'Yinka, Where is Your Huzband?' is not the book I thought I was about to read. The blurb and title are certainly truthful, letting us know that Yinka is feeling a huge pressure from her family to find someone to tie the knot with, an 'huzband'. Rachel, Yinka's cousin, announces her engagement as Yinka's sister's baby shower, everyone else's lives seemingly dashing forward where Yinka's is at a standstill. Commence Yinka aiming to secure a relationship by the wedding and ultimately pleasing her mother and aunties.

Sounds like a standard romance right? I thought I was about to follow Yinka pursuing someone all wrong for her before fate collides her with the person right for her all along. I sincerely underestimated this book though, with Yinka's exploration of her career, friendships, family relationships and self being far more poignant that any attempts at romance. Yinka is not always particularly likeable but this makes her real and her character arc satisfying to follow.

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn's debut is a fantastic read. I can't wait to read the next one! 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read, yet Predictable at times. I’m sure most people will relate to Yinka , with most scenarios throughout the book! Definitely one to add to the reading list!

Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn shows us Yinka's life.  Her family is Nigerian, and so all the older ladies in her community are her aunties, and they all want to know why she isn't married yet.  Yinka wants to know that too!

Her cousin gets engaged, and she wants her bridesmaids to work on something for her wedding.  Yinka chooses finding a date for the wedding as her project.

This is a really enjoyable story, with the difficulties of trying to live up to family expectations, and the expectations of the men in her life.

Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? was published on 31st March 2022, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Lizzie Damilola Blackburn on Twitter, Instagram and her website.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin.

2.5 stars.
Thanks so much to Netgalley, the author & publisher for my e-copy of this book!

"Yinka, Where is your Huzband?" Is the author's anticipated debut novel, I was really looking forward to this one!
It follows thirty-one hear old Yinka, on her mission to find herself a date for her cousin's wedding. She receives alot of pressure from her family about finding a man, and in turn ends up trying to change herself to fit this.

I was under the impression it was going to be a romance from the sound of the blurb, but it's not. It's more focused on Yinka finding herself in the end, which is awesome but would've liked to know this going in! The plot felt almost a little 2D, like it was scratching the surface of certain topics but never really digging in. I quite liked the personality of Yinkas best friend NaNa, and one of her aunties!

Personally it wasn't for me and I didn't really enjoy it, but I can see how others may!

not really what i thought it would be like. the blurb gives a completely different vibe to what the actual book is about. i thought it would be an empowering independent woman mantra, but it turned out to be a flaccid fmc who tries so hard to please men and find a partner. not happy at all. the thing is the story itself is not too bad. but i just think it should have been marketed differently.

Oh my gosh I am raving about this book - so funny and yet emotional too.
I literally fell in love with Yinka and her world. From that first chapter when Yinka turns up at her little sister's baby shower and her family all prays for Yinka to find a husband too, I was just sold. Honestly this felt like a vibrant and exciting addition to the chicklit genre and I loved it.
It really took me on a journey and I loved following how Yinka struggled to find out who she is and where she fitted in. Please buy this, you won't regret it.

Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? brilliantly subverts the traditional romantic comedy with an unconventional heroine who bravely asks the questions we all have about love. Wry, acerbic, moving, this is a love story that makes you smile but also makes you think--and explores what it means to find your way between two cultures, both of which are yours.

A fantastic story! I flew through it. It is so well written and the characters jump right off the page.

We follow Yinka, a black British woman as she journeys through life facing many struggles and setbacks as she does., We watch her reconnect with her Nigerian culture, navigate her identity and self image - and how having darker skin is seen as "undesirable" even in her own community and her fears for the future. There is a lot of focus on religion and God but even as someone with no religion, I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the way Yinka defined her relationship with God and the connection she feels to her faith. It wasn't preachy, it was personal.

There are some really frank discussions and upsetting moments for Yinka when she doesn't feel good enough and my heart broke for her. I just wanted to give her a big hug and tell her how beautiful she is.

The background characters were also fabulous. I have to give a special shout out to Nana for being a 1010 friend that everyone needs in their life.

Yinka is in her thirties and her Nigerian family are putting pressure on her to find a husband and settle down. But while Yinka would quite like to share her life with someone, she hasn't a clue who that someone could be. She's also struggling to find her place in the world, a problem that becomes bigger when she's let go from her job.

Could this be the push Yinka finally needs to find not a husband, but herself?

Sometimes your Happy Ever After means finding yourself.

I really enjoyed this book, although it was predictable at times, it was funny and endearing. Yinka is such a likeable character, she is under pressure from her family to find a husband. Easy reading and enjoyable.

Really enjoyed this. I couldn't help but root for the main character. She was a lot of fun but at the same time really frustrating. She felt real. She acted way younger than her age and I thought this was pivotal to the plot.

There is a strong emphasis on family and friendship in this book and I loved that.

A fun, quick read with a bit of depth to it. I really liked the writing style and thought it flowed well.

Firstly thank you for the copy on netgalley. This is a great debut and fresh new voice in fiction.

I heard about this at an online book event and sounded fantastic.

Funny and heartwarming

Insight into another culture .

Uplifting and full of wit and warmth

Published 31st March

Yinka is a thirty-something Oxford-educated British Nigerian woman with a lot going for her: a great and stable job and friends included. Yet, like many parents, her mother is always asking where is her husband? Everyone has an opinion on her non-existent love life, but Yinka decides to take matters into her own hands to find a date for her cousin's upcoming wedding.

Yinka is an unconventional heroine I related to on several levels. Namely, I'm also a single thirty-something woman whose parents would love nothing more than to see her settle down! This book is the definition of refreshing. Emily Henry noted that it was similar to Bridget Jones' Diary and I totally agree - secondhand embarrassment from the aunties included! I really appreciated how the author focused on her Nigerian culture as well.

Yinka's character growth was fantastic and while she made some interesting choices, I'm glad she stayed true to herself. Full of witty, tender and humorous moments, I encourage everyone to check out this book.

Sorry, gave up half way through, just couldn’t get into it. Maybe it is a culture thing or
Maybe my state of mind (I was recovering from ankle surgery when I started this) but wasn’t invested enough to see it through.

YINKA, WHERE IS YOUR HUZBND, by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn is a fun, feel-good rom-com everyone needs to read this summer. Yinka, tired of being asked where her impending husband is, takes matters into her own hands and gets far more than she bargained for.

Both heartfelt and hilarious, Blackburn's brilliant debut brings gives the rom-com genre a new spin.

Yinka is feeling the pressure from her mum & aunties to get married & is constantly compared to her sister & cousins.

This was a really interesting insight into Nigerian culture in the UK & the pressures on black women from within their own culture to look & behave a certain way.

I have given this book three out of five stars. I really enjoyed learning about their Nigerian background and culture, I thought it was really interesting.

Yinka was a great character whom I enjoyed watching her grow into a better person, she somewhat loses herself through the book but manages to climb her own mountain towards the end of the book. I think I would find it hard not to lose yourself when you’re under so much pressure from your family 24/7.

Learning to love yourself is such a huge part of life that I think everyone should strive to do and Yinka finally learns how to do just that.

I loved this book! It had such warmth and humour, alongside really loveable and real characters. Yet it managed to tread the perfect balance between lighthearted romance and the difficulties faced by a young Black woman when life is just not going her way. There were times when I really felt for Yinka and wished for life to get better for her.

I cannot recommend this book enough and will be passing it on to anyone I can!

Ah Yinka, how refreshing to see a fellow unmarried 32 year old represented in fiction. Thank you!
Yinka feels the family pressure to find a husband. All around her people are getting married and having babies. At least Yinka has the Oxford degree and the high flying job. That is until she is made redundant. The aftermath is messy, beautifully written, relatable and funny. Perfectly timed to get me out of a reading slump!

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I found it a heartwarming, easy read with some extremely funny moments (although it does touch on some more serious issues).
I liked the plot, I thought it was well written. There are a few different characters, but it was really easy to keep track of who was who.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend to others.