A Complicated Kind of Love by Adesuwa O’man Nwokedi

Summary

The novel follows Bioye Laguda, a 37-year-old media professional who returns to Nigeria and organizes a 20-year reunion for the Malomo High Class of 1999. Her primary motivation is to reconnect with her first love, Toju Ereuwa. While their reunion initially leads to an engagement, Bioye is blindsided by Toju’s ongoing, messy relationship with Stella, the mother of his two (soon to be three) children. Devastated by Toju’s lies and lack of priority for her, Bioye seeks an escape by volunteering at a summer mathematics camp in Epe. The camp is led by her former math teacher, Abolore Desalu, a brilliant man who has sworn off love after being deeply hurt in his past.

As they work together, Bioye and Abolore move from a teacher-student dynamic to a profound romantic connection. However, their relationship is nearly destroyed by the manipulative interventions of Abolore’s ambitious friend Emem and a misunderstanding involving Bioye’s father’s professional influence. After a period of separation and several shocking revelations including the truth about a traumatic past event involving Toju and Bioye’s former friend Ogonna the two eventually find their way back to each other, realizing they are “stuck together forever”.

Plot

• The Reunion: Bioye organizes a lavish reunion weekend at a hotel in Epe, bankrolled by billionaire classmate Nonso Aguta. She reunites with Toju, and they quickly resume their relationship.
• The Engagement and Deception: Toju proposes to Bioye with a “Ride Or Die” ring. The bliss is short-lived when Stella, Toju’s pregnant ex-partner, arrives at his apartment, revealing that Toju has been maintaining a double life.
• The Breakup: After Toju repeatedly fails to protect Bioye from Stella’s hostility and his neighbors’ verbal abuse, Bioye realizes she will never be his priority and leaves him.
• Volunteering at Epe: Bioye disappears to the Malomo High summer camp to heal. She begins teaching creative writing and helps plan a Prom for the disadvantaged students.
• Blooming Romance: Abolore and Bioye fall in love. Their relationship deepens as they share their past traumas and support each other’s professional dreams.
• The Sabotage: During a dinner in Lagos, Abolore’s friend Emem pretends to be his wife and reveals his name is on a business bid for Bioye’s father’s agency. Thinking he used her for “access,” Bioye breaks up with him in a fit of rage.
• Revelations: Months later, Bioye learns that Emem lied about the marriage and that the bid was lost long before the dinner. She also discovers that Toju had raped Ogonna years ago and framed it as seduction, causing the rift in their friendship.
• The Rescue: Abolore discovers that Stella and her friend have been cyberbullying Bioye for months. He uses his political influence as a Presidential Advisor to force them to retract their lies.
• Resolution: Bioye and Abolore meet at a birthday party for their former principal, Mrs. Avery. They confess their lingering love, reconcile, and commit to a future together.

Setting

• Time: The story spans from April 2019 (the reunion) to May 2020.
• Lagos, Nigeria: Locations include Ikoyi (Bioye’s father’s house), Victoria Island (restaurants like Ricardo’s and Atmosphere), and Gbagada (Toju’s apartment).
• Epe: The new, magnificent campus of Malomo High, which features a tranquil lake that serves as a recurring location for pivotal emotional moments.
• Abuja: The nation’s capital, where Abolore moves after being appointed Senior Special Assistant to the President.
• Ibadan: The site of Tomi and Ikenna’s wedding reception, where Bioye and Abolore have a temporary, emotionally charged reunion.

Themes

• Redemption and Second Chances: The Class of ’99 reunion provides a platform for characters to fix past mistakes, though not always with the people they expected.
• Betrayal and Truth: The plot hinges on the discovery of long-held secrets, specifically Toju’s manipulation of Bioye and Ogonna, and Emem’s sabotage of Abolore.
• Class and Social Expectations: Bioye struggles with being a “black sheep” in a high-achieving family, while Abolore battles insecurities stemming from his upbringing in the slums of Iwaya.
• Trauma and Healing: Both protagonists must overcome past heartbreaks (Abolore’s betrayal by Fadeke and Bioye’s disillusionment with Toju) to find “peace” in a new relationship.
• The Impact of Social Media: The “online lynching” and cyberbullying of Bioye illustrate the destructive power of viral misinformation.

Characters

Major Characters

• Bioye Laguda: A vivacious and talented media professional who initially defines her happiness by her high school love before finding her “thriving environment” in teaching and writing.
• Abolore Desalu: A brilliant “mathematical genius” and former teacher who rises to become a high-level government advisor. He is protective, principled, and initially emotionally guarded.
• Toju Ereuwa: Bioye’s first love; a charismatic but “dodgy” and “dubious” man who manipulates Bioye and has a history of predatory behavior.

Minor Characters

• Ogonna Maduka: Once Bioye’s best friend and later her “mortal enemy,” she is eventually revealed to be a victim of Toju’s abuse. She and Bioye reconcile.
• Stella Obong: Toju’s “baby mama” who is fiercely antagonistic toward Bioye. She orchestrates a smear campaign to force Toju back into her life.
• Emem Annabel Bassey: Abolore’s ambitious and fiercely loyal friend whose unrequited love for him leads her to sabotage his happiness with Bioye.
• Nonso Aguta: A billionaire mogul who bankrolls the reunion and the summer camp. He is a close friend to Abolore and eventually dates Ogonna.
• Professor Toriola Laguda: Bioye’s high-achieving, stern father who eventually learns to support his daughter’s unconventional career path.
• Henrietta Avery: The dedicated principal of Malomo High who mentors the protagonists.
• Tomi Aguda & Ikenna Idozuka: Former classmates whose best-friends-to-lovers story serves as a successful parallel to the main romance.

Literary Devices

• Flashbacks: Used extensively to show the contrast between the characters’ lives in 1999 and 2019, and to reveal the origin of the Bioye-Toju-Ogonna conflict in 1997.
• Symbolism:
  • The “Ride or Die” Ring: Represents Toju’s false promises and the “sloppy seconds” he offers Bioye, as it was originally given to Stella.
  • The Raven Tattoo: Symbolizes Bioye’s connection to her late mother and her own protective nature over those she loves.
• Imagery: The author uses vivid descriptions of music (New Jack Swing) and nature (the Epe lake) to set the mood and underscore emotional shifts.
• Irony: It is ironic that Bioye spent 20 years hating Ogonna for a “betrayal” that was actually an act of predatory violence committed by the man Bioye was trying to marry.
• Metaphor: Abolore is described as a “panther” (assured and quick-paced) compared to the “tomcat” of his youth, symbolizing his personal growth and intensified presence.
• Dual Narrative: The story alternates between Bioye’s and Abolore’s perspectives, allowing the reader to see the internal conflict and “things they aren’t saying” to each other.