A review by dalmavatai
Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola

emotional hopeful 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

3.5

This book is truly an ode to Black (British) joy and love. Malakai and Kiki are dynamic characters with their unique struggles and it's beautiful to see them come together and make each other feel worthy. I loved the tension and chemistry between them, in fact I wanted more, just like I wanted more steam. I loved the commentary on what it's like to be a Black woman at a British university as well as the ways in which the Black women in the story came together despite their differences and stood up for each other. I kind of didn't really care about the university politics that was a big part of the book and I wanted more of the relationship instead, more of the back-and-forth, did-he-touch-me-or-was-it-accidental kind of tension that I felt like we didn't get enough of. I also thought this book was very long and it was more than just a romance so it makes sense but I was mostly in it for the romance so in places it was a bit slow for me. But despite these things this was a joyful, sweet, beautiful story that I'm glad I read, plus it's probably the prettiest book I bought this year! 
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