🎵A Love Song for Ricki Wilde - Tia Williams🎵

I absolutely adored Seven Days in June so when I saw another book from Tia Williams on Netgalley (months ago 🙈) I knew I had to request it, and I am so glad I did! It is unlike anything I’ve read before, but it did give me Addie LaRue vibes which I am all about! ✨✨

There were dual POVs and dual timelines, which are elements within a book that I absolutely love to see. The Harlem Renaissance also plays such a significant role within this story and having not read much from this era, I really enjoyed learning more and just embracing the setting.

I found the characters were well-developed and the writing was just so whimsical and captivating. I loved it so much 😍

What you can expect:
🔮 Magical Realism
✨ Insta Love
🔮 Found Family
✨ Soulmates

The magic within this book really took me by surprise but I could not put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and can’t wait to see what Tia comes out with next 🥰

Thank you so much to @netgalley @tiawilliamswrites and @hachetteaus for sending me an e-book copy to review - I am beyond grateful! 🙏🏻

A beautiful read, with characters that I completely got attached too. I was fully submerged in the storyline, and couldn't put the book down. What a read!

I was a big of 7 Days in June, so I was looking forward to this book. A Love Song for Ricki Wilde centers on Ricki Wilde, who comes from a funeral home dynasty and decides to move to New York City and fulfill her lifelong dream of opening a flower shop. While there, she meets the mysterious Ezra with whom she seems to have an unexplainable connection.

The minor fantasy elements of the book intrigued me and the connection to 7 Days in June was a nice surprise. The book's pacing was great, and all the secondary characters, including Ms. Delia and Tuesday Rowe, felt three-dimensional and fully realised. I Think 7 Days in June is still my favourite, but this read was enjoyable.

This book was a sweet and heart-warming love story. Unfortunately, I struggled to become invested in this story. I loved the setting and magical realism, but I felt no connection with the characters.

I'll admit it took me WEEKS to read this one but, in the end, I absolutely loved it!

If you’re after a romance novel with a difference, this one delivers. A Love Song For Ricki Wilde follows two star-crossed lovers in its exploration of magic, found family and fate, all set to the backdrops of contemporary New York, the Jazz era, and the Harlem Renaissance.

I loved how it moved back and forth in time, even though I found myself loving Ricki's tale a little bit more. The fairytale feel really hooked me, and it was an added bonus that there was some spice too! I loved Seven Days in June, and I'm a big fan of this, too.

O my gosh, this book was everything! A few years ago I read ‘Seven Days in June’ and I loved that story! So when I got the email that I was able to read ‘A Love Song For Ricki Wilde’ before it was even published I was a very happy bookworm.

And this quote: ‘I knew you were music I could listen to forever.’ It just one of so many beautiful sentences. PERFECTION!

And what the most incredible thing is, everything I hate in a book (insta love, things that are not realistic and soulmates) were here perfect. Just perfect. I fell in love with things I normally run away from and I fell in love with characters, the writing, this was just everything.

The emotions take you by the throat, it’s poetic, and all-encompassing. It’s a story you want to disappear into. Loved it!
Rating: *****
Thanks NetGalley and Quercus for this E-ARC. This has not affected my opinion whatsoever.

I'll admit, I usually scoff at the idea of instant love and soulmate connections. Give me a slow burn romance that lets the characters simmer any day. So, I was slightly wary about the romance in this book. Plus there's an unexpected element to the story that I won't spoil here, but initially that also threw me a bit. However, this book surprised me in the best way.

First off, I loved the setting. I felt fully transported to the vibrant Harlem Renaissance. Tia Williams brings this period to life with rich descriptions, making you feel the energy and the cultural significance of the era. It's more than just a backdrop, it's feels like a character in itself.

When I'm reading a romance it's essential for me to like the characters, and thankfully I adored Ricki. She's brave, fiercely independent, and bursting with creativity. Despite a strained relationship with her family, she paves her own path, opening a flower shop in Harlem. Ezra, Ricki's love interest, is a true charmer and the epitome of a chivalrous gentleman, albeit with a mysterious past.

The supporting cast of characters is equally strong. Tuesday was fun and vibrant and a great friend to Ricki. I found Ricki's friendship with the wise and wonderful Ms. Della particularly touching. It added another layer of warmth to the story and showcases the beauty of intergenerational connections.

I love Tia Williams' writing style. It's witty and playful in places yet also soulful and deeply touching in others. She certainly doesn't shy away from difficult topics either – racism, mental health, and even suicide are handled with sensitivity.

While the book is achingly romantic, this isn't just a love story. It's a story about family, connections and chasing dreams. It also highlights the enduring power of music and weaving in real-life musical icons from the Harlem Renaissance era added another layer of depth.


Overall, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a blend of contemporary and historical fiction that offers both romance and substance. It's a story of love, resilience and pinch of magic and I highly recommend it to anyone.

#ALoveSongForRickiWilde was everything I hoped it would be, and more. BIG love with a sprinkle of magic (in a gorgeous Field of Dreams/The Time Traveler's Wife/Highlander/Cecelia Ahern way), a love letter to hope, 1920's Harlem and night-blooming Jasmine!

Tia Williams writes in such a beautiful and captivating way and this book was no different. While I didn’t understand the 1920s reference at first, when I finally got it I was hooked.

This book is more than just a love story. It’s a story about self-growth, personal development, and to find spaces where you are meant to flourish. I loved Ricki’s ability to build community despite the odds that were against her and how everyone’s story weaved in between one another.

I will say, however, once everything clicked together, I knew how the story was going to end so I felt like the last fourth of the book dragged on a bit. Overall, a fantastic read!

A good and romantic story that made me root for the characters and turning pages. Well plotted and good character development.
I loved the storytelling.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loved this but it did take me a while to get into the story, but once I was there I really enjoyed it.

“He'd be beautiful in any era, anytime, anywhere”

This was not what I was expecting … but boy, did I love it!

A magical and beautiful genre bending romance with an ode to New York City and Harlem.

Ricki and Ezra had my heart the whole way and Tia Williams has now firmly secured herself as one of my favourite authors.

“And Breeze knew that what you haven’t reckoned with, you’re doomed to repeat. America was a ghost story with no end.”

Many thanks to @netgalley and Quercus for an advanced reading copy.

Loved the twist but overall was disappointed as I loved 7 days of June so much. I as still a beautiful book with poetic writing.

2.5 ⭐️

I was so excited for this one having loved Seven Days In June but unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this one at all.

I was enjoying it at the beginning but when it skipped back to Ezra’s timeline it felt like I was reading two completely separate books and it read a little clunky for me personally.

Maybe it’s just a taste thing as I know others really loved this story but unfortunately it wasn’t for me in the end!

Pros:
- The characters. I really really liked them. Ricki, Ezra, Tuesday, Ms Della, they were all so well fleshed out. They each felt like their own person, with their quirks and flaws.
- Ricki's obsession with flowers and random wikipedia facts.
- The chemistry. Tia Williams always manages to create these all-consuming love stories where you cannot wait for the MCs to finally get together.
- The Eva and Shawn cameo (Seven Days in June).
- The whole perennial concept was interesting.

Cons:
- It took me a while to get into the story.
- Ricki and Ezra just let the curse happen to them. They're not desperately trying to break it, they just accept that it's going to happen.
- The way everything unfolded at the end was very obvious and way too convinient. Like everything was solved without them actually doing anything.

Having read Seven Days in June, I was very excited to read this and from the start I was interested to see where the story would go. The quitting style suits me and flows nicely however I felt the pace for this story was a bit of a rollercoaster.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much. I was intrigued at the beginning to see how the two stories would link together and really enjoyed the mystery of it all. I never would have predicted the link and loved the twist. The relationships were so good to read, especially between ricki and della. The romance hits hard, in typically tia Williams fashion and I’m here for it!

This book unfortunately didn't really do it for me. I really liked all of the characters, but the writing style made it very hard to read I found. I took me such a long time to get through it and I didn't really get into it at all.

I'm in two minds about this one. I absolutely loved the first half. A Love Song for Ricki Wilde pulled me in from the first page and I was eager to follow along with Rickis story. I also enjoyed the little portraits of Breeze Walker. In the second half, however, the story flattens. Oddities aside, the conclusion to the story felt rushed, predictable and overly cheesy. I felt myself loosing interest, the edges were becoming too soft and I was no longer very invested in our heroes. Nevertheless, still giving 3.5 stars (rounded down).

“Leap years are strange. And because February 29 exists only every four years, it is a rare, charged day. In the old days, back home, folks whispered that it was an enchanted time. When the veil between this world and the other was gossamer thin.”

This book started slow. At 30% I was convinced I got the twist and I was a bit discouraged. The story really picked up around 40%. I wasn’t super into the magical realism twist per se, but I really liked where it lead us in terms of Harlem history, Black history in general and voodoo. The story is sadly hopeful, nostalgic, spiritual, extremely romantic and it fills you up. I was surprised at some point but the rest was a bit predictable but still enjoyable. The love story went a bit fast for my taste but it fits well with the whole fated mates plot. The language and references were quite millenial but it didn’t irk me at all because as a millenial I felt seen is some themes such as grief, belonging and yearning for a quite love, an everyday love.

“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 that I was born to do anything grander than loving her.”

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