Genre Fiction: contemporary romance

Blurb Phoenix Advertising Agency rising star Tishe is looking forward to her first date with the sharply-dressed Adnan. But she is horrified when she finds out that he is a tailor. She vows that there will be no second date … ever. But then, they share a goodnight kiss, igniting more desire in Tishe than she cares to admit. They embark on a whirlwind romance as she struggles to reconcile her disapproval for Adnan’s profession with her burning desire for him. Adnan is unwavering in his commitment to Tishe, planning romantic getaways and introducing her to his family. But can love cut across social class? Will Tishe give Adnan a second chance? Find out in this racy romance.

Dialogue Well written and believable.

Themes Class system; the individual vs society; family – blessing; prejudice and love.

Editing Properly edited.

Plot Tishe, a 26 year old advertising executive meets Adnan. He is well spoken, good looking and well-dressed. She is smitten until she finds out what he does for a living – tailoring. Tishe is conflicted by her feelings for Adnan and societal expectations for her to date someone with a white collar job, someone in her social class.

What worked? This was the first Ankara Press book we read. The plot was unusual and explored the class system in contemporary Nigerian urban society. Throughout the book, Adnan tries to get Tishe to see beyond her narrow minded views about ambition, class and what is acceptable as the norm but it is an uphill task as Tishe finds it difficult to see past her prejudices. The reaction of her friend, Alero shows she is not a lone voice with regard to this viewpoint. Tishe is willing to sacrifice her feelings and deep attraction to Adnan on the altar of societal expectations. Despite Adnan’s fears that he could lose Tishe, he refuses to change who he is to become accepted by her.

The author writes from the perspectives of the two main characters, Tishe and Adnan though, unsurprisingly, the narration leans more towards Tishe’s perspective. We had a difference of opinion about the characters:

Mo Oyindamola made our heroine as human as possible, our heroine isn’t some saintly doe eyed woman, she’s as flawed as they come, and she’s a snob. The writer evoked sympathy for Tishe’s character, her snobbish behaviour and indecisiveness.

Lady B Both main characters were well developed though it was easier to connect with Adnan who seemed well rounded and likeable. I particularly liked the realistic portrayal of the characters even though Tishe came across as a bit too shallow.

The plot was engaging and moderately paced. The author did a good job in describing Lagos including the outskirt town of Badagry. We get a glimpse into the everyday life of a career woman in Lagos, the office politics, chasing after clients, attending training workshops and the wining and dining.

We watched Tishe’s journey of deliberate self-improvement as she worked through her prejudice and insecurities, and chose happiness in the end.

What didn’t work? Narration was slightly choppy in some areas. We thought the portrayal of Leke was a bit too one dimensional and this came across as contrived to suit a certain narrative. The ending was a bit exaggerated and induced some eye rolling from us.

Number of pages 246

Publisher Ankara Press

Damage N750 on Okadabooks

Rating 7/10

In this season of love, you have every reason to purchase this book on Ankara Press, Okadabooks or Amazon and go on this journey of self-discovery and love.