Whew! This was disappointing. I'm really not understanding the high rating. I knew Valentine's Day was coming, and I figured I'd read a romance novel that would surely put a smile on my face and leave me with a warm feeling inside. Right? I expected this to be a light cutesy read, but I finished this novel being highly annoyed, irritated and underwhelmed.

Basically, Ricki is a woman in her late 20s who moves to Harlem to open a flower shop. A chance encounter with a stranger in a garden leads to an insta-romance where Ricki learns that her lover comes from the Harlem Renaissance/Jazz-Age era and has been cursed with immortality.

The Good? The pacing was decent. I continued to turn the page......hoping it would get better.....that I would connect in some way, you know? I wanted to feel the passion, the tension, the love, the loss. Despite 80% of the novel being unnecessary fluff, I turned the page, so for that this novel gets two stars for holding my attention somewhat.

The Bad? Where do I start!? To ME, the main issue is authenticity, or lack thereof. I have to be VERY careful about what I'm going to say because my opinion might be offensive, and I want to be sensitive......The entire time I was reading this novel, one question kept popping up in my mind: 'Did a black woman write this?' Yes....I went there! As a BLACK WOMAN, I had to ask this question. Let me be clear. This is a BLACK ROMANCE written from a BIRACIAL WOMAN's perspective (judging by what I've seen). Why is it important to say this? This novel is being promoted as a black romance when there are waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many moments where the black perspective is highly questionable. Moments that stood out in a way that was just too hard to ignore.

Example #1:
Context: Both characters are black; Ricki meets Della (90-year-old woman) while working at her family's funeral home business in Atlanta.
p.16 - "Her gentle presence and precise, direct way of speaking were so soothing to Ricki. But older Black women always melted her".
Now, if you're writing from a black perspective, why would a black character even need to point out the race of the other black character? There would be no need to even bring up race if both characters are black. It's written as if a non-black character is highlighting the good qualities of older black women.

Example #2:
Context: Ricki attends an event hosted by a spiritual healer who she thinks can help her break a voodoo curse.
p.268 - "White people didn't understand it. So it gave Black people a sense of power and protection."/"She grinned and held up a Black power fist, to delighted applause. A room full of bookish women in purple witch hats raised their fists in the air."
Just cringe! At black gatherings where we discuss race-related topics, do you really think we salute one another with the black power fist!? Um...WHAT!? It's as if the author needs to 'prove' how black these characters are by over-stating gestures typically associated with black culture. Once again, if you're writing from a black perspective, there would be no need to do this.

There are MANY examples throughout where I questioned the 'black perspective'. Even voodoo was depicted in such a Disney-cartoonish way which took me completely out of this story. Yet again, did the author watch a YouTube video on Louisiana voodoo or read a book and decided to throw it into the story just to spice things up? There was zero depth or complexity in how voodoo was woven into the story.

I don't think I'll be picking up another book by this author. I actually find it quite scary that she's being celebrated as a 'black' romance writer with all of these issues in her work.

Slow start, but it's a beautiful story of love and friendship. 

This book is so romantic and swoon worthy. The way it hopes back in forth between the Black Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and current day Harlem was just so beautiful. I also loved the magical realism and how they worked that into the story in a totally unique and oddly believable way. And on another note, this is what a romance cover should look like! No more cartoons, just some gorgeous people being super gorgeous!

Ms. Della, I love you so very much 😭😭😭

Honestly a really great book! I love magical realism novels that play with different timelines, I thought the way the plot was set up was unique and definitely kept me entertained 💞

Ricki and Ezra were cute, I did feel like their romance felt very sudden but you know what they say, true love can be instant! 

The ending brought me so much joy!! Literally my favorite part of the novel because Ms. Della has a pure heart 

ALSO, TUESDAY is my girl FR, she was hilarious and I just loved how protective she was of Ricki. We all need a friend like her 🙌

Okay so main character is Richard Wilde aka Ricki Wilde the 2nd named after her dad who wanted a son and they had everything in order so they just didn’t change the name at all. She has three sisters Rae and Rashida and Regina. She is the youngest and her family owns (her dad) a funeral home business. However she is a horticulturist and loves plants. Moves to Harlem with Ms Della and lives below or above or in her brownstone. 

So basically this is leap year of 2024. February. We meet Ezra Walker the 3rd or fourth in 1923. Leap year!!!!! February!!!!! Him and his cousin Sonny. So basically he’s a musician and is really good.

Starts at The Nest. However Sonny turns into an addict and leaves him his dog GROUCHO BARX in 1927 or so!!! He still has the collar on 2024. Weird right??? So he’s not a ghost because he can be touched but is he forever stuck at one age? Stuck in time? Stuck in February leap years for the rest of his life. His ex had a tragic death! Was that Ricki???? Is that why he feels so drawn to her and it’s like they know each other??? PAST LIVES PERHAPS????????? 

Not a coincidence that he called Ricki a tornado and called his old girlfriend Felice a hurricane and tornado like!!!! NOT A COINCIDENCE AT ALL!!!! What the fuck?

Okay so Ricki lives now where He once lived. I think! Also I think the piano she has was his own personal one. That’s why he was so gutted seeing it. WAIT ACRUALLY THE SEX SCENE WHEN HE NEEDED HER TO COMPLETE THE SONG???? Can I just say hot but also so fucking devastating in the best way possible?

Like I was crying and then the next moment I was like oh fuck yeah they’re hot! The NEED. The need for each other in that moment. I’m fucking scratching my eyes out idk. 

Felice is so obviously manic but is she actually hurting people or just doing voodoo and they’re getting hurt from that.

Nah she seems wild enough to actually be doing the stuff. LMAOOOOO. 

OH MY GOF NO I DIDNT WANT TO BE RIGHT WHAT THE HELL NO WAY 

Okay so beautiful so stunning. The Harlem Renaissance backdrop and history interwoven in this, Black history to be more precise was so well done. I felt like I was in Harlem in the 1920’s. Tia teleported me there and I love her for that because it was so atmospheric.

You can feel the pain and grief that Breeze was going through and living with in the 20’s after he moved from South Carolina. Everything was said in a raw and explicit way and I love that. I would definitely check trigger warnings. 

The writing was beautiful and I am now forever a Stan of Tia Williams. Devastating is the only way I know how to describe this book, but also devastatingly tender. ACHING. Ezra in present time was. SO PAINFUL. Even before we knew what was going on, you can FEEL the longing through the pages and AHHHHHH that just makes me wanna cry even harder. 

The way that everything was linked.

THE LEAP YEAR. DELLA. THE BUILDINGS AND PLACES!!!!! JASMINE FLOWERS!!!!!!

Rah, I love Tias mind. I would like to live inside of it. 

Not only would she have to make up a current story and timeline in the year 2024, but also do so much research for the environment, people, clothing, trends, music and everything else for the 1920’s and the location and how everything was. The language and dialect and just everything seeped in rich history was just so well done. It hurts my heart that history like this is trying to get taken out of schools today like !!!!!! 

Books like this deserve to be made into movies. Documentaries or something cause what the hell?!?! I saw it playing in my head but no I need to see this on the big screen like fr. It won’t do it justice at all but oh my god I’d love to see them try.  

I am definitely going to be trying out the audiobook of this because I know it will be so good with the Black voices and everything else!!!!! I so want to hear that and be transported back into the magic of this story. 

God bless Ricki for finally

sticking up to her dumbass sisters dumb dumber and dumbest!!!!!! They are Awful people with a capital A. Her mom is literally in need of help. Her dad, iffy but also I like that he was proud of her, at least a little bit. 

I’m so sad I was right about the sacrifice being Della. So sad. I wanted to be wrong but unfortunately

I felt it in the air. 

I just simply must come back to this book every once in a while because it was stunning. I have no adequate words. 10/10 love!!!!!

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