DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Honey & Spice

the heart-melting TikTok Book Club pick

Bolu Babalola author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Headline Publishing Group

Published:5th Jul '22

Should be back in stock very soon

Honey & Spice cover

This debut novel by Bolu Babalola follows Kiki Banjo, who expertly avoids relationships until a fake romance with the charming Malakai Korede challenges her beliefs about love and vulnerability.

Honey & Spice is the debut novel by Bolu Babalola, a bestselling author known for her sharp wit and humor. This romantic comedy centers on Kiki Banjo, a student at Whitewell University who has made it her mission to help her peers avoid heartbreak and the pitfalls of romantic entanglements. Through her student radio show, Brown Sugar, Kiki offers advice and strategies to steer clear of players. However, her world is turned upside down when she encounters the charming newcomer Malakai Korede, who poses a threat to the safe haven she has created for the women around her.

Determined to protect her friends, Kiki publicly labels Malakai as the 'Wasteman of Whitewell' and discourages her peers from pursuing him. But when circumstances force Kiki and Malakai into a fake relationship to preserve their reputations and academic standing, she finds herself grappling with unexpected feelings for the very person she sought to warn others about. As Kiki navigates the complexities of love, she must confront her own vulnerabilities and the reasons behind her reluctance to embrace romance.

Filled with humor and tension, Honey & Spice explores themes of love, friendship, and self-discovery. Babalola's vibrant writing brings the characters to life, making readers feel the chemistry between Kiki and Malakai. This engaging debut is a refreshing addition to the rom-com genre, promising a delightful journey filled with laughter and heartfelt moments.

Honey & Spice is gorgeously written and heart-meltingly romantic. Kiki and Malakai have a rare, extraordinary, sizzling chemistry which has you rooting for their love story from the very first moment they cross paths. A triumph of a novel. * Beth O'Leary *
Honey & Spice is unapologetically romantic and really sexy. I could not have loved it more. * Marian Keyes *
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 *
This is a fast-paced commercial novel with a refreshing take on a well-worn concept. Someone should adapt it for the screen. * The Sunday Times *
Sparkling and self-assured... Babalola really captures the heady infatuation of first love. * The i Paper *
Charming and funny. * The Observer *
Bolu is one of the laugh-out-loud funniest and sharpest of writers working today. I fell in love with Kiki and the whole line-up of loveable characters. It's smart, sexy, energetic and sums up the realness of being attracted to someone you didn't necessarily expect. I'm excited for everyone to read this book. * Emma Gannon *
This book had me screaming from page one! Bolu understands desire better than anyone else and in Honey & Spice it prickles under every word. This book is so addictive it had me reading it even after I'd got off the bus. * Annie Lord *
Divine summer reading. Hilarious, hot, and heartfelt. * Meg Cabot *
Bolu Babalola understood the assignment because this book has everything you could ever want from a romance and more - the vibes are simply immaculate. * Zoella *
Honey & Spice is the book many have been waiting for. Black love, Black joy and Black magic are all stirred into this succulent, addictive romance. Simply wonderful. * Lizzie Damilola Blackburn *
A vibrant debut novel . . . Babalola is incisively funny, capturing the kick and sweetness of her title with her words. * Entertainment Weekly *
Babalola's writing shines whether she's writing parry-riposte banter or fresh, evocative interiority. * New York Times Book Review *
This book breathes new life into the genre with its vibrant characters and sexy, authentic voice. * Red Magazine *
Romance will never be dead, as long as Bolu is writing it. * Jessie Burton *
A blissful celebration of first loves, second chances and sisterhood. Bolu is an expert at her craft. * Jendella Benson *
Babalola's hilarious romance debut will have you laughing out loud and reconsidering first impressions. * Buzzfeed *
A fast-paced commercial novel with a refreshing take on a well-worn concept. Someone should adapt it for the screen. * Sunday Times Culture *
From the first page, there are zingers aplenty; you instantly feel safe in the knowledge that the rest will take you on a journey that's equal parts sweet and hot. Fitting, really. * The Independent *
A sizzling, addictive story. * Harper's Bazaar *

ISBN: 9781472286383

Dimensions: 248mm x 164mm x 40mm

Weight: 688g

448 pages