Review: Ties that Tether
Thank you Berkley Romance for the eARC of Ties that Tether! Out Now!
Happy Tuesday book friends! Today I have a blog tour review of a new #OwnVoices novel from Berkley Romance, Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo! Ties that Tether came out last week and I enjoyed so much about this story. I have a review below, but please note it has some minor spoilers mentioned and a content warning at the end of the review.
Synopsis:
When a Nigerian woman falls for a man she knows will break her mother’s heart, she must choose between love and her family.
At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture even after emigrating to Canada. Her mother has been vigilant about helping--forcing--her to stay well within the Nigerian dating pool ever since. But when another match-made-by-mom goes wrong, Azere ends up at a bar, enjoying the company and later sharing the bed of Rafael Castellano, a man who is tall, handsome, and white.
When their one-night stand unexpectedly evolves into something serious, Azere is caught between her growing feelings for Rafael and the compulsive need to please her mother who will never accept a relationship that threatens to dilute Azere's Nigerian heritage.
Azere can't help wondering if loving Rafael makes her any less of a Nigerian. Can she be with him without compromising her identity? The answer will either cause Azere to be audacious and fight for her happiness or continue as the compliant daughter.
Jane Abieyuwa Igharo was born in Nigeria and immigrated to Canada at the age of twelve. She has a journalism degree from the University of Toronto and works as a communications specialist in Ontario, Canada. When she isn't writing, she's watching "Homecoming" for the hundredth time and trying to match Beyoncé's vocals to no avail.
Links:
Review:
Thank you Berkley Romance for the eARC of Ties that Tether! Out now!
Ties that Tether is such a powerful and emotional debut from Jane Igharo, a Nigerian-Canadian author. If you’re looking for an #OwnVoices novel with family, culture, and a love story, Ties that Tether is one you should try. This was the first novel I’ve read that explored Nigerian culture and I really appreciated getting to experience a little bit of it through this story.
That being said, I do with the publisher had included a content warning at the beginning of the book. There are some elements that could be very triggering for readers. The rest of this review will have some minor spoilers and I will include a content warning at the end of the post. But please know going in that this is not a lighthearted rom-com, there are a lot of serious topics throughout the book.
The story starts with an arranged date gone wrong, turned one night stand with a complete stranger. Azere promised her father on his deathbed that she would only marry a Nigerian man, and her mother has been setting her up on endless dates trying to find that match. Unfortunately not only was her one night stand Italian, but Azere soon realizes that it wasn’t a casual fling she hoped for when Rafael walks into her office as the new employee.
**minor spoiler** I love a good one night stand turned forced proximity romance, but it’s very clear early on in the story that Ties that Tether would also be one of my other favorite tropes: surprise pregnancy!
I do think Ties that Tether falls more into the women’s fiction category than contemporary romance. I would have loved if there was more of the romance between Azere and Rafael (and if it were open door). Even though there are some chapters from Rafael’s POV, this is honestly Azere’s story and it’s beautifully told.
I really loved being in Azere’s head for most of the book. Jane Igharo’s writing is so emotional and Azere’s struggle of trying to find her place and being stuck between two cultures is really heart wrenching. Even as a white woman with no experience living as an immigrant in a new country, I felt so emotionally connected to Azere’s story and the struggles she had with her mother.
A LOT happens the last 25% of the story and there were a couple parts I wish had been explored more. There’s a pretty important aspect of Rafael’s history that isn’t revealed until almost the end of the book. I would have liked if it was revealed a little earlier, but my need to know where that aspect of the story was going had me reading so fast.
Ties that Tether was a great debut and I’m very excited to see what Jane Igharo publishes next.
**Content warning: grief related to death of spouse, child, and parent, traumatic birth experience