Honey and Spice was a cute romance full of drama, miscommunications and of course my favourite trope of them all, fake dating.

Kiki is a kickass confident woman who is bold, blunt and brilliant! She's equal parts nerdy, smart and sensational. I loved her character and her radio show Brown Sugar. I especially loved the modernised agony aunt concept, it was so good! I also really enjoyed her backstory, it was emotional and it made her even more real!

Malakai as a love interest was fantastic. He's a charmer plain and simple! He makes women fall for him left, right and centre! And I was no exception! Malakai is a sweet and considerate character, hidden at first behind his player status but Kiki slowly unravelled this persona and I really enjoyed what she found.

Together these two are incredible! The tension and chemistry is clear from their first interaction and their banter? Well it's off the charts and I absolutely loved it! Kiki and Malakai are perfectly suited for each other and I longed for them to realise it faster.

Honey and Spice is a great new adult style romance that has the perfect balance between humour and story! It's cute with a hint of spice that I think a lot of people will love and appreciate!

An book full of relationships and the angst that goes along with them, set in a university so the age group is adult although much younger than me, nothing much has changed over the years. We are all still worried about showing feelings and avoiding heartbreak and what our friends think. I liked how the 'fake' relationship devloped. Some of the writing was like poetry, really loved it. So honest and open. The narration was superb and so easy to follow the humour and emotion. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

#HoneyAndSpice by #BoluBabalola was beautifully narrated by #WerucheOpia This is is sweet like honey and spicy / just as the title promises. I hope there’s future sequels to Kiki and Malakai’s adventures. Many thanks to #netgalley for gifting me an #arc in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars. An effervescent and comical rom-com. The female protagonist Kiki has her own radio show on university campus and is bursting with attitude and sass. She takes a no nonsense attitude to men and wipes the floor with anyone who crosses her. She is a role model for black women, demanding respect and her worth. She is ambitious and wants the opportunity to get a coveted media training spot, but first she must work alongside her nemesis. He is everything that irritates KiKi. Forced to pretend they are in a relationship; the two find themselves in hilarious situations. Suddenly the lines between dislike and like are blurred. A fun listen that touches on serious issues like racism and identity. A great summer audiobook. #honeyandspice #bolubabalola #netgalley #audiobook headlineaudio #romcom #feistyread #summerlistening #summerreading

I absolutely adored Love In Colour so as soon as this came up I dived straight in to request!

Honey and Spice is a story of university and weaving your way through the politics of love and learning. It had many quips and funny things to say about modern life and men and it reminded me of Luster and Sunset, both recent novels out about modern dating life.

This is a very different novel to the collection of love stories Babalola has written before and this felt too long. It was a different spin on a modern romance and I enjoyed it.

I wasn’t sold at the beginning of this book, but as it progressed, I enjoyed it more and more! I adored the female empowerment vibes and the characters. I loved reading about their growth and how they grew throughout the book. Definitely one worth reading.

First thing I want to say is I bloody love Kiki Banjo, she is such a likable character in this book and it played a massive part in why I enjoyed this story so much. I loved her friendship/relationship with Malakai and the way it progressed in this story was just perfect for me. The trope of fake relationship potentially turning real was nice and it was nice to see the relationship progress in this story.

I found the audiobook a joy to listen to, in particular when Kiki was on a phone call or interviewing for her podcast, the change of tone to differentiate from Kiki’s voice to show that she was talking on a podcast or call, I liked.

This is a good romantic comedy novel, easy to read/listen to and thank you to @headlinefiction for approving me on Netgalley to read this book!

After really enjoying Bolu Babalola's first book, a collection of short stories called 'Love in Colour', I was highly anticipating 'Honey & Spice' and it absolutely didn't disappoint! Weruche Opia's narration of the audiobook truly elevated the story to the next level; I don't often read with audiobooks but I'm so grateful that I experienced this book in audio format - her accent work gave the characters such individuality and richness, and given the story features radio shows and recorded interviews, the production quality here was spot on. Talk about attention to detail!

If you love the Romance genre then you'll have such a fun time with 'Honey & Spice', but I also think it'd be the perfect introduction to the genre for those who have yet to have the pleasure of entering this world. Fake dating, growth, strong female characters - this book smashed it all. A superb and sexy summer read!

This was such a great one! I loved the audiobook aspect as the narrator really sold the story.

This was a really interesting read, it was incredibly witty and easy to follow, and who doesn’t love a fake dating trope in a rom-com.

I’d recommend this to anyone wanting an enjoyable romance with allll the feels!

I enjoyed listening to Honey & Spice. I enjoyed Weruche Opia's narration of My Sister the Serial Killer so I knew that she would be great in this too, and her narration really brought the book to life and really differentiated all of the characters. Her narration was a highlight of the audiobook.

That being said, I found the book generally enjoyable, although at times I did feel like it dragged in some parts, especially in the middle, and only really picked up right towards the end. There were moments where I felt like the book read younger than the target audience (people in their 20s) but overall I liked the book, but it is probably more suited to university-age readers who may be able to relate more to that feeling of being at university.

Oof. Okay. Time for a mildly unpopular opinion.

I thought this book was fine. Just fine. I have my issues with it and I have things that I really liked about it, and it kind of averaged out as being...okay. I've read worse, I've read better.

THE GOOD THINGS: This is, genuinely, a whole new take on the fake dating trope set within a British university. The characters - especially the female ones - were written with such clear love and care that no one ever felt like they were missing a dimension. There's a clear voice running through it - and you can tell how much the author loves the genre because this is a real love letter to it. There were moments I really enjoyed and was hooked by, wanting to hear what was going to happen next for these characters. Also, the audiobook narrator was EXCELLENT - the moments where Kiki is doing her radio show were performed sensationally and genuinely made me feel like I was listening to a podcast. The production on the audiobook too is fantastic, so great job to those guys.

THE LESS GOOD THINGS: This book is too long. SO LONG. And it takes far too long for anything to happen. I actually put this book down a few weeks ago because the writing was too tangent-el for my brain - every other sentence had a lead on to a different sentence that told us a bunch of expositional stuff or gave us a metaphor. Which, sometimes, is very useful. But not every other line. For this kind of genre especially, there was so much space where nothing happened. Where we were getting repeats, rather than an advancement of the plot. Part of me thinks this would have worked way better as a TV show than a novel just because of the ensemble cast, the development of the relationship - I never felt it translated well to fiction. I'm learning I much prefer books with action. Spend too long talking about feelings and stuff that doesn't relate - I'm gone.

'Honey and Spice' gets off to a good start, but by the middle, it begins to lose its focus. For me, the development didn't come quickly enough and when it did, it felt unsatisfying. But, don't let that put you off reading it - it's just my preference. There's enough warmth and love and humour for anyone to enjoy it, especially the audiobook.

I’m a big fan of Bolu! Big! Her Twitter feed alone makes me want to read everything she writes! I loved her first book. And I ADORED this. An absolute pleasure to listen to from beginning to end. The narrator did an awesome job of narrating this sexy, sensual but also sweet story. I’m all in for fake dating tropes and this didn’t disappoint. There was plenty of honey and spice in this book. The love scenes are hella spicy! I loved the representation of hot, independent, fierce women. Hook it to my veins, More Bolu, more.

A beautifully written character-driven story. Bolu Babalola is such a talented writer who is able to tap into rom-com tropes and make them entirely her own. The prose is rich, lyrical and full of heart. Honey and Spice is *the* perfect summer romance!

Honey and spice gave me YA romance vibes and I loved it!

The characters had real depth, and I loved both the friendships and relationships in this book.

I really enjoyed listening to it on audio and thought the narrator was perfect for the book!

An engaging and heart warming modern day love story which restores your faith in love and the ability for even those who consider themselves a little damaged to find their one.

Humorous and at times upsetting, the story touches upon personal ambition, family illness and the breaking down and rebuilding of friendships and romantic relationships.

A great listen!

The Honey and Spice audiobook was an absolute saviour when I was recovering from Covid and in desperate need of a romcom to entertain me. If, like me, you are a fan of the fake dating romance trope or stories set at university, Bolu Babalola’s debut novel is for you. It follows Kiki Banjo, an expert in relationship-evasion, who makes it her mission to protect the women of Whitewell University from heartbreak. She is particularly concerned with heartbreak caused by players and, live on her student radio show Brown Sugar, she quickly labels newcomer to the university, Malakai Korede, the “Wasteman of Whitewell”. A very enjoyable read, with chemistry that practically sizzles on the page!

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<p>In 2020, during a summer blighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, debut author Bolu Babalola offered an blissful escape in the form of <em>Love in Colour. </em> A swoon-worthy anthology of loves stories inspired by mythology and folklore from around the world. Now the <em>Sunday Times </em>best-selling and <em>Waterstones Book of The Year</em> shortlisted author is back with her first full length novel, <em>Honey &amp; Spice</em>. A contemporary romance that follows the relationship between second year Whitewell university students Kiki, host of campus radio's <em>Brown Sugar</em>, and Malaki, the 'Wasteman of Whitewell.'</p>
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<p>As an Audio Assistant I once had the pleasure of having my 'Book Horoscope' read by author L. C. Rosen. Based on my Sun, Moon, and Rising signs, he informed me that my perfect book was a romance novel, with an ambitious, complex, and big-hearted heroine at it's centre. Kiki Banjo is all those things and more. What I love most about Kiki is how real she feels. On the one hand she's a respected figure in Blackwell (Whitewell's Afro-Caribbean Society), top of her class, and an advocate for her fellow Blackwell women, on the other, she purposely remains isolated from her peers and has yet to learn to advocate for herself. Kiki is flawed, but those flaws endear the reader to her. When she makes mistakes, no matter how frustrating, you understand her motives for doing so and her personal growth throughout the novel is just as satisfying as the romance.</p>
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<p>As with <em>Love in Colour</em>, Babalola *delivers* romance in <em>Honey &amp; Spice</em>. Her writing is the perfect homage to both the yearning of slow burn Austen and the blush-inducing grand gestures of 90s Hollywood RomComs. Love interest Malaki is every inch as charming and flawed as Kiki. Whilst initially bringing all of Kiki's defenses up, it's his willingness to reflect and learn that has her (and us) reassessing our first impressions. There's none of the dreaded 'Liar Revealed' trope in their arc, and any miscommunication between the two of them makes sense in context of where they are in their lives. Additionally Aminah and Kofi's relationship, which runs parallel to our main couple, is a hilarious reinvention of the Jane and Bingley dynamic. </p>
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<p>One unexpected delight of <em>Honey &amp; Spice </em>is the celebration of community and female friendship. Too often in the romance genre women will tear each other down without a moment's notice, whether it's for a man, a promotion, or their own sense of self worth. Babalola performs a masterclass of turning this trope on it's head. From the novel's offset, most eligible bachelor, Malaki appears prone to wreak havoc amongst the Blackwell women, yet his arrival actually draws them closer together. For Kiki the building of new friendships allows her to be challenged and called-out in a genuine and supportive way. Whilst Malaki sparks her period of self-reflection it is the women in her life who ensures her growth. </p>
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<p>Weruche Opia, as always, provides a wonderfully nuanced performance as narrator. As DIVINE as her Nigerian accent is to listen to, it's a treat to hear her voice this unabashed tribute to the romance genre. Babalola and Opia our powerhouses of talent talent in their own right, and paired together it makes for the ideal audiobook experience. Unfortunately this experience is somewhat let down by the production. An interesting choice has been made to add sound design to the phonecalls and interviews featured in the novel. This is a great concept but as there are no additional voices to amplify the effect, these sections jarr against the rest of the audiobook and take away from some of the book's most cute and candid moments.</p>
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<p>In all this is a strong first novel from Babalola and I'm already itching for her next one, hopefully narrated by Opia (with the sound design left on the cutting room floor). </p>
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This was a brilliant audiobook! The narrator made it flow beautifully and I got more from it than I probably would have reading the words on the page. I really enjoyed it. Enemies to lovers, whip smart main characters, strong women and people supporting them, lgbtqia+ rep, what more could I ask for?

4.5 Stars! This was such a great book with the vibes of Dear White People meets Book Lovers. We have fake dating, great banter between Kiki and Kai, fully rounded and fleshed out side character (we stan Aminah - what a great depiction of female friendship), UK based and spicy!! The audiobook was also really well read and produced, playing cleverly on the radio and film format to make them feel separate to the narrative whilst still well integrated. The chemistry between Kiki and Kai was off the charts and I'll be shocked if this isn't one of the hottest rom-coms of the summer.

Wow, the narration of this story is excellent! I really wonder what reading this in print form would be like because the delivery was so poetic when listening!

I personally haven't read any books that centre around Black British uni students' and their experiences. This kind of content is usually depicted in TV dramas or on YouTube channels so it was really good to get this in a book.

An entertaining story with beautiful writing.