Kiki Banjo is a student at Whitewell University who hosts a local radio show called Brown Sugar, where she offers bracing advice to women on how to avoid heartbreak and "wasteman" culture. Her life is upended when she meets Malakai Korede, a new film student she publicly labels a player across the airwaves. When their respective academic and social reputations are threatened, the two enter a fabricated relationship to improve their standing within the Afro-Caribbean society. As they build a fake intimacy to convince their peers, Kiki has to reconcile her defensive persona with her growing attraction to Malakai.
Readers who enjoy contemporary academic settings and the fake-dating trope will find a story focused on modern Black British identity and the vulnerability required for genuine connection. It is for those who appreciate sharp, witty dialogue and characters who navigate the tension between public image and private desire. The reader walks away with a portrait of how intellectual equals challenge each other to lower their guards and move past cynical labels toward a partnership based on mutual respect and shared creative ambitions.
Practical, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2022
- Language
- EN
