Yinka is 31. She's single. She's just been made redundant. She doesn't feel great about it anyway, but her mum and aunties aren't helping by constantly asking her "Yinka, Where is Your Huzband?" The weight of expectation on her shoulders, Yinka comes up with a plan to find herself a man in time for her cousin Rachel's wedding. However, there is no guarantee of success and her path is paved with all kinds of trouble.

Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? is a sweet and fun comedy about a woman who has to fall apart to put things back together. Crippled by societal stresses, as well as cultural expectations, she has lost her sense of identity, and slowly but surely begins to take it out on the ones she loves - lying, stealing, and pretending to be someone she's not for a man. Whilst the blurb gives the impression that this is a romance novel, it isn't. This novel is much more about how societal pressures women face - specifically dark-skinned Black women - to 'have it all' (a degree, a swanky job, a husband, a baby, a D-shaped butt) and how difficult it is not to bend to that pressure. This novel deals with mental health, feminism, colourism and ageism in a way that at once takes the subject seriously, but retains the lightness of what is fundamentally a comedic story. The way in which Yinka's mental health begins to unravel and, even though our life circumstances are quite different, some of the ways in which she begins to think about herself really hit home for me and made me rethink my attitude to therapy.

It was also just really lovely to see Peckham represented authentically in all its glory. It's an area of London I often find myself in that gets an awfully bad rap - but I'm always quite taken with the sense of community and liveliness you get just from walking through. Blackburn also addresses the very real gentrification of the area over the last ten years, which is something I must say has been particularly noticeable since the start of the pandemic, with many businesses forced to shut and pricy boutique eateries and cocktail bars taking their place. Still, the book and its vivid cast of characters really bring to life the culture, speech and vibes of an underrepresented area of the city.

On the other hand, the plot itself doesn't really reinvent the wheel. The 'disillusioned thirty-something tries to reinvent herself for love' trope has existed in many forms for years. I've seen quite a few reviews compare this to Bridget Jones, which I understand but I don't think is necessarily the most considered view to take - this really isn't that much like Bridget Jones in any significant way. Yinka is an interesting character in that, unlike Bridget Jones, none of her 'flaws' are a result of your traditional 'vices' - drink, smoking, sex - but rather a sort of 'squareness' and unapologetic 'uncoolness' - she's a virgin, she has never been on tinder, she doesn't know what it means to be 'the G.O.A.T' - that makes it hard for her to navigate the intricacies of modern dating. This uncoolness, however, has the effect of making Yinka feel both older and younger than she is; she is weirdly out of touch with pop culture for someone who's just past 30, but also seems to be having an identity crisis, particularly when it comes to her employment, that feels like it should've happened five or six years earlier.

Ultimately, it all unfolds as you expect, but hey, there's nothing wrong with that. In Yinka, Where is Your Huzband?, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn has invented a vivid and thoroughly likeable cast of characters, whose unique life experiences and drive to do the best for themselves and their loved ones means you can't help but root for them.

3.5 stars.

This was such a fun story. I related to Yinka’s struggle to prove her success as someone without a partner to show the perfect life. I appreciated the virginity plot line and how reasonably and non judgementally/non creepily it was approached.

I loved everything about this book and I was sad to finish it. I will definitely be including Yinka in my top reads of 2022!

Yinka is a great character and so relatable. I really enjoyed her whit and I couldn’t help but root for her. I also loved learning about Nigerian culture and the role her family played in Yinka’s life.

I can’t believe this was a debut novel and cannot wait to read more from this author. Fantastic!

There are so many great bits about this book that its hard to know where to start reviewing it.

I loved the insight into nigerian culture and the way of life, from the food, to the way older women are addressed, to the pressure to find a husband. Although on the topic of food, some of it sounds amazing and I will definitely be researching nigerian food more having read this book.

I think one important thing I did take away from this book is the subject of racism. You see racism addressed in main stream media regularly but this book addressed it in a different way that really made me think. I think if more people thought of racism from this perspective, then maybe we could begin to stamp it out of our society even more.

I really felt for Yinka at times and I loved how she dealt with the pressures she faced, from romance to career pressure with the help of her friends and family.

The ending was brilliant as well, subtle but brilliant!

Overall, a really amazing book and I cant wait to read more by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for an early copy of this book

I absolutely loved the character of Yinka, she was so down to earth, funny and really relatable with her family relationships. In many ways, Yinka feels like a modern Bridget Jones - looking for love on her terms but failing to spot what (or who!) is right under her nose!

I liked that there was more to this rom-com than just her hunt for a man. Yinka's wider relationships with her family (her overbearing mother, "perfect" younger sister" and cousins) were explored, along with the friendships she has with work colleagues and her best friend Nana. There is a strong emphasis on the sisterhood and looking for love but not at the expense of losing your friendships - or the beliefs and values that make you who you are. There was also Yinka's journey to reconnect with her Nigerian heritage (I loved reading about the traditions and the food!), which also highlights the colourism within the community.

As someone who usually steers away from romantic novels, I am so glad that I took a chance on Yinka - it was a heart-warming, insightful and book and a joy to read. Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the advance copy.

A super enjoyable romance/self love novel rich with wonderful characters.
I really enjoyed this read. Funny and heart-warming, following Yinka as she sets out on 'operation find a date to Rachel's wedding' was a delight.
Rich in British-Nigerian culture I found it very interesting, plus a great novel about this 31yr old women who's family keep at her about when is she going to find herself a husband, issues and concerns that many young women may face. I really liked how the ending wasn't tied up so perfectly but still satisfying. A great debut.

This had the potential to have some really good discussions about colorism and texturism, family grief, and mixed cultures (British and Nigerian) while enjoying a light-hearted romance.

What we really got was story full of characters being horrible to each other and about each other with a main character acting like a self-centered teenager for the majority of the book with no real character growth. Then a rushed ending touching on the issues and all the problems fixed after one therapy session and some crying.

While I can imagine the family and friendship dynamics to be very real, it really doesn't make for a pleasant or entertaining read without the nuances the above topics would have provided if integrated into the story. I found myself eyerolling at the characters numerous times. A very frustrating read.

Yinka is a single and childless 31 year old woman living in London. Her overbearing mother and various family members constantly remind her of the fact that her biological clock is ticking and she must hurry up before it’s too late. She is constantly compared to her younger sister, who is married and now pregnant with her first child.

When Rachel, Yinka’s friend and cousin, announces she is engaged, Yinka sets up Operation Wedding Date: she will do anything to meet a man, so she can take him to the wedding as her ‘plus one’.

Yinka agrees to meet one of her Auntie’s tenants, Alex, who is proud of his Nigerian heritage, speaks Yoruba and eats only Nigerian food. Yinka’s Yoruba is pretty much non existent and she loves takeaway food (chicken and chips are her favourite). However, to win her man, she must change…

In order to impress Alex, Yinka starts learning Yoruba, ‘borrows’ her best friend’s Nigerian clothes, and even cooks him Nigerian food. Will that be enough to win Alex over?

You’ll have to read this book for yourselves to find out. I loved Yinka as a character, she was quite chaotic, but always kind to others. As I was reading the book, I was thinking that Yinka needed to accept herself for who she was, and love herself a bit more. I did get the sense of low self-esteem, especially when she was trying to change herself for someone else.

This book is SO much MORE than Yinka finding love. It also follows her friendship with Rachel, Ola, and Nana, and Yinka’s relationships with her mother, sister, and other relatives. I loved Nana as a character, she really looked out for Yinka, and pushed her to seek for help. Yinka’s relationship with her mother was strained at best of times, but I am glad she sought refuge and advice from her Aunty Blessing. I loved Aunty Blessing – she, Nana, and Donovan were my favourite characters.

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn touched on a difficult subject of colourism, which Oxford English Dictionary explains as “prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.” Yinka’s skin was dark but she constantly compared herself to her sister’s lighter tones, and she even contemplated buying skin lightening products. I applaud the author for depicting this issue in her book.

Overall, it’s a great debut – it made me laugh a lot!

I definitely recommend it.

The perfect holiday read. Chick lit isn’t my usual genre of choice, however this isn’t any old chick lit, it’s Nigerian-focussed chick lit. A heart-warming, life-affirming novel centring on Yinka, a single 30-something Oxford graduate whose entire family think should be nice and married with children by now and boy do they let her know their feelings. The novel boasts a cast of strong female characters, one of which, Nana, absolute smashes the best friend role – everyone needs a Nana in their life.
The big selling point for me was that alongside the stereotypical subjects of lost loves, obsession and career failures, the author included less obvious topics such as Nigerian culture, love of family, Christian religion and Colourism. Not what I was expecting, but all the better for it.

I was excited to start reading Yinka, Where is Your Husband? By Lizzie Damilola Blackburn. It’s everything I love about modern fiction: a female author, an examination of British-Nigerian culture, stories of friendship and family, and how to navigate being a single and childless woman in her 30s.

I did get some strong Wahala and Queenie vibes while reading this book, but unfortunately it just didn’t quite deliver. While those two books did a deep-dive into several salient topics, the issues raised here were important ones, such as colourism and the cultural pressures to marry and have children or Yinka being a devout Christian (which was an interesting aspect and not one often found in modern lit), but they were dealt with only lightly and without too much depth.

I also struggled to truly connect with any of the characters. For someone who went to Oxford and has had an important career until now, Yinka just seemed a little bit… too soft? Too much like a pushover? The two ideas just didn’t marry very well for me. I also don't think that this is a RomCom but, rather, a sort of coming-of-age story — if you can call it that for a 30-something woman?! All in all the concept was there but the book just didn’t quite manage to pack that much hoped-for punch for me.

With many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced e-copy.

A quick read with a feel good ending but all ion all the book was a little bit superficial for me. It was focussed on the title character Yinka and touched on cultural pressures and colourism but didn’t really go into them in any depth.

All in all, an ok read but not amazing.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoy reading books by new authors, especially with insights into a culture I know little about. However, I found this book very difficult to get into and Yinka a rather unsympathetic character who came over as quite egotistical with a cast of minor characters around her.
Thank you to netgalley and penguin books for an advance copy of this book

⭐️ 4 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? is a wonderfully written debut novel; the characterisation in particular is superb - I was able to clearly and effortlessly picture each one of the characters in my mind’s eye.

I found it a heartwarming, easy read with some extremely funny moments (although it does touch on some more serious issues).

The story is uplifting and refreshing; it’s a tale of self-discovery, family dynamics and beliefs, friendship and love.

What an absolute corker of a debut!

'I need to get in touch with who I really am. Not try to be the person the world wants me to be'. Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
🔸
Yinka is a 30 something, Oxford educated British Nigerian woman who has great friends, a well paid job and a full life- but her mothers constant preoccupation is that Yinka is still unmarried. The story follows Yinka as she meets men and tries to find purpose in her life- her job is reputable and pays well- but is that enough?
🔸
Even though I'm not Nigerian, I was able to relate to issues that arose in the book around colourism, comparison and community. I loved reading about the dynamics between Yinka and her cast of fabulous friends- it was enjoyable and a great holiday read!
🔸
It's published on Thursday- thank you @netgalley for my copy ✨

~ thank you to the publisher Viking, and to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review ~

'Yinka, Where is Your Husband?' is the debut novel of Black British-Nigerian author, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn. We follow the tale of thirty-something Yinka Oladeji who, after being humiliated at her sister's baby shower by her aunt for her lack of a significant other, undertakes 'Operation Wedding Date' to (as you might have guessed), find a date for her cousin's wedding.

Let me preface by saying this was one of my anticipated reads of the year. I've personally never read a British-Nigerian fmc before, and being Black British-Nigerian (a yoruba babe!) myself, I was jumping for joy to see the core of my very being getting represented. All that to say, my expectations were probably a little *too* high and I found this read, though having a strong start, fell a little flat for me. The potential was there, but the execution? Not so much. That's not to say I didn't find enjoyable, because I truly did and honestly, I would probably reread it in the future as there were relatable moments (though these were few and far between) and some good laugh out loud moments.

I find it difficult to keep reading books when I don't like the characters (the main character especially), and I just could not bring myself to root for Yinka in her journey of self-reflection and discovery. I understand her insecurities, particularly the pressure (both internal and external) to find a 'huzband' , to have a good job, to have children. Essentially, to have your whole life together by a certain age. For many who are brought up within the bounds of Nigerian culture, then 8 out of 10 times you will understand this pressure. But Yinka was at times insufferable and more often than not immature, I had a hard time believing this was a woman in her 30s and I struggled to sympathise because of her behaviour. Add to that, none of the secondary characters were particularly likeable either with the exception of Yinka's best-friend Nana.

Also, I feel like I went into this expecting a typical romance or rom-com (which is what I believe it was marketed as) and that's not what this is. While at times Yinka's inner monologue was reminiscent of Bridget Jone's Diary, I just felt that the humour was almost too forced. Add to that, the romance was sorely lacking.

I've harped on enough about why I couldn't bring myself to give this a full 5 stars, but there were beats that I liked. For example, how important topics were touched upon - colourism, ageism, self-love, self-worth, navigating (somewhat toxic) family dynamics and friendships. I liked reading my culture on the page (although could have done without some of the widely exaggerated stereotypes). I also really appreciated Yinka's relationship with Christianity and her faith.

I struggled for a while on what to rate this one, for now I'll settle on 3.25 ☆

4.5★s
Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? is the first novel by British-Nigerian author, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn. After a humiliation at her sister’s baby shower, where her youngest aunt led a prayer for her to find a husband, Yinka Olajedi decides a plan is necessary: Operation Wedding Date will ensure she has a date for her cousin Rachel’s wedding. And prove to all the Nigerian aunties and cousins that she won’t still be single at sixty.

Her job as operations manager at Godfrey and Jackson investment bank gives her the perfect skills to set out her Objective, Task Deadlines and KPIs. If she doesn’t meet someone at Rachel’s engagement party, she might go to her mother’s All Welcome Church to meet Alex, the man her Aunt Debbie has singled out; online dating will be her absolute last resort.

At the party, though, she discovers that there is no chance of reviving her relationship with Femi Ajaye, the man who broke her heart three years earlier by going to a job in New York City; she’s too upset to interact with any other man by then. So the church it is.

Meanwhile, having bragged about a coming promotion, she’s lost her job, so is reluctant to share that news, hoping she’ll have another job before her mother finds out. Pressure from this Nigerian mother to achieve, to utilise her education, is legend, almost as heavy as the weight of finding a husband.

Alex looks to be perfect, says and does the right things, and Yinka wants to impress. But will he want her, as black as she is? And changing herself to win his attention, is that wise, long term? Or should she stick to her best friend, Nana’s tattooed motto: “I am who I say I am.”

As well as the straight first-person narrative, the story is told with emails, Whats-App messages, internet search history and voicemail transcripts. It looks at values and self-worth, being true to oneself as well as achieving balance between tradition and contemporary attitudes.

Blackburn’s depiction of the London Nigerian community certainly feels authentic. Her characters have depth and appeal, quickly endearing themselves to the reader. There’s plenty of humour in the banter between the characters, and even if the astute reader has Yinka’s ultimate hook-up figured out early on, the journey to that reveal is lots of fun. A very entertaining debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Penguin UK.

I really enjoyed this book! I took to the main character, Yinka straight away. I liked the plot, I thought it was well written. There are a few different characters, but it was really easy to keep track of who was who. It’s all from Yinka’s point of view, and written in the first person. I thought the story flowed well, and would definitely recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley

Yinka is 31, Nigerian and single, and her mother never fails to ask when is she going to find a husband? Everything starts to go wrong for Yinka and she becomes obsessed with finding a partner to accompany her to Rachel's wedding to stop the question. Funny, sad and enthralling, will her life turn around and provide her with the happiness she craves in her life?

If this isn't on your TBR it needs to be. The books’ title is taken from the question that thirty something Yinka is asked by her mother and aunts every time they see her. In their eyes, Yinka’s successful career and owning her own home is putting men off. Either that or she is too fussy Yinka gives into the nagging by her family to find a date for her cousins' wedding.

Yinka approaches the task like a work project. Unfortunately, as soon as she decides to look for a husband, she is made redundant from her investment banking job instead of getting the promotion she wanted.

Encouraged by her aunt Yinka volunteers with a charity where she once volunteered and reconnects with the annoyingly but attractive Donovan. When her close friends notice Yinka’s attempts to appeal to men seem to be changing her personality they stage an intervention to encourage her to remain true to herself.

The authors' light-hearted tone helps deliver heavy thoughts on colourism, cultural differences, and the benefits of therapy, as the story moves toward a happy ending. If you enjoyed the way, The Other Black Girl, provided a great story peppered with enlightenment on the different skin colour can make to a person’s life you will enjoy this.,

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This felt like a book where the author tried to hard. To be extra funny, to be extra witty and so on. I had a hard time with it.