Hi guys,

I’ve been in a reading slump for a while, partly because I’m trying to give more time to getting the stories out of my head. I started reading a few books, but I found that they didn’t hold my attention and I was working too hard to complete them. So, the last few books I’ve completed have been by my trusted fave, because she writes such captivating stories.

Yes, Adesuwa O’Man Nwokedi (formerly The Fertile Chick) is an author who knows how to weave a good story, keeping you in suspense, yet entertained all the while. I discovered her talent when I first read ACCIDENTALLY KNOCKED UP, the first book by her that I reviewed. The latest book I read by her is the Ginika Bridesmaids Part 3 – Ife. I actually read the prelude, The One, and the first two books in the series back in 2021, but took a break to deal with a few things that came up later in the year and carried over in 2022.

So, this is my first spotlight in a while. And to be honest, I don’t know how to begin to review this book, but I believe it is worthy of the spotlight.

Ife, the main character in Book Three of Ginika’s Bridesmaids, is a ‘courtesan’ or ‘runs girl,’ a woman who uses her body sexually to make a living. And she has been very successful with it, being the kept woman of a ridiculously rich older man, who has multiple wives and mistresses around the world. She lives in a house paid by him, drives cars owned by him, lives a lavish lifestyle sponsored by him…

His name is Rahim. Life is grand…

Problem is she is emotional involved with a fool, an utter scoundrel, whom she ‘fell’ in love with at university, or should I say, made herself a fool for, cos that wasn’t love. Olumide is a user, a vile human being, who cheated on Ife the first chance he got, but she was so desperate to have a university boyfriend, she was ready to do anything to keep him. One day like this, an older man sees the young Ife at a party and invites her over. Olumide watches them and notices that the man gave her some money just for talking to him. That is how he comes up with the grand idea that she takes advantage of these richer men to make both herself and him rich… Ife sees an opportunity to keep Olumide’s interests and love and goes with the plan…

Story story story… Olumide the cheat strikes again and, this time, gets Moyo pregnant and ends up marrying her out of duty…while stringing Ife on for years with promises to divorce her, all the while relying on Ife’s contributions to provide for his family! Some people have no shame!

Okay, to the real story. Ife is not ready to cut Olumide loose. His wife, Moyo, has had enough of Ife sleeping with her husband, despite knowing that it’s through her that they are able to send their kids to school. She gathers her friends to ambush Ife at work, but Ozioma, Ife’s ‘nemesis’ comes to her rescue and alerts her of Moyo’s plans. With the help of her sugar daddy, Ife is able to get away to Bora Bora, and hides out for six long weeks, before returning to start a new leaf – a life without Olumide. At this point, she has realised he is isn’t worth it.

But fate has other plans. In Bora Bora, she meets Diekola, a sweet man on vacay with his friends. She enjoys a one-night stand, happy to keep her identity a mystery. But as luck would have it, it is a small world after all…

What follows is a sweet romance between Diekola and Ife, after they meet again at a Lagos party. Diekola, a widower of nine years, is everyone’s favourite person, and apparently the only person in Lagos who has no clue who Ife is. But the truth begins to unravel, and Ife is so afraid of his eventual rejection that she tries to sabotage them at every opportunity, feeling utterly unworthy of his love, or any love for that matter.

Rahim, her benefactor, chooses this time to let her know he wants to be exclusive – that is, she can no longer date other men, and he would like her to join his wives! He has done enough for her for such a demand to be reasonable to Ife, and she really can’t afford to lose his support. The stakes get higher when the disgruntled Olumide decides to blackmail Ife with a sex-tape involving five men!

I will leave it there for you to read how it all pans out.  I found the story to be rich; in detail, in drama, in emotion… I was hooked from the first chapter, not feeling rushed to get to the end, but enjoying each chapter as the story unraveled. The characters were believable and relatable. The dialogue was just right. The romance was touching, well-paced, and suspenseful. Ultimately, it was a beautiful story about love, family, and second chances.

Though the story wasn’t Christian fiction, the gospel message was still passed across when Ife finally decided to go home and see the family that she had been estranged from for ten years. Through this illustration, the reader gets to see how we are the ones who often imprison ourselves with feelings of unworthiness, thinking that we can never right the wrongs of the past, and feeling like those you hurt hate you and can never forgive you. Ife found that she had been wrong about so much, and if only she had returned home sooner, her life could have been different. But still, it wasn’t too late to start on a new slate…

I was happy to read this inspiring message encapsulated in the book.

I am really loving the stories of the Ginika’s Bridesmaids series. In fact, I love Adesuwa’s stories. She is very generous with her narration, giving you stories that are well-written, and lengthy enough to keep you entertained for days, not only hours. Hers is a special talent.

There are five published books in this series, and I hear there will be epilogues released later in the year! If you’d like to get caught up, start with The One, the prelude book, which is also a standalone.

Adesuwa, I had to call you while reading so that you would understand the magnitude of the effect of your writing on me. You are an inspiration and I pray that the whole world will soon come to know of your amazing gift. I look forward to reading more of your books with Christian themes, like “You, Me… Them.”

Photo credit: http://www.canva.com

If you liked this post, you might like THE SPOTLIGHT: A REVIEW OF “YOU, ME… THEM” BY THE FERTILE CHICK

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