Sweet Heat: A Novel by Bolu BabalolaSeries: Honey & Spice #2
Publication Date: September 2, 2025
Pages: 496
Add on: Goodreads
Rating: ★★★½
Source: From the Publisher
Genre: Fiction / Coming Of Age
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks / HarperCollins
The bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick Honey and Spice returns with a sexy, hilarious, and heartfelt standalone novel starring Kiki Banjo, a young woman who hosts a podcast about modern love, even though her own love life is a hot mess. When her ex comes back into the picture, Kiki must decide whether she’s ready to risk it all—or let her heart burn again.
Twenty-eight-year-old Kiki Banjo hosts the popular podcast The HeartBeat, solving romantic conundrums and dishing out life advice. Behind the scenes, though, career setbacks and a devastating breakup have left her hanging on by a thread. As she’s preparing to be the Maid of Honor in her best friend’s wedding, everything starts to unravel, and Kiki is left wondering if she ever had the answers.
Then Kiki finds herself face-to-face with the Best Man, her ex-boyfriend, Malakai—the smooth-talking, absurdly handsome, annoyingly perceptive man who stole her heart and then shattered it. While Kiki’s approaching rock bottom, Malakai’s been on the rise as a filmmaker, and now they have no choice but to play nice until the wedding is over. Both are hell-bent on ignoring the smoldering chemistry between them, but as they navigate the chaos of wedding plans, career ambitions, and Kiki’s growing fears about the future, they can’t ignore the spark that’s only getting hotter.
They just have to get through the summer. So why does it feel like playing with fire?
REVIEW
REVIEW
Bolu Babalola’s Sweet Heat wastes no time pulling you back into Kiki Banjo’s world, three years after her first heartbreak. Kiki, once the guarded podcast host of Honey & Spice, is doing her best to keep her heart under wraps—until Malakai Korede, now a successful filmmaker, waltzes back into her life. Sparks fly and old wounds resurface, all set against a backdrop bursting with Afro-Caribbean flair, British wit, and the chaos of a wedding celebration.
Babalola’s characters leap off the page. Kiki is sharp, stubborn, and impossible not to root for, while Malakai brings just the right balance of charm and vulnerability. Their circle of friends—Aminah, Chioma, and Shanti—bring a sense of warmth and belonging, grounding the story in community and friendship.
What makes Sweet Heat stand out is Babalola’s voice: lively, poetic, and always ready with a perfectly-timed joke or pop culture reference. The emotional stakes are high, but so is the fun. Yes, you’ll recognize some classic romance beats, but here they feel fresh, fueled by authentic cultural detail and dialogue that actually crackles.
There are a few familiar plot turns, sure, but Babalola’s take on forgiveness, ambition, and the messiness of love makes even the expected feel new. The chemistry between Kiki and Malakai is magnetic—you’ll root for them, cringe at their mistakes, and maybe even tear up at their breakthroughs.
Sweet Heat is the kind of romance that leaves you grinning, hungry for more, and maybe a little nostalgic for your own second chances. It’s modern, it’s swoony, and it doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
