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matmatmatty's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the story of Yinka who at 31, finds herself single while her sister and cousins are all married or engaged.
With a lot of pressure to get married, Yinka decides to start a plan to get a date for her cousin's wedding, which kicks off the story.
This is a romance but it isn't so much about finding love but feeling worthy of love. Yinka is someone who has certain views about the world that work in her disfavour - she sees other women's curves and immediately compared them to her own, she talks about how light others are in comparison to herself.
Yinka does a lot of things that I don't agree with (she lies to friends and family, she decides to change herself entirely, and drinks when she has always been a light drinker) but this is all to show her characterisation and her spiral (like I think it's clear that you're not meant to be rooting for her while she does this)
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but the final quarter was extremely emotional for me and really pushed this over the edge.
With a lot of pressure to get married, Yinka decides to start a plan to get a date for her cousin's wedding, which kicks off the story.
This is a romance but it isn't so much about finding love but feeling worthy of love. Yinka is someone who has certain views about the world that work in her disfavour - she sees other women's curves and immediately compared them to her own, she talks about how light others are in comparison to herself.
Yinka does a lot of things that I don't agree with (she lies to friends and family, she decides to change herself entirely, and drinks when she has always been a light drinker) but this is all to show her characterisation and her spiral (like I think it's clear that you're not meant to be rooting for her while she does this)
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but the final quarter was extremely emotional for me and really pushed this over the edge.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Body shaming
Moderate: Alcohol and Death
sandysmith's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I enjoyed this book so much. It was a journey to self-love, about family, church, religion, and friendship pressures. It's not just the main character that grows, so do the people around her. Her Nigerian background was written in a way that I understood, and key themes of self-awareness, racism, and skin tone were explored. I don't like comparing books, but it was a black Bridget Jones more modern with teeth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Body shaming
Moderate: Death of parent and Alcohol
micaelamariem's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I really wanted to like this book…
A lot of people are comparing it to Bridget Jones Diary and I also hated that book so I guess that makes sense.
I appreciated the theme of women not needing a man to be happy and to be content with who you are. I liked the creativity of using mixed media (like Google searches etc) in the chapters.
However, I found the main character extremely u likable, constantly making nonsensical decisions and judging everyone else. I thought the dialogue was cringey and unbelievable. And honestly, I was just grimacing the whole time 😭
A lot of people are comparing it to Bridget Jones Diary and I also hated that book so I guess that makes sense.
I appreciated the theme of women not needing a man to be happy and to be content with who you are. I liked the creativity of using mixed media (like Google searches etc) in the chapters.
However, I found the main character extremely u likable, constantly making nonsensical decisions and judging everyone else. I thought the dialogue was cringey and unbelievable. And honestly, I was just grimacing the whole time 😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death of parent, Alcohol, Cursing, and Sexism
megansoetaert's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
this was a frustrating and heartwarming read!! loved getting to see yinka's growth and her self-love develop. her experiences with colorism & family expectations were a central focus of the book. (butttt she was a hot mess beyond that too lol)
i couldn't believe she was in her thirties... but i'm glad she got it together & gained confidence with the help of her friends + a Black therapist!! we love to see it! i want nana’s book next 💘
i couldn't believe she was in her thirties... but i'm glad she got it together & gained confidence with the help of her friends + a Black therapist!! we love to see it! i want nana’s book next 💘
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Racism
zombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Colorism, texturismjennp28's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Didn’t love this one. I found it hard to see Yinka’s redeeming qualities. Every time I started to be sympathetic to her, she’d do something else that annoyed me. The other characters were similarly unlikeable (some of them on purpose, some of them not). I did like the way the focus was on her in the end and not her love life - but I think this is improperly labelled a romance because it’s not that. A journey of self-discovery would be more accurate. I did enjoy the depictions of British-Nigerian culture especially listening to it as an audio book - that was probably my favourite part. Overall meh.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
yamooz's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Racism, and Death of parent
theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A well written story about self love, sisterly love, motherly love, and a quest for true love.
I both loved and hated Yinka. It was a real rollercoaster. LoL. I loved her at the start of the book as the reader is getting to know her. I felt a lot of sympathy for her—the struggles she was faced with and how she was treated by family.
But then I hated her as she became completely self absorbed and obsessed with dating. Her lying/omissions spun out of control and she became a disgusting person. I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to be her friend and she’s lucky she didn’t alienate everyone who cared for her.
After some tough love and hard truths from her friends and family, Yinka worked on herself with the help of a therapist and she stepped into her true self. She gained the self confidence she needed to become the woman she was meant to be.
I both loved and hated Yinka. It was a real rollercoaster. LoL. I loved her at the start of the book as the reader is getting to know her. I felt a lot of sympathy for her—the struggles she was faced with and how she was treated by family.
But then I hated her as she became completely self absorbed and obsessed with dating. Her lying/omissions spun out of control and she became a disgusting person. I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to be her friend and she’s lucky she didn’t alienate everyone who cared for her.
After some tough love and hard truths from her friends and family, Yinka worked on herself with the help of a therapist and she stepped into her true self. She gained the self confidence she needed to become the woman she was meant to be.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent
fazazzle's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I think this book did a really good job of subverting a lot of common romance novel tropes. Ultimately, this is a story about self-love and friendship and family moreso than romance, and I enjoyed seeing Yinka coming into her own throughout the course of the book.
Yinka is a very frustrating narrator, but she does feel very real (although I doubt any person could suddenly become fully actualized and a better person after only a few therapy sessions).
A fun enough read !
Yinka is a very frustrating narrator, but she does feel very real (although I doubt any person could suddenly become fully actualized and a better person after only a few therapy sessions).
A fun enough read !
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
katsmedialibrary's review
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming
Moderate: Racism and Fatphobia