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amandalorianxo's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
This was a cute romance intertwined with female friendships and empowering one’s self. The 🥵🌶️ was towards the end ish but steamy 😏 I loved the banter and the way they knew they were flawed but trying to work through their trauma in a somewhat healthy way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol and Medical trauma
berodatheelf's review
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Cancer, Infidelity, and Rape
purplepenning's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Not gonna lie — it took several chapters and an embarrassing number of Google searches for this white, small-town, Gen X American to get the vibe of this one, but it was ultimately worth the effort. If I weren't so old and out of touch, I'm sure I would've enjoyed it even more. As-is, here's what I loved:
- a strong, complex, nuanced main character
- one of the best book boyfriends I've ever read in recent memory
- sizzling banter and gorgeous prose
- so much sister solidarity and friend support
- Afro-Caribbean, specifically Nigerian Londoner, voices centered and supported with beautifully cast context
- a couple of squee-worthy, next-level, book-nerd gestures that were absolute perfection
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Cursing, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abandonment, Cancer, and Infidelity
slut shaming, non-consensual photos / revenge porn, blackmail, police harassmentcaseythereader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny
dalmavatai's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
This book is truly an ode to Black (British) joy and love. Malakai and Kiki are dynamic characters with their unique struggles and it's beautiful to see them come together and make each other feel worthy. I loved the tension and chemistry between them, in fact I wanted more, just like I wanted more steam. I loved the commentary on what it's like to be a Black woman at a British university as well as the ways in which the Black women in the story came together despite their differences and stood up for each other. I kind of didn't really care about the university politics that was a big part of the book and I wanted more of the relationship instead, more of the back-and-forth, did-he-touch-me-or-was-it-accidental kind of tension that I felt like we didn't get enough of. I also thought this book was very long and it was more than just a romance so it makes sense but I was mostly in it for the romance so in places it was a bit slow for me. But despite these things this was a joyful, sweet, beautiful story that I'm glad I read, plus it's probably the prettiest book I bought this year!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying and Toxic relationship
shector1's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Racism, and Alcohol
Minor: Toxic friendship, Medical content, and Toxic relationship
churrosmom's review
funny
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
5.0
This book is so much fun! This romance follows Kiki, a British Nigerian university student who runs a radio show giving advice about relationships and f*ckboys to Black women at the university. She concocts a fake dating scheme with the new "wasteman" in town, Malakai. The banter (between the couple and between friends) is impeccable, the friendships are so well done, and the Blackwell (the university's Afro Caribbean Society) world the author created is so vibrant. Every character was so well fleshed out and came to life off the page. I really hope the author follows up with sequels following some of the other women from Blackwell!
For people who don't like pop culture references in books, there are a LOT in this one, but I didn't mind them at all.
Disclaimer: I received a Netgalley eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
For people who don't like pop culture references in books, there are a LOT in this one, but I didn't mind them at all.
Disclaimer: I received a Netgalley eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Racism
Minor: Cancer and Violence
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