This was such a unique, entertaining read! I wasn’t sure what to expect after the first few chapters, but I throughly enjoyed this one. The alternating perspectives really added to the story, especially since there were so many characters introduced. I loved getting to see Hannah reconnect with her family members and finally get some answers to questions she has lived her whole life with. This was a heartfelt book with a beautiful ending.

I really enjoyed Jane Igharo’s debut novel Ties That Tether. In that book Igharo delivered a heartfelt, thought-provoking, and dramatic story about a young woman caught between following her heart and meeting her family’s expectations. I was eager to get my hands on a copy of her newest book, The Sweetest Remedy in hopes of getting another equally compelling story to fall into, and I’m excited to say that Igharo delivers big!

The Sweetest Remedy follows Hannah Bailey, a young woman who is the product of an affair between her white mother and a Nigerian man. Hannah only met her father once, when she was 9, but then he never came back. Hannah has therefore lived her live feeling like a piece of herself was missing and wondering what was wrong with her, that her father didn’t want to be part of her life. When he passes away, Hannah is therefore pretty shocked to receive an invitation to come to Nigeria to attend his funeral and meet the family she never knew she had, including several siblings. And what a life changing trip it turns out to be.

For those going into this story looking for a romance, it’s there and while it’s lovely, it does take a backseat to Hannah’s journey. Her journey is all about discovering and embracing her Nigerian roots, learning about her culture, and bonding with her siblings. I really liked Hannah and felt bad for her growing up feeling like her father had abandoned her, so I enjoyed this journey for her because she got to fill in so many pieces she had always felt were missing from her life.

That’s not to say that the journey was all smooth sailing. Some members of her father’s family were far more welcoming to Hannah than others, and there were a couple that were downright hostile, blaming Hannah for ripping their lives apart because they never knew she existed either and hated feeling like she had come to Nigeria to steal what was rightfully theirs. It’s hard for them to believe that their father was simply trying to right what he saw as the biggest wrong of his life, leaving Hannah alone and also keeping his children apart, living as strangers. I’m a sucker for a good family drama, so I was glued to the pages watching Hannah navigate these emotional minefields and try to win over everyone in her new family.

If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories about family, love, and finding oneself, I highly recommend The Sweetest Remedy.

The the story of a girl finding her long lost family is not a new one. What makes this one fun and fresh is that Hannah’s long lost family is Nigerian, extravagant and rich. After the father that she has never known passes away, Hannah travels to Nigeria as her father’s will requested. She is to get to know her brothers and sisters and attend the funeral.
Imagine the surprise when their dads secret daughter by a white woman, arrives.
Some of the family welcomes Hannah and some definitely do not! To add to the family drama, Laurence, hot guy she briefly met at an event in her home town of Seattle seems to be a part of the family. Hannah and Laurence had an instant attraction and the heat is rekindled.
I enjoyed the family dynamics that had to be worked through and hearing it from the siblings point of view. Love learning about the Nigerian culture.
The self discovery Hannah goes through being abandoned by her father and feeling like an outsider seemed realistic.

Jane Igharo has done it again! 𝘛𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘛𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 was one of my favorite books last year and her latest, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗬, is just as wonderful.

Hannah Bailey was raised by her white mother in San Francisco, only having met her Nigerian father once. But when he dies, she's invited to his funeral in Nigeria and her curiosity about her heritage and the family she never knew is piqued. In Lagos, she meets her four siblings and the rest of her relatives and is exposed to a culture and affluence she's never known. Soon she's falling in love with Nigeria and a man in it, leaving her to question where she belongs.

This isn't a romcom - it's a the story of a woman coming to terms with who she is and part of that journey does involve romance (and a terrific one, at that) but it's also a story about racial identity, family and forgiveness. As in her previous book, Igharo creates a vivid sense of place that transports the reader to Nigeria, and I enjoyed learning about life there. The characters are all compelling and while I was rooting for Hannah, I found myself wanting her siblings to find happiness and closure as well.

And trust me when I tell you this is one instance where I promise you can judge a book by its cover - the story is as warm and beautiful as the the cover art!

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for a copy to review.

The Sweetest Remedy
By Jane Igharo

Hannah Bailey's estranged father with whom had a brief relationship with her white mother passes away. Curious as to the nature of the other side of her family, she travels to Lagos, Nigeria to see for herself and learn more about the father who left them. What she gets is an eye opening scenario about the wealthy Jolades family, and we are treated to a wonderful story from all sides of the family.

This is a story with as much complex family dynamics as you can get and the drama just keeps piling up, which means a book that is very hard to put down. In a bittersweet, heart wrenching and heartfelt story, Igharo delivered a winning story about love and family.

The Sweetest Remedy is a gripping story that was a quick read for me and hard to put down.

Can you find love while finding yourself? That’s what Hannah is about to experience when the father she never knew, dies. She flies to Nigeria to meet the family she’s never known and that have no clue about her. What she discovers is that family is a strong bond whether you grow up together or not. Acceptance can me hard but mutual respect will come into play.

I truly loved this novel and all the distinct characters.

I really loved this book. Jane Igharo got even better in her second novel. I couldn't put this down and highly recommend it to everyone.

Jane Igharo is back and better than ever with her second novel! One thing I love about Igharo’s stories is the way they read like a Nollywood movie. I was raised watching Nollywood, so that is definitely a plus! There was family drama aplenty, and the story was full of romance, twists, and surprises. However, I found the rapid pace of the story to be a bit confusing. Character growth was happening very quickly (sometimes overnight?), which pulled me out of the story. I appreciate Igharo’s attention to detail with respect to the Nigerian, Yoruba culture portrayed in this story. While I am not of Yoruba descent, I recognized elements of my African culture in the book. Overall, I think I enjoyed “The Sweetest Remedy” a bit more than “Ties that Tether” and I am even more excited about reading more Jane Igharo in the future!

The Sweetest Remedy is all about family, culture, and figuring out who you are. I loved how Igharo explored identity and the focus on Hannah's journey to who she was.

Told in multiple POVs, I enjoyed the way this story unfolded and that we were able to inside of Hannah’s siblings heads and the love interest.

I definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for family drama, a little romance, and a journey of self-discovery.

Jane Igharo writes an excellent sophomore novel about how Hannah Bailey meets her Nigerian family after her father's death. Hannah grew up knowing of her father, but did not know very much about his life in Africa. One of the things she was unware of is that she has siblings. If she already hadn't felt abandoned by him all of her life, discovering her half siblings - two sisters and a brother - certainly cemented those feelings.

Hannah has seven days to spend in Nigeria and in that time she will be forced to rush getting to know the Jolades, her father's family there. The family is wealthy - literally, but also rich with regard to tradition and culture. Not sure she will be accepted, Hannah is forced to spend time with them in order to meet the requirements of the will.

Her trip is made a bit easier by the presence of Lawrence. Hannah originally met Lawrence at a cocktail party in San Francisco. While at the party they both received important phone calls. Surprisingly, those phone calls took both them to Banana Island in Nigeria, albeit separately, which was Hannah's father's homeland. She soon discovers Lawrence's connection to her extended family. But, Hannah also realizes something else. His presence means quite a lot to her. Not only does he do an excellent job of helping her connect with her family, but there is an open door of warmth and affection between them.

This entertaining read shares a mix of two cultures, as Hannah's mother is white. All of her life she knew she was mixed, but now she has the opportunity to explore the other side of her family, although she does experience some conflicts. One thing Hannah definitely has going for her is her very close relationship with her mother. No doubt she would rather enjoy developing a close relationship with her half-siblings. The ride might be bumpy, but Hannah is definitely up for the challenge.

While Hannah is getting to know her family, she clearly sees that wealth does not always equal happiness and that she is not the only one going through changes. I loved the connection Hannah made with her family and that it wasn't all easy and simple acceptance. To sum it all up, The Sweetest Remedy was a heartwarming and engaging read rich with wonderful characters.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Hannah has grown up with her white American mother and never had a relationship with her Nigerian father.  He had an a fling with her mother on a work trip but he had a wife and family and returned home.

When her father passed away he wanted her at the reading of the will and so after a lot of convincing she goes. But once she's there her father's wife and one of her sisters doesn't want her there. The other siblings are shocked but handling it better. They didn't know about her but she knew about them. 

I loved the growth this family went through to accept this new sister that they didn't want or expect. And Lawrence a man that her father basically adopted into the family after his mother passed.... She has met him in SF and he happened to be there in Nigeria. They had chemistry and being in a new place with someone you are attracted to it's like a vacation romance.. but it was so sweet.

There was one part where one of the sisters told Hannah that none of the siblings had their Dad's smile but she walked in with her Dad's smile and it's like she got a piece of him back 😭😭😭😭 From someone who lost her father that's a big thing!

❤️❤️❤️🔥🔥🔥

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

4.5

Hannah Bailey has never known her father. After a brief relationship with her mother years ago, and only one meeting in her childhood, he pretty much disappeared. So when she's given the news that he has died and one of his final wishes is to have Hannah travel to the familial home in Nigeria, Hannah is obviously conflicted about it. Because her father was a well-regarded entrepreneur, he has a searchable presence online and Hannah is aware that she has four siblings. And she's also aware of the possibility that they know nothing about her whatsoever.

Hannah can't deny that reconciling a part of herself that she's felt has been missing in her life is something she's secretly yearned for, but she isn't prepared for the exposure of longheld secrets that threaten her newfound sense of self.

I think this is one of the best meditations on the ideas of family that I've read in a long while. Along with that, of course, is how our family, or our culture, defines our identity. Hannah was raised in America by a white mother. They were comfortable in their lives, Hannah didn't want for anything, but they certainly knew what it was to live/spend thoughtfully. Her father, however, is from a very affluent area in Nigeria. We're talking chauffeurs, mansions, designer clothing. But there's also this strong sense of culture, tradition, and family.

I loved seeing Hannah connect with each of her siblings - some easier than others - because Hannah is not the only one who has to reconcile herself with something new, her siblings never knew Hannah existed until she showed up for the funeral. So we see both parties kind of reevaluating everything they thought they understood about their father. Heartbreaking on Hannah's side is that almost everything she learns about him is second-hand and she'll not get a chance to really connect with him. But he's still alive within herself and her siblings. It's very bittersweet.

Overall, I was really drawn into Hannah's story. It was full of such heart and I loved how much it spoke to figuring out who you are for yourself, being true to yourself, and not how other people would define you.

This is a lovely book about family, identity, love, and culture.

It was such a pleasure to go on this journey with Hannah as she learned who she was, fell in love, and grew a connection with her father’s side of the family.

This was such a quick and fun read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a little romance and family.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @berkleyromance for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 STARS for THE SWEETEST REMEDY by Jane Igharo.

Having loved Igharo's debut, TIES THAT TETHER, I knew I needed to get my hands on THE SWEETEST REMEDY. THE SWEETEST REMEDY is like Crazy Rich Asians, but set in Nigeria. Sign me up.

Hannah has only met her father once. Raised by a single mother in California, she lives a pleasant life but still finds herself curious about her identity. One day, she receives the news that the father that she never really knew has passed and she is invited to the funeral. She travels to Nigeria to meet her family and grieve the loss of her father while trying to find answers to her questions.

The book has a great cast of characters and we get multiple POVs throughout the story that I think deepened the storylines for readers. While the novel leans towards romance, it also has family drama and I believe that helped add a layer to the story as well. The imagery of Nigeria was vivid and I loved learning more about the Nigerian culture. This novel was a great escape and kept me engaged throughout. With another winner on the bookshelf like THE SWEETEST REMEDY, Jane Igharo is an author to watch.

I look forward to recommending this title to our blog audience and will keep it as a potential contender for a monthly pick for our organization's book club. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s no secret that I LOVED Ties that Tether last year, so The Sweetest Remedy had definitely been one of my most anticipated books of the year - Igharo does not disappoint with her second book!!!

This book surprised me because it is very heavy on the family drama and the romance takes a bit of a back seat - but it is so BEAUTIFULLY DONE. The multiple POV really helped to convey the emotions of each character. The pace of the book was quick, making it a very fast read. The country of Nigeria was a character in itself and I was fascinated by the descriptions.

The chemistry between Hannah and Lawrence was incredible, it felt so deep and personal. There was great steam, but their connection was what was most beautiful This is truly a book not only about romantic love, but loving yourself and love of family. I highly recommend this for lovers of cultural family drama and epic romance!

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoyed Jane Igharo’s debut book: Ties That Tether, then you may want to check out this book when it releases TODAY (September 28th)! This book gave me a Nigerian Crazy Rich Asians vibe except with this book it was about finding your true identity and finding your family.

Review:

This book follows Hannah who is a biracial woman who finds out from her mother that her estranged Nigerian father has passed away. Upon hearing this news, she also learns that he had requested her to attend his funeral along with her other siblings that she has never met. He left behind a wife and four kids that don’t know about her existence, but Hannah’s mother convinces her to go nevertheless. Unfortunately for her, her half-siblings are less than welcoming, but that does not stop her. Hannah is determined to learn about the Nigerian side of her family, and is also determined to figure out why her father was so adamant she attend his funeral when he wasn’t even a part of her life.

This book was great because it was an easy read, teaches you about Nigerian culture, and this author gives you everything you need in order to feel what each character is feeling. If you love a good family drama/romance with some humor on the side then this book is for you!

Hannah has a fulfilling life as a writer for a popular women’s magazine. With her best friend Flo and her supportive mom, she has everything she needs. So why can’t she help feeling like something is missing?

When the father she never knew dies, Hannah is invited to his funeral in Nigeria. Convinced by her mom to go, Hannah experiences a roller coaster of emotions as she meets her estranged wealthy family and handsome family friend Lawrence for the first time. Will Hannah find what she is looking for?

I have been looking forward to this book and I’m happy to report, I am not disappointed.

Jane has created a strong main character in Hannah. She is exactly the sort of MC I love to read about – smart and independent but not without some issues. Growing up not knowing her father and not connected to her Nigerian heritage has left a gap in her life. Her complexity makes her both relatable and compelling. Just like in real life, not everything can be solved and wrapped up neatly in the span of one book, but Hannah definitely grows and changes throughout it and there is enough resolution to be satisfying to readers looking for an HEA.

Lawrence is a swoon worthy love interest for Hannah and I loved the chemistry between them. Jane did a great job balancing their instant connection with them getting to know each other. The tension is built in such a great way. Their connection is sooo steamy and the intimate scenes are very well done.

This book could almost read like a modern fairytale – woman discovers she has a very wealthy family she never knew about, but lucky for us Jane has constructed the story in a way that it never veers into something that feels overdone while still offering plenty of awestruck moments. I especially love the scene when Hannah arrives in Nigeria and realizes for the first time just how wealthy her family is. A classic fairytale-esque moment.

There is a great cast of secondary characters in Hannah’s newfound siblings Tiwa, Segun, Dami, and Shola. I loved that they didn’t all just embrace her right away and that there was some very real conflict there. Each of the sibling characters are well constructed and they add great depth to the story. There is even a lovely secondary romance that plays out with one of them.

Overall this is a great read worth picking up.

Thanks to Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It perfectly captured what it means to straddle cultures and identities, and what it means to decide who you are for yourself rather than referencing and seeking validation in others. The romance was sweet, but what really stole the show was the relationship between the siblings, so unique with each character, and vulnerable.

I read Ties That Tether, Igharo's debut, last year; I had some of the same qualms with this book that I did with the first (lack of depth, situations wrapped up with a bow, too much instalove in the romance). Overall, though, the story is as sweet as the title suggests; the lack of drama proved refreshing most of the time, and it was cute to see the dynamic develop between Hannah and the rest of her family in Nigeria.

This touching heartwarming complicated riveting novel is Ms. Igharo's second novel and you could not tell because of how well written and thorough this novel is. Hannah a biracial woman with an Nigerian father. She has been raised by her white mother for all her life and knows next to nothing of a father she only met one time.
One night she gets a frantic call from her mother letting her know her father has died and her father's last request was for her to attend the funeral in Nigeria.
What transpires when she gets there is nothing short of drama confusion frustration and eventually acceptance of how her four siblings and her stepmother adapt to finding out about her and of course along the way she meet Lawerence a friend of her family and a man who she finds herself drawn to.
Ms. Igharo introduces us to the world of Nigerian aristocrat and a Nigerian culture that many of her readers may not be familiar with. This novel is not just a romance but a story of acceptance acknowledgement of Hannah learning of her Nigerian culture and finally feeling a sense of belonging. Review on goodreads and amaazon.