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aleareads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I started this book on a flight from Atlanta to New York City, so imagine my delight when Ricki moves from Atlanta to NYC in the first chapter!
And I guess it’s only fitting that I’m finishing this book on the flight back with tears streaming down my face (happy or sad, you’ll have to read to find out!).
I love absolutely everything about this book. The writing and narrative style remind me about of When the World Tips Over; it feels like a friend is talking to you and infusing magic every step of the day. I just want more and more of this story, from enjoying Ricki’s bouquets to hearing Ezra’s music.
Many beautiful, and heartbreaking but important, stories are weaved together to ultimately form this incredible story of love and freedom. I highly recommend for everyone (required reading from me!), but you’ll especially adore it if you love:
💌 diverse love stories
✨ magical realism
🏙️ nyc setting and history
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Terminal illness, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Slavery
jesscm's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
kynaeus's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Romance trends toward being very white, able-bodied, rich, etc to tell their stories - this is a very refreshing read where everyone and they grandma is Black, no small wonder, since it takes place in Harlem
This book covers some ground with its characters' experience, everything in this novel's characters and setup is inextricably Black, and it was a very enjoyable read. There's some history, some jazz, a lot of self-doubt and magic, and the power of joy in love.
Tuesday was great, and reminded me a lot of Trish Walker from Jessica Jones, miss Della was delightful, and there was plenty of comedy sprinkled throughout so things didn't skew too heavily between the extremes of romance and despair. The ending is somewhat telegraphed but honestly you don't read romance for the destination - you know where you'll be at the end - the interesting part is the journey taken to get there and this novel is well worth your time
This book covers some ground with its characters' experience, everything in this novel's characters and setup is inextricably Black, and it was a very enjoyable read. There's some history, some jazz, a lot of self-doubt and magic, and the power of joy in love.
Tuesday was great, and reminded me a lot of Trish Walker from Jessica Jones, miss Della was delightful, and there was plenty of comedy sprinkled throughout so things didn't skew too heavily between the extremes of romance and despair. The ending is somewhat telegraphed but honestly you don't read romance for the destination - you know where you'll be at the end - the interesting part is the journey taken to get there and this novel is well worth your time
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
Ezra's story from the early 20th century as a Black man in America contains a LOT of racial violence, of particular note is what happens tobpantress83's review
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book literally left me with tears in my eyes, because it was so good.
It was at it's core about love and history, and added paranormal elements to it.
It was at it's core about love and history, and added paranormal elements to it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, and Suicide
Minor: Murder
literary_lyette's review
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Slavery, and Suicide
Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse
himpersonal's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was the kind of love story and romance I enjoy - consuming, enduring, and without an ounce of cloying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Classism
ivi_reads_books's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I love how Tia Williams writes about female friendships. However, I don't usually enjoy magical realism and this book was no exception. I didn't understend the pull and attraction between female and male lead. I would have preferred this novel to be about female friendship without the romance.
Weaving Harlem history into the story was expertly done and very enjoyable
Weaving Harlem history into the story was expertly done and very enjoyable
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Bullying and Suicide
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book read like a historical/contemporary fairy tale, down to the fairy (grand)mother. A gorgeous, ethereal read with likeable secondary characters and found family, while still touching on darker themes like how history impacts our present and future. Tia Williams has definitely become an autobuy author for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Injury/Injury detail
30something_reads's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Happy Pub Day!
"For a long time, I thought I knew what my calling was. My Grand Purpose. But when I met Ricki, I knew I was wrong. I was a fool, thinking I was born to do anything grander than loving her."
This is the story of Ricki Wilde and Ezra Walker - two creative souls brought together by fate at the beginning of February in Harlem, NY.
Ricki Wilde is the free-spirited, youngest daughter of the Wilde Funeral Empire. Expected to dutifully carry on with the family business, Ricki makes the choice to leave her home in GA and follow her dreams of opening a flower shop in NY. It’s there that she meets the mysterious Ezra Walker. They are instantly drawn to one another, but Ezra tells her it would be best if they never see one another again. But fate has other plans in store for Ricki Wilde.
This book is such a refreshing blend of romance, history, music, & friendship with the perfect magical twist. I think that if you’re a fan of Ashley Poston’s romances, this is definitely a book you need to pick up.
Not only is this a beautiful love story between two remarkable people, but it is also a love letter to Black creatives and the Harlem Renaissance.
I absolutely adored all these characters and the way their stories were woven together. This is a story that made me feel everything- I laughed along with all the funny circumstances they found themselves in. I was so angry at Ricki’s family & how they treated her. My heart swelled for the family Ricki built for herself in NY. I swooned right along with Ricki and Ezra as they fell in love. And I WEPT happy tears during the epilogue. (Which is my favorite thing to do while reading romance.)
*Thank you so much to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette for the early review copy*
"For a long time, I thought I knew what my calling was. My Grand Purpose. But when I met Ricki, I knew I was wrong. I was a fool, thinking I was born to do anything grander than loving her."
This is the story of Ricki Wilde and Ezra Walker - two creative souls brought together by fate at the beginning of February in Harlem, NY.
Ricki Wilde is the free-spirited, youngest daughter of the Wilde Funeral Empire. Expected to dutifully carry on with the family business, Ricki makes the choice to leave her home in GA and follow her dreams of opening a flower shop in NY. It’s there that she meets the mysterious Ezra Walker. They are instantly drawn to one another, but Ezra tells her it would be best if they never see one another again. But fate has other plans in store for Ricki Wilde.
This book is such a refreshing blend of romance, history, music, & friendship with the perfect magical twist. I think that if you’re a fan of Ashley Poston’s romances, this is definitely a book you need to pick up.
Not only is this a beautiful love story between two remarkable people, but it is also a love letter to Black creatives and the Harlem Renaissance.
I absolutely adored all these characters and the way their stories were woven together. This is a story that made me feel everything- I laughed along with all the funny circumstances they found themselves in. I was so angry at Ricki’s family & how they treated her. My heart swelled for the family Ricki built for herself in NY. I swooned right along with Ricki and Ezra as they fell in love. And I WEPT happy tears during the epilogue. (Which is my favorite thing to do while reading romance.)
*Thank you so much to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette for the early review copy*
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
jkreads's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
4.5⭐️
{ARC review - huge thanks to Quercus Books for this early copy}
This book was a lush, beautiful experience that has convinced me that I would read Tia Williams’ grocery list if she published it. This book had elements that I was not expecting at all (which I won’t go into here because I don’t want to spoil it, I think it’s best to go into this one blind!), but I ADORED the journey I went on throughout it.
Tia Williams sets a scene SO beautifully and her writing is descriptive without being unnecessarily flowery (pardon the pun). I felt like I was walking through the streets of Harlem alongside Ricki. This book also features quite possibly my favourite side character ever in Ms Della. I fell in love with her instantly and ate up every single scene she was in. And for the Seven Days in June fans, there’s an Eva Mercy/Shane Hall cameo!
I literally didn’t know anything about the history of New York and the Harlem Renaissance going into this, but this story inspired me to read up about it and it is such a rich, interesting piece of history.
And can we talk about this COVER for a hot sec?! I was firmly anti-real people on covers until recently, and thank god I’ve changed my mind so I can fully appreciate this absolute BEAUTY of a cover. The vibes match the story so perfectly, I cannot.
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is out on February 6 and I highly recommend picking it up if you’re after an immersive, gorgeous romance.
{ARC review - huge thanks to Quercus Books for this early copy}
This book was a lush, beautiful experience that has convinced me that I would read Tia Williams’ grocery list if she published it. This book had elements that I was not expecting at all (which I won’t go into here because I don’t want to spoil it, I think it’s best to go into this one blind!), but I ADORED the journey I went on throughout it.
Tia Williams sets a scene SO beautifully and her writing is descriptive without being unnecessarily flowery (pardon the pun). I felt like I was walking through the streets of Harlem alongside Ricki. This book also features quite possibly my favourite side character ever in Ms Della. I fell in love with her instantly and ate up every single scene she was in. And for the Seven Days in June fans, there’s an Eva Mercy/Shane Hall cameo!
I literally didn’t know anything about the history of New York and the Harlem Renaissance going into this, but this story inspired me to read up about it and it is such a rich, interesting piece of history.
And can we talk about this COVER for a hot sec?! I was firmly anti-real people on covers until recently, and thank god I’ve changed my mind so I can fully appreciate this absolute BEAUTY of a cover. The vibes match the story so perfectly, I cannot.
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is out on February 6 and I highly recommend picking it up if you’re after an immersive, gorgeous romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Alcohol