Sweet Heat

A Novel

By: Bolu Babalola

Narrated by: Weruche Opia

BOLU BABALOLA IS… “A queen of romantic comedy.” – Oprah Daily • “Incisively funny.” – Entertainment Weekly • “A really great romance writer.” – Quinta Brunson, Harper's Bazaar •“Keeping the hope for true love alive and enjoyable.” –Shondaland • “A rom-com expert.” – New York Times

A Rolling Stone Most Anticipated Book of Fall

Two exes. One summer wedding. Zero chance of escaping the heat.

Prepare to laugh, swoon, and fall head over heels with this irresistible standalone romance from Bolu Babalola, the bestselling author of Honey and Spice, a Reese’s Book Club pick.

Twenty-eight-year-old Kiki Banjo hosts the popular podcast The HeartBeat, solving romantic conundrums and dishing out life advice. But behind the mic, 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?

“Babalola’s sharp sense of humor, slick pop culture references, and keen sense of the zeitgeist . . . offer a refreshing portrait of what modern love really looks and feels like."" — Time

“Babalola expertly blends sex with societal discourse in ways that echo Jane Austen and Nora Ephron.” — Vanity Fair

""Babalola soars in her rich depictions of intimacy and relationships, in all their grandeur.""— The New York Times Book Review

Poetic love

Love. Love. Slow burn 2nd chance romance. Beautifully written with realistic characters, and laugh out loud dialogue.

Touching story, excellent narration

I really enjoyed the culture, the wit, getting to know the characters. This story filled me in a way that the highest New York times Best Sellers never do. The experiences of the characters felt so real but also ethereal at the same time.

The love shared between Kiki & Malachi was present from their first scene together

I hate to say a bit too wordy for me. Lots of descriptions that kinda went on a tangent

1000/10

Very beautiful story. I loved honey and spice and this sequel did not disappoint. I love the characters and hope we get a third installment. Bolu is a master with words. The narrator was perfection. Every time he said Scotch I melted. This was spicy and just beautifully written.

Simply Beautiful

A beautifully crafted Black love story. Realistically depicted characters navigating equally relatable challenges of nascent adulthood - fraught with avoidable, yet inevitable, bouts of miscommunication, assumptions, and the things left unsaid.