Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo Review

The following review is spoiler-free.

Plot: At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture, even after immigrating to Canada. Her mother has been vigilant about helping—well forcing—her to stay 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 feelings for Rafael and the compulsive need to please her mother. Soon, 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.

Why I requested this: Yall know I’m a sucker for romance books, debut books and books that are own voices by now right?

Pros:

• Balance. The author clearly designed this book with a good balance in mind, specifically culture.
• The writing style and thus the romance. The author’s writing style lends itself well to crafting this romance. It’s both fresh and believable.
• The familial plot line at the heart of the story. I mean it actually drives this story so I am glad it ended up being a positive for me.

Cons:

• There is some timeline issues that I had, but it only made the experience slightly rocky.

Overall: Despite the issues with the timeline, I loved this debut and can not wait to read the next work by this author.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.

Until next time,