I picked this book up a few years ago at Powell’s Bookstore as an impulse buy, but I’ve never felt much draw to actually read it. The only reason I think I finally picked it up was because I found the audiobook at my library and the narrator sounded really good, so I listened to it over Christmas while on my jigsaw puzzle kick.

I’m so glad I finally did read it, because it was a lot different and better than I was anticipating. Azere is Nigerian-Canadian. She grew up in Toronto and has been heavily influenced by Canadian culture, but her parents still cling to their Nigerian roots and raise her in fear that she will lose her connection to Nigeria. Her father passes when she is 12 and his dying wish is for her to marry a Nigerian man – a promise that holds Azere hostage for her entire adult life.

Her mother is particularly threatened by the potential loss of culture in her children and is a domineering presence in Azere’s life. Despite working for a successful marketing firm, Azere is characterized as a failure by her mother for not being married or having children. Her mother routinely tries to set her up with Nigerian men and doesn’t seem to care whether those men are actually well suited to her daughter or not. So one night Azere acts out after a bad date and has a one-night stand with a white man, who later resurfaces at her marketing firm as her new co-worker.

This is marketed as a romance, and it definitely has a romantic plot, but I would shelve it more as general fiction. I know this culture conflict is a common refrain for many immigrants, including many of my friends, so I think it makes for a compelling and nuanced story. The characters are frustrating, but you also know they’re coming from a place of love, so it’s hard to either accept or condemn their actions. That said, Azere’s mom definitely had some things to apologize for, but it was nice to see Azere finally take control over her own life and say, “enough is enough”.

My main criticism would be that I thought Rafael had some glaring flaws that I didn’t really like in a male love interest. He hid his past from Azere, and while I understood it was because of the trauma associated with what happened, I didn’t think it was very fair of him to rake her over the coals for not accepting him when we wasn’t willing to share his whole self with her. He also had temper issues that I didn’t have any tolerance for.

But overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book and quickly rushed out to pick up a copy of her second book, The Sweetest Remedy. I’d definitely recommend the audio version, but I did switch back and forth between audio and paperback and enjoyed both!