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catlandia91's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
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.
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
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Cancer
foreverbooked15'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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Police brutality
umsriracha's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
4.75
Honey and Spice quickly jumped to my top 3 reads. The rhythm of the book is captivating. It’s clear that the author is insanely well-spoken and versed in literature. The way Bolu Babalola writes is honestly inspiring. After reading this book I want to download a word of the day app and really step my vocab game up. While advanced, her writing is not convoluted in any way. Babalola writes like… jazz. That’s the only way to describe it, honestly. It’s like music, at least to me. Anyway! Speaking of inspiring, Kiki Banjo is the perfect main character. She’s not without flaws but she is extremely intelligent, beautiful, and witty in a way that transcends the page. As a black girl myself, having a character like Kiki is touching, much appreciated, and way past due. Now, the romance in so few words: the progression is seamless and I’ll just leave it at this.. he read her favorite books. swoon.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism
jeimy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
slow-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual assault
stellarkai's review against another edition
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
madscientistcat's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, and Racial slurs
katiemack's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
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
4.25
Some of the writing is too flowery/cliche for my taste, but overall I adored this. Bolu Babalola really captures what it’s like to be a university student—the dialogue in particular is delightful and authentic—all while addressing pertinent issues such as racism, colorism, classism, etc. The romance is a delicious slow burn (not always my thing, but this one is so charming and vulnerable it’s tough not to fall in love with Kiki and Malakai’s relationship), but Babalola takes care to cultivate some sweet and grounded platonic relationships throughout the book as well.
This reads very New Adult, obviously, but it’s more than worth a read even if you’re not twenty years old.
This reads very New Adult, obviously, but it’s more than worth a read even if you’re not twenty years old.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
viwilliams's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Death of parent, and Alcohol
kristinallard's review against another edition
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
Minor: Cancer, Racism, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Cultural appropriation
trips's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
Wow, this book was great.
Finally! I've found a romance I whole-heartedly was into and not icked out for the entire story! (Guess I'm picky when it comes to romance)
Kiki and Malakai's relationship was a treat to read about, all music references were super fun, and the rest of the cast felt well-rounded and fully fleshed out, too. Honestly, I'm going to continue to explore the genre throughout 2023 but I don't know if any romance novel can top this.
I was pleased to see that although Kiki comes off as being confident to the point of arrogance at the begnning of the book, I was happy to see her true layers to her personality and self reveal themselves over the course of the story. Malakai is a true gentleman through and through with his own traumas that I don't feel like were handled in their entirety but well enough that I was satisfied with the ending!
(also, a love interest fully into the MC's nerdy interests???? heck yessssss)
Finally! I've found a romance I whole-heartedly was into and not icked out for the entire story! (Guess I'm picky when it comes to romance)
Kiki and Malakai's relationship was a treat to read about, all music references were super fun, and the rest of the cast felt well-rounded and fully fleshed out, too. Honestly, I'm going to continue to explore the genre throughout 2023 but I don't know if any romance novel can top this.
I was pleased to see that although Kiki comes off as being confident to the point of arrogance at the begnning of the book, I was happy to see her true layers to her personality and self reveal themselves over the course of the story. Malakai is a true gentleman through and through with his own traumas that I don't feel like were handled in their entirety but well enough that I was satisfied with the ending!
(also, a love interest fully into the MC's nerdy interests???? heck yessssss)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexual content