July 5, 2022

The Complexities of Romance

Bolu Babalola on celebrating love that centers on women

The Complexities of Romance

Bolu Babalola on celebrating love that centers on women

As a writer, I’m all about celebrating love that centers on women: our desires, and being desired, and being empowered by love… and Honey & Spice, my debut novel, is no different in that respect!

Honey and Spice is a campus rom com set in England that centers on Kiki Banjo, a girl with a sharp tongue and a soft heart (even though she tries to hide it). On her radio show, she gives relationship advice to the women of Whitewell University. There is one particular guy she has warned her girls about: Malakai Korede. And of course—because this is a rom com—through a series of events, she ends up in a fake relationship with him to salvage her reputation with her listeners, the demographic she loves and treasures so much. Malakai’s also hoping to save his reputation through the arrangement. But obviously things aren’t as simple as they seem…

My book explores the complexities of romance—how appearances can be deceiving, learning to let people in, learning to trust someone, and building a community (not just for the main couple, but for the whole girl gang at Whitewell). It’s a sexy romance that also celebrates the importance of friendship.

I really loved getting to know Kiki and Malakai and their whole crew, and I learned so much from them—I didn’t want to leave! Kiki and Malakai were a delight to create. It was like I was just a vessel for them as I wrote.

I can’t wait for you to meet the gang at Whitewell University! I can’t wait for you to get to know Kiki! I can’t wait for you to have a crush on Malakai! I really hope you love Honey and Spice.

GIVEAWAY: We’re selecting 5 lucky winners to receive a copy of our July Pick, Spectacular Things, by @BeckDoreyStein so you can read along with us ✨

To ENTER:
1. Like this post 💙
2. Follow @reesesbookclub and @hellosunshine
3. Tag a friend!

Giveaway ends 7/8/25 at 11:59 PT. (5) winners will be notified by DM from @reesesbookclub. No purchase necessary. U.S. only. See official rules in our link in bio.
Prepare to get lost in a sea of pages, our July pick has arrived! ✨ 

Dive in to Spectacular Things, by @beckdoreystein, a tender portrait of sisters, love, and ambition.

Let the story unfold at our link in bio.
"'You’re a human,' I say. 'The machine can try to compress you into something two dimensional, digestible, but that’s not you. And we’re not here to service the machine."'

📷: @noelles.reads
"I just think that maybe happiness isn’t crossing a finish line, or finally meeting the right person or getting the right job or finding the right life. It’s the little things.”

📷: @catherines_shelf
Our summer TBR is heating up ☀️ To kick it off, we are sharing the stacked June class of Reese’s Book Club! Which ones are you reading this season?
"There’s a certain kind of magic in picking up a book you just know will leave a mark." 

📷+💬: @philinthebookverse
"Even as my mind fades, I give my story to you, you who know in the same way that I know, their power. I have lived mine, and you have lived yours."

Inspiring words from The Phoenix Pencil Company and the power of story☀️
Sun's out, book's out ☀️ Enjoying the sunshine with a book we can't put down, Stuck Up and Stupid by @angourierice & @katericewriter.
Want to know the secrets behind writing those heart-pounding romance novels? @yulin.kuang spills all on the first episode of Bookmarked. Tune in to learn about her approach to writing complex female characters in the realm of romance — it’s an art form we’re in awe of.

Subscribe now on the @iheartpodcast app, @applepodcasts, or wherever you listen, and never miss a juicy conversation.