September 30, 2020

Ties That Tether: Virtual Book Tour Stop


"Sweet and forbidden—that's how I remember it tasting. It was everything I wanted and couldn't have." ~ 5%

Marie Claire includes this new release in its 2020 Books You Should Add to Your Reading List. Elite Daily lists it as Books Featuring Interracial Relationships You Should Read In 2020. It is one of Betches 7 Books by Black Authors You Need to Read This Summer. Well, I'm here to tell you when a new novel has this many co-signs, it is worth believing the hype. In this case, my Bookhearts, you can most certainly take my word for it. Ties That Tether is such a good read in winter, spring, summer or fall!

Can I first take a moment to gush over the book cover? What a colorful image of a beautiful black woman with a handsome white man in her eyesight. The background print gives it an ethnic vibe. It is definitely a book to be read while in public or on display in a local bookstore. It would quickly catch a browsing eye!

"There's a grip around my heart, squeezing the life out of it until it's a shriveled, raisin-like thing." ~ 77%

Let me tell you more. Azere is a single Nigerian woman with Canadian citizenship. At only twelve years old, she promised her dying father that she would marry a Nigerian. It is her mother's mission to find the perfect Nigerian so she routinely sets up dates hoping for a match made of Edo descent. Despite her one simple dating rule, life happens and Azere ends up having a one-night stand with a white stranger. Then it evolves into something way more. She knows her mom would strongly disapprove. Does Azere follow her heart and fight for happiness? Or should Azere accept her fate and give in to an arranged marriage?

Photo Credit: Borada Photography
Ties That Tether may be fiction but it addresses real life situations. Tradition, heritage, interracial couples, culture preservation and acceptance are just a few themes. It is not your average arranged marriage story. Nor is it simply about a woman falling in love with the wrong man. Kudos to Jane Igharo for writing characters' voices with easy to read dialect and informative enough for a reader to understand the story's conflict.

"They were scared she would marry outside her ethnicity and lose her heritage. I think it's a fear lots of immigrants face, you know?" ~ 83%

For book clubs, it is sure to start a lively debate! There are discussion questions included to help guide the discussion. If you choose to read it solo, as I have, you will probably have moments of sympathy, eye rolling and gratefulness that it's not you in Azere's shoes. Though it is important to note this actually happens!

Ties That Tether reminds me of a modern-day fairy tale. It gives Family vs. Everybody vibes. My only gripe was the swift revelation of a secret. It was too rushed for no evident reason. Had the secret been given more than a few pages, it could have added even more realistic value to the story. However by the end of the novel, I had a sense of Nigerian culture and expectations. We can only hope love wins in the end, right? Needless to say, I recommend Jane Igharo's debut novel, Ties That Tether. What a perfect title, by the way!

Happy Blog Tour Day! Ties That Tether is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Ties That Tether
Author: Jane Igharo
Published: September 2020
Pages: 336
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

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