Set in the lush and luxurious cityscape of Singapore, “The Sun Sets in Singapore” otherwise known as “In Such Tremendous Heat” to American readers is a riveting tale of three Nigerian women living in Singapore, whose lives are upturned by the arrival of Lani- a very attractive, Nigerian lawyer.

The prose sucks us into the lives of Dara, Amaka, and Lillian- our protagonists. Dara is an ambitious lawyer, who is up for a promotion when her firm hires Lani- smart, handsome, and could ruin her chances at making partner. Amaka is an investment banker, best friend to Dara, and struggling with daddy issues and family trauma, ends up in a lusty affair with Lani. Finally we have Lillian, a Nigerian-American concert pianist, who is convinced Lani is the reincarnation of her dead father.

This is a compulsively readable novel that just pulls you into their melodramatic lives. I appreciate their lives were very flawed, while showing the realities of African women living outside their home. There is significant commentary on micro aggressions, work place misogynoir, and the racism of the travel industry. However, this superficial social commentary makes the book a confusing mix of a chick-lit and a literary character study.

While the story on the surface appears to about the man who shakes up their lives, it is really about these three women and their interconnected relationships with one another and their loved ones. Each of them have their growth arcs, and by the end of this story, they have fully fleshed identities. I enjoyed reading their character growth, even though they made (MANY!) questionable decisions I shook my head at.

“The Sun Sets in Singapore” leans as a fun, sexy, breezy read with the occasional delve into societal issues. I was, at no point, bored; I found it very easy to read and I especially loved the setting in ‘Singapore’. It lent the book an exotic vibe and evokes wanderlust in the reader.