There’s a reason why the fake relationship has had such longevity in fiction. The trope, in which two people feign being a couple before falling in love for real, is a predictable journey. But just because a happy ending is guaranteed doesn’t mean the story isn’t worth telling—as the old adage goes, getting there is half the fun. That’s the case in Bolu Babalola’s debut novel, Honey & Spice, to be published July 5.