e-Audio, 11:37:21
Narrated by: Soneela Nankani and Tim Paige
Release Date: April 29, 2025
Published by: Simon & Schuster Audio
Read from: May 2-3, 2025
Stand-Alone
Source: Audible Unused Credit
Content Warning: Racism, Sexual Content, Panic Attacks/Disorders, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Sexism, Toxic Relationship
For Readers Interested In: Romance, Books about Books, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, AdultFrom USA TODAY bestselling author Nana Malone, a romance about a Ghanaian American heiress faced with with the dilemma of choosing between culture and a love connection.
During an opulent publishing party, Ofosua Addo crosses paths with Cole Drake for the first time. Their flirtatiously witty exchange culminates in a kiss that etches a permanent mark on both their hearts.
But Ofosua’s identity as a Ghanaian heiress comes before Cole. She loves the vibrant traditions of Ghana’s Gold Coast, and her hand is already promised to a man that even her overbearing mother loves. Yet, when her big Ghanaian wedding transforms from a fairy tale into a spectacle, she’s thrust into a whirlwind of heartbreak and self-discovery.
In the midst of it all, Cole enters her life once again, under circumstances far different from their magical first encounter. Can Ofosua and Cole’s rediscovered spark overcome the weight of tradition?
*MY THOUGHTS*
I was SO excited for this one. I really couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. And then I ran out of credits for my Simon & Schuster audio app lol So of course I was depressed. HOWEVER, I remembered I had some left over credits that I haven’t used from Audible, so I went ahead and just used it for this. Totes worth it. This book was good!
Ok so the only thing I didn’t really like was the pacing. I’m not a huge fan of enemies to lovers. Y’all know this. But I’m even less of a fan when it moves with a glacial pace. I think if there had been more of them flirting together or more of them just not fighting I would have been ok. But when they decided to come together it didn’t feel natural. The rest of the book seemed like it was spent stretching their relationship out since it took them so long to get there.
There’s also a bunch of focus on weddings in this one. There’s a failed one in the very beginning, another one that they get invited to, and another one at the end. I loved comparing the Ghanaian weddings to those of the Western weddings. This one unfortunately doesn’t go too much into depth about their differences, but I still thought it was cool to look up.
The characters were what carried this for me, but they were also what annoyed me in some places. Because why in the world would you entertain your mama when she acts like that Cole? And why tf would you ever listen to someone who berates you and your significant other doesn’t even like them? Like bffr. It annoyed me because why did both of these instances have to do with Cole?! He pissed me off for real. I remember asking him out loud (as one does) do you even like her? Why do that? Like ugh But I WAS glad that he knew what microaggressions were and who to trust in the end. Because I had half a mind to tell her to leave him lol
Their romance was cute. I wish it wasn’t as slow of a burn as it was. But I did love that there were books involved and there were plenty of lessons in this one. I don’t think I’d have liked it as much if I weren’t reading it via audio, but it got the job done and the narrators were entertaining. If you pick this up, let me know what you think!
Overall, I give this,
