The Baby is Mine by Oyinkan Braithwaite

It was fascinating to observe the misogynistic and ignorant Bambi trying to solve the mystery placed before him, a mystery with glaring answers he doesn’t see immediately.

Bambi is a word-class cheat who never expected to be out on the street looking for where to stay during the lockdown. He also didn’t foresee the drama that would unravel at his Uncle Folu’s house. In a drama involving two women and a baby, it is left to narcissistic Bambi to figure out who the child’s true mother is.

Oyinkan has done it again, giving us another quick read. I enjoyed the fact that she presented a very urgent situation enjoyably. It was fascinating to observe the misogynistic and ignorant Bambi trying to solve the mystery placed before him, a mystery with glaring answers he doesn’t see immediately.

What did I learn from this quick read? Cheating affects your partners more than you think, and also the death of a child can harm the mental well-being of a mother.

The author explored themes such as infidelity, the global effect of Covid, and child neglect. There wasn’t much on character development, but it was nice to see Bambi pick up some responsibilities.

What I didn’t quite enjoy were the knots the author left untied. I needed more information on the real identity of the baby’s father and what led to the other child’s death. But then again, the author is known for her abrupt ending and plot that keeps us guessing. I wish there was more character development for both women, as that would have helped solve some mysteries.

I wouldn’t classify this as a thriller because it has more dark humor than mystery. I would recommend this for lovers of quick reads who enjoyed her first book. If you are in a reading slump, this is also for you.