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michkeenah's review against another edition
3.0
dialogue was a little bit jarring for me and i found that many of the side-plots were distracting. but the ROMANCE? oh god, the ROMANCE? absolutely delicious. i do love a good slow burn
lbarsk's review against another edition
5.0
SEE NOW THIS IS A FUCKING ROMANCE. THIS IS HOW IT’S DONE! If you’re gonna write straight romances, learn from Babalola, who is a MASTER of her craft. GOD! The way Kiki and Malaki’s relationship builds, ebbs, and then comes back stronger; the beautiful friendship between Kiki and Aminah; Kiki’s own growth and self-love journey and the way she ends the book with a whole group of brilliant badass lady friends… it’s all just so so so good. The book speaks to a really specific Black British experience and it was a privilege to read that perspective, written so deftly and carefully (as in filled-with-care) by Babalola.
I know a lot of folks are comparing this book to Dear White People, and I get why (Kiki hosting a radio show where she doles out advice; a narrative illustrating the realities of being Black at a PWI), but honestly I think the book stands on its own merit and flies above such a comparison. The pacing is excellent, all of the characters feel REAL and HUMAN, the romance is HOT HOT HOT, and the messaging within about what it means to value yourself and your voice is clear and powerful. I was totally head-over-heels in love with this book (the way Malakai is for Kikiola!) and can’t wait to read every single other thing Babalola ever writes. Her talent is immense and I think that any romance lover worth their salt will really enjoy this.
I know a lot of folks are comparing this book to Dear White People, and I get why (Kiki hosting a radio show where she doles out advice; a narrative illustrating the realities of being Black at a PWI), but honestly I think the book stands on its own merit and flies above such a comparison. The pacing is excellent, all of the characters feel REAL and HUMAN, the romance is HOT HOT HOT, and the messaging within about what it means to value yourself and your voice is clear and powerful. I was totally head-over-heels in love with this book (the way Malakai is for Kikiola!) and can’t wait to read every single other thing Babalola ever writes. Her talent is immense and I think that any romance lover worth their salt will really enjoy this.
kearako's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
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
5.0
jae_28's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
4.5
This was one of the very few stories I’ve read where I got to see the love interests genuinely connect for more than one or two scenes and I one hundred percent believed that they fell in love by the end. They were hilariously witty, playful, imperfect, and so real that they could be people I knew. And it’s not just the two, all the characters were so well-rounded and dynamic. After reading Love In Color, I didn’t expect any less from Babalola when it came to character development.
The conflict and backstories—how the two were woven throughout the story—were executed beautifully. I absolutely loved the tone and language of the writing. It’s become one of my favorite things now. The only thing that threw me off was that a lot of the sentence structures were a bit off-putting. The sentences were just long as hell sometimes lol. They would start at one place and run for a while before going back to the original point. I constantly had to stop and blink to process before moving on. As jarring as it was, I also saw it as a quirk in the writing rather than a flaw, but something to point out nonetheless. It may be easier to follow for those who read a physical copy.
Some might also think the book could’ve been a little shorter, or condensed some in the middle. I loved the writing so much and enjoyed the read but still felt that was the case at one point, especially since the end felt rushed to me. We didn’t really get to see the end unfold for other important parts of the plot, unfortunately. We were told what happened and then it just… ended. I understand that the romance seemed to be the most important but that was kind of a letdown, especially after getting so attached to the characters and story.
The conflict and backstories—how the two were woven throughout the story—were executed beautifully. I absolutely loved the tone and language of the writing. It’s become one of my favorite things now. The only thing that threw me off was that a lot of the sentence structures were a bit off-putting. The sentences were just long as hell sometimes lol. They would start at one place and run for a while before going back to the original point. I constantly had to stop and blink to process before moving on. As jarring as it was, I also saw it as a quirk in the writing rather than a flaw, but something to point out nonetheless. It may be easier to follow for those who read a physical copy.
Some might also think the book could’ve been a little shorter, or condensed some in the middle. I loved the writing so much and enjoyed the read but still felt that was the case at one point, especially since the end felt rushed to me. We didn’t really get to see the end unfold for other important parts of the plot, unfortunately. We were told what happened and then it just… ended. I understand that the romance seemed to be the most important but that was kind of a letdown, especially after getting so attached to the characters and story.
odesszaaa's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ciaramay99's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Some of the most cringey language ever, like a millennial trying to talk to a gen z. Loved it tho lol great love story great characters ( one of my ‘i have really bad taste’ rom com books )
fernanda28's review against another edition
3.0
It's a good book, nothing special but it doesn't need to be.
It's the kind of romance book you immediately knows what is going to happen, but it doesn't bother me at all. What did bother me is that I found it a little too heteronormative, with the gendering way too frequent and the lack of representation. But I've read all Sarah J. Maas' books, so who am I to complain about that?!
The writing is very good and fluid. If you're looking for a romance to pass the time, Honey & Spice is a good choice.
It's the kind of romance book you immediately knows what is going to happen, but it doesn't bother me at all. What did bother me is that I found it a little too heteronormative, with the gendering way too frequent and the lack of representation. But I've read all Sarah J. Maas' books, so who am I to complain about that?!
The writing is very good and fluid. If you're looking for a romance to pass the time, Honey & Spice is a good choice.
grace_muriithi's review against another edition
5.0
to my bestie who begged me to read this book- YOU ATE WITH THIS BOOK REC.
I would give this book a solid 4.5/5 stars, but I'm rounding up because I absolutely adored this book overall. My only complaints are that the romantic drama at the end seemed a bit out of place from the rest of the book's flow, and the beginning was slow for my taste. I loved how the occasional British and Yoruba slang was peppered in enough to make it seem realistic, as well as this being the first college romance I have read that felt realistic with some of the relationship aspects. The development felt true to real life, and I loved seeing how both Kiki and Malakai grew as people. I would highly recommend this book for sure :)
I would give this book a solid 4.5/5 stars, but I'm rounding up because I absolutely adored this book overall. My only complaints are that the romantic drama at the end seemed a bit out of place from the rest of the book's flow, and the beginning was slow for my taste. I loved how the occasional British and Yoruba slang was peppered in enough to make it seem realistic, as well as this being the first college romance I have read that felt realistic with some of the relationship aspects. The development felt true to real life, and I loved seeing how both Kiki and Malakai grew as people. I would highly recommend this book for sure :)
gabrielleione's review against another edition
emotional
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ktmitzlaff's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5