Turning pages

My first thought was: Mezie is mad! Honestly, may God not give us a Mezie in our lives. Whether you’ve read this book or not, just say Amen. Legachi, who works in a bank, has been Mezie’s girlfriend for seven years. And what do you call someone like Mezie? Shaff. No substance. He disrespects her constantly, yet she explains it away as patience, thinking he’s just frustrated. Meanwhile, she’s been at her job for years without promotion but still manages to hold herself together without pouring her own frustrations on him. When she applies for a scholarship,a path Mezie discouraged after failing himself, he becomes a burden rather than a support. She even gives him the money meant for her own accommodation in London, intending to live with him. What she meets there… let’s just say Legachi has suffered in this journey of love. Thank God for Alero, strict but solid (reminded me of those no-nonsense sisters from my secondary school days). Not always pleasant, but necessary. Then comes Roman...

Our bookclub pick for this month was Say You’ll Remember Me, and Abby Jimenez once again delivered a story that feels both tender and raw. The novel begins with what could easily have been a fleeting moment—Samantha standing in a vet’s office, clinging to hope for a sick kitten, and Xavier, the compassionate yet honest vet who gently tells her that letting go might be the kinder choice. That first meeting sets the tone for a romance that is rooted not in grand gestures, but in small acts of kindness, shared vulnerability, and persistence. Xavier is a man scarred by his past—parents who dismissed his learning struggles and left him with wounds that still shape his adult life. Samantha, meanwhile, is carrying the weight of caregiving, loss, and the uncertainty of long-distance love. Their connection is immediate, but Jimenez refuses to make it easy. Instead, she crafts a story about the challenges of sustaining love when life keeps pulling you in opposite directions. Themes That Resonate...

“ Golibe ” is not just a story — it’s an emotional rollercoaster. From the very first page, Adesuwa O’Man Nwokedi plunges us into the deeply layered life of Golibe, a young woman raised by a loving adoptive couple, surrounded by affection but haunted by the mystery of her roots. A Life Loved, Yet Longing Golibe was loved. By her adoptive parents. By her dramatic aunty Anuli. Even Aunty Ekwi, the neighborhood gossip, had a soft spot for her. Chuka, her older brother, held her close. Olisa and even the ever-judgmental Dozie once had her heart. And eventually, Duke — mysterious, broken, and deeply in love — crowned her journey with a kind of love that soothed her soul. But despite all the love around her, Golibe longed for answers — for truth. Who was she? Where did she come from? Why did she feel so… rootless? Rebellion, Rejection, and Revelation Her teenage years were marked by rebellion. Judged harshly — even by Dozie’s parents — for her tattoos and her lack of “proper background,” Gol...

Melodies of Love  is a second-chance romance wrapped in music, family drama, and a healthy dose of scandal. Adaora and Ikenna have known each other for over a decade — she, the daughter of a wealthy family; he, the son of her father’s driver and her teenage mathematics tutor. At sixteen, they were in love, but her brother’s interference tore them apart. Twelve years later, Adaora is now a finance lead on Ikenna’s project, and the spark between them is very much alive. Ikenna, now a successful artist, planned their reunion months in advance. For him, Adaora was the girl who made him want to be better, even when he felt he wasn’t good enough for her. A dinner to reminisce quickly became more — honest conversations, shared memories, and navigating the public scrutiny that comes with loving a man in the spotlight. Adaora’s struggle is real: society says she’s “getting old” and should settle, even if it means being with a man she doesn’t love. Ikenna says otherwise:  “I will pursue...

Book Review —  Road to the Country  by Chigozie Obioma War stories often tell of battles, politics, and heroes. But Chigozie Obioma’s  Road to the Country  gives us something more personal — an intimate, layered exploration of  identity, sacrifice, guilt, forgiveness, and the supernatural . This is a story that begins with a memory — and ends with the quiet but powerful echo of a brother’s plea. A Brother’s Burden Kunle’s life is shadowed by a single tragedy: an accident that leaves his younger brother, Tunde, without legs. Overwhelmed with guilt, Kunle retreats into isolation, almost as if punishing himself for what happened. His mother brands him a curse, reinforcing the emotional prison he builds around himself. When political unrest pushes Tunde far away during a time of chaos, Kunle shoulders the responsibility of bringing him home. This is not simply a rescue — it’s an act of redemption. From Rescue to War Kunle’s search for Tunde takes an unexpected turn....

A Tale of Scars, Second Chances, and Soul-Deep Love Some stories wrap around your heart not just because of the love story they tell, but because of the resilience they showcase and  Bottles and Blades  by Elise Faber is exactly that kind of story. It’s a tale where kindness meets trauma, and where two beautifully broken souls find each other in the chaos of life and learn to live and love despite the scars. An Unlikely Meeting, A Perfect Collision Tiffany and Jean-Michael's relationship begins with an unfortunate (yet somehow blessed) accident. He’s embarrassed. She’s kind. And just like that sparks. But this isn’t your typical billionaire-meets-ordinary-girl romance. Jean-Michael is a man the world watches a billionaire whose life is constantly under the spotlight. Tiffany, on the other hand, is a struggling student working multiple jobs, including as a nanny, while quietly caring for her ailing parents. She prefers her life out of the limelight, under the radar, focused on ...

Steal My Heart  is a deeply emotional and sharply observed romance that explores how our expectations of love can blind us to what’s real, what’s good, and what’s standing right in front of us. Through the intertwined lives of Cara and Lissa, Savannah Kade delivers a story that isn’t just about finding the “perfect” man—but about understanding yourself well enough to recognize real love when it shows up, sometimes in imperfect packaging. Cara enters the story with a mental checklist for the ideal partner: good job, emotionally mature, wants kids, doesn’t cheat, likes to cook, maybe even a dog and a white picket fence. What she ends up with, though, is far from that Pinterest-perfect vision. She’s caught between two men—Clark, the polished gentleman who checks all the boxes but somehow leaves her cold, and Walker Booth, her “friends with benefits” arrangement who seems like the wrong guy… until he’s suddenly not. Walker is the man who shows up for her—emotionally, physically, practi...

Some books speak to your mind; others reach into your memory and stir emotions long buried.  Dreams Count  by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of those rare books that does both. Set during the eerie silence of the lockdown era—a time marked by fear of the unknown—this novel took me back to those uncertain days. It reminded me of the fear, the forced stillness, the moments of introspection, and how people coped: some by pretending nothing was happening, others by giving in to hopelessness, and some—like the characters in this story—by clinging to their dreams. At the center of it all is  Chiamaka , or  Chia , whose life is a mirror to many women’s experiences. Caught between longing for love and the harsh reality of receiving only emotional crumbs, she loses herself trying to become what someone else desires. Her relationship with  Darnell —emotionally manipulative, selfish, dismissive—is painful to watch. His insults are veiled as jokes, and his nonchalance feel...