Danielle is a strong main character who knows what she wants and exactly what she needs to do to get it. Her dream is to go to NYU for a degree in writing. She takes much of her inspiration from Black female authors that came before her. She is a force to be reckoned with....until she hits a major writer's block right before she has to finish her college admissions essays.

Prince is an aspiring "love guru" DJ where he has a local show once a week in Detroit. He cares for his chronically ill mother and does a lot of the heavy lifting taking care of his little brother since his dad left 8 years ago. He knows he wants to continue to pursue communications and radio in college, and he wants to have big dreams, but also feels compelled to stay local to continue to help support his family.

Prince convinces Dani to go on three dates with him and then she is sure to fall in love. While she is skeptical, she decides to go through with it. This is such a fun story of a budding relationship and how being with the right person at the right time can help build you up and challenge you to be better. All of their dates are MUCH more elaborately planned than any date I've ever been on, much less any I had in high school. The bookstore date...swoon worthy! I highly recommend this book!

CW: sexual assault, parent with a chronic illness

This really was the best YA book I’ve read in a while!!! I want to read it again to make some notes. Not only was there romance but a coming of age story that shows the black experience. I loved it!

“Love Radio” follows seventeen year old Prince Jones who has his own segment on a Detroit radio show called Love Radio. He gives advice on all things dating and romance — if only he could fall in love himself. But he’s a busy guy who cares for his mother and his little brother, so he doesn’t really have time for romance unless it’s for his listeners. But then Prince meets the studious Dani. Dani is focused on the future: doing well in senior year, getting a scholarship and heading off to college in NYC. She is NOT looking for a boyfriend. In honor of the film “Hitch,” Dani gives Prince just 3 dates to convince her that he’s worth it, and what follows is an amusing YA debut from Ebony LaDelle. As a Detroit native, it’s only proper that LaDelle pays homage to the beautiful city of Detroit (i.e plenty of references to Vernors and Better Made Potato Chips). Overall, a great read with some entertaining and relatable characters.

The writing is smooth and fluid. The characters are well-drawn, genuine, and kind. And the plot is the perfect blend of heart, hope, humour, drama, and emotion.

Love Radio is, ultimately, a story about coming-of-age, life, friendship, family, self-discovery, culture, trauma, responsibilities, patience, independence, and the joys of falling in love. It’s an empowering, charming, heart-tugging novel by LaDelle that’s also a true love letter to the city of Detroit, Motown, and some of the greatest authors of all time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of Love Radio to review!

I enjoyed Love Radio! So witty, fun, and poignant. It was also a sweet YA novel that addressed mental health issues in a real way.

Love Radio did an excellent job of handling both a solid romance and a look at the characters' mental health. Both characters are dealing with their own issues but they're able to acknowledge how to face those issues both together and apart.

Sometimes, when I read a perfect novel, I get the urge to dissect it, to figure out why it’s so good, what about it – writing, pacing, character development – makes the book great storytelling.

Ebony LaDelle’s debut novel, Love Radio, is one such book but don’t waste your first read of it on dissection. This love story to Black agency – a celebration of Black communities, artists, authors, and families – is like a perfect meal. Enjoy it. Savor every morsel. Then, contemplate later how much you enjoyed it and perhaps enjoy it again.

In brief, Love Radio is the story of a high school senior, Prince, aka DJ LoveJones, who counsels the lovelorn on a local radio station. His love interest is his long-time crush, Danielle, also a high school senior. She journals remarkable letters to her favorite Black writers and imagines her own future career as a writer. Their interactions are swooney.

The primary and secondary characteristics are well-crafted. I absolutely love that the adults have problems, experience growth, and sincerely love and celebrate the young adults in the story. Praise to LaDelle for showing us adults interacting in healthy ways with their teenagers.

This story is sweet and pine-y and delightful. I loved it. I hope you will love it, too.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a book that I was really excited about and it gave what I hoped it would. First the cover gave me Love & Basketball vibes (its one of my favorite movies) but with music and the book itself was that & Love Jones, but with a male MC I could stand behind. It was the Black Love Story that I wish that I had as a teen! While there were some heart wrenching moments (what romance doesn’t have them), there were more uplifting ones. I appreciated the balance of the MCs and their personal struggles along side their love story.

a read about rediscovering yourself and falling in love. "love radio" tells the story of two teens who pretend to have it all together, and when their stories combine, they allow themselves to be honest. i love the idea of this novel, and it fell a bit short when it came to the stakes of the relationship and the pacing.

Beautiful black coming of age romance.


Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an Honest Review.

Love Radio is a very cute YA romance about a writer (Dani) and a DJ (Prince). I loved the theme of the importance of family, especially with regards to Prince’s character.

I usually feel more of a connection to the female main character in romances for obvious reasons, but in Love Radio, Prince was my clear favorite. He was the absolute sweetest. I loved his interactions with his mom and little brother, his dedication to his DJing job, and his courtesy towards Dani.

Dani was great as well, though. I definitely related to the way she used journaling and writing to help process her trauma. She would write (unsent) letters to her heroes about how she wished she could be more like them, and asking them for help with her problems. It was such a healthy means of self-therapy!

There are some trigger warnings associated with this book, but I definitely think it’s a worthwhile read for many young adults.

DJ? Music? Aspiring author? Black teenage date love? YOU NAMED IT! This book has it all! Reading from the description, I already knew that I need to read this book! AHHH this kind of story is really putting me on the edge. I'm such a sucker of rom-coms and this is such a smooth and swoon read.

I can totally imagine this book like in the movies. I love how the author wrote Dani and Prince with co-realistic events. The story portrays teen black community in the US which is the author's pinpoint about and I really love it! Dani's personality is cunning, smart and so focuses on the things she wants for herself. I love the author making her say NO in every possible way and this gives us the lesson that not all the time we have to agree. As for Prince, oh another boyfriend material, he's absolutely understanding, charismatic and patient. When Prince started giving advice about love, it stings and feels so true.

As for romance, it's a smooth love story and smooth cheesy lines there. Teases here and there and the emotions of Prince and Dani are just there and I love every single moment of them together.

I cannot wait what Ebony LaDelle will be writing soon! This one already got my heart so good and a story that I can't easily forget! If you want a love story written like the movies, you should get this one.

Love Radio follows the narrative of two teens, Prince and Danielle, through alternating povs. Set in the Motor City, I was eager to delve into this book as I recognized all the sights and sounds detailed throughout the book. It showcases the beauty and culture of Detroit and the surrounding areas that I love and frequently visit. This YA novel plays off of some fun romance tropes as Danielle is a girl who hates romance coms and focuses on school, not boys. Meanwhile, Prince is the friend giving love advice and even has his own relationship radio show. The juxtapositions of the two make for an interesting romance to bloom and pulls the reader into the story immediately.

I also love how lyrical the writing is too. It matches the themes of writing and music and how it brings two seemingly opposites together, but also the true power of these art forms. This story tackles themes of coming of age, caring for loved ones, graduating from high school, and navigating friends and relationships in general. Both Prince and Danielle have been burned in the past and they do their best to try to overcome some of that trauma and work through it in order to find love.

"I watch my parents interact—how easily they’re able to go from being playful one moment to having a serious conversation about the latest news cycle the next. Their body language, so in sync with each other, so natural. That’s what love looks like. It’s not always about the flowers and grand gestures, but this right here. Being completely yourself with another person in the moment…."

I loved the romance and development of Prince and Danielle’s relationship. With college looming around the corner things are more serious besides the many swoon-worthy dates they go on in the story. The combination of their love for music and books is what connects them to the core and they benefit from each other. On top of the romance, they have to navigate through some tough feelings and decisions about their future. They feel the heavyweight of how their decisions will shape their lives.

"We all sit in silence for a second, thinking about the gravity of the decisions we’re forced to make and the anxiety of waiting for our dream colleges to determine the next four years of our lives. How we’re trying to find our own happiness, even with our parents’ expectations of what we should be doing."


All in all, Love Radio was a really refreshing YA Contemporary Romance fiction novel. It’s a good mixture of romance growing up self-discovery, moving on, and healing with your past. I loved watching the relationship progress between Danielle and Prince and thoroughly enjoyed the cast of characters featured in the story. Most of all I loved how it showcased all the things that are special about my hometown and being an avid music and book lover I think anyone who is a fan of either will truly enjoy this book as it delves deep into music and literature history/knowledge.

I appreciated that this novel most importantly shows how life is a constant journey of learning, reflecting, and growing individually and in any type of relationship (platonic/romantic/familial). I highly recommend this novel!

*Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

Prince Jones considers himself a doctor of love. At the age of seventeen, he has his own segment on Detroit’s Love Radio, giving the advice to the brokenhearted. He also gives love advice to his friends. But he hasn’t really fallen in love himself yet. However, being the main caretaker for his mother who has MS means he doesn’t have much time for his personal life.

Meanwhile, Dani isn’t focused on finding love. She’s focused on her senior year plan: ace all her classes, get a scholarship, and move to New York City. However, an incident at a college party is causing some serious writers block. It’s clear Dani and Prince have chemistry. Now, Prince has three dates to convince Dani he’s worth it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of Love Radio to review! Intrigued by the premise of the book, I was excited to pick it up. Plus, it absolutely has a great cover!

This is being pitched as Hitch meets The Sun is Also a Star, and that’s such a great way to describe it. I particularly liked that Prince is supposed to be this suave guy who has everything together, but he’s pretty clumsy on his dates with Dani. It made him more endearing as a character, and as Dani gets to know him, she realizes he’s completely different than his DJ persona.

Dani’s journey toward working through her sexual assault also feels realistic. While at times, the flashbacks included were a bit confusing, the section breaks did help. Throughout the book, Prince knows that something maybe happened there, and he lets Dani take his time. Honestly, their whole realtionship was so sweet, and worked so well for this story.

My only other complaint is that the passage of time wasn’t quite clear? It didn’t feel like that much time was passing, but then it would be like a month later. I think I just wanted an overall clearer timeline for the story.

You should definitely pick up this book if you’re look for a romance to start your summer on. There’s so much to the story, and you’re sure to get sucked into Dani and Prince’s relationship from the beginning.

✨ Review ✨ Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
Featuring 2 High School seniors, this book is described as Hitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star which was such an apt description. Radio DJ and self-professed love doctor Prince convinces Dani to go on three dates to fall in love with him. Dani loves writing and has big dreams of NYC but is caught up in bad memories and trauma of an event that happened at a party earlier that year. Throughout, Dani and Prince explore the meaning of the relationships in their lives - friends, family, and romance - and Dani comes to find the importance of self-love and communication.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA m/f contemporary romance
Location: Detroit, MI
Reminds me of: Ibi Zoboi
Pub Date: May 31, 2022

I love that this provides a story that celebrates Black joy, self-love, and the city of Detroit -- three things that don't always feature prominently in the fiction that surrounds us. The music references and description of Detroit recognize the beauty that the city holds instead of mourning its economic decline, racial issues, or other negative things normally tied to the city. The story, while not shying away from racism or other messy social issues, is a story of Black joy more than of suffering or trauma.

Have your music streaming app open as you listen - you'll find tons of references to explore and play a soundtrack alongside!

This is definitely a YA book and might not appeal to all adult readers, but I loved the representation the author provided here. It reminded me a bit of Ibi Zoboi and Elizabeth Acevedo's YA books in the style of narration and featured topics.

Read this if you like:
⭕️ music - so many amazing music references!
⭕️ stories with a range of love relationships - self love, friend and family love, romantic love
⭕️ cute thoughtful dates between the main characters

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and #netgalley for an e-copy of this book, and to Simon & Schuster Book Club Favorites for the advanced print copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for an ARC of Love Radio in exchange for my honest opinion.

Love Radio is a bit out of my reading zone because I don't pick up many YA romances.

I enjoyed Love Radio so much because the characters felt real, and I could understand their problems, that were also realistic and not manufactured for the plot. There are raw moments in this book where Dani and Prince are figuring out who they are and how to have a friendship. I thought the author, Ebony LaDelle, is a genius to write a book that is so approachable even if you aren't the primary demographic. There is realistic cursing like you'd find in high schools across America—but it felt authentic and not in the book for shock value. Topics discussed include: disability, a bit on racism, personal integrity, self-respect, sexual assault, misogyny, books, and music. I hope this list gives you enough details to know if it's the right book for you.

Radio Love is perfect for parents to see what their kids might be worrying about as well as high school readers. I'd highly recommend this book to see a slice of life!

Can this book be more perfect??!!!!!!!!!! This is the type of YA romance that I used to love to read when I was younger. A coming of age between two characters, add some amazing dates, a ton of romance, music and books! This book left me inspired. This author created the most amazing characters, I loved Prince.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

The premise of Love Radio was enough for me to fall in love. But then almost immediately as I began reading, I fell in love with the depth of both Dani and Prince. With how Dani is searching for inspiration and healing through writing and creativity. To unlock these traumas within ourselves and begin to accept ourselves. Talk about some conversations that felt like they were talking directly to me. And with Prince for the weight of the world he carries on his shoulders.

All the pressure he feels to be there for his family combined with his desire to just live. The feeling of being torn between our desire to take care of our family with our desire to also experience our life. To stop witnessing it from the sidelines. Love Radio is a story about family and love. Family who calls us out, but also that have our back. I quickly became obsessed with both Prince and Dani and haven't looked back since.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Ebony LaDelle for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. There were parts that I really liked about this book: it deals with some fairly heavy issues, has some amazing representation, and I loved the family dynamics. The romance was cute but it was just okay. It was hard because the themes and characters were so mature the romance felt childish and the chemistry wasn’t always there. I wanted to be a bit more convinced. I hope to see more from this author and I hope that many young girls read this can relate and enjoy the representation.

Love Radio is a fantastic YA novel that I will not soon forget. This fun YA novel about relationships and finding yourself is exactly what young adults need to read right now. As a teacher, there is nothing more important than positive relationships with others but also a positive relationship with yourself. Make sure that you pick this one up!