DEBUT As the host of the popular advice show at her college, sharp-tongued Kiki has plenty of relationship advice to dispense, but when it comes to her own dating life, she guards her heart fiercely. Everything changes when she meets the new guy on campus, Malakai, a sexy film-maker, whose player ways are creating waves among the Black student body. When Kiki and Malakai are thrown together for an academic project, they decide to start a fake relationship in order to ensure the success of their assignments. Will Kiki and Malakai be able to overcome their preconceived notions of each other and get to know their true selves? Will their undeniable chemistry develop into something real? Babalola, author of the short story collection Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold, has written a beautiful and witty novel that's a celebration of love, friendship and Black joy that will wend it's way into readers' hearts. VERDICT Brimming with Afro-Caribbean culture, British banter, pop culture references, and plenty of steam, this book will appeal to fans of the fake dating trope, novels with a well-developed cast of characters, and feminist romances with strong themes of friendship.--Migdalia Jimenez

Babalola's best-selling story collection, Love in Color (2021), proved that she understands the pure magic of a perfect love story. Her first novel is the wonderfully indulgent long-form romance her readers have been waiting for. Kiki Banjo is known on the Whitewell University campus for her sharp tongue, her female-empowering student radio show, Brown Sugar, and her aversion to campus dating. So when she kisses Malakai Korede, the boy she named the "Wasteman of Whitewell," in front of the whole "Blackwellian" student body, her loyal listeners feel betrayed. A fake relationship may be the thing to save their reputations and their futures, as long as they don't allow their feelings to get in the way. Babalola identifies what it truly means to be seen, tapping into the big and small things that can cement or destroy relationships. While many love stories either pit women against one another or ignore women outside the relationship entirely, this story has a strong undercurrent of sisterhood, demonstrating that love comes from all kinds of places, if you're open to it.

Screenwriter Babalola follows up the collection Love in Color with a vivacious and romantic debut novel about a young Black British woman. Kiki Banjo is a second-year student at Whitewell College, and though Kiki zealously guards her own affections, she isn't afraid to dish out relationship advice to members of Whitewell's African-Caribbean Society (jokingly dubbed "Blackwell"). Her campus radio show, Brown Sugar, meanwhile, blends Kiki's brand of spicy, sharp-tongued wisdom with the perfect R&B song for any amorous dilemma. But the ambitious Kiki may have met her match when her favorite professor suggests she pair up on a collaboration with transfer student Malakai Korede. Malakai is an aspiring filmmaker whose undeniable talents (and stunning good looks) hardly make up for being cocky and annoying, but she eventually proposes the two of them pretend to pair up romantically as well, their fake relationship serving as fodder for both of their professional projects. Suffused with music and pop culture references (thanks in large part to Kiki's vast musical knowledge and her talent for puns), their repartee is quick and clever, with the verbal sparring heightening their physical attraction and making the sexy and effervescent story emotionally intimate and hilarious in turn. Babalola's expert handling of the messy vulnerability and joyful exuberance of young love makes this a winner. (July)

A Black British university student explores love and friendship on her radio show in this shining romance debut. Loner Kikiola "Kiki" Banjo is perfectly content with her Switzerland-esque social status at Whitewell College. Uninterested in making any political or social waves, Kiki dedicates all her energy to "Brown Sugar," her show on the college radio station. Her college, called "Blackwell" by the school's Black caucus, is home to a number of cliques and queen bees, but Kiki prefers to stay behind the mic when dealing with any drama between Blackwellian babes and the guys she dubs "Wastemen" ("They waste our time. Waste our energy"). Armed with a sharp tongue and her producer/best friend, Aminah, Kiki hopes the show will land her a spot at New York University's elite summer pop media program, but she needs a community component to really seal the deal. Enter hot transfer Malakai Korede, a film student and "fresh manna from heaven." Despite his recent arrival, his more-than-good looks and charisma have already pitted the independent Blackwell women against each other, and even Kiki finds it difficult to withstand his effortless charm. After an impromptu make-out session spurs their unexpected friendship, Kiki and Malakai decide to combine forces and fake date to add to the credibility of "Brown Sugar" and provide audio for his romance documentary. Suddenly, the walls Kiki built around herself come tumbling down as her relationship with Malakai turns them into local celebrities, and she must come to terms with what it means to step out from the recording booth and actually be seen. Babalola's debut novel is lyrical and sincere, her prose rhythmic: "My smile had had enough of being trapped and spilled out, wide and brazen and messy, dripping everywhere. It soaked through my clothes and into my skin." Kiki is the epitome of cool; her dialogue oozes with confidence, and her biting wit rolls off her tongue with ease--leaving readers wishing they could play her clever disses on repeat like their favorite song. Smooth, sophisticated, and sexy. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.