Yinka is a 31-year-old English-Nigerian woman who despite her success in her work life, has been single for over 3 years and is now feeling the pressure from her family, friends and society in general to couple up. When her friend/cousin gets engaged, Yinka decides that in six months time, she will have a plus one for the wedding, and so operation find huzband begins.

This was fun, vibrant and contained so many bits and pieces I love in a story. I felt for Yinka as someone who despite successful in her work life, is still measured up by her family as lacking because of her lack of a partner - while Yinka is feeling this pressure due to cultural norms, I think this is something that transcends into every aspect of life no matter your background. How many people have been made to feel less than because they don't have a significant other?

I enjoyed learning more about Nigerian culture in this book, and I liked how close Yinka is to her friends and family. There are some really sad but poignant moments in this book where Yinka has to confront her own lack of self-confidence which includes internal colourism. We also see her experiment with weaves instead of her preferred natural hair because she feels it's what men would prefer, and also her fears when on dating apps that white men are only messaging her because they have a fetish.

It was refreshing to have a character with strong faith like Yinka, who didn't really drink and also was saving herself for marriage. You don't see this a lot anymore and it's so unusual to meet people who feel like this. But Yinka was strong in her convictions, and I was impressed by her. I also liked her easy relationship with her former co-workers and how they learned a bit more about African culture from Yinka and her friend Nana.

Some of the parts of this book that let me down a bit included a general air of immaturity around Yinka and some of her actions and reactions to people. For a 31-year-old professional woman, there were times she felt very schoolgirl especially when she was interacting with her 'best friends' Rachel and Ola, and even sometimes Nana. And then the way she jumped the gun a lot when it came to her dating life was just that little bit cringe too- play it a little bit cool Yinka!

I did like this and it was a fun read, and I'd recommend it!

"Don't tell me you're intimidated by a girl who was born after the Spice Girls".

Yinka, Where is your Husband is a British romance novel about Yinka, an academically successful woman. Lizzie delivered a well needed modern day romcom with a female protagonist who was allowed to be focused on her job, although slightly childish in her behaviour around men.

I feel like the book gave a really great insight into British-Nigerian culture and the nuances around it, explaining phrases I wouldn't have known without a quick Google. The book isn't revolutionary but a romance novel doesn't need to be. It's feel good, VERY realistic about modern online dating through apps and even has a great (although under-explored) focus on adult virginity.

The book touches on colourism, ageism and is fiiiiilled with second hand embarrassment that had me laughing and crying at the same time. I really believe the tale was super digestible for everyone and lets not lie - who hasn't had a moment where we've gone a bit loopy whilst dating.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc.

Yinka's life is what it should be: good job, good salary and a loving, church-goer family. There are 2 things missing from this perfect picture though: a husband according to her friends and family, and honesty towards her friends and family. Things seem to be going downhill, lie following a lie, while both Yinka and her Mum are desperate for her to find love.

Blackburn's thoughtful writing brings the whole scene, all characters so alive, I could not help feeling inside this strange London-living Nigerian family so wanting to uphold marriage traditions but celebrating the uniqueness and independency of its educated female members at the same time. Yinka is such a colourful character, full of earthly wisdom, yet still so absorbed in her own miseries that it is really hard for her to look beyond appearances. Of course, she absolutely should! Once in this story, you cannot help rooting for this lovely, dark-skinned Bridget Jones to find her happy ending.

This was not what I was expecting. It wasn't the "sweep you off your feet" romance I wanted to read, but it was definitely refreshing, funny, full of warm moments, modern, and overall a great story of family, friendship, and ultimately love.

The best thing about Yinka, Where is Your Huzband is the amalgam of interesting and fully fleshed out characters that really bring the story to life. Each with its own eccentric personally, adding deph and humour to the story.

What a great little book.

What a stunning book! I loved the writing and there were so many moments where it broke my heart. I can't wait to read more by this author.

I really enjoyed this book about Yinka, a young woman of Nigerian background, navigating her life against a backdrop of the traditional views of the older generation ie her mother and aunties.

It was funny, warm and touching. With a cast of strong women I really enjoyed this book and would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Witty, brilliant and vibrant read, every millennial who's ever been asked 'So are you courting?' or similar by older relatives will relate to Yinka in this wonderful book.

I loved the pace, with text exchanges and emails that broke up the pages and invited us into Yinka's friendships and working life, this was an excellent modern look at the dating scene, professional life and finding the most important love of all - self-love!

I loved the British Nigerian voices and think this would be brilliant as an audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Funny and warm, this book was just lovely. I enjoyed the characters and particularly the relationship between Yinka and the women in her life. Yinka's search for a husband also helps her find out who she really is and what really matters to her.

I really enjoyed reading about Yinka, she's a great well-rounded and likeable character, and so are her friends and family! This is a very well written book that is also easy to read and I got through it very quickly. The settings and situations felt very realistic and together with the interesting characters, it made for an engaging read. I look forward to reading more from the author.

3.5 stars. This a traditional romcom with a Nigerian twist. Yinka is an Oxford graduate working for an investment bank. A devout Christian, she is in her early 30’s but in the eyes of her Nigerian mother and aunties, she is very much ‘on the shelf’. To make matters worse, Yinka is going through an existential crisis, wondering what the meaning of life is and filled with self-loathing.

There were moments that were genuinely funny and recognisable, particularly if you are from any kind of ethnic background. There were also episodes where the author tackled issues I was aware of but that were well-handled, such as the additional prejudice faced by dark-skinned black women and issues around body shape and black hair, as well as the politics of the latter. I also loved hearing how the food was made.

What I liked less was the romcom side of things. There were just too many men for a reader to get behind any of them in particular. If the aim was to present a spectrum, then I don’t think that that was convincingly presented. The other thing that I found really disappointing was whilst we are told Yinka is a capable and intelligent graduate from one of our top 2 universities (‘finally, a fantastic fictional role model’, you think) she approaches life like a teenage girl - lying, exaggerating, playing around on apps and social media as though they are new inventions. I was hoping for a kick ass heroine and sadly, I didn’t get it.

A fun read, it just wasn’t quite as good as it could have been.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Penguin General Uk, for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

What a joy! I defy you not to fall in love with Yinka, warts and all. Lizzie writes all ofher characters with such warmth, I wish I could fold myself into her friend group and family. To me, this was the perfect blend of romance, a friendship story, and a coming of age tale - and I absolutely loved learning more about Nigerian culture, particularly the food. I can't wait to see what is next for this author!

A fresh, funny, light & uplifting look about being true to yourself & loving yourself despite family and cultural expectations.

Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? is a fun and fast-paced story that follows a newly-made redundant Yinka try to find a date for her friend's wedding in a bid to avoid the inevitable "where is your husband?" question by the community aunties. I loved the South East London rep and reading about some of the places I've grown up around. As a protagonist, Yinka was kind of annoying. She constantly wallowed in self pity, was jealous of her friends' successes and didn't see how her actions could affect others. Having said that, towards the end of the novel I'm glad we could see a change in her mindset and her willingness to be open and honest about her issues with not only herself but with her friends and family too. Overall, this is a great debut novel and I can't wait to read more from this author!

To many, Yinka would be a role model. She graduated from Oxford, and has worked her way up the ladder to a senior position at one of the best banks in the UK. She is by all means, a successful woman in her 30s. To Yinka, and her many aunties, she is not yet married, and thus a failure.

Crumbling under (mostly self-imposed) pressure to find a date to her cousin's wedding, Yinka commences 'Operation Find-a-Date for Rachel's Wedding' to find a regilious man, who is ready to fully-commit.

Looking for a soulmate, Yinka learns about other forms of love; most importantly, self love.

I found Lizzie Damilola Blackburn's writing style very compelling, but the feminist in me struggled with many aspects of Yinka's character, such as her need to please everyone and find a man. This is an issue that is discussed in the book, and was balanced with Nana, Yinka's bestfriend.

Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? is perfect for those looking for a romantic light-read.

*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy.

Yinka is a gem. This book made me laugh out loud so many times, and it is so rare to find a book where the main character is exactly the same age as you, and in the same stage of life. Exploring relationships, marriage, career, societal pressure, families, dating, friends- I loved the way Blackburn places the importance of therapy for both women and men. It is also not portrayed as something to automatically 'fix' you but to add value and ultimately help learn to accept yourself as you are. The exploration of colourism is very interesting and also how this fits in with societies warped beauty standards, I felt like the reconciliation between Ola and Yinka was slightly over explained but otherwise loved the story and it was a pleasure to follow Yinka into a snapshot of her life.

This book follows Yinka, whose family is determined for her to find a husband. I thought that it was a great representation of what it is like being single and having family pressure you to find love and dealing with this.

I did find that at some points I didn't really like Yinka though - she was very judgemental to the point where I wasn't enjoying reading certain parts, and I thought that the ending was rather rushed and predictable.

In a typical Nigerian fashion, Yinka is under a lot of pressure to get married and set up a family. Not to mention that every step in her carrier is monitored by the beady eyes of her mother who inflates things and decorates them so much that the extended family have a distorted picture of who Yinka really is.
I could so see myself in Yinka and couldn't help falling in love with her character. Hilarious, cheerful novel that made me laugh to the top of my voice. To all the Yinkas out there :)
Looking forward to reading more #lizziedamilolablackburn. Thank you #netgalley.

Yinka, the main character of this novel, was a modern day Bridget Jones to me. She shows the readers how difficult it it in this day and age to find true love, especially given the pressure coming from all directions and regardless of of one’s position on coupledom. A great modern novel!

Many thanks to Viking and NetGalley for the E-ARC!

What a smashing debut! Yinka is a character that will stay with you for a very long time but before that you cannot help but fall in love with her. She's so relatable, smart, funny, emotional, ambitious, single and that too in her 30s - which according to her mum and meddling aunts is just not acceptable. It was so easy to follow Yinka's story, her struggles, how she navigates the pressures of being single, finding love and eventually finding herself thanks to Lizzie Blackburn's effortless writing. It was a treat to read, I laughed, cried, cringed and cheered for Yinka. What I loved the most was how Lizzie seamlessly weaves in multiple themes throughout the story from mother-daughter relation, friendship, love, societal pressures and culture.

This is a charming debut, it's heartwarming, hilarious and a perfect book to perfect curl up with. You will love Yinka!

Yinka is a determined, driven Black woman in South London who is healing her heart after a break up and trying to manage her mother’s Nigerian disappointment in her compared with her younger, married and pregnant sister.

She also has a tight knit group of friends, who are all going through their own changes in the book, told via short conversations with Yinka and descriptions in the book. Rachel is getting married, to Yinka’s delight and disappointment, and they are all bridesmaids. Yinka’s goal is to bring a date to the wedding, so she sets about trying to find one.

I think we should all read books about situations and lives that are different to ours, to learn something new and get a little perspective. I don’t live in London although I’ve visited often enough to understand a little about the river divide between North and South (though I’m not sure if the areas are either North or South). I’m also white, and don’t really know a lot about Nigerian language or culture, so I loved learning a little bit about Yoruba, traditional wedding dress, food, family values etc. I looked up some of the terms I didn’t know (like gele) and felt like I gained a little bit of knowledge. I do understand how some people can be put off by doing a bit of extra research but honestly, it’s not hard when you have the internet on your phone.

Operation Wedding Date takes up all of Yinka’s time, and she starts to ignore her friends and uncharacteristically, lie about what she is doing. Her best friend, Nana, and her work colleagues, worry about her and what she’s getting herself into trying to make her Mum proud. In the process, Yinka ignores the eligible young men in front of her in a series of funny and frustrating encounters – I definitely found myself shouting at her to realise the person in front of her could be a good option too!

Clearly, the narrative format lends itself to a comparison to Bridget Jones and her diary – told in first person, Yinka records stats against Operation Wedding Date and it also includes texts and emails in a similar way. I think this is different enough to be a spiritual cousin rather than a remake, in the same way that Bridget Jones is a relation to Pride & Prejudice.

I also think I’d like to spend some more time with Yinka and her friends, and it lends itself well to perhaps being a series of books where we get to know the other women in each one. I definitely want to hear more about Aunty Blessing, Yinka’s QC aunt who has discovered dating sites as a mature woman.

Recommended for anyone who’s felt the pressure to get married and settle down, as well as people who want to see more Black representation or learn more about it. It reminded me in some ways of The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris or Home Coming by Luan Goldie.

Thanks to Netgalley and and Penguin for the DRC – this book has a release date of March 2022 so plenty of time to get your pre-orders in!