4.5/5 stars

A romance book that was so much more. I read this right after I finished How to Fail at Flirting and thought they complimented each other so well. Both were love stories with a bigger story to tell. TIES THAT TETHER is about family, culture, heritage, promises, self-discovery, and LOVE. I really enjoyed this book!

Loved it. The characters were great and had great chemistry. Getting to know the different cultures and how they approached marriage was extremely interesting. I loved that it wasn't your typical run of the mill Romance.

This book is now a favorite of mine. I'm so glad I was able to read it. I was able to connect with the characters and really enjoyed the story as a whole. Plus the book cover is absolutely gorgeous.

Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo is a 2020 Berkley publication.

A Pleasant Romantic debut!

Azere promised her father, she would marry a Nigerian man, and continue observing her native culture, even after emigrating to Canada. After her father’s death, Azere stays in line, obeying her overbearing mother and fully intends to keep her promise.

Unfortunately, all the men her mother introduces her to are controlling, misogynist jerks. After yet another failed connection, Azere meets Raphael in a bar. For Azere, their night together was a one and done deal- but fate has other plans…

Raphael and Azere discover they are colleagues and are assigned to work together. Raphael is interested in seeing where the relationship might take them, but he is white, meaning if Azere and Raphael were to make it long term, she would be breaking the promise she made to her father.

If that weren’t awkward enough, a stunning development further complicates matters, forcing Azere to make one of the toughest decisions of her life. Will she cave to her mother’s wishes or choose true love?

I love multi-cultural romance! This contemporary novel explores the pressures and obligations of family, and how difficult it can be to avoid those demands, even when your true heart isn’t in it. The challenges of blending cultures, the fears of one being swallowed up by the other are very valid and realistic.

The book has a few issues- most of which I think can be attributed to this being a debut. I think once this author gains a bit of experience, her stories will flow easier, and there will be less inner monologue and more dialogue, allowing the characters to develop more fully.

Despite the obvious nerves, the story is absorbing, and I was invested enough to want to see how things turned out. The angst and occasional overly dramatic passages are balanced with some very tender and emotional moments that warms the heart.


The glimpse into the future is also a nice touch, and although I absolutely loathe trends, I wouldn’t mind seeing more romance novels include a glimpse into the future to prove what HEA means realistically.


Overall, this was an enjoyable romance. I see some promise with this author and look forward to reading her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, & Penguin Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

I went into this book without a lot of expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised with how great it was (and how much more women's fiction and not romance it is - some heavy stuff going on in here).

The characters were so well done, and I loved the #ownvoices rep that Jane Igharo provides as a Nigerian-Canadian. She writes about this in a completely relatable way - yes, my parents had expectations for me and I was expected to live up to those expectations, but it wasn't built up and into and around decades and centuries of family traditions and culture. Igharo gives this a very tangible feeling, and I appreciated her writing talents regarding this.

I enjoyed the relationships between the different characters, be they familial, romantic, or platonic. Igharo does not have trouble writing any of these relationships. I will say this isn't one of my favorite tropes ever (see content warnings/spoilers at the bottom) but even though I found myself sighing a little bit when it came to this, I ultimately ended up liking this entire book so much.

Definitely recommend!

Content Warnings / Spoilers: Surprise Pregnancy, Parental Abandonment, Death of a Spouse and Unborn Child

This was a really lovely romance read. I liked the story and the characters, but the writing was a real highlight for me. Definitely planning on reading more of Jane Igharo's work.

So... this was recommended to me cause the lead is a Nigerian. It's a romance about a girl who falls in love with a white guy, against all her parents' wishes and expectations.

It was a 3-star read for me. I liked seeing bits of Nigerian culture on display, but... eh. I think I don't especially love first-person romances (especially if they have open door parts), but I also think it made the family and culture feel like a caricature a bit? Maybe? I don't know.

I also didn't love the dual perspective because it was so inconsistent. We got Rafael's POV 1 in every 10 or more chapters. And I guess either commit to dual POV, or just have a 3rd person narration 🤷🏾‍♀️

Other thoughts: Azere is obsessed with rom coms, so there's lots of nods and comparing her life to well-known movies. It would make a great plot for a very dramatic Nollywood movie.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

If you're looking for a great debut novel with diverse characters with great characters, look no further than Ties That Tether.

What I loved about this book:

1. I think a majority of us can relate to Azere and how she wants her own life, but also wants to make her Mom happy and proud of her. As we grow up it's hard to merge our own thoughts and feeling with those of our parents. While I don't think I'll ever be able to understand some of Azere's Mom's actions, I understand she was afraid to lose her daughter and their ties to Nigeria.

2. This book touches on how difficult it can be for immigrants. Azere's family immigrated from Nigeria to Canada and they struggled to fit in and still remain true to their heritage. The reader gets a peek into life in Nigeria as well as a bunch of drool inducing descriptions of the much loved cuisine of the area.

3. This second chance romance has all the banter and sizzling chemistry I was hoping for. While there was a touch of drama and conflict I thought was bit overdone, I still adored this book. I was addicted Rafael and Azere's love story. Azere's character was easy to like and Rafael was a super charming book boyfriend that was easy to crush on. I hope you'll find yourself rooting for them as much as I did.

This own voices rom-com is something everyone should add to their TBR. Despite the fact that the cover is absolutely STUNNING, this book was a perfect blend of romance and family drama. If you're a fan of either of those genres, you'll adore this book.

Romance meets family & cultural dynamics in Jane Igharo's "Ties That Tether."

Azere has always been good for as long as she could remember. When her father died, she promised him she would go on to marry a man from her culture so she could preserve her heritage and her Nigerian roots in their home of Canada. For years, she's put up with countless matchmaking dates from her mother that always ended up in some disaster or another. After one date goes awry, she finds solace in a bar and in the arms of Rafael, and she does the unthinkable... she hooks up with a white guy and has her first one night stand. After she tucks the night away as a perfect evening, one she could think upon fondly. A month later she finds Rafael has taken a job at her place of work, and it seems like fate wants them together. As Azere finds herself drawn to Rafael again, she must contend with the fact that not all promises made when you're a child must be kept and you can't always please everyone.

I went into this book thinking it was going to an ordinary romance, what I didn't expect were the family dynamics that came to play - obligation, loyalty to one's heritage, love for it, and what one must sacrifice to preserve it. Igharo's novel is well written and smart, opening my eyes to a culture I wouldn't have otherwise known.

Thank you to Jane Igharo, NetGalley and Berkley for a chance to read this lovely ARC!

FULL REVIEW ON FRESH FICTION
A promising contemporary romance debut! Jane Igharo is an author to watch. TIES THAT TETHER has so many appealing aspects: it’s set in Canada, features two immigrants and their families, has a workplace element, and of course, a heartwarming romance at its core. Azere’s Nigerian roots have defined her life and she wants to hold on to her culture and identity, while also making her own path in life. Rafael’s family is from Spain, and they also have expectations of him but aren’t as strict when compared to Azere’s mother. Rafael has a secret that’s easy to guess but isn’t fully revealed until the end of the novel. His reasons for keeping it are understandable but drawn out a little too long. Azere’s mother, at times, was so tied up in her traditional viewpoint that she felt like a caricature, but she does have a convenient change of heart later in the story that brings her around to Azere’s decisions. Additionally, there is a plot point that happens early on in the book that makes this book profoundly different than what the marketing copy on the back cover explains it to be--some readers may not enjoy this aspect. However, with deft writing, snappy dialogue, rom-com movie references throughout, and a delightful cast of characters, TIES THAT TETHER is a wonderful romance and the start of a long career for Jane Igharo.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: https://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=10890

I really enjoyed Ties That Tether - it was an audiobook I didn’t want to put down. However it wasn’t what I expected - I think I would have been better served if I went in expecting women’s fiction instead of a romance. 

Azere emigrated to Canada from Nigeria after her father died when she was twelve. She promised him she wouldn’t lose her culture and would marry a Nigerian man. However after many unsuccessful blind dates set up by her mom, Azere meets Rafael - in many ways he is everything she’s been looking for except that he’s not Nigerian. 

I think this book did a great job of exploring the connections to family and culture and balance of staying connected while also finding your own path. Azere and Rafael both struggled with poor communication at times and not making the best choice - but I loved rooting for them and watching them grow. 

I would recommend checking out reviews for content warnings if needed - there are a lot of heavier topics that come into this book. I felt they were handled well. I look forward to reading more from Jane Igharo in the future. Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

While Ties will definitely appeal to die-hard romance fans, its engagement with contemporary social issues and themes, as well as it's finely tuned funny bone, should appeal to non-genre readers as well.

It was an okay romance novel. I appreciated the fact there was representation and I can imagine her mother's perspective of trying to keep her culture alive. But I wouldn't say its the best that I have read.

This book hit me where I live and I thoroughly loved it. The themes of love, family, and the duty we owe to our families versus the duties we owe to ourselves? Chef's kiss. Add this immediately to the top of your TBR pile.

I was really expecting to love this but unfortunately I just didn't!
dislikes
- surprise pregnancy trope
- MC had no chemistry with Rafael or Elijah
- it was SO frustrating to read from the MC's perspective and about her mother. I understand the cultural and familial pressure she felt but... gah. her mother was absolutely awful and personally, I just don't think there's an excuse for that.
- Rafael was also really frustrating keeping secrets the whole time

likes
- discussion of the importance of culture

I was really excited for this book for many reasons (gorgeous cover, own voices author, set in Toronto) but couldn't get into it at all. The dialogue was unrealistic and cliche, the characters were not fleshed out, and I gave up 120 pages in after realizing I don't care how this ends.

Loved the cover on this — it has an easy shelf appeal that will attract a large audience. The plot wasn’t my favorite but I think the majority of readers will enjoy it nonetheless.

I wanted to love this book so much but I just... I couldn't.

I expected SO MUCH MORE. All the potential was there! 

This was meant to be a book about dual identity, culture and how that can affect your love life but that's not what it was.  Instead of being a story about Azere balancing her nigerian heritage with her Canadian identity, it reads like a tale about Azere learning to mange her Nigerianness in order to fit into her Canadian shoes. 

As an immigrant, I understand that there are situations where we have to do that but I didn't think that the author explained provided context or explained the issues that were brought up in this book. One thing that could have easily been put in the book in some way is the fact that  African cultures ( from our languages to our names, to our food ) are slowly disappearing or being westernized and it's something that has caused many parents to worry about who their children marry. Especially for those of us who live in the Diaspora. 

 Also, I know that there are overbearing African mothers out there but Azere's mom is practically demonized in this book, along with almost everything else that is Edo or Nigerian - ( except for the food).  I just have an issue with that situation and it's one that is becoming very popular in pop culture lately for some reason. 

Anyway, I really appreciate this ARC and I'm glad the book is getting a lot of buzz because I'm hoping that this will encourage publishers to give us more BIPOC content but this book was just not the one for me.

A very cool and sexy book, and the chemistry between the two leads is undeniable. But I love that the main focus is the fact that interracial partnerships are somewhat looked down upon in cultures still and that is still prevalent in our times.