BOOK REVIEW: Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola

Note: this book was read and reviewed by me in July of 2023 on a previous site that no longer exists.

I should start by mentioning that this was my third attempt at reading this book. I’m an absolute sucker for both the enemies-to-lovers trope and the fake-dating trope (cue the collective groans of literary snobs everywhere), so this book was an instant must-read for me.

I got it when it first came out and started it but couldn’t get into it. I returned to it a few weeks later but couldn't get past the first two chapters. Over a year later, I came across the book on Goodreads. After reading the summary, I couldn’t remember why I hadn’t finished it. Like I said, it has all the things I look for in a rom com.

So, I took it off the DNF shelf once more.

As the saying goes, the third time was the charm.

Bolu Babalola's debut novel, Honey and Spice, follows the story of Kikiola Banjo, a smart-mouthed, self-proclaimed relationship guru who hosts Brown Sugar, a radio show for the female population of Blackwell (the Afro-Caribbean society of Whitewell University). The shows centers on how to avoid Wastemen (players, man-whores). Men exactly like Malakai Korede.

Kiki can't stand him, even if he' s smart, funny and has the entire female population of Blackwell swooning.

But when her reputation gets tarnished just as a new opportunity arises, Kiki must do the unthinkable. Fake date the "Wasteman of Whitewell" she warned everyone about.

The words that flew out of my mouth were illicit, raspy sounds that only seemed to galvanize him, a circuit of pleasure. I felt like I could taste light if I wanted to, hear yellow, see the future.

Stellar Writing

Credit where credit is due: Bolu Babalola is gifted with words. Her writing flows like poetry, and even the slow parts read like lyrics to a familiar song. She had me so enthralled that I was highlighting sentence after sentence, page after page.

A Heroine Who Eventually Grew On Me

At the start of the book, we're introduced to Kiki right away. We instantly get a sense of who she is, how her mind worked, how witty she was, and just an overall sense of her badassery. She seems likeable in those early pages. But a few pages later, it became obvious why my first two attempts ended abruptly.

Kiki is not an easy heroine to like. Her sense of importance is so inflated that her self-confidence often comes across as arrogance. She seems to legitimately think that her opinions are the only truth that exists.

I'm glad I gave her a chance though.

As the book progresses, she becomes more understandable, even relatable. Not just because the book reveals new layers, but also because Kiki herself begins to change. I can't point out exactly when exactly. There's no clear catalyst. It's a change so gradual that, by the end, it feels natural and real.

“Like, okay, you want me, this much is clear and, frankly, understandable, but what are you going to do with it? Where is the finesse, hon? The clear understanding that you are handling a masterpiece?! You’ve got this far. Appreciate it.”― Bolu Babalola, Honey & Spice

Malakai Malakai Malakai

I wonder if I’ll ever utter this name without sighing dreamily.

I usually have a hard time connecting to leads who don’t have a POV, but this man...this man managed to charm his way into my heart and stay. He's intelligent, witty, and straightforward, he knows when and how to admit his mistakes. And when he loves, he's intentional and loud. My kind of man (from these pages to your ears, Lord!).

The single POV works here because it feels like falling for him right alongside Kiki. Like Kiki, I had my guard up, bracing my heart for his inevitable fuckup. But Malakai knocks down those defenses better than even the best linebackers. Except instead of a trained frame, his weapons are his words, and just his overall smoothness.

(I literally annotated the words ‘this guy is smoooooth’ in my notepad)

He has definitely joined the ranks of all my fictional green flags, right up there with ''Farmer George'' (Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story).

This was how I would discover his Wasteman origin story, despite the fact that ‘Wasteman’ was no longer fitting him as well as I thought it was, splitting and slipping from the image of the new Malakai that had reconfigured in my head. It was baggy on the caricature I’d created of his player archetype, too small on the parts of him I hadn’t known; like his sense of humor and the way he listened

The Romance

The romance, once it starts, feels inevitable. They are drawn to each other from their first meeting. And at every meeting after, it's obvious that it's only a matter of time before they inevitably surrender to their feelings. Babalola created the perfect combo of witty banter, lingering looks, and subtle touches to make the sexual tension come alive. It's almost palpable.

The leads themselves feel well matched, both a perfect mix of spunk and softness. The result is a romance with just the right amount of challenge and vulnerability.

Brown Sugar

I found the Brown Sugar episodes fascinating and even 'awwed’ at some of the couple interviews.

I especially love the glimpse we get into their joint show, Gotta Hear Both Sides. That half-episode we get to witness is enough to make me understand why they-- yes, both Kiki and Malakai-- have the entire Blackwell captivated. They are entertaining to watch, read, and listen to.

The Supporting Cast

While some are indistinguishable from one another, others, like Aminah, stand out. As secondary characters, they do a good job of giving our main characters’ lives a sense of fullness.

Even the antagonists eventually come around. Although I don't find their transformation arcs all that believable (I tend to hold grudges), it's nice to see Kiki surrounded by her community at the end.

The Themes

Babalola’s degree in American Politics and History shines through the entire story. There are strong themes such as college-level politics and racism. This book also features some of the finest literary examples of friendship and sisterhood.

“The smile he gave her was mainstream, pop, radio-friendly. The smile he’d given me was the single released after an artist had established themselves, found their voice, could speak directly to their target audience. The smile he’d given me had more R&B to it.”― Bolu Babalola, Honey & Spice

The Illogical Plot and Poor Pacing

The plot is disappointing. Once again, I was catfished by the promise of enemies-to-lovers only to be given something closer to strangers-to-lovers, or at best, silly-misunderstandings-to-lovers.

To force an antagonistic dynamic, Babalola has them literally arguing over nothing.

The pacing is also way off. It starts off too slowly, and the fake dating (you know the point of the entire story) comes in somewhere around the 35% mark. Honestly, the only thing that kept me going was the obvious attraction—that ‘inevitability’ I mentioned earlier.

When the fake dating does start, it comes out of nowhere with no logical foundation. It definitely requires some suspension of belief.

After this point, the plot should naturally pick up, but ... nothing happens. There are no stakes, and if there are, they're not high enough to ever be relevant. For my sanity, while reading, I eventually had to accept that the story would be primarily character-driven just so I would stop waiting for something to happen.

I regretted wearing something that showed off my middle. What if the butterflies flew too close to the edge of my stomach, so he could see the imprints of their wings pressed up against my skin?

The Slang

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed all the pop culture references (at least the ones I understood, which were not many). I also don't usually mind some relevant slang here and there. But here, they are enough to be jarring. Trying to decipher their meanings pulled me out of the story many times. Then again, I might just not be cool enough.

The Melodrama

The story wraps up the way you’d expect from a story like this, but that’s okay because we don’t read romance for the suspense.

The issue here, though, is that the ending sequence is so sweet that it almost veers into melodrama. If you've ever shut a book or paused a movie because you were cringing so much you couldn't stand it then you can understand what I was feeling at this point.

I would cringe and tear my eyes away from the page, but only for a second because I didn’t want to miss any part of it (because the writing was so good).

Final Thoughts

Writing/Style/Prose: 4.5/5. It was excellent

Characters: 4.5/5. One word: Malakai.

Themes: 4/5. They were important and well executed.

Plot: 3/5. It was a little hard to believe.

Overall, this earns 4 out of 5 stars from me.

It isn’t perfect, but it feels like how a rom com should feel. Like giddy, irresistible love between ordinary people that I might come across on the street. Though it started off really slow, it left me feeling warm, inspired, and filled with possibilities.

I can also see movie potential here, especially that ending sequence. Literally stuff for the big screen, pun intended (If you know, you know, and if you don’t know, read the book to know).

Who is it for?

Recommended for fans of the YA/NA romance genre as well as adult rom-coms. If you can get past the slow start and are willing to suspend some belief, you won’t regret reading this.

I feel like relationships are in the seeing. I think everyone just wants to be seen and to find someone who they enjoy seeing.

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.

Have you read this? What did you think?