This took me 2 attempts to get into, but once I was on board I was so totally hooked. Traditional chick lit meets thriller. A solid 4 out of 5 and the recipe section at the end of the book made me so happy. What a great touch.

LOVED THIS!!!! So happy to see a debut book like this, amazing content! Can't wait to read more books like this

This book centres on a group of women all told from their different perspectives about their lives and their cultural background. I really enjoyed this read - I found it brilliant how their outlook was on different scenarios and also how the culture was woven throughout this book. The food parts made me feel really hungry and the recipes at the end were fantastic - I’d love to give them a go. It was a brilliant debut with quite a unique writing style. It reminded me a little of sex and the city but more modern. I’d definitely read more by this author.

I read this and was constantly sending quotes from the book to my Naija friends who live in Nigeria and are super excited to see Nikki May’s novel making a splash here. I loved this and can’t wait to see the TV series that comes from it.
The characters were well rounded and interesting; it was actually nice to see some of the men being way more likable than the women in a female centred novel (shout out to Didier, Rafa and Martin!) I felt like this fitted nicely into the Kevin Kwan Cazy Rich Asians niche: full of fun and fashion and food.
My only complaint is that the ending was way too rushed. Maybe there’s a sequel in it- a manhattan-based spinoff called Jollof in the City? ;)

Wow, this was a fantastically, gripping read, I was totally absorbed by the story and it’s characters.

After reading this book, I am stunned.

Masterful storytelling at its finest. A visceral thriller that Reminded me of “My sister, the Serial Killer.”

A perfect story with intrigue, realistic perspectives and an engaging plot. I will certainly be following the authors future books.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Did this entertain me, yes! Do I think Boo and Simi were horrible friends and people, yes! Was I angry my girl Ronke (the nicest person in the whole damn book) got the short stick, yes! Was I disappointed in the ending, yes! Was I super excited to see the author included some yummy sounding recipes, hell yes! Would I give this one a recommendation, yes! And I can assure you I will tune in when this comes to TV this year! 🙌🏻

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Thank you to transworld/Doubleday for my earc of this book. I liked that this book crosses genres and has that basis of friendship but the colourism (mentioned in other reviews too) is upsetting.

Loved this book. It was just one of those really gripping, realistic novels about friendship and betrayal. Very well-written, great dialogue and brilliant characters. Lives up to the hype!

Brilliant read! I was drawn into the lives of Simi, Boo and Ronke, three Nigerian - British best friends navigating their way through adult life. Wahala means trouble or problem in Nigeria Pidgin English and also used by the Yoruba tribe and commonly used throughout Nigeria. Which is exactly what happens when Isobel enters their friendship group and stirs everything up! This reads well and keeps you wanting more, an absorbing read that feels like binge watching your favourite tv series. It was described as Sex and the City with a Killer edge and I’d definitely agree. I had to re read the last chapter as I was quite down hearted that it was over. Worth every star! A definite 5 star from me! It is also going to made into a TV series for the BBC which I can’t wait to see.

I was given this Arc before publication date and it took me this long to complete as I did not want to Dnf an advanced copy. This book to me was a failed project, and wasn’t giving what it was hoping to achieve judging by the synopsis which was an exploration of female friendships in a Nigerian/mixed race group based in London. Instead, what it gave was colourist, anti black sentiments sprinkled all over the book, I put this book down so many times due to this, and I’m shocked I actually finished considering it wasn’t an enjoyable experience spent with this story. I understand there’s a push by publishers to bring more inclusivity, but books like this aren’t inclusive and can bring more triggering harm to some readers. The characters are so bland, I listened on audio hoping this will help me finish but I could not distinguish the characters from each other as they were all boring, Unlikeable and shared the same views of holding unpleasant opinions about blackness and the image of unambiguous black features. The plot wasn’t interesting, and . it dragged and dragged, This could also be because it was a slog to get through as I did not enjoy it. I will never pick up another book by this author and will not recommend to anyone.

Thank you to Random House UK and Netgalley for this ARC.

Dear people, first things first: don't go into this book expecting a thriller. That's not what this is. Instead it's a story about a female friends.

It's an incredibly well-written story. NIKKI MAY has done a great job in giving everyone a distinct personality (although I had a hard time remembering who's who at times, but that says more about me than about the novel).

Boo, Ronke, Simi are best friends. Isabel joins their friend group, and she shift the dynamics in a big way. So much so that the friends hardly recognise each other.

The ending was a bit out there for me. It wasn't necessary, everything unravelled in such a way that I didn't need the big reveal/twist.

I recommend this novel to people who like contemporary fiction about friend groups, if you like SEX AND THE CITY and the REAL HOUSEWIVES, you might like this as well.

Boo, Simi and Ronke are great friends and their lives seem perfect. Until Isobel, an old friend of Simi’s from her early life in Nigeria, arrives and things start to go awry.

Isobel is wahala, a veritable cuckoo in the nest, but the 3 friends seem blissfully unaware of her troublesome influence until their lives are turned completely upside down.

The plot verges on the plausible, with money never an issue, but takes a turn for the ridiculous as the story reaches its climax. The change of tone jars badly and even a happy ever after epilogue can’t erase the dissatisfaction.

If you want a fun read to escape with then this is for you !
It’s a “bingeable” book that sort of reads like it’s a tv drama ( and I can’t wait to see it when it does land on the BBC) , it’s fast paced with a great set of characters .
Our 3 main cast members are Ronke, Simi and Boo who met at University and are now dealing with adult life. Ronke wants to settle down , Simi appears to have a coveted lifestyle and Boo has the adoring child and husband but then arrives Isobel to stir things up ……
It’s a tale about female friendships, relationships and Nigerian culture ( with a big focus on food!) but also has a slight thriller sort of edge to it which keeps the reader guessing right until the end .
Perfect reading and I can’t wait to see what comes next from the author!

I was very excited to be given the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I loved the different perspectives given by the 3 women and how they navigate their female friendships, even through the difficult times. I also learnt a lot about the Nigerian culture. Very excited to see this book on screen!

I really didn’t know what to expect from this book but I got was a really great exploration of female friendships and an insight into Nigerian culture, which for me was an added bonus. In a complete aside, I’m so pleased that some of the most mentioned Nigerian food was put in recipe form at the end of the book - thank you Nikki May. Although I could work out where the story was going from an early stage, this didn’t matter as I enjoyed the unravelling of signals and misinterpretation of intentions. At times I wanted to strangle a certain member of the group, but I think this was because maybe we weren’t shown that side of the story. A really interesting intriguing book. Well done Nikki May and I look forward to more

This is the story of 3 mixed race friends living in London. They are all questioning their future when a glamorous friend from their past arrives in town and tries to fix their futures for them.

I loved the friendship and bond the 3 main characters, Ronke, Simi and Boo, had at the beginning of the story. It was heart warming to read their love for each other and also lovely to read about protagonists in their 30’s.

I was really engaged throughout by this book. It had a warm, gripping tone which I raced through. I also learnt a lot about Nigerian culture through the book despite it being set in London.

I thought the plot was well paced and kept me guessing until the end. There were quite a few twists and turns, and I wasn’t expecting the ending that happened!

This is a fantastic debut novel, it was gripping and entertaining throughout!

AD - This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW: Racism, fatphobia

In Wahala we follow three friends in present day london. Ronke, Boo and Simi’s lives are completely turned upside down when Isobel, a glamorous party girl, crashes into their lives bringing a whole bunch of wahala with her.

This was a very easy read, extremely character driven, and each character was flawed in ways that made them feel so real. At times I was so frustrated with the characters for being so selfish even though you could empathise with them in a way because they were so unhappy in their lives.

The twist in the ending was great, I wasn’t expecting it and personally thought that in was going to go in a completely different direction, so it was amazing being caught off guard.

I loved hearing about the Nigerian culture, especially the food, and the recipes were such a nice touch too.

I will definitely keep an eye on Nikki May’s next releases!

Idk, I feel like the blurb doesn't really tell you the truth. This book is not "darkly comic", it's just dark and sad and frankly depressing. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, because I did enjoy it a lot, but come on... the blurb gives you the impression it's a light breezy beachy read. It is not.

It's a really good book, even though the twist a bit over the top, but I liked it and I enjoyed reading. I didn't like any of the characters because they were all doormats and I found myself annoyed with every single one of them.
If you're not familiar with Nigerian culture (I was not) it's an interesting starting point to do some research on it (it was for me).

This was an intersting novel. I don't think I really liked one of the characters and sometimes was really irritated by the choises they made of the things they said. But it was such an addictive read and I couldn't put it down. It reads like a very real group of friends with one very toxic relationship.