i read this without reading the description, only knowing it was a continuation of malakai and kiki's story. i WISH y'all could have seen the look of disbelief i had when i realized this was a second-chance romance. because wdym the couple whose story i loved so much ended up breaking up... i could have genuinely lived in ignorant bliss without knowing this piece of information. but i love how she's able to balance such a beautiful love story with such important and heavy topics. the sisterhood in this was such a highlight. it was very easy to see that it wasn't just a focus on her relationship with kai, but with her friends as well (mainly aminah). as always, i lived for the banter it was so fresh and so right.

This book was somehow better than the first. The characters are so real. I usually do not enjoy second chance romances but there was so much love between the two characters. The audiobook added to this story. As someone from the US, I enjoy getting to hear the different accents.

i love them 😭😭😭😭

Honey & Spice is one of my favorite books of all time, so I was SO excited for Sweet Heat and it was everything to me!!! The balance of angst and tension while keeping the quippiness and found family dynamics was so perfectly well done, I couldn't put this book down.

I laughed, and I cried and my heart ached for both Kiki and Kai as they continued to unpack themselves and their traumas and work on it before trying again with each other. It felt so real and authentic to how relationships flow in real life and I just !!!

I thought the way their lives kept intertwining was soooo delicious and added for a lot of really great moments between them. Through everything, they were still everything to each other and you could FEEL it!!! I love this book and I love these characters and I will forever be rereading these two because they are everything to me!!

Kiki and Malakai were always meant to be and MHMMMMMMMMMM this was just delicious! A chef's kiss to doing second chance (a very hard trope) right!

The banter- 10/10
The angst- 10/10
The chemistry- 10/10

JUST SOOOOO GOOD and not everyone can write a romance book with only one POV, so hats off to Bolu

The book was already incredible but the audio production made this one next level. I’m so so obsessed!! 10/10 recommend this on audio!

When I first requested this book, I did not realize it was part of a series. I had not read the first book, Honey & Spice, and a friend advised me to read it first before starting Sweet Heat. I am so glad I took her advice! Honey & Spice was WONDERFUL, and I was so excited to return to the story of Kiki, Malakai, and their friends.

We rejoin Kiki's life several years into the future. She and Malakai are no longer together, and Aminah is about to get married. Reunited as Maid of Honor and Best Man, Kiki and Malakai have to confront the issues that led to their breakup and some lingering feelings they both have. The forced proximity of the wedding and some steamy decisions gives us a second chance romance that absolutely lives up to the standard the first book set.

There are so many things to like about this book and this series. The friendships between the women give so much life to the story with the way they lift each other up but are also not afraid to set each other straight when needed. Both Kiki's and Malakai's characters are very real with relatable struggles, and I loved the way they supported each other even when they weren't together. There are so many examples of them talking each other through difficult decisions and situations without judgement, it's very refreshing to read. The mental health representation is also very well done.

Weruchi Opia did a fantastic job with the narration, bringing both humor and emotion to her performance. She made Malakai's character so magnetic and charming! And I loved both the strength and vulnerability she gave to Kiki's voice. She really brought these characters to life in a powerful way.

Bolu Babalola is definitely a romance writer to watch, and I'll be eagerly awaiting anything else she writes in the future!

Another great audiobook in this series!
I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook for Honey and Spice, and the follow-up did not disappoint!
This is a delicious follow-up to the first.
I am so happy to be back with these characters and experiencing the continued lives of Kiki, Malakai, and the funniest, bestie Aminah!
If you are a fan of second-chance romances, you will love this one.
We rejoin this loveable cast of characters years after college, and Kiki is no longer with Malakai. Kiki is going through life as a young adult, the ups and downs, heartaches, and heartbreaks. But what happens when she and Malakai are thrown together once again?
It is the same great chemistry as before, but layered with the heartbreak of their previous break-up.
The narration brings this story to life and will have you laughing in the right places.
Highly recommended read and audiobook.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperAudio for the advanced listener/ebook copy.
4.5 Stars Overall

This was a super slow burn that I found tough to get into, perhaps because I haven't read the first book and didn't realize this was a sequel until halfway through listening. (To be clear, the blurb said it was a standalone novel but I think I may have enjoyed this more had I read "Honey and Spice"!) The writing was good, and the characters really came to life, I just found the pacing to drag and the slow burn was more tedious than tantalizing.

The narration was excellent, and I'd be interested in listening to more from Weruche Opia.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a hard one for me to get into. It’s a bit if a slow burn. I may try again another time. My focus just wasn’t in it.

Thanks net galley for the ARC.

For those that loved Honey & Spice, it’s no surprise that the writing in this second installment is downright lyrical. The banter was bantering and there were too many good one liners to track. In fact, as I was listening to the ALC I had to request the eARC so probably highlight some all the goodies.

The narrator did a fantastic job articulating the attitude and rizz of these characters, I felt like I was in their brains.

I liked book 1, but this second chance for Kiki and Kai was some much juicer, chocked full of nostalgia and angst.

“Who you are is an abundance, not a burden.” SWOON. The way Kai cheers for her, and is her biggest fan and support, uhhh sexy AF.

Thank you Net Galley, Willow Morrow and Harper Audio for the advanced copy, this was a true delight!!

I could not get into this one for some reason which makes me really sad when I see all the rave reviews. Kiki was a fun character and so was Malakai, but I just was not super interested.

A second chance romance will always get me! Bolu Babalola should never put her pen down.

This book was so good!!! We get to continue the amazing love of Kiki and Malakai. I fell in love with them in Honey and Spice. This book is years later and things have changed between the two of them.

This was about discovery, love, friendship, heartbreak, and family. I loved going through all of it with them. It was a true emotional rollercoaster that I was happy to have been on.

Weruche Opia was absolutely amazing as the narrator!

Picking up three years after Kiki and Malakai’s breakup, you can cut the tension between them with a knife. Kiki has built a life without him, but when they’re thrown back together as maid of honor and best man, all the old feelings come back.

It’s hard to sell me on a second-chance romance because there are very few reasons I’d root for a couple to reunite. But this was second chance at its best (in my opinion). The spark between them is undeniable, the banter(!!) is there, and the flashbacks add just enough detail to keep you hooked on finding out what went wrong in the first place.

You can feel how much they still care about each other, and the story shows how hard it is to grow up, change, and still believe you can have a future with someone from your past.

The book isn’t perfect, and that’s okay. I found the beginning a bit slow, got super fast at the end, and miscommunication only works for so long before it starts to drag, in my opinion. And again, the pop culture references run rampant.

I will say, I wanted more time with Kiki and Malakai once they finally found their way back to each other. Just to see how their relationship had changed and matured.

Overall, Sweet Heat is a story about love, growth, and second chances, and it proves that sometimes going back to the person who broke your heart might be worth it after all.

🎧Audiobook Review – Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 Tropes:
- Second chance romance
- Slow burn (like really slow)
- Forced proximity
- Emotional healing
- Best friend support system
- HEA with a swoony epilogue

💞 The Setup
This is a continuation of Honey & Spice, and yes.......Kiki Banjo and Malakai are back! We get to see them in their adulthood, navigating the messy, beautiful chaos of family expectations, career pressure, and unresolved feelings. You don’t have to read the first book to enjoy this one, but if you did? You’ll catch so many emotional layers and callbacks that make the story even richer.

🔥 The Romance
Let’s talk about the burn. It’s slow. Like, glacial. But the tension between Kiki and Malakai is everything. Every glance, every silence, every moment they try to act like they’re not still in love, it’s all so well done. I did wish they got together a little earlier so we could spend more time with them as a couple, but when it finally happens? Worth the wait.

🙆🏾‍♀️🙆🏾‍♀️ The Friendship
Kiki’s bestie is the kind of friend we all need, loyal, hilarious, and emotionally grounded. Their relationship adds so much heart to the story. It’s a reminder that love stories aren’t just romantic; they’re also about the people who hold us up when life gets hard.

🎧 The Audiobook Experience
I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review, and I’m so glad I listened instead of read. Weruche Opia’s narration is stunning, she captures Kiki’s sass, vulnerability, and emotional depth perfectly. The audio format made the tension and tenderness feel even more real.

💫 The Ending
No spoilers, but yes, there’s an epilogue. A years-later kind of update. And it’s so sweet, so satisfying, so full-circle. I’m a sucker for a good HEA, and this one gave me everything I wanted. Everyone gets what they need, what they deserve, and what they’ve been hoping for.

🌟
If you believe in growth, grace, and the kind of love that finds its way back when the time is right, This is it! Your ex can be your next.............once you’ve grown, healed, and figured out who you are.

I was so excited to receive an audiobook for Sweet Heat. Honey and Spice was one of my favorite reads 2023. The writing is so well done and the narration brings it to another level, especially in the comedic and emotional moments! I highly recommend this novel. It's also important that people read Honey & Spice first to truly understand the characters and their backgrounds.

5⭐ Read — More Than a Second Chance Romance
Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola is so much more than a love story—it’s a layered exploration of the complexities of being a strong Black woman navigating career, friendship, and selfhood. When the FMC and MMC finally find their way back to each other, it’s not framed as a “reward” for good behavior—it’s the sun and moon returning to their rightful places, and suddenly all is right in the world. Poignant, passionate, and deeply satisfying.

I cannot thank you all enough for sharing this advance reader copy.

I started this audiobook new to Kiki and Malakai’s story, and am only sorry I didn’t read Honey and Spice because Babalola’s writing is so rich I devoured every word like a gluttonous beast. And yet I wanted to savor every second and found myself pressing rewind throughout the book to ensure I never missed the experience of a single sentence.

In her late 20’s, Kiki is a 2nd generation Nigerian in London fulfilling maid of honor duties for her best friend Aminah, attempting to start a new career, and help her parents with their failing restaurant. Enter Malakai, best man and the other half in a love so profound its demise was Kiki’s version of an apocalypse.

This is so much more than a simple romance. It is a story of cultural pride and breaking out of societal, racial, and gender constraints. It is a story of friendship, family, and forgiveness, written in a palette as vibrant as sunset.

We experience it all from Kiki’s POV. She has qualities that I wish I had in my twenties and the kind of self determination I hope for my daughters to have. Her conviction is deeply honed and sharp as a knife, consistently defending her from outside assaults on her self worth.

While I’m not generally a fan of revisiting a closed chapter, this story has opened my mind to the idea that sometimes love deserves another chance. The tension in Keke and Malakai’s reunion after almost 3 years is so hot and thick I felt a gaping hole in my own chest, burning with desire and disappointment over an unknown past. Their yearning and chemistry is so intensely and exquisitely expressed.

“Our love was obtrusive and decadent, it coated us, soaked us and maybe that was the issue. It overwhelmed us, bent our bones till we broke.”

The character development and depiction of friends and family is beautiful and seamless, leaving my heart full to the brim. Babalola has a way of making you feel as if you’ve known a character your whole life within a few sentences.

Her writing is funny and soulful and excruciating all at once, expressed with rhythm and poetry like spoken word. It has that momentum of bringing to life a situation or feeling and building to a crescendo until it suddenly pops. And you feel like you are right there, living the moment, experiencing it with all of your senses.

I give this an enthusiastic 4.5 ⭐️’s rounded up. My only criticism is that there were a few spots that, even with rewinding, I couldn’t understand because they were spoken so fast. However, they were not the most important moments in the book and otherwise Opia’s narration is outstanding, giving full justice to the writing.

Many thanks to HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review. I’ve already decided I will be purchasing the first book to hear Kiki and Malakai’s story from the beginning!

My feelings were so hurt reading the first part of this book. When we left Kiki and Malakai in Honey & Spice, we just knew they were meant to be. They were still in uni, young and in love. But fast forward to now, and everything has come crashing down. Hearts and trust have been broken, and what's left is a mess of miscommunication and unresolved tension. Despite it all, Kiki and Malakai are forced to set their differences aside to help their best friends prepare for their wedding.

The banter and commentary between Kiki, Malakai, and their friend group is amazing! Their dynamic had me laughing out loud and, at times, crying (more than once, actually). Sweet Heat brings back the same signature banter and emotional depth we loved in Honey & Spice, but now layered with the growing pains of adulthood—and yes, a little more spice. 🤭

The book has the perfect balance between emotion and spice. One moment I was blushing, the next I was frustrated and teary-eyed. It captures how dating young and trying to grow together as adults isn’t always easy—people grow, careers evolve, and life gets messy. But it also reminds us that what really matters is communication. Being able to show up for your person, to share the load, and to face life together. Because you don’t have to go through it alone.
I think that’s why I love second chance romances so much—they remind us that even love with a history, can in some cases, still have a future.

I recently went back to reread Honey & Spice to prepare for the Sweet Heat ARC to make sure I remembered everything. This time instead of reading my physical copy I decided to listen to the audio and I’m so glad I did! When I realized the same narrator, Weruche Opia, was narrating I had to request the audio. Weruche does an amazing job of pulling you into the story and making you feel what the characters are experiencing. Not only was this a great story but it was narrated beautifully.

I most definitely would recommend this book! You will not be disappointed!
Thank you, NetGalley, William Morrow, and HarperAudio Adult for the eARC and ALC.

Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola
Rating: 5⭐️
Pub Date: Sep 2, 2025

♡alc + arc review♡
i loved <I>honey & spice</i> but the one thing i was missing was a proper epilogue in the future. when i saw balu babalola was writing a sequel, i was screaming 🦅🦅🦅

<I>sweet heat</i> was everything i wanted for a glimpse in the future. while i'm sad that my favorite cutie couple broke up, i was SAT for the second chance romance!!!! second chance is one of my favorite romance tropes especially when done right and listen, this was so good.

<b>malakai×kiki</b> have to come together as maid of honor + best man for their best friends wedding. the forced proximity and sexual tension had me about to gnaw my fist off. i also love that <b>kiki</b> is still friends with the same girls from university.

<b>
♡8 years after <I>honey & spice</i> [3 years post breakup]
♡black love
♡second chance
♡forced proximity
♡british rom-com
</b>

<I>sweet heat</i> is everything i love about second chance. it was an emotional rollercoaster full of angst, chemistry, banter!!!!!, tension, yearning, friendship, music and humor.

🎧the audiobook is excellent. 5/5 stars! weruche opia does a great job bringing <I>sweet heat</i> to life. she is the same narrator as <I>honey & spice</i>. she adds sooo much to the stories. her accents, the delivery of humor.... she's a phenomenal narrator. i highly recommend the audio version!!

<b><U>quotes i like:</U>
╰┈❥Of course, Malakai has managed to be approximately 2.75 times more attractive than the last time I saw him, when he was already insanely attractive. Right now, I can’t help but feel that this is to spite me. Breaking my heart wasn’t enough – he had to go ahead and get finer too

╰┈❥Kiki Banjo. The one and only.’
‘Aw. Did you search for others in your travels?’
‘Nah. I figured that one was more than enough for a lifetime.’

╰┈❥‘I’m being polite.’
‘I prefer you rude.’

╰┈❥‘I slipped to the bar downstairs. Asked for the second finest scotch in this place.’

╰┈❥I can’t imagine a world where I would ever feel unsafe with Malakai. At least not in that way. Romantically, though, he might be a death trap.

╰┈❥Instead, I reach my hand out underwater for his. His hand clasps around mine immediately. It feels like a secret. In this underground indoor pool in this secret garden, underwater, we can hold hands and no one will know. We barely know.

╰┈❥Who you are is an abundance, not a burden.’His gaze blazes into me. ‘You’re my abundance.’

╰┈❥‘you’re the only thing on earth I want to run to. I can’t run from you –you’re part of me. The best part of me. The only person I’m sure I’ll find in the dark. And I did. In my darkest moments, I still saw you. Still knew I was capable of feeling something because of you. You’re the only person I’ve ever chosen, but it never felt like a choice, it felt like instinct

╰┈❥I just want to exist near you. The fact that you let me in is a blessed bonus. I just want to be next to you. Talk to you. Touch you. Every time I see you, I’m thinking, God, how? How are you possible? I’m thinking about how I can’t believe I had you, that I let you go. I think about how I’ve never had a friend like you and never will. Because, really, you’re my best friend.
</b>

<u>things i didn't like: </u>
×the drama in the last 25% was a lot...
× I wanted more scenes with malakai and kiki
×the beginning was very slow but it picked up for me around 30% once malakai finally showed up lol

♡♡thank you so much netgalley, harper audio adult + william morrow//william morrow paperbacks for an alc + arc♡♡

I love this book so much. It is the sequel to Honey & Spice, so make sure to read that one first.

Bolu has magic with Kiki and Kai. The connection between them is palpable and it feels like you’re right there with them. The audiobook narrator is absolutely amazing. You could hear the emotion in her delivery which made me tear up a few times. The only negative I have is that I want more of them.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book.