Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Yinka, Where is Your Huzband?

I was getting ready to give this book 4 stars, but the ending ruined it for me. How can this be a story about learning to love yourself and not change yourself for a partner when Yinka's love interest literally changes himself to become more attractive to her?!

That's not to say that there weren't good parts of this book. I enjoyed the first three quarters of it. I was definitely invested in Yinka's story. I liked how differentiated and well-developed the large cast of characters was. Yinka's most immature choices I chalked up to the author saying that she started working on Yinka in her early- to mid-twenties; I think there might have been some bleedthrough there.

Also, I respect the author wanting to show the power of therapy! But a single session is not a cure-all. Ironically, she did such a good job of describing the toxic personalities in Yinka's circle, that

everyone becoming magically chill

was completely unbelievable, even in Yinka's heightened world.

On the whole, I'm frustrated with this book. I think Yinka deserved a more nuanced ending. For being an 11-hour(!) audiobook, I certainly wanted one for her.

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tbr_withmaya's review against another edition

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Rating:⭐️⭐️

I really wanted to like Yinka, but I didn’t. She felt flat. She had so many strong female role models in her life and it felt like 31 was a bit late to be figuring out the woman you want to be when she has the resources and people to talk to that could’ve helped her. Her actions seemed more appropriate for that of a YA character than a grown woman but 🤷🏽‍♀️

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revolverreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

3.0

Much like the red hearts and decorations that pop up everywhere for Valentine's during the month of February, the red flags of our main character are virtually impossible to miss.

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn’s debut, "Yinka, Where Is Your Husband," follows our thirty-something Oxford-educated leading lady, Yinka, a British Nigerian who is working hard to maintain optimism in her capitalist nightmare of a job. She’s done everything right so far, is even expecting a promotion, only to be told that she has been made redundant at work. Complicating matters, she had already shared the news of her anticipated promotion with her mother, inadvertently making the entire Nigerian population aware, courtesy of her well-meaning aunties.

Adding to the complexity, Yinka's younger sister is happily married and expecting, while her cousin is engaged, prompting her family to initiate public prayers for Yinka to find her husband. These personal and societal pressures become the backdrop against which Yinka's story unfolds.

Rather than confronting the momentary embarrassment with honesty, Yinka opts to run with the lie, believing that securing a new job will be easy. However, she inadvertently digs herself into an even deeper hole. Apparently, lying is the most fun a girl can have, right next to making a clinical plan of how to find a boyfriend by the wedding, creating a KPI system.

Thus begins Yinka's Mean Girls transformation, who changes everything about herself to capture the attention of Alex, Bachelor #1, only to discover that he harbors affections for her best friend. The descent into Bachelor Nation only continues, and Yinka seems to find all the wrong men to date.

There is so much potential to sympathize with Yinka, and for the most part, you find yourself doing just that. She’s been sold this idea of a capitalist dream ladder to climb, pressured to adhere to a predefined timeline for relationships and life, all the while contending with overbearing aunties who can't seem to mind their own business. However, her actions, including lying, stealing clothes from her friend without permission, and then taking over her nephew's baptism with a self-centered speech, leave you wanting to shake Yinka and urge her to read the room. She's not a flawless protagonist, and maybe she is not meant to be, but she was definitely a frustrating one to follow.

"Yinka, Where Is Your Husband" is brimming with chaos and marked by some regrettable life choices by its central character, creating a recipe for a good time. Yinka undoubtedly requires a healthy dose of self-love, the guidance of a therapist, and periodic reality checks to navigate the tumultuous journey she finds herself on.

If you’re considering reading, or have read it, consider checking us out at Revolver Reads: A Bookclub Russian Roulette on your podcast platform of choice, or simply @revolverreads on Instagram and let us know what you think. If you’d like to email us any future book suggestions for our roulette wheel, feel free to send them to [email protected]

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sandysmith's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

4.5

I enjoyed this book so much. It was a journey to self-love, about family, church, religion, and friendship pressures. It's not just the main character that grows, so do the people around her. Her Nigerian background was written in a way that I understood, and key themes of self-awareness, racism, and skin tone were explored. I don't like comparing books, but it was a black Bridget Jones more modern with teeth.

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micaelamariem's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I really wanted to like this book…
A lot of people are comparing it to Bridget Jones Diary and I also hated that book so I guess that makes sense.
I appreciated the theme of women not needing a man to be happy and to be content with who you are. I liked the creativity of using mixed media (like Google searches etc) in the chapters.
However, I found the main character extremely u likable, constantly making nonsensical decisions and judging everyone else. I thought the dialogue was cringey and unbelievable. And honestly, I was just grimacing the whole time 😭

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laurataylor's review against another edition

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funny 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? No

4.0

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