Bolu Babalola

Honey and Spice

Sisters, beware the 'Wasteman of Whitewell' . . .


As host of radio show Brown Sugar, Kiki Banjo's mission is to protect her listeners from heartbreak. Which puts Whitewell College's newest student, handsome 'player' Malakai Korede, at the top of her hitlist.

But when Kiki's dream summer internship in New York depends on finding a fresh angle for her radio show, she must make an unlikely bargain with Malakai himself - to put their simmering clashes aside to form a fake relationship, something sweet and spicy enough to win over the whole campus.

However, close proximity to the notorious heartbreaker brings everything Kiki thought she knew about her own heart into question. Why does throwing out her stringent romantic rulebook suddenly so tempting?

Will she find it in her to resist?

A fresh, utterly addictive rom-com from Sunday Times bestselling author Bola Babalola, Honey & Spice is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees.


'Romance will never be dead, as long as Bolu is writing it' JESSIE BURTON

'Everything you could ever want from a romance and more - the vibes are simply immaculate' ZOELLA

'Charming and funny' OBSERVER

'The book many have been waiting for' LIZZIE DAMILOLA BLACKBURN

'Kiki compares her feelings for Malakai as like swallowing a star. That's a bit how I felt after reading this messy but joyful book' THE TIMES

'Breathes new life into the genre with its vibrant characters and sexy, authentic voice' RED

'Smart, sexy and energetic' EMMA GANNON

'This book is so addictive' ANNIE LORD

Shantel

.Sometimes beautiful things get messy. Mess is okay. 

Kierce

I just feel like the whole thing… the love thing… demands that you’re brave. Seeing people for what they are can be scary, that’s like… full investment. Responsibility. You have to care and be committed to the care. And you gotta care even while preparing for the fact that they’re not going to fit into your idea of perfection.

preemptively cutting myself off from connection, choosing to feel nothing to avoid feeling hurt. 

I needed to secure myself more before we increased the weight of it. I didn’t want to lose balance. 

gassing us knowing it was surplus because our energy was self-generated. 

Too much Black would make them feel too white. 

It was where I thrived, where my mind felt both at ease and challenged. 

But allow me to ask a question, my sisters. If he is a player, are we games? Or are we consoles to be used to help a guy navigate his way to being a man? Our buttons being pressed, being turned this way and that for his progression? 

Omoooo Bolu sabi this writing thing ooo 🫢

Temi Awani

oh how i love black romance. one of the first books that really touched my heart, reading about a black woman like me that navigates her life through college and falls inlove. books like these make me feel excited to take bigger steps in life and shy away less, i’ve never learned how to express myself which is something i’ve seen turn me against myself. i adore black women who write for us

i <3

big ab

this was really cute. however they were SO young. i feel like im too old to be reading about 19 year olds having sex… freaks me out. however this was really cute, very sweet and romantic (and very unrealistic) but nonetheless i had fun.

Jennifer Gosnell

THIS BOOK HAS MAD BANTER. Truly, this one is for the girlies into the *dialogue* of it all. Kiki and Malakai’s conversations were everything. Their chemistry was top-notch… and Malakai? Oh, he’s a top-tier book boyfriend. 

I’ve followed Babalola on Twitter for years, and she always has something clever and insightful to say so I HAD to check out her book. Can’t wait for more from her! 🙌

From the Sunday Times bestselling author, Bolu Babalola, comes the romantic comedy we've all be waiting for. The sharp-tongued (and secretly soft-hearted) Kiki Banjo is an expert in relationship-evasion, and likes to keep her feelings close to her chest. As the host of the popular student radio show, Brown Sugar, it is her mission to make sure the women who make up the Afro-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University also do not fall into the mess of 'situationships', players and heartbreak. But when Kiki meets the distressingly handsome and charming newcomer Malakai Korede - who she has publicly denounced as 'The Wasteman of Whitewell' - her defences are weakened and her heart is compromised. A clash embroils them in a fake relationship to salvage both their reputations and save their futures, and soon she finds herself in danger of falling for the very man she warned her girls about. A side-splittingly funny and sparkling debut, Honey & Spice is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees.

The romcom of the decade from the Sunday Times bestselling Bolu Babalola

Honey & Spice

Anjorin Molayo 

a 1000/10!! i went through an emotional rollercoaster while reading this book 😭😭. Bolu deserves everything good in life because this book was so good. the writing? 10/10. the plot 10/10. the drama? 10/10. Malakai raised the standard for me because he was so sweet. Not be releasing happy tears 🥺❤️. 

here are few of my favorite quotes from the book; 

“It’s such a miracle that people write songs about it. People pine for it. People get scared and sabotage it. People plead for it back, fists clenched, breaking it down in the middle-eight. Man, I just feel like the whole thing . . . the love thing demands that you’re brave. Seeing people for what they are can be scary, that’s like full investment. Responsibility. You have to care and be committed to the care. And you gotta care even while preparing for the fact that they’re not going to fit into your idea of perfection. Is it worth the risk? I don’t know. Only you can know.” 

“I was thinking of you. I got lost in thinking about you and I forgot that I was frying plantain. That’s when I realized that I must be in love with you. Like . . . insanely in love with you. No one else could distract me from plantain.”

“I know how it feels when I get the perfect shot. When the light hits a certain way, and someone’s expression is the perfect display of emotion. It feels like you’ve hit on something sacred. That’s how I feel when I look at her. She’s the perfect shot. And the perfect shot isn’t about something being flawless, it’s about the truth. She’s the truth to me. Clarity. The world is doable when she is near me.”

“I also know how my favorite movies make me feel. They pull me in and pull me out, I am totally in their world, but they also make me look in. I watch them and feel home, I watch them and feel like I can never know enough, I watch them over and over, always ready to discover the universe they create. That’s how she makes me feel. There’s a whole universe in her and I would be so lucky to live in it, explore it. Over and over.”

“You are everything, Scotch. I like your mind. I like seeing it work up close. I like your eyes, especially when you’re rolling them at me. Yeah. Just like that. I like how you see things. Adds color to how I see things. I like that when you’re listening to a song you love, you close your eyes and let it take you places. I wanna go wherever you go to. 
“I like your mouth.” His eyes dropped to it and I felt my lips tingle. “Not gonna lie—I’m kind of obsessed with your mouth. How something so spicy can be so sweet. I like it when I make your mouth laugh.” My lips curved in response.
 “I like your skin.” He picked up my hand and swiped his thumb across my wrist. “I like feeling your pulse race beneath it. I like the person beneath it.”

sigh. i just love this book a lot. can someone please, treat me like a princess like Malakai did? 🥺

Amelia C 

Imagine Love Jones was set in “university”, with a little Nigerian flair.. and the characters spoke like Floetry, and that’s “Honey & Spice” for ya! It’s a fantastic summer read, witty, funny and some spice. I’d say it has *the correct* amount of spice given the age and maturity of the characters. Kiki Banjo is a strong outspoken feminist with a radio show on campus and she is always there for the “ Gyals dem”. She’s there to help her sisters navigate the world of “fuckboys” and their not so noble pursuits. She calls out 1 particular guy Malakai Korede as the captain of the boys dem. Until she falls for him; they fall for
Each other. Navigating the ups and downs of being black on all all white campus, in a small town in the UK, feminism, racism, and all the fun that comes with being 22, i think if you need a funny, lighthearted (ish) book- this is it! 
Also- the audiobook narration was 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 she got the pronunciation of names, phrases, and food damn near perfect and THAT alone made me smile!! #yayyfordiverseaudiobooknarrators!!

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * A TIKTOK BOOK CLUB PICK "Sexy, messy and wry, Honey and Spice more than delivers." -- New York Times Book Review "A vibrant debut novel . . . Babalola is incisively funny, capturing the kick and sweetness of her title with her words." -- Entertainment Weekly Named a Best Book of the Year by Time * Esquire * Vanity Fair * Oprah Daily * Cosmopolitan * Elle * Harper's Bazaar * Southern Living * Buzzfeed * Women's Health Magazine * AudioFile * Popsugar * and more! Introducing internationally bestselling author Bolu Babalola's dazzling debut novel, full of passion, humor, and heart, that centers on a young Black British woman who has no interest in love and unexpectedly finds herself caught up in a fake relationship with the man she warned her girls about Sweet like plantain, hot like pepper. They taste the best when together... Sharp-tongued (and secretly soft-hearted) Kiki Banjo has just made a huge mistake. As an expert in relationship-evasion and the host of the popular student radio show Brown Sugar, she's made it her mission to make sure the women of the African-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University do not fall into the mess of "situationships", players, and heartbreak. But when the Queen of the Unbothered kisses Malakai Korede, the guy she just publicly denounced as "The Wastemen of Whitewell," in front of every Blackwellian on campus, she finds her show on the brink. They're soon embroiled in a fake relationship to try and salvage their reputations and save their futures. Kiki has never surrendered her heart before, and a player like Malakai won't be the one to change that, no matter how charming he is or how electric their connection feels. But surprisingly entertaining study sessions and intimate, late-night talks at old-fashioned diners force Kiki to look beyond her own presumptions. Is she ready to open herself up to something deeper? A gloriously funny and sparkling debut novel, Honey and Spice is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees. "A smart, sexy summer read, which hits your brain and your romance buttons in one shot." -- Los Angeles Times "The ultimate summer romance . . . It's got all the juiciest, most satisfying romance tropes, but in Babalola's capable hands, the story feels fresh and unique." -- The Cut, New York magazine "Divine summer reading. Hilarious, hot, and heartfelt. " -- Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Did I just give a romance 5 stars?? Yes I did! I love Kiki so much. I love her humor, her additude, her confidence, everything about her. I love that the side characters are well developed, they're not just accessories to the main couple. I could live without a fake romance but, honestly, it made sense? I'm surprised but, yea, it worked. And Malakai was cool. Can't say if he was "my type" (whatever that means for an allo/ace lol) but I can appreciste a hot guy with painfully cheesy jokes lol. 

The narration was perfect, by the way! I loved her voice so much. And, I don't know what to call it, but the edits with things like recordings and calls was such a good touch. 

Ari Rose

Did I just give a romance 5 stars?? Yes I did! I love Kiki so much. I love her humor, her additude, her confidence, everything about her. I love that the side characters are well developed, they're not just accessories to the main couple. I could live without a fake romance but, honestly, it made sense? I'm surprised but, yea, it worked. And Malakai was cool. Can't say if he was "my type" (whatever that means for an allo/ace lol) but I can appreciste a hot guy with painfully cheesy jokes lol. 

The narration was perfect, by the way! I loved her voice so much. And, I don't know what to call it, but the edits with things like recordings and calls was such a good touch. 

I did like it, it was a cute story and Malakai was a character to die for but the main character was just so hateable. She was always whining and whinging and I couldn't stand her to a point where I was just rolling my eyes at some of the things she said because she turned every moment ever into a "I hate men" speech and it got boring. And alot of the book felt so melodramatic. But I liked her and Kai and it was cute, but it wasn't very memorable. Some quotes did stick out to me, and I loved the motif of Honey and Spice and Sugar that kept creeping its way into the book. It wasn't amazing but it wasn't bad. 

surtified™

Mel 

Received an ARC for this from NetGalley.

This was okay. The strongest aspect of this book is its focus on a Black woman falling in love. There are not many romantic comedies centered around Black women and depict the Black British experience at University so it was nice to feel ‘seen.’ I had some issues with the writing, over excessive use of pop culture references and some of the decisions that Kiki makes throughout the novel. Overall, I am excited to read what this author writes next.

The Romcom of the Decade from the Sunday Times Bestselling Bolu Babalola

a 1000/10!! i went through an emotional rollercoaster while reading this book

Amal Hassan

I loved this. It’s a fun, flirty and lighthearted romance with very likeable characters (Malakai is a sweet sweet boy). I used the audiobook and the narrator was excellent.

amarachi

Breakout author Bolu Babalola pens her vibrant debut novel, full of passion, humor, and heart, that centers on a young Black British woman who has no interest in love and unexpectedly finds herself caught up in a fake relationship with the man she warned her girls about. Sharp-tongued (and secretly soft-hearted) Kiki Banjo has just made a huge mistake. An expert in relationship-evasion and the host of the popular student radio show, Brown Sugar, she’s made it her mission to make sure the women of the Afro-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University do not fall into the mess of “situationships”, players, and heartbreak. But when the Queen of the Unbothered kisses Malakai Korede, the guy she just publicly denounced as “The Wastemen of Whitewell” in front of every Blackwellian on campus, she finds her show and her reputation on the brink. They’re soon embroiled in a fake relationship to try and salvage their reputations and save their futures. Kiki has never surrendered her heart before and a player like Malakai, no matter how charming he is or how incredible their connection is, won’t be the one to change that. After surprisingly entertaining study sessions and intimate late-night talks at old-fashioned diners force Kiki to look beyond her own presumptions, is she ready to open herself up to something deeper? A side-splittingly funny and sparkling debut novel, Honey and Spice is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees.

A Novel

Dana M

Charlsy Sekyere

⭐️5

From the beginning to the end, this book is exceptional. It's one of the best romances I've ever read. It was so good that I didn't want to finish it.

I’m in love with this book. From the cheeky, witty banter and fire chemistry of Kiki and Malakai (I love both of them equally, but Malakai is seriously swoon-worthy), to the podcast/radio station setting, to the excellent representation of British African culture, and to the phenomenally written, lovable, funny side characters in different cliques, everything was truly flawless. I found this book to have everything that I was looking for in a romance. 

Beyond the complicated mess that can be dating and romance, the book also takes the time to tackle more heavy topics, such as race, microaggressions, identity, sexism and so on, when necessary. There is something special about Bolu Babalola’s writing style.

The ending was *chef’s kiss*. There are so many things to love about this book that I could go on and on.

One of my favourite reads of the year so far and probably the best debut I've ever read. Would highly recommend the book.

Naomi

Wow. Wow. Wow. That's the only thought in my head right now. I'm still trying to process this book. One thing I can definitely say is that Bolu Babalola outdid herself in this book. It was definitely worth the lack of sleep

Michaella 

When I tell y’all…. the yearning for a relationship MAGICALLY reappeared with this book. It’s almost like the British version of “Dear White People,” except Kiki is giving dating advice, with a hint of Nigerian culture. It was a great quick romance read. Malakai is just a bit of me! I mean the banter Kiki and Kai have is just delicious! That’s how you know he was written by a woman, because men just cannot hold that kind of conversation. I would also love to see the progression of Aminah and Kofi’s relationship. Lowkey… Bolu could make this a series and give us three more books about Aminah, Shanti, and Chioma. It is written by a Nigerian-British author so there’s lots of British slang for my girlies not in the UK. “Audio Hug” by Summer Walker ft. J. Cole was the perfect track for this book.

Tagwa Shammet

This was a lot of fun! I enjoyed the friendship dynamics, the drama, and the romance. The characters were well developed with cohesive personalities. I think I probably would have enjoyed this a little more if I had read this in high school - some of the themes and discourse on dating felt a little immature/simple but didn’t negatively impact the story.

alex 

Kristen Claiborn

Having no clue what this book was about prior to starting, I was quite pleased when the first few pages sucked me in like a Dyson on a mission. Immediately, Kiki entertained the reader with her sharp wit, and it was enthralling. Here we find a university student who is intelligent and well spoken, which was a breath of fresh air coming from books where women, especially minority women, are frequently penned as victims. 
	What I found most interesting was the author’s portrayal of the students as high-school-ish cliques. I realize it’s been a long time since I was in college, and the university I attended was likely significantly larger than the one in this novel, but I don’t recall the students being labeled as anything other than students. Even the football players were incognito on campus. There was a lot of focus on social media, media in general really, and I wonder if that has created “groups” on college campuses. Those didn’t exist back in the dark ages when I went to college. 
	Kiki eventually reveals her own trials, letting the reading know that she, too, has experienced forms of trauma. But her character never regresses into victim, she continued to be a force of nature throughout the entire book. I found her entire trajectory to be refreshing. She started out as a woman who knew what she did and didn’t want, then faced a period of uncertainty, then ironed out her own wrinkles. Her friends were well-drawn as well. While a few of them were antagonistic at the onset, eventually they combined their efforts to make things happen, and along the way discovered it’s better to be friends than enemies. 
	Everything in this book just came together nicely and was wrapped up with a neat little bow. It’s smart and witty and truly an enjoyable book.

I found my perfect romance book! Super sexy, smart, witty, and cool with just enough complications to keep the pages turning. The audiobook was perfection, so many thanks to Weruche Opia for all of her flawless characterizations, accents, and emotional depth in this production!

Sabrina D. 

Liz B

This book is what a romance should be! The first 50-ish pages were slow-going in terms of plot, but Bolu builds a world you want to be part of. The relationships all feel genuine and the dialogue AND Kiki's internal processing flow realistically. The relationships with Kiki's female friends are given just as much importance as her romantic relationship & the hero is kind, thoughtful, and does his best to do right by the people in his life (qualities that romance leads often lack, but that are actually what people want in IRL partners). The communication feels real, both in the moments it's good & in the moments where the characters falter. I hope she's planning to write more books (with or without the Honey & Spice crew).

This book is everything. The language, the writing style going from email, to interviews to radio shows 😍 everything was just well thought out and exciting. Every chapter was literally a story on its own and I loved every second of this book!!!!! BOLU BABALOLA SABI SHA!

Emma

Okay, I LOVED the relationship between Kiki and Malakai. But, also, the relationship between Kiki and her friend Aminah!? *chef's kiss* perfection. The balance of focus between romantic relationships and the friendships between all the women is everything to me. I laughed, I cried (mostly from happiness for the characters). I love this book a lot.

this is truly my #1 most anticipated read of the year. and it delivered.

that’s partially because i’ve been following Bolu Babalola on twitter for a long time now. Love In Color was phenomenal — showing us all that romance and its tales are timeless. but then came Honey & Spice. lemme tell you i ran out of book darts to use — it’s a wonderful, layered new adult story.

the girl gang? iconic. the true love story if you were asking me — like i LOVE stories in which female friendships are fully fleshed out.

but our Malakai? Book Boyfriend of the Year™

the culture is pouring out, beautifully written, as if you’re living alongside our characters. the prose is powerful. it’s more than a boy-girl romance. it’s a story about how you can heal yourself and your community.

Kristle Saneewong

this is truly my #1 most anticipated read of the year. and it delivered.

that’s partially because i’ve been following Bolu Babalola on twitter for a long time now. Love In Color was phenomenal — showing us all that romance and its tales are timeless. but then came Honey & Spice. lemme tell you i ran out of book darts to use — it’s a wonderful, layered new adult story.

the girl gang? iconic. the true love story if you were asking me — like i LOVE stories in which female friendships are fully fleshed out.

but our Malakai? Book Boyfriend of the Year™

the culture is pouring out, beautifully written, as if you’re living alongside our characters. the prose is powerful. it’s more than a boy-girl romance. it’s a story about how you can heal yourself and your community.

Honey and Spice

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