Ties that Tether Book Review

 Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo

2020

Romance, contemporary fiction

Ties that Tether chronicles protagonist Azere as she struggles to fulfill the promise she made to her father on his deathbed to marry a Nigerian man. Now in the bustling city of Toronto and after many failed dates with Nigerian men set up by her mother, Azere finds herself attracted to the incredibly sexy Rafael. But with the pressure of her family and multiple plot twists, what will Azere do?

The culture clash theme of the novel is incredibly well written and makes Azere an empathetic character. Azere’s struggle to choose between her family that has already undergone so much and the man she loves is genuinely compelling. Though I didn’t personally love the insta-love or how Rafel seemed overly possessive at times, I think fans of contemporary romance will love this one. Furthermore, I’m sure Torontonians (or upper Canadians as some around here like to joke) will love to see their city represented in the romance genre. 

The narrative voice fell flat for me, and is ultimately my reason for rating the novel so low. As much as the story is solid, the writing made it hard for me to feel a true connection to the characters. I also disliked how Rafael had chapters scattered haphazardly throughout Ties that Tether. I wish that Igharo had either chosen to show more of Rafael or none of his perspective at all

Rating 2.5/5: Though I wasn’t a fan of the writing and rating Ties that Tether any higher would be disingenuous to my reading experience, I do recommend Ties that Tether and think that anyone interested after my synopsis should check it out!