His Only Wife was a fantastic feminist read about a seamstress from Gahna who enters into an arraged marraige that is far from what she thought it would be. From her husband not being present at their wedding to the mistress he refuses to leave the story is hard to put down. 
The audiobook is narrated by Soneela Nankani, and she does an amazing job telling the story and giving voice to the character of Afi. This was such an enjoyable way to experience to book; I highly recommend the audio version for this one!
Thanks to Workman Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy.

The trek through a different land and navigating the social relationships was the deal for me all the way. I loved exploring the taboo subject of the world of the privilege and mother's picking wives for son. Afi found that she would do most anything to secure her mother's future. That included marrying a man she never meet and may never really get to know.  Tacking this read/listen was different, new, and gave me much to think about. I loved the witt of the story. I very much found Afi a person I would like to know personally.

[2.5 Stars]

-- Thank you NetGalley and Workman Audio for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review -- 

I have a lot of complicated thoughts on this book.  The primary one is that I found the main character, Afi, to be incredibly annoying.  Having an undesirable character isn't an inherently bad thing for a book, but I did find that for this book specifically it severely degraded my enjoyment of the story.  I found myself constantly exasperated and bothered by Afi's actions, choices, and thoughts.  Even though I understood why she was doing what she was, I still couldn't get behind it.  She was fully aware of the fact that Elikem was already involved with this other lady for years against a lot of adversity before their wedding even took place.  To watch her go throughout this whole book being upset about it and yelling at him about how he needed to pick her over the other wife and that he was lying to her was absurd.  Of course, he was going to pick the girl he had been with for a while now over Afi who was selected for him by his family.  It just seemed unreasonable.
On top of this, there was also a moderate amount of girl on girl hate throughout the story.  Primarily of Afi towards Elikem's other partner, but also just to other girls she encountered in her life, and I hated that.  

Switching over to talk about the audiobook itself.  I think the narration by Soneela Nankani was great.  They did a great job of adding emotion to the dialogue, which I appreciated.

This was such an engaging read!

Afi is a young seamstress in rural Ghana whose family thinks they’ve hit the jackpot when the community’s rich “Auntie” chooses her to marry her son Eli, hoping to rid him of “a problem”. The problem is Eli’s Liberian girlfriend with whom he has a child. The traditional wedding happens without a groom (since Eli is away on business). Afi is then moved to the city and tasked with the job of getting Eli to fall in love with her and get rid of the girlfriend the family hates. 

What a mix up!

I really enjoyed the parallels drawn between village and city life in Ghana, and how tradition and specifically traditional gender roles transcended both worlds. I loved the descriptions of the environment including not just the physical surroundings but also the people-the businesspeople and fashionistas for example. 

I was enthralled with Afi! The burden placed on her was tremendous as so many players’ successes depended on her. I loved her evolution and celebrated her defiance and successes, while shaking my head at her naïveté which in spite of all her experiences she was never quite able to get rid of. Other characters evolved, or rather showed their true colours as the book progressed and played their parts in this great story

Highly recommended!

I liked the narrator of the audiobook and the story was very interesting. I liked that the main character wanted to do things for herself such as go to fashion school and make a life for herself instead of just staying home and waiting on her husband but I didn't love all the times she changed her mind about wanting him and doing everything for him then not wanting him. In the end I was a little surprised by the ending but it was still a pretty good story the main character just was a little annoying at times.

There were many things I really loved about this book, and our main character is definitely one of them. But other parts fell flat for me. I did enjoy it overall, though!

A thought-provoking and engaging book, I was intrigued from the first page. I enjoyed seeing Afi's character development throughout the book and watching her blossom into an independent woman. However, I found the plot progression rather slow. Nothing really happened until halfway. 
The audiobook was nicely narrated. Soneela Nankani narrated one of my favorite series and did an amazing job, this was no exception. 
Overall, I enjoyed the novel and will be looking out for more of Medie's works!

What a lovely book. I loved the setting and how vividly the author described it. Afi was a good character, a little naive at times, but otherwise one of the best character developments in my recent reading. I wish there was another chapter at the end because it wrapped up quite abruptly, but all in all a really engaging and interesting read.

Amazing book! Loved the audio and ended up buying it to read again. I enjoyed learning about another culture and customs while also learning about class and customs. A heartbreaking story with a strong female lead who stands up for herself.

What. A. Book.   This is my sleeper 5 star read of 2020. Peace Adzo Medie as masterfully woven together the unforgettable story of Afi a young girl from Ghana. Afi’s Family has arranged a marriage for her to a wealthy man, Eli. Afi is confused when Eli doesn’t even show up for the wedding ceremony but instead sends his brother as a stand in. Afi and her mother are then relocated to the big city where Afi finds out she’s not living in the marital home nor does she see Eli for weeks. it soon becomes apparent to Afi that Eli‘s family has ulterior motive‘s and that this marriage is meant to throw a wrench in Eli‘s current relationship. but this does not deter Afi she has come to the big city to realize her dream of becoming a fashion designer and is willing to take advantage of her current situation. Afi is a girl on a mission and on her way to succeed she makes many friends and learns many things about herself and the world around her.

   Afi completely captured my heart. She was so strong and good and true. Eli certainly was not worthy of a girl like her. I loved the growth that Afi had throughout the story. And one of my favorite friendships in the book was the friendship that Afi and Evelyn formed. such an unlikely friendship that just prove that preconceptions are often wrong. I just loved everything about this book; the sense of place, the culture, the people. Soneela Mankani narrates the audiobook and she is one of my absolute favorite narrators. I seriously pick this book up simply because she was narrating it, and what a treat I got for doing so. As always Soneela adds the perfect voice to this story.

*** Big thank you to Workman Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

It took me a little while to get into, but I really enjoyed this. 

The plot is engaging, the characters are lovable, and the writing is vivid. 

My favorite part was seeing Afi’s character development. I loved seeing her come into her independence and strength. 

I’d recommend this to any fan of fiction!

I really enjoyed this story. It gave me a fascinating glimpse into a world i'm not overly familiar with. The story was well written and intriguing and the characters were great. I loved Afi and watching her learn about herself and come into her own. 

The narrator did a great job bringing the story to life. Once I started, I didn't want to stop. I definitely recommend it.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½⭐️ (4.5 stars)

“Elikem married me in absentia; he did not come to our wedding.”

What an incredible first line! I was instantly hooked the moment I heard it. Paired with its’ advertisement as a feminist West African version of Crazy Rich Asians, I knew I had to read this book.

His Only Wife tells the story of Afi, a young woman living with her mother in a small town in Ghana. Her and her widowed mother are poor, and shunned by her extended family. Luckily, however, Afi is a talented seamstress. Between these skills and her mother’s close friendship to a wealthy benefactor, they are able to get by. But soon this benefactor comes calling, and requests that Afi be married to her son – Elikem.

Enthusiastic to do her part and support her family, Afi readily agrees. But her marriage to Elikem winds up not being as perfect of a match as it first seemed. Once married, the secret comes out: Elikem is in love with another woman – one his family does not approve of. And Afi, once relocated to the city of Accra, finds herself with much more free time on her hands than she could have ever expected. And feeling empowered by her brother-in-law’s mistress, Afi strikes out on her own and to attending a school for fashion design.

But Elikem’s family is quick to reign her in and remind her of her familial duty. She must make Elikem fall in love with her – and out of love with his mistress.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I started this book! And honestly, even if I had had expectations, His Only Wife probably still would have surprised me!

His Only Wife offers both interesting insights into the daily lives of contemporary Ghanian women and a feminist look at polygamy and arranged marriages in modern-day West Africa. In the main character, Afi Tekple, Adzo Medie provides her readers with the fresh perspective of a young woman, faced with the realities of married life and the complications that come with it, finally coming into her own. Throughout the story we see Afi grow and mature and change from a naive, unassuming girl into a strong, independent woman in her own right who knows her worth and never accepts less than what she deserves.

I found Afi instantly likeable and was truly rooting for her to achieve happiness – whatever that might look like – the entire time, even knowing myself that the way things were going that was unlikely – at least in the form of a loving, marriage of equality. Nevertheless, I think Adzo Medie flawlessly concluded Afi’s story. I LOVED where she took it. My jaw dropped at the reveal about 90% of the way in, and I barely was able to pick it up off the floor until after I had finished the entire thing.

This book was a quick, fun read that I breezed through without even realizing it. The prose is uncomplicated and enjoyable. The premise utterly engaging. And the plot line subtle enough to surprise you along the way; so much so that when you finally take a break from reading you realize you’ve found yourself completely immersed within its’ pages. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher, Workman Audio, and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review. 

I loved this book - the characters were so well written and so enthralling. The story was very engaging and I couldn't put it down. This is one author I can't wait to read again.

This is the story of Afi, a young woman from Ghana who desperately fights tooth and nail for her husband Eli’s affection and recognition as being his #1 and, ultimately, his only wife. 

My favorite part of this book was the last quarter. I loved Efi’s strong personality and will to do everything in her power in order to be valued. It’s good to see a non-subservient African woman.

Thank you Net Galley an de the publisher for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is basically a Lifetime movie set in Ghana. Not my style at all. Aki and Eli are virtual strangers with an arranged marriage because Eli’s mother and siblings want to pry him away from his Liberian girlfriend Muna and their young daughter Ivy. Eli is wealthy and accomplished yet he obeys his mother’s demand to marry, although he won’t extricate himself from Muna and continues to live with her.  Aki is set up in a luxurious apartment, which Eli visits from time to time. He’s rich, handsome, kind, attentive and generous. He cooks and does the dishes. But Aki will settle for nothing less than evicting Muna and Ivy from Eli’s house and living with Eli full time.  She must be the only wife, no matter what happens to the woman who was there first and her sick child. Eli is forced to comply and eventually Aki has a son and is set up in a dress design business. It’s a fairy tale life. We never meet Muna, but the family’s objections to her seem to be based on the facts that she is dark skinned and isn’t interested in impressing the family. 

I hated Aki (naive, selfish, petulant) and felt sorry for Muna. The blurb for this book claims that the author is “a fierce advocate for women’s rights”.  If anything in this book has to do with women’s rights, I missed it. All of the controlling came from the interfering mothers of Aki and Eli. Muna is the character who needs feminist intervention and Eli needs a backbone. I thought this was going to be a book about a woman overcoming obstacles and taking control of her destiny. Instead I got soap opera. This book and I were not a good match. 2.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

Sorry, I thought I would not be able to listen and review this title, but t still appears on my bookshelf on my NG app, It may be due to me sampling the start of the narrator.  I will update my review once I finish listening to it (over my holiday break).

thank you

Interesting book, very focused on the drama between the families and I liked that at first but then I got a little bored. Not much happens but I guess that's where lit fic can be a hit or miss. The characters are strong characters though.Thanks for the copy of an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions are my own and this did not affect my review in any way. 

This book took me by surprised, the premise doesn’t sound like anything I had ever read and I had no idea what to expect. I was excited to branch out of my typical genres but I was not expecting to find one of my new favorite books.

In His Only Wife we follow Afi Tekple, a young seamstress whose life is turned upside down when she marries Elikem Ganyo a man she truly doesn’t know. 

The writing style is vivid and easy to read, I could picture myself alongside Afi, smelling the food, feeling her frustrations and watching her grow. This book was excellent, the characters were alive, realistic and unforgettable. Afi is one of the strongest characters I have ever read about and I was so happy and proud of seeing her grow.

Even though this isn’t a very action pact book there is so much stuff going on that you can’t help but be engaged in the story and want to continue reading. There is a rich cast of characters, who even though are extremely unlikeable (most of them at least), you can appreciate how well written they are. 

The ending took me by surprise, I was expecting a whole different thing, however, I was very pleased with how the book ended. It was realistic and empowering. Even though, I am not sure I would have made the same decisions as Afi, I can still appreciate how her decisions made sense for her and seeing her grow and become an independent woman made reading this book a treat. 

This book is about growing up, about doing what you want and following your dreams no matter what other people want for you. This was a fascinating read and I highly recommend that everyone should read it.