I was not sure what to expect with this story but was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! This book follows Tonye and IB who are such fun characters to spend time with. Tonye is attempting to outrun his past; while IB is trying to embrace a future of her own creation while competing with what her parents want from her. I really liked that this book was Christian based, but without all the cliches that often accompany Christian romances.

There was an amazing plot twist that I would never have expected from miles away. I also loved the nuggets of wisdom dropped throughout the book about forgiveness, running away from problems, the trap of avoidance, and how our relationships with our families shape our being as adults.

The only two critiques I have are that the pacing was a little inconsistent. At first I felt like the book was dragging, but then around half way it sped up! I also wish that Tonye and IB were at similar places with their Christianity. Or at least Tonye getting closer to where IB was with her relationship with God. I also wish we could’ve had more insights into IB’s Christianity in her chapters.

Overall, was pleasantly surprised about this book and would def read the next in the series! It had drama, Jesus, Nigerian culture, tension, and sweet romance 🥰 thank you so much to NetGalley and publisher for this e-ARC!

BOOK: MY SUGAR IN SUGARLAND
AUTHOR: DEE OSAH
PUB DATE: JULY 2024

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 1 star.

I wanted to like this book, in fact I was ready for it to become my endgame, my holy grail and 12% into the book I had to give up. As a Nigerian, I'm always going to be happy seeing fellow Nigerians in books but this was disappointing.
I think the story idea is cute, but the execution was far from it. The writing style made me think of one agent's rejection which said the first chapter felt like a list of events.
The little I read, did that comfortable.
He did this, then that happened, then he did hat, and that happened and so on...
It made for a not nice reading experience.
Then the introduction of the romance was lackluster.
There was no difference between the FMC and the MMC character and I just had to give up.

I wish I had more wonderful things to say but I'm just sad.

We meet Ibelema, a recently broken-up-with and floundering single Christian woman. She is trying to please her parents and pursue her dreams. When she is not applying to jobs and leading praise and worship at church, she is becoming a blooming filmmaker . She, however, is having trouble finding a lead for her film ... cue Silas . Silas is a VERY, VERY, VERY troubled Nigerian actor who has to flee his home country and come to the States. He meets Ibelema at the right time, falls in love with her, and becomes the lead of her film. The book then explores them going on dates and Silas pursuing Ibelema. In the book's second half, we discover that Silas has some semi-justified animosity toward his mother ...... and we experience a theatrical and simultaneously entertaining confrontation.

This book had a lot of potential, and as someone who lived in Houston and spent a lot of time in Sugar Land, I was super excited to get to read it and to see a part of my world there. The little mentions of the various parts of the greater Houston area made me smile. I loved the weaving of Houston and the Nigerian culture at the same time throughout this story.

I really enjoyed the cultural aspects of this book. It was really neat to see how each character interacted with their heritage, especially with both the main characters coming from a Nigerian background. The role of the church and religion plays a huge role in the lives of both Ibelema and Tonye. At times, it felt like a bit much religion for me as a reader, but it was clear that spirituality was so important to both characters. Additionally, the familial aspects played a great role in this story and the coming together of these characters.

Ultimately, these characters fall hard and fast for one another, especially Tonye. Love at first sight might not be far off from his experience! Tonye has some really sweet moments and is willing to spend the time and energy wooing Ibelema. It’s clear that words of affirmation work well for these characters, and that they’re always all in on each other. This is a sweet story with a HEA that very much fits the characters.

I received a free advance copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

My Sugar in Sugar Land is a charming, clean Christian romance. The book is filled with Nigerian culture, family trauma and drama, and lots and lots of Jesus!!!

Storyline
We meet Ibelema, a recently broken-up-with and floundering single Christian woman. She is trying to please her parents and pursue her dreams. When she is not applying to jobs and leading praise and worship at church, she is becoming a blooming filmmaker. She, however, is having trouble finding a lead for her film ... cue Silas. Silas is a VERY, VERY, VERY troubled Nigerian actor who has to flee his home country and come to the States. He meets Ibelema at the right time, falls in love with her, and becomes the lead of her film. The book then explores them going on dates and Silas pursuing Ibelema. In the book's second half, we discover that Silas has some semi-justified animosity toward his mother ...... and we experience a theatrical and simultaneously entertaining confrontation.

Christian Perspective
As a Christian, it sometimes felt like Silas and Ibelema were not equally yoked when reading this book. Ibelema is not perfect. No one is, but Silas’s backstory and just state of confusion in his life pointed to him needing a lot of therapy and a more stabilized relationship with Jesus before he got with my good sis Ibelema. As a reader, Silas’ character often appears more enamored with Ibelema than Jesus. It is hard in Christian romance books to write a dynamic balance of sound theology and representation of Christian dating and a good romance story. Not all Christian romance books need to showcase the ideal Christian love story; however, at the beginning of the book, the tone felt very evangelical; it was odd that towards the middle and near the end, the text lost that initial compelling tone that was making clear through lines connecting the characters actions to a Christian worldview.

Clean Romance?
Overall, the romance between Silas and Ibelema is very wholesome. Still, compared to other Christian romance books, some language describing their blooming romance feels just a tad intense/risque "for the typical Christian romance book.". The book is not spicy, but it takes a more intense tone when describing physical interactions than Christian romance author contemporaries Toni Shiloh and Kim Cash Tate.

Sub Plots
While reading the book, there are some instances when the authors use a character or a dramatic event to push the plot along, but it either takes you out of the flow of the book or is never fully resolved. The subplots are a bit muddled, and I often wish they had cut some of them or taken a few more chapters to flush them out completely.

Pacing
This book is short, and initially, I was speeding through, but midway, it took me a while to finish it because the pacing could have been smoother.

Final Thoughts
After reading My Sugar in Sugar Land, I was reminded of the fact that we need more Christian romance books, especially ones written by Bipoc authors!!! I also find it soooooo cool that Dee Osah is a couple who wrote this book together! I will definitely read the other books in this series and more from these two authors.
Thank you so much, Netgalley and Victory Editing!
My final rating is 3.60/5

BOOK: MY SUGAR IN SUGARLAND
AUTHOR: DEE OSAH
PUB DATE: JULY 2024
👩🏾‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏽👩🏾‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏽
REVIEW- 3.5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
👩🏾‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏽👩🏾‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏽
This book was nice all over, nice storyline, characters, and setting. I liked the fast-paced romance and Tonye's drama. It's closed door romance, but I liked the MCs chemistry. What I didn't like was that whenever Nigeria was mentioned by the FMC, Ibelema, it was in a negative (but true) light. I would have loved to see true positive things about Nigeria in the book.
👩🏾‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏽👩🏾‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏽
This book was very okay and I would recommend it.

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

This was a really fun book. I enjoyed it a lot!

I think that this book is really well written, and I loved the dual povs, and tropes involved. I just wasn't expecting the church aspect as much, since I went in knowing very little. However, I will be reading more from the=is author duo and see if I can find one of their works that really resonates with me.

I’ve never read a Nigerian romance. I wasn’t sure what to expect but the blurb sounded good so I decided to give it a shot. Most of this book was set in Texas. They were only in Nigeria for the epilogue. There were a few things I didn’t understand but none of that took away from the story.

IB and Silas were an interesting couple. He fell in love with her the first time he saw her. In my opinion, she liked him in the beginning but it took her a little longer to fall in love with him. He was running from a scandal and ended up in a position to help her with her independent film. They fall in love and talk about marriage but his scandal comes back to potentially ruin everything. He should have told her about it sooner but he waited and kept thinking that she had looked him up herself.

I enjoyed this book. It was a good read. There were a lot of Christian elements but not too many and it wasn’t too heavy handed.

This was a solid four star read.

My Sugar in Sugar Land is book one in the new Improbable Romance Series by Dee Osah.
I enjoyed reading this sweet, clean and beautiful story!
This is a charming contemporary romance that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you with a smile on your face. With its amazing writing and relatable characters, it's a must-read for anyone looking for an entertaining and heartwarming love story.

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Honestly, I was approaching this book blindly, without even reading the synopsis, was a risk. Yet, the intriguing cover and an intuitive feeling promised something good. Dee Osah’s writing flowed effortlessly, turning the pages at a brisk pace. It really did not disappoint and it is easily 4.5 star rating.

The unexpected twists caught me off guard—in the best way possible. Seamlessly integrated, they avoided any awkwardness. My only wish? Is a slightly more extended conclusion to address lingering questions. But perhaps those gaps will be filled in future books, as this is part of a series. And that cliffhanger! It left me hungry for more.

Then, Tonye and Ibelema stole my heart. Their pure connection and shared experiences allowed for genuine growth. Their unwavering support for each other—through thick and thin—was heartwarming. Plus, Tonye falling for Ibelema first? A delightful touch and I am total sucker for that trope. Even their banter made me giggle—it was just too cute.

I’d like to give an honorable mention to this particular scene—it’s my absolute favorite. Ibelema’s observations about Tonye’s relationship with his mother were mind-blowing. She wittily pointed out how our parental relationships shape our views on dating. I resonated with this, drawing parallels to my own experiences. Her similarities to my own relationship with my parents made her even more relatable.

Also, Dee Osah’s website features character visuals based on the book. It is such a cool addition! Seeing them come alive in my mind, like a mental movie, enhanced my reading experience. Kudos to the author and publisher for this immersive touch. In summary, “My Sugar in Sugar Land” won’t be my last encounter with Dee Osah’s work—I eagerly await the next installment. And to the author and publisher: Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have posted on 7/5/24: Bookbub, Storygraph and Goodreads.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Silas thought he was going to Houston to hide but God had another plan for him. IB thought she will never find real love but God give her what she desired and more . This is such a wholesome story about second chances , love , family and redemption

These cover is beautiful and the description sounded very cute. Sadly this story fell a little bit flat for me. I did love the wholesomeness in this story but the overall plot of this story felt very far fetched and the different events were very convenient to the storyline and not realistic. I also wish the characters had more depth.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Dee Osah's 'My Sugar in Sugar Land' was super disappointing. I think the story was cute but the characters were really unlikeable, especially Silas. The subplots were just all over the place and I didn't love reading this book.

3.7 stars
very cute and wholesome love the cover !
I love how they help each other navigate real life .

♡𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
3 🌟
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𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•black love | romance
•self-discovery
•contemporary romance
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Book 1 in a series called "Improbable Romance." I like the premise of the storyline, but for some reason, it just wasn't keeping my attention. So, at the moment, I am going to DNF and come back at a later time to re-read. Sorry!
𝙳𝙽𝙵 @40%
𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐
𝙱 𝚄 𝚃 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚊𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 . . . 3🌟.
𝑰𝒇 𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒚 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝑴𝑬! Because this cover is gorgeous 😍 to me.
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 July.11
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Thank you, Netgalley, for the (eArc)-eBook for my honest review.