This is one of those romance novels that is about the characters and I just love that! Yes, make me care for these people that I am reading about. Make them interesting and fascinating and complicated.

I really like the quotes at the beginning of the chapter, I thought that was a quick and simple way to add some humor and personality to the style of storytelling.

Overall, I had a good time reading this book about a Ghanaian heiress and her stressful and complicated love life. I did find the pacing a bit off at times though. I felt like the characters were really focused on, but it was more so about who they are separately and not so much who they are together. (They were apart more than they are together is a simpler way of saying that.)

And this is a drama-filled book, this girl is complicated! She's got a lot going on!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book. I was excited to read the book and see the cultures of being African in America (yes there is a difference between African American and Black as explained in the book). As soon as I put 2 and 2 together about this being an interracial relationship, I knew it would spend a lot of time explaining the ways that racism shows up in the work place - something that I as a Black American don’t always want to see show up in forms of my entertainment. I didn’t enjoy the characters, I don’t think there was a real resolution between the main character and her mother and mental health was not adequately addressed. I don’t think I am the target audience for this book.

I enjoy Nana Malone's books so I was excited to read this traditionally published book!

I liked this one, but I didn't love it. One of my biggest pet peeves about romance books is when there are too many scenes of the two main characters apart than they are together. There was a lot going on in this book...from the publisher drama to the family drama and all of it detracted from the romance between Ofosua and Cole. I wanted more scenes of them together so that they could build their connection and chemistry more.

I think with some better editing, this book could have been more than three stars for me.

Ofosua “Ofos” Addo is a Ghanaian American heiress & editorial intern running late for a publishing party at Drake Publishing. She arrives on time and briefly mingles with her fellow interns. However, when she takes a quick breather, she comes face forward into a handsome yet mysterious guest. Our guest turns out to be Cole Drake. The two begin to click until the moment is interrupted by an incoming heads-up from her co-worker. Fast forward two years later and we see Ofosua is in the middle of getting for an impending wedding. Unfortunately, the wedding doesn’t end without its share of drama for Ofosua. On top of everything else, Ofosua runs into Cole again under some less-than-ideal circumstances. This is where our story begins in a fascinating turn.

Ofosua has a lot on her plate with trying to deal with the fallout of her failed wedding, imperious mother and of course, Cole being with her co-worker/future boss. Then there is Cole Drake. He is the heir apparent of Drake Publishing. While trying to ensure he becomes the future he is dealing with his unresolved feelings for Ofosua. This is only just a smidgen of things our main couple had to face. I won’t spoil the story, but I was locked in. Ofosua and Cole learned more about themselves outside the family and the societal pressures they both had to endure. I enjoy learning more about Ghanaian culture especially the food, fashion, etc. from the author. There were a few characters I was suspicious of from the beginning and on my list. There was a lot of ground to cover before Ofosua and Cole reached their HEA. Overall, I enjoyed this story and would love to hear from a few characters.

Uniquely lovely!
I was absolutely enthralled with Ofos & her cultural traditions & navigating life in her twenties with a strong willed & opinionated mother. Cole ended up being the icing on the cake!

Gold Coast Dilemma
By Nana Malone
A review by Jamilla @ LandsAwayBooks (a Wordpress blog)

4 stars

This was adorable! Y’all know I go hard for books that get into mother-daughter relationships and this one was a dozy! And I liked that it tackled the friction that’s unique to Ghanian culture.

This is an office romance set in a publishing company, and it spares no quarter diving into issues of the (deliberate) lack of diversity & inclusion in the industry, the very macro ‘micro-aggressions’ that makes up the day to day of a black women in the (corporate ) world. I did feel a bit like this discussion was written for a particular gaze, but more knowledge about this sort of thing isn’t necessarily bad.

I really liked the MC Ofosua, she was so colourful and sweet, and of course you’d adore anyone who was passionate about books! She’s a trust fund baby completely covered under the wings of her overbearing and dominating mother so I was definitely relating to her.

Where the book kinda falls short for me is in its tackling of mental health. Ofosua suffers from panic attacks, made all the more worse by the recent upheaval in her personal life. I loved that the topic of the difficulty of finding a therapist who gets you as a black woman was brought up, but panic attacks aren’t something that can be healed by the power of love, are they? So they deserved a proper solution.

Cole was quite a devoted love interest, he very much fell first, fell harder, and though I dinged him for that third act breakup, I did understand his fear.

The chemistry between the two was spectacular and I really enjoyed their earlier (fake) antagonistic moments together.

I had a fun time with this, from the peek into Ghanian culture & idioms, to the sweet supportive love between the two and the cast of characters. As this is a romance, one can hope for it to become a series? 👀

Falling in love with a himbo must be such a fun time.

GOLD COAST DILEMMA by Nana Malone is such a wonderful story of identity, culture, and love. I absolutely loved it and can't wait to read more by Malone! Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy!

Thank you for sending this over! Can’t wait to bringing to everybody’s attention and work alongside your amazing team! 🫶🏻
-Flavia

This was my avorite Nana Malone book and I appreciated the African representation for a change. It was different from what Im used to from her but I definitely want more!

The moment I saw one of my favorite authors, Kennedy promoting this romance novel by Nana Malone, I knew I had to dive in! 🥰🇬🇭 I’ve been eagerly waiting for this release, so getting my hands on an ARC to review has been beyond exciting! 📖✨

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Gold Coast Dilemma by Nana Malone is a romance about Ofosua Addo, a Ghanaian American heiress torn between tradition and love. At a glamorous publishing party, she meets the irresistible Cole Drake, leading to a night they won’t forget. But with an arranged marriage looming, Ofosua faces tough choices that challenge her heart and cultural commitments.
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This novel hit all the right notes! Some parts have made me laugh out loud with their relatability, while others have pulled at my heartstrings as Ofosua navigates the delicate balance between love, tradition, and self-discovery..

I’ll be grabbing a physical copy come April 2025!

I truly enjoyed this read. The dialogue was great, the banter and chemistry between the leads was written beautifully. I loved the self-discovery journey we see our FMC embark on and her choosing her self and love over what her mother wants. Ofosua is a character I definitely saw myself in which is always important for me as a reader. I absolutely adored Cole and how he loved her. Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC