This book definitely didn’t disappoint! It’s warm, funny and uplifting and one of my standout reads of the year so far.

Navigating the sometimes stressful world of work, blind dates, online dating, and generally trying not to disappoint her family, it’s impossible not to fall in love with Yinka. A lot of the situations she finds herself in are incredibly relatable, and her voice is witty and often hilarious.

It’s not without depth though. Yinka faces appalling racism and sexism for not having the correct body shape and skin tone, as well as for failing to put out when required. The reminder this is something that women still have to put up with in 2022 was both sobering and enraging!

With thanks to Viking Books for gifting me a digital copy to review.

Browsing through NetGalley I stumbled upon this book with it's alluring title: Yinka, Where is Your Huzband?. Especially the 'z' attracted me. This was going to be a book with humor in it, but also about a different culture! Bring it on, I thought.

So what's it about?

Yinka wants to find love. Her mum wants to find it for her. She also has too many aunties who frequently pray for her delivery from singledom, a preference for chicken and chips over traditional Nigerian food, and a bum she's sure is far too small as a result. Oh, and the fact that she's a thirty-one-year-old South-Londoner who doesn't believe in sex before marriage is a bit of an obstacle too...
When her cousin gets engaged, Yinka commences 'Operation Find A Date for Rachel's Wedding'. Armed with a totally flawless, incredibly specific plan, will Yinka find herself a huzband?
But what if the thing she really needs to find is herself?

I enjoyed reading about Yinka and especially about her mom and aunties. The Nigerian culture in the UK is so unknown to me, that I couldn't tell you if it's a true representation or not, but it's one that is at times hilarious and heartbreaking.

Every chapter in Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? starts with an image. Sometimes it a screenshot of messages on Yinka's phone. Other times it shows post-its with specific goals or affirmations on them. These images create a fun reading experience. It gives you a little more insight in who Yinka is and how she is approaching her life. As the story progresses the messages and post-its get more and more out of hand. Incredible funny and sad at the same time.

Author Lizzie Damilola Blackburn is British/Nigerian and was born in Peckham, where most of the story takes place. All she ever wanted to do is to tell the stories that she and her friends had longed for: stories 'where Cinderella is Black and no-one bats an eyelid'. And I have to say, she succeeded! Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? is Blackburn's debut novel.

There are so many times that I have been desperately seeking a good rom-com style book and have been disappointed. There's often too much dependence on the man, or the friend-group are side-lined, or the main character is just a nightmare. But this book delivered. There was romance, but not in the ways that you'd expect, there was resolution and bond-building, and issues of mental health and family pressure - all of which was delivered by a very relatable and sympathetic main character.

There are quite a few cringe-y moments here - Yinka's mother and Aunties praying for her to get a man as one example - but a lot of this is formed from Yinka's need to please others, to make her Mum happy and the respect that she's taught to show for her family, even when they don't always deserve it.

Other reviewers have pointed out that there were lots of other interesting topics that could have been covered by this book, rather than Bridget Jones-ing it. But I didn't read it that way (and I've read some books that are a direct lift from Bridget). I also don't want to say that Yinka is like Queenie, because they are two very different characters.

Instead, we have a woman whose sense of self and the success she shows to others is firmly rooted in her academic ability and her career. It doesn't matter that she hasn't had a long term relationship in years, because she has her job, she has her promotions. Maybe her cousins and sister are off getting married and having babies, but Yinka won't be far behind, because she has her career first.

But when she's suddenly made redundant, she tries to turn her organising and project managing skills on herself. Some of that is trying to make herself more attractive to a man she could like - getting a weave when she never has before, learning Yoruba and cooking Nigerian food, dressing differently - things we have perhaps all been guilty of when trying to catch someone's interest.

The thing is, it isn't Yinka. And it's not just that Yinka is a good Christian girl, but her friends notice her changing - she snaps more easily, has less time for them, starts lying and deceiving them, and herself. And it's actually really nice to see her worlds (her best friend and her (white) work friends) crossing over to support her, even if the way that they do it feels a little clumsy, and her own development and resolution comes very quickly at the end.

And when things don't work out with one love interest, we know Yinka has really gone off the rails when she starts ricocheting towards any man who might be interested in her. Perhaps this is more standard behaviour for a rom com - but for a woman who is saving herself for marriage, it's a big deal.

So for me, this had a lot of the things that I look for in a good rom com - personal struggles, romance that can be fixed better when someone is willing to fix themselves, forging new family relationships, and a supporting cast that do more than just cheer and antagonise the protagonist.

#YinkaWhereIsYourHuzband is a wonderful portrayal of Yinka, a 31 years old living in Peckham, British but with Nigerian roots and a LOT of aunties praying for her to find a huzband!

When her cousin gets engaged, Yinka commences Operation Find A Date for Rachel’s Wedding. Will she find someone?

The characters are wonderful, hilarious and the story is so funny. I finished the book in two days. 😎

I work in Peckham and everything was so relatable. Walking down Peckham Rye I could see Yinka trying to get a new weave, commenting about the gentrification of the area and the new people wearing beanies in Costa and in the new coffee places.

This book is a great insight into the Nigerian culture, into the life and the oxymorons of the third generations - clashing between two cultures and trying to maintain their heritage.

@lizziedamiblackburn’s writing is brilliant, funny and so enjoyable! I was laughing and crying and wanting to hug Yinka so much!

It is so important to have Black literature and talk about stereotypes, colourism, representation and racism through fiction as well.

“You see, I’m responsible for my happiness.’

- Rom-com
- Black & British
- Stellar POC MC
- Family dynamics

There’s a colourful and lively cast from the accomplished MC to the concerned mother to the overbearing aunties. Everyone is pretty fleshed out and the vibrancy of the culture is felt through the pages. I also adore a woman who knows her own mind and holds fast to that.

This is a story where you’ll relate so well to the character, you won’t have second-hand embarrassment — it’ll be first-hand. I really long for the day when the accomplishments of a woman, and her own satisfaction with the life she lives, will overshadow her marital status.

There’s a Bridget Jones's Diary feel to this and you can’t help but root for Yinka.

I enjoyed this book but ultimately was a little disappointed by the ending, hence my 3/5 star rating.

I loved Yinka as a character, her vibrancy and the journey she went on. All the characters were so strong and I could really see most of the situations playing out.

The text formatting in my netgalley copy was a little skewed but I managed to work out what was happening.

It was uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time to witness Yinka’s journey of confidence and self-love.

Easy enough to read, meaning light hearted and quick.

4 Stars.

*Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my own review*

Yinka was a really quick, really lovely read for me. It's similar to Bridget Jones as it's a British woman navigating dating though Yinka is of Nigerian descent and accompanying pressure.

I loved how raw it got with the pressures she felt in comparison to colleagues/friend who weren't Nigerian. I also loved how for a woman waiting for marriage the story was as raunchy and entertaining as my usual mess of romance that resembles my shambles of a life. Also I found that the secondary storyline around her family and their expectations of her was amazingly well done.

My only qualm with it was unrelated to writing/story because I loved those. My only annoyance was how Yinka seemed so young - not so much as naïve but as immature. Some the things she said and did had me angry/frustrated (though it also had me dying of second hand embarrassment so maybe Lizzie just invokes a tone of emotional responses from me).

I will add that the ending had me extremely, amazingly satisfied.

Recommend for anyone wanting a contemporary romance but urge 18+ just as it's revolving more around marriage/family dynamics than it is about boyfriends/girlfriends.

Such a fun and lovely book. The characters were all fantastic and it was a joy to read from the first page

LOVED THIS!!!! So happy to see a debut book like this, amazing content! Can't wait to read more books like this

I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about Nigerian UK families and a bit about Colourism that I didn't know before. I liked that the story didn't take the easy way out, but a challenging route for Yinka. Love yourself!

REVIEW: Yinka, Where is your Huzband?✨

(ad-pr product thank you @vikingbooksuk for my gifted copy)

It’s blog tour day, (with a twist as I am in in hospital so we have to make do with the hospital wall as the background🤣)

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, it is full of laugh of loud moments all while being full of Nigerian Culture. Yinka’s character is relatable and there were several points I felt for her throughout the book.

I was routing for Yinka and although I didn’t necessarily agree with all of her decisions I admired her character.

Definitely a book I recommend!

This was such a funny and relatable read.
Yinka is 31 and wants to find love, however her mum and aunties feel they are better qualified to find it for her. When her cousin announces she is getting married, Yinka sets herself a task of finding a partner to take as her date. Until then we enjoy the ups and downs of her attempts at dating and her everyday life escapades.
The character Yinka reminds of me a modern day Bridget Jones. You can’t help but root for her. All the characters are well written.
The story is uplifting and touching and focuses on culture and family and friendships.
This is a fantastic debut and it would make a great film or tv adaption.

This is a fabulous read. “Yinka, where is your huzband?” is full of humour and an also insightful look into Nigerian culture.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book in exchange for my review.

This book is far from your usual rom-com. Witty and joyful to read.

Yinka struggles with confidence and wants to find love. After many hurdles and obstacles to overcome she eventually recruits the help of her mother and “Aunties” to find a husband.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This felt very much like a rom-com without the romance. I enjoyed some aspects a lot, such as learning about Nigerian culture and seeing the world through the eyes of someone quite different from myself. But I get Yinka could be quite immature at times and wasn’t as well rounded as she could have been. I’m not the biggest fan of religion, and while I’m not against reading books that have a religious aspect, it was something I struggled with. I did have sympathy for Yinka, and her situation. I wanted to like this book more than I did but unfortunately I didn’t love it.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book blew me away! A must read I’d say, and don’t sleep on it if you’re white, okay?
I may not know what it’s like to be Black British but this spoke to me.
This isn’t a love story per say, or a romance, but about self love.
It shows that you should be whoever you want to be. Love your natural hair or if you want to wear it differently, your dark skin, your ambitions, follow your dreams even if it’s not the most profitable, even if you don’t speak your native language or cook Nigerian food, even if you don’t have a husband.
Yinka has so many expectations weighing her down - her mum, her friends, her sister, her cousins, her aunties, her church. Even herself.
But yinka has to realise that changing yourself to be who you think others want and will love isn’t the right road. She’s got to learn to love herself and stop telling herself that her skin doesn’t make her beautiful.
Even if you’re not Black this story tells you a lot about the black British experience - I recognise things my friends have said, things they’ve told me they experienced, and things I’ve seen - but I also came to understand it all better. When it’s not you it’s hard to see and so reading from this perspective you realise all these little things. How much being seen for who you are matters, which I’m sure will resonate with anyone. But it’s especially exciting to read about a dark skinned Nigerian British woman learning to love herself and being accepted by the people the matter. I also appreciated that the book didn’t explain terms from the Black community to the reader. If I don’t know Google is right there and this book isn’t to cater to my whiteness, it’s to love the Blackness of Yinka and her friends and family.

Joyous fabulous and full of love and laughter, I adored Yinka Where is Your Huzband from start to finish. Yinka is a successful 31 year old living in London with a wonderful job and supportive group of best friends and family, but for her mother and aunties, its all for nothing if she is single and alone. The book follows Yinka's journey through the dating world, with her family offering 'helpful' advice and love matches. We've all read romantic fiction before so the ultimate end isnt too much of a surprise but the route Yinka takes to reach it was a joy to read about and very cleverly written.

I'd heard a lot of good things about this book and was excited to review it.

Yinka is a warm, lovable character and I was definitely rooting for her as she battles through life's ups and downs.

It was interesting and refreshing to read a story with a central character from a different culture and I enjoyed the close relationship Yinka has with her family as she comes to terms with finding herself and valuing herself as an individual.

You study hard in school, go to a good university, get a good job, find a husband, get married, have children and live happily ever after. At least that's the expectation except it hasn't worked out for Yinka. She has the degree and the job but no husband and her mother and aunties are on a mission to find her one. With her cousin Rachel getting married, and she has but a few months to find a date for the wedding. Armed with post-it notes and a planner, she sets off on a mission to find a date for the wedding.

Yinka Where is Your Huzband deals with many important issues including colourism and the effect it has on some women's self esteem, the pressure that women from certain African communities go through if they are still single by a certain age, religion, and the importance of seeking therapy when it is needed.

I enjoyed reading the book. It was an easy read and it kept me engaged but I cannot say that I was blown away by it. I like the fact that it deals with everyday issues that black women go through without being overburdening with questions of race and identity, although they are touched on lightly. I also like that Yinka embraces counselling even though she is hell bent against it at the beginning. As a community we tend to not consider therapy as a way of dealing with our issues and in fact frown upon it. I like that it was normalised in the book.

There are two things that I struggled with. I found Yinka utterly infuriating, at some points, I felt like grabbing her and giving her a good shake to make her see sense. I question how credible she is as a character. She's supposed to be intelligent, Oxbridge educated, with an extended social circle, and yet she's incredibly naive.

I also found the book very predictable. The moment Donovan came into the story I knew exactly what was going to happen. And I pretty much predicted at every turn what was going to happen next for Yinka, be it with her mother, her aunts or the men that she had liaisons with. Overall, I would give it a three out of five stars, it was an enjoyable but not compelling.

"Yinka, you’re beautiful. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Remember, the midnight sky is just as beautiful as the sunrise."

Yinka wants to find love. Her mum wants to find it for her.
She also has too many aunties who frequently pray for her delivery from singledom, a preference for chicken and chips over traditional Nigerian food, and a bum she's sure is far too small as a result. Oh, and the fact that she's a thirty-one-year-old South-Londoner who doesn't believe in sex before marriage is a bit of an obstacle too.
When her cousin gets engaged, Yinka commences 'Operation Find A Date for Rachel's Wedding'. Armed with a totally flawless, incredibly specific plan, will Yinka find herself a huzband?
What if the thing she really needs to find is herself?

I love how Lizzie Damolila Blackburn’s debut novel works both as a fabulous Bridget Jones’ style romance as well as a much deeper introspective piece of fiction. Starting from ageism and colourism, which are the glaring subjects of discussion, the author highlights self-acceptance, and being true to oneself. Women of colour will particularly relate to Yinka’s struggles and her life choices and find solace in her story.

The Nigerian cultural references ranging from food, to fashion, to language are a delight to read and the author adds such gorgeous tapestry to her storytelling with it.

An absolutely remarkable debut, with a lovable lead, a heartfelt story, and a poignant look at the life of being an unmarried thirty-something woman.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Viking Books UK.