An Unlikely Kind of Love

Malomo High Reunion Series #1

by Adesuwa O'man Nwokedi

Tomiloju and Ikenna have been best friends since high school. Both academic high flyers, they’ve always had a lot in common and have stayed close without it ever getting romantic. In the years since graduation, they have remained there for each other through personal and professional turmoil. They are each other’s safety net, and as they head for their 20-Year High School Reunion, they are banking on each other for the support they both know they’ll need. They are inseparable the whole weekend...until a slip reveals things weren’t always only platonic for one of them, disrupting their dynamic of over two decades. Can their friendship survive it?

Genres: Romance

204 pages, Unknown Binding

Published June 25, 2021

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

[Bims & Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I was so excited to read it. I have been raving to everyone about the Ginika’s Bridesmaid series since I read it last year, so I had high hopes for this as well.

However…

I don’t think Tomi and Ikenna are meant to be together.
First off, these are grown adults acting like kids. I chucked it off to the fact that they were in their high school reunion at first, I mean, that’s bound to provoke some child-like behavior even in the most mature of adults, right? But that’s the thing. I don’t think Ikenna is mature in the slightest.

First off, he brought a girl with him to the reunion, treated her badly throughout and the same went for the other girls he called over all the time he was trying not to to think of Tomi. I mean, it should have been clear to him at first that even though he had a naked woman lying in his room waiting, he chased after his best friend to get her to explain her ‘old’ feelings to him. That was enough to let him know that no other woman could take his mind off of her anymore, and save all those poor women the heartache.

Also, what did he mean by he was just seeing her as a woman for the first time that night? Huh? Sorry but that did not sound right. It’s fine to tow between the line of friends for years and quite quickly realize feelings for each other, but it is absolutely not fine to wholly love your best friend (even while you are married), but then say you had never seen her like a woman before. But you were watching her while every other person watched fireworks? Yeah, okay, Ikenna, whatever you say.

Tomi was plain annoying. I rolled my eyes so much every time she spoke, it is a wonder my eyes are not stuck to the back of my head. I could not for the life of me fathom why someone that was made out to be so smart throughout the book was so adamant on making such a bad business decision. Even after Ikenna advised her against it. And that’s another thing. She always found offense at every single thing he said about her business. Even when he obviously meant well, she was quick to twist his words. I thought it was because she loved him and had fish brain when it came to reasoning logically with him, but tell me why even when her friend, Zinna, a renowned financial expert, gave her simple advice, she shelved it and literally never thought back to it.

And let’s not forget the fact that she was in a relationship while she slept with Ikenna. That was NOT cute. I don’t care if they had been in love from their mother’s wombs. And what made it worse? She never actually felt bad for cheating on her boyfriend, she honestly never even thought about it. But I guess that was alright because Pixie had been in love with Ike since the full-moon night they sat in the gravel. Yes, because it had been a long time coming, it was okay to cheat. Her boyfriend got on my last nerve, yes, but that did not mean he deserved that, and I am willing to bet he would have gotten way more shit if he had dared act like that.

So, no.

Tomi and Ikenna were not very nice people.

Oh, and let’s not forget Tomi always wanting to act ‘different’. It was irritating at best. Who on Earth takes an old Ankara dress to their 20-year high school reunion? She was already uncomfortable with the first ever outfit she wore before she even got to the hotel, then why did she wear it?? And who on Earth wears a basic tee, a pair of leggings and crocs to go on a party on a boat?? What was she doing? Honestly? And it was not as though she had bad fashion sense. It was mentioned several other times that she wore nice clothes, so what was it with her wardrobe those times? She liked to dress stupidly and then feel out. Was that a sort of self-punishment?
And the scene where she was with Ikenna on the boat and they served hors d’oeuvres and she kept calling it small chops and purposely acting local. It was annoying. She knew what it was and there was no need doing all that. Honestly, it just felt like she liked to put herself down. All the time.

These were two very unlikeable characters.

And I am relieved to be done with their story.

I don’t think I would be going forward with the series, though. I cannot, with a good head, read about forty-something years old adults acting like hormones-addled teenagers.

[Oluwamayowa Ogunnaike · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️- Who doesn’t like a good boy turned bad boy and a nerdy best friend story. I have been in the drowning book slump for a month and some weeks! Tried everything and I’m a very stick to it reader! I just couldn’t find anything I pick me up!
This book broke me out of the reading slump! I love a friends to lovers story well written! Especially a best friends to lovers well written. And the build up of the malomo high school alumni! Love love love! Can’t the last time a boon kept me up all night. Especially after the reading slump I had!
I can’t wait to read the next book on the series I’m excited for Bioye’s story!

[Sonia's Tales · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I have finally read the Malomo High Reunion Series after putting it out for a very long time and this is the first book in the series—a best friends to lovers romance story.

I don't think any book character have stressed me the way Tomi and Ikenna did. Reading this book was a divine orchestration. Why? 👇

I went into this book blind and beefing a real life Ikenna, only to meet a fictional one. Fictional Ikenna can never be a book boyfriend! The way I transferred aggression to him ehh... My anger grew when he said he was just seeing Tomi as a woman for the first time. Y'all, I'm taking this personally; I need to knock this guy! Even if he didn't say it to her, it's a disgusting thought. You've best friend zoned her for so long that you now see her as your guy? Like you both go to the barber's salon to shave your beards?? TF! I don't blame him. It's Tomi I blame.

Tomi was so annoying, you guys! The fact that she was described as an intelligent girl, yet she behaved like a dummy. 🤦‍♀️ She thought she was smart, but she wasn't. Also, she has loved Ikenna for over two decades and he didn't know; girl, don't do that again! In her relationship, she was settling; her boyfriend was a big F00L. I'm a girl's girl, but Tomi did a lot of stupid things, fr. Her matter tire me! With Tomi, I learned that book smart is not enough; you have to be street smart too.

I enjoyed the reunion weekend, the introduction to the other classmates and the subsequent books, but the romance? NO! The book is fast-paced and short, and I was happy I didn't spend more than a day reading Ikenna and Tomi's story. On to the next!

Rating: 3.5⭐

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick midnight read.
It was nice, but it reminded me why I don’t enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope.
I just couldn’t connect with it as much as I wanted to.

The pacing started off strong, but the ending felt rushed. After all the buildup, I expected more personal moments between Tomi and Ikenna, but they were barely there. I’m so tired of romance books wrapping everything up in a single chapter after making the couple struggle the entire book. Come on, give us a proper payoff!

[Aishah Fehintola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if it's the romantic spirit in me or something else, I totally love Friends to Lovers plot a lot.
I mean, as someone who is big on building friendship before romance, Tomi and Ikenna's love story is one that I really love. Although, it took a long while before they both figured out their true feelings.

I love the fast-paced plot and how tech is explored - even though it was not fully explored.

If you're looking to read a romance story that would not take much of your time, then this should be what you are reading.

[Tolulope Soremekun · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Unlikely Kind of Love by Adesuwa Nwokedi is a light, easy-to-read romance built on the best-friends-to-lovers trope. While predictable, it still manages to stay engaging. Right now, I’d say the Bridesmaid series edges out the Malomo High series for me. Coming off the high of the Bridesmaid books, this one didn’t grip me as much as I hoped. I’m still very much an Adesuwa fan, but this particular story didn’t fully land for me.

[Zainab Balogun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigh

I really wanted to like this book. But unfortunately it’s a no from me. I started it after hearing how better the series is than Ginika’s bridesmaids but after book one…it’s seeming untrue for me

There’s a lot of things I don’t like about this book but let’s start with what was okay.
As usual, Adesuwa’s attention to details especially with the prom & reunion set up, the music lineup, amazing.

But the characters? The story?? *shakes my head vehemently*
Cos what do you mean after 20-21 whole years is when their eyes are now open. I’d understand if they lost connection after high school, but they still kept in touch & yet NOTHING not even a blip? Ikenna be fr!

And then when their eyes opened, Tomi literally cheated on her partner without batting an eyelid & it wasn’t even addressed. Not by her, not by Ikenna, not by anybody.

I could go on but yea, no. I did not enjoy this book & I was bored for the most of it.

Respect to Adesuwa still, I’m glad I’ve explored many of her other books before this. Phew.
2.8 ⭐️

[Esther Eiyegbeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reunion. Friends. Love.

I was looking for a fast, light read and 'An Unlikely Kind of Love' didn't disappoint.

Starting from the reunion of a class which makes one compare who they were and who they've become, the reunion scenes were relatable, capturing the awkwardness of relationships, the nostalgia, and the surprise of finding out how much or how little people have changed. Like the handsome boy with his lean look looking so much different from how he currently is or the class clown now becoming cold and curt.

The story has a nice build-up from Tomi and Ikenna passing the friends' boundaries and becoming lovers, but there is an aspect that felt off to me: Tomi's infidelity. I agree that Tola, her boyfriend, was a cheat (in the business sense) and was using her, but I don't think it makes Tomi much of a better person in what she did. Tomi's decision to betray her boyfriend rather than end their relationship and fully move on to Ikenna left a bitter taste.

Cheating is sometimes used as a way out of a bad relationship (or perhaps it's not cheating in their eyes) but I believe it would have been better if Tomi had chosen to break up with Tola instead. That would have shown more maturity.

Now moving on to Ikenna, his journey was also a good one and despite his travails with his disastrous marriage and all, he still got a soft landing, except that he became a bit indecisive when it came to Tomi.

I understand that he was trying to work through his buried feelings for Tomi, but it felt like he didn't know what he wanted.

"Why are you still talking about that guy, Tomi? Is what you have with him anything as beautiful as what we have?"

This was an 'As how?' situation for me. It was also after they slept together and he assumed that Tomi was just going to leave her stable relationship because they were 'exploring.' I expected that since he claimed they were adults, he would be the mature one to come to terms with what he wanted.

Overall, I enjoyed it. It was engaging and looking at the big picture, it touched on the messiness of relationships, while exploring the possibility of finding love in unexpected places, specifically friendships.

[Teminikan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have alot thoughts about this book but I will try to keep it short. The story follows Ikenna and Tomi who have been best friends since high school until a slip reveals things weren't always only platonic for one of them, disrupting their dynamic of over two decades.

Tomi is such an annoying character, despite the fact that she was described as smart in the book, I couldn’t understand how she made questionable business decisions. I also can’t overlook the fact that she slept with Ikenna while she was still in a relationship and she wasn’t remorseful lol; yes her boyfriend was kind of a jerk but he didn’t deserve that. The most annoying part to me was her style and choice of clothing, I get that her character was supposed to be a nerd but pleaseeeee *rolls eyes*

Ikenna wasn’t a better character, he brought another babe to the reunion and ignored her, constantly used other women anytime he wasn’t feeling good and there was a part in the story where the wife revealed he chose Tomi over her occasionally, I didn’t find that cute. The only good side to his character was his business acumen and probably his sense of style.

I didn’t feel any romantic chemistry between Tomi and Ikenna and just when we were supposed to get to the romantic part the book ended. However, I liked the introduction of the classmates and it made me excited for the books in series, also the reunion also seemed like a lot of fun.

If you are looking for a quick friends to lovers romance read then this is for you

[Blessing Matthew Bitrus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gentle, slow-growing best-friends-to-lovers story. Tomi and Ikenna have been each other’s constant for years, and this book explores what happens when familiar affection begins to look like something deeper. The romance is quiet and steady, rooted in emotional care and shared history rather than drama or intensity.

This book also serves as our introduction to the Class of ’99, and in my opinion, it’s the perfect opening to the series. The groundwork is laid with intention; relationships, past connections, and the emotional landscape of the class are all set up in a way that makes you look forward to what’s coming next.

It’s a soft, warm read about choosing someone you’ve always loved, even if you didn’t have the words for it before.

[Elo-Oghene Oghre · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.6 of 5 stars

Adesuwa is a really good author but honestly, I hated this book, the writing and characters saved it. The story concept itself isn't bad, it is actually really interesting. But the fact that they had to cheat to get together lost me. The annoying part was that the cheating wasn't even acknowledged, why?

The way Ikenna and his ex acknowledged Tomi part was good, why wasn't there that for Tomi. Ya Tola wasn't the best but he wanted to marry her, as far as we know, he was loyal, she just cheated, then dumped him. And the cheating wasn't just like once which you can call a mistake, but happened a lot. why.

Na only the fact that Adesuwa is a good writer, that saved this from 2 star

[Janet Amma Saah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the first in the Malomo High Reunion Series and told from the point of view of the main characters, Tomi and Ikenna.

It's a very relatable and descriptive book that makes the story interesting to read. The author does well to focus on the lives of other characters while mainly centring the story around these two.

The story is a friends to lovers trope, and the author did really well with the storytelling.

[Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun to read, which is the most important thing to me when reading a novel.

However, I was very unconvinced by their love story. The author seemed to weave new strings as the story progressed to make the love between the two leads more believable.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! This book took me right out of my reading slump. I totally enjoyed reading this and I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.

[Yetunde O · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Samuella Adu-Aryee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I love eeettt ❤️😍😍😍

[OJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet

[Oluwapelumi Abdullah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this so so much

[Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I personally hated how she cheated on her boyfriend time and time again and yet it wasn't brought up. DNF

[noor🌙🌹🤍 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun to read ❤️❤️

[Nkemakonam ENEBELI · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good introduction to the series, I didn't like the cheating but I enjoyed the friends to lovers troupe

[Oghale · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read!

[Ashley Onyeka Egbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

a cool read from friends to lovers

[Josephine J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced, easy read.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tomi and Ikenna have shared an unbreakable bond since high school, bonding over their academic excellence and supporting each other through life's ups and downs. As they approach their 20-year high school reunion, they're counting on each other for emotional support. However, their decades-long friendship takes an unexpected turn when a surprising revelation exposes a long-hidden romantic feeling, threatening to upend their relationship forever.
The story revolves around the 20-year reunion of Malomo High's alumni, sparking self-reflection and renewed relationships. Tomi and Ikenna's lifelong friendship takes center stage, particularly when surprising revelations at the reunion force them to reevaluate their bond. The narrative explores themes of hidden emotions, the bravery needed to redefine relationships, and the lasting impact of past experiences. Additional storylines featuring other alumni add complexity, highlighting a range of experiences from rekindled love to unresolved issues.
The characters in the book were incredibly relatable and well-developed. Their expertly woven journey showcased authentic friendship, personal growth, and the blossoming of romantic feelings. I was puzzled by Tomi's 20-year delay in confessing her love to Ikenna - thank goodness for Zinna's intervention! I admired Ikenna's thoughtful encouragement of Tomi's entrepreneurial aspirations, promoting her independence. However, Tomi's self-absorption was infuriating at times, making me want to enter into the book and smack his head.
Adesuwa O'man Nwokedi's writing is acclaimed for it’s vividly descriptive storytelling and authentic character depictions. Critics praise her skill in crafting multi-dimensional, flawed characters that readers can easily relate to. The narrative masterfully integrates character backstories, providing rich context without disrupting the story's flow. The dialogue is particularly noteworthy for its genuine tone and witty exchanges, which bring character interactions to life.
Overall, A Unlikely Kind of Love' is a captivating and emotionally charged read that will appeal to romance and contemporary fiction enthusiasts. This heartwarming yet thought-provoking novel boasts intricate characters, vivid settings, and an engaging plot. A must-read for fans of romance, self-discovery, and love stories, 'A Unlikely Kind of Love' is a delightful and unforgettable read.

[Rayo Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unlikely kind of love, that is what we have between our two MCs, Tomi and Ikenna. These two characters stressed me, I mean really stressed me, especially Tomi, girllll.

Over the course of the weekend, where the Malomo High reunion is taking place at Nonso's hotel, Tomi is forced to really think about her unrequited love for her best friend, or as O.G will put it, her besto 😂, Ikenna.

I found it hard to believe that Tomi has loved this guy since high school; I would have dropped the number of years, but who is counting, and the worst part is the guy was so oblivious to the fact. This was fast-paced, and it was really interesting to see how this friends-to-lovers story will play out 😍.

Told over 2 POVs, I found Ikenna's POV a little underdeveloped, and at some point it felt as though Tomi was a pushover and not standing up for herself and what she wanted enough. Also, since this is the first book in the Malomo High Reunion Series, a lot of names were being dropped, so be prepared to follow!

Overall, this was a very good read even though I think it needs an epilogue 😄😩.

[By Habibat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I prefer enemies/rivals to lovers but it was good. I love Adesuwa and she didn't disappoint. But it was short. Tomi's boyfriend, I forgot his name is such a jerk, I do not like him and oh Ikenna, that man!!!
The book has zero smut, if you know Adesuwa, you'd know she doesn't write smut, and it always eatsss.
I rated it 3 stars coz I wanted more and I didn't get it and coz of the trope. The reunion sounded fun

[Maryam Adenuga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so loved this book 📚
It's one of the book that made me fall in love with Nigerian authors