Yinka, Where is your Huzband? - Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

Genre: Adult Fiction | Romance | Womens Fiction

Release Date: Expected 31st March 2022

Publisher: Penguin UK

Huzband (pronounced auz-band) noun
1. A male partner in a marriage
E.g. Yinka's younger sister, Kemi, is married to Uche
2. A non-existent man in a non-existent marriage whose whereabouts is often asked of, usually by Nigerian mums and aunties to single British Nigerian women
E.g. So, Yinka. Tell me. Where is your huzband? Ah, ah. You're thirty-one now!

Yinka has her own house, her own car, a degree from Oxford and a successful career... but she doesn't have a husband. Much to the chagrin of her mother, who's sure she could pick one out, and the rest of her family who can't understand the idea of being single at 31.

But for Yinka, being a single Londoner in her thirties who doesn't believe in sex before marriage isn't exactly making things easy for her. But when another cousin gets engaged, she's determined to at least have a date for the wedding and maybe be able to finally answer that question. But Yinka is going to find much more than just a few phone numbers on her quest for a date ...

Okay, first of all this cover - how could I not pick this one up? YWIYH is a hilariously feel-good story with a beautiful glow shining through every single page. This was so much more than a love story - it was about finding yourself, finding your roots and finding love all wrapped up in a bow, and also raised thought-provoking points about colourism, racism and peer pressure.

I adored Yinka, she was an absolute delight to read about - she didn't always make the best decisions, she got herself into awkward situations and made countless mistakes, but she perfectly captured a sort-of adult who's just trying their best to keep up with the pressures they're feeling from family, friends and society. She broke my heart, infuriated me and made me laugh within just lines of each other. The supporting cast all stood out on their own - all beautiful and relatable and so distinct.

A stunning, fun story about self love and self worth, with a brilliant cast brimming with personality - this has been called the most hotly anticipated debut of 2022 by a lot of other reviewers and I cannot disagree there.

Now, Lizzie, Where is your next book?

Content warnings: This book contains sensitive content including racism, colourism, peer pressure and death.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review.

Comments

REVIEW: This Could Be Us by Clare McGowan

Genre: Fiction | Literary Fiction Release Date: Expected 1st June 2023 Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group | Corsair Kate has done the unthinkable. She'd worked hard to build a perfect life for herself, while ignoring her growing unhappiness. But when her second child was born profoundly disabled, reality hit. Unable to cope, Kate left - disappearing without a trace. She ends up in LA, with a glittering career and a new family of sorts, but the guilt is still suffocating. Husband Andrew was left to pick up the pieces and care for their disabled daughter and angry, confused son. Bereft and broken, he leaned on Olivia, Kate's best friend. She's been by his side ever since, ignoring her own needs to meet his. Years later, Andrew has written a memoir about his daughter learning to communicate against all odds. But when Kate's new producer husband decides he wants to make a film of it, their worlds collide once again. Now, Kate must return to the life she abandoned and reck...

REVIEW: Live, Laugh, Lesbian by Helen Scott

Genre: Non-Fiction | Memoir | LGTBQ+ Release Date: 19th October 2023 Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Part memoir, part guide, part conversation and all queer joy — Live, Laugh, Lesbian is a brilliantly warm and friendly journey into the queer experience, not only from the author but from plenty of other lesbian, queer, bisexual and pansexual contributors who bring a unique viewpoint and voice and also show a beautiful diverse, intersectional scope of the queer spectrum and welcomes in queer people and allies of any kind to come feel the love. The book is very conversational, talking to the reader in a fun, friendly way — at times I rolled my eyes as the use of “famalam” but as a previous patron of Colours and Chicagos I’m not in a position to judge the Essex-isms. It’s full of anecdotes and observations that were witty and relatable as well as talking is through the more difficult side of queerness like dealing with workplace discrimination, religious trauma and coming out to family...

BOOK TOUR STOP x RANDOM THINGS TOURS: Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen

" This town has secrets that are best left alone." Author Hannah is a success, on paper at least. She's receiving critical acclaim and praise worldwide and her work is regarded as some of the best. She writes literature, not just books. But the reality is, outside of the literary circles nobody actually reads her work. But when she finally snaps at a book event and publicly criticises the genre fiction books that outsell hers, claiming they're easy and mindless she's challenged to write her own crime fiction novel in just thirty days by an author she loathes. Desperate not to lose to him, her editor arranges for her to spend a month in a quiet, cold village in Iceland hoping that the solitude will spark inspiration. But instead of writing a murder story - she's in one . Just before she arrives, the body of a young man is pulled from the icy waters and her search for ideas soon becomes a search for a killer. And if she's not careful, she might end up the...

On Bee's Bookshelf

Search This Blog