Bolu Babalola is the author of the internationally bestselling short-story collection Love in Color. She is a London-based writer and lover of love. In 2016, she was shortlisted in the 4th Estate's B4ME competition for her short story "Netflix & Chill," a hilarious tale of teen romance. While writing scripts for TV and film, she also works as a culture writer and calls herself a "romcomoisseur." You can find her online at www.bolubabalola.com.
Sharp-tongued (and secretly soft-hearted) Kiki Banjo has just made a huge mistake. As an expert In relationship-evasion and the host of the popular student radio show Brown Sugar, she's made it her mission to make sure the women of the African-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University do not fall into the mess of "situationships," players, and heartbreak. But when the Queen of Unbothered kisses Malakai Korede, the guy she just publicly denounced as "The Wastemen of Whitewell," in front of every Blackwellian on campus, she finds her show on the brink. They're soon embroiled in a fake relationship to try and salvage their reputation and save their futures. Kiki has never surrendered her heart before, and a player like Malakai won't be the one to change that, no matter how charming he is or how electric their connection feels. But surprisingly entertaining study sessions and intimate, late-night talks at old-fashioned diners force Kiki to look beyond her own presumptions. Is she ready to open herself up to something deeper? A gloriously funny and sparkling debut novel, Honey and Spice is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees.
Babalola's writing is just absolutely fantastic. I was drawn into her storytelling. I love her use of figurative language and just the unique way she described the different feelings Kiki was experiencing, whether they be the highest of highs or lowest of lows. Even more than just that, the way Kiki and Malakai speak to one another felt so real. I love how Babalola was able to combine some of her prettiest figurative language with so much truth in the interactions between her two main characters. This was even better when the truth sounded pretty—Malakai's and Kiki's confessions of love in that last chapter was stunning in more ways than one. I wish I had a physical copy—I would have been highlighting and underlining so many of Babalola's beautiful lines.
Kiki's and Malakai's story centers around their time at university in England, and I love how this makes Honey & Spice a new adult novel. We don't have many books in this really cool age group area range, so I was super excited when I realized this. I love how Kiki's story of growth is all about her overcoming her own misconceptions about other people that she only has because of what happened to her in high school. I just think it's really important that we have stories in this transitory period of people's lives, because there are so many interesting and necessary stories to be told. Babalola lending her voice to this was incredibly refreshing, making for a read I ate up.
Kiki and Malakai's chemistry was off-the-charts, but what I loved even more than their banter (if it's possible to love anything more than their banter) was the external elements of their relationship. How Kiki and Malakai both have their reputations on the line, and how the fake dating feels real because there's something on the line. I also love how Babalola incorporated scripts from both of their projects into the storytelling, and how the epilogue was comprised entirely of these multimedia tidbits. It makes the story feel fuller of the world outside of Kiki and Malakai, and indeed you can describe this whole book as capturing a world, a point in time, and also a point outside of time. If you can't tell, I really am obsessed with this read, and can't wait to recommend it to all of my friends.
I hope Babalola keeps writing, because I'm certain to read everything she's written. Until then, you can find her online at www.bolubabalola.com.
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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