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hjb_128's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship
isabellarob73's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
tafeeeeee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
The narrator's performance was great as well. I'm not used to this London accent and speach pattern but I really liked it and it really immersed me in the story.
Minor: Mental illness and Alcohol
daenerystargaryen's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cursing, Racism, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Racial slurs
offbrandclubsoda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity and Alcohol
gabyhat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol
justovereherereading's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Cancer, Racism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Vomit
reading_rebellion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cursing, Stalking, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Chronic illness and Police brutality
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
➽ Honey & Spice is about Kiki Banjo and her student radio show Brown Sugar. I really like the premise of that! Kiki keeps herself far away from the cliques of the African-Caribbean Society and hosts her show to help out her fellow girls. Every week she gives advice on how to avoid players and other types of guys that would take advantage of them. Kiki loves her show and is a firm believer in standing up for herself and not letting shitty guys get away with hurting women. Her character voice is really strong and Kiki herself is determined, no-nonsense and sometimes a bit brusque. She’s not good at opening up to others and has so far isolated herself, reporting on the events from the comfort of her radio show booth.
➽ Kiki and Malakai’s dynamic also had great chemistry! Malakai Korede first appears as just another player and Kiki roasts him on her show, to warn the girls away from him. But it turns out that he’s got a good heart and is willing to learn from his mistakes. His good humor and authenticity set him apart from the other guys and circumstances push them to fake date. Their banter and the tension between them was great, you could see that they had good chemistry as a couple. Both of them keep growing closer together and discover new facets of the other. There’s more to Malakai than meets the eye and Kiki herself is hiding a painful past that makes her push most people away.
➽ Despite the positive aspects, I wasn’t really vibing with the book. This is more down to personal tastes, as there were some things that I wasn’t a big fan of. One of them was the slow pacing. The audiobook was 12 hours long and depending on the edition, this book is on the longer side. The fake dating plot didn’t even start until 30% into the book and I felt like some interesting plot points like Kiki’s scholarship and personal project were often pushed to the side. After a while things to a bit repetitive and the ending felt rushed in comparison, with some things neatly wrapped up in the epilogue. Despite liking the character, I never felt as invested in the story as I wanted to. I also struggled with the writing style because it was dense and overly descriptive at times. The audiobook narrator was fantastic, but the beginning was rough because of all the references and run-on sentences.
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Hate crime, Mental illness, and Police brutality
viwilliams's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Death of parent, and Alcohol