Incredible!!! And that is coming from someone who doesn't usually read romance. Unless it's by Bolu!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read an advanced copy. I thoroughly enjoyed this!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Having just caught up on Honey and Spice, my immediate first thought was 'erm, why does this book exist when the previous one ended so perfectly?!'. But Babalola does a great job of justifying the split between Kiki and Malakai and placing their relationship in a realistic situation. As with the first book, watching the characters develop over the novel is immensely satisfying and by the end I was ridiculously invested, even if I spent most of my time yelling at the characters to just have a proper conversation with each other! A great sequel to the first novel and a masterclass in development from an adolescent relationship to a meaningful adult one.

I really enjoyed this book very different to what I have read before!!

Blurb

Not every relationship makes it out of university.
But Kiki and Malakai were supposed to be forever.
Everything was perfect, until it all went up in flames.

Three years after their epic break-up, Kiki's worked hard to forget her first love. But just as she thinks she's got her life under control - jumping into the distractions of her romance-by-calendar-invite boyfriend, and plans for her best friend, Aminah's, wedding - Kiki's career implodes, the family business teeters on collapse, and Malakai returns . . .

As Malakai takes up his role as Best Man opposite her Maid of Honour, suddenly Kiki can think of nothing else: their simmering chemistry, what went wrong, and why it is now impossible to act normal around each other.

Juggling a new job, the prospect of her parents' restaurant being sold, and keeping her best friend from going full bridezilla, dealing with The Ex is the last thing she needs. But somehow the spark between them is only getting hotter - and threatening to ruin everything.

They just have to get through the wedding, so why does it feel like playing with fire?

This book was everything to me and brought me a closure that I didn’t even know I needed. When I heard about a second book, I was so excited, then I realized that they must have gone through a breakup, and I wasn’t even mad. I think it actually made sense because of their big personality and intense relationship that we saw before. Ultimately, I was eager to find out why they broke up and how they would find each other again. I can say that I was not disappointed. I loved the tension that Bolu Babalola created between our two MCs installed; the way that we knew when Malakai entered the room before he was "seen" was excellent. I liked the balance between the present and the past. I think that the flashbacks were just enough to explain how they got in this situation. It was really amazing how you could see the cracks and feel the love between them at the same time. I definitely felt like a child of divorce during most of the book, and I’m very glad my parents are back together and can have their happily ever after.

I really enjoyed the exploration of friendships in this book, especially the one between Kiki and Aminah. It was interesting to see two girls, usually so close that you would think that they share the same brain cells, become so distant with each other.



Overall the book was very well written, and the vibes were immaculate. Honestly, there is so much I can say about this book, but I will just spoil everything. Bolu Babalola, you’re a genius!!!

Malakai, the man that you are!! The aura 😮‍💨

I loved how this immediately threw me into the culture and lifestyle of Kiki - it has stayed with me for how much of an insight I received as a white women in the UK of the Black modern culture, delivered in an engaging and exciting narrative. Reading in July, this was a fantastic summer read. Babalola really had me worrying that the romance was going to focus on the extremely dry romance at the start, but this really just added the sharp relief to greater shine the romance with Kai, a fantastic representation of respectful and thoughtful man. For me, the secondary characters and the plotline of the wedding tension really shone - Kiki's relationships with her friends did extend the book out, but that's what made it more interesting for me, as it was clear Kiki has a bigger life than just her romantic relationship.

I loved the Love in Colour short stories, so this felt a real treat to delve deeply into a single world, through the poetic writing style that delivers a chemistry packed rollercoaster of a romance read.

Absolutely LOVED this book! After reading Honey and Spice a few years ago (which i also rated 5 stars) i was so happy to jump back into the world of KIKI and Malakai! And this book did not disappoint! I also love how this book could also be read as a standalone for new readers, as there was enough back story around their relationship that you would not feel like you where missing information, but i would defo recommend reading Honey and Spice as it was equally as good! The book was fun and full of heat and tension, but it also touched on important subjects carefully and i loved the exploration of grief, friendship and second chances!

Thanks to net galley and the publishers for an advanced ecopy in exchange for a review.
I couldn’t wait to read this sequel to honey and spice and it did not disappoint!,
We catch up with Kiki and the girls back in London as Aminah gets engaged and designates maid of honour duty to Kiki who has just gone on a break with her man Bakari just in time for her ex Malakai to show up back on the scene. I loved the story line and anticipation of whether they would be able to forget the past and move on as friends.
The writing was incredible, poetic in places and I wanted to inhale as much as possible. The intensity of feelings between the characters really come alive on the pages. Loved the spicy scenes , done very well as always. Definitely a 5 star read and will be looking out for more from this author!

This was quite a delicious read and I enjoyed the slow burn. I had read Honey & Spice a few years ago and I found it a bit immature, something I'd have loved as a teenager not as a woman in her 20s. If Honey & Spice was for the teens then Sweet Heat was for the 20s and up!

I appreciated just how real this book was. It covered everything, romance as an adult especially with life, lifing is HARD. Things go unsaid, emotions run wild, careers and aspirations take priority. It had work drama, friendship drama, money drama, family drama, all happening at the same time. Just like real life. Real life never really gives you a chance to pause does it?

The characters had also evolved a bit which I liked because it felt like we saw them grow up.

The writing style is interesting, the author could have toned down a lot of the slang and pop culture references and similes. It felt overdone at some point.


Overall a nice summer romance read that will leave you yelling at your page for the characters to get it together and be where they're meant to be- together.

After reading and loving Honey And Spice last month, I couldn't wait to read Sweet Heat, and I need to let you all know I'm actually obsessed with both of them.
This book is immaculate. I said it. I thought Honey And Spice was perfection, but this? This feels like a step up, and I'm actually in awe at how Bolu has done it!

I don't think I've ever clapped as hard and believed in my soul that two people are right for each other the way I have Kiki and Malakai, so watching them go through a brutal breakup, only to go and work on themselves as individuals and get a second chance at their love is literally everything I could of wanted and more.
This is second chance romance at its finest. The angst! The yearning! The Tension! Honestly, everything about this book just works for me!

I think the thing that sets these books apart for me is the way these characters feel so real. They are flawed, and we see them make mistakes and then rectify them. They communicate like grown ups, they go through a lot of shit and still come together with so much respect for each other. It's not cookie romance. It's not fluffy and cute, but it's real and raw, and watching them grow both individually and together feels like a privilege.

I honestly can't wait to see what Bolu writes next, and this reminds me that I need to pick up Love In Colour immediately.

This was amazing! It has the same humour and gripped me just like Honey and spice.

I love a second chance romance as much as the next person but after reading honey and spice this gives you ALL the details of how they fall in love, so we know all that and then we have to cope with this next stage in there life... I was honestly broken to begin with.

LOVED IT... but Bolu please don't make these two you main characters again... I can't do it again!

Thank you Headline and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book a lot! The chemistry! The heat was insane!!!

I am a huge fan of Babalola’s and have been eagerly anticipating this book - it did not disappoint! She writes the chemistry between Kiki and Malakai so vividly. I loved slowly learning their backstory and then watching them fall back in love - it was pure pleasure.

In "Honey & Spice", we met Kiki and Kai, while at university and now in "Sweet Heat", we make a welcome return to their welcome, albeit a few years later.
Don't worry if you haven't read "Honey & Spice" (though I absolutely recommend that you DO! It's spicy, hilarious and just brilliant!). There is sufficient backstory here to fill in the reader and you can dive in. Now, our story commences with Kiki and Kai (Malakai) in their mid-twenties, and Kiki is determined to find love after the cruel ending of her relationship with Kai.
Kiki is in a established relationship when we meet her, and expecting Bakari to propose but instead he offers her a job (Ouch!). The author, Bolu Babalola, knows how to play with our emotions. Kiki then starts organizing the wedding of a good friend and also the album launch of an up and coming singer - and who wanders back into her life? Yes, you've guessed it! Kai. Just as we have all been hoping. And goodness, the old feelings and spice are still there! Our characters have grown up since the previous novel and now we see them explore their identities and come to terms with their past experiences. There is also a strong sense of cultural identity here as Kiki talks about and details her life as a member of the Yoruba community in London, which is an aspect that I loved to learn about.
I can't say too much without giving away any spoilers but suffice to say that this is a hilarious, spicy, romantic story and one that details the importance of second chances.

One of my favourite authors and this book didn’t miss! As always, I love Babalola’s style of dialogue and developing intensity between two characters. It’s so refreshing to read a romance between two Black characters and coupled with my favourite trope, second chance romance, I really recommend this book to all romance fans out there.

At the start of this story Kiki Banjo, the heroine, thinks that her established boyfriend Bakari is going to propose to her. Instead, he offers her a better job in the get rich company he has established. She’s starting to realise he’s not the one!

That’s because, although she denies it, she still fancies her old boyfriend Malakai even if that is rather underplaying her physical excitement whenever she meets him! Of course, this happens unexpectedly when she’s organising the wedding of her best friend, Aminah, and then, even more unexpectedly, an up-and-coming singer recruits them both to promote a new album. Working together allows lots of on-off tension and will they won’t they passion. There’s quite a lot of excitement about the wedding arrangements, and about Kiki’s parents and their Nigerian café. There’s basically a lot about Yoruba culture and how it operates in London.

So far this is a pretty standard romance but there’s more. Kiki is a successful podcaster and her podcast being the best allows her to be rudely dismissive of imitations of Nigerian culture, people who try to adopt elements of other cultures to be cool, music that isn’t sufficiently pure for her taste and even food which is not quite authentic enough. Bolu Babalola also drops continuous references to people, music and situations she approves of.

That might get up the noses of some readers. Other cultures are also being constantly appropriated, borrowed and probably abused by English culture, especially in the areas Kiki and Bolu are most angry about. It’s pretty clear that the food in your local Indian restaurant is not like food in Mumbai but that doesn’t mean it isn’t sometimes tasty. Sometimes this book is a bit smug and exclusive!

However, it’s a good story and the way that Kiki and Malakai slowly resurrect the steamy passion of their relationship is enjoyable, if a little drawn out, and nicely described. It’s also good to read a book about other cultures which is not draped in hardship and misery and there’s a happy ending as well!

I really enjoyed Sweet Heat, even more than I enjoyed Honey & Spice! In this book we have a time jump - Kiki and Kai have grown up since their uni days and are fully fleshed out, with all the chaos that mid-20s adulthood contains. Ambition and the drive for success, worries over family and the future, friendship dynamics shifting as people get married and have children…Sweet Heat has it all. In turn, while this book may be a romance, it’s not just about romantic love but about love for family, friendship and the Venn diagram where both cross.

Our couple - or ex-couple - have been hurt by their experiences and are flawed, but this only makes them feel more real to the reader. I loved seeing them both grow and mature across the novel, loved Kiki’s continued friendship and ease with her girls, and was consistently smiling at Bolu Babalola’s humorous and engaging prose. I don’t think I’ve read anything by this author that I haven’t enjoyed, and I’ll absolutely read anything she writes in future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-ARC.

Wow, this was such a satisfying read. Bolu Babalola delivered a read full of depth, humour, and heart, while also exploring identity, growth, and the complicated ties of love and friendship.

Kiki is determined to stay focused after her public breakup and podcast fallout. She is smart, guarded, and trying to rebuild on her own terms. The last thing she needs is Malakai, her ex and he's about to come barrelling back into her life in style.

Their reunion is messy, charged, and so well written. There is clear chemistry between Kiki and Malakai from the start, but what really stood out was the emotional work both characters have to do to themselves. Both together and alone. This is not just a second chance romance, it is a story about two people learning to see each other clearly after everything that went wrong the first time.

Kiki is such a layered main character, and I loved how the author gave her space to be angry, vulnerable, and soft in her own time. Malakai was a great match for her, and his willingness to be patient and present made their slow reconnect feel believable and earned. One of the best second chance romances I have read, and that is saying something, considering it is one of my top five tropes to read.

The setting added a fun backdrop and gave the story its structure, but at times it did distract from the emotions I wanted to feel. I found a few scenes around the wedding party dragged slightly, and I wanted just a bit more of Kiki and Malakai in quieter, more introspective moments. But rest assured, I loved this book enough to not let those points take away from how much hold this had on my mind, body and soul.

I cannot wait to read another book by this author. I am now a fan for life.

As a note, this is a sequel to Honey & Spice. You do not need to have read that one first to enjoy this, but it might make the reading experience feel smoother and more rewarding if you are already familiar with this world and the people in it.

This second-chance romance takes a little while to get going, but the emotional payoff is worth it. The early chapters focus heavily on Kiki’s current life, which slows the pace, but once Malakai enters, the story comes alive.

Their chemistry is compelling, and the gradual unpacking of their past is both heartfelt and believable.

The emotional climax is raw and satisfying, making the slow build feel earned. Even without reading the first book, it works well as a standalone.

A touching, slightly spicy read with real depth-perfect for fans of slow-burn romance.

Firstly, I absolutely judged a book by its cover; I love Tishk Barzanji so when I saw the cover I knew it was his work and was immediately intrigued.

I unfortunately didn’t realise, until I was about 51% through the book and doing some digging that this was a sequel to ‘Honey and Spice’ where you first met Kiki and Malakai and as much as I am gutted I didn’t read that first and see the beginning of that love story, the love and history these two characters have in Sweet Heat is palpable. This could absolutely hold its own as a stand alone which is a credit to Babalola.

At first I thought Babalola’s way of writing was a bit drawn out and gave unnecessary details but I could not have been more wrong. This books has so much substance, in ways I’ve never read in a book before. I thought I was being a slow reader and it was taking me ages to get through it until I realised it wasn’t that at all, I was savouring it and enjoying every sentence. I felt like I was wading through honey reading this book.

This was a really incredible story and it’s a love I’ll remember for a while. Sometimes judging a book by its cover absolutely pays off.

3.5 ⭐ Bolu is such a good writer of romance. The writing is so rich and romantic and descriptive, and she does flirty banter SO well (which really came alive in the audiobook version too). Also just all character interaction in general; Kiki and Aminah, Kiki's admiration of Taré, the respect for the elders of their community - all the relationship dynamics were so mature yet real. However I didn't find myself as invested with some of the other elements of the story, as things seemed to fall into place quite conveniently, and there were parts which leant a bit too earnest for my personal taste. Definitely interested in whatever else Bolu decides to put out next though!