This story was truly magical!

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was a truly beautiful, romantic and heartfelt story, an ode to Harlem and its rich history with a touch of magic.

Tia Williams showcased the many ways to love and find love. Ricki went on an amazing journey of finding herself and letting go of all the negative falsehoods that her family had attached to her. She found a friend for life in Tuesday. She received the love and support from a “family member” that she thought she would never receive from Ms. Della. She found an inner love and contentment from being true to herself. Then she found a man that’s been dreaming of her for an eternity, her soulmate.

It was a journey, one I was happy to partake in. I laughed and I cried, best of all I fell in love with Ricki and Ezra’s story. This is another phenomenal release from Tia Williams. I absolutely adore her ability to tell a story that just captures you and doesn’t let you go until that final moment. The epilogue was perfect and I couldn’t have imagined a better ending.

This is my second book by Tia Williams and I think I enjoyed it even more than the first. Emotional, dramatic, and a meant to be type of love.

Historical fiction with alternating timelines and a deep history of Harlem. This story is told from both present day and also the 1920's. I feel like the mix of romance and drama and magic was perfection. 4 stars.

. This book was absolutely beautiful and wow did I ugly cry at the end. Ricki and Ezra are goals and I’m never going to be over their love. The magical realism gave me the same butterflies I got from the seven year slip (and tbh that’s the best feeling) please do yourself a favor and read this book!

“that Blackness wasn’t a concept, an idea for sale. There is no correlation between our value and white people buying in”

Finishing this book while watching the Grammy’s was something. A book that at its heart is about love, grief, not fitting in and being too much, but also is about our societies ability to forget about Black people and Black music. Black folks changed the game in music - jazz, blues, swing, country. Always at the forefront but always last to be recognized. I loved how Tia immerses the reader in Harlem, the Harlem Renaissance and Black excellence, while also reminding you that the very places where Black excellence shone are now condos, Starbucks, parking lots.

This book was so emotional to me. I was on a journey where I truly didn’t think it was going to end happy. You have to go into this book without knowing anything because the joy of trying to figure out wtf is going ok is so fun but also mildly anxiety inducing lol.

Ricki and Ezra were beautiful together. “Promise me that you’ll choose to love each other hard.” Every moment, every word, every touch was gorgeously rendered on the page. You feel everything. And Williams created wonderful side characters: particularly Tuesday (the hilarious best friend everyone wants) and Ms. Della (the spunky old lady everyone wants to be).

This review is a mess because I am a mess. Y’all have to get this book now. And thank you to Grand Central Pub for my digital copy to review.

As with most romance novels I read, in the moment, I found "A Love Song for Ricki Wilde" to be completely enchanting. The Harlem Renaissance vibes were immaculate and I was flipping pages as fast as I could. But with a little distance, I found some parts to be grating. The ridiculousness of the monetization of funeral homes (which may be true, but I hated) and some of the broad strokes to some of the characters. I need to learn to just enjoy the book in the moment and not try to ruin the experience of reading it after. Because while I was reading it, I had such a good time. 3.5/5

A Love Song For Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams is a story about magic, challenging fate, gentrification, and a celebration of Black Harlem.

Richard Wilde Jr. (AKA Ricki) is the black sheep of her family. They own a franchise of funeral homes, and her three older sisters are perfect carbon copies of each other, so when Ricki makes a mistake, all eyes are on her and how she’s an “unserious person.” Ricki’s dream is to open a flower shop and by fate, she meets Ms. Della, who offers Ricki the downstairs apartment in her brownstone in Harlem - it’s just the right space for a fresh start and to launch a business.

But then she keeps running into Ezra Walker, a musician who apologizes when he curses, uses words like “skedaddle” and tells her to get out of Harlem while she still can. He’s certain Ricki will forget him in a month for some reason, but fate and magic keep bringing them together. And once it’s revealed why they’re intertwined, Ricki and Ezra must decide if love is enough to change what’s inevitable.

This is my first Tia Williams book but I will be back for more! I’ll admit the beginning of the story was a bit slow but then it picked up, and there was so much YEARNING! Ezra just wants to be near Ricki although he knows being with her will end in disaster. My favorite parts were Ricki and Ezra standing up to her sisters, the little moments they spent together walking around the city while revealing history about Harlem, and making the most of the time they have. Plus Tuesday! Would love to read a book about her.

Tia Williams has written literary magic, yet again!! I loved everything from Ricki's personality and her love for the creative and unique from Ezra and his rich past. I also adored Ms. Della and Tuesday as well! The story was incredibly well-written and I found myself feeling all the emotions! If you're a fan of 1920's Harlem, floral arrangements, hilarious quips and the power of love this one is truly a read for you! Thank you so much to Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for this digital ARC!

Tia WIlliams writing is so descriptive and immersive. I loved these characters. A truly enchanting and mysterious love story. This story is so unique and different in all the best ways. Dual timelines and I absolutely loved the time spent in the 1920's. Weaving in the rich history of Harlem and Renaissance glamour into Ricki and Ezra's romance was fantastic. I am still in awe.

Ricki is the impulsive and artistic youngest daughter of an Atlanta dynasty. The opposite of her socialite sisters, she yearns to grow outside of their tight bonds, to make her own name. When a chance meeting with the regal,
96-year old Ms. Della leads to an offer to move to Harlem and start her own flower shop in the bottom floor apartment, Ricki jumps at the chance. There, she begins to immerse herself in the music, stories, and drama of her neighborhood's past. This in turn leads to an encounter with a gorgeous and mysterious man; their connection so immediately powerful, it'll threaten to knock them both off their axes.

The way Tia Williams writes is just so gorgeous. Her characters and dialogue are fresh and authentic. Her settings are vivid enough to fully transport you. The connections between the characters are deep and emotional. I will forever be a fan of her work and this was an excellent follow up to Seven Days in June.

The synopsis left me blind enough to be surprised by the paths the story took. I’m also really loving the touch of magical realism that’s starting to appear in more romance novels. It’s a welcome change from the classic love story structure.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!

I don’t remember much about Seven Days in June but I remember liking it, so I was excited to get a copy of this new release and it sure didn’t disappoint!

I went in without any expectations, since I hadn’t heard much about it, and I absolutely loved this book! The romance in this book was emotional and powerful, but this book had much more than just the romance! It was really a genre bender — romance mixed with a little coming-of-age, some historical fiction and some magical realism. It all came together in a way that worked so well!

I loved the story itself and the writing was so compelling. I was sucked into the story right away and I didn’t want to put it down. This is a book I would recommend pretty broadly, since it really had a bit of everything. (Though I will say, there were some very spicy scenes, so do with that what you will 🌶 🔥 ❤️ ). I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for future releases from Williams! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Black romance.
Black history.
Magical love spells.
What more can you ask for?!

First off, the cover of this book immediately drew me in! And seeing that this is set in February 2024 made it feel even more connecting to the book! I love Tia Williams and just knew this would be an instant banger!

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a tale of soulmates destined for love over a span of 100 years. Ricki is the "wild child" in her well-off family & decides to move to Harlem and pursue her passion of opening a flower shop. Ezra "Breeze" Walker is a talented self-taught pianist who pisses off the wrong woman and suffers the consequences.

As the story unfolds, we see how Ricki and Ezra's lives are intertwined and discover the magic of love in a leap year.

What I LOVED:
- Ricki's appreciation of linguistics. I definitely learned some new words that I'll be adding to my vocab.
- This is random, but my family is filled with people who's name starts with an R and one of Ricki's sister's name was Rae! I rarely see my name in books so that was cool. Added points that the family is also from Atlanta like mine!
- The dual timeline really worked well in the elements
- Ms. Della was the BEST! Her list of things she wants to do before she die was cute and funny
- The magical element was just a touch of fantasy but really added the extra shine on the story
- Black history facts about Harlem and prominent figures that we've always heard about! Like cmon, it's Black History Month so I LOVED this element the most!

I'll be recommending this book from now one to EVERYONE! It's legit now my #1 favorite romance!

I tried to read this one, but I couldn’t get into it. I found Ricki to be a spoiled brat and couldn’t get into the storyline at all. This wasn’t for me.

did I expect to bawl my eyes out over this novel? not a chance, but I sure did in the best way possible 🥹 the characters that tia williams crafted in this magical realism romance were unforgettable (no pun intended)!!!

by combining historical fiction with magical realism, tia williams created this gorgeous backdrop of a story in harlem spanning a hundred years, through the good and the ugly of black history. it was beautiful to read about both first-hand in the older timeline and in reflection in present day - and that alone created a sense of magic 💜

I absolutely adored all of the characters in this one - from MCs ricki and ezra, to childhood star best friend tuesday, and to my favorite grandmother della… I’ve never felt so connected so quickly to an entire group of characters before! I just want to give them all a huge hug thanks 🥹

and at the heart of the story, beyond the curses and magic, beyond the history of harlem, was the core of love - choosing who to love fully and wholly. I’m a firm believer of chosen family, rather than being loyal to your blood family who doesn’t respect or love you, and this just affirmed everything!!

I cannot thank netgalley and grand central publishing enough for this beautiful advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: south african pinotage

4.5 stars
I absolutely loved this story. Ricki was so dynamic and you can’t not root for her to succeed. Ricki is not like her sisters and striving to form her own path. I loved Ms Della so much. She was a delight and such a driving force.
The backdrop of Harlem held so much history and magic. I loved this book. It was so good and magical. The connection between the characters was so strong, be it friendship, familial, or romantic.
I loved watching Ricki grow and succeed. Finding her way.

*Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was such a surprising read. I cannot really say much without spoiling the book but let me say that this book has it all.
Ricki moves to New York to start her own flower shop. While trying to connect to the history of Harlem she meets a handsome and mysterious stranger and keeps running into him. Soon, she will find out there is an undeniable connection between them but that might be dangerous.
I loved Ricki; she was such a unique character. I also loved Ezra, Tuesday and Ms. Della. I like learning about the Harlen Renaissance, even though the first chapters about it felts a bit slow.
In all honesty, at the beginning things seemed, disconnected, but soon everything starting to make sense and I was trying (and failing) to avoid gasping in public when I got to THE PART.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading it. It is an intense and passionate love story in Tia William’s pure style (I loved Seven Days in June) that I am sure you will be captivated by.

Unpopular opinion alert 🚨 I loved Seven Days in June and had such high hopes for this one. I went in ready to be dazzled by a magical leap year love story, but sadly it was a flop for me 😔

What worked for me:
- The oh-so-gorgeous cover 💙
- The setting, both in the present and past—I truly felt like I was immersed in 1920s Harlem
- The jazz references 🎶

What didn’t work for me:
- The love story—I just could not take the whole insta-love/lust fated soulmates thing seriously
- Ricki’s struggles of being the black sheep of her wealthy family, because she’s too quirky and different from her farcically terrible sisters
- I feel like the reveal regarding Ezra should’ve come way earlier than the 60% mark. Most of the intrigue and magical feelings I had earlier on had worn off by that point and I was just annoyed. It was all downhill from there.

Like I mentioned, I did love Seven Days in June, so still plan to read Tia Williams in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I love Tia Williams!! This book was so sweet, engaging and different! A bit predictable at times but I still really enjoyed my time with it. I wouldn’t liked a little more storyline with the sisters as well as with Tuesday! Ms. Della was everything! I would recommend this book and feel it is a solid romance that everyone will love. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up

After reading Seven Days in June, I will blindly and enthusiastically read anything Tia Williams writes.

This one's a leap year love story with a little magical realism in which the male main character comes from a different time - Think Ashley Poston's Seven Year Slip, but like, x14.

Takes place in Harlem, NY, between present day and the Harlem Renaissance in the 20's during the prohibition and at the height of jazz.

I am equal parts not surprised at my love for this book and bursting at the seams. Her writing is full of wit and emotion, her characters relatable and quirky. I loved the history of Harlem and music that was SO interconnected with the story, and a fun cameo with Eva and Shane.

I'm going to need Tuesday's book STAT!

This was my first Tia Williams and I get the hype now. In A Love Song for Ricki Wilde she manages to create an epic and magical love story while paying homage to the Harlem Renaissance. Ricki and Ezra’s love was one for the ages and it was so easy to get lost in their story. Williams does a wonderful job of weaving magic into her love story, but we also get a little bit of mystery, found family, and a glimpse into the nightlife and history of the Harlem Renaissance.

I loved the love story between Ricki and Ezra, but I also want to be sure to mention Ricki’s found family. The secondary characters here were great. I loved meeting Tuesday and Della was the kind of honorary grandma we can all dream of having. I wish we had seen a bit more of her backstory, as it sounds like she had quite the life of her own before walking into Ricki’s.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a review copy.

“It’s February of a leap year,” he said. “Nothing makes sense till March.”

Ricki Wilde strikes out on her own to pursue her dream. Leaving behind her overbearing family and their funeral empire, she moves to Harlem and opens a flower boutique. It’s there that she runs into a mysterious and handsome stranger. During this leap year February, the two are pulled together again and again.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a lyrical tale of found family, lost history, fated love, dark curses, and celebrating life’s small wonders. The story is so creative and the writing is so good I almost highlighted the whole damn book. The character of Ricki was my favorite part. She’s so confident in who she is and what she wants but she still has her insecurities and doubts. She worries about letting people see the real her and if she’ll find love, and I think everyone can relate to that.

The magical realism aspect of this story leads to insta love between Ricki and Ezra so while they have lots of chemistry you do miss out oh the wooing bit.

I love the small callback and inclusion of author Eva Mercy from her previous novel Seven Days in June which was just picked up for a Prime series and I think A Love Song for Ricki Wilde would make an excellent movie!

4.5 ⭐️ of 5. Highly recommend for fans of Williams and magical realism lovers.