Spice: A Novel (Fate)

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Kiki and Malakai, though, steal the show. Malakai is a wonderful hero: sexy, funny, a touch arrogant, not perfect yet willing to answer for his mistakes, but also deeply and nerdishly earnest in a lot of ways, which provides such a welcome contrast to Kiki’s brittle cynicism. Kiki herself is my favourite kind of romance heroine: damaged, flawed, strong, complicated. She’s also kind of a slowburn heroine because we meet her sleeping with a man she doesn’t like precisely because she doesn’t like him and it takes about half the book to really know who she is and understand the forces and experiences that have shaped her. It is, however, an incredibly satisfying journey, especially because it parallels Kiki’s own journey not just to a romantic relationship with Malakai but to a better relationship with herself and the world in general. This was such a fun read!!!! I love Kiki so much!! Yes, she is annoying sometimes but honestly, she is still someone I would want to hang out with. She has a grim perspective of men and the dating world in general, and she makes many good points. After a while though, you do notice that she has taken a lot of these facts to an extreme and as we understand her more, we understand what the initiations of this are. I loved being on the journey with her as she grew and found a healthy balance between her values and opening up more. I also really liked her friends. I initially struggled to connect with Kiki's character as she is haughty, effortlessly cool and obliviously beautiful. However, as she gradually opens up and faces her past, a delightfully witty and nerdy personality is revealed. This character development adds depth and complexity to Kiki's character as well as relatability. And even though I struggled in the beginning to engage with Kiki and her story, Babalola’s excellent writing, the incredible audio narration of Weruche Opia, and the depth of emotion underlying it all won me over. I found myself pulling for Kiki and Malakai all the way. The plot centers around Troy Brennan, a feared and downright cruel guy in Boston with a seriously dark past, and Sparrow Raynes, a woman who’s essentially forced into marrying him. At first glance, Sparrow seems like your average woman, but as the story unfolds, you get to see this whole other side to her—tough and super smart.

Like all good romance novels, there are sparks aplenty and challenging obstacles for Kiki and Malakai to overcome. Self-acceptance and self-forgiveness must be attained before they can move forward, either individually or together. There's something about the way the characters were crafted that they felt three dimensional, and that extended to the tertiary level side characters. It's hard enough getting friends in books to come across as real people so Babalola was really out here running laps around the girlies. I- I don’t even think I have all the right words to describe how much I LOVED THIS BOOK. The way Bolu Babalola writes is absolutely fantastic! The Nigerian culture representation truly made my heart so warm. I felt like I was reading about a part of myself that I wanted to connect with more. Malakai is a sweet lead who effortlessly matches Kiki's energy and is given some depth through his experiences and family issues. Besides Malakai, Kiki's best friend Amina is the only other character who stands out due to her substantial role. Although the remaining characters have little depth, they are given defined roles that help bring the story together.Romance was a waste of time, a form of manipulation utilised by boys who didn't wash their bed sheets regularly. It existed sure, but I wasn't surrounded by anyone I believed engaged in it properly, with respect for the object of their affection, rather than a thirst to claim; a triumph of acquisition, rather than a triumph of winning affection.”

Now there have been rumblings of another book in this world, mayhaps even a sequel. I haven't tried to substantiate any of that for myself, but I know that I would love to see more of these characters and to get a glimpse at what they'd be up to next. Sparrow is a fantastic blend of steam, action, and suspense sprinkled with just the right touch of drama 😌

That’s a wrap! 🔥

Kiki the main character is smart and ambitious, she sets goals for certain things and accomplishes them. This is the book I plan on making my future mans read because if he doesn’t treat me like how Malakai treats Kiki…I don’t want it!