So, I liked this story well enough and I realized that that started to happen when I had to shift my expecting of what this book would be about. Funmi, Zainab and Enitan's journeys did hold my interest. I think we got to know so much about these women, individually and within the context of their friendship, to better understand the full circle moment of Destiny marrying Dele.

I 100% understood the mother/daughter dynamics and how the relationships with their own mother factor into these women's lives. I understood how overcompensating as a parent can be an effect of generational trauma and needing to nuture that inner child, to give what was never given to them. From Funmi and her friends to Remi and Destiny, there's a clear pattern of children learning to lean into their own independence while balance family expectations and its a rather tormenting position to be in when so much is expected. I can see a pattern breaking though, with Remi and Destiny.

For that, I appreciated this story. I understood the deeper meaning behind Dele wedding Destiny.

This book tells the story of a group of friends that met as college students in Nigeria and are reuniting as trio for the first time in decades, as one of their daughters is about to get married. The trio is made up of Funmi, who lives a life of luxury and privilege, Enitan, who secretly married a American man, and moved to America, and Zainab, who appears to be the most rational of the group.

As we meet the trio, Funmi is preparing for the marriage of her daughter, Dele. Enitan is secretly going through a divorce, and dealing with the fallout as it impacts her relationship with her daughter, Remi. Zainab, married a older man in her much younger years, and has become her husband's caretaker after he lost the ability to care for himself, and is dealing with the authentic emotions and feelings that come with that.

I enjoyed this book. While we are introduced to the women in their present, we are taken on a journey from the past to the present. It provided context and insight into how and why the women made the decisions they did, which heavily impacted their present circumstances.

Some parts in this book sparked my interests, and some just didn’t. I really wanted to like this more. Thank you to the publishers for the arc.

I love that Nigerian authors and characters are finding more attention in America. Tomi Obaro is a marvelous find, and I loved this story of three friends and their lifelong friendships. Beautiful.

Tomi Obaro is a generational talent. She writes in a beautiful and believable way. Compulsively readable. I wish the blurb contained a little bit less information about the plot, but the book is wonderfully executed either way.

30 years after Funmi, Enitan, and Zainab met at university they all come together for the wedding of Fumi's daughter, Destiny.
Enitan has spent the last few decides living in the US, Zainab and Funmi are still in Nigeria but not close by.

We can tell from the start there is some tension, but also some long and strong frienships between the three. Over the days leading up to Destiny's wedding we explore more of them, the culture of Nigeria, and also their past.

I loved the setting and the exploration of the culture and cuisine. It felt like a love letter to Nigeria in many ways, although it also didn't try and hide the poverty and violence that is also a part of living there.
The characters were well developed and I enjoyed learning about how they had grown as friends, and as adults.
Lovely debut novel.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a sucker for a friendship and family novel. I love how each woman had their own story, but came together to help each other when needed. I do wish the ending had been more complete, but an enjoyable novel!

Set against the backdrop of a present day Nigerian wedding, Tomi Obaro’s Dele Weds Destiny follows three best friends and their 30 year friendship.

Told through two timelines, one at the start of their friendship in the 80s and the other 30 years later, the novel explores the ways friendships change over time, a result of marriages, transcontinental moves, and motherhood.

I recently spoke with Tomi Obaro about her inspiration and aspects of traditional Nigerian culture. Here’s our conversation.

First of all, this cover is stunning! However, I may come back to this book again one day, but for now, I can’t finish it. The writing style just isn’t for me. I felt there was too much unnecessary information. Also, I’m not very intrigued by the characters’ lives or stories. I just need more. But I will consider coming back to it again one day, and if I do, I will revisit and change my review!

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for this arc!

I grabbed this one for the gorgeous cover but I stayed for the story!
I was hooked from page 1. The story is about friendship, family, and love. I appreciated getting to know all the characters and then seeing how the MC and others grew.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Reviews of the book cover the spectrum. As with many things, it comes down to expectation management. There isn’t a big twist. No big drama. This isn’t a thriller. There’s no Wahala.

Instead, it’s a character study of three women who grew up in wildly different households and met at university. Their roads fork. They meet up decades later for the wedding of one of their daughters. Through flashbacks, we see their stories up to this point.

I appreciated the cultural content regarding Nigerian wedding traditions and expectations, but I needed help to connect to the three main characters. I had to keep notes to keep track. In addition, a couple of times, the verbiage regarding sexual encounters was jarring. It seemed crude and out of context.

Overall, I’m glad I read it, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. Gorgeous cover, though!

Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, for the opportunity to read this digital review copy.

Funmi, Enitan, and Zainab first meet at university in Nigeria and become friends for life despite their differences.

Now, some thirty years later, the three women are reunited for the first time, in Lagos. The occasion: Funmi's daughter, Destiny, is getting married.

I like the set-up of the book: three friends meeting after such a long time - yes!

Unfortunately it falls flat though... The characters remain one dimensional throughout the whole novel and there is almost no story progression.

I LOVE a good friendship story and Dele Weds Destiny is one of the best I've read. The characters were rich and well developed. The themes were important but handled with care. I loved this story.

In this book we are introduced to a trio of Nigerian women who have been friends for many years.
This book takes us through their friendships, relationships, and then goes through a timeline where we are introduced to their marriages.
I would like to say i enjoyed this book as we are introduced to life in Nigeria mainly around the 80s.
If you are looking to have a feel of Nigeria, this book is for you

A book about friendship and mother-daughter relationships, the story centers on three close friends from Nigeria. Zainab and Enitan are traveling to Lagos for Funmi’s daughter’s wedding. The three became friends during their university years, and despite their very different backgrounds and personalities, the friendship endured. Funmi is planning the wedding of a lifetime, while her daughter Destiny is not quite as enthusiastic. I liked the characters and the story lines, but was surprised at the abrupt ending. I was ready for more. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sometimes fun, somewhat comedic story of female friendship with a world lit twist. Not the kind of book you'll necessarily recall long after you read it, but pleasant enough all around, and might make for a good book club book when your group needs a to take a breath from the deep and a jaunt on the lighter side.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fun, while also sharing important views, but I felt that the ending was too abrupt.

I love reading and learning about Black female friendships because there aren't many books that truly celebrate the highs and lows of these relationships. I think this book does a great job of touching on the realities of lifelong friendships.

Zainab, Enitan, and Funmi met in university and developed a bond spanned decades. And although their relationship began for less ideal reasons, it still stood the test of time.

Over thirty years, their lives and friendships change. Zainab is struggling to be the sole breadwinner for her family of six, Enitan is separating from her husband and also trying to connect with her daughter Remi. Funmi is living a luxurious and comfortable life as the wife of a not so honest, businessman.

But as they change so does their friendship and in 2015 they reunite for the wedding of Funmi's daughter, Destiny.

The book is quite slow-paced and goes back and forth straggling two timelines, as well as tells the stories through the various women which I found nice at times but I would have liked to spend more time with the women, I felt rushed at times.

I truly enjoyed the scenes of the wedding, it was so beautiful and colourful I felt that I was there. I also loved learning more about Nigerian culture through the lens of each woman. Although they were all Nigerian they had very different experiences and I enjoyed that dynamic and that added layer of intrigue.

Did I miss something in this? The blurb was the story. This felt like a joke? The characters were nice and I liked the setting, but there wasn't enough there to add 300 pages when the blurb tells you the beginning, middle, and end - there are no surprises, no deep understandings, no life lessons. This reads like a multi POV journal entry? I must have missed something.

**Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the eARC**

Between the beautiful cover and the great book description, I just knew I would love this book. Unfortunately, this story focused on an enduring friendships over decades and motherhood didn't deliver for me. The author is a good storyteller. I liked the realistic, well developed characters and how Nigerian culture, norms, and politics are integrated into the story. However, the jacket description that tells you way too much and the abrupt ending left me feeling a little underwhelmed. Overall, Dele Weds Destiny is a solid read, and I will definitely check out this author's next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for a digital copy of this book.