Tia Mercy is a divorced single mother and erotica author, who is in a bit of a slump in almost every aspect of her life, some of it due to her invisible disability. Her next book is due, but she simply is no longer inspired. Shane Hall is an award winning writer in his professional life and a tortured soul in his personal one, he can no longer write now that he is sober, so teaching the elite while educating troubled youths are career goals, yet he knows he is lacking personal ones. Tia and Shane have been writing about and to each other in their literary works for years, can rekindling their romance in real life, not as the troubled teens they used to be but as reformed adults, be the balm needed for both personal and professional life? Well pick up Seven Days June experience this second chance romance for yourself.

Seven Days in June is a fantastic women's fiction novel sprinkled with a perfect blend of romance. I was hooked from the very first page. I wanted to know more about Tia and Shane from the first time each character was introduced, they had amazing chemistry yet, I was a bit disturbed by how much I was drawn to their past backstory as two broken teens whom experienced fleeting yet extremely, extremely unhealthy romance, I think that is a testament to Ms. William's writing, because I am not sure I would be rooting for this relationship in real life. Yet, after learning more I was still eager to ship these two characters because it was so obvious how much work they put in to become better more healthy versions of themselves. As a native New Yorker I generally do not like books set in NYC, I have always felt that writers spend too much time describing it that it can take away from the storyline, surprisingly I did not feel this was with Seven Days In June, the city became the perfect backdrop for Shane and Tia to rekindle their long lost love, I was experiencing the city through them with new eyes. One of the reasons this is not just a romance but quality women's fiction is because along the way we get the perspective of several characters who add layers to Tia and Shane's story such as Audre Tia's precocious daughter as well as other charming and trifling characters, whose point of view made the story richer. Droll and still dramatic, amorous but still amusing, unexpectedly earnest yet still really entertaining as a light read, Seven Days in June delivers in my opinion the reader will never stop rooting for the perfectly imperfect characters, Tia and Shane.

I loved this book. It was such a ride - I couldn't put it down, and I can't say that about many books this year. This was so full of emotion, heartache, love and contemporary life. This was such a book for book nerds lol. Loved all the author and book references. It was just a genuinely good book with likable (even at their worst) and relatable characters.

A unique story about love and forgiveness. With a captivating style, Tia Williams tells the past and present story of Eva and Shane and the connection they have. For Seven Days in June, they live an intense romance that has the power of destroying them.
When I first heard about this book, I never thought I would end up enjoying it so much. It is a different story: characters that are complex and that have so much history (individually and between them), a plot that is interesting, and a writing style that mesmerizes you and that keeps you reading for hours. Eva and Shane are both great main characters, with flaws and fears that feel authentic. Audre was amazing and I loved her relationship with Eva.
The story is not a light romance but it does not feel heavy either. It has fun moments, drama and some raunchy scenes too. Being both writers, Eva and Shane share with us some aspects of their careers, and it was a part I enjoyed reading too.
What I liked the most about Seven Days in June is how intense and raw are Eva and Shane’s feelings. Williams did an amazing job portraying their past and present selves and all the feelings they have about life, loss and for each other.
I did not know that to expect about the ending but I liked the way things were, it felt real, but I would have liked this to develop maybe in more length.
Considered me now a fan of Tia Williams, I am definitely looking forward to reading more of her work.

Oh my goodness. This was so absolutely heartbreaking. I loved both of these characters so much and all of the side characters were so wildly well rounded. This was so tough to read at times, just because there is SO much going on emotionally with the characters, but this was absolutely breathtaking to read. It was romantic, traumatic, and just so well written. One of my favorite books of the year!

I know I've said recently that second chance romances have slipped from the top spot on my list of favourite tropes. But I was really intrigued when I head about Tia Williams' Seven Days in June. Sure there's a second chance romance to it but this novel didn't seem like a typical romance. It seemed deeper and more angsty and it made for a read that I was totally invested in.

Here's the book's description:
Brooklynite Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer, who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award-winning literary author who, to everyone's surprise, shows up in New York.
When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their past buried traumas, but the eyebrows of New York's Black literati. What no one knows is that twenty years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. They may be pretending that everything is fine now, but they can't deny their chemistry-or the fact that they've been secretly writing to each other in their books ever since.



Over the next seven days in the middle of a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect, but Eva's not sure how she can trust the man who broke her heart, and she needs to get him out of New York so that her life can return to normal. But before Shane disappears again, there are a few questions she needs answered. . .
While the second chance thing had me intrigued, I was also looking forward to reading about a couple of authors. I just love bookishness in my reading material. I'm not totally sure why. I mean, I know I'm totally obsessed with books so that's a huge part of it. But it's kind of...meta, I guess?...to read a story by an author about authors. I loved that Williams threw the characters into so many Black Literati events and had every type of book lover and industry professional depicted. There were the hardcore readers who embraced the fandom, genre authors and literary darlings, publishers, editors, book reviewers and influencers. It was great. It also really made me miss book events!

Eva and Shane's relationship was, in a word, intense. It was off the charts bananas and the truth of what had happened to them fifteen years prior (the first seven days in June) just about broke my heart. It was a tough situation to begin with but then you learn more about it and I was so sad and so infuriated. And the romantic in me was distraught over all the lost time (but the realist in me understood, as the couple did, that maybe they can only work because they're older and aren't reckless teenagers). Their attraction almost seemed far-fetched but the comments from the people around them, like Audre, Eva's daughter, and Cece, their editor, made it clear that they were so much happier and healthier when they were together. That means something.




I don't know if I think all books need to be classified into a specific sub-genre but I still found myself sort of struggling to fit this novel into a box. I wouldn't call it a romance and it's not a rom com - though it does have super steamy romantic elements and it's wicked smart, it's just not laugh out loud funny. It falls into that large, vague contemporary fiction space that gets defined very differently if you're a man or a woman. And, I imagine, if you're a white woman or a Black woman. Regardless of what genre you could shove this into, it's a really good read that hits all the emotions you encounter in life.

I don't have an invisible illness like Eva, who suffered from debilitating migraines, but I do know that those kinds of disabilities (among many, many others) aren't seen in fiction all that often. I hadn't realized until the last several years how important it is to be able to see yourself reflected in the fiction you consume (whether that's books, TV, movies, and so on) because I'm straight, white woman. Eva's illness is a large part of her life, of course, but it doesn't define her and it doesn't define the novel and I think Williams found the perfect balance in this book (she does thank her own migraine doctor in the acknowledgements).

Seven Days in June is worth a read. It's raw and real. It's sexy and smart. It's probably a few other alliterative adjectives. Tia Williams has written a few other adult novels (and YA novels) that I'm going to have to check out because I really loved her voice and writing style.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Hachette Book Group Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Eva and Shane shared one intense week together in their final days of high school. Years later, both successful writers, their worlds collide again. With some nudging from her daughter and a literary executive, their paths continue to cross. I was staring to get worried as the book came to a close, but the epilogue pulled it all together. A good non-fluffy beach read.

From a rather unexpected rom-com-like start to the deeper twists and turns that brought humanity and depth to the characters in ways unexpected, Williams has brought a story that manages to honor the issues of expectation, failure, addiction and illness in ways that allow readers to understand choices made, even the bad ones, and empathize with, if not see oneself, the characters.

Eva is a thirty-something author with a paranormal erotica series that features vampires and star-crossed lovers, but her next installment is proving harder to write. Her chronic illness has flared up and leaves her unable to leave her bed for days on end, her tween daughter is finding things difficult in school, and quite frankly, Eva is just not feeling it right now. She’s worried that her muse isn’t interested in the stories that pay the bills but would rather write of her own family – women who’ve been “cursed’ and found trials and challenges that are beyond the normal ones you’d expect. Of course, her editors and publisher want the next book – now. And, to top things off, she’s got to attend a literary event – that she’s not been able to prepare for because life intervened with other more pressing (or intriguing) options.

Award winning and enigmatic author Shane Hall appears (much to Eva’s surprise) at this event, and the literary world is watching. Neither can share that years ago they spent a week together – a week fueled by youth, drugs, drink and sex – and never spoke after. Shane’s aged and changed in those years – he's now two years sober – but the connection between he and Eva is as strong, or stronger. Neither forgot the other – that's apparent in their writing – but will they actually SEE what’s in front of them and admit it to themselves, let alone one another? The chemistry jumps off the pages when these two interact, their conversations alternate between hilariously funny and surprisingly sweet, and despite all the outside forces pulling at them both – makes the story one where you want them to get it together and make it work.

And while I loved their story and the way that Williams managed to work in all sorts of outside issues that were far deeper than the earliest pages of the story promised me – there was a sort of disconnect between the timeframe, the consistency of emotion and the blatant laying out of the characters on the pages, allowing an instant recognition of who was who – particularly in the last 12 – 15 percent of the novel. The texting felt modern and ‘today’ but was rushing us to an endpoint that was strangely devoid of the heart, hope and depth that the earlier parts of the book brought. While the writing and the characters were people I wanted to know and see together – letting them find the happy ending they both deserved, I felt as if we had missed something along the way. I enjoyed the book nonetheless and loved getting to know Eva and see her interactions with her friends, family and the people around her – and even her struggles with her muse, and her desires versus her “I should”, even when the two were totally opposite. Grab this book and read it – there's plenty to love and discovering a new author and perspectives you’ve not found before makes even more reasons to grab it.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aV9 /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

This is an immersive and beautifully drawn love story of two authors who find their way back to each other after writing about one another for many years, refusing to come to terms with the painful way they lost touch with each other. The romance is sizzling and spicy. There is a sweet relationship between the main character and her teenage daughter, as well. The writing is authentic and characters are true to life, allowing readers to easily picture them while reading. Thank you for the review copy of this title. Lovely story!

Past and present. Heart and humor. Then and now. Who we were and who we are. All of these pairings perfectly describe Tia Williams’s novel Seven Days in June. It’s a steamy romance that is rooted in reality, including the trauma and every day humor of every day life. ⁣
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The novel considers a number of things: who we are in our own stories, who we are in the stories we tell, and who we are in other people’s stories. It reaches into the past and clearly shows how the past can shape the future in terms of all kinds of relationships from friends, mother-daughter, to long lost loves. ⁣
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Told with heart and humor, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good character study, a steamy read, or a book that reminds you of the importance of your present overcoming your past. ⁣
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The story is great. The writing is vivid and accessible. The audiobook was also very enjoyable. Thank you to @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for the ARC.

This book was funny, serious, and downright hot at times. I enjoyed this so much. It covers multiple subjects without feeling like it was trying too hard. I will definitely be recommending this book.

Seven days to fall in love, fifteen years to forget and seven days to get it all back again... From the author of The Perfect Find, this is a witty, romantic, and sexy-as-hell new novel of two writers and their second chance at love.
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I just devoured the latest @reesesbookclub pick, Seven Days in June. It’s one of those second chance romances that’s I’m such a sucker for.
Eva and Shane spent a wild week together when they were seventeen. Now, over a decade later, both are successful writers. They have a chance to reconnect and rekindle their romance while both are in New York City for the Black Literary Excellence Awards. I’m not going to spoil it, but it’s an extraordinary, emotional romance. 🔥

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams is a smart and sexy novel about fate and soulmates.

So far, I’ve read every Reese Witherspoon book club pick of 2021. She’s definitely picked a mix of all kinds of genres and subject matter. My favorites so far are: Northern Spy by Flynn Berry, The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave and now Seven Days in June by Tia Williams. This was the exact kind of book I needed to read right now!

I love love love Eva and Shane! It’s been a while since I’ve read such strong characters in a love story. I went into this novel believing it would be more of a lighter read but there’s actually quite a bit of depth. We follow their journey from reconnecting as adults to their first meeting as teenagers.

I really enjoyed Seven Days in June! It’s a beautiful story about black love and overcoming past traumas. It actually has quite a bit of humor too. I loved Eva, her daughter Audre and Shane. This is a fantastic book to read in the summer. Great choice, Reese!

Honestly, outstanding. Just outstanding on every level. This is a heavy book in terms of content for sure, but it speaks to Williams' extraordinary talent as an author that I was engaged while having my heart utterly ripped out and trampled on before tenderly fixed and put back in its proper place. Shane and Eva have the kind of epic and intense love that begins when they're teenagers and never seems to abate even when they spin out of each other's orbit and back again. Williams threads the needle between past and present so skillfully to the point where you're hoping against all hope that these two characters will find a way to make it work, knowing that they will (because romance) but glued to the page throughout the whole thing.

content notes: warnings for alcoholism, substance abuse, parental neglect, suicide attempts (cutting/pills), character is mentioned to have stayed in a psychiatric facility, reference to gun violence, secondary character death; additionally, MC also suffers from chronic disability (migraines)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Humorous, romantic, and gritty!

Seven Days in June is an emotional, all-consuming, character-driven, second-chance romance that takes you on a journey into the lives of Eva Mercy and Shane Hall, two tormented and tortured souls who spent seven days as teens finding comfort and solace in each other’s arms, and who now fifteen years later must discover if what they had was real, unconditional love that’s still worth fighting for.

The prose is rich and polished. The characters are consumed, damaged, and sincere. And the plot using flashbacks and told from alternating POVs intertwines and unravels effortlessly into a complex, absorbing tale of life, love, friendship, family, addiction, introspection, palpable emotion, undeniable chemistry, motherhood, childhood trauma, chronic pain, and the ups and downs of life as a writer.

Overall, Seven Days in June is a raw, fresh, unforgettable tale by Williams that is the perfect blend of heart, hope, humour, and heat and is undoubtedly one of the must-read novels for summer 2021.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly June New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

Content Notes: [alcoholism, substance abuse, parental neglect, suicide attempts (cutting/pills), stay at a psych ward (hide spoiler)]

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Disclaimer: I received a free ALC (audio listening copy) from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Hear me out: romance is not my preferred genre. Cheesy dialogue and star-crossed lovers are a hard pass for me. BUT, but….believe me when I tell you that SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE is so much more than a modern romance. It’s a deeply human portrayal of the ways we carry grief and the fortitude it takes to rise from brokenness.

The story centers around Eva & Shane, two writers who receive a second chance at love despite a past that left them both broken in ways neither have fully explored.

Not once did I find the characters, dialogue or lost and found lovers trope to be anything but authentic and compelling. The story boasts a rich cast of characters--each with depth, heart, and substance.

In addition to a fantastic romance, the novel explores a myriad of issues including: chronic illness, mother-daughter relationships, mental health, childhood trauma, the role of race and gender in the publishing world, and the list goes on. I think this story would yield a really great book club discussion--apparently Reese Witherspoon agrees, as this is her book club pick for June!

Tia Williams writes from a #ownvoices perspective that spotlights the humanity of Black people and celebrates Black joy and love. We need more stories like this one.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars (rounded up)
Available: Now! (Pub date: June 1, 2021)

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book!! This is the first story I have read from this author and I know it won't be the last.

Eva is a single mom who is balancing her writing career and raising her daughter who is 12 going on 30. She is thrown off-kilter when she is reunited with an old love interest, Shane, while participating on a writing panel. Shane is also an author and it is clear in the storytelling that their fictional novels are drawn from real-life experiences that the two had shared. Their feelings have not abated either and they are trying to find a way to reconnect while moving past some old wounds.

The story builds momentum and it is important to experience the story as the Epilogue is one of the best of I have ever read.

Eva is a bestselling romance writing, with a main character with distinct eyes. She is speaking at an author panel when Mr. Distinct Eyes walks in. The man she spent a week she will never forget with in high school is also a high profile author whose character Eight is shadowed after Eva. Shane is now sober and trying to figure out life without drugs or alcohol, and seeing Eva for the first time in 15 years in bring back all of the feels.

Such a great book!! Loved the characters & just immersing myself in a space occupied by brilliant black women. Especially loved that Eva & Shane are so not perfect and have pretty dark demons to overcome. Just loved this!!!

This was much darker and deeper than just a "romance" and while it has romance themes, shelving it there sells it short. This reminded me of a grittier version of list year's Beach Read by Emily Henry.