I liked a ton of things about this book -- great characterization, cultural diversity, good dialogue, positive representations of Black people, ace/aro people, and therapy... Yinka's journey to self love was relatable to me on a human level and I enjoyed learning a little about British-Nigerian experiences along the way. Comparisons to Bridget Jones are earned. That said, Yinka's lows are pretty low and she toed the line of "unlikable" for me a couple times. Her community relationships and

work in therapy

helped make her apologies and growth feel believable, and she felt totally redeemed by the end of the novel. It's a testament to the good writing.

A couple petty details brought down my rating. It was a little slow in the middle and I think

Marcus

could have easily been cut to the benefit of the whole story. Quite a few references by name to brands and celebrities that broke my immersion -- personal preference against. It's also pretty obvious in hindsight that the author is Christian and wanted to represent good experiences with the church. This only seems relevant to this review because

Yinka's final love interest ends the book reconsidering his atheism, seemingly after a single conversation with her about her faith. When her whole arc is discovering she needs to be her authentic self to find love, it felt strange to see Donovan begin to morph to fit Yinka's ideals. It felt like a Christian fantasy rather than something the character as written would have done.