I love a smart romance.
I love a book that transports me all over the world.
And I LOVE the 'oh shit we're about to crash into this relationship' trope the most.
So Ties That Tether was poised to be a book I love - and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
Jane Igharo's debut is so special. Azere is a protagonist I can empathize with wholly, and the pull/push between her Nigerian culture and her growing feelings for Rafa is written so honestly and beautifully. This was a really special book - and an incredible debut- and I can't wait to see what Jane writes next.

I enjoyed this book. It was fun to read about someone who wants to hold on to the culture of their birthplace, while also trying to fit into their new country. I thought the portrayal of the heroine and her family were amazing. The mom was such a micromanager, I was as frustrated with her as the heroine. This book is mainly the heroine's book, and she makes up the majority of the point of view chapters. There were a few chapters from the POV of the hero, but they weren't as useful. He's very closed up about his family and his past, and it made me not like him very much. I thought both of their grovel scenes were not quite explored enough and the end wrapped up a little too quickly. Also, this book utilizes the Insta-Love trope, which is not something I really get into. I felt like the main characters had a physical attraction, but the parts I would have loved to see more fleshed out were described as a montage sequence. The heroine loves Romantic Comedies, and it's how she looks at their own relationship. But instead of her describing a montage of their moments, I wanted to really see how they interacted and fell more in love in more detail.

I enjoyed this contemporary romance story so much! It had everything I love In a good love story. Azere’s family migrated from Nigeria when she was only 10 years old. As an adult she is expected to preserve her culture and marry a Nigerian. She made this promise to her dying dad and her mother is relentless in enforcing it by continually setting her up on dates.
Things heat up in every sense of the word when a one night stand with Rafael who is white, turns into much more. Azere is faced with the decision of living her life for herself or breaking her family ties. There are family secrets and complications along way. I especially loved Azeres tie in of romcom movies throughout the book and the love scenes were scorching!

What a beautiful debut by the author. Azere migrated from Nigeria at twelve years of age along with her sister and mother to Canada. She made a promise to her dying father that she would not forget her culture and she will marry a "nice Nigerian man. Fast word thirteen years later and Azere constantly puts up with her mom setting her up with Nigerian man whom she has no interest in but is too afraid to stand up to her mom. So begins this beautiful story and ask the question how does one stay true to their culture and identity and pursue a love interest that is complete opposite of your culture. This question is asked throughout the novel where Azere falls for the Spaniard Rafael and is torn between him and wanting to please her mother. Ms. Igharo does an amazing job of very descriptive life of what it means to be Nigerian and what is expected of a young woman in the culture. I felt the angst of Azere of wanting to please her family versus making herself happy. A great debut by the author and I look forward to many more of her work. Review on goodreads and amazon.

I enjoyed reading this book! It was well written with an engaging cast of characters. I do wish the book had been longer because as a reader, I really wanted more backstory, more character depth, and more of the character growth shown from so many of the characters. All in all, I'm glad I read it, and I will recommend it to others looking for a romance.

Jane Igharo’s debut novel, Ties that Tether, is a beautifully written love story of a young Nigerian woman falling in love with a white male knowing it will break her mother’s heart. What is Azere supposed to do when she falls for Rafeal, while her mother continues setting her up on potential husband dates. A well-crafted story that combines romance with today’s issues of identify, race, and culture. I highly recommend this story to anyone who has experienced following your heart and ignoring the voice in your head.

Okay, um, I can't get into this review until we acknowledge how RIDICULOUSLY GORGEOUS this cover is. Oh? My? God? It's one of my favorites of 2020, hands down.

Jane Igharo's Ties That Tether is a wonderful debut with a powerful underlying message about trying to figure out who you are when straddling completely different cultures that can, at the surface, seem totally incompatible. I rooted for Azere almost immediately (and not just because she's a huge rom-com fan like moi), and Rafael was a charming AF love interest.

Some of the dialogue was a little awkward at times and a few key moments were glazed over a tad quicker than I would've liked, but overall, this novel offered something different and much-needed in a genre that continues to expand its #ownvoices offerings and provide different perspectives.

I'm INCREDIBLY excited to see what else Janne Igharo has up her sleeve—she's one to watch.

Content warning: Discussions about death of loved ones

As soon as I saw this beautiful cover and the premise, I knew I had to this! When Azere was young she promised her dad as he was dying that she would marry a Nigerian to preserve her culture. She moves to Canada with her mother and sister, and now at the age of 25 her mother continues to set her up with Nigerian men she is not interested in. After one of her disastrous dates she meets Rafael, a handsome, smart white guy that she has a one night stand with. As fate would have it they would cross paths again, and now Azere can't decide between keeping her dad's last dying wish or following her heart with Rafael. This was a fun, touching, steamy and passionate read that I loved and would read again!