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Title: Ties That Tether
Author: Jane Igharo
Sub-genre: Contemporary
Trope(s): Surprise baby
Content Warning: Traumatic birth on page; mention of loss of partner and unborn child (happened in the past, but is discussed)
I saved this book for last this month because I knew it was going to be good, and it was so different from what I expected, but so so brilliant.
Azere is a Nigerian woman living in Canada. She moved to Canada with her mom and younger sister, following the death of her father. On his deathbed, Azere’s father asked her to promise him she would marry a Nigerian man and always keep their culture prominent in her life, and being the obedient daughter, Azere agreed. Unfortunately, after living half of her life in Canada, she is struggling to find the balance between the two different sides of her. Her mother constantly sets her up with Nigerian men, but Azere has yet to find anyone who makes her happy. Her mother argues that she doesn’t need to be happy, she just needs to be a good wife and mother. After one particularly bad date, Azere is drowning her sorrows at a bar when she meets Rafael. They have a one night stand and plan to never see each other again since Rafael is from out of town. But fate has other plans in mind. Not only does Rafael end up moving to town to work at Azere’s company, but Azere then finds out she is pregnant with Rafael’s baby. The surprise pregnancy brings Azere and Rafael closer, but it drives a huge wedge between Azere and her mother, who disowns her for a) getting pregnant out of wedlock and b) staying with Rafael, who is white (his family is from Spain). While Azere’s family issues are front and center in the present, Rafael has his own issues to deal with, buried deeply in the past. The two have to overcome their past hang ups and find a way to chart a new path into the future. Which, of course, they do.
Typically in romance, I am drawn to books that are “voicey”. Those voicey books tend to fall on the humorous side, and while there were definitely some humorous moments in this book, what really separated Ties That Tether from other romances for me was the lyricism in the voice. Jane’s writing was so poetic and gorgeous, it immediately drew me into the story. And honestly, her voice combined with some of the heartbreaking events of the book, just destroyed me (in the best possible way). And that’s one of the most brilliant things about the romance genre, is I could go to these heartbreaking places and feel safe because I know it’s going to turn out okay in the end.
Probably the hardest part of reading this book was seeing the pain Azere went through with her mom. As a mother myself, I cannot think of anything that would push me to disown my kid, so it was really tough to go through that journey with Azere, feeling so abandoned by her mother at a time when she needed her most. But it’s written so beautifully (and again, with the safety net of a happy ending guaranteed) that the whole thing really worked for me.
And then of course we have this gorgeous relationship between Azere and Rafael, one that starts out as something so simple and small, and turns into this all-encompassing love story. Both of them are so broken and when they are able to find their way to each other and glue the pieces back together, it was perfection. Honestly, I loved every second of reading this book, even the parts that hurt my heart. I am already looking forward to reading whatever Jane comes up with next!
Overall Rating: 5 stars