Perfect book romance that tackles family wishes when they conflict with personal desires. Content warning: a secret baby trope

I would be remiss without mentioning, first and foremost, TIES THAT TETHER has one of the best covers of 2020. I mean, it’s stunning! I was highly anticipating Jane Igharo’s debut novel, and to my surprise, it turned out to unexpectedly be one of my very favorite tropes (no spoilers!). In fact, there were a bunch of tropes thrown into this book, and I enjoyed Ms. Igharo’s fresh take on them. The book never went exactly where I expected it to, plot-wise, keeping me engaged throughout the book.

As a newbie to Nigerian culture and, more specifically, a family’s Nigerian immigrant story, I loved learning more about the heroine’s culture and traditions. I felt like Ms. Igharo held the reader’s hand and showed us exactly what Azere was going through, and more importantly, why it was so vital to her plot and her character development.

Additionally, the secondary characters were a delight. Azere’s uncle, sister, cousin, and mom were vital to her as a character and came to life as the story progressed more. I hope that Azere’s sister will get a story soon!

I don’t think I’ve ever said this, but I think this story would have read better if the hero’s point of view had been removed and a few more tweaks had been made to fit the book under a women’s fiction tag. The focus could have been entirely on Azere’s relationship with her mother and sister, and her personal story of growth rather than focusing on a romance.

Almost every single emotional scene between Azere and Rafael is told in a flashback, rather than real-time, which made their connection feel like an afterthought rather than part of the main plot. Rafael’s point of view never added anything to the plot; he was such an underdeveloped character in both page time and emotional depth. The book was so centered around Azere’s story that Rafael felt, and often was, secondary. This made it hard to connect to them as a couple, and I never felt like Azere was completely invested.

In addition, the constant references to romantic comedy movies were… odd? Filler? I’m not sure, but it took away page time that Rafael and Azere desperately needed.

Overall, I think Ms. Igharo’s debut had strong bones but missed the mark as a romance novel. As a regular fiction book, it checked a lot of my boxes! I have high hopes that her next book will be a full five stars.

**I received a free copy of this book in order to provide an honest review**

This book was eye rolling in some areas. The storyline was building up nicely but I didn’t think it compared to how a daughter would react and how a woman would withhold information.

****Spoiler***

The fact that the main character didn’t share her pregnancy with the father of her child was eye rolling to me. Even after they were intimate and going steady, that info wasn’t shared. Then the hold her mother had on her to the fact of potentially letting the man she loves walk away and fake it with a man that her mom would approve of. Another eye rolling moment was how her old flame wanted to be with her and raise a child that’s not his.

I felt it wasn’t true to modern culture and it read more of a fantasy world and not reality.

This is also coming from someone who isn’t Nigerian and not sure of their culture.

Overall, the story was thought out and the plot developed enough to be a full story. But, the characters were under-developed to me, and flawed in ways that as a reader I didn't understand. They had no aspirations and the maturity wasn't there. I feel like the characters just fell flat, and didn't hold a connection I would want in a romance.

The things I did enjoy was the culture and heritage of Azere, and finding the balance in their lives when it comes to dealing with tragedy. I appreciated that the culture aspects were so strong, and that love can conquer without sacrificing yourself or your way of life, history, and heritage.

This debut romance feels like a cross between a Nigerian immigrant take on Bridget Jones and the heavier struggles at the center of Booker prize winner Girl, Woman, Other. It’s a difficult combination/balance to manage and it doesn’t quite come together here. Azere, a twenty something Nigerian-Canadian advertising professional, has a passionate one night stand with a man who could very well be her soulmate if not for the inconvenient fact that’s he’s not of Edo descent like herself, and she’s promised her parents that she will only marry within their ethnic group. Plus, as they soon find out, he’s her new coworker—surprise!

It’s an interesting setup, but there are several significant issues with how it’s executed. There are throughout, dozens of references to romance in popular culture. But they buck up awkwardly against some very harsh family drama. The result is that neither element shows to its best advantage. The movie romance references sometimes interrupt even the most serious emotional scenes, and that feels overdone and artificial.

In addition, some fo the characterizations of the heroine’s mother and potential Nigerian suitors are extreme and harsh. Azere even acknowledges that her mother sometimes sounds like a stereotype of an evil woman from a Nollywood movie.The way the text talks about most Nigerian men is also jarring and not really challenged on the page. At times, it also seems like Rafael’s whiteness — his blue eyes and white skin— and Azere’s mixed race best friend’s looks are described in adoring terms precisely because of their Europeanness.

Overall, it’s an interesting debut with some compelling bits and a lot of promise that doesn’t quite hit the mark.
About 2.5 stars

I loved this book. I loved reading about the Nigerain culture. I enjoyed reading about Azare struggles but I think she could have stood up for herself a little more. I would definitely recommend this book to others. Great read!!! I look forward to reading more from this author.

3.5 stars?

This book was lowkey triggering and then almost made me cry? The emotions are strong with this one.

There are a few things I strongly disliked about this book, like the surprise baby trope and the constant referring of rom coms (hello spoilers! but also, UGH), but overall, I kind of actually enjoyed it? Mostly? So much goes on throughout this book, so my mind is still trying to process it as I write this.

Long story short. I really liked Azere as a character, Rafael (and the love triangle, for that matter) wasn’t my favorite for many reasons, I loved the discussion surrounding culture and Azere loving and holding on to her Nigerian roots, and then I got caught up with the number of storylines that ultimately contributed to my lower rating. But alas, I would pick up what the author has next for us!

This book was really really good! I enjoyed it a lot ! It has a couple of twists and turns that I was not expecting nor will I spoil! Highly recommend it to everyone as it is so good ! I literally read it in one night !!!! Fantastic debut novel and I’m so looking forward to whatever the author writes next !!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!!

I'm so disappointed with this book. First off, I was looking forward to it so much. The cover is stunning. It was written by a Nigerian author. The plot sounded really interesting. Did I mention I wanted to love this book. I REALLY DID.

Now that I have that out of the way, I borderline hated every moment of this book. As someone with fertility issues who has been actively trying for a year, Azere's pregnancy was INFURIATING. Through a condom on a one night stand? Really? How did that pass editing? It's offensive to those of us who are moving our whole lives around just to see those 2 little lines on a pregnancy test. Every month for a year I've cried after fertility tests, OPKs, diet changes, life changes, and you use it as a plot point in a story. It hurt. I should have stopped reading at that point, but I figured I could push through.

Then her mother disowns her. Then she tries to settle for a Nigerian to be welcomed back into her family. Then she tries to bully Rafael into sharing what happened to his last wife before he's ready. And then. And then. And then. These characters were so incredibly selfish. It was hard to stomach. And her mom just magically decides to not disown her anymore because she has a baby? Get real.

I don't write reviews like this often. I couldn't wait for this book to be over and it makes me so sad to say that.

I unexpectedly read this in one sitting. The romance starts from the very first page, when main character Azere does something totally out of character and hooks up with Rafael after a disastrous date set up by her mother. Azere and her family are Nigerians living in Canada, and she struggles constantly with finding her identity - is she Nigerian, Canadian, or some kind of hybrid? Her mother sets her up regularly with Nigerian guys (specifically Edo guys) because of a promise that Azere made to her dying father when she was 12. When Azere's one-night stand with Rafael turns into something a lot more serious, she has to content with her mother's vision of her identity and also figure out what her own vision looks like. A great romance with a lot of depth and heart.

A nice new voice in romance. The banter between the two main characters is enjoyable, but it's the relationship between the heroine and her friends, and really with her mother, that truly shine. I will be recommending this to many of my patrons, and look forward to seeing more from Igharo.

This story follows Azere--who was born in Nigeria and immigrated to Canada at age twelve--as she struggles to stick with her resolve to marry a Nigerian-born man to retain her culture or risk romance with her new coworker (and one-night stand) Rafael. I love the way Igharo explores the idea of losing one's culture and some of the nuances and struggles that come with an intercultural romance, and the way she writes Azere's family feels so visceral and vibrant.

Unfortunately, the romance didn't work well for me; I didn't feel connected to Rafael--despite Igharo's revealing a lot of personal details about him, his personality didn't shine through--and the introduction of Elijah as the "perfect Nigerian man" in the love triangle felt half-hearted.

First I must comment on how beautiful the cover is for this book. The colors and artwork are stunning.

This is a story about a Nigerian woman living in Canada that has a chance meeting with a man. This chance meeting changes both of their lives. I would say this is your typical woman meets man but with a great twist. I love all the Nigerian culture that was woven throughout the story. Azere, the Nigerian woman, was torn between the country of her birth and the country of the current day. Azere's mother did not want her to dilute her Nigerian heritage even though she was living in a country that wasn't Nigeria.

There was one explicit sexual scene that I did not think was necessary and actually detracted from the overall book.

I will definitely be watching for future works from Igharo.

I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

This was fine - the writing feels a little clunky and awkward, and the plot feels jam-packed, as though Azere is constantly moving from one scene to another without any downtime. But Azere gets pregnant after a one-night stand, and it's hinted in the first third that Rafael lost a loved one in a bloody way. I would've appreciated some content warnings on this before I started reading.

I liked this fine overall, but felt like the editor had too strong of a thesaurus or that Jane wasn't confident in her writing. The epilogue, which felt more natural, was lovely, but much of the novel felt forced and clunky.

I wanted so badly to love this romance, but I couldn't connect with it. The writing, particularly the dialogue, felt very stilted. I also couldn't handle reading about the main character's overbearing mother.

This was an engaging romantic novel about an interracial couple facing family pressure to marry within their culture. The story is told from the point of view of a Nigerian woman, Azere, who falls in love with a Spanish man, Rafael, despite trying her best to please her mother and avoid her feelings toward him.

As a first generation Canadian, the cultural expectations were so relatable even though I’m not Nigerian. I recognized so many parallels between Nigerians and Indians.

Azere’s determination to please her parents was so unnerving, I wanted nothing more than for her to come to her senses.

If you can understand that compromise is necessary for any relationship to work, the book forces you to look at culture differences as nothing more than a matter of compromise. It also shows that even among people of the same culture, values can be vastly different.

I was fascinated to learn so much about the Nigerian culture and was impressed by the author’s ability to show that some people truly belong together despite their backgrounds and visible differences.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a heart-warming love story.

3,5 STARS

This was a lovely story, Iliked the set up.Azere is tired of her mother setting her up with 'good' Nigerian men, since she is Nigerian too!However she has spend her life in Canada and when she has a night stand with Raphael, things will get more complicated.
This isn't a simply romance it's so much more, it's about family, traditions and culture.The ending was what I wanted!Overall, it was a great read!

LOVED this Own voices novel! Sexy but timely, I thought the messages were great and I really was rooting for the characters! Would definitely recommend to rom-com fans.

Ties that Tether was one of those books that reminded you that we, as in all people, are more alike than we are different. Azere (love this character’s name) has been pushed to her limits by living in fear of disappointing her over-bearing mother and her deceased father. The book starts with a bang as Azere is on another fix-up that goes south before the end of the meal.

When Azere leaves her date and goes into a hotel bar, she’s struck with an alarmingly odd physical and emotional connection to a white man, which was wholly reciprocated. Therein lies the conflict of this story. As a young girl, Azere promises her mother and her father, while on his deathbed, that she will marry a Nigerian man. Their fear stems from their migration to Canada from Nigeria and the worry that she’ll forget her native roots, traditions and customs.

Through wonderful, realistic and captivating storytelling, Azere’s journey becomes our own.

Whether it’s religion, race or ethnicity, people may feel a subconscious pressure or actual pressure from family to marry within a similar “kind” of people. This book pushes you to think outside the box and see how strikingly similar these supposed differences really are. With this being the common theme throughout the book, much of what was covered deals with identity, open-mindedness, romance, mother/daughter relationships and welcoming new traditions while still honoring your own.

So glad this book came my way. It gave me a lot to think about…made me laugh and cry. If you enjoy it like I did, I suggest reading, Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate. I look forward to reading more from this debut author.