this was a very character driven story! I really loved that aspect of it and felt like it tied in nicely with the dual timeline/flashback chapters. All of these elements led time to understand Malakai and Kiki even more.

The spice was SIZZLING on another level compared to Honey & Spice and I loved every minute of it.

Great blend of angst, swoonworthy moments as well as quirky humor.

Honestly, I think this book sealed the deal for me. I officially love second chance romances. Ms. Bolu Babalola really grabbed me by the shirt and dragged me through this journey with Kiki and Mal. I felt everything they felt and really felt like I was seeing the world through Kiki's eyes. All I can say is "What a journey!" and I can't wait for the U.S release! Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!!

i wanted to love this like i loved honey and spice, but the more i read it the more i wish i didn't 😭 kai and keke are my heart and soul so starting this i was wearing. it was the writing that wasn't working for me. it just droooooned on... half the time i didn't know how we got somewhere because there was so much rambling. recently reading honey and spice i know that it wasn't like that, so hopefully in publication some words get cut out. i couldn't connect to them anymore, i felt like i didn't even know them? ah this broke my heart.

thank you netgalley for the arc!!

First, I want to say Thank you to William Morrow/William Morrow Paperbacks and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I may be a little biased because I absolutely LOVED Honey & Spice…. I am also a reader who always wants more, so I am always up for a good sequel or series!! I love a good happily ever after but for me its never enough.

Bolu Babalola did NOT disappoint!!! Sweet Heat was the perfect Follow-up and the update that I didn't know I was looking for and needed!! The FMC “Kiki Banjo” and the MMC “Malakai Korede” appeared to have broken up after being together for some time. Kiki is a now very successful podcast host (which we know she did a little radio gig in Honey & Spice) and Malakai is now a up and coming Filmmaker (which we know he made a short film in Honey & Spice). A couple years after the breakup they are both invited to a wedding ceremony of mutual friends. For me this was the perfect Slow burn (inserts Chef’s kiss)!! We get “past” & “present” so we get to find out some of what transpired in their relationship. This was the perfect second chance romance! It was romantic, it has some humor, but it also made you emotional as well!!

Can wait until 09/02/25 Just because I need a physical copy to go with Honey & Spice!!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks.This is book #2 in the Honey & Spice series.Sweet Heat was the perfect sequel to Honey & Spice. Sweet Heat is about 10 years later after Honey and Spice. We found out that Kiki and Kai have been split for almost 3 years. I loved how the story kept us on our toes on what happened between them, by giving us flashbacks of when they were together.

Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola was a perfect sequel to Honey & Spice and a phenomenally well done second chance romance. Babalola wrote a romance novel where I really understood why the characters broke up the first time, why it was the right thing for both of them, and each showed enough character growth so that getting back together made sense. Babalola's writing is beautiful and funny. Her characters are real and witty and flawed. I can't wait to read more from Bolu Babalola.

This one didn’t quite live up to Honey & Spice, in my opinion. I enjoyed spending more time with Kiki and Kai, but I felt like there were too many side plots. In addition to the romance plot, we followed Aminah’s wedding planning, Kiki’s career troubles, and the selling of her family business. These side plots took away from the romance and made the book drag at times.

10/10, no notes 😭. This book felt like a warm hug and I was giggling and kicking my feet all the way. Even in the sadness and the hard parts, I still felt the love for each and every one of these characters. I will say sometimes the author writes like she’s picking up in the middle of a poem and it throws me off a bit, but that’s a me problem, not a her problem. I also found myself confused sometimes BUT that’s probably because I had no idea it was a sequel so because of those two things probably being only a me issue, I’m keeping the 5 stars. I can’t wait to see what Bolu does next and I’ll be circling back to read book one!

*Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Really really enjoyed this…dare I say more than the first book?? I felt like the characters really embodied longing in a way that was so heartwarming and heart-aching. This book made me fall in love with Malakai and Kiki even more!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC of Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola, the highly anticipated sequel to Honey and Spice—one of my favorite books. This one hits shelves on 9/2/25, and wow, it was everything.

Babalola’s writing is just stunning. She has such a way with words that you don’t just read the story—you feel it. The way she captures emotion, whether it’s the intensity of romantic longing or Kiki’s relationship to music, is masterful. The romance? So well done. This is a second-chance romance, so we’re not starting from scratch. Kiki and Kai never stopped loving each other, but they had to face the hurt that led to their breakup. I was horrified they even broke up because they’re just so perfect together. Even when they were angry or couldn’t stand each other, the chemistry was electric—it felt almost intrusive to witness it, like we shouldn’t be in the same room.

The characters felt real and full of life, like they exist beyond the page (except Bakari—eye roll). I continue to adore the friendship between Kiki, Aminah, Shanti, and Chioma. That was one of my favorite parts of Honey and Spice, and I loved seeing that sisterhood hold strong post-college. Aminah did get on my nerves at times, but honestly, between planning a wedding and navigating two Nigerian moms, I get it.

Now, what didn’t quite work for me: the length. While I was never bored or checking how much was left, I am just fundamentally opposed to romances being over 350 pages, and this one clocks in at almost 500. Also…Bakari. He wasn’t awful—he treated Kiki well—but he felt like a sentient AI boyfriend: polite, functional, and totally unworthy of someone as passionate and complex as Kiki.

That said, this is easily going to be one of my top reads of the year. I gave it 4.5 stars and consider it a must-read. While you can read this without having read Honey and Spice, I personally think you shouldn’t—you’d be missing out on some seriously rich context. If you love second-chance romances, pop culture references, sexual tension, and strong female friendships, Sweet Heat should absolutely be on your radar.

✨ARC Review✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - Sweet Heat - Bolu Babalola

Pub Date: September 2nd 2025

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @williammorrow for sending me this ARC to read and review.

I’ll start off by saying bravo to @bolu on the writing on this story. It’s nothing I love more than a well thought out sequel to a story. And you can tell she took her time with Kiki and Malakai this time around.

Now. Let’s get into it. In Sweet Heat , these characters are GROWN ok! The context, the way they talk, the things they discuss. These are not the same kids from Uni. And I loved it! These are adults going through adults problems trying to figure out their place in the world. My girl Kiki! Let’s be honest, Kiki annoyed the hell out of me in Honey and Spice and she slightly did in this book too but I definitely saw her from a different lense this time around. After breaking up with Malaki she had to pick her self up and start over and what I loved was she was brave in doing it. In everything she did she authentically herself and never apologized for it. And in the end it paid off for her in every way. Now Malakai Malakai Malakai 😩 what a man!!! Despite everything him and Kiki went through, he never stopped loving her. Never stopped supporting her. Never stopped being her number 1 fan. And when it was time to explain his side of the story, he was able to show that vulnerability is not a weakness but a strength. The way they loved each other is why they’ll always be my favorites. And while this was a romance book, I loved how it showed that friends can be soulmates too. The love Kiki and Aminah had for each other was undeniable and while we grow and evolve in relationships and friendships, we can still have the same unwavering love for each other.

The best part about Sweet Heat is all of the characters from Honey and Spice are back along for this ride that Kiki and Malakai take us on. This book was tense, raw, funny and emotional in the best ways! I can’t wait for this to come out! I’ve been a Kiki and Malakai Stan since reading Honey and Spice 2 years ago. And I’m so happy I got to read the evolution of their story. Please make sure you read it when it does ✌🏾❤️

Bolu Babalola delivers a sizzling and heartfelt second-chance romance in Sweet Heat, a standalone sequel to her acclaimed Honey & Spice. Set several years later, it reunites Kiki Banjo—now a successful podcast host—and her ex-boyfriend Malakai Korede, an emerging filmmaker. Their paths cross again at a summer wedding, reigniting unresolved feelings amid career turbulence and personal growth.
Relatable characters — Kiki and Malakai are well-rounded and authentic, each with their own arcs that resonate beyond romance—touching on identity, ambition, and vulnerability .
Storycrafting depth — the dual timelines (past glimpses vs. present fallout) are deftly handled, deepening the emotional connection without stalling momentum .
Meaningful spice scenes — steamy but story-driven, reflective of character development rather than gratuitous .

Sweet Heat is witty, emotionally rich, and bravely romantic. It’s a showcase of modern Black love with depth, humor, and heat—ideal for fans of character-driven, well-crafted romances.

Thanks to NetGalley & William Morrow for allowing me to read this arc.

Bolu can do no wrong. This was an amazing follow up to Honey and Spice. I love her writing style and I was locked in from chapter 1

I think this was overall a good book and follow up to Honey & Spice, but a lot of the details felt a bit unnecessary to me. The plot lags at some points.

Devoured in one sitting, I couldn't put it down!
Second chance romances are one of my favorites and Bolu did it WELL. An amazing plot, the characters felt real, and the writing made me feel the emotions they felt so deeply.

As a devoted fan of second chance romances, I couldn't be more thrilled that one of my favorite fake dating tales transformed into a heartwarming journey of redemption and reconnection. The characters undergo profound emotional growth, beautifully showcasing therapy as a transformative force in rekindling love. It has the power to reach deep into your heart, extracting every last ounce of emotion, both joyful and sorrowful. Huge thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for this Advanced copy in exchange for my honest review this book will release 9/2/2025

Sweet Heat was a great example of how a romance novel can give the reader well developed characters, a fantastic plot, and some of those feels romance lovers appreciate. I enjoyed this read immensely.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Sweet Heat is a standout second chance romance, and I really, truly enjoyed it. This book is on another level. I think it’s safe to say we have a new reigning queen of contemporary romantic fiction in Bolu Babalola.

This was my first read by Babalola, a mistake I’ll be fixing as soon as I get my hands on Honey & Spice. Her writing is sharp, funny, and emotionally rich. Sweet Heat is technically a sequel, but it works beautifully as a standalone. Their chemistry is palpable from the very beginning and only deepens here.

Second chance romance has to feel believable, and the reunion has to feel earned. Babalola handles it all with grace, heat, and humor. The breakup feels honest, not forced, and their coming back together is grounded in real growth. The dual timeline works so well, letting us see who they were and who they’ve become.

But this book is more than a romance. It’s about finding yourself. About friendship, identity, family, ambition, and learning to love while still learning who you are. Kiki is witty, vulnerable, sharp, and deeply human. Malakai is steady, sincere, and compelling.

The spice is thoughtful and meaningful. It adds depth to the story and reflects the emotional evolution of their relationship. It’s intimate in a way that goes beyond the physical.

Babalola’s prose is poetic, funny, and grounded in culture and emotion. She weaves in themes of Black identity, sisterhood, and self-discovery with elegance and heart. This book gave me joy, heartbreak, laughter, longing, and a romance I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

This is soulful writing as its finest. Bolu is so good at her craft. I am an avid romance reader, and words strung together like this are few and far opportunities between. Reading her writing within this characters of Kiki and Malakai felt like my heart was being plucked like it had harp strings. I was enamored from the first chapter, how the writing is a blend of conversational style and poetry. I haven’t read Honey and Spice, so I think you could start here without being confused, I can’t wait to go back and read that as well. Everyone should reach for this book when it releases!

This isn’t a love story. This is a story about love. The messy moments, the stolen glances, the rollercoaster of emotions, the sly smiles- this book has it all.
Bolu Bobalola has done it again, this book was intoxicating. It was everything you want in a follow up novel— The push and pull of hearts, career challenges, the growth and changes of friendships and relationships, it all draws you in. Crossing paths one time with an Ex is always awkward— multiple times is nail biting. I recommended Honey and Spice to so many people, I can’t wait for this novel to come out to share as well.