This book is well written. The characters were likeable and well developed. The fake dating trope was a bit weak. This was very enjoyable.

I was so excited to read Bolu Babalola’s debut novel after the amazing Love in Colour and I certainly wasn’t disappointed!

I’m not really a romance reader and don’t usually get on with the ‘fake dating’ trope but this was the exception. The setting is university, the main characters are bold (and hot!), and there’s a perfect mix of humour and serious topics dotted around the book. Babalola really knows how to curate a character!

Highly recommend, especially if you’re a romance fan!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I would rate this 4.5 it is a misunderstanding to lovers student romance between an established female in her hierarchy and a new transfer. I think this is a good romance. I will definitely read things author again and I think that it was well made out and a believable timeline although some things did annoy me the way things were over for dried out, and sometimes the thought process of the female character was a little confusing and I would’ve liked it if there was also the male characters point of you, but overall this was a really good book, and I will definitely need some more young adults by this author in future

Loved the fake dating trope, loved it was set at uni, and a romance that felt authentic. Would definitely recommend

Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola is a delightful and funny rom-com that promises to capture the hearts of readers everywhere. With an engaging plot full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue, this book is a true page-turner that will keep you hooked until the very end.

The story follows Kiki Banjo, an expert in relationship-evasion who has made it her mission to protect the women of Whitewell University from the dangers of players and heartbreak. Kiki's student radio show, Brown Sugar, is full of advice, tips, and essentials to help women steer clear of men who are not worth their time. But when Kiki meets the handsome and charming Malakai Korede, she finds herself struggling to resist his allure.

Despite her best efforts to keep him at a distance, Kiki finds herself drawn to Malakai, and the two of them are soon thrust into a fake relationship to save their academic futures. With her heart on the line and her defenses weakened, Kiki must learn to open herself up to the perils of love and face a past that forced her to close down in the first place.

Bolu Babalola's writing is described as hilarious, hot, and heartfelt, and this book is no exception. The characters are vibrant and authentic, and the romantic tension between Kiki and Malakai is palpable. The book has been recommended by numerous publications, including the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Elle, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, and more. It's no wonder that Honey & Spice has been chosen as a Reese's Book Club and TikTok Book Club pick.

Overall, Honey & Spice is a fantastic debut novel that is sure to delight fans of the rom-com genre. With a strong female lead, a charming love interest, and a plot full of twists and turns, this book is a must-read for anyone looking for a fun and engaging read. I can't wait to dive into this modern chick flick and experience the hot and authentic romance for myself.

I enjoyed this, it was a fun romance with likeable characters you could root for. I would say it felt like it was for a slightly younger reader (than I am) but that didn’t stop me from reading to the end or recommending to other rom-com fans. Thank you to the publisher for my arc.

I loved the author's first book, Love in Colour, and this second novel does not disappoint! It delivers in all the best departments of a contemporary romance novel: diverse characters, humour, chemistry and emotion. Bolu Babalola is definitely an author I'm looking forward to seeing more of in the future!

This book was one that I was SO excited to read, but fell incredibly flat for me. However bare in mind that my thoughts are definitely in the minority.

There is a song by Ari Lennox that I feel sums up this whole book perfectly, called 'Boy Bye' from her 2022 album age/sex/location. Down to the speaking parts throughout the song, all I can imagine are Malakai and Kiki. I would strongly recommend giving it a listen once you finish the book!

After having released the critically acclaimed romance short story collection, 'Honey & Spice' is Bolu Babalola's debut novel. I adored 'Love in Colour' and thought all the stories were all so richly imagined. 'Honey & Spice' follows smooth talker Malakai, who is liberal with his kisses but not with his heart. Kiki is neither liberal with her kisses or her heart and as the host of one of the most popular university radio shows on her campus called Brown Sugar, she dishes out advice on everything, from how to avoid players to how not to fall into a situationship. Despite her mission to save the women of the African-Caribbean society from heartache, she falls into a fake relationship with resident heartbreaker Malakai in order to get her number of listeners up and be accepted onto a highly prestigious program in the U.S. There's only one problem here. It seems the relationship might be a little more real than she had initally anticipated...

My issue with 'Honey & Spice' is that, from the very beginning, the whole thing made me cringe so hard. To me, it seemed like the story and the characters were trying to emulate the American university experience, whilst interspersed with this excessive British English vernacular. I hated it. It felt forced and unnatural and not at all how (as far as I know, at least) the British univerity experience really is.

Nevertheless, it was a cute story that I feel would have been more enjoyable to read if the story wasn't a strange mixture of overtly British and weirdly American.

Definitely check it out as I do think there's something I'm missing here considering the vast majority of people seem to love it! It is also refreshing to read a story based within a British university, however unrealistic it seemed to me.

Great storyline, great characters and a great premise with a bit of humour along the way, I really enjoyed this one!

I really enjoyed the audiobook version of this!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my feedback.

This book was just so good. It was poetically written, and completely hit me in the feels. Very well structured. Absolutely loved it!

This is the story of Kiki, a young Black British woman, with no interest in love and dating who finds herself caught up in a fake relationship with the man she warned her girls about …

This book was so much fun! I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. The main character had such good energy and sass for days which I love! I also loved Malakai as a character and how good he was for Kiki. I think their relationship really helped her to grow into herself and away from the past which was very wholesome to see.

The whole book is written with a very light and humorous touch which felt so fresh! I read a lot of heavy reads so it was great to read something so light.

I can’t even put my finger on what was so amazing about this book, I loved everything about it and cannot wait to see what Bolu writes next!

AD - this copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Honey & Spice honestly contains everything I love in a romance: two compelling protagonists, fake dating done well and romance in all it's many facets, also exploring the beauty and intimacy in friendships too. I loved this book from start to finish and am now on a mission to find my own Malakai. The exploration of love and vulnerability and truly being known is so on point, as both Kiki and Malakai come to terms with their feelings for each other and who they are both together and apart. I enjoyed the fact that this was in a college / university setting - so many books use high school and while that's not an issue really - I found this so much more relatable and the concerns and experiences of these characters who are slightly older and finding themselves was so wonderful.

Kiki Banjo is the host of student radio show Brown Sugar, and keeps her feelings close to her chest. But when she meets Malakai Korede, the guy she just publicly denounced as “The Wastemen of Whitewell,” she is shocked at how electric their connection is. They embark on a fake relationship to save their futures and salvage their reputations, and soon Kiki finds herself falling for him...

I absolutely loved Bolu Babalola's Love In Colour and so was very excited to read Honey & Spice. I think Babalola's writing is incredible, vivid and intense, and I love diving into her words. Honey & Spice is set on a university campus, and ultimately I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I'd read it 10 years ago, a lot of the drama felt very teen/YA (which isn't a bad thing at all, it just wasn't what I was expecting to read). At times I felt like I was reading about an American college campus, with nearby diners etc.

I loved Kiki and Malakai, and really enjoyed watching their relationship develop, it felt so organic and warm and intimate, and Kiki's character development was brilliant.

There was maybe a few too many sub-plots which made it a little long, but overall I enjoyed it and will absolutely read anything else Bolu Babalola writes!

This book follows a young black radio show host, Kiki, as she meets Malakai at university. They don't get on well from the beginning and Kiki brands him as a wasteman on her radio show. Eventually, they begin to fake date to raise the profile of her radio show to help her win a spot to study in the US.

This book was ok, but I think I've read much better romance novels and I found it very slow to start. It's not a bad book by any means, there are just so many more I would recommend above this book personally.

3/5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Id heard a lot of moxed reviews so was anxious to try it but i found it It fun, eye opening and informative. Would definitely recommend.

Kiki Banjo hosts the popular student radio show Brown Sugar at Whitewell University. She avoids relationships and does her best to make sure that the African-Caribbean women of her university don’t fall for the campus players. Enter Malakai Korede, who Kiki kisses to get rid of her own situationship but then sees listening figures for Brown Sugar nosedive. To get her listenership back up in time to apply for a fantastic professional opportunity and to rescue her reputation, Kiki begins a fake relationship with Malakai, who definitely won’t steal her heart. Kiki and Malakai are very easy to root for and I loved that female friendship and taking down the patriarchy reigns supreme in this cute, heartwarming rom-com. I really appreciated the glimpse into the world of Black creatives and the struggles they face, as this felt very authentic. A really fun, easy read!

Just as beautiful as “Love in colour”, a summer romance that should be at the top of your reading list this year.

The fake dating trope was really well executed, and the setting on a uni campus was also really interesting to me as a uni student, as I love things that I can relate to.

The writing style was incredibly beautiful, as was the plot development, the characterisation and the romance- it was truly beautiful.

My overall feeling was I LOVED IT. Smart, funny, well-written and so evocative I often felt like I was right there. The characters had me hooked and the love story was hot. I settled on four stars because while the ending was super satisfying, the over explanation and repetitiveness became a bit of a drain, at times the dialogue was excessive and didn’t add much to the relationships or the story. Overall, would highly recommend.

Honey & Spice should be THE summer romance that everyone is talking about!

Absolutely loved it! I adored reading the enemies to lovers/fake dating story set on a uni campus in the UK with Black characters who are all so richly complex, fully fleshed out and each person is completely unique yet so reminiscent of people I know in real life.

Kiki and Malakai were everything!! I will be reading this book again soon it was just that good.

Plus that fantasy story within the book! Yess, it made this SFF lover very happy! I need the whole book! If Bolu's next novel is a fantasy, I will be first in line to get it.