Igharo’s debut beautifully depicts the tension between self-determination and the desire to live up to family expectations. Favorite tropes such as a secret baby and a love triangle are reimagined through clever and heart-warming storytelling. Readers will be rooting for Azere from the very first page.
Debuting novelist Igharo presents a great romantic comedy for fans of the Bridget Jones books or movies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding ... The reader is swept along with the tides of Azere and Rafael’s relationship and equally caught off guard by the twists and turns that shape their romance. With writing that marries genuine and infectious emotion with witty humor, Igharo has created an endearing love story about family, culture, and identity
Ties That Tether is a captivating and charming read, but it falls short at certain moments. Some of the qualities in the characters – such as Azere’s obsession with romantic comedies – feel a little forced, rather than skilfully woven into the narrative. That being said, the book is also an intriguing examination into the dynamics of family relationships and what it means to have pride in one’s culture and heritage. It also holds some unexpected twists and turns that will keep readers engaged until the end.
... a snappy look at the pressures of romantic and familial obligation among immigrant communities in modern-day Toronto ... Though Azere’s passivity may frustrate some readers, Igharo brings a great deal of heart to Azere’s internal conflict as she navigates two cultures. This emotional debut marks Igharo as a writer to watch.
Igharo’s debut has some evocative passages on the heroine’s memories of Nigeria and on Edo culture. The sections on Azere’s experiences as an immigrant tween and the novel’s depiction of the strains on biracial relationships are also valuable for representing a reality that many never know. But the story of an immigrant who is expected to marry within her community is narrated with more melodrama than fresh perspective. The demonization and eventual repentance of Azere’s conservative mom is wince-inducing, and Rafael’s secret, which is easy to guess, is a needless complication of an overwrought plot. Azere’s character could also have used some revision: She lacks emotional intelligence and conceals her inner life from everyone, which could be attributed to being 25 but can’t be squared with her job as a high-powered creative director leading a large team in a major ad agency. Igharo's writing is still in a developmental stage, with more telling than showing and characters repeatedly asking Azere if she’s OK, presumably because she’s staring into space during an inner monologue. This is symptomatic of a wider weakness with the dialogue, which is frequently brief and stilted. The first sex scene is off-page, which is unusual in a contemporary romance, and the plot’s excessive reliance on romantic movie references plus tropes from category romance suggests a lack of confidence rather than metatextual deftness ... With insights on the immigrant experience but not on love, this is hardly a romance to remember.
