scijessreads

Sometimes, a “happy ending” is both happy and bittersweet. It comes at the end (or during) a time where you may be happy, but others around you are not (sometimes because of your actions). This book, You Made of Fool of Death with Your Beauty, by Akwaeke Emezi is that story,

Book Summary: It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and she’s almost a new person now—an artist with her own studio, and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isn’t ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career.

She’s even started dating the perfect guy, but their new relationship might be sabotaged before it has a chance by the dangerous thrill Feyi feels every time she locks eyes with the one person in the house who is most definitely off-limits. This new life she asked for just got a lot more complicated, and Feyi must begin her search for real answers. Who is she ready to become? Can she release her past and honor her grief while still embracing her future? And, of course, there’s the biggest question of all—how far is she willing to go for a second chance at love?

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Oh, this one was messier and more real than I expected going in, and I loved it. It felt raw and like it could be happening to any relationship at any moment. It also approached the idea of the age-gap relationship and “taboo” in a decidedly messy way that many books with the same tropes tend to gloss over in favor of letting our main characters glide through the repercussions without a lot of heartache. And Feyi, with her past heartbreak and slow movement toward even trying to form a relationship again… it was so damn good to read about her tentative steps, her struggles with self-worth in the “new” normal. The surrounding characters, both large and small, all played pivotal roles. And the ending… again it was real. There was hope, but also acceptance that things may not be smooth or easy for our final couple. But that’s life, isn’t it?