Ginika's Bridesmaids: Book One

Ginika's Bridesmaids #1

by Adesuwa O'man Nwokedi

Ara is left heartbroken when her childhood sweetheart, Oye, leaves her for another woman. But she is unwilling to let go of the only man she has ever loved and is determined to do everything she can to get him back. When C.J, who is also having relationship problems with his girlfriend, comes up with the suggestion to pretend to be a couple, to get their exes jealous, Ara jumps at it gladly, both of them confident that this will be exactly the kick the people in their lives need to realise how much they love them. What begins as taking a few pictures for the 'gram soon becomes a journey of discovery for Ara; of herself and of the very true meaning of the word love.

Genres: Romance, African Literature, Love, Nigeria

347 pages, Unknown Binding

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

The Writer, who became an Engineer, who became an Investment Banker, who became a Fertility Spokesperson, who became…a Writer.
That has been the journey of A. T. Nwokedi, aka The Fertile Chick. A self confessed hopeless romantic, when she is not creating new characters, she devotes her time to creating memories with her husband and their three children.

Reviews

[Morayo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this in a sitting and a half. Loved it. The only reason it wasn’t 5 stars was the miscommunication. I do hate a miscommunication trope in romance. It was such a cute love story, I found myself giggling.
I’ve read Fiyin’s story so I was sympathetic to her little antics in the book.
Can’t wait to dig into the rest of the girlies books 🥰
Ginika when I catch you????!!

[Muthoni Ngocho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with all-rounded authentic characters and a plot line that I can readily bring to life and relate to, Adesuwa not only authored what I exactly needed at this moment in time but also saved my jaded romantic soul

[TCA_ reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very easy to be angry at Ara. Just because of some choices she made. The fact that she kept trying to go back to the same ex who treated her poorly and didn’t see her for herself was annoying to me. But I couldn’t blame her tho because they were together for such a long time and attachment and all.
i love the fact that she finally became confident in herself and did what made her happy.
I’m not a fan of the whole miscommunication trope because I believe that communication should be number one in a relationship but all in all, it was an easy and fast read!

[Mololuwa Mustapha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back to reading romance, and this did not disappoint! Although the plot is quite basic, I really enjoyed reading it. Just like every other romance book, you always know that no matter how much they fight, they always end up together. It made me laugh a lot too, and I like that. All in all, the book is good, and it’s the first of a tetralogy, so let’s hope the sequels are equally good or better.

[Munis Bukola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. My take on the bridesmaids:-

-I don’t like ozioma I’m sorry
-I haven’t formed an opinion on Ife
-I can’t stand cheater Ginika
-I already look forward to Isiomas story after reading the preview
-Ara our main character for book one. I’m indifferent about her. Admired her justified rage ,loved her love interest….

[Ice Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was no reason for this book to drag the way it did but here we are. I’m so tired of these bridesmaids acting so stupid for men honestly.
I’ll be back to the series one day but not now
I still enjoyed the drama.

[Just_a_book_lover♊❤❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is a Nigerian love story😍😍

[Dakid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ara hates herself.

[Furaha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely saw a lot of myself in Ara; it felt like having a parallel experience. I understood the feeling of insecurity about your body when you don’t fit beauty standards and feeling inadequate. This guy wasted her time for seventeen years, and that’s all she’s known, so I understand why it’s hard for her to walk away. It sucks that these doubts surfaced due to her boyfriend's cheating, pushing her down a rabbit hole of comparison with the girl he cheated with. I felt gut-wrenched when Ara blamed herself, thinking that his infidelity was because she wasn’t tapping into her femininity. That’s never a good excuse for cheating.

Fiyin is an enemy of progress. While I understand that she wants Ara to look more girly, she pushes her in the wrong direction. This is evident in how she handled her sister Erinkan's relationship dilemma. I wanted to beat Fiyin when she blamed her sister for the cheating, as if she hadn’t been thinking the same thing herself: “If only you dressed more girly.” She brainwashed her sister into believing that his cheating was just a phase and that he would come back. Sorry, Fiyin, but this is nothing like your relationship. Fiyin’s influence led Ara to make drastic changes to herself. I also loved how the author tackled the issue of women doing certain things and trying to look a certain way to appeal to the male gaze. Throughout the story, Ara was simply playing the role that the world wanted her to be; she contorted herself to fit a certain description to become more desirable, changing herself for someone else’s benefit. She downplayed everything about herself.

I was shook to the core that even though Oye wasn’t on the page, we could tell how bad of a boyfriend he was whenever C.J., the love interest would do the minimum, and it was obvious he didn’t do it for her. It was the simple, thoughtful things C.J. did that got to me—like asking questions to get to know her and what she likes, getting her gifts based on things she told him she liked. Also, who forgets that their girlfriend has a nut allergy but still gifts her chocolate with nuts in it because it’s their favorite? Now, that’s nuts. I’d be honest, apart from C.J. dealing with family issues and their deep conversations, his characterization was pretty bland. Their relationship felt like a repeat of the Ginikan storyline regarding how they connected, although this one wasn’t as extensive as hers. C.J. helped Ara see what Oye didn’t do, expect me in an relationships and a version of what a true love might look like, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to warrant a lasting relationship.

I’m not an avid romance reader, but I definitely enjoyed the twist on the fake dating trope. Here are two people who want to get back with their exes, yet they end up falling in love with each other. Then, the line between what was real and what was fake blurred, and I knew we were getting somewhere.

Can we talk about that cheating-ass Ginika, please? What in the name of nonsense is that girl doing sneaking around with her ex like that? Ginika, that foolish girl! I don’t know how I can support Ara in the way she handled Ginika’s infidelity. How many times did that girl caught with her and her ex, and she just lets her get away with simple warnings? I get standing beside your girl, but you become an accessory to a crime and enable her to do more because she knows you won’t snitch. If it comes down to it, she can count on you to be her false witness. Dike, HER HUSBAND seemed like he loved her and was there for her in everything. I don’t understand her unfaithfulness toward Dike, who seems like such a sweetheart! I’m sure it’ll all be explained in her book.

The problem in this book was miscommunication. C.J. messed up by not clarifying things with Ara, and she was just being too in her head, delaying the inevitable. I’m glad that in the end, Ara chose to be her true self and that C.J. accepted her as she is. Currently this book rating is 3.5 stars.

[Estar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was quite mid.
I’m sorry but it just didn’t do it for me. It didn’t give me butterflies and no scene even stood out for me honestly.
The romance was meh. I love the fake dating trope but this one was just bland and I felt like there was no chemistry between the MMC and the FMC.
However, I did enjoy the banter and interactions between most of the characters.

I also loved how the author tackled the issue of most women doing certain things and trying to look a certain way to appeal to the male gaze. I’m glad that at the end, Ara chose to be who she really is, and that CJ accepted her as her true self. Lovely.

I read a preview of the book 2, and it promises to be better, so I’m looking forward to it.

[Biyai Garricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been procrastinating on reading a book by this author considering how popular she is on the Okadabooks app. and I am glad I eventually got around to reading this book.

"Ginika's Bridesmaides (Ara)' is a multithemed story about love, commitment, Infidelity, heartbreak, forgiveness and friendship centered around Ginika and her best friend Ara. Ginika is getting married to Emeka her fiancé and she has chosen four friends that are close to her heart to be bridesmaids at her upcoming wedding. While wedding preparations are in full swing, Ara discovers that her long time boyfriend and fiancé is cheating. This story highlights how Ara navigates this situation and eventually finds peace.

This was a very interesting read. Although I went into reading this book with zero expectations, I immediately found myself engrossed with the story and most importantly, I became invested on how everything would unfold for Ara. I loved all the characters even the annoying ones but my favorite character was Ara. The story was also relatable, well paced and easy to read. Although the some of the themes were sort of heavy especially as it involves infidelity, however it was also written with a lot of wit that doused some of the heaviness. This should have been a 5 star read however, I believe one last sweep of proofreading would have made this book perfect to eliminate the few typos that I found while reading the book. This didn't affect the story in anyway but it happens to be a big deal to me.
Anyway, I highly, highly recommend to everyone and this is not restricted to romance lovers. Anyone can read this book and enjoy it. I am now off to write my review for book 2 which will be up on this blog tomorrow.

[Sonia's Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to applaud Ara for the damages she created at Oye's home...sorry, her and Oye's supposed matrimonial home (IYKYK). I wish I was there to cheer her on. Damn! 17 whole... Ohh God! 🤦‍♀️ Oye should be thanking his Oluwa. I love Ara so much and reading her story felt like I was sharing in her pain. 😢 C.J! C.J!! I love C.J sha. He's a great guy, but he gave me a headache. His attentiveness is my favourite thing about him. ❤️

I enjoyed this story so much, and I just wanted to dissolve into the book ASAP! Emotional much... in fact, I cried! 😭 Ms. Adesuwa did a thing with this book and I'm grateful for the lessons in it, despite being a romance story. It's not about how long a relationship has lasted, it's about the people involved and their willingness to compromise for each other. This brings me to one thing, "Ladies don't settle!" In Ara and Oye's relationship, it was one-sided. Oye was just doing his thing, not minding the effects on Ara, and Ara was so deep in love that she ignored the red flags. In Ara and C.J's love, it was a different ball game, and I was happy that Ara finally saw her worth.

I love that Ozioma, Isioma, and Ife made entrance to this book. Now, I'm eager to read their stories. I highly recommend this story and it's a solid 5⭐ for me.

[FemisArchive · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading Ginikas Bridesmaids, I rate it a forward leaning 4.5.

If I had the time this definitely would've been a 'read-in-a-sitting' type of situation, why? because as per, Adesuwa Nwokedi's novels are just so fantasically written that it doesn't call for a put-it-down, pick it up later type of situation.

At first I was apprehensive about picking up Ginika's Bridesmaids even though it has been on my radar as early as my reading hobby had begun, simply because I was sceptical about the hype, wondering if it was genuine or just overrated, but boy am I glad I picked it up

Is it the storyline, the charachters, the warmth of the plot, or even the subtle messages and advice that could very well be drawn from the novel? All commendable!

The only thing that withdrew that final .5 star would be the miscommunication trope, I cant count on my two hands the amount of times I had to scream with frustration at how simply situations could've been avoided.

Nevertheless definitely reccommend!

[Nancy Mukuwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t judge Ara for any of the actions she made because of the breakup, a lot of people have been in her shoes and have done worse or less, comparing yourself to your ex’s new girl is something we’ve done before. I’m glad she was able to work things out with C.J even though the issues would’ve been solved if they had just talked in the beginning. I also like how she ended up deciding she’ll continue to dress like her old self but still incorporate her new personality by wearing some makeup.
Oye deserved to be more miserable, it was so irritating when his parents tried to make it look like how they treated Ara when she caught Oye in bed with another woman was a small issue, useless just like their son!
And Ginika!! I haven’t even read her story and I’m already so irritated by her!! “Getting him out of my system”🙄. I’m also not sure about her and Ara’s friendship idk maybe it’s just me.
Anyway I loved the book.
On to the next one❤️

[Dara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!!

I liked the dynamics in this book a lot, the friendships, the romance, the betrayal, the fights, the characters were written so well. They all felt like real people with flaws who make mistakes now and then.

That being said, Ara got on my nerves most of the time, I like her but I also don’t like her at the same time 😂. CJ… he was a genuinely great guy. I loved him. That party he threw for her?? Perfection.

As for the side characters. Ozioma is bae! Even if she is a bit much. Her best friend Ginikia though, not sure how to feel about her and her unfaithfulness with Dike who seems like such a sweetheart! I’m sure it’ll all be explained in her book.

This series was a great read. I was done in a couple of hours and I would definitely recommend it.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

I read this book in a sitting and half, it’s that good. About 50% into it, I knew I was going to read the entire series and now that I’ve finished it, I’d probably be all of the author’s books.
The only reason this isn’t 5stars is the miscommunication trope. Miscommunication in romance pisses me off and sometimes get a little annoying. Nonetheless, this was a fun read and I’m looking forward to knowing about each of Ginika’s bridemaids.
Can we talk about that cheating-ass Ginika, please? What in the name of nonsense is that girl doing sneaking around with her ex like that?
Btw CJ’s thoughtfulness>>>>>>>

[Sage Abena Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm seeing a formula for African writing and I'm not happy. It was like watching a speeding car gaining on an inspecting hen... Couldn't look away from the horror...
There were some syrupy parts on which the romance parts must have been attributed.
Question is, why do African writers keep writing these unbelievably stupid characters? And then in a blink, they have sense... So you had a brain all this time?
This shouldn't be called a romance cos the tears that it inspired was surely not from a place of joy.
It was the drag that these characters put me through.

I think I read it in one sitting for the reason of not being able to look away from the horror.

[Ifeoluwa Shobande · Rating 5 out of 5]

Standing there in front of him, my hands in his, looking into his eyes, I could see the depth of his feelings for me. But even more so, I was overwhelmed by the depth of my own feelings for him. I loved him so much. It felt like my heart was going to burst. Standing there before him paled in comparison not only any feelings I’d ever had for Oye, but even the feelings I thought I’d had for the C.J himself in the past. The kind of love I felt standing there was the kind that would make me take a bullet or jump into a burning furnace for him. It was deeper and more intense than anything I had ever imagined possible.




Thank you, Adesuwa O'man Nwokedi, for this heart-stopping story.

[Sasi’s Escape · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ara and CJ a couple after my heart ❤️ The author started this love story with an explosive scene that had me captivated from the beginning! As usual her writing style is so detailed with subtle connections to the prequel that fed us tidbits of happiness while taking us through the rollercoaster that is Ara and CJ. What stands out to me from the author’s writing style is the character development as a reader the characters were so well developed that I could predict their next actions as I was reading. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

[Haddy • haddyreadshere · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet book! I absolutely loved Ara and CJ’s characters. Their balanced perspectives and non-toxic relationship were so refreshing. If you’re looking for an easygoing, feel-good romance, this is definitely for you.

I appreciated how unrushed their relationship felt, and how realistic it was for their reconciliation to take time given the circumstances of their separation—it made the story even more relatable. Adesua has a talent for crafting beautiful stories, and everyone should read her work. I truly enjoyed this book—it’s a gem!

[Tracy Cress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew!!!!




“And it suddenly struck me.
Maybe I was the one who’d pushed Oye to her. Maybe by paying little or no attention to my looks over the years, it was my fault he’d left me for another woman.”




Moral of the story = Low self-esteem is terrible. Love yourself the way you are. There's surely someone out there who will love you just as you are, without you having to try so hard to impress them.

Overall this was an interesting and lovely read with a HEA

[Kerry M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ara is my girl period. I loved and related to her so much. CJ is such a guy!! Gosh I was swooning a little bit. The little misunderstanding with their feelings wanted to throw me off a bit but I'm so glad they found their ways back to each other.
Adesuwa ma'am you are such a writer!! This fake dating was so relatable I ate it up. Thank you for delivering and making me fall in love with reading again🫶🏾

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ara pride got on my nerves towards the end of the book. Glass houses Ara, glass houses Ara was dead wrong and she knows what she did looked bad if the shoe was on the other foot. If she had told CJ what happened before they started that trip all would have been good. I do also wish there was a glossary of the conversations that was not in English. This was a good story.

[Nkemakonam ENEBELI · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adesuwa O'man Nwokedi did a thing!!!
She wrote a romance novel, set in Nigeria, for Nigerians💃💃💃

As someone who always talks about how heavy and toxic Nigerian novels especially the ones by female writers are, I am impressed with Adesuwa's. It wasn't a miss at all.

I enjoyed reading this story and I look forward to reading the other books in the series

[Sharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story

Refreshing story that caught my attention from the beginning. I look forward to reading the rest of the series to better understand the other characters, as they were brought to life with just enough detail to make them interesting, but not to confuse the main characters storyline.

[e d u · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars 🌟

the girl i got this series recommendation from said it got her out of a reading slump. she was right. i was giggling from start to finish. make nigerian romance books a thing forever.

[Doshia Sheyin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my best book in the series. I love the characters so much, the effort they both put into loving each other. My only problem was the miscommunication on CJ's part, 😭😭 I hate when people refuse to listen to an explanation. But it was a beautiful book.

[Kodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nigerian romance seems like a new genre for me, I’m exploring for the first time and I sorta knew what to expect as is typical with romance so this wasn’t any different. The fake dating trope kinda always seems to work so overall, a light read.

[Sharon Ikenga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed "Ginika's Bridesmaids: Book One (Ara)". It is probably my favorite book in the series. The romance between Ara and CJ made the little girl in me happy. The book was a masterpiece, and I loved the whole IJGB personality.

[Tolulope Soremekun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ara's love story was exhilarating and beautifully written. It hit all the right spots for the romantic in me. The main and minor characters were very likeable and relatable. Adesuwa's manner of storytelling keeps me coming back.