Sweet Heat: A Novel

BOLU BABALOLA IS… “A queen of romantic comedy.” – Oprah Daily • “Incisively funny.” – Entertainment Weekly • “A really great romance writer.” – Quinta Brunson, Harper's Bazaar • “Keeping the hope for true love alive and enjoyable.” –Shondaland • “A rom-com expert.” – New York Times

Two exes. One summer wedding. Zero chance of escaping the heat.

Prepare to laugh, swoon, and fall head over heels with this irresistible standalone romance from Bolu Babalola, the bestselling author of Honey and Spice, a Reese’s Book Club pick.

Twenty-eight-year-old Kiki Banjo hosts the popular podcast The HeartBeat, solving romantic conundrums and dishing out life advice. But behind the mic, career setbacks and a devastating breakup have left her hanging on by a thread. As she’s preparing to be the Maid of Honor in her best friend’s wedding, everything starts to unravel, and Kiki is left wondering if she ever had the answers.

Then Kiki finds herself face-to-face with the Best Man, her ex-boyfriend, Malakai—the smooth-talking, absurdly handsome, annoyingly perceptive man who stole her heart and then shattered it. While Kiki’s approaching rock bottom, Malakai’s been on the rise as a filmmaker, and now they have no choice but to play nice until the wedding is over. Both are hell-bent on ignoring the smoldering chemistry between them, but as they navigate the chaos of wedding plans, career ambitions, and Kiki’s growing fears about the future, they can’t ignore the spark that’s only getting hotter.

They just have to get through the summer. So why does it feel like playing with fire?

“Babalola’s sharp sense of humor, slick pop culture references, and keen sense of the zeitgeist . . . offer a refreshing portrait of what modern love really looks and feels like."" — Time

“Babalola expertly blends sex with societal discourse in ways that echo Jane Austen and Nora Ephron.” — Vanity Fair

""Babalola soars in her rich depictions of intimacy and relationships, in all their grandeur."" — The New York Times Book Review

© 2025 William Morrow (Audiobook): 9780063306998

Release date

Audiobook: September 2, 2025