Book review: Relationships key in smart and funny 'Ties That Tether'
By ASHLEY RIGGLESON FOR THE FREE LANCE–STAR Nov 28, 2020

I do not typically read romance novels. In fact, Jane Igharo’s début novel, “Ties that Tether” is the first one I have ever read. And while this novel is not my typical genre, I had so much fun reading it.

Billed as an own voices romance, “Ties that Tether” follows a Nigerian woman called Azere who, as a child, promises her dying father she will marry an Edo Nigerian man. Years later, in the novel’s present timeline, Azere, who immigrates to Canada soon after her father’s passing, spends her time dating Nigerian men her mother chooses for her. After one particularly disastrous date, Azere meets a man at a bar, and sparks fly.

Though Rafael is white and Azere knows her mother will not approve, the night ends in a sexual encounter. And when Rafael is hired to work at the same advertising firm where Azere spends her days, things quickly get complicated. Not only does Azere still have feelings for Rafael, but she soon finds out she is pregnant with his child. Azere must now navigate fraught territory as her wants diverge from the expectations her family has set for her,

While “Ties that Tether” is definitely a romance novel, the romantic aspects of the plot were not what drew me as a reader. While the relationship between Azere and Rafael is arguably central, “Ties that Tether” also struck me as a novel about mothers and daughters. And it felt that Igharo was most comfortable as a writer when she was depicting these aspects of the plot. I will be blunt and say I did not love the romance here, but I did love the way Igharo uses the relationship to develop Azere’s character. As the novel progresses, Azere develops in a beautiful way as she works to find her own inner voice and find the courage to fulfill her desires. The commentary about the immigrant experience also feels fresh and nuanced, and though Igharo’s intelligence shines through in these moments, her prose never loses its light and comedic touch.

“Ties that Tether” is the funniest novel I have read this year. Azere’s engaging voice reminded me, in tone if not content, of the early seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy.” This smart, funny and ultimately comforting novel about a woman’s journey to find herself is sure to inspire readers everywhere.

Ashley Riggleson is a freelance writer from Rappahannock County.
More Information
TIES THAT TETHER

By Jane Igharo

(Berkley, $16, 320 pages)

Published: Sept. 29, 2020

This review was originally printed in the Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, Va,

I loved this story! It brought attention to Nigerian culture and was just a really captivating romance. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I originally picked up Ties That Tether because the premise sounded amazing. I thought that Igharo did an excellent job of delving into interracial relationships and what it takes to make sure that both cultures are respected. I also liked how she explored the relationship between Azere and her family, particularly her mother. These parts of the book were the strongest for me and I really enjoyed reading them.

However, one of my pet peeves in books, particularly romances, is when characters just straight up refuse to communicate with their partner. Although I understand that the surprise pregnancy sped things along much faster than they would have otherwise, the things they held back from each other were incredibly important and needed to be discussed. Particularly because they were committed to building a life together with their child.

Ties That Tether was a quick, binge-able book. I did like it, despite the fact that refusing to communicate played such a large role in this story. That being said, I do think this book will resonate with many!

*Disclaimer: I received an advance digital copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I did not finish this book because of the surprising pregnancy element. I thought this could have been handled better and marketed differently.

Interesting story and I love to see a Nigerian woman being loved unconditionally and completely!
The romance reminded me of Get a Life Chloe Brown but it didn’t grip me the same way 🤷🏾‍♀️
Also, some of the characters and dialogues were exaggerated, and too much info dumping🙄 — why are you explaining what Ankara is in 2020 😭?
I initially liked the references to romcom movies, songs and books but that got too much for me along the way.

Ps: I want me some mans that will propose to me the way Rafael proposed to Azere though— but with books😍

Jane Igharo addresses issues of culture, identity and the stress of family pressure in this clever and fun romantic read. Azere, a Nigerian emigrant who moved to Canada when she was young, develops feelings for a white man named Rafael whom her mother would deem unacceptable. Azere had promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man to preserve their culture and traditions, and her mother has always insisted she abide by this deathbed promise. While Azere does her best to avoid Rafael, he is hired by her company, and Azere struggles to balance her mother’s wishes and her desire to forge her own way. While reading this one, I learned a lot about Nigerian culture and traditions and just thoroughly enjoyed the story from beginning to end.

This was a brilliant book. I really enjoyed it. It helped get me out of a book funk during lockdown which was great

I adored this novel. Every page held my attention and I was so engaged with the story. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

A copy of this title was generously provided through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I wanted to read this book because it's an #OWNVOICES book written by a Nigerian-Canadian woman.

Azere was 12 when her father died, and when her mother moved from Nigeria to Canada with Azere and her sister. Since then, Azere's mother has been militant in her determination that they not lose their Nigerian heritage. Azere has been very conscience to follow her mother, and make choices to keep her mother happy.

Following a failed blind date (arranged by Azere's mother), Azere meets Rafael - a handsome, white man. There is an instant attraction that Azere fights in order to please her mom.

About 90% of the book is written from Azere's perspective. I'd say the main theme is how she tries to balance living in Canada, and yet trying to please her mother who is terrified that her children might lose parts of their Nigerian heritage. BTW: the mother is a drama queen the the nth degree.

I loved the setting of this book (Toronto), and learning about Nigerian culture.

Does love always have to require sacrifices and hard choices. The cover is beautiful . This story is undoubtedly own voices- the author captured the nuances of a common Nigerian experience especially for Nigerian immigrants growing up in the disapora, but this experience is even applicable locally. The selected theme and plot were its strong point. However I think the charachters could have been more developed.

I loved loved this book. Azere moved with her family from Nigeria to Canada. Her mother wants to continue Nigerian tradition with her family as its important to their culture. Part of this is to find a Nigerian husband and her mother is not afraid to set her daughter up. However is that what Azere wants? Can she keep promises made long ago?

This book gave me a look into someone who has immigrated from their home country to another and the difficulties that one could face. I loved this Own Voice book. I look forward to what this author comes up with next.

This story is about a Nigerian woman named Azere, who has been told all of her life to preserve her culture by marrying a Nigerian man.

When she meets Rafael, a man who is definitely NOT Nigerian, she feels her life “duty” flying out the window.

Does she follow her mother’s wishes or follow her heart?

My thoughts: 💭

I love a good debut and this fell right into this category. I absolutely loved Azere’s character. She was hard headed, strong, and a beautiful person. I rooted for her instantly to find the right person.

I appreciated how I was able to read and learn more about the Nigerian culture, their traditions, and perspectives that are different than mine.

The steam was real and I was HERE FOR IT. The chemistry between these two main characters was apparent through the dialogue, actions and the.... ya know. Scenes.

Overall, I would 100% read another from this author

Ok. Let’s start with the positive. I absolutely loved seeing Azere’s family. Learning about her Nigerian roots, and seeing her culture was so interesting. I actually enjoyed that part of the story more than the romance itself. Having a child that’s half Korean/half American, I could relate to the fear of the child loosing part of their culture.

I did have trouble connecting to the romance because I could not connect to the writing, specifically the dialogue. Ties that Tether had so much potential, but it came up short. It was a quick read but I did skim bits. Towards the end I started to become more invested in Rafael and Azere’s relationship, but by that time, it was too late.

I’m Going To Need People To STOP Calling The Romance Genre Their “Light Read”. Clearly You Don’t Read Enough Of Them To Know That It’s Not Just Boy Meets Girl & They Fall In Love.

Ties That Tether Embodies EVERYTHING That Is Mean To Be A Contemporary Romance. In My Opinion It Is A Must Read, Even Though You Shy Away From Romance Try It.

This Book Is Narrated The POV Of Two Characters, Azere & Rafael. Azere A Nigerian Young Woman Once Made A Promise To Her Dying Father That She Would Not Date Outside Of Her Race, She Would Marry An Edo Man & Keep Their Culture Alive. However, After Another Failed Date Set Up By Her Mom, She Finds Herself At A Bar & Thats Where She Meets Rafael, He’s From NY & In Canada For A Interview. After A Couple Of Drinks & An Undeniable Connection They Had A One Night Stand. Cliche Right ? NOT. A Fee Weeks Later It Turns Out He Nailed The Interview & Get Hired At Azere’s Job 😳. That’s Not All, Now She’s PREGNANT.

Before You Think This Is Just Some Boy Meets Girl Story & They Fall In Love & That’s All. I’m Telling You It’s Not. It Details Topics Like Interracial Dating, A Loss Of A Child, How To Raise A Child With Parents Of Two Different Ethnicities & How Loyal Should You Really Be To Family ?

I Used To Think Carlos From “The Proposal” Was My One True Love Until I Read About Rafael. You Too Will Fall In Love With Him.

4⭐🇺🇲
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Azere fez uma promessa no leito de morte do pai que nunca iria se envolver com um homem branco e nunca iria esquecer sua origem nigeriana, mesmo depois que se mudasse com a família para o Canadá. Uma promessa que sua mãe nunca a deixou esquecer, obrigando Azere a sair com homens de origem Edo, suprimindo suas vontades. Então depois de mais um encontro desastroso arranjado pela mãe, Azere conhece Rafael, um espanhol que faz o sangue dela ferver. O que era pra ser apenas uma noite, porém, acaba sendo muito mais sério do que Azere gostaria. Dividida entre sua obrigação com a família e seus sentimentos, a garota vai ter que aprender a encontrar sua própria voz.
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Esse livro foi uma grata surpresa, com uma narrativa fluida e divertida Jaane Igaro nos apresenta uma mulher que sempre seguiu as regras e suprimiu o desejo do seu coração por conta dos desejos da família.
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Azere lida com uma mãe narcisista, cujo amor é condicionado a obediência e isso foi um fato que eu gostaria que tivesse sido um pouco melhor trabalhado, afinal foi um conflito que permeou todo o livro. O conflito entre sua origem e seu lugar enquanto imigrante no Canadá e como lidar com isso foi algo que pesou para a personagem. Seu relacionamento com Rafael surgiu e foi construído em cima de dúvidas.
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Rafael, por sua vez, é aquele mocinho que se esforça para fazer a mocinha feliz. Porém, ele esconde um segredo e quase não se entrega de vez a essa paixão. Ele também tenta lidar com seus próprios demonior e isso quase custa seu relacionamento com Azere.
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Enfim, esse livro ainda não chegou ao Brasil, mas é um livro de aquecer o coração.
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Thanks for the free book, @PRHGlobal/@prhinternational

I loved this book and its exploration of the expectations set upon the children of immigrants by heir parents and their culture, and the society they are raised in. I found it very relatable, as the child of immigrants myself. Sometimes the writing was a little stilted but it didn't take too much away from the overall story.

The mark of a good romance is when it can sell you on tropes that you're not necessarily keen on most of the time, but then the right author comes along and delivers them in a way that's so satisfying. Igharo's prose, on its own, is GORGEOUS and one of the reasons I was as captivated by this book as I was. Although I had some more minor issues with the pacing (which kept me from being able to give 5 stars in this instance, so this is probably closer to a 4.5 overall), Ties That Tether might be in the running for one of my favorite romances of 2020. It's a complex love story about identity, heritage, community, family, and learning to listen to your own voice rather than anyone else's in your head.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the premise for this - a Nigerian Canadian woman flouts expectation - but SPOILER ALERT the surprise baby trope is one of my most hated tropes and so that soured my experience. But. I really liked Azere as a character, and I thought Igharo painted such a great portrait of a young woman. Wasn't the biggest fan of Rafael or the love triangle, but alas. I'm still very excited to see what Igharo comes out with next!

Perfect book romance that tackles family wishes when they conflict with personal desires. Content warning: a secret baby trope

I would be remiss without mentioning, first and foremost, TIES THAT TETHER has one of the best covers of 2020. I mean, it’s stunning! I was highly anticipating Jane Igharo’s debut novel, and to my surprise, it turned out to unexpectedly be one of my very favorite tropes (no spoilers!). In fact, there were a bunch of tropes thrown into this book, and I enjoyed Ms. Igharo’s fresh take on them. The book never went exactly where I expected it to, plot-wise, keeping me engaged throughout the book.

As a newbie to Nigerian culture and, more specifically, a family’s Nigerian immigrant story, I loved learning more about the heroine’s culture and traditions. I felt like Ms. Igharo held the reader’s hand and showed us exactly what Azere was going through, and more importantly, why it was so vital to her plot and her character development.

Additionally, the secondary characters were a delight. Azere’s uncle, sister, cousin, and mom were vital to her as a character and came to life as the story progressed more. I hope that Azere’s sister will get a story soon!

I don’t think I’ve ever said this, but I think this story would have read better if the hero’s point of view had been removed and a few more tweaks had been made to fit the book under a women’s fiction tag. The focus could have been entirely on Azere’s relationship with her mother and sister, and her personal story of growth rather than focusing on a romance.

Almost every single emotional scene between Azere and Rafael is told in a flashback, rather than real-time, which made their connection feel like an afterthought rather than part of the main plot. Rafael’s point of view never added anything to the plot; he was such an underdeveloped character in both page time and emotional depth. The book was so centered around Azere’s story that Rafael felt, and often was, secondary. This made it hard to connect to them as a couple, and I never felt like Azere was completely invested.

In addition, the constant references to romantic comedy movies were… odd? Filler? I’m not sure, but it took away page time that Rafael and Azere desperately needed.

Overall, I think Ms. Igharo’s debut had strong bones but missed the mark as a romance novel. As a regular fiction book, it checked a lot of my boxes! I have high hopes that her next book will be a full five stars.

**I received a free copy of this book in order to provide an honest review**