I was first introduced to Akwaeke Emezi’s work when I read their memoir, “Dear Senthuran.” It was a beautiful work, and this one was as well! I must admit I’m not well versed in contemporary romance — most of the romance novel’s I’ve read are historical or fantasy.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but of course Emezi’s prose was beautiful. It felt like a book the author had fun writing, although the main character does have a heavier backstory that they carry with them. There are lots of wonderful elements of music, art, food, and an appreciation for the beauty of the natural world and community that shines though. I also loved Feyi’s friendship with her best friend, Joy. I also appreciated that we got to see some romance outside of the central romance — it provided some context and contrast to that love story.

It’s a playful, lovely read!

All right, I keep telling everybody that if you love and miss the show Insecure, you're going to adore Akwaeke Emezi's You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty. What! A! Book!

Right off the bat, I'll point out that Atria is marketing this as a romance, but I'd say it's not necessarily the typical genre novel. Emezi doesn't follow the usual beats that we're used to seeing in romances, and she really pushes a few of the genre's more steadfast conventions and norms. I don't think that's a bad thing whatsoever; I loved this book, and I think a little boundary-pushing in this case is excellent. Just know going in that you may be getting a more literary experience than expected!

Given that it's a work from Emezi, this novel is so beautifully written, and the protagonist Feyi is a perfectly imperfect character. She makes difficult choices, some of which you may not agree with, yet you root for her the whole way. Additionally, there's an exquisitely intricate portrayal of Black female friendship in here that I hope we continue to see more of in the genre.

I think some of the dialogue was a tad repetitive in places (and there were a couple of jokes thrown in that were made a few too many times), but overall, this book is truly mind-boggling in the best way. Fans of love stories are lucky to have Akwaeke Emezi here.

ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW THIS IS 100% ONE OF THE BEST COVERS OF 2022, BAR NONE????

CW: Death of a loved one (mentioned), grief, domestic disturbances

I read this in two sittings, and haven't been able to stop thinking about it! Thank you so much for the advanced ebook- I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Akwaeke Emezi did it again! So different from Vivek Oji and still … the beautiful writing, the tangible emotions, trying to make the impossible possible; all similarities to Vivek Oji.

This book is about grief, about love, about finding yourself again after losing a loved one, about sexuality, but most of all, it’s a tribute to each Black person in the world. When I started reading, I immediately thought of Seven Days in June; I felt the same (Black) unconditional love. While I loved that book, I loved this one even a bit more; Akwaeke’s writing qualities are simply extraordinary. Just like the cover of this story (take a look at the UK cover too, it’s breathtaking and fits the story so well!), their writing is incredibly vibrant and energetic, and it made me hungry for more.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty seems like a simple story, a woman trying to find love again after losing her first love, and yet, it’s so fascinating at the same time. It’s a book to dive in without much knowledge and to read breathlessly as the words penetrate each fiber of your body. I had to get used to the story at first, because it start so differently than Vivek Oji, but after reading several chapters, I savored it until the very end. I highly recommend this amazing book to anyone who loved character-driven love stories and exquisite writing.

Actual rating 4.5 stars. I‘ve rounded it down for now but am still thinking about rounding it up because I loved it so much.

Was inter3sting story, but didn’t enjoy the ending at all. I liked the original vibe of the story. Thank you for the opportunity.

Akwaeke really said I'm going to write a book for all the dilf lovers out there and they delivered.

Dare I say this is one of my favorite romances? In the top 5 for sure. I started reading this on a bit of an anxiety induced frenzy, stopped for a few days, and then read the remaining 90% of it in one day. From the moment the plot became clear I knew this book was gonna fuck me up. And it did, only in the best way possible.

The writing style is simple yet passionate, with the discussion of grief and the meaning of making art interwoven so beautifully into the story it almost brought tears to my eyes. Feyi is such a loveable character, from her backstory to her personality, and the relationships she develops throught the novel will stick with me forever. Especially her friendship with Joy, who is possibly my favorite character. The exhale-through-the-nose laugh is a stable in a good romance for me, but I was genuinely laughing out loud at several passages, a stupid smile plasttered on my face anytime Joy and Feyi interracted.

And the love interest? had me clutching my pearls. Their relationship with Feyi was so expertly developed, I'm really hoping Akwaeke decides to write more romances in the future.

The romance genre is known for glueing an often very deep emotional arc into the romantic relationship between the two main characters, and in this case, it shines through in a way that makes it very clear that Akwaeke is a stunningly talented writer, and that they have only things to gain from writing in so many different genres. I've read one other book from them, Pet, which I adored (also, I'm begging on my knees for a Bitter arc), and I already can't wait to dive deeper into their bibliography.

Thank you to Netgally for providing me with this advanced reading copy. With that being said, I have some thoughts about this book.

A quick run down of the synopsis of this book. We meet Feyi who has lost her husband Jonah in a tragic way. The story follows her as she tries to overcome the grief of her husband passing and learning how to love herself again. We watch as she struggles internally with the trauma of losing her husband while also trying to find a way to bring balance back to her life. Enter the romance of the book

Feyi is dating men, but she never truly feels the connection with them like she had with her husband. Feyi finds love, but it is messy and that’s all you need to know. If you want to find out what happened, you’ll have to read it.

This is a slow burn, forbidden love, age-gap, love triangle romance done well.

What I liked- the writing is amazing, but that’s no surprise as the author of this book always comes through with the writing. I also enjoyed how slow the romance progressed between the characters. It got annoying at times, but it made it feel more realistic. I also loved the Black love spilling from page to page. It’s just beautiful.

What I didn’t like- I found the love triangle trope to be a little off putting with how it happened. Just not for me. I also struggled with how codependent the love story seemed, although that can be overlooked as most romance stories seem to have some level of codependency in it.

Honestly I can’t find much to not like about this story. I found the romance to be cute, fun, and it drew me in. I truly enjoyed this story and I think most romance readers will enjoy this one as well

Brilliant and surprising. This is a romance novel that only Emezi could write. It's full of celebration and conflict, hilarious banter and real depth, contradictions and healing. Everything about it is alive. Could not put it down.