Every Choice But Us

by Adesuwa O’man Nwokedi

In the race of life, everyone faces their unique obstacles, and Fola Ige had her fair share— right from birth.

First, there is the backdrop of her bickering, woefully mismatched parents—her stoic medical doctor father and permanently dissatisfied stay-at-home mother. Then there is the ‘reality’ of how their life falls short of the luxury and splendour that her mother expects not just for herself, but for Fola and her three siblings.

But no obstacle is as complicated and punishing as having Dolapo “Dolly” Ige as a sister. Prettier, poutier and petty, not to mention messy as hell, Dolly being a year older is the bane of her existence and the albatross of Fola’s life, especially when it comes to Jimi Fajobi.

For the next twenty years, through failed marriages, affairs, scandals, and across continents, the unholy love triangle between Fola, Dolly and Jimi would be the fodder for a rollercoaster none of them ever bargained for or expected.

Every Choice But Us is a rom-com examination of deep themes like betrayal, lust, fragmented families, sibling rivalry, materialism, pride and mental illness. It is a bittersweet yet familiar and well-conceived story about a very golden age in Nigerian contemporary culture and the casualties and triumphs of the time period, masterfully told by Adesuwa O’man Nwokedi

299 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2026

Reviews

[Ann Nwuzor]

This book explores betrayal that will leave your mouth agape, family dynamics, separation, and fragmented families. There’s no way you can read this book and not hate Dolapo, aka Dolly, Fola’s sister, and how she single-handedly destroys anything that comes her way. Then there’s Fola, who always accepts everything Dolly does to her.

Fola’s mum also played a role in how Dolly turned out, showing that a child can become a reflection of the behavior they are exposed to and encouraged. Fola suffered greatly because of Dolly’s actions. I also disliked how complacent Jimi was toward the love he had for Fola.

I love Adesuwa’s books ,always a good story,but the typographical errors I kept encountering in my copy almost threw me off.

I’ll give this a 3.5 star

[Serene Thamm]

I lived several lifetimes with these characters. Messy, emotional, dramatic.... you name them.
I was drawn into Fola's life, her complicated family dynamics, and the never-ending chaos that seemed to follow her relationship with Dolly and Jimi. What starts as sibling rivalry slowly unfolds into a messy, emotional story spanning decades, and I was locked in for every minute of it.
What I love about this book is that nobody is perfect, and that's exactly what made them feel real. There were moments when I wanted to shake some sense into almost everyone, but I also understood why they made the choices they did. The emotions felt authentic, and the consequences of those choices lingered throughout the story.

[Mololuwa Mustapha]

I think the key theme in any of Adesuwa's books has to be ragebaiting. How can you and your BLOOD sister be in competition over a man for more than 20 years? It's even more pathetic that the two lovers weren't sure of each other's feelings and wasted 11 years pining and yearning for each other. Nonetheless, it an interesting read!

[Idris Esther]

I love the real life struggle because it’s something I can relate to

[tomi sanni 💕]

OMGGGGG THIS BOOK STRESSED ME OUT SO BAD.
It's been a while since I read a book that had me wanting to enter the pages and start fighting people because FOLA GIRL PLEASEEEEE. Her heart was TOO BIG for everybody in this book. There were so many times I wanted to grab her shoulders and scream, "CHOOSE YOURSELF FOR ONCE!" because why are you forgiving everybody? Dolapo would commit the most diabolical acts known to mankind and somehow Fola would still be like, "but she's my sister." GIRL, AND????? At some point, blood stopped being thicker than water and became concentrated evil because how low can Dolapo go? Every single time I thought she had reached rock bottom, she brought a shovel. Chasing after your sister's man because you cannot stand seeing her happy is actually INSANE work.

AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON JIMI. IT SHALL NOT BE WELL WITH YOU, JIMI. RESPECTFULLY.

This man put Fola in a love triangle WITH HER OWN SISTER in university and chose Dolapo over her. Strike one. Then years later, while Fola's first and ONLY body count remained Jimi, this man had slept with other women, moved on with his life, and even got engaged. Meanwhile, Fola was STILL THERE!!! HOLDING ON!!! WAITING FOR HIM!!! GIRL, STAND UP!!! You're telling me she waited for this man TWICE??? Nah, I rebuke it. And the thing that annoyed me the most is that Jimi never fought for Fola the way she deserved. He didn't deserve her. I don't care. I'm dying on this hill. Fola deserved a love that chose her loudly, immediately, and consistently. I was rooting for Seyi. At some point, I was rooting for ANYBODY BUT JIMI.

And that's what makes this book so good because despite how angry it made me, I couldn't put it down. It was heartbreaking watching Fola constantly pour into people who gave her crumbs in return. I loved her so much, but she frustrated me even more. Adesuwa really wrote such beautifully flawed characters because I felt EVERYTHING while reading this book.

Do I think Jimi deserved Fola? Absolutely not. Do I think Dolapo deserved half the forgiveness she got? Also no. Did Fola deserve better than everybody in this book? YES.

This was frustrating, heart-wrenching, messy, beautiful, and an easy five-star read for me. Adesuwa O'man Nwokedi, I need compensation for the emotional damage because WHY DID YOU HAVE ME THIS STRESSED???

And one last thing before I go...

IT SHALL NOT BE WELL WITH YOU, JIMI.