Gold Coast Dilemma is a layered, character-driven romance that balances tradition, ambition, and love with grace and heart. Nana Malone delivers a thoughtful story centered on Ofosua Addo, a Ghanaian American heiress caught between honoring her heritage and following her heart.

From the very first meeting between Ofosua and Cole Drake, their chemistry is undeniable. Their flirtatious spark quickly leaves a lasting impression, but it’s Ofosua’s journey—not just the romance—that anchors this book. Her struggle to reconcile the expectations of her Ghanaian family with her own professional goals and personal happiness felt authentic and timely. I especially appreciated how the story highlighted her passion for publishing and her resilience in the face of workplace microaggressions and cultural pressures.

The romance itself leans more toward a slow burn, taking a backseat for much of the novel to allow Ofosua’s personal growth to shine. While I did wish for a little more development between Ofosua and Cole as a couple, I appreciated the emotional payoff when things did finally come together. Cole had moments where his well-meaning actions crossed boundaries, but I respected that the story gave him room to grow and self-reflect.

This book also shines in its portrayal of strong female friendships and the celebration of Ghanaian culture—from the food to the familial dynamics. I found myself immersed in Ofosua’s world and rooting for her at every step.

Thank you to Gallery Books, Nana Malone, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Crazy rich Ghanaian...

Ofosua meets Cole when she is an intern albeit, a heiress. Two years later, she's about to get married to a practical man of her mother's choosing. That does not go well. Enter Cole again. He's hot and wealthy and her particular brand of catnip. But that's the problem. Her mother wants her to have a practical, sensible marriage. Ofos needs to grow up and choose and be her own person. With plenty of steam with Cole.
Recommend.

I am obsessed with Ofosua, Hot Cole, and all the characters in this second-chance romance.

It's been a while since I resonated with a story this much. Gold Coast Dilemma was a mix of workplace drama, societal issues, and a love story brewing in the background.

Some of the highlights for me:
I loved that Ofosua could see through the manipulation and still came out shining because she cared so deeply about sharing stories like this one through the new imprint.

The book did nuance so well, which was most evident when the book spoke about microaggressions. Clearly showing that having a gentle hand might work, there was still an emphasis on education being for other people to seek and apply. Cole realized where he went wrong, made the time to learn, and then stepped in with this new knowledge, showing how much this matters to him because it was going to be an ongoing battle.

Closing out the arc on Yofi! While I'm glad Ofosua was over this man, it highlighted how cultural pressures affected them in similar ways.

A villain getting what they deserve made my heart so happy.

Ofosua meets Cole at her first publishing party and they share a kiss that she can never forget.
Two years later, she is engaged to someone her mother approves and Cole does not seem to remember their first meeting.
After her engagement turns into a dumpster fire, she is now single and experiencing a healing journey. Her position at work is changed, putting her working in close quarters with Cole. Cole isn’t someone her mother would approve of and Ofosua is not sure how to handle her feelings. Their journey is beautiful. Self discovery on many levels.

I would not put the book down. I loved watching Ofosua shine. Her character development is strong but she is strong from the jump! Her relationship with her mother is strained but they do love each other fiercely. Cole also has a beautiful development even though his is much slower paced. I loved the way he loved her and I love the way she loved herself.
The way he made her laugh when she was caught up in a whirlwind of panic was comforting.

The way the book ended was perfect.

I cannot believe I have never read anything by Nana Malone. I will be remedying this ASAP! I very much enjoyed the writing style and pace of the story.

Thank you Valentine PR. Netgalley, and Nana Malone for the ARC. ALL Opinions are my own!

A great story with a strong leading lady! I really liked Ofosua. I appreciated her brains and competence. Cole was a surprisingly good pairing for Ofosua. I loved the bonds Ofosua has with her friends. I enjoyed learning more about the culture of Ghana. The book was generally just a lot of fun. I didn't want to put it down once I started. I hope we may get a chance to revisit the characters in this book in the future. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Tears of joy reading this book!!! This is the romantic comedy I needed. 💛 Gold Coast Dilemma will go down as one of my favorite Nana Malone books. Ofosua and Cole's chemistry was impeccable, Ofosua's mother was a much needed puzzle piece of motherly value. Readers will laugh until they cry reading this .... Family bonds, workplace interactions, witty banter, intense chemistry between the main characters.....

5 million ⭐️

This was like Crazy Rich Asians meets big fat Greek wedding but with a Ghanaian heiress and her quest between love and following tradition. We get a little glimpse into the publishing world and I learned a lot about Ghana and their culture and had fun living in the shoes of a very rich main character and her love interests being very rich also 😂 a little suspension of belief is necessary but I feel like that is what makes it a captivating romance. I didn’t need the MMC POV as I was more interested in Ofosua’s character.

This was such a fun read! A enemies, to friends, to lovers workplace romance. The two MC’s not only struggled navigating their feelings for each other but also navigating their cultural differences. Ofosua is 1st generation Ghanaian American and comes from a very affluent family. Cole is a white American and also comes from an affluent family. I think Nana Malone did a great job highlighting how the struggles of interracial dating can affect the relationship. There’s so many outside factors, opinions and judgements. It’s not always an easy road but it was a realistic portrayal. In the end, Ofosua and Hot Cole persevered and did get their HEA and we love to see it. 😍 The sexual tension was off the charts and when they finally kissed, Cole was so down bad for his girl. When Ofosua finally admitted it to herself, she too was equally obsessed with Cole. I also really loved how immersive the story was into the Ghanaian culture and food. I’ve never had Ghanaian food but it sounded amazing and now it makes me want to go out and try some! Thank you VPR and NetGalley for the ARC! I had a great time reading Gold Coast Dilemma!

This book was very entertaining! Ofosua is a Ghanaian heiress who is working in book publishing. She is ready to marry a man who has earned the approval of her overbearing mother, but Ofosua’s Ghanaian wedding crashes and burns, leaving her to figure out what she really wants. Cole Drake, of the Drake family who owns the publishing company Ofosua works for, re-enters her life and gives her a lot to think about.

While this is definitely a romance book, it is a slow burn, and I loved how much of Ofosua’s story is told. She has worked hard to climb the ranks of publishing even though she doesn’t really need the money. She has to manage micro-aggressions and stereotypes at work, and her success speaks for itself. Her mother is such a frustrating character, but I enjoyed watching Ofosua gain the confidence and clarity to stand up to her. I learned so much about Ghanaian culture, especially surrounding weddings and food. The cultural differences between Ofosua and Cole led to a complex exploration of their relationship, and I loved it. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a book that is a bit of a mix of romance and women’s fiction.

Thank you to Nana Malone, Gallery Books, NetGalley, and Valentine PR for this e-ARC; opinions are my own.

Read if you like:
💕 Workplace romance
💕 Enemies-to-lovers
💕 Books about the publishing world
💕 Anxiety rep
💕 Dual POV

Nana put Ofosua through it! Not only is she ghosted after a wonderful night with a stranger, cajoled by her mother into marrying a man she's lukewarm warm about, but then he cheats on her at their reception!!!!

This was a hard apace to start, but a beautiful place to build from. Ofosua is a great person to be in the head of. While she's going through rough times, she's smart, she's funny, she's got a good head on her shoulders. She's taking the mountain of lemons, and making lemon meringue pie.

Cole earned his place in this story. I had little hope for him as a worthy MMC after the story of how they met. (No one who doesn't remember a woman like Ofosua deserves her!) We watch his pining for Ofosua at the beginning. He likes her. He wants her. But he doesn't know her. Once they are forced to work together on the new imprint, his admiration builds as they connect. His eyes. open to what life is like for her. His righteous indignation is valid, but it's when he steps back and asks her how she actually needs him to support her that he won my heart too.

Nana Malone shared the Ghanaian culture in a story that shows its beautiful side, and the places where it can hold one back. Ofosua is struggling to find her place between the world her mother wants her to be a part of, and what it means to her. The expectations that have been put on her come into conflict with what she wants for herself. She doesn't know how to clearly express her wants and needs.

Ofosua's anxiety is a powerful part of this story. There's a prejudice against having anxiety. That it's an indulgent feeling. Or that you can just stop. Watching Ofosua reckon with her anxiety over the course of the story, shows others who are living with it that they are not alone. It helps remove the stigma against it.

This was a blast to read! If you're looking for a contemporary rom-com this one checked so many of my boxes!

Have you seen this gorgeous cover? I think it's so beautiful, and it's what drew me to this book.

Gold Coast Dilemma addresses the big and small everyday problems, taunts, and microaggressions that people of color face on a daily basis. It portrays, at least in part, the life of the Ghanaian community abroad. At its core is the dilemma of having to choose between one's own culture and a romantic relationship, or rather, finding a way to reconcile the two. Because one thing must be clear: racism doesn't stop at one's own family—and it goes both ways.

Although the novel didn't particularly captivate me at first, it got better and better toward the end. The characters' personal development and maturation process were portrayed very well.

While Cole's parents are, in my opinion, thoroughly despicable, I have to say that I didn't warm to Ofosua's mother until the very end. Despite her incredibly annoying nature and her tendency to want to control her daughter's life, she is portrayed as a positive character because she "knows what's best for Ofosua." If I were Ofosua, I would have cut off contact with her long ago, or at least kept it to a minimum—tradition or not.

Based on the title, I assumed the story would take place, at least in part, on Ghana's Gold Coast. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Except for one chapter, the setting is in New York.

All in all, it was a solid book that provides interesting insights into a culture that was largely unknown to me.

This book was a perfect spicy blend of rich auntie vibes, Ghanaian culture, and workplace drama. If you're like me and will drool over food descriptions in your books, this is for you! Someone get me a heaping plate of jollof rice ASAP.

This was a fascinating story. Ms. Malone completely immersed me in the world of a Ghanaian heiress, a setting I hadn't visited before (in real life or fiction) and made sure I was completely engaged and along for the ride! I would have liked to have a glossary to help me learn more about the expressions and especially the food, but that is a minor thing. I appreciated the chapter headings of adages and comments from other characters, which helped get my mind working on what might happen next in the story. Ofosua and Cole met and shared a kiss as near strangers, and then didn't cross paths again for years, and then it was in the workplace, in Cole's family publishing business. The story is presented in a dual point of view format, so the reader gets great insight into both sides of the story. There is plenty of workplace conflict, and the back and forth personal chemistry between them leads to some very convincing fireworks! I rarely reread a book, but after reading this in ebook form, I'm looking forward to experiencing this book in audio.

I was given an ARC (Thanks, NetGalley and Valentine PR) and volunteered to write a review.

I loved this!! The format was refreshing. The quotes/sayings at each chapter added the comedic relief to some real life situations. The struggle of blending traditional familial expectations with modern times is extremely relatable. While I wasn’t as familiar with the cultural references, I loved learning about them as it was weaved perfectly into the story.

Rich in romance, tradition, and culture, Nana Malone delivers another hit with Gold Coast Dillemma. There were laughs, heat, and heartfelt emotions. There were wonderful, diverse characters that you'll fall in love with. This is an entertaining read with a good plot. I recommend reading it!

⭐️4.25 stars for this slow-burn romance that had more than just sparks — it had substance.
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loved this strong fmc ofosua— i loved watching her hold her ground in the workplace and i especially appreciated cole’s journey to slowly learning what it means to truly see someone. the cultural tension, family pressure, and office microaggressions made this story feel so real. and that line? “i can’t unsee you.” whew. i melted.
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✌🏾 things:
1st— it took me quite some time to get into this story.. i started over quite a bit until i was able to grasp what was happening. so this one def took a few chapters to really start to hit for me.
2nd— there were some content that didn’t fully align with my christian values, so just a heads up if that matters to you— happy to chat in my dms!
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read this if you like:
🇬🇭 ghanaian traditions
💼 workplace romance
🤍🤎 interracial love stories

When I read books, I enjoy seeing the representation of other cultures throughout the story. The representation of women, and the expectations put upon them in the Ghanaian culture was vivid. Ofosua Addo was a woman that independent woman who loved/ respected her culture but wanted to be herself, not the woman others expected her to be.
Those in her family would have preferred she became a doctor, yet she chose to work in publishing. Although she was married, their is.
Cole, the nephew of the CEO of the publishing company, Ofosua works for; their relationship makes a nice enemies to lovers romance.

"Gold Coast Dilemma" touched my heart with its powerful friendships, incredible women at the center, and a love story that had to fight through so much. I laughed, I rooted for them, and I felt every moment of the struggle between love and tradition.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Gold Coast Dilemma had me hooked from the very first page! Nana Malone blends rich Ghanaian cultural nuances, humor, and heart into this delightful romance.

Ofosua Addo, an ambitious editor with a no-boyfriend upbringing, finds herself navigating life, love, and family expectations while working at Drake Publishing. Her journey from a forbidden hallway kiss with Cole Drake to a full-blown office romance was a joy to follow. I especially loved the dual POVs, the classic African mom humor (Ofosua’s mom was hilarious and problematic in the best way), and the heartfelt Adinkra sayings that opened each chapter.

The story offers my favorite tropes — enemies to lovers, office romance, forced proximity — plus a beautiful look at the challenges and joys of an interracial relationship. Ofosua’s strength, her trust fund baby background (yes, girl!), her love for plantain (relatable!), and her resilience after betrayal made her such a relatable and refreshing heroine.

Cole's growth, his support for Ofosua at work, and their love story made me root for them the entire way. I appreciated the way the book handled serious topics like racism, anxiety, and cultural expectations, all while maintaining a hopeful, romantic tone.

If you love a good HEA (happily ever after), classic African family drama, and strong heroines, Gold Coast Dilemma should be your next read.

2.5 stars

I’m going to start off by saying I don’t think I’m the target audience for this book. I was born and raised in Ghana so I think I looked at certain details with a more critical eye than someone unfamiliar with the country and traditions would and from the beginning certain inaccuracies/ portrayals marred my reading experience. And I also may have set my expectations to high, which I don’t tend to do. I usually like to go into books blind and just see what happens.

I’ve enjoyed two other books by this author and I was really looking forward to this book because it has a Ghanaian FMC in an interracial romance, which I’ve never come across.

Before I get into all the things I didn’t like, I will say that there were some cute moments between Cole and Ofosua, and I liked the grovelling after the third act break up and I particularly enjoyed how the storyline with Cole’s uncle and the imprint ended.

When it comes to the things I didn’t like, the biggest thing, was that the story we got didn’t meet my expectations set by the blurb/book description. I was expecting a story when Cole and Ofosua fall for each other, but they maybe have to date in secret because her parents what her to marry a Ghanaian and then the story is about her fighting her family so she can be with him. But what we got was a sort of enemies-to-lovers workplace romance where they didn’t even become friends until almost 50% into the book. This line in the blurb, “Their flirtatiously witty exchange culminates in a kiss that etches a permanent mark on both their hearts.” is misleading. (I’m not going to elaborate on this because it’s a spoiler).

The second big thing that didn’t meet my expectations Ofosua’s label as an heiress. I was expecting her to be the heir to some big corporation. So her father would be looking to her to take over after him or at least marry someone suitable to take over. That wasn’t the case. Her mum is a doctor who was a hospital administrator, and is now retired. And her dad is “in tech, got his PhD in computer science. He gives lots of talks about bridging the digital divide around the world. He’s built quite a name for himself” So it was just the typical thing of Ghanaian parents wanting her daughter to marry a Ghanaian who is in one of the few careers that are deemed respectable/successful (lawyer/ doctor/ engineer/ banker). It’s really not something I want to read about. Neither were all the microaggressions and toxic parenting disguised as “culture” and “tradition” that I’m all too familiar with.

What I would have liked to see is a change in some of these negative aspects of Ghanaian culture, like our dismissal of mental health issues. I would have liked to see the issue Ofosua’s panic attacks addressed better.

But like I said, I don’t think I'm the target audience for this. I was expecting a fantasy type billionaire/ millionaire romance and this book was too close to reality for my liking. Non-Ghanaians who’d like to learn about Ghanian culture in the context of a romance would probably like this.