before actually reading seven days in june i looked through some reviews of it, just to know what exactly i should expect from this book (i’m not a big fan of surprises). thanks to them, i knew that this was not going to be a romantic comedy as i believed it to be at first. still, even with some knowledge about what to expect from this story, i was not prepared to be completely riveted by it.

reading this book was a very emotional experience; heartbreaking and heart-warming at the same time. the story of eva and shane was moving, very complicated, sad and yet hopeful. i felt truly devasted at times, reading about their childhood, about everything that they’ve been through; and then, after the story was coming back to the present times, all i could do was admire those two incredibly strong characters, whose lives were anything but easy, but they didn’t give up. this book also raises a lot of serious, important subjects, such as mental-health problems, alkoholism, drug abuse, suicidal thoughts, hurting yourself and many others.

the romance itself was amazing as well. very well-written relationship, which the reader could see and feel developing through the story. the chemistry between eva and shane, their connection were absolutely terrific. it’s really hard to desribe all the things they made me feel. they were both fanstatic, interesting and complex characters, who i loved and admired as individuals, and completely fell in love with as a couple. they cared, understand and support each other and i can only wish that someday i will have a relationship as theirs, filled with so much love and adoration.

i also really liked how this book spoke about many issues black community has to deal with; white-washing of the characters, for example. sadly, it is something still very common these days and i appreciated having a chance to know a little more about how complicated it may be from the perspective of a black author.

overall, this book was truly remarkable, definitely one of those i am going to remember for a long time and probably come back to one day.

This is the kind of romance that I love: it's clever, full of humor and sharp observation.
I think that the author writes tongue in cheek and I was hooked since the first pages.
I loved how the dual timeline and I loved the two characters, well thought and interesting.
Eva is a strong woman and who faces all the issues related to a chronic illness and pain. She's my favorite and her POVs were my favorite parts of the books.
The author is a talented storyteller and this story made me root for the characters, laugh and think.
I'm not the right person to write about the "sensual" part as I usually skip sex scenes (find them boring most of the times) but I can say I didn't skipped the so I consider it a compliment to the author.
Engrossing, clever and highly entertaining.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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.
Seven Days in June is an intense read. It’s full of emotion and deals with weighty subjects like chronic pain, addiction (and overcoming addiction), family issues, and more. Eva and Shane burned hot and bright during their week together as teens; they were on a path of self-destruction, but they saved each other in a way. As adults, the pair continue to have a magnetic pull to each other, and they have to see if they can overcome their past while trying to figure out if it’s possible to have a future together.
A romance novel for those who don't normally like the genre. Seven Days in June reads more like contemporary fiction with a side of romance. Characters are older, flawed, and just trying to live their best lives. I enjoyed the storyline and it felt genuine and not added in as it can in typical romances. A perfect read for the summer. Sensitive romance readers should note that this is not a clean romance. There is profanity throughout and there are two somewhat steamy scenes that could easily be skipped over if preferred without losing any of the story.
I recommend this book for romance readers, make sure this is on your summer tbr!
Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This was so nearly a 5 star read for me but it just didn’t need the epilogue and in the style of a free arc for an honest review - I scan read the last 20 pages!

Of course that is just by opinion but I would have been wholly satisfied if the ending had left me wondering.
Anyway that’s my only criticism as there is so much to say about this book that deserves praise

I was initially drawn in by the tag line ‘Seven days to fall in love, fifteen years to forget, and seven days to get it all back again...’ and couldn’t wait to start reading Eva and Shane’s chaotic love story.

Tia Williams doesn’t disappoint with a narrative that switches between past and present. The characters feel real, their experiences raw, believable and far from a fairytale. It also delves into some serious topics such as invisible disability, abuse, sexual assault, self harm. I would suggest that the book should come with a possible trigger warning.

Special mention to Audre - Eva’s daughter I loved her!

4/5 stars from me!

Seven Days in June was, to say the least, not what I was expecting. Yes, don’t judge a book by its cover and all, but covers do still set certain expectations of a book, whether you intend it or not. So, looking at this cover, I was expecting a book that verged more on the serious side of contemporary, with some romance.

It was. Not that.

But it also… wasn’t not that. It’s funny, it’s like there was an attempt at making it a more comedic romance (the prologue opens with the main character choking on gum as she masturbates — that’s what I mean by it not being what I expected based on the cover), while also getting heavy at times (the entire background for the second chance romance). I’m not saying that couldn’t have been good! But I’m not convinced the author got the balance right here, or was maybe trying a bit too hard to be funny.

Add onto this the fact that I didn’t really get along with the writing and… well, you can see why I gave it two stars, probably. I can’t really pinpoint what it was — even less now I don’t have it in front of me reading — but it felt a bit removed from the characters, is what I remember. But this, like much of this review, is a personal thing. No one’s gonna have the exact same tastes in writing.

What I did enjoy about it, though, was generally the plot. Maybe less so the nitty gritty aspects, but the overall arcs of the stories, how each character developed. That was good. If I had enjoyed the writing better, I could see myself rating this one a lot higher.

But as it was, I struggled to get through.

Wow this was spectacular. I think I may have found a new favourite author. The story in short is about Eva and Shaun both authors who were childhood sweethearts under tragic circumstances and only lasted for 7 days in June! The book picks up with Eva who has a deadline for her 15th romantic erotica novel but has writers block! I laughed, I cried and then laughed some more. A brilliant read and everything I want in a book!
Trigger warnings for drug abuse, self harm, alcoholism and childhood trauma.

Eva Mercy - bestselling writer of erotica; Shane Hall an award-winning novelist.

They meet at a literary event where their long buried past comes to the fore. Fifteen years previously the had met and had been madly, deeply in love.
What will the outcome of this chance meeting be?

A great story about overcoming your past and being with who you love. Through amazingly fluid writing and a great story line, you get engulfed in the storytelling until the end!

Seven Days in June took me by surprise. The romcom tone of this novel's first pages belies the serious topics and issues it later delves into. Seven Days in June is the kind of read that has you laughing out loud one moment before pulling at your heartstrings next. So on the one hand we have a heart-melting romance and an abundance of hilarious moments, on the other, we have a narrative that explores grief, trauma, addiction, abuse, self-harming, and chronic illness. This could have easily resulted in an uneven blend of romance and tragedy but it is not the case here. Tia Williams flawlessly weaves together moments of lightness and comedic relief with more poignant and sombre scenes.

“They both had their twisted compulsions, different corners of the same hell.”


In Seven Days in June, we are introduced to Eva Mercy, a thirty-something single mom who has authored a paranormal erotica series about vampires and star-crossed lovers. Eva suffers from a chronic illness that often manifests itself through severe migraines that leave her bedridden and unable to move, let alone perform those everyday activities that most people don't have to think twice about. Eva is meant to be writing the next instalment in her series but finds herself wanting to write about the 'cursed' women in her family. Between being pressured by her producer to agree to whitewash her own characters for the film adaptation of her book (here here is a brilliant video essay that discusses white audiences wanting & expecting white actors to play poc characters) and her 'tween' daughter, whom she is really close to, getting in trouble at school Eva is feeling understandably overwhelmed. So when award-winning literary author Shane Hall shows up at a literary event she's taking part in...Eva is less than prepared. More than a decade ago she and Shane spent a passionate love and drug-fueled week together, one that has haunted them ever since. Shane, now a teacher, has been clean for two years. His privacy has lent me an air of mystery in the literary world, and whereas Eva's books are often seen as popular smutty fiction, his books are celebrated as modern classics. Shane wants to make amends for the way things ended between them but Eva isn't keen on getting her heartbroken again.
Despite the years that have passed since their short-lived relationship neither of them has been able to truly 'get over' the other and soon Eva finds herself wanting to believe that Shane has truly changed. In the following days, the two rekindle their love again, causing quite the stir in the literary community.
Eva and Shane's chemistry was off the charts. Not only are they on the same wavelength, but they seem to draw strength from each other's presence. As the days go by they reveal to each other their vulnerabilities, fears, and desires. Interspersed through these 'present' chapters are ones that give us a glimpse of their fated 7 days together back in their teens. We learn how Shane became an addict, the neglect they both experienced, Eva's harmful coping mechanism in response to her chronic pain and home life, and of how the two fell for one another. I loved how Williams is able to show the depth of their feelings for each other without taking away from their individual character arcs.
Williams' writing flows like a dream, and she easily shifts between tones—from a more tongue-in-cheek one to a more melancholic one—and her dialogues can be either 'ah-ah' levels of entertaining to 'give you all the feels' levels of devastating. Eva and Shane are of course the starts of the show and their dynamic was truly wonderful.

“Was this being seen for what she really was? Being witnessed? It was heady and terrifying.”


There were things that detracted from my overall enjoyment of this novel. We have the classic misunderstanding that typically occurs in romance novels around the 80% mark, a tertiary character is sacrificed to amp up the tension between our mains, and the pacing in the final arc is kind of off (we get pages and pages of texting). I also wonder about the 'seven' days premise...I thought we would be getting a day by day narrative but the story often seems to forget to mention how much time has passed between each encounter (i can only remember that there was a party on Saturday).
Still, I think that Williams has written a great romance novel, one that doesn't shrink away from tackling complex subjects. While I'm usually not a fan of steamy sex scenes (i prefer the kind of awkward sex scenes that appear in fleabag) Williams' ones were actually pretty decent, sensual without being corny or icky.

“Eva had been imprisoned in pain for so long, she’d forgotten how good feeling good was.”


Williams' portrayal of self-harming and chronic illness really resonated with me (we have doctors, strangers, and friends dismissing the severity of eva's symptoms, how she notices that the people around her make movements or perform activities she is unable to) and I was so happy that Eva's characterisation doesn't solely revolve around her pain. Shane’s addiction too isn’t there to make him into the classic ‘tortured’ bad boy and we see how he still struggles to adapt to his new ‘clean’ lifestyle.

“What was it like, the luxury of not hurting?”


Eva’s interactions with Audre—her daughter—and her friends filled me with joy and it was refreshing to see non romantic relationships being given so much room in a romance. Audre was such a delightful character and she has some of the best lines If you are looking for an emotionally resonant and nuanced second chance romance, look no further. Brimming with humor and empathy Seven Days in June makes for a swoon-worthy and heart-rendering romance.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn't realised this was quite so rom-com, a genre I'm a bit oversaturated with, but I thought I'd sum up my thoughts in a few bullet points 🌟

Things I enjoyed:
• Eva and Shane, the two lead characters, are entertaining and sympathetic characters to read about - and I loved Eva's daughter Audre!
• it's an engaging, idiosyncratic commercial novel in the vein of Mhairi McFarlane (although not quite as good!)
• the descriptions, details and cultural references of black literary New York were so vivid I felt it was a whole world I just could step into

Things I wasn't as keen on:
• rom-coms are often overly earnest and this was no exception!
•the whole premise is based on the fact that Eva and Shane fell in love over seven days when they were seventeen - and it haunted them for fifteen years. I don't know about you, but this trope REALLY annoys me
• definitely only a me thing, but it makes me so uncomfortable when real living people are used as cameo characters in books
• I'm not always convinced by commercial novels' ability to deal meaningfully with the traumas depicted - in this book, the discussion of racism and the depiction of chronic pain felt very authentic, but not 100% persuaded by the rest

Overall, though, an enjoyable read!

4.5 stars

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams was an incredible romance novel. The story is about Eva and Shane, who fell in love when they were in high school. 15 years later, they meet again and that is where we start the story. Eva and Shane are both successful authors, and they have been writing about one another for over a decade. I will say from the start that I’m not a big fan of second chance romances, however, this book did it so well that the trope actually enhanced the story. The book shows flashbacks to Eva and Shane falling in love and why they were separated in the first place.

I loved Eva as our main character. She’s a single mom and a paranormal erotica author. She suffers from migraines which cause her debilitating pain. I don’t think I’ve read a romance book ever, where the main character suffers from a chronic illness which is discussed as thoroughly as this one. Sometimes she manages the pain, but sometimes she’s limited in ways that not many people understand because of the invisibility of the illness. Shane is seen as a very mysterious lit fic author, but he’s struggling with writing since he got sober.

The love story between Eva and Shane was at times painful to read because both of the characters have gone through so much in their lives, but it was also hopeful, because we can see how far they’ve come from the circumstances of their teen years. The book deals with many issues that are hard-hitting. These were mostly in the flashback scenes because the things Eva and Shane had to go through as teens were very rough, due to Eva trying to manage her pain and her mom being quite neglectful and Shane being an orphan without a stable home.

However, even with the more difficult topics being discussed, I still found a lot of scenes hilarious. The first scene made me giggle because it was so unexpected. Audre, Eva’s daughter brough such lightness into the novel, even though children generally annoy me in adult literature. The spouts of humour and heart-warming scenes were balanced excellently with the more difficult scenes. The only reason I docked a half star is because I would have wanted slightly more from the ending, but it's a minor issue and did not hinder my enjoyment of the book.

I would recommend this to anyone wanting to read a romance that is absolutely brilliant but not a fluffy or romcom type.

Thank you to @quercusbooks for providing me an arc via @netgalley

TW: substance abuse (alcohol and drugs), self-harm, homelessness, institutionalized racism, child neglect, and gun violence

I was a little unsure about this book initially. i felt that i was not the target audience/reader. however, it took a while but i did eventually connect and WOW, the story exploded, the characters became identifiable and i really cared about their past and future.
Three generations of women, each project their insecurities and problems onto the next generation. Lizette, a child pageant queen who went on to one failed relationship after another. Daughter Genevieve/Eva, who changed her name and life after seven days in June. Granddaughter Audre, who wants to become a therapist and save everyone.
Shane, the catalyst, lover, author, drunk, reformer, wronged ,recluse.
There is so much in this book, I wanted to discuss it as soon as I finished it/
The characters reverberate, the story remains.

I love the story, adore the characters of Eva/Shane and really like the commentary both on writing fiction and Black authorship - but despite all the good stuff, there's something about the jerky writing that just didn't gel with me. I wanted more fluency and flow. The flashbacks are so crucial to the plot but feel 'told' and don't really come to life. Huge potential here but somehow this didn't quite come together in the way I wanted despite the gorgeous love story at its heart.

This was a great read. I particularly liked the author’s writing style and the ability they have to magic the scene to life in your brain.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for access to this book early. I enjoyed this lost love romance. The ending was satisfying to me.

I am sad to say that this book and I just didn't hit it off right.
The plot is interesting as are the main characters with their issues and problems and thoughts. But the way all of ir is presented was just not for me.
The writing style is a bit scattered. I constantly had the feeling like the author was typing the book on a mobile phone and the sentences had to be short and punchy. Every sentence was a POW or a BAM in your face. Every interaction between the characters felt more like a chat line in a messenger rather than a part of a face to face conversation.
The other major thing that just didn't sit right with me was the overt and constant use of current news/pop culture.... Just imagine reading this book in 10 years. Will the target reader remember these things? Understand them? I know that each book is a product of their time, but this one felt suffocated by it,
I was sad that this book didn't work for me, but I am sure that there are readers out there who will see beyond these little issues and enjoy this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus books for making this book available to read.
This book can definitely bring out different emotions in the reader. Eva and Shane are the products of a broken society, and the system needs to change (but how, is the age old question). As the story unfolds we see their past, and it's quite nerve-wracking wondering what happened to them as teenagers. Yet when they're together as adults it's wonderful and so full of love that it's exquisite to watch.
The writing about each other? A beautiful touch. Audre and Eva together? So real and lovely to read.
A great story about overcoming your past and being with who you love.

I wasn't expecting this when I started reading Seven Days in June! I thought it would be a light-hearted romance but although it is a beautiful and powerful (and complicated) love story, it also has darker parts.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions, some parts I loved, others a little bit less but all in all, I rooted for Eva and Shane from the first flashback chapter (so much chemistry!). I only wished we had more scenes with Eva's daughter Audre, that little girl rocks!
So many emotions that I can't even write this review properly, I'm still rollercoasting inside :-)

Thank you to the publisher who kindly provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Offered as an open read on NetGalley, this is not my usual choice or genre and is a good example of why that is not always a good thing. Funny and wise, with fully realised characters, this is a wonderfully implausible (in a very good way) read. Recommended.

I enjoyed this book , with thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for this review