Diverse Romcom

"As British Bengali, second-generation immigrants, we sisters have our fair share of secrets. Mine is perhaps the biggest of all," Fahima, Bridezilla's older sister.You've read the story about the Bengali Bridezilla, but what about the debris of disgruntled family members left in her wake?Now it's the turn of middle sis to tell her story…"To the outside world, I have it all. Cute kids, handsome husband, beautiful home. The perfect life, but this is far from the truth."My life is a lie. My world is a lie. Things aren't perfect."Former journalist Halima Khatun's The (other) Sister of the Bride is set during the wedding planning of Helena, the protagonist in the The Secret Diary of a Bengali Bridezilla. It's a story about love, rivalry and how what we see from the outside can be very different to reality. Halima Khatun is a former journalist (having worked for ITV and the BBC), writer and PR consultant. Since she was a child, she knew that words would be her thing. With a lifelong passion for writing, Halima wrote her first novel - a coming-of-age children's story - at the age of 12. It was politely turned down by all the major publishing houses. However, proving that writing was indeed her forte, Halima went on to study English and journalism and was one of just four people in the UK to be granted a BBC scholarship during her postgraduate studies. She has since written for a number of publications including the HuffPost and Yahoo! Style, and has been featured in the Express, Metro and other national publications. You can find out more about Halima's books and get free reads on: https://halimakhatun.co.uk/newsletter-sign-up/ You can connect with Halima on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halimakhatunauthor and tiktok: @halimakhatunauthor. Having spent years in London, Halima has resettled in Manchester with her family.

A fraught new(ish) mum. A toddler who doesn't sleep. A big move.Life has a funny way of coming full circleI couldn't wait to leave my small neighbourhood up north, yet here we are, thinking of moving back. However, with a career in flux, older parents and in-laws that come with their own expectations, can I really leave my bubble in London to go back to all that?The latest book in the award-winning series sees our fraught heroine face new challenges as she navigates life in the sandwich generation –having a small child and older parents to take care of. It's funny, heartwarming and poignant. Set against a backdrop of a changing social landscape, former journalist Halima Khatun's The Secret Diary of a Fraught Bengali explores race, identity and belonging, in a way only she knows how. Halima Khatun is a former journalist (having worked for ITV and the BBC), writer and PR consultant. Since she was a child, she knew that words would be her thing. With a lifelong passion for writing, Halima wrote her first novel - a coming-of-age children's story - at the age of 12. It was politely turned down by all the major publishing houses. However, proving that writing was indeed her forte, Halima went on to study English and journalism and was one of just four people in the UK to be granted a BBC scholarship during her postgraduate studies. She has since written for a number of publications including the HuffPost and Yahoo! Style, and has been featured in the Express, Metro and other national publications. You can find out more about Halima's books and get free reads on: https://halimakhatun.co.uk/newsletter-sign-up/ You can connect with Halima on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halimakhatunauthor and tiktok: @halimakhatunauthor. Having spent years in London, Halima has resettled in Manchester with her family.