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strawb3rrysugar's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I decided to borrow the audiobook for Honey and Spice from a library app after seeing a booktuber praise this book for being a cute, fun romance with a healthy dose of spice. Man, I really like this book. Some of this is because I think the narrator of this book does an absolutely fantastic job - probably one of my favorite audiobook narrators I've ever heard. She really captures the humor and emotion of this story so well.
I really, really liked this book. I'd read another romance book on a whim earlier this year and thought that would be the most I'd enjoy a romance novel for the rest of the year (I like the genre, but I'm very picky about what kind of romance I want to read). The characters are well-developed, the banter is witty and smart, the spicy scenes are genuinely spicy without coming across as cringeworthy, and Malakai is a very sweet, funny love interest who takes genuine interest in Kiki and her goals/interests.
If that alone doesn't convince you to read this book, I will also add that Babalola portrays Kiki's relationship anxiety and struggles with avoiding difficult memories and emotions extremely well. It feels very real and accurate to what it's like to experience that kind of anxiety in real life. And this story can get intensely emotional at some points - I had this audiobook on while doing some at-home work, and I found myself getting teary-eyed all of a sudden over a tense scene in the second act.
In short, if you want a fun and well-written romance, I highly, highly recommend Honey and Spice.
I really, really liked this book. I'd read another romance book on a whim earlier this year and thought that would be the most I'd enjoy a romance novel for the rest of the year (I like the genre, but I'm very picky about what kind of romance I want to read). The characters are well-developed, the banter is witty and smart, the spicy scenes are genuinely spicy without coming across as cringeworthy, and Malakai is a very sweet, funny love interest who takes genuine interest in Kiki and her goals/interests.
If that alone doesn't convince you to read this book, I will also add that Babalola portrays Kiki's relationship anxiety and struggles with avoiding difficult memories and emotions extremely well. It feels very real and accurate to what it's like to experience that kind of anxiety in real life. And this story can get intensely emotional at some points - I had this audiobook on while doing some at-home work, and I found myself getting teary-eyed all of a sudden over a tense scene in the second act.
In short, if you want a fun and well-written romance, I highly, highly recommend Honey and Spice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Racial slurs, Classism, Police brutality, Misogyny, Racism, and Grief
Minor: Misogyny and Hate crime
Sexual content for this book is moderate - descriptive, but not graphic. Plenty of conversations about sex and many innuendos, most of them pretty lighthearted. There are many conversations about classism, racism, and sexism concerning Whitewell University. Some mentions of non-black people using the N-word (or trying to substitute it). Malakai recalls a past police confrontation that gets intense, but an older man intervenes to help him. In a flashback, Kiki is almost taken advantage of by her ex-friend's boyfriend while she's drunk. It isn't greatly detailed, but could still be upsetting. Kiki mentions that her mother was sick while she was in high school and how it affected her life. Her mom is still alive in the story, though not a major character.hannahs_library__'s review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Not only did this man read her favorite romantasy series, he also fully DRESSED UP AS ONE OF THE MMCs SO SHE WOULDN’T HAVE TO GO TO A CONVENTION ALONE. 😭🧡 If he wanted to, he would!
Read this if you like:
- College (uni) romance
- Fake dating
- Found family/ friendships
- Banter!!!
- Multimedia (radio show)
- Amazing writing
Honey & Spice was my favorite kind of romance; the subplot had so much depth and there was sooo much character development. While Kiki and Malakai were everything, the focus was equally on their individual character arcs and growth, and it was amazing!
Set at the heart of British Uni, main character Kiki is the host of a popular student run radio show, Brown Sugar, where she provides situationship advice for her fellow students (and really cool playlists). However, as we can expect she quickly finds herself entangled in a situation of her own that may or may not involve fake dating. 😉
I’ve seen a lot of reviews that critique the book for being too college-centric. Personally, I thought it was nostalgic and loved it! It is a story about college students and their college friends at college so do with that what you will. 🤷 I loved being wrapped up in the college social drama and atmosphere, so it really worked for me. Bolu does an amazing job at setting the vibe, I felt like I was on campus with them. If that’s not your thing, maybe stay away from the New Adult genre. ☕
I had such a great time listening to this as an audiobook! Weruche Opla was an amazing narrator. The radio show elements really took the experience up a notch and made it really fun to listen to. Overall, highly HIGHLY recommend this book. (Plus, I heard that a sequel is in the works. 👀)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual harassment and Police brutality
withlivjones's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I am OBSESSED. Excellent writing? Check. Snappy banter? Check. Beautiful romance that has me giggling and kicking my feet? Check. Great character development from both MCs? Check. An emphasis on female friendship and the importance of women supporting women over tearing each other down? Check. A well-executed subplot that examines the experience of being a Black student at a PWI? Check. Full marks all round!!
This book has all the ingredients of not just an incredible romance novel, but an incredible novel, period. I suspect that Kiki and Malakai will be living in my head rent free for a good while. This is easily the best romance I’ve read this year, and I’ll probably have trouble finding a book to top it.
This book has all the ingredients of not just an incredible romance novel, but an incredible novel, period. I suspect that Kiki and Malakai will be living in my head rent free for a good while. This is easily the best romance I’ve read this year, and I’ll probably have trouble finding a book to top it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Police brutality
dylan_tomorrow's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Medical content, Racial slurs, Classism, Abandonment, Sexism, Terminal illness, and Misogyny
Minor: Violence and Bullying
daenerystargaryen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Racism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Cancer, and Mental illness
carseatwarmers's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.0
the audiobook is top tier! anyway we need to abolish the third act breakup 😫 that setup was so weird but i’m a sucker for grand gestures so i’ll try to let it slide 😇
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Police brutality, Infidelity, Cancer, Hate crime, and Medical trauma
katryna_'s review
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Racism and Sexual assault
kirareadssometimes's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.25
First off this author uses a lot of adjectives! Otherwise, nicely written story. A few aspects reminded me of the movie Dear White People which was a fun call back to a movie I really like. Kai was so sweet and wonderful. I found Kiki so wonderfully complex being inexperienced while also being so helpful at sharing relationship advice. The social aspects of the end of the book were a bit of a surprise and while super engaging and important, I wished more time was spent on Kai and Kiki in the end.
Not very spicy. Just one descriptive scene.
Not very spicy. Just one descriptive scene.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Racism
revoli's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
nenaveenstra's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.0
This book is a beautiful representation of what being a woman in her early twenties can be like. It’s a story of community, of abuse and of finding yourself after you’ve been hurt. It’s also a fake dating romance.
Judging this book as a romance would be unfair, because, no, it didn’t make my stomach flutter like other romance novels have, and it’s not quite as sexy as other romances, and I couldn’t quite get on board with the fake dating side of things. However, the romance in this story was an important part of the character arc of our main character, Kiki, and I appreciated it for that.
Kiki went from a person who’d rather be lonely than be hurt, to someone who collects an awesome group of friends who would die for her, and is capable of talking through conflict instead of avoiding it, and it was beautiful to watch. And the same went for a lot of the other characters in this book, like Aminah, Kofi, and, most importantly, Malakai, all of whom had dealt with painful relationship drama in the past. All of that character development happened in an environment that was like Black Mean Girls, with different cliques all around the university and gossip blogs detailing every student’s love life, and Black slang and Yoruba (and other languages) all around.
This book felt very raw, very real. And yet it didn’t really affect me in ways I would’ve liked it to. I wish I felt more invested in Kiki and Kai’s relationship, and I wish I could connect more to Kiki as a character overall, even though her closed-offness was kind of the point. Maybe it’s because I’m white, or because I’m queer, and neurodivergent. Either way, I felt kind of distanced from everything that was going on. But I still recommend this book for what it does achieve. And what it can achieve for people who don’t feel seen in other pieces of media.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Infidelity