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan#

The most family-driven cousin: Rukhsana Ali, a Muslim teen who is out to her friends but not to her conservative Bengali parents, is caught kissing her girlfriend and sent to Bangladesh to “learn discipline” - where she must find a way to be true to herself and her family. It has Love from A to Z’s faith-and-family engine with a heavier story: the same clean romance, the same Muslim teen at the center, the same clash between identity and family expectation. It is clean and powerful, and it is the perfect pick for Love from A to Z fans who loved the family drama.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon#

The most lighthearted cousin: Dimple Shah, who wants to be a web developer, and Rishi Patel, who wants a traditional arranged marriage, meet at a summer program for aspiring coders - where Dimple has no idea that Rishi’s parents and hers have already planned their marriage. It has Love from A to Z’s clean, warm romance and its family meddling with a lighter, funnier tone: the same Indian-American families, the same slow-burn romance, the same heart. It is clean and delightful, and it is the perfect pick for Love from A to Z fans who want the romance with more laughs.

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed#

The most political cousin: Jamie Goldberg, a Jewish teen, and Maya Rehman, a Muslim teen, are forced to canvass together for a local election - and the novel unfolds as a story of friendship, first love and the fight for representation. It has Love from A to Z’s activism and its clean, warm romance: the same young people finding their voices, the same faith and family, the same conviction that small acts matter. It is clean and hopeful, and it is the perfect pick for Love from A to Z fans who loved the activism.

How to Choose Your Next Read#

With so many excellent options, the choice comes down to what you loved most about Love from A to Z:

If you loved the Muslim romance, start with Ayesha at Last - the closest cousin in the genre.

If you loved Zayneb’s activism, start with Love, Hate & Other Filters or Yes No Maybe So - the same fire, the same hope.

If you loved the chance meeting, start with The Sun Is Also a Star - the most romantic meeting in the genre.

If you loved the family drama, start with The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali - the same faith and family, a heavier story.

If you loved the humor, start with When Dimple Met Rishi - the same romance, more laughs.

The Conversation These Books Start#

Every book on this list is built for discussion, and the questions that worked for Love from A to Z work for them all: What does it mean to be truly seen - and what does the genre say about the love that sees? How do the characters’ faith and identity shape who they are - and what does the genre gain by taking them seriously? What are the “marvels” in your own life - and what would it take to notice them? What does it mean to love someone who is carrying grief or illness - and what does the love give them? These are the questions the genre exists to ask, and they are the reason these books are so often shared, discussed and loved. For the craft of the conversation itself, our book content guides: themes, values and reading notes helps readers choose the right book for the right reader, and our family-friendly family content warnings helps families know what to expect before they begin.

Conclusion#

Love from A to Z is one of those books that feels like a warm hand on your shoulder - and the books like it have the same warmth. Ayesha at Last, Love, Hate & Other Filters, The Sun Is Also a Star, When Dimple Met Rishi and the rest each take the same engine - the clean, warm romance, the faith and family, the wonder of being truly seen - and turn it into a different love story with the same heart and the same hope. Whatever you loved most about Zayneb and Adam’s story, there is a book on this list that gives it to you again. And when you finish it, you will probably do what Love from A to Z readers always do: close the book, look at the people you love, and resolve to notice the marvels. For more recommendations and reading tools, explore the Guides section of our site.