I love Love. I often forget because life and reality … but once in a while I read a book that captures the idea of love and the concept of falling in love and this does that for me.

This love is messy and scary and requires being vulnerable and open as fuck, which truly resonated with me. Taking that leap of faith and jumping in no matter the odds takes an act of courage that I can only dream about. I loved the way it was written. I love how the characters deal with their grief and the chaos resulting from their relationship. It all felt very real. I loved it. Not much else to say. 5 stars!

I really, really wanted to love this, like SO much. But it was just okay for me. I thought it dealt with death, and the messy aftermath of the bereavement of a partner, so well. However, the Feyi/Alim debacle felt a bit 2D for me - not the affair itself, that bit was believable, but the characters weren’t. Overall, 3 stars from me, and I’d still be interested in reading the author’s next book.

Having been a fan of this author for some time, I was very excited to read this book. It was different to what I was expecting, and to start off with, I wasn't particularly taken with it, but I'm really glad I stuck with it because by the end, I thought it was really moving and tender and quite a realistic portrayal of grief.

I love Emezi, and it's really fun and impressive how they write something different everytime and it's all great. Really reccomemd this to any kind of reader. It touching, sad but also messy and funny. Really enjoyed it,

What a book!
One of the best books I've read this year. The character development, the spicy bits, the dialogue, all of it. Pure perfection.

I LOVED this electric book - from the punchy start through to the languid island vibes of the main section, the whole thing is raw, sexy, grown-up, contemporary. Brimming with vibrant energy, lush settings, an intelligent, authentic-feeling and never patronising or worthy take on several important topics - race, grief, sexuality. The humour and energy in the main character's internal dialogue and that with her best friend makes it feel like an easy romcom read but it's more than that - elevated by beauty and realness and unique, uncliched relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber books for allowing me to access this book early.
I had a fun time reading my first Akwaeke Emezi and will probably pick her books up in future too.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is a forbidden romance meets struggling with past trauma. It walks us through the trauma of the main character, Feyi and her life afterward. It has sexual themes and a bit of spice 🌶 if that's your type of thing.

Feyi represents a strong willed, talented woman who is figuring out where she fits in the world. We are exposed to her relationship with her best friend, Joy, and their dynamic as well as a few boyfriends along the way. Emezi constructs her characters and their relationships in a way that makes you feel as though you personally know them or are watching from afar as their neighbour. The slang and vocabulary definitely helped me relate to these characters, I found it free flowing and easy to read.

If you like romance, in particular forbidden romance, this is a book you'll more than likely enjoy. Having read very minimal in terms of forbidden romance, I can happily say I don't think it's really my thing. I found the romance to be cringey, over romanticised and a bit boring. If I hear "Sweetness" one more time, i'll probably throw myself out the window. I definitely see it's place in this book but I would have liked more story outside of Feyi's relationship with men. I wanted to deep dive into her past and her emotional side. Feyi could have been fleshed out more as a character rather than having her personality become who she is in a relationship but maybe that was the whole point of the book? Idk.

I liked the book and how it engaged me, I liked the characters, I just didn't love the storyline and where it headed, by the end I was bored and could predict what was going to happen.
3.5/5 ⭐️

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Faber Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Oh wow! This is one hell of a book that gives oozes sexual energy yet manages to deliver on the depth of the story too. What a read. I was absolutely hooked from the beginning and I struggled to put it down because I was desperate to find out what happened.

There’s a lot to love about this book, firstly the writing 👏🏼🙌🏼 wow incredible. I’ve not read anything by this author before but I certainly will carry on reading their work after this. Not only was the writing so beautiful, but the setting was amazing too. I loved the glamour and everything that came with it.

What I loved so much about this book was that the author doesn’t shy away from dealing with difficult topics. As a reader, you go in thinking it will be a romance book, however, it is actually a very clever look at grief, family, connection and sex.

This book is messssyyyy but it’s real. It features some brilliant characters who you can’t help but be enamoured by. I also found their dialogue to be so believable, unlike some romance books I’ve read.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book!

Despite the themes of grief and loss in this book, it is a hopeful and beautifully written book.

The characters are complex and it is a great Summer read. The dialogue is so well written and was really funny in places, I found it hard to put down.

Title: You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty
Written by : Akwaeke Emezi
Pub Date: 26 May 2022
Publisher: Faber and Faber Ltd
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Romance | Women's Fiction

Feyi has been hiding away in her New York flat with her friend and flatmate Joy. The death of her husband has meant losing a part of herself and Feyi needs to find it again. Still so young, we meet Feyi just as she is starting to over come her past, by any means necessary. After all doesn't feeling fear mean she is a live, and life should be messy?! With help from her Joy, Feyi starts to live again. In fact could Feyi be about to get everything she wants? or lose it just as it is all in reach.

Feyi meets Nasir but she might be about to start a very controversial relationship. Stuck between a rock and a hard place Feyi has a difficult decision to make, follow her heart or do what makes others happy. Can she really get the recognition she has always wanted and a new love? Or is Feyi about to ruin her own chances?


This work shows quickly that it is inclusive. The characters are POC but there are references to multiple cultures. There is also LGBTQ+ representation through Joy and Alim, even Feyi admits to being Bi. I felt angry at the self sacrifice that Alim made for his kids. I really wanted to give Nasir a shake. Unfortunately there is gaslighiting and abuse in the book, I understood why and I think that it made sence. I don't think that it was glamorized but I did feel that more could have been written when it came to dealing with it. Loss and grief were also major themes. I feel Emezi did amazing work with those themes, I felt the hurt and loss that each character lost.

Joy and Feyi's friendship was great to read. They tried to guide each other but in the end they recognized that they each had a right to chose what they wanted and ultimately supported each other regardless of the outcome.

I will admit that I didn't read a blurb for this book. I saw the authors name and requested it at once. It was probably a good thing as I don't class myself as a romance reader. It was a good thing because I might have otherwise missed out on this book. The idea of a soppy romance puts me off reading those kinds of books but this definitely didn't feel overly soppy. Emezi managed to pull it all together, the romance, the plot, and dare I say it the steaminess.

For someone who is not into romance I liked the ending but I was not ok. This was an emotional roller coaster, I was cheering on Feyi when she finally puts Nasir in his place when he starts slut shaming her. FYI there is no thing as a slut, and he is only angry because Feyi is not having sex with him. This is such a misogynist thing that is real. He throws her promiscuity back in her face because he had agreed to be friends and take any relationship slow. This ends up not being the case and in the book Feyi can't understand why they didn't become a couple. I know the answer, in the book they have agreed to be friends but Nasir is always pushing against her boundaries and what she feels comfortable. That is why the term "friends zoned" is such a misogynistic term. What "friends zoned" actually means is, I wanted something more but I'm not getting it so im going to stalk {usually} her until I get what I want. Which actually makes those people not your friend but a sexual predator.

Anyway, I found Nisar such a hypocrite particularly as he was having sex with someone else. Nasir also did NOT get Feyi the job and it was not his house he had invited her to stay in. Nasir was nothing but a spoiled fuck-boy with a rich daddy. In the book Nasir said "I like to thing of my dads money as his money" really? but he spent his dad's money on their tickets and was taking Feyi to his dads house! I was calling bullshit at that. Nasir never deserved Feyi, not even as a friend. Not when he spoke about her by saying "You basically just stole from me" referring to Feyi as his girl. (Eh sorry Mr Nasir fuck-boy, we do not do ownership here!)

While I loved most things about this work I really heated every time the N word was used. Yes, yes I know how White of me. I honestly cringed every time, and I understand it's not my culture and the book wasn't going to be watered down for me or any other reader, it just took away some enjoyment for me.

The dreaded sentence was used in this work "She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding." That was a little disappointing. Also something that slipped through the editing net is on page 84 it says that Nasir came to join them...........but a few sentences above he was already there talking to Feyi! Not a huge deal but it did brake the make-believe for me.

Joy also annoyed me, I wanted to tell her to dump the Mrs and find someone who deserves her. I wanted both these characters to have better self esteem and to find people who were worthy of them. (I don not mean that in an anti-promiscuity way, no "slut shaming" here.) They just seemed to settle for the bare minimum.

Over all I liked this book and glad I read it.

Oh, now, this is a sexy, sultry read with a lot of depth! Feyi, an artist lives in New York with her best friend Joy, who helped her through the aftermath of a car accident which killed her husband, Jonah. She’s spent the past few years buried deep in grief, but is starting to come out the other side after channelling her pain and loss into her art. When the opportunity to exhibit her work at a famed gallery on a tropical island comes her way she grabs it with both hands. What she doesn’t expect is to connect with somebody who is very much off limits.

There is much to like in this book; firstly the setting which is luscious and glamorous. Feyi is staying at a house which is filled with art, has gorgeous vistas and is sumptuous and feels like it should be featured in the pages of a luxury ideal home type magazine. The heat and environment seeps from the pages, and even though I read this on what passes for summertime in North East England, I really felt I was elsewhere.

Emezi’s characters leap from the pages, Feyi is complex and complicated and we’re drawn into her emotions. She is both brittle and strong, guarding her heart but feeling deeply. I particularly liked her friendship with Joy which is one of those wonderful deep bonds which two women forge. Even though Feyi’s behaviour is at times very questionable, Joy supports her. She offers a guiding hand, counsels her and even when she doesn’t agree with what Feyi is doing she still lets her know that she is there for her. Their conversations felt authentic and at times it felt like I was eavesdropping and I was an interloper on their friendship.

This is a book which doesn’t shy away from dealing with difficult and emotional topics. What sounds like a romance novel, is actually a very clever look at grief, growing up, sex, connection and family. I loved it, but I know that some of the events in this book will not be for everyone as it does deal with what I would say is a bit of a taboo. I really admire Emezi for exploring such huge issues which feel very raw and at times emotional.

You Made A Fool of Death With Your Beauty is a sexy page turner which takes the reader down unexpected avenues. I would say it is a perfect summer read and one which you will find absorbing.

I am really sorry but I could not finish this book as I did not like this sort of book it may have improved but there was too much talk of sex and the swearing which I am not a prude but thought there was a bit too much of it.

This is the third book by Akwaeke Emezi that I have read - as soon as I saw it on Net Galley I pounced on the Request button because I enjoyed the other two books ("Freshwater" and "The Death of Vivek Oji"). Huge thanks to the publishers for approving me for an ARC.

Compared to those books, this is quite mainstream, as it moves away from dealing with characters who are trans or gender non-conforming. It appears on its surface as a straight-up romance but, as I've grown to somewhat expect of this author, it has plenty simmering under the surface. The opening scene is a hot sex-scene but even the opening line - by mentioning "the accident" - lets us know that there are depths of loss and grief to be explored.

All of the dialogue between the MCs is perfect - Feyi and Joy are as sassy towards each other as they are supportive; Feyi and Alim's back-and-forth is so real and genuine. I felt the showdown with Nasir was less believeable, my one foible with the book.

Oooooo this was so good! Not my usual type of book but I really enjoy this authors writing and they are able to turn their hand to most genres so I had high hopes for this and I was not disappointed. It is full of emotion, heartache, passion and all the tumultuousness of a relationship. There was no shying away from reality and how messy life can get whether you follow your head or your heart. Wonderful characters who spoke like regular people and not clunky dialogue that is so often found in romance novels. And if you're a fan of spice in your romances this will certainly entertain.

Feyi is looking for love again five years after being widowed young. She’s started dating the perfect guy, but why can’t she stop thinking about someone who is definitely off-limits?

For starters this cover is EVERYTHING! I think it might be one of my favourite ever covers!

I always adored Emezi’s writing as I knew I would. Everything they write is exquisite and romance is certainly no exception. I felt there in the moment with Feyi and the whole story felt alive in a way few authors truly manage. It was also pretty spicy in places!

Emezi examines trauma and grief in such a raw and beautiful way throughout the story. Many of the characters are suffering losses and the way they demonstrate their grief varies which creates a really well rounded and balanced view of grief. I thought this was beautiful and I was genuinely touched by this.

Where the book fell down for me was the relationship between Feyi and Alim. It wasn’t the obvious ‘she was dating his son’ that felt off to me, it was the power dynamics of the relationship. There was such a large age gap as well as a massive imbalance of power that it genuinely made me uncomfortable with the relationship. I appreciate that that is my interpretation and wouldn’t be something that would effect others.

In general, an amazing book with gorgeous writing. Unfortunately the main relationship was too imbalanced for me to fully embrace it.

This was my first read of any of Akwaeke Emezi's work after hearing a lot of positive reviews of this book in particular.
My favourite part of the book, hands down, was Feyi and Joy's friendship. I could so vividly picture their characters and interactions, and these were the scenes I most enjoyed reading.
In terms of romance, for me it fell a little flat. Maybe it's because I tend to avoid romance-centred plots as it is, so reading this book was out of my comfort zone already. But I just didn't feel all that invested in the relationships and was more interested in exploring Feyi's character development as she deals with the after-effects of losing her husband.
Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of romance in particular - it makes for a perfect summer read.
I am still interested in reading more of the author's work in the future, definitely.

Sadly this was one of my greatest disappointments of the year. I found Emezi's writing to be stunning and I loved the depictions of grief and learning to live with it and carve a new place in the world for yourself as you process it.; I also really enjoyed the depiction of art as a coping mechanism and the whole art world etc However, I did not like or quite buy the relationships between the characters, which is what the novel relies so much on. I can see why many people are enjoying this, I wish that was me, but ultimately I just felt let down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

A lot of people eschew romance as a genre because they don't think it has enough complexity, and writers inevitably follow suit. However, Emezi, one of the most interesting and complex writers around, has proven that romance can handle big issues. Loss and grief are the themes that run through this book, as well as the joy that can come when you find someone who understands you and begin to heal. But Emezi also focuses on love as a partnership and a way to augment your life rather than complete it. Feyi is a completely independent character and Alim only wins her heart because he doesn't try to compromise that independence, only enable it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and can't wait to see which genre Emezi decides to bust next!

3.5 rounded up to 4/5

If you love a romance novel, grab a drink, get into that book nook (ideally on a beach) and settle in for a modern love story.

I will preface this review with an outlandish statement: romance novels aren’t for me.

This is my first time reading Akwaeke Emezi despite having had two of their other novels on my #tbr for what feels like an eternity. Reading this book is the beginning of a long love affair with her work. The true romance I need.

Feyi is a talented, beautiful artist living in New York City with her best friend Joy. She is confident, witty, intelligent and sex positive. But with every moment she lives there’s the deep traumatic loss she suffered threatening to consume her even years later. She meets Nasir, a man who seemingly sees her for who she is and the pain she holds. Enamoured, he begins to build his life around hers, creating the kinds of work opportunities Feyi could only dream of. So, Nasir seems perfect. He’s patient, kind, understand… but something is missing for Feyi. She doesn’t know what it is until a chance encounter changes everything. Including what hopes she ever had for her future and her heart.

Things that I loved:

1. The social commentary underpinning the conversations between Feyi and Joy, who are the perfect depiction of love and support between two best friends.
2. Feyi stating FACTS about male entitlement when dressing down Nasir! #womendontoweyoushit
3. Female sexual desire and sex positivity!
4. The representation of trauma and the many way it effects people even years later.
5. The all-consuming pain of grief; this is raw and unfiltered in the book. It’s giving with enough detail that readers can relate or at least have an idea without being gratuitous. (Though I think it could have gone further… but I’m morbid!)
6. Mango stanning!

Things that I didn’t love so much:

1. The twist.
2. “Sweetness”
3. The over romanticisation. It didn’t ring true.
4. Basically the love story but I’m a cynic so all romance is lost on me.

Overall, Emezi is a fantastic writer. They creates raw characters with a caustic humour most dazed, untethered millennials are familiar with. Making them incredibly relatable — don’t know what you’re doing with your life? Neither do they. Feel like you’re messy? So are they. Do you use humour to cope with the world literally being on fire?… you get the idea. So I, being a millennial, was locked in. However, it lost me along the path to romance but if you love love then this book is a 5/5 and I highly recommend it to you! But for me it’s back to the #tbrlist

This is a perfect summer book. My only qualm was that the ending was too convenient. This whole book is about messy relationships and messy decision, thus a happy/convenient ending seemed a bit odd to me.