Reviews with content warning for Cancer - Honey & Spice

So as a general disclaimer, I don't really consider myself a romance reader. I love love, but I generally prefer it to be an addendum to a story, a plot point, rather than the whole point. But I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, and I must say, I'm glad I picked this one.

The beginning was a little rough for me, the clique-heavy nature of the campus was frustrating. The conflict between social groups felt so immature. It felt more like high school than college, and none of my school experiences remotely matched that, either. The social conflicts help drive much of the plot, which didn't always land for me, but I didn't mind much by the end.

Once I got through the setup drama, I was really hooked by Kiki and Kai's chemistry. I also thought their personal hangups felt pretty relatable, but I wanted to scream in Kiki's ear to stop lying to herself (in a good way, I was getting invested in their relationship). I definitely felt all warm and fuzzy by the end, and I maybe teared up a little. And when it finally happened, the spice was spicy, gat damn!

I also loved the female friendships throughout the book, I had a lot of fun when Aminah and the others were on the page.

The pop culture references felt a little heavy handed in some parts, mostly in Kiki's internal dialogue. They felt more natural in the conversations with Kai or her friends, where they helped give us a sense of everyone's personalities.

The cultural references were also a nice touch-- this felt distinctly British, Nigerian, and Black in a way that was effortless and engaging. If you want a romance with Black joy, I think this would definitely fit the bill.

Overall, this was a fun one, even if I felt a little like a cranky old person dealing with teen problems in the beginning.

Content Warnings

temi1008's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-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

4.75

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nataliegray's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

4.25

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madscientistcat's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective slow-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

4.25

Content Warnings

justovereherereading's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing 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

4.75

This was a slow burner and I loved it!
Honestly it took me a while to get into it and I almost put it down completely, I wasn’t connecting with the characters or the setting, BUT I am so glad I stuck with it, it’s a beautiful slow burn that eventually had me so hooked, I couldn’t put it down.
The characters were delightful and I want to be their friend! I feel like the author let us in on them just enough to keep me guessing at what would happen next, the twists were unexpected, yet believable.
The issues in the book were handled with care & thoughtfulness.
A delight of a book that I throughly recommend.

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kristinallard's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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

Content Warnings

jpitts's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. Everything about this book pops. The author's narrative voice is electric. The college setting is lively and well developed with fun side characters and lots of campus gossip to fill it out. Most importantly, Kiki and Malakai are incredible both as individual characters and as a couple.

I read a lot of romance and I feel like I often run into fictional couples whose chemistry is talked up through their internal monologues more than it's actually demonstrated through their interactions. But every scene between Kiki and Malakai was absolute fire, and I was wholly invested in their relationship as well as their individual happiness. Not to mention Kiki herself (the sole POV character) is just awesome. I felt like I understood her completely and admired the hell out of her.

Also major props to the audiobook. Weruche Opia brings so much life to the role, and I particularly loved her readings of the radio show segments.

I'm begging y'all to pick this up. It's just so damn good.

Content Warnings

ashleycmms's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted tense 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

5.0

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