Naledi His Love is the third of the Hlomu Series Books. The Story is pure fiction, but some of the places mentioned do exist. The Zulu brothers, however, are a fiction of the author’s imagination, but you are welcome to turn any man into one.
Now made into a telenovela through South Africa's local streaming service Showmax. The telenovela, The Wife , started airing on Thursday, 11 November 2021 and is inspired by the novels by Dudu Busani-Dube.
Read the Hlomu Book series in order.
Book 1. Hlomu the Wife The first book in the series follows a young woman named Mahlomu who meets Mqhele Zulu and they fall in love. Even though aspects of Mqhele’s personality and past make her uncomfortable, Hlomu is happy. Their love is strong and they stand by each other through good and bad. But Mqhele and his seven brothers have a dark and tumultuous past that involves a dead warlord father, mob justice, and lots of unaccounted-for money. Book 2. Zandile the Resolute Book two of the blockbuster series continues the story of the eight Zulu brothers. Rich, handsome, powerful, dangerous and one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Johannesburg, Zandile is the wife of the first brother Nkosana. Their love story is like a South African township Romeo and Juliet – their families hate each other but their love is so strong, it endures all the hatred, the deaths and even prison time. Book 3. His Love Naledi, like Hlomu and Zandile, comes to understand that loving one of the Zulu brothers (in her case it’s Qhawe that makes the earth move) means loving all of his dark and tumultuous past and as much as she will enjoy the trappings that come with being the wife of one of those rich, handsome, powerful and dangerous men, she must also live with the inherent danger that remains. Book 4. Iqunga With the fourth story in the series, the author switched things up a bit. A meeting with a man who tells them they need to rid themselves of an ancestral curse leads the Zulu brothers on a journey of uncovering their lineage. The storyline takes place in two parts and alternates between present and past events, with the past events not only repeating themselves, but also revealing why the Zulu Brothers are the way they are. This of course, is not without the drama that constantly surrounds these men! Book 5. Mess Perhaps the most gut-wrenching book in the series, Mess follows Lahliwe and Mqoqi as they try to make their relationship work despite the damage done to them. Stuck between the expectations that come with being a Zulu brother and who he really wants to be, Mqoqi Zulu is the most misunderstood of the “wolf pack”. This is a heartbreaking read about family, love, and mental health. Keep the tissues handy!
Dudu Busani-Dube is the author of the popular Hlomu series of self-published novels, being Hlomu the Wife, Zandile the Resolute, and Naledi his Love, which has sold tens of thousands of copies.
Where does one start? Zulu family is on another level. In my mind they exist and no one will convince me otherwise. I love them to bits. Qhawe is my ultimate man crush. The author is gifted, that's goes without saying.
The grammatical and spelling errors are masked by a compelling story that young black South Africans can relate to. The manner in which the story is told is appealing
This is my favorite book in the series. I read this book in two days. Even after I read the book I found myself still thinking about it. The big down side for me was that the book repeated quite a few parts from Zandile the resolute. This was unnecessary, the copy and paste was not required. I also found a misalignment between the 2nd and 3rd book. Just like in the 2nd book spelling errors galore. This is just not professional. I know English is not our mother tongue but spelling errors are inexcusable when publishing.
We all there is no going wrong with Dudu, the lady should get an award for her writing...#Best Author The books she writes are relatable to modern South Africans.
this is a great read indeed the author was able to make me feel like i was also part of the story experience all the things the Zulu family went through on the first series Hlomu The Wife i was in a emotional rollercoaster crying, laughing and fell in love.my favourite is Naledi and Hlomu the wife . it has some grammatical errors but because i was lost in the story i couldn't careless about the errors
Two words - Engagingly Intense. The storyline is brilliant and it might make a good TV Series someday I hope. The editing team did let the author down during proof reading though🙈 so many spelling errors and grammatical mistakes is just so wrong. Big ups to Dudu Busani-Dube you are going places.
I did not read the series in chronological order, I read this one first. I was at the airport and wanted to buy a book and I was captivated by the cover. I did not know who Dudu Busani Dube was, I had no idea that the book was part of a series. I took the book with the engaging cover and read the first 3 pages. I went ahead an bought it. I was amazed from the first page to the last page.
The way the writer brought the character of Qhawe Zulu to life, he is by far my favourite Zulu Brother. I did not want the story to end, I wanted to live that fantasy for as long as possible.
The book was amazing and it was so easy to visualize the characters as the author takes you on a journey of the Zulu family. Yu can not help but to feel as if you are reading a diary that was written and you are part of the story in that diary
Oh wow! I really enjoyed this book! What a compelling story...I just could not put the book down. Dudu Busani-Dube is a good auther. I love her writing style! This is the best book in the Hlomu series for me!
My fav of all the three from the series! Cannot wait for Iqunga, Mess and Hlomu The End. The book gods must just bless me with the Randela's so I buy all three at once! I have never gone through a series of emotions like I did this series. So many layered themes within these simple written books. Dudu has captured me! I Stan!
I did not think I would read this book. The first 2 I didn't like. I like the writing style of the author as I was able to finish all 3 books. I don't like how the female characters are set up though. In the first book and even now I don't like Mqhele. Nkosana I found okay. I found Qhawe a bit more likeable or maybe I got to used to the worst side of the male characters with Mqhele that Qhawe was a glorified prince in comparison. Qhawe at least was not an abuser that the female lead would have us believe was the best thing since sliced bread. They made Naledi a bit too melodramatic for me. I am a person who appreciates a little melodrama here and there but she was a bit much in the first half. Again, like with Zandile, she came across as catty. Unlike with Zandile where I could possibly see the cattines as armor, I could not even understand why Naledi was so catty. Not in a cute way but in a I want to roll my eyes or clap her way. I think I liked all her sisters more than her, even Omphi. The glitz and glam theme still makes me cringe a bit but not as much as it did with the other two books. I found the insta-love thing hard to swallow especially given the back story they had for Naledi (her on-going trauma with a stalker). I will read the fourth book mainly because I want to see where this Mqoqi saga is going and also to have a comparison for the tv show.
I reviewed the series on the Hlomu page. This is about Naledi His Love.
I don't understand Qhawe and Naledi, I find them both a bit extreme. I love their love. I don't get their conflicts, they seem to be blown out of proportion always. They seem to lack communication and maturity . Infact, they don't seem to seek to understand (or know) each other at all; they just each expect what they expect. Even when they seem to get along, I don't see real resolutions, rather sacrifices that only come back to haunt them. It's like they binge on each other for a high, and then fall hard. Whoever craves the high most caves first.
The book was also a slower read for me because the Zulus were not as much a part of the equation as before. Yes, we see Naledi with the family but she's an outsider throughout. This is highlighted more in the Xolie/Mabutho saga; I found myself longing for an insider's voice.
This reads like a real sequel, lacking the parts that made the first two books.
The way they meet is cute, and unique. Talented writer, but she needs to work on her craft a bit. I think high Ratings are influenced by the infatuation of the Zulu brothers. I hope for the next book she finds a highly qualified editor and does not repeat too much of the thing. I rarely tell the difference between naledi, zandile and hlomu because she uses the same tone for all of them. she didn't distinguish the three women for me in terms of personality, just versions of strong independent woman submitting to the needs and lifestyle of a zulu man because it seemed repetitive, did I mention her writing is repetitive? For those who still tolerate the spelling and grammar errors shame on you!
I love the book and Dudu Busani-Dube's style of writing, it's very original and relatable...I just didn't like that she didn't do research on Naledi's language. Naledi is a Motswana and phrases like Isishweshwe, Ntate and O being Setswana and W being Sesotho just broke my heart. Letswalo is Setswana and Letsoalo is Sesotho. I wish she could've done a bit more research about this Motswana character.
If you're interested in my reviews of the first and second book, please check them out for context. I am not going to bother going on about the writing and spelling issues I pointed out before, I enjoyed this book and want to explore that in this review.
To illustrate the points I enjoyed in this third book of the series, let's see how my predictions (based on the ending of the second book) fared:
Anyway, I want to make some predictions about the third book before I read it: 1) Buhle and Nkosana did the do and Buhle is uMvelo's mother;
So close! They did do the do... but it turns out that Buhle caught feelings and reported Zandile to the police so she could get back at Nkosana for not returning her affections. Did not see that coming, I was practically salivating when this plot piece was unfolding (makes sense considering how frustrated I was at the author keeping us in suspense by not telling us in the second book). One star just for this!
2)Naledi's obsessive ex will feature as the main conflict but I suspect that she is married to him or attached in such a way that a clean break is not an option (a child?); The obsessive ex didn't feature so much as his death and the surrounding facts. I gave one star just for how titillating this turned out to be. From the beginning of the book we all assume, even before Naledi catches on, that Qhawe had her rapey ex assassinated. This is the assumption we are operating on for most of the book and we are just waiting for uGal to figure it out, that she is not just dating some fake BEE guy but a natural-born killer- isn't that what we all came to the series for? Our expectations are subverted, it turns out that her loving, doting and elderly father had the bastard taken care of. I remember smiling when I read that. The way Ntate kaNaledi is written- a single man, raising three daughters by himself and keeping busy with community affairs- you would never think he had it in him, but would he raise his daughters from infancy on his own and treat them like precious gems and then let some random do as he pleases with them? No. I love the fact that Ntate taking care of it fits in exactly with the type of father he is, and in this series, where the role of fathers features heavily as the background for characters and their formation, I didn't expect the representation of a patriarch to be so... non-violent, doting, loving but ready to deal with the worst of situations quietly and decidedly. Without going too deep into psychoanalysis (I don't have the qualification to do that) here I think it is understood that this romantic fantasy that we women have of the strong take-charge type of man might have something to do with our upbringings and how the environment around us treats women. From the book reviews and reactions to the series, the representation of men being protective/possessive, loving/obsessive, aggressive/violent seems to be a drawcard but Naledi's father, it seems to me, is the ideal representation of manhood and making him a dad is symbolic...of... I don't know???! It means a lot, okay?!
In addition to that, I'm fine with admitting that I love romantic trash books that is why I started reading this book, however, this series is turning more and more into a family drama filled with suspense and plot twists left, right, and centre- and I love it.
3)Gwen (Mpande's girlfriend for a day) is going to make a scene; She didn't. She was never mentioned but now I am sure that I might be confusing Mpande and Mqoqi's women so... please don't trust anything I write.
4) Someone is going to finally tell Gugu that she looks like Oleta and that'll create a minor shitstorm; Oleta and Gugu... see what I said about there being too many people in this story. Oleta is Qhawe's ex. I meant Nqobile- who is Nqoba's ex (Nqobile and Nqoba... future baby names I think). This never comes up in this book by the way so I guess if you want to see the fall out of that you will have to read the next book? Or the book after that? I don't know if I am interested in it, I want to know her reaction, but I also feel she will not leave him so what is the point?
and 5)Hlomu is going to stop speaking to Mqhele maybe three times. Their love boat was rock steady in this installment and she doesn't feature heavily in this book although she still gets the last chapter- why? She had her own book to deal with her drama.
I do wish Zandile's anguish could have been explored... I wanted Nkosana to beg and plead and cry for her but I guess she just dealt with her pain and conflict in the bathroom (or wherever she was hiding before getting married) and made a resolution (get it?) about marrying her guy off the page and without us.
The third book in the Hlomu series, I enjoyed the book, in many instances made me hold my breath, the twists and unexpected turn made me respect the author even more. Very well done.
She stole my heart. I loved her the most and I loved the way Qhawe loved her. The way he seemed to know her more than she knew herself. It was an incredible book and I don't think anything was missing.
This book is a great lesson in ‘not believing the hype’. Fans of the Hlomu series lauded this book and called Qhawe and Naledi’s meet up the best of the series. So I was looking forward to delving into this last installment (hoping that it would be better than the last two).
Honestly, I am beginning to think that I am the problem because this book is a mess. In the style of the series, Qhawe “meets” Naledi at a mall, finds her fascinating because she puts him in his place and basically stalk’s her for weeks. Stalk; as in takes down her car number plate, tracks her work details, home details, phone number etc. and then shows up at these places and calls her out of the blue. How is this behavior romantic? Again, Dudu is romanticising behavior that is dangerous and quite frankly criminal.
Once Qhawe finally gets Naledi to agree to a date with him, he love bombs her. And in a couple of months they are engaged...taking a leaf from Hlomu and Mqhele’s romance template (without the psychical abuse).
The rest of the book is honestly not exciting, Naledi gets upset with Qhawe , throws a tantrum then leaves, then rinse and repeat. I found their cycle boring. Naledi felt like quite an immature and self-centered character. I found her the most unlikeable of the wives. In sum, I disliked this book. Having read all three books in the series, I take issue with Dudu’s representation of women who are supposedly strong-willed, independent and have agency. All these women (with the exception of Zandile) are doormats. They bend until they break for the Zulu brothers, then they put on a caste and mend themselves only to further sacrifice themselves for their husbands. That is not love, it’s abuse and it’s toxic. I think a lot of the series fans overlook this fact because the brothers redeem themselves by splashing money on their wives. None of this behavior would be tolerated if the Zulu brothers were not wealthy, if they were working class brothers, I am sure none of this toxicity would be viewed as romantic.
After reading these books, there is not a single “romance” of any of the wives that I envy.
Loved it, loved it, loved it. It took me back to the first book: Hlomu the wife.
The story was not only well told but it wrapped up all the books and brought the series to a lovely conclusion. There was no ridiculous (term used loosely) time jump like in Hlomu the Wife and therefore it was easier to follow the progress of the relationship between the main characters. You feel a part of them. You laugh with them, you cry with them, you're as scared and as frustrated as they are. The emotions are real and raw. The writer gets you worked up and thinking.
Dudu Busani-Dube, sisi, well done. Amazing series. I hope you have another book in the works because I look forward to reading from you again.
I have read this book for over three times and each time is more interesting than the last. Sis Dudu you inspire me wholesomely, all the way and this book to me is by far the best there is. It has taught me to be able to accept the past in order to be able to reap and enjoy the full benefits of the future. I am in total awe and submission. I respect the way you made Qhawe listen and obey Naledi's views and opinions and mostly the way he takes everything seriously. Like the time she asked her to write a letter to Oletta and he did just that without hesitation and second thoughts. It's mesmerizing, they whole experience is heavenly! You rock my world. Thanks for such an amazing read. Team Qhawe all the way!
Wait there has to be another book in this series!!! Like I can't deal with the cliffhanger ending! Is Mqoqi dead? Like how is Hlomu going to feel about all this? Ntate said to Qwawe take care of all 5 of my daughters, we know of only three? Like what the hell? But I am amazed at how all three books in this series always seem to drift back to Hlomu who is the main character of the first book and seems to be the matriarch of the Zulu family, it will make sense if the conclusion of this books was based on Hlomu. Just my 2 cents worth net. But I loved it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
My second favourite in the series. I like that the fact that similar to Hlomu, the man also had to do a bit of chasing and convincing. Added to the fact that Qhawe looks exactly like Mqhele makes it even more interesting. A beautiful love story and shows that time isn't a factor, you can meet someone and be married in 8 months or you can know someone for 10 years and be married in 11.
She is such a good story teller. This series fed well into my love for soapies. I do think that the writing style could be a lot better and also the grammatical and spelling errors were really unnecessary. But that doesn’t take away from the story itself, I couldn’t put this one down! I still think that the first book is by far the best one.