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Women Rent Men and Secrets Here
Not yet published
Expected 26 Feb 26The bestselling author Damilare Kuku lays bare the double standards women face in relationships, sexuality and the unforgiving court of public opinion.
Ara Ikoyi is out of time. Three bestsellers behind her, she’s got no story for her next book – until her neighbour, Juicy Mbelu, becomes the centre of a fiery scandal. Accused of killing her sugar daddy, Juicy’s tale has everyone talking and Ara knows it’s her ticket to a page-turner.
But getting the truth won’t be easy. Juicy agrees to share her story, but only if Ara meets two life-altering demands. First, she must trade secrets with the women of their Lagos estate, exposing her own vulnerabilities in the process. And second? She must tell Juicy’s story exactly as it is.
What starts as a pursuit of one explosive headline barrels into a labyrinth of buried truths, dangerous power dynamics and ruthless judgment. Can Ara tell this story without irreversible fallout – for Juicy or herself? Or will some secrets prove too deadly to uncover?
PRAISE FOR DAMILARE KUKU
'Kuku's stories are delectable and fun' GUARDIAN
'Queen of the banging book title . . . I loved it' NIKKI MAY
'Sharply observational, funny and profound' BOLU BABALOLA
Ara Ikoyi is out of time. Three bestsellers behind her, she’s got no story for her next book – until her neighbour, Juicy Mbelu, becomes the centre of a fiery scandal. Accused of killing her sugar daddy, Juicy’s tale has everyone talking and Ara knows it’s her ticket to a page-turner.
But getting the truth won’t be easy. Juicy agrees to share her story, but only if Ara meets two life-altering demands. First, she must trade secrets with the women of their Lagos estate, exposing her own vulnerabilities in the process. And second? She must tell Juicy’s story exactly as it is.
What starts as a pursuit of one explosive headline barrels into a labyrinth of buried truths, dangerous power dynamics and ruthless judgment. Can Ara tell this story without irreversible fallout – for Juicy or herself? Or will some secrets prove too deadly to uncover?
PRAISE FOR DAMILARE KUKU
'Kuku's stories are delectable and fun' GUARDIAN
'Queen of the banging book title . . . I loved it' NIKKI MAY
'Sharply observational, funny and profound' BOLU BABALOLA
- GenresFiction
Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 26, 2026
2 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 10, 2025
I finished reading Women Rent Men and Secrets Here over the weekend, and it was the perfect Friday read that kept me company indoors.
The story follows Ara, a writer living in House 21 Estate in Ikoyi. She’s deep in a serious writer’s block with both her Nigerian and US agents breathing down her neck for a new book. Just when she’s about to give up, her neighbour Juicy gets accused of killing her sugar daddy, and suddenly, there’s gist everywhere.
From that point, peace left House 21. Secrets started flying, and Ara was such a ride! Bold, nosey in the best way, and unafraid to chase the truth, even when it got messy. Those secret-for-secret moments? My jaw was on the floor. The tension, the confessions, the drama! It was like Lagos gossip in book form.
Damilare Kuku knows how to write women who feel alive, funny, flawed, daring, and sometimes a little messy. And that ending? A huge cliffhanger. I closed the book and just stared into space like, excuse me, ma’am? We need part two.
Solid 4 ⭐️ from me. It’s dramatic, fast-paced, and full of juicy twists. Definitely a fun weekend read.
The story follows Ara, a writer living in House 21 Estate in Ikoyi. She’s deep in a serious writer’s block with both her Nigerian and US agents breathing down her neck for a new book. Just when she’s about to give up, her neighbour Juicy gets accused of killing her sugar daddy, and suddenly, there’s gist everywhere.
From that point, peace left House 21. Secrets started flying, and Ara was such a ride! Bold, nosey in the best way, and unafraid to chase the truth, even when it got messy. Those secret-for-secret moments? My jaw was on the floor. The tension, the confessions, the drama! It was like Lagos gossip in book form.
Damilare Kuku knows how to write women who feel alive, funny, flawed, daring, and sometimes a little messy. And that ending? A huge cliffhanger. I closed the book and just stared into space like, excuse me, ma’am? We need part two.
Solid 4 ⭐️ from me. It’s dramatic, fast-paced, and full of juicy twists. Definitely a fun weekend read.
December 30, 2025
⚠️ This review is a bit long ⚠️
I just finished reading Women Rent Men And Secrets Here, Damilare Kuku’s third book, and I am honestly at a loss for words.
This is one of those books that stays with you long after you close the last page. The kind that lingers in your mind, makes you pause, reflect, and sit with uncomfortable truths. I already know this book will remain with me for a very long time — alongside other deeply moving reads that carry weight, grief, and depth
This story is layered with secrets — dark, gut-wrenching, and deeply disturbing secrets — all tied to the women living within the same estate. Discovering how these secrets intertwine was shocking and, at times, overwhelming. These women have endured terrible experiences, and those experiences have shaped them into people driven by survival rather than empathy. Kindness, love, and compassion have been replaced by self-preservation — and the results are devastating.
What makes this book so compelling is that while you are horrified by the characters’ actions, you are also forced to confront how they got there. Their descent into depravity wasn’t sudden or linear. It was a slow accumulation of abandonment, systemic failure, exploitation, and repeated trauma. And that makes the story deeply unsettling — because it feels real.
This book raises painful questions about society:
About power, greed, and corruption.
About how easily systems fail the vulnerable.
About how people in authority can destroy lives without consequence.
About how survival, when prolonged and unsupported, can strip people of their humanity.
It also confronts parenting in an unflinching way — showing how some children are forced to grow up too soon, burdened with responsibilities they never chose. Children are not solutions, not emotional crutches, not breadwinners. They are children — and this book makes that truth painfully clear.
Damilare Kuku once again demonstrates her ability to address complex societal issues with subtlety and depth. Themes of trafficking, prostitution, greed, lust, corruption, and violence are woven together with care and intention. Layer by layer, the rot within the system — and within people — is exposed.
This was not an easy read. I had to pause multiple times to process what I was reading. But it was a necessary one.
Women Rent Men And Secrets Here is haunting, thought-provoking, and emotionally heavy. It is easily one of my top five reads of 2025. I know I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.
I just finished reading Women Rent Men And Secrets Here, Damilare Kuku’s third book, and I am honestly at a loss for words.
This is one of those books that stays with you long after you close the last page. The kind that lingers in your mind, makes you pause, reflect, and sit with uncomfortable truths. I already know this book will remain with me for a very long time — alongside other deeply moving reads that carry weight, grief, and depth
This story is layered with secrets — dark, gut-wrenching, and deeply disturbing secrets — all tied to the women living within the same estate. Discovering how these secrets intertwine was shocking and, at times, overwhelming. These women have endured terrible experiences, and those experiences have shaped them into people driven by survival rather than empathy. Kindness, love, and compassion have been replaced by self-preservation — and the results are devastating.
What makes this book so compelling is that while you are horrified by the characters’ actions, you are also forced to confront how they got there. Their descent into depravity wasn’t sudden or linear. It was a slow accumulation of abandonment, systemic failure, exploitation, and repeated trauma. And that makes the story deeply unsettling — because it feels real.
This book raises painful questions about society:
About power, greed, and corruption.
About how easily systems fail the vulnerable.
About how people in authority can destroy lives without consequence.
About how survival, when prolonged and unsupported, can strip people of their humanity.
It also confronts parenting in an unflinching way — showing how some children are forced to grow up too soon, burdened with responsibilities they never chose. Children are not solutions, not emotional crutches, not breadwinners. They are children — and this book makes that truth painfully clear.
Damilare Kuku once again demonstrates her ability to address complex societal issues with subtlety and depth. Themes of trafficking, prostitution, greed, lust, corruption, and violence are woven together with care and intention. Layer by layer, the rot within the system — and within people — is exposed.
This was not an easy read. I had to pause multiple times to process what I was reading. But it was a necessary one.
Women Rent Men And Secrets Here is haunting, thought-provoking, and emotionally heavy. It is easily one of my top five reads of 2025. I know I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
You know that feeling when you pick up a book expecting the usual, and then it surprises you in a way you didn’t even know you needed? That was me with Women Rent Men and Secrets Here.
It follows Ara a writer who’s deep in the trenches of serious writer’s block until her neighbour Juicy, becomes the talk of the entire place after being linked to the death of her sugar daddy. And just like that, Ara’s curiosity switches on like generator light.
Half the time she felt like a one-woman investigative unit. The way she moves around the estate trying to understand the story had me hooked like I was right there peeping through curtains with her. And the funniest part is how the women in that estate act like they don’t want to talk… but they’re the first to drop information if you squeeze them small. The chaos that follows Ara everywhere? Honestly, it was giving ...this Lagos will show you shege and still give you a story worth telling.
What I loved is how the whole thing unfolds without feeling forced. Ara isn’t some perfect heroine, she’s just someone trying to get material for her next book and somehow finds herself knee-deep in drama she didn’t sign up for. And the women she meets? My God. They’re loud, soft, dramatic, secretive, loyal, everything at once. It felt like watching different layers of womanhood peel open one by one, in the most unfiltered way.
And even though the book revolves around Juicy, the girl who killed her sugar daddy and turned the whole estate upside down, the story isn’t really about murder. It’s about the things women carry, the secrets they live with, the pressures they carry quietly, the things they hide even from themselves. Ara becomes this lens we see them through..
It’s fast-paced in the best way. I didn’t feel bored for one second. I was literally eyeballing everything, side-eyes flying up and down because you know how Damilare Kuku writes, drama is never far away. And she did not come to play with this one. This book gave me everything I thought I was going to get and then added extra pepper on top.
If you want a read that pulls you in with gist, layered characters, and that kind of chaos that feels both familiar and addictive, this one is definitely worth picking up!
It follows Ara a writer who’s deep in the trenches of serious writer’s block until her neighbour Juicy, becomes the talk of the entire place after being linked to the death of her sugar daddy. And just like that, Ara’s curiosity switches on like generator light.
Half the time she felt like a one-woman investigative unit. The way she moves around the estate trying to understand the story had me hooked like I was right there peeping through curtains with her. And the funniest part is how the women in that estate act like they don’t want to talk… but they’re the first to drop information if you squeeze them small. The chaos that follows Ara everywhere? Honestly, it was giving ...this Lagos will show you shege and still give you a story worth telling.
What I loved is how the whole thing unfolds without feeling forced. Ara isn’t some perfect heroine, she’s just someone trying to get material for her next book and somehow finds herself knee-deep in drama she didn’t sign up for. And the women she meets? My God. They’re loud, soft, dramatic, secretive, loyal, everything at once. It felt like watching different layers of womanhood peel open one by one, in the most unfiltered way.
And even though the book revolves around Juicy, the girl who killed her sugar daddy and turned the whole estate upside down, the story isn’t really about murder. It’s about the things women carry, the secrets they live with, the pressures they carry quietly, the things they hide even from themselves. Ara becomes this lens we see them through..
It’s fast-paced in the best way. I didn’t feel bored for one second. I was literally eyeballing everything, side-eyes flying up and down because you know how Damilare Kuku writes, drama is never far away. And she did not come to play with this one. This book gave me everything I thought I was going to get and then added extra pepper on top.
If you want a read that pulls you in with gist, layered characters, and that kind of chaos that feels both familiar and addictive, this one is definitely worth picking up!
November 26, 2025
This book follows Ara Ikoyi, a writer who’s drowning in writer’s block and life pressure, until her neighbour, Juicy Mbelu becomes the centre of a scandal so wild that the entire country is talking. Juicy is accused of killing her sugar daddy, and before she even gets a chance to speak, everyone has already judged her guilty.
Then, she finally offers Ara a chance to hear her truth. But, for Ara to get that access, she has to trade secrets with the other women in their estate, and that’s where everything becomes complicated, emotional, and honestly…painfully real.
What I Loved
1. The women in this book are so real. Flawed, bold, scared, ambitious, messy, but still trying to survive the world the best way they can.
2. The Lagos setting? Perfect. Gossip, judgement, double standards, wealth, secrets…she captured it so well that you can almost hear the estate WhatsApp group buzzing.
3. Juicy’s backstory broke me. I love how the book refuses to reduce her to “just a sugar baby.” You see the circumstances, the vulnerability, the fear, the ambition, everything that makes her human.
4. Ara’s internal struggle felt extremely relatable. That conflict between doing what’s morally right and doing what benefits your career? Whew. Many people won’t admit it, but it is real.
5. The theme of trading secrets was brilliant.
It shows how women carry things quietly just to keep going, and what happens when silence becomes too heavy.
This book is bold, messy, unapologetic, and deeply thought-provoking. It’s a story about the economy of affection, how society judges women harshly, the weight of survival, and how truth can both save you and destroy you.
Then, she finally offers Ara a chance to hear her truth. But, for Ara to get that access, she has to trade secrets with the other women in their estate, and that’s where everything becomes complicated, emotional, and honestly…painfully real.
What I Loved
1. The women in this book are so real. Flawed, bold, scared, ambitious, messy, but still trying to survive the world the best way they can.
2. The Lagos setting? Perfect. Gossip, judgement, double standards, wealth, secrets…she captured it so well that you can almost hear the estate WhatsApp group buzzing.
3. Juicy’s backstory broke me. I love how the book refuses to reduce her to “just a sugar baby.” You see the circumstances, the vulnerability, the fear, the ambition, everything that makes her human.
4. Ara’s internal struggle felt extremely relatable. That conflict between doing what’s morally right and doing what benefits your career? Whew. Many people won’t admit it, but it is real.
5. The theme of trading secrets was brilliant.
It shows how women carry things quietly just to keep going, and what happens when silence becomes too heavy.
This book is bold, messy, unapologetic, and deeply thought-provoking. It’s a story about the economy of affection, how society judges women harshly, the weight of survival, and how truth can both save you and destroy you.
December 22, 2025
Reading the acknowledgments of this book, the author wrote that she grew up watching a programme on LTV 8 called Nkan Be. I watched that show too, sometimes with my mom. And at that time, I was young... and when I listened to what was uttered on that show, it felt as if cold entered my body. You know that feeling when a shiver passes through your spine? Exactly—that’s what I felt when I watched the show and read this book.
I cannot count the times I closed the book and thought about what I read, the times I felt that feeling I described earlier! Crazy things are happening in House Twenty-One estate, o—crazy, crazy things!!! Things you read, and you begin to imagine how the author imagined it all and wrote it down. The secrets in this book will make you scream, “God, abeg!” And not to scare you, but prepare your mind!!! Don’t say I didn’t tell you, o!
Aside from the secrets, this book made me think of what women go through, the weight we carry on our shoulders, the secrets we are keeping within our deepest bellies, and the fact that the men in these women’s lives failed them! The way the book ended... Omo, I need more! What happened to Juicy las las?! And I have a lot of QUESTIONS, o! Damilare Kuku overdid herself with Women Rent Men and Secrets Here! In fact, shivers are still passing through my spine 😬.
I cannot count the times I closed the book and thought about what I read, the times I felt that feeling I described earlier! Crazy things are happening in House Twenty-One estate, o—crazy, crazy things!!! Things you read, and you begin to imagine how the author imagined it all and wrote it down. The secrets in this book will make you scream, “God, abeg!” And not to scare you, but prepare your mind!!! Don’t say I didn’t tell you, o!
Aside from the secrets, this book made me think of what women go through, the weight we carry on our shoulders, the secrets we are keeping within our deepest bellies, and the fact that the men in these women’s lives failed them! The way the book ended... Omo, I need more! What happened to Juicy las las?! And I have a lot of QUESTIONS, o! Damilare Kuku overdid herself with Women Rent Men and Secrets Here! In fact, shivers are still passing through my spine 😬.
Review of advance copy
One minute silence for the drama, secrets and plot-twists in their book shall we?😳
First, I’d like to start by saying that I love it when writers write about the lives of writers. For a minute, it felt like I was reading about Damilare Kuku. Her life and journey as a writer, with the creative blocks, getting a good story, and audience perception.
In case you are wondering, the FMC, Ara was a 3 times bestselling Author on the journey of writing her 4th book, when a murder happened in her estate, and in a bid to get to the root cause of the murder and finding the murderer, she uncovered several secrets.
Every chapter left me in shock. I had my mouth open for most of the read!
Damilare Kuku doesn’t have a bad book, and this one? Just topped the charts.
I believe that if anyone is going through a book slump, this is the book they need! I read this book in less than 24hrs. The chapters are also really short, which made it easy to read and understand.
Chef’s Kiss to Damilare! She outdid herself with this work of art, I think it’s a book that everyone needs to read!
First, I’d like to start by saying that I love it when writers write about the lives of writers. For a minute, it felt like I was reading about Damilare Kuku. Her life and journey as a writer, with the creative blocks, getting a good story, and audience perception.
In case you are wondering, the FMC, Ara was a 3 times bestselling Author on the journey of writing her 4th book, when a murder happened in her estate, and in a bid to get to the root cause of the murder and finding the murderer, she uncovered several secrets.
Every chapter left me in shock. I had my mouth open for most of the read!
Damilare Kuku doesn’t have a bad book, and this one? Just topped the charts.
I believe that if anyone is going through a book slump, this is the book they need! I read this book in less than 24hrs. The chapters are also really short, which made it easy to read and understand.
Chef’s Kiss to Damilare! She outdid herself with this work of art, I think it’s a book that everyone needs to read!
December 2, 2025
Make una help me ooooo, person don kill sugar daddy for ikoyi. 😭😭😭😭😭
I was reading this book and I was like sure, how bad can this be. It all started with sunshine and rainbows, I was also doing detective work to know who killed sugar daddy, ladies and gentlemen you won’t believe it!!! I screamed😭🤲🏽.
When Damilare Kuku said “plot twist” she took it seriously because the plot actually twisted! 😭🤲🏽
If I keep talking about this book I might drop spoilers and I am Anti- spoilers 😭
This is an amazing book and as usual Damilare Kuku outdid herself. 👏🏾
I was reading this book and I was like sure, how bad can this be. It all started with sunshine and rainbows, I was also doing detective work to know who killed sugar daddy, ladies and gentlemen you won’t believe it!!! I screamed😭🤲🏽.
When Damilare Kuku said “plot twist” she took it seriously because the plot actually twisted! 😭🤲🏽
If I keep talking about this book I might drop spoilers and I am Anti- spoilers 😭
This is an amazing book and as usual Damilare Kuku outdid herself. 👏🏾
December 19, 2025
This book got crazy then crazier and I began to wonder what would happen next? It was a very captivating book from start to finish and it’s the kind of books you finish in one sitting. I enjoyed the plot and characters a little bit too much and just the whole idea of renting secrets. I also did not feel like it ended well but overall it was a very captivating thriller and I do recommend it to anyone. I had so much fun reading.
Want to read
July 21, 2025I can't wait to read this next yearrr
December 3, 2025
I think what I like is how in the end we learn that closure doesn't exist in our type of country unfortunately. The story portrayed the things we don’t know that happen.
Beautiful beautiful read!
Beautiful beautiful read!
Review of advance copy
Entertaining melodrama...as always.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews