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The rise of books largely ignored by literary cognoscenti will forever be a welcome development. From the commercial fiction of Colleen Hoover to the romantasy of Rebecca Yarros, it is becoming increasingly evident that what wins the literary prizes and what people are reading is diverging. In our clime, ignore the likes of Adesuwa O’man Nwokedi, Fatima Bala, Tope Omotosho, and Layemi O-I at your own peril.
That is why books like “The Lagos Love Journals” will always have a place and potentially top the best-seller list for a long time. Layemi Oyo-Ita is arguably one of the earliest names to break into what I’d like to call the Nigerian fanfic space. Her debut, released in 2018, defies conventional genre but was an instant hit. As a bookseller who was just testing the waters in those early days, it was inexplicable how her name managed to be on the lips of ordinary people who just wanted to read and enjoy books.
Now imagine the excitement when six years later, the same books are revised from The Women of Ayo Kessington Dynasty (Vol 1-3) to The Lagos Love Journals Trilogy. First in the instalment is The Lekki Bride–a remake of Anjola Ayo-Kessington’s story. It’s impressive how tighter the story gets. The plot, filled with the same twists, is presented to provide a seamless reading experience, devoid of unnecessary fluff.
Let’s talk about Anjola, the main character, whose rise from the girl next door to stupendous wealth might be cliché but heartwarming has not lost the power to captivate and draw the sympathy of her audience. For the underdog, it is always a victory to witness a Cinderella story come to life. However, at what price?
Exploring Anjola’s story in The Lekki Bride reminds one of why cocky men, no matter how many cheques they can write will always be a red flag. Except they come down from their high horses and allow love into their cold hearts. Tokunbo Ayo-Kessington might have done the bare minimum to win over the love of Anjola whose patience and long suffering need to be understudied. However, he must do better to sustain it.
Women, like Anjola, whose love comes wrapped in a cloak of naivety and resilience are repulsive and adorable at once. You’ll oscillate between sheer admiration and the urgent need to smack some sense into Anjola while riding through her life’s intense drama. How else will you explain saying yes to forever with a man who’s never uttered the 3 magic words with the high hopes that he’ll grow to love you after marriage?
While Oyo-Ita sets out to depict love in its rawness and imperfection, an alarm must be sounded on the need to choose oneself over anything else. A woman who has mastered the art of self-love will always be attractive. Tokunbo Ayo-Kessington’s evolution into the man deserving of Anjola’s love only started when she stopped bending backwards and showed some self-dignity.
What’s “The Lagos Love Journal” without a worthy mention of The Duchess–the larger-than-life matriarch of the Ayo-Kessington Dynasty? Fashioning her into the dreadful villain is one brilliant effort that adds flair and character to the narrative. Chief Adenike Ayo-Kessington may not be a favourite but she sure takes centre stage as an inimitable portrait of a tough woman that cannot be swayed. Though she is a nightmare for the protagonist, lovers of strong female characters will love The Duchess and find her story enthralling in book three of this trilogy– “Meet the Duchess”.
In “The Lekki Bride,” love conquers all is a recurring theme. But the journey to the triumph of love is filled with many hurdles. Anjola never seems to catch her breath–the rollercoaster doesn’t come to a halt until the final pages of the book. An exhausting ride that leaves one almost breathless when the plot climaxes with a happy ending.
With The Lagos Love Journals, Layemi Oyo-Ita portrays love in the most realistic and relatable manner. Baggage, compromise, crossroads, betrayals, and chaos are all part of the excitement. Balancing this reality with the evocative feelings that romantic fiction is known for is what makes this book truly triumphant.
In the end, there are no perfect persons in love. Hence, the bliss we seek can only be found when we take the risk and yield to love.
The post BN Book Review: The Lagos Love Journals–The Lekki Bride by ‘Layemi O-I | Review by The BookLady NG appeared first on BellaNaija – Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!.
