Book Review: The Sweetest Remedy by Jane Igharo

Title: The Sweetest Remedy
Author: Jane Igharo
Genre: Romance
Publication Date: September 28, 2021
Publisher: Berkley Books

Hannah Bailey has never known her father, the Nigerian entrepreneur who had a brief relationship with her white mother. Because of this, Hannah has always felt uncertain about part of her identity. When her father dies, she's invited to Nigeria for the funeral. Though she wants to hate the man who abandoned her, she's curious about who he was and where he was from. Searching for answers, Hannah boards a plane to Lagos, Nigeria.

In Banana Island, one of Nigeria's most affluent areas, Hannah meets the Jolades, her late father's prestigious family--some who accept her and some who think she doesn't belong. The days leading up to the funeral are chaotic, but Hannah is soon shaped by secrets that unfold, a culture she never thought she would understand or appreciate, and a man who steals her heart and helps her to see herself in a new light.
 

Rating

*A Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this. This is my honest and unbiased review*

 Hello Fellow Readers,

I was really excited to see that Igharo had another book coming out, since I really liked the Ties that Tether. So I pretty much jumped at the chance to read this. This book, like Igharo's previous one, not only gives you a spicy romance but has a lot of other themes including family. The main character Hannah just recently lost her absentee father, a product of an affair she makes the decision to fly to Nigeria and meet her half siblings. She also meets the very sexy Lawrence who is single.

This book is much more than a romance, Igharo gives you a peak into the Jolades family. While Hannah is a main character each of her half siblings do have a POV as well as Lawrence. Despite the multiple POVs I was never lost on who was talking, each character had their own distinct voice and characteristics, admittedly some more than others.

 I did have a small problem with the romance as it seemed like instalove which did bother me a little. Also, some conflicts seemed a little cliche and I was able to guess a lot of the plot, which took away from it a little bit. I really loved Hannah though, she was very real and honest which endeared her to me. 

Overall, a solid book about finding family with a good romance thrown in.

Ties That Tether; Jane Igharo

Title: Ties That Tether
Author: Jane Igharo
Genre: Romance
Publication Date: September 29, 2020
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group

When a Nigerian woman falls for a man she knows will break her mother’s heart, she must choose between love and her family.

At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture even after emigrating to Canada. Her mother has been vigilant about helping--forcing--her to stay well within the Nigerian dating pool ever since. But when another match-made-by-mom goes wrong, Azere ends up at a bar, enjoying the company and later sharing the bed of Rafael Castellano, a man who is tall, handsome, and white.

When their one-night stand unexpectedly evolves into something serious, Azere is caught between her growing feelings for Rafael and the compulsive need to please her mother who will never accept a relationship that threatens to dilute Azere's Nigerian heritage.

Azere can't help wondering if loving Rafael makes her any less of a Nigerian. Can she be with him without compromising her identity? The answer will either cause Azere to be audacious and fight for her happiness or continue as the compliant daughter.

*A Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This is my honest and unbiased review*

Review

Hello Fellow Readers,

I really loved this book and fell in love with the characters. Azere was just so realistic and amazing, I knew from the very first chapter that I would just love her and I was right. While she was such a strong character, she had her insecurities and vulnerabilities. Rafael was great too, and it was nice to read his point of view and meet his family, but I was just more more invested in Azere's chapters.

Igharo has a way of writing so well that you can really feel the emotions and tension leap from the page. My emotions, when reading this, were all over the place but in a good way. I gotta admit that when I was nearing the end, I really didn't want it to be over. I wanted to continue Azere and Rafael's story, but I was really grateful for the epilogue that ended and wrapped up the story beautifully.

 I gotta say that being a biracial child, the tension of two different cultures trying to come together was captured so well and you could really feel the way Azere was being torn in two separate directions. This story really had me on the edge of my seat and I could do nothing but continue reading because I had to see how it ends.

Overall, this was such a great book and I wish it didn't have to end.