About:

This is a romance book about Yinka, a 31 year old British Nigerian woman who pushes to find a date to her cousin’s wedding. At a glance it seems as if Yinka has a great life. But, according to her mom and aunties she needs a man.  After feeling a lot of pressure to find a man, Yinka strategically, sets out a plan to meet and be with the best guy. Date after date Yinka starts to change herself for all of the wrong reasons. With help from friends Yinka learns how to love her true self. 

Review:

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn writes with such an authentic and creative voice. Every page of this book was a worthwhile read. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who needs a bit of love, especially self love in their life. It’s a great laugh and lively book. 

The story begins at Yinka’s little sister’s baby shower and we are introduced to all the women in the  family. We quickly learn that there are many  issues brewing within Yinka’s family and life. In just six months Yinka’s cousin will be getting married and Yinka really wants a date for the occasion. Blackburn, intensely expresses the desperation Yinka feels to find a date for the wedding. From there everything in Yinka’s life starts to go downhill because Yinka begins to transform herself for the wrong reasons.

In addition to looking for a date it is clear that Yinka is in search of purpose in her life. As things start to unravel Yinka continues to slip down a dark path and quickly loses the best pieces of her character. She starts hiding behind lies and schemes that generate tension between the real relationships she has with friends and family. Eventually, Yinka must face the hard truths in her life in order to accept the love, comfort, and kindness she deserves to thrive rather than just survive. 

Lizzie’s writing captures the authentic emotion and mindset a person faces when challenged with learning how to be comfortable in their own skin. I felt deeply connected to the position Yinka was in life as she dealt with family dynamics, career choices, mental health, and so much  more. Yinka was seeking love in all the wrong places. It took time but in the end she is able to look inward and fight for herself. 

Essentially, Yinka is going through it but I found a lot of myself in her and admired many other characters. I truly enjoyed reading this novel and I can’t wait to read more from Lizzie Damilola Blackburn.