Review by Tionna (@readwithtee) 

Honey & spice 

HONEY & SPICE by Bolu Babalola was an incredible story filled with love, passion, friendship, self-affirmations, the beauty of being black, and being worthy of finding and being love 


 
Bolu's writing and storytelling is simply beautiful. The way that she intertwined topics of mental health, family pressures, racism, and misogyny into is love story was done perfectly. I loved the way she paid special attention to black culture represented in a predominantly white institution, what that is like for Black students, and how those Black students come together to make a community for themselves to find a space of comfort and safety in. 


 
The characters in this story are so real, complex, relatable, funny, smart, and ambitious. Kiki and Malakai were amazing characters. Their love story was constructed beautifully. From their first interactions to their sparing matches, you could feel that spark and chemistry between them as their relationship progressed to something deeper. I loved how vulnerable and open they were to each other, sharing their personal experience of being black and the challenges they faced as well as their desires and dreams. 

"The smile he gave her was mainstream, pop, radio-friendly. The smile he'd given me was the single released after an artist had established themselves, found their voice, could speak directly to their target audience. The smile he'd given me had more R&B to it."

The way Kiki provided Kai with comfort, support and reminded him to see value in himself when it came to his struggles with his father not believing in his passion for filmmaking was a beautiful moment. I also enjoyed the way they challenged each other, learned, and grew from one another. Kiki and Malakai were a perfect match.

I also appreciate the friendships displayed throughout the read, especially Kiki and her best friend. It represented a strong unity and support between females that I admired. Instead of judgement or spiteful behavior. Overall, this was a phenomenal read. I am extremely excited to read more of Bolu future work and for book two.

Review by Tee (@teesbookjourney) 

Prepare for an "aww"-fest! Kiki and Mal's journey from hating each other to falling head over heels in love is just too adorable for words. 

This book gives off major modern-different-world vibes, minus the black uni – talk about a vibe upgrade! 

All the characters and their backstories? Pure enjoyment! Drama, character development, and romance on point – it's like hitting the literary jackpot! 

Let's talk about Mal – the ultimate book boyfriend. I'm smitten with his honesty and those swoony moments had me like 😍. I just can't get enough of the whole magical ride! 🎢📖