With Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola i was completely entertained but this is 100% a right book wrong person situation!

I did have the eARC audiobook and the narrator was great and brought the book to life.

Objectively this book is great. It just wasn’t my favorite. This book has/is miscommunication trope-heavy. It’s a second-chance romance and the two main characters and just not on the same page the entire time. The tension was great but I felt a little exhausted by it by the end. If those things don’t bother you, the book is honestly great!

I did enjoy jumping timelines and they had great chemistry and steamy passion. I loved the cultural elements and character development. There was awesome character growth all around.

The plot is unique and interesting.

I do recommend this though because reading is subjective and this was well written and entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio Adult for the gifted eARC Audiobook in exchange for my honest report.

Do you ever read a romance and think it's not realistic for those two people to be together forever?

This is not that story. I am not ✨usually✨ a second-chance romance girly; however, an exception had to be made for my girl Bolu Babalola's sequel to Honey & Spice. When Sweet Heat picks up years later, Kai and Kiki have been broken up for three years, are focused on their careers, and are living separate lives on two different continents, but their best friends' wedding forces them back together as best man and maid of honor. As the book digs into what happened and why, I was going through it—the yearning, the angst, the history here—with Kai and Kiki. There's a real intimacy in this story, not only in the main love story but also in the female friendships. These characters have grown up, and their capacity to love each other has only continued to evolve too.

On a personal note, I'm half Nigerian (but don't know my dad) and love all the cultural context in Bolu Babalola's books. Weruche Opia truly captured Kiki perfectly in her narration. Thank you to Netgalley, William Morrow, and HarperAudio for the eARC and ALC of Sweet Heat! ❤️‍🔥

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I really enjoyed entering back into Kiki and Malakai's world! When the premise started when following them after their breakup, I was so sad that they lost their way from one another, but it was satisfying to see them find each other again and trust one another.

You can really tell that Bolu Babalola took her time to write this because each word was purposeful and impactful. I was initially listening to the audiobook and I had to stop and read the physical book as well because her prose was so powerful that I knew that I was would feel their impact more reading the words. I have highlighted so many passages that sometimes almost the whole page was highlighted!

We find Kiki at a turning point in her life and career. She is determining the next move after leaving her very successful podcast while her best friend, Aminah is getting married and she has to balance maid of honor duties. These duties also include working together with her ex-boyfriend, Malakai, after separating from their five year relationship. The tension, buried pain, and undeniable connection are so evident throughout the book and it was so good!

This book tackles emotional intimacy, self-discovery, grief, trust, friendship, and family expectations. I love second chance romance because it always shows the importance of forgiveness, re=establishing trust, and creating open communication. Sometimes it can be the wrong time, but the right person and I love their journeys back to one another. If you loved Honey and Spice, you must read this one. If you love second chance romance, this might be your next favorite book!

First, Bolu Babalola's writing in Sweet Heat is poetic, sharp, and engaging—pretty much right from the start I was pulled into this story. The banter was funny and witty, the spice was passionate and intimate, and Malakai and Kiki are older, a little bit wiser, and more settled into who they want to be. While I feel like they're two people who can hurt each other the most, they are also two people who can lift each other up, love each other, and support each other the way no one else in their lives can. Their bond established in college remains even through some of the hardest moments in their relationship because of this.

I was so excited to hear that Honey & Spice was getting a sequel, but when I heard this was a second-chance romance, I admittedly got a little scared of picking this up, despite that being one of my favorite tropes. Where they left off in Honey & Spice was so strong that I was terrified to learn what split them up. But I should've trusted Babalola to provide a satisfying journey for their second chance, because there were so many things I loved about this story.

I enjoyed the pacing, the flashbacks to the unraveling of their relationship, and the present-day passion project they team up with Taré on. In many ways, their partnership served as a full circle moment for their relationship and careers, and I appreciated seeing their growth.

I will say I struggled with the side characters/subplots. I found Aminah to be self-absorbed and mean, and Bakari was boring AND delusional, and Taré was uninteresting despite being described as such an interesting person. I also feel like if you are someone who is fatigued by social media references, pop culture, and the name-dropping of artists, you might struggle with this one. If seeing Beyoncé mentioned frequently in Honey & Spice got on your nerves, don't say I didn't warn you.

As for the audiobook, I found it mostly fine. I repeatedly caught up in hearing the narrator swallow, her throat clicking, and other various mouth noises, but I feel like that is very much a me issue. However, I think it's worth bringing up for people who also get caught up on things like that.

Thank you to HarperAudio Adult, William Morrow, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC and ARC!

5 ⭐️
3.5 🌶️

Happy pub week to Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola! I started this one and didn’t realize it was a sequel (maybe because a description I read said it’s a standalone?), so stopped to read Honey & Spice which has been on my list. I’m so grateful to @williammorrowbooks for copies of both and to HarperAudio for an ALC of Sweet Heat.

Honey & Spice sets up the relationship between sharp-tongued college radio host Kiki who councils the women of the African-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University to stay out of “situationships” with unworthy suitors and Malakai, an aspiring filmmaker and possible walking situationship. You should definitely read this one first.

Sweet Heat picks up eight years later. Kiki hosts a popular podcast about relationships. Or she did before the producers suggested she bring on a co-host to boost ratings who clashes with everything Kiki believes in. She’s in a relationship that she’s not sure she’s feeling, she’s still not over her last heart altering break up, and now she’s at a crossroads in her career. When her best friend announces her engagement, Kiki realizes that being the maid of honor will mean coming face to face with Malakai, the guy who broke her heart.

There’s a lot to love in these books. Great culture, great food descriptions, amazing friendships, and some really mature conversations between Kiki and Malakai. I loved how easily he was able to apologize and own things he’d done. I single him out because I think it happens less often with men. Ultimately, I think most romance readers will love these books.

For me, there was a little too much drama, a few too many times someone crossed a line and had to apologize later, and a few too many female empowerment speeches. I don’t think it helped that I read these books back to back. The overall arc of each was very similar, and I didn’t love the reason for their initial break up. It might be a good idea to break these up with a few books in between.

Weruche Opia narrated both audiobooks and she absolutely brings the fire required to Kiki’s character. I can’t imagine anyone else in the role. I would definitely recommend the audiobooks.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, HarperAudio Adult, for letting me listen to an eARC of this book! This book came out on September 2, 2025.

This book is the sequel to Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola! In this one we’re following our 2 main characters Malakai and Kiki about 8 years after Honey & Spice concludes. You learn quickly that they dated for 5 years before unexpectedly breaking up, and the story starts about 3 years after their breakup. We follow as Kiki is helping her best friend with wedding festivities as her best friend from uni is getting married! Kiki quickly finds out that Kai is the best man and that she’s going to see him sooner than she anticipated. Things go from there as the wedding looms closer, and Kiki and Kai are thrown together due to unforeseen circumstances.

I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical going into this book once I found out it’s about Kiki and Kai. I didn’t know where the story was going to go and how the author could pull off a believable storyline since they were so in love where we left them. I concede that I was wrong to doubt Bolu Babalola’s storytelling skills because wow, I was hooked from the start!

This book was so full of yearning. I loved every tension-filled moment that we got between Kiki and Kai. They both were pining after each other every second they were together, and I loved it. The storyline also made so much sense to me. I really enjoyed the plot where we see that both Kiki and Kai are still figuring things out career wise. I thought that was a relatable touch to the novel & it felt like a genuine plot beat for them. Additionally, with the plot, the storyline surrounding the wedding was well fleshed out in my opinion.

Overall, I really loved this book! As mentioned, I wasn’t sure where this one was going, but I think Bolu Babalola really pulled off a wonderful second chance romance! I highly recommend you read this book!

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook for review. All opinions are my own. Thanks to HarperAudio and William Morrow for the ALC!

This book feels like an epic poem. The prose is lyrical and poetic, almost reminiscent of Maya Angelou. Babalola's words are almost as delicious as the food Kiki's parents serve in their restaurant. Following along with Kiki as she navigates a new world in which she's lost her job and has to spend time with her ex feels like listening to a friend tell their story.

I really enjoyed this one and I think the narrator was the perfect choice!

(I'm not super set on my rating, so if that changes, I'll update accordingly.)

Happy release week to the book that truly made me feel like one day someone could see all my broken parts and still see me as whole.

Sweet Heat follows Malachi and Kiki, a pair who dated in college but have since broken up in the years after. The two are forced back into each other’s lives as their mutual friends are getting married, and readers get a firsthand look at what has happened since we saw the happy couple in Honey and Spice.

I laughed. I cried. I sobbed, whole body sobbed. Bolu has such a GIFT for making these characters feel like friends, feel like family. The banter between Malachi and Kiki is the stuff folks dream of, truly the language of love - seeing these two interact is so...delicious.

This book explores love, and loss, and what happens when your life just doesn’t look anything like your plans. I think this was just a beautifully written story about how even sometimes love isn’t enough, but sometimes, that love can bring you back where you belong. That love gives you roots, lets you grow. I can’t even put into words how much this story resonated with me - all those human emotions of feeling like you’re too much, feeling like deeply alone even when you’re surrounded by people, feeling as if your very existence is hanging on by the thinnest of threads because surely no one else has ever felt what you’re feeling and couldn’t possibly understand - Bolu highlights beautifully.

SPOILER (ish)



Lastly, for anyone who has to try to love through and/or after an extreme life change, please read this book. Can I be vulnerable for a sec? As someone who is actively working through grief, I am not always my best self. I shut down a lot. I can be short when speaking - a lot. All with the intention of protecting loved ones from it all - like a very misguided way to keep them away from the pain? Unburdened. And the worst part is, it’s genuinely like…watching a train wreck? I can see it happening, but my heart and head, which know the people checking on me are doing so out of love, don’t always connect. It’s hard. Everything is hard.

That being said, seeing Bolu dissect human emotions and reactions the way she does? Made me feel seen. Made me feel like - maybe there is a light at the end of a very dark tunnel. I’ve never connected with a story so much as I have this one.

So to anyone reading this, you deserve a full love. A love that transcends. A love like Malachi and Kiki’s.

Bolu and William Morrow thank you will never be enough.

Additionally, please, please give this narrator their flowers - they did a PHENOMENAL JOB. I was literally doing a DIY project and had to run to my physical book because the narration had me SOBBING and I had to look the book in its eye.

I will be being very very extremely annoying to everyone I know in making them read it lol. Thank you thank you thank you!

LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCHHHHHHH. I have so many thoughts, but also am so excited by the ending that I can't put them into words.

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola

Ok I know that second chance romance is usually not people’s favorite but it is one of mine & I’m here to say this one DELIVERED! This is the second book in the series so make sure you read Honey & Spice first. Somehow Babalola convinced me in the first book that these characters were made for each other, had them break up, and then 1000% convinced me again in Sweet Heat that they belonged together 👏🏼 I ate every bit of this up!

We will get to the romance in a second but let me just say one of my favorite things about this series is the female friendships. I texted @naesnextchapter after the very first chapter about how much these girls had me laughing. The sass is sassin!!! I could not get enough of Kiki & Aminah’s banter.

As far as the romance, I loved every bit of Kiki & Malakai finding themselves as adults and falling back into one another. It was mature, full of tension, and so tender. My emotions were all over the place!

This entire friend group has my heart. They’ve all experienced major life changes and they always have each others’ backs. And I cannot begin to count how many times this book had me laughing out loud!!!

Read if you love:
-sarcastic banter
-second chance romance with forced proximity
-amazing friend group
-raw emotions & heartache
-incredible audio 🎧

I started off with the audio while following along with my physical but I ultimately did most audio because I am OBSESSED with @werucheopia ‘s voice. Please try the audio for this series, I’m begging you! Huge thank you to @harperaudio for the ALC! Tysm to @williammorrowbooks as well for the gifted copy! 🩷 this one pub’d a couple days ago!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

KiKi finds out that her best friend is getting married the same night she and her boyfriend decide to take a break. Part of her being maid of honor means she has to deal with Malakai, the best man and her first love.

He shows up at the engagement party and they have heated words. Then he waits with her while she is waiting for her ride to go home that ends up cancelling. He invites her to his room to charge her phone. One thing leads to another and they sleep together. It was only supposed to be to get it out of their system. But it ends with hard feelings.

Then, on top of the wedding, they end up having to work together on what is both of their’s dream project. A lot of things happen over the next few months that they work together but it is clear they both still have feelings for each other. But there is also a lot of hurt feelings and tension. They have to survive working together and being around each other for their best friends’ wedding.

First of all, this book was so good. The prose was so well done. I thoroughly enjoyed the description and language used. The trope was second chance, which I enjoy. I don’t care for the wedding forcing people together trope but this was well done. All in all, this was an amazing book.

Sweet Heat is a sizzling, second-chance romance that pairs emotional depth with sharp wit. Kiki Banjo—once a confident podcast host—is wrestling with a collapsing career, family strain, and the looming pressure of being her friend’s maid of honor. Enter her ex, Malakai—now a Hollywood-bound director and best man—whose return ignites both old wounds and irresistible chemistry. Babalola weaves sparkling banter, rich cultural nuance, and layered character growth into a tale that’s as heartfelt as it is steamy. With its blend of humor, emotional realism, and romantic tension, Sweet Heat is romance at its most deliciously compelling.

WOWOWOW honestly I was blown away by this book!!! I didn't think Honey & Spice could be topped for me, but Bolu Babalola has simply done it again and I'm already planning my reread. Weruche Opia ATE THIS NARRATION UP!!

Kiki and Kai are everything to me, full stop. It was so difficult starting this book knowing they were going to not be together, but then I locked in and remembered that "Second Chance" means I just had to be patient. And it was worth the wait!! Despite a lot of back and forth, a lot of two steps forward//8 steps backward moments, Kiki and Kai have grown so much in their time apart and I love the people they've become, especially with each other. They're soulmates, end of story! The only thing I disliked in this book was Aminah's wedding tunnel vision—like I fully get it but I wish that had been resolved a little bit earlier? Otherwise this book was perfect.

Sweet Heat picks up right after Honey & Spice, continuing Malakai and Kiki’s story beautifully. Their connection is magnetic, full of tenderness, passion, and the kind of chemistry that makes their love feel inevitable, even through misunderstandings and life’s challenges. The wedding planning and celebratory moments added warmth and joy, while the friendships and community made the world feel alive. Weruche Opia’s narration brought the dialogue, rhythm, and cultural layers to life, making the audiobook experience immersive and vibrant. Overall, Sweet Heat is heartfelt, swoony, and deeply romantic—a joyful, wholesome read that stays with you long after the last page.

Kiki Banjo is back! I fell in love with Kiki and Malakai in Honey and Spice, and when I realized they weren't together at the beginning of Sweet Heat, I was shocked and scared for their future, but I should never have doubted Bolu Babalola and her incredible plotting. This second chance romance is everything you could want for Kiki and Malakai as they learn how to love each other again from a more stable, mature position. Watching them move from bitter exes back to end game was so satisfying. The writing? Electric. The vibes? Immaculate. The steam? So hot. I adored this older iteration of Kiki and Malakai, and I'm so glad we got this second chapter. I didn't know I needed it, but I absolutely did.

The narration was perfect. Weruche Opia delivered an impeccable performance, seamlessly shifting her accents for different characters, bringing each of them to life. If you have the option, I'd strongly recommend the audiobook. I listened in one long go because I was captivated.

Thank you so much to Harper Audio for my ALC and William Morrow for my beautiful, finished copy.

Honey & Spice is one of the greatest romance novels I've ever read, so when I saw Bolu Babalola was coming out with a sequel, I think I actually squealed in delight. I could not waitttt to get back into this world with these characters. Sweet Heat is a second chance romance. It shows our love interests from the first book coming back together after being broken up for a few years. I love the concept. I love that it shows there isn't always a PERFECT happily ever after once the book ends. It's realistic, raw, and genuine. Kudos all around for that.

There was just something about this one that I couldn't connect with as well as the first book. While I appreciated the concept and writing style, the overall execution was a bit disjointed and lingered. This book was far longer than it needed to be, and most, but not all, of the tiny conflicts thrown in felt unnecessary. While still a fantastic romance, there was a lot I'd take out to make each scene more impactful. It started feeling repetitive in the end and I kind of slogged through it. Especially the spicy scenes. I believe there were three or four in total and honestly, they all kinda seemed the same.

Still- I love these characters. The whole crew is fantastic, really. And I love the writing so much that I'll always read anything Babalola puts out. Also, the audio is the perfect way to go for this one. It sets the stage so well and adds endless amounts of life to each character. I also listened to Honey & Spice and loved it, so I was thrilled to see Weruche Opia returning to narrate this. She's so iconic.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperAudio, and William Morrow for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are, as always, my very own.

----------------------------------------------------

reading thoughts

24%: Another most anticipated release that isn’t doing it for me. 😭😭 It’s early still on this one, but I’m just not getting the point. Writing style is peak, as ever. It’s just the story that I’m kind of slogging through. Hopefully it picks up!

When I read Honey & Spice, I was blown away and did not expect to have the same feeling after finishing the sequel! I didn't think there was much more we needed to hear about in Kiki's life, but boy was I wrong. I loved continuing the story and learning how people have grown and where their lives have taken them after Uni. There was the perfect amount of friction and love all at the same time. Highly recommend these two books to anyone who needs a new romance author!

I read and listened to this one since I got an ARC of both and it was such a great experience. The audiobook was great for getting integrated more fully in Kiki's life and then reading the ebook was great for really wanting to immerse even more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for the audiobook and ebook ARCs!

This is the follow up to Honey & Spice. It's 8 years later and Kiki and Malik are no longer together. However, when Malik returns to London from the US for their friends' wedding they ended up getting job offers that would make them coworkers.

It was a good story bout adult friendships/framilies, second chance romances, and sometimes we overthink certain situations that color our feelings, when the reality is actually the opposite and we'd know that if we'd just communicate sooner than later.

🔥 alc review: sweet heat🔥

🌟🌟🌟🌟.💫/🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you to HarperAudio Adult for an ALC of Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola! I was stalking NetGalley for this to become available so I was stoked to get a chance to listen to one of my favorite audiobooks from this year!!

I honestly was so surprised to learn that the follow up was years later and Kiki and Malakai had broken up. The way I was shook?! I honestly thought their ending was HEA (clearly I was wrong). But, reading them coming back together was a bittersweet journey.

This book picks up 5 years after honey & spice. We slowly learn throughout the book why things ended and watch them pick up the pieces and come back together. We also get to see a changing dynamic between all the characters and their friendships in honey & spice.

Since book 1 takes place in college the shift from early adulthood to late 20s was apparent in how certain conflicts were handled. I was also sadly relating to a lot of the struggles that Kiki was going through with her career and trying to find out what she truly wants and where she belongs.

The narrator once again does a FANTASTIC job of immersing you in the story. I freaking loved how I felt like I was experiencing the story as well. Also the London/African accent (chefs kiss!).

Tropes:

🔥second chance romance
🔥angsty af
🔥forced proximity
🔥flashback scenes

Thank you again to Harper audio for an ALC!

Audiobook/Book Review 🧡📖🎧🔥
Thank you partner @williammorrowbooks + Harper Adult for the gifted copy + audiobook!

Sweet Heat: A Novel
by Bolu Babalola
Narrated by Weruche Opia

About the book 👇🏽

Twenty-eight-year-old Kiki Banjo hosts the popular podcast The HeartBeat, solving romantic conundrums and dishing out life advice. But behind the mic, career setbacks and a devastating breakup have left her hanging on by a thread. As she’s preparing to be the Maid of Honor in her best friend’s wedding, everything starts to unravel, and Kiki is left wondering if she ever had the answers.

Then Kiki finds herself face-to-face with the Best Man, her ex-boyfriend, Malakai—the smooth-talking, absurdly handsome, annoyingly perceptive man who stole her heart and then shattered it. While Kiki’s approaching rock bottom, Malakai’s been on the rise as a filmmaker, and now they have no choice but to play nice until the wedding is over. Both are hell-bent on ignoring the smoldering chemistry between them, but they can’t ignore the spark that’s only getting hotter.


🔥My thoughts:

Ahh yes! Another fantastic second chance romance that’ll make anyone swoon! I did not realize that this was a sequel but I can say that not reading the first book did not hinder how much I enjoyed this book. I ended up splitting my time between physical read and audiobook listen and had such a good time with both! The audiobook narrator was definitely the right choice to bring this story to life. There’s something about second chances that really just does it for me and in Sweet Heat it hit all the spots. With the relationship history, their chemistry, and real life challenges of making them all mesh… trying to find the balance and navigate life was just all so relatable. Not to mention the friendship aspect of this book was just as good as the romance for me. If you enjoy emotional rekindling and books where both romantic relationships and friendships shine, you need to pick this one up! Sweet Heat is out TODAY 9/2/25!


Happy reading 🎧📖 🧡🔥