Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this novel.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty was a difficult book for me to get into because i really didn't like the protag. At all. I kept reading because so many of the reviews tempted me. There was a lot i loved about the book. -'the setting, the food, the art. But i'm still not wild about that protag.

The setting of this book was exquisite. I really wasn't expecting the budding relationship that came up, and I'm not sure how I felt about it. However, I'd give a million dollars to go to this island! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I’ll be honest, for the first 30% of this book I wasn’t sure if I was going to finish it. The Death of Vivek Oji was my favorite book of 2020, but I really wasn’t vibing with the first 30%. I didn’t find the character likable, her decisions were dangerous and stupid, but after that when it started to turn into a queer romance with great food descriptions, I was there for it. It was quite the turn around, going from a potential DNF to a 4 Star book.

My feelings for Feyi was initially quite rocky. I wasn’t sure how far I was willing to go with her as a character. While I was sad for her loss, I didn’t really like some of the choices that she was making and honestly, her life is a bit messy. It continues to be a bit messy all the way to the end, but Emezi brings up a good point: things that are initially messy and maybe embarrassing become good stories later when you’re emotionally removed. So, this was entertaining. Sort of like a literary version of Maury.

So, while I didn’t love Feyi, I enjoyed everything about Alim. He had his life pretty well put together and was a celebrity chef. I would love to eat at his restaurant. Once this man started cooking, I was constantly hungry for the rest of the book. Guava-stuffed chicken? Yes, please. Lemongrass-and-pineapple-glazed pork belly. Where? Please. I want this food. I want to eat it all! Did I mention he’s also generous, kind, and sensitive? No? Well, he is.

Overall, I still have some complicated feelings towards this book, but it redeemed itself pretty well. Emezi has managed to surprise me again, and while this is drastically different from The Death of Vivek Oji, this book is still fantastic in its own way. I’ll keep my eyes open for more from them in a future, but I still have a few of their backlist books left to go.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an eARC of this novel. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

ARC provided by NetGalley, thank you.

A story of a woman figuring out how to be alive in a world on fire while also navigating new love amid the grief from an old. There's nothing easy for the characters here, except perhaps Feyi’s friendship with Joy, but there is a remarkable current of life and beauty running through the whole book.

Feyi is in her 20s and a widow. This story follows her as she learns to open herself up to the idea of being with someone else after her husband’s death. First, through a low-expectations hook-up. Then, through a no-hookups friendship. Then, through an intimate relationship whose primary impetus is connection, not sex.

On the surface, this novel could be a perfect setup for a light romcom. Exotic travel. An island. Celebrity chef. High profile art. But in this paradisaical setting, Feyi struggles to learn to live beyond her grief and hurt. Or, as is repeated a couple of times in the book, she’s figuring out how to be alive in a world on fire.

One of my favorite parts of this book are the interactions between Feyi and her friend Joy. Together, they flip a lot of norms, push boundaries you don’t often see challenged, and they are hilarious and entertaining in the process. Joy’s banter had me laughing out loud often. I mean, right out of the gate, they’re at a party having a running commentary about hot men than goes into pegging territory pretty quickly. The publisher’s note asks for no quotes from the ARC, so you’ll have to read it for yourself to see.

And as always, I appreciate the bisexual rep at the forefront of the story. 💛

Overall lovely read. Heavy, but alive and beautiful.

Within this story, the author creates a main protagonist that walks through life's complexities unsure but demonstrating a willingness to follow their heart's instincts.

Along with Feyi, there is a strong supporting cast bringing the right amount of drama, laughs, and moments of wonder and contemplation. Feyi's world presents itself as worthy of a reader's time and energy. I also enjoyed seeing two bisexual characters, Feyi and Alim, find a way of love and discovery through grief, without focusing on their sexuality. Emezi never disappoints when they weave tales filled with nuance and the human condition.

"She was fucking alive, and Feyi knew in that moment, she would burn anything, everything, a whole world just to hold on to that feeling"

LISTEN. LISTEN. LISTEN. This book was one of those books that was impossible to put down. This was dizzying and indulgent. I need more romance books like this! The setting in Brooklyn and then the islands was enough to suck me right into this narrative. And TWO bi characters? a lesbian best friend? Caribbean food and cooking? Creole dialogue? Is there anything Emezi can write that I won't absolutely love?

The characters in this book are messy and they are grieving. What is grief if not messy? A seemingly simple story about a Black woman trying to love again after loss, but facing serious obstacles (see: messy) on the way there. I think it's best to go into this book knowing as little about the plot as possible. Emezi takes the reader on such a journey, and maybe it's hard for you to root for any of the characters. Or maybe you see the human-ness woven into their stories. Maybe you understand that grief brings about its own monsters. Overall, I loved the way Emezi tackled grief and love and art and messiness.

Thank you to AtriaBooks for providing me an ARC through NetGalley. All views are 100% my own

I was gifted a copy of this book from Net Galley and Atira Books in exchange for an honest review. This book is available on May 24, 2022. ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
I've read 2 previous books by this author, one which I gave 5 stars, the other was a DNF, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty. It was a pleasant surprise. This is a story of grief, survival, and love. I can see how some people might not like Feyi, but I think she's a very misunderstood character and I couldn't help but feel happy for her by the end. I would definitely continue to read books by this author.

I cannot quite wrap my head around my feelings for this book. The writing was solid and makes me REALLY want to read their previous works. It’s definitely engaging. You’re IN the story the whole time you’re reading this book. Emezi keeps the reader on the edge with the swoops and twists in this book.

I despised the main character Feyi, while still ultimately wanting the best for her. But she was so destructive in so many ways that she gave me anxiety!

Feyi’s best friend Joy was the absolute best part of this book. She was amazing. And Milan was great too.

At its core, this book is about dealing with grief and finding love again after losing the love of your life to tragedy. And who is supposed to say what is right and wrong for any individual person. I just couldn’t handle Feyi’s path of devastation.

This book was riveting, I will say that.

In You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by @azemezi we follow the journey of Feyi, our protagonist, as she stumbles through a nonlinear healing journey after the loss of her husband. While Feyi is captivating, most of my attention was spent on appreciating supporting characters like her best friend, Joy. The characters who reflect back to Feyi her own inherent worth, beauty, and power despite the ways she often forgets.

“You look expensive,” Joy had said, with a wicked grin, picking out delicate gold chains for her to layer over her collarbone. “Like a goddess dripping in offerings.”
Feyi winked.
“As it should be.”

Joy was the catalyst for so much change and accountability. A home girl in every sense of the term. The only one able to call Feyi out on her bullshit in a way she could process it. I loved that for Feyi. We all need a friend like that.

As a reader, I was gratified with how Feyi found a way back to love even when she felt so undeserving. She allows herself to be tended to like a wilted flower that she first learns to water herself. Not your typical romance novel and at the same time the best kind of love story. 📚

Many times throughout the story Feyi worries if she is using others to prop herself up like an addict seeking a fix for the moment. She doesn’t get stuck in those thoughts though. She makes art. She makes love. She makes amends and this is so hard to do when you’re grieving. Making peace is also possibly the only way to move through grief and not get lost there.

This book was incredible!

Typically I avoid reading books where romance is a heavy theme, but what Emezi does with this story is not romance, it's life. Grief shatters people in different ways and this book shows what happens when you embrace that grief and decide to move on and let yourself love again.

Truly beautiful story with complex characters and a gorgeous setting. It will make you feel emotions you might not even realize you have.

Another 5 star read by this incredibly talented author!

A fierce young widow gets a second chance at love with the last person she should be thinking of. I loved this book to absolute distraction. Lyrical and feminist and fun, this debut romance by the inimical Akwaeke Emezi will absolutely be on my best of the year list.
Review and interview to come in BookPage this summer.

This was such a beautiful book. I can read anything they write because no one strings a sentence together like Emezi, but this was such a refreshing take on romance. I really believed they were meant for each other, saw each other, and belonged together. And the sex scenes were hot. Check, check, check -- all the things I want from romance.

I will not accept any Feyi slander anywhere!!!

You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty was a vision. It’s about being messy. Being in love. Being loved. Loving yourself. What it means to grieve and the fact that we never truly get over those we lost.

And it’s so. Damn. Messy. Feyi girl, baby what is you doing???? But also, you do you and I love you. But also, these choices ma’am 🥴🥴🥴. But also, I just want you to be happy.

And my girl JOY!!! The person you always want by your side. My favorite part about Joy is that she was truly loyal. There for Feyi - anytime she needed her, supporting her, challenging here, being the shoulder to lean on. I kind of wanted Feyi and Joy to end up together but also marveled at how beautiful their friendship is.

And that one character can go rot because I’m over his trashy ass. You’ll know when you read.

Can you tell this book made me feel. It’s a damn roller coaster than Emezi brings us on and I gleefully went along for the ride. Please read this book. And if you’ve read it, sound off in the comments about Feyi, Joy, Nasir, and Zaddy 🤣

Thank you to Atria for my copy of this book. It truly is going to be one of the meatiest, emotional, stickiest books I’ve read this year.

This is a lovely book and I will certainly read more of Emezi's work! When Feyi is invited to a beautiful island paradise by a young man she is dating, she has no idea his father is a world-renowned chef who is charming and as lonely as she is after losing her husband in a tragic accident. That's all you need for plot; dive in for an awesome story filled with odd but lovable characters, scenery that will leave you breathless, and romance that will keep you longing for more! I had no idea what to expect from this novel, but was wonderfully surprised at how much I liked it as it carried me through a range of emotions I hadn't expected! This book will resonate with me for a long time!

When it comes to Akwaeke Emezi's book I eat them right up. It took me so long to pick this one up because I knew that I would read it really fast and that I did. The first sentence drew me right into the story and I couldn't put the book down. I enjoyed following Feyi's journey in trying to find a new partner after tragedy struck with her last one. But I was not expecting the plot twist that came with this story. I am starting to realize that I don't like the age gap in modern stories and it threw me off. I won't say too much because of spoilers. I am excited though to see how others will enjoy this book. 4.5 stars

I loved this book!!! Emezi movies through genres effortlessly and mastered romance, among their other accomplishments. They managed to portray such a beautiful, real depiction of grief while maintaining the romance genre. I will read anything and everything Emezi puts out!

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this DigitalARC in exchange for my honest review.

You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty is Akwaeke Emezi's debut romance novel. It follows the story of Feyi Adekola, a Nigerian-American artist who is five years out from the devastating personal loss of her husband in a terrible car crash. She has been profoundly immersed in her grief, using her art and her friend Joy as her only outlets. During the course of this book she moves out of her shell of grief and back into a more social lifestyle as she continues to process the loss and its continued effect on her.

Feyi (and her best friend Joy) are both strong characters. The writing is sharp and evocative, thought provoking and emotionally wrenching. There are so many themes running through the book: identity, loss, trust, relationships, family dynamics. sexuality, sense of self, the catharsis of art, and so many more.

The book does not shy away from difficult issues. There are situations that occur that truly challenge the characters. There are casual relationships and attempts to step back into more significant intimacies. There is settling for what seems reasonable and good and reaching and daring for something more, even if it appears to cross lines that may be devastating to cross.

The main characters in this book have suffered profound losses. They have dealt with the aftermath in their own way but there is a core of understanding they have for each other that is breath-taking, an intimacy that develops that shakes both of them.

The writing is lush. The descriptions of the island, the food, the art--are all evocative and detailed.

The steamy scenes are just that, both the open door and closed door ones.

This book is a romance but it is also a study in loss, in hope, in intimacy, in connection, in taking a risk for something that matters.

Resilience, grief, societal conventions, personal sacrifice, and personal growth. The characters are messy. The situation is messy. And that's ok. It's given us a layered, complex and at times challenging book that I think will leave readers somewhat conflicted about the situations and events described. And about the characters themselves as well. It's unconventional and unexpected and well written.

You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty is @azemezi’s debut romance novel which will be published on May 24, 2022. I want to say a big thank you to the author & @atriabooks for my ARC as this will be one of my favorite books of 2022!! I typically don’t read much from this genre; however, the storytelling in this novel is incredibly vivid and modern. I loved the protagonist Feyi, her best friend, Joy, and the fascinating character, Alim. I was utterly transported to a tropical island and found the story of human beings navigating their way through unexpected loss, suffering, searching for deep connection, and the courage to try for something again riveting. This story had everything I was looking for as we head into the summer season: vibrant meals, an atmospheric setting, art, and the spirit of celebrating the beauty of human connection in all its complexity and delicacy. The author’s prose is exquisite, effortless, and electrifying—-raw talent in writing at its finest. I’m so excited this novel is set to be adapted as a film!

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by The Washington Post, Oprah Daily, Vulture, Harper’s Bazaar, Thrillist, Essence, Good Housekeeping, Glamour, Marie Claire, Parade, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Refinery29, & many more!

I had a feeling, as soon as I heard this book was being published, that I was going to fall in love with it. I am so happy to report that I did! I was honored to receive a physical ARC of You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty as well after requesting it here, and my physical copy is full of tabs. Feyi was a character that I strongly related to, and even though I hadn't experienced things to the same degree, her grief and fear easily became my grief and fear. I couldn't help but get so attached to her and her story, and I loved watching her journey of growth and finding love again. There were so many beautiful moments throughout this book, and I cannot wait to see it hit shelves in May!

Content warning for loss of loved one, grief, sexual content, violence, mentions of blood.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC of You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi.

This was supposed to be a great book and I anticipated reading it. The title intrigued me however, when I began this book, I was turned off immediately by the opening line which I found vulgar with its use of gratuitous profanity. Perhaps later, I will try again, but with so many other books that just grab me immediately, I didn't want to waste my time reading a story that begins with a sour taste in my mouth. Sorry. Not a prude, but really, can not a story be told without this? Maybe, I'll choose to try this book again, as I hear the author's writing style is great.

Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.