4.5⭐️

thank you to @netgalley for the e-arc🫶🏼

I found the perfect romance book for the girlies!!! This book is about Ofosua who works at this publishing house and without realising kisses the heir apparent on her first big event as an intern and a few days later this guy acts like he doesn’t know her our Ofosua is, of course, hurt. Next we know it’s 2 years later and we’re on her wedding day with this “perfect” guy and what happens? He cheats on her! Afterwards we follow her becoming the head of her imprint because the publishing house wants to be more progressive and makes the only African employee, the head of a new imprint focusing on authors of colour.
The amount of insight we got into the publishing industry was so refreshing, adding to that the authors shows the racism/microaggressions that people of colour face when in the publishing industry, whether it’s authors or editors.
I loved how at the beginning of every chapter there was a Ghanaian word and it’s meaning as well as the interpretation of the word by Ofosuas mother. This was so hilarious, also seeing aspects of Ghanaian culture such as food and marriage was incredibly fun and relatable (i’m Turkish guys).

When talking about the relationship, I really loved seeing their banter and slowly becoming more than friends. This is definitely a slow burn because after the first kiss in the prologue which is forgotten, the next romantic notion happens only 70 per cent into this book. Also loved seeing how they overcome hardships as an interracial couple.

Would definitely recommend this to any romance reader out there!

Gold Coast Dilemma is the first book I read by Nana Malone.

Ofosua is a Ghanaian heiress she is promised to someone in Ghana. While at a party her paths cross with Cole Drake. They have great chemistry from the start and conversations flow easily between them. After the party Ofosua goes home, but it isn't at all what she was expecting upon returning.

Ofosua suddenly finds herself full of heartbreak.
She wants to try to figure out exactly who she is and in that process she can Cole cross paths.
Their chemistry is still present and Ofosua finds herself falling for someone that she never expected.

A brillantly written story full of fiery intensity, balancing conflict with hope and the power of love. I was completely engrossed with the push and pull of Ofosua and Cole's emotional journey of love, self discovery, sacrifice and courage. Bravo.

Gold Coast Dilemma truly reminded me why I love reading and why I love romance. To me Nana Malone books feel like coming home. I couldn’t get enough of this book 🤭 it was so full of rich culture and passion and was just straight up real in the ways it discussed issues of systemic racism and societal and cultural expectations. Getting to experience Ghanaian culture through this book was so so beautiful and getting to learn about different customs, traditions, foods, and proverbs from Ghana was just absolutely incredible.

I absolutely adored Cole and Ofosua. To see them learn and grow together, especially Cole, was my favorite thing and they gave me all the butterflies. The workplace enemies to lovers was giving exactly what it needed to give! I was giggling and kicking my feet for about 90% percent of the book and squealing the other 10%. THEY WERE JUST SO FREAKING SWOON WORTHY MY WORD 🥹 Also Cole getting immersed in all things Ghanaian has to be my top 10 favorite things of all time 🤭

I want to be Ofosua when I grow up and I wanted her entire wardrobe. Like MA’AM!!! She know she bad and I love it 😮‍💨😍 The challenges Ofos faces in this book hit so close to home for me being Black in a predominantly white space and I found myself in tears feeling so seen in the way Black women constantly have to fight and be twice as good only to get half. Ofosua is the definition of grace, strength, talent, beauty, hard work, and then some and I love her DOWN!

I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and I absolutely did not want this book to end.

𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕 ℂ𝕠𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝔻𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕞𝕞𝕒 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨

Author: Nana Malone

Couple: Ofosua Addo & Cole Drake

Tropes:
🔥Fiery MFC
🔥Office romance
🔥He falls first
🔥Acts of service love language
🔥Found family
🔥Enemies to lovers
🔥Ghanaian heiress

Review: 𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕 ℂ𝕠𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝔻𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕞𝕞𝕒 tackles a lot of big topics in a way that has you both opening your eyes but also falling in love. Ofosua’s story was one of struggling to find who you are while also balancing the stress of family, loyalty and love. I adored how Ofosua had so many people in her life who wanted the best for her and she truly meets her match in Cole. Cole had it bad from the first time he laid eyes on the Ghanaian heiress and seeing the broody stoic man fall hard on his knees made this whole story an A+ for me. Nana knew how to have Cole be a simp but also make him ruthless in the boardroom-all things we love seeing from her- and I was there for it all!

I loved how Cole never once tried to change Ofosua or make her feel bad for the choices she was making. The weight Ofosua had to follow her family’s wishes was heavy but Nana was able to balance it well with showing us how Ofosua grew and adapted into a fierce heroine who fought for what she wanted. The pull between these two in 𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕 ℂ𝕠𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝔻𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕞𝕞𝕒 was so obvious-to everyone but Ofosua at first. And I laughed at how Cole would use the smallest things to beg for her attention.

The side characters were also wonderful in this book and I enjoyed the levity and attitudes they brought to the story. Ofosua’s cousin and mother had voices demanding to be heard and I would not want this book without either of them! 𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕 ℂ𝕠𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝔻𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕞𝕞𝕒 was a great read and one that has me hoping we might see more of these characters in the future!

Rating: 5/5, 𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕 ℂ𝕠𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝔻𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕞𝕞𝕒 was another knock out from Nana Malone and Ofosua’s story was one that had me rooting for her HEA from the very beginning!

Thank you Valentine PR for the eARC!

This gave a fun blend of romance and suspense, with Nana Malone’s signature mix of charm and drama. The setting is lush and glamorous, and the chemistry between the characters definitely has its moments.

That said, the pacing felt uneven at times — some plot points dragged while others resolved a bit too neatly. The main character was intriguing, but her motivations could have used more depth to really connect emotionally. There were also a few predictable twists that made the story feel more formulaic than fresh.

Thank you Valentine PR, Gallery Books, Net Galley, and most importantly Nana Malone for giving me the opportunity to read Gold Coast Dilemma in exchange for an honest review! I absolutely enjoyed this book and gave it 4.75 stars of 5 stars.

Gold Coast Dilemma follows Ofosua Addo and Cole Drake’s story. In the beginning we meet Ofosua as an intern for Drake Publishing at a publishing event where she meets a mystery man. Together they enjoy some champagne and discuss their favorite books and even a kiss. And just when we think this Cinderellaesque night would lead to a cutesy romance between her and mystery man, we learn that he never contacted her again. Later on we find out that mystery man is Cole Drake, the heir to Drake Publishing and would become her boss/nemesis. Skipping to a few years later Ofosua is now getting married to a different guy who is in within her community. All seems to be good until it is not. From there the book dives into the aftermath of the wedding and a force pairing between her and her nemesis as the create a new line to represent African American authors.

Overall, this was a really fun story that dove into community, family, culture, and how others perceive different cultures and races. I really enjoyed the story and Helen Addo with her matchmaking skills. Sure, the men she tried to pair Ofosua up with were duds but it was a push to get Ofosua back into the dating world. And the little excerpts at the beginning of the chapters with Helen and Samuel were so great!

Also, the pinning Cole did for Ofosua throughout the book! Omg! My favorite line by him was, “I’m here for you, whatever you need. We can go in and I can make every man in the room jealous of my date. If you want to sneak out of here I can make the rest of the city jealous instead. I think I win either way.” I want a Cole in my life. And the way he was there for her at events. Loved that!

I highly recommend this book this book to all romance readers. You will enjoy every page of this book!

Didn’t make it very far, so I don’t have much to say about it.
I’ll just really concretely tell y’all the 3 things that happened that made me quit:
As I got past the first chapter, the writing felt cheesy.
The main character's mother's view of anxiety made me so mad I couldn't read it. Very “well, dear, just choose not to be anxious.” As anyone with anxiety knows, it doesn’t work that way.
When a doctor was referred to as "Dr. Hot Stuff," I was out.
Actually heard her in an interview say this started out as a YA book before it evolved into an adult romance and that rings true based on what I read. Wish I’d known that in advance and I might have avoided this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Nana Malone for the ARC!

I liked Ofosua’s character and appreciated the representation of Ghanian culture. Ofosua will not be walked all over. She’s smart, sweet and capable. It is paced a bit slower to develop characters and I loved that.
This love story just fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t really see or feel the chemistry or romance between the 2 MCs and I needed that to be more pronounced and clear given their differences and her willingness to forsake her culture and family for someone of a different race. I definitely appreciated bringing attention to microagressions and how oblivious some can be about them ESPECIALLY with Black women. I’d love to read more from Nana Malone, I just didn’t connect with this particular story.

Unfortunately, I didn't love this book. I found the characters to be very one-dimensional and not super relatable. I wish I had loved this book but, sadly, it wasn't for me.

I really enjoyed how this was not jut an insta meet cute go from there but Ofosua has obligations to her family so it appears Cole was a memory to hold onto. Unfortunately but fortunately Ofosua meets Cole again and is single, alas now she finds out who he is and it becomes a slow burn. There were times Cole irked me but also Ofosua with their attitudes, but everyone has flaws!
Over all I really enjoyed this read and enjoyed the ups and downs through out.

4.5 stars
"Everyone knew, there was no way in h*ll that Ofosua Addo was going to obey anyone. I had a mouth, and sometimes it said things."
"Mum if you keep doing this, I'm going to use the full breathe of my English language vocabulary that you paid handsomely for."
"I knew her pissed off face too. That one I liked to think was reserved for me."

Thanks to Valentine PR & Literary Management & the author for an E-ARC. I am a bit late posting my review, I did immersive reading with this story and it definitely enhanced the story as well! I really enjoyed this so much, this story is very entertaining, it has all the drama, vibrant cultural moments (food, dialects, mannerisms, familial expectations, and more), relatable moments in and out of the work space as a Black woman, and more. I think this story incorporated so many important themes and exposed the ugly truths of what Black women are faced with day to day and having to suck it up and keep on living. I like that Ofosua is an editorial director and her job journey on trying to expose and bring more representation within her job field. The small intricacies that she had to go through felt like all too real experience, that I'm sure many can relate to.

I will not hear or take any slander about Ofosua! My panic attack relatable queen! I absolutely adored her character so much, she is one of my fav FMC ever! Her whit, charm, lovable personality, intelligence, and extremely a well rounded person navigating life, and just trying to be herself and fit in. Her experience as a Black woman, specifically a Ghanian American woman spoke volumes, her experiences throughout the story felt so relatable and extremely on the nose as well. I liked that she learned how to navigate her panic attacks and learned to put herself first in every aspect of her life, that journey was so important for her personal development and it was a journey that I enjoyed reading about!! Ofosua and Cole relationship was not perfect and I think that is why I liked them together so much because it was not perfect. I like that their relationship and development brought up different expectations, assumptions, and projections that were explored on both sides of their families.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I will definitely be reading more by this author!

I was for the best book and I love the spiciness of it as well. I would definitely recommend this one to all of my girls in my book club. Please keep writing more books like this.

This was an amazing contemporary romance! The FMC works in the publishing industry and gets assigned to her first imprint and she’s determined to find and highlight authors who write about BIPOC love and romance. More importantly, she wants to find stories that exude joyful, happy lives.

One thing I love about reading is how deeply authors are able to make me think and feel. Nana Malone made me reflect on my own biases in a way I hadn’t before. She also made me learn about new things like “microaggressions,” which I didn’t know were a thing, but I’ve most certainly been subjected to most of my life.

The way Nana Malone beautifully crafted this narrative about a woman searching for authors who write about BIPOC love, romance, joy and happiness, but also showcasing those qualities through her own writing…*chef’s kiss.* Bravo. Well done Ms. Malone! I LOVED this book!

If you love romance stories, please read this book. I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN.

Malone brings the flavor. Spicy meets sweet and becomes an addictive temptation. Gold Coast Dilemma is heartache in living color. From laugh out loud to a stirring of the soul, Ofosua and Cole have a lot to say. A celebration of life, love and the unexpected that never loses it's vibrancy.

Gold Coast Dilemma by Nana Malone follows Ofosua, a Ghanaian heiress engaged to a man her mother approves of—until she meets Cole Drake, a man who is everything her mother would disapprove of, especially because he’s not Ghanaian, or even Black. The story weaves themes of love, identity, and cultural expectations with a dose of family drama and personal growth.

As a Nigerian reader, I found a lot of relatable moments in this book. The cultural references were one of my favorite aspects—Malone did a great job capturing the complexities of African family expectations. For example, the pressure to get married right after graduating, despite being told not to date in school, resonated deeply with me. I also appreciated how the story tackled racism and microaggressions, both in and out of the workplace, and I admired the strength of the female main character. Ofosua was smart, educated, beautiful, and knew how to advocate for herself—even when it meant standing up to her mother. It was refreshing to see a woman who was ambitious, hardworking, and not defined solely by romantic relationships.

That said, there were a few things that didn’t work for me. The banter between Ofosua and Cole felt immature at times. For two 25-year-olds, their interactions often came off as too jokey and childish, which made it hard for me to believe in their chemistry. I also felt the romance took way too long to develop—they didn’t act on their feelings until around 67% into the book, making it a very slow burn. The plot could have benefited from tighter pacing, as it felt like too many elements were crammed into the last 40% of the story. It became overwhelming, and some plot twists, like the reveal about Yofi’s infidelity, felt too delayed to have any real impact.

Additionally, I wasn’t a fan of the quotes at the beginning of each chapter—I stopped reading them after a while. The repeated use of the word obroni also felt excessive and unrealistic. While I understand and appreciate the use of the term in African contexts, its casual use toward a white character unfamiliar with the term didn’t feel authentic at all. It’s like a Nigerian speaking to a white and addressing them as an “Oyinbo” or a “white person”. That doesn’t happen here in the states. I also wish there had been a clearer explanation of how Ofosua was an heiress, as that part of her identity wasn’t fully fleshed out based on her parents’ professions.

Despite these critiques, I’ve already recommended Gold Coast Dilemma to several friends—especially my Ghanaian friends—because it’s still a compelling read. I liked that it wasn’t just a romance; it touched on real-life themes like racism, career challenges, and familial expectations. Nana Malone is clearly a talented writer, and while this wasn’t a perfect book for me, it was still a solid 3.5/5 read overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Real rating 3.5

I was SO excited for this one. I really couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. And then I ran out of credits for my Simon & Schuster audio app lol So of course I was depressed. HOWEVER, I remembered I had some left over credits that I haven’t used from Audible, so I went ahead and just used it for this. Totes worth it. This book was good!

Ok so the only thing I didn’t really like was the pacing. I’m not a huge fan of enemies to lovers. Y’all know this. But I’m even less of a fan when it moves with a glacial pace. I think if there had been more of them flirting together or more of them just not fighting I would have been ok. But when they decided to come together it didn’t feel natural. The rest of the book seemed like it was spent stretching their relationship out since it took them so long to get there.

There’s also a bunch of focus on weddings in this one. There’s a failed one in the very beginning, another one that they get invited to, and another one at the end. I loved comparing the Ghanaian weddings to those of the Western weddings. This one unfortunately doesn’t go too much into depth about their differences, but I still thought it was cool to look up.

The characters were what carried this for me, but they were also what annoyed me in some places. Because why in the world would you entertain your mama when she acts like that Cole? And why tf would you ever listen to someone who berates you and your significant other doesn’t even like them? Like bffr. It annoyed me because why did both of these instances have to do with Cole?! He pissed me off for real. I remember asking him out loud (as one does) do you even like her? Why do that? Like ugh But I WAS glad that he knew what microaggressions were and who to trust in the end. Because I had half a mind to tell her to leave him lol

Their romance was cute. I wish it wasn’t as slow of a burn as it was. But I did love that there were books involved and there were plenty of lessons in this one. I don’t think I’d have liked it as much if I weren’t reading it via audio, but it got the job done and the narrators were entertaining. If you pick this up, let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Valentine PR, Gallery Books, and Nana Malone for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Oh boy, I have not written a full length review in a long time, and I’m so glad that I get to write one for this book! I got through this one so quickly and I absolutely loved it! Let’s see where to start.

One of the things that I really liked about this book is that even though Cole made sure to call people out on their bullshit. Seriously, whenever someone made some microaggressive comment towards Ofosua that had no merit at all, no matter if it was a friend, coworker, or family member, he made sure to call them out. I think there was maybe one instance where he didn’t call out his uncle, who was the head of Drake Publishing, since his aunt was more in the background, and he really should have… but Ofos made sure to tell him so. It made me really appreciate that Cole was not taking his privilege for granted and not just sitting back and saying “well, what am I supposed to do?!” or have some sort of weaponized incompetence coupled with his ignorance.

I also appreciated that Ofos was clear in that she already deals with that kind of behavior from so many people every single day at any given time, that she’s tired of having to deal with the emotional labor of teaching people how to behave correctly. It shouldn’t fall to her, and I agree. As a Black woman myself, who knows what she’s going through and has had to deal with that, and has also been told that I should stand up for myself and educate people on how they should behave, I’m over it! So I appreciate Ofos for standing her ground on that once she felt comfortable enough to do so with Cole – because she really didn’t need to until she trusted him – and for Cole seeing that and accepting it without fighting her on it.

Something that Ofos had to deal with that hit close to home for me was when her wedding was cut short because her groom was caught cheating with someone else. Well, she heard him getting sexual with someone else but didn’t see who it was with, and even though he was at fault, the rest of the Ghanaian community seemed to make it her problem because she “wasn’t satisfying her husband” or whatever. I was so angry for Ofos with all she had to go through, and was so glad that she was able to get her divorce even though it took eight whole months – which we didn’t get to really see, but we know it took that long. I was proud of her for standing her ground on that, and even though it was embarrassing for her family and they felt “shame”, she didn’t allow that to dictate her being in a bad marriage where she and her would-be husband wouldn’t be happy.

It’s also been a few days since I last read this book and I’ve since been reading some other books but for the most part, this has to be one of my favorite books of the year. I loved both Ofosua and Cole, even though I think I love Ofosua more. I loved Ofosua’s cousin and her roommates, I feel like they were a really great support network for her and helped her get through things even though she was at odds with her mom on some things. I also really liked that once Ofos and Cole actually became a working team, they worked really well together and he supported her as the Editor of her own imprint. I kind of wish that he fought his uncle to keep the name of her imprint, but overall, how this book ended was actually really great. Loved this story and I loved Malone’s voice in this book.

I really loved the quotes at the start of each chapter they set the tone so well! Ofosua and Cole definitely gave enemies to lovers vibes, and the workplace romance dynamic added a whole extra layer of drama that I was totally here for. The cultural differences between Ofosua and Cole added a whole new layer to their dynamic, especially with her being Ghanaian and him being white. Even though they were both wealthy, their backgrounds shaped how they viewed the world and each other. It’s interesting how the book explored that cultural gap and the way it impacted their relationship. This was definitely a slow burn, but it made the chemistry between them feel even more real.

Both of them had a lot to deal with Ofosua being one of the few POC at Drake Publishing, and Cole being the nephew of the CEO. Things were already complicated, but the fact that they’d shared a kiss a year and a half ago only added fuel to the fire. The tension was real! I liked how the author built up the characters and made sure we understood who they were at their core. You could really see them evolve throughout the book.

I also appreciated how the book touched on mental health, particularly Ofosua’s anxiety. Her journey with that felt so relatable and real. And then her mom… chile, every time she popped up, I felt the anxiety too! She wore me out haha. But the way the author described the settings and the characters’ outfits made everything feel like I was right there with them. It was like watching a movie unfold in my mind!

The dual POV was on point, especially when we got to dive deep into their thoughts and emotions. I also really liked that the book addressed microaggressions, especially the scene in the office when Ofosua was being labeled an “Angry Black Woman.” That hit hard because it’s something a lot of people don’t even realize is a form of racism, but it really is.

The pacing was a little slow in the beginning, but once it picked up, I was hooked. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed, though. And honestly the plot twist at the end I called it at the beginning lol. Overall, I enjoyed the book!

Thank you to NetGalley for e-ARC!

I loved Ofosua's character. I love how she carried herself stood out throughout this story as she dealt with awful people, microagressions, and racism.

The toxic dynamics were very real at times, so of course I love to see when a villian gets what's coming to them. However, the miscommunication and pacing made this a little rough at times. Cole was frustrating as he crossed boundaries and was blind to his privilege.