I'm still on Cloud Nine after chatting with THE Nicole Dennis-Benn. This episode was one of the greatest milestones of my life and if you love 'Here Comes the Sun' and 'Patsy' as much as I do, you'll totally understand why. Nicole and her books are beloved by readers and aspiring and established writers around the world. And I love connecting with other readers who feel as passionately about these books as I do.

Both books have received multiple awards, been on thousands of 'best books of 2016 and 2019' lists, and appear across social media literally every single day. It's such a beautiful thing to be a part of.

Whether you started with 'Here Comes the Sun,' which was published in 2016, or 'Patsy,' which was published last June, you will absolutely fall in love with Nicole's beautiful ability to create worlds and characters that stay with you a very long time.

In 'Here Comes the Sun,' we are transported to Montego Bay, Jamaica. The beautiful beaches and blue seas of Jamaica are present in this beautiful novel but it’s the four central characters - Margot, Thandi, Delores and Verdene - who live and work so hard to contribute to their community outside of ‘Paradise’ - that stay with you long after you close the book.

During the day, Margot works at the front desk at the Palm Star Resort and at night, she sleeps with the hotel’s wealthiest guests. In Margot’s selfless effort to shield her 15-year-old sister, Thandi, from this life, she agrees to take on an opportunity for financial independence and freedom but also the chance to finally commit to Verdene, who she’s loved in secret for a long time.

A secret Margot has kept from so many people, including her mother, Delores, who makes it very clear - through her words and actions - that she strongly disapproves of Margot’s choices. The journeys that these four women ultimately take are equal parts heartbreaking and beautiful.

And Nicole’s second book, 'Patsy,' is another beautiful story about family, sacrifices, love and belonging. The book begins in Jamaica where we meet Patsy, who has just received her long-awaited American visa - her ticket and opportunity to leave Jamaica and join her friend, Cicely, who has been writing letters to Patsy from New York. These letters contain promises of a happier life, memories of young love, and glimpses of how they could spend this new life together.

However, Patsy’s yearning for this new life with Cicely means that she will leave her five-year-old daughter, Tru behind. And while this isn’t an easy decision for Patsy, it’s her determination to love who she wants to on her own terms that ultimately helps her board the plane to America. But she arrives in Brooklyn to find that the promises from Cicely were merely words and so Patsy now has to work a variety of jobs to pay for a life she didn’t sign up for.

I loved absolutely everything about this book, particularly the chapters from Tru’s perspective. Across 10+ years, we have the privilege of seeing Tru grow up, build a relationship with her father, Roy, and come to terms with her sexuality and identity. Both Patsy and Tru’s journeys are bittersweet - on the one hand, you want them to reunite but on the other hand, it is so beautiful to see them become the people they were always meant to be.

Both books have a special place in my heart and it was an absolute honour to chat with Nicole about her books, her strong beautiful female characters and the importance of having Patsy’s name on a book cover.

Buy Nicole's books here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/patsy/nicole-dennis-benn/9781786077103https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/fiction-poetry/here-comes-the-sun,nicole-dennisbenn-9781786072399

https://www.greenlightbookstore.com/book/9781631492945https://www.greenlightbookstore.com/book/9781631497896