The start of the novel read a little scattered to me, but finished strong after I found the second half of the book to be extremely propulsive. I usually enjoy a gradual reveal, but this time, the book took off once the plotline was completely revealed.

There was a lot to love:
*The atmospheric setting of Harlem both current-day and during 1920s - Harlem is truly a character in the book
*The creative use of leap year 2024
*How Ricki imaginatively used floral arrangements to honor Harlem's rich history.
* Ms. Della

Many thanks to #GrandCentralPub and #NetGalley in providing me this eARC in exchange for my honest review. I was very happy to read it.

This was the cat's meow and if you know you know! We have romance, historical fiction, The Harlem Renaissance, some voodoo and a whole lot of MAGIC. I cannot express how much I loved this book. Tia Williams is hilarious! I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud. I'm pretty sure I even dropped a tear or two. Tia's writing was engaging and lyrical you can tell she put in the work with her research and think this was executed so well. I was completely blindsided with a plot twist that lead to an audible GASP. Even when I figured out where the story was headed (which wasn't until nearly the end) it didn't soften the blow. Told over two timelines present day and the roaring twenties in Harlem A Love Song for Ricki Wilde grabbed a hold of me and will always have a special place in my heart. This is a book I could read again and again. I can hardly wait for a physical copy so I can transfer my notes from my e-reader!!

Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for my ARC. These thoughts are my own.

4 stars

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a softly magical love letter to Harlem, found family, and the intangible yet inevitable nature of love. The humor, heart, and angst that characterized Williams' breakout hit Seven Days in June is back in full force, leading me to laugh out loud and shed tears in equal measure. I couldn't help but fall in love with the character of Ricki, a young millennial just trying to carve out a corner of life for herself and the descriptions of her flower shop were so vivid that it made me want to book a trip to New York this spring.

I will say that some of the tropes in this book are not ones that really do it for me and I found some of the twists a bit predictable, but Williams' authorial voice is just so intoxicating that I found myself swept away with her latest love song.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

The artistic, free spirit daughter from a wealthy family moves to Harlem to follow her dream of opening a flower shop. She meets and is instantly drawn to a mysterious musician who has a secret that could doom their relationship before it even starts. There’s a touch of magical realism, fantastic side characters (obsessed with her grandmother figure Ms. Della) and the romance is swoony and spicy without bringing the ick. I really loved this.

Ricki is the family outcast. She's never been able to measure up to her successful but emotionally unavailable family. She is a misunderstood, free spirit.

Ricki feels that her life needs a change. So she sets her sites on Harlem

I am happy I went into this story blind. The story was a fantastical ode to Harlem old and anew..

It took the story quite a while to get to the full picture. I was unsure where the story was leading me to.

I did enjoy the dual timeline. I enjoyed the love and found-family aspects of this book.

I would recommend it to anyone who wants to go on a fantastical, journey of self discovery and love.

I’ll be honest, this was almost a DNF. It took a while for me to get into the plot. I think what kept me invested were the historical details of Harlem and I loved Ricki’s flower shop, Wilde Things and how she was creating bouquets and leaving them at historic locations.

Once Ricki and Ezra started having their encounters I was curious to see where the plot was going. I enjoyed the side characters, Ms. Della and Tuesday. I was also very interested in Ezra’s backstory. Ricki’s family was trash though.

While I did enjoy the writing, overall the book was just ok. I will continue to read more books from this author though.

Part historical fiction, part fantasy, and full romance, Ricki Wilde is a duo timeline story celebrating the art and music of Harlem. It is about Ricki, a girl born of privilege and money, albeit some family drama and neglect. She wants to make a name for herself outside of her family’s legacy, so when she is presented with a business deal to randomly move to Harlem to build her very own flower shop, she jumps at the chance. But alas, nothing is random, including the building she rents, the grandmother she adopts, and the gorgeous mysterious pianist she is so drawn to.

My favorite parts are the descriptions of Harlem in the duo timelines, during the Harlem Renaissance and current day with its nightlife as well as gentrification. The reader can really get the sense of the hustle and bustle of the city, and how it’s really changed and morphed since its high days.

In William’s manner, the romance is nuanced, and many parts of the dialogue were punchy and clever. The two had fantastic chemistry. When it got hot, it got really hot.

My criticism about this book is that Williams included too fantastical elements and takes the reader on a ride that isn’t exactly believable or sensible. I wanted it to be more historical fiction because dangit, the Harlem portions were so well-done.

It's been a while since I've read something that felt really fresh and new, but man did A Love Song for Ricki Wilde blow me away. It had all the elements of a really swoony, heartfelt romance, with the spark of the magical element, the rich historical passages, and oh my goodness the humor! I was laughing out loud so much while reading this. Ricki was so funny, and I loved rooting for her throughout her journey. And Ezra! Oh man, Ezra was a dream. To say nothing of Ms. Della, who brought so much life to the story. And Tuesday! Man, not a false note in this book. I couldn't put it down.

What an amazing story! This was my first by Tia Williams, but it certainly won't be my last. This is a lush, magical novel, with parts set in present-day Harlem and the Harlem Renaissance. It's an ode to NYC, love and romance, and creativity in all its forms. With wonderful supporting characters and beautiful scenery, this is a work of art. Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advance digital copy!

Tia Williams has done it again! An unforgettable romance with a little magic thrown in. Ricki Wilde is a protagonist that I won’t forget anytime soon. The love story that Tia has created is one that I haven’t read before. It made this book hard to put down. I could rave about this book for DAYS! Go read it y’all! 5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tia Willams has a gift for writing lush, beautiful love stories; her latest is no different. Ricki Wilde is the youngest daughter of a prominent family she desperately wants to escape and impress. Ezra Walker is a talented musician whose life has taken away his passion for music. When the two meet, they have an instant, undeniable connection.

A Love Song for Rickie Wilde, is about all else, a fairytale. Complete with love at first sight, evil curses, and a fairy godmother all told against the backdrop of modern Harlem and its history. I wasn’t expecting the magical elements of this story and it took me a minute to recalibrate. But Williams imbues her characters with so much life and complexity, I fell back in step quickly.

Thank you @grandcentralpub @netgalley for a copy of this. Ricki is the black sheep of the family because she does not want to be involved in the funeral business and moves to NYC to start a floral business. Her landlord, Ms. Della provides her cheap rent and a place to stay in exchange for her company. Moving to a new city, she keeps running into Ezra who is a bit odd but there's a strong attraction between them.

I love how the story goes back in time when Harlem was vibrant and full of jazz music. You learn a little about this history of Harlem while seeing Ezra and Ricki's relationship blossom. The story is so beautiful with found family and love. There is an element of magical realism with was so well weaved into the story.

Rating: 4.75/5

Thank you Tia Williams and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC of this moving story via NetGalley!

This is a book for the ones who are lost and waiting to be found. The ones in the shadows waiting to shine. Bc like Ricki and Ezra, when you find the right people, your life will always be bathed in light.

Does anyone have a broom? Bc I need to sweep Ricki's family right out the door. They were annoyingly dismissive of her goals and existed only to convince Ricki she was a failure who reflected poorly on them. 🙄 Luckily, Ricki found real family in Ms. Della who *actually* helped her pursue her dream. I loved the dynamic between these two and I loved how much Ms. Della believed in Ricki. Bc we all know a little support goes a long way!

I truly admired Ricki's tenacity. Her dream, unfortunately, didn't bloom the way she had hoped. It withered at times but, while discouraged, she didn't give up. She kept watering and nurturing it, pivoting to find ways to give it a better chance. Eventually it budded with opportunities that would help grow her flower shop into the vision she had imagined all along. And yes, all those flower refs were absolutely necessary. 😁🌷

Now say hello to Ezra. Done? Great. Bc that's all I'm going to say about him. I know, I know BUT one of the compelling aspects of this book is the mystery that shrouded him. The intrigue is worth preserving and to tell you anything more would be robbing you of that magic. So I will leave you with this. You will experience the Harlem of the past *and* of the present (LOVE the dual timeline) and that means the whole spectrum. From the dirt-stained corners to the blinding spotlight. And the chemistry and tension born from the unknowing? Oof. Trust me, it'll be worth your time.

CN: open-door romance, toxic family, suicide (secondary character), illness (mental and physical)

I read Seven Days in June by Tia Williams and enjoyed it so I had good expectations going into this book. I'd say my expectation were met and exceeded. Romance novels have felt very monotonous and unenjoyable to me lately, but this one was very good. I liked how Ricki had relationships with people other than her love interest, which I feel a lot of romance novels are lacking. All the characters, whether main or secondary, felt very well rounded and realistic, rather than just being caricatures and only showing up to move the story forward.

The whole time reading, I was very interested in the character's individual journey and growth as well as their journey together. The story had good and believable pacing. I liked guessing what was going on and reading the flashbacks.

I liked this book more than Seven Days in June and am excited for it to come out and see what everyone else thinks and has to say about it. This was really good and I'm glad I got the opportunity to read it.

This is a gem of a love story. Do yourself a favor and go in as unaware as possible - I thought the way Tia Williams crafted the story was so well done. The chemistry between Ricki and Ezra was GREAT and I loved the cast of characters Williams crafted around them.

This took me a bit to get into, but once I did the pages flew by. And for those of us that read Seven Days in June - you'll LOVE the cameo from Eva and Shane.

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

I came in reading A Love Song for Rick Wilde knowing that Tia Williams is a major popular writer and beyond popular author and left understanding why. Now I'm doing this review a few days after I finished my first ever book I've read by her and I have yet to let go of the beauty , sacrifice and general magic of this story. Ricki Wilde's life is similar to how so many youngest black daughters get in traditional families, and I resonated with her in that regard. But she is brave and that makes everything in this love story with her found family and love story epic and of course whimsical when it comes together why these major changes happen. I think what I missed to give this five stars though was the general plot twist of the dark magic used against both main characters. That and the fact its never reconciled how the bad person was not the one who did the curse but those who made that a crutch until driven to become someone bad in other peoples stories.

Anyways this was definitely a strong ARC to start 2024 out with despite the minimal downside. I appreciate Grand Central Publishing for giving me the chance to read this amazing black love story. It had so much layers in here with the history and modern day culture that I couldn't stop being so content with it.

No spoilers from me! Unusual thing to say about a romance but had I known the secret, I might well have passed this by and that would have been a huge mistake because this is a heartfelt, emotional, implausible, yet lovely read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Moving back and forth in time between the present and 1920s Harlem it's the story of Ricki and Ezra. She's left her domineering family behind in Atlanta to fulfill her dream of being a florist. Ezra left South Carolina after his family was lynched to play the piano in all the Harlem high and low spots. Ricki is lucky to have found Della, a 97 year old woman who owns the Harlem home and rents her shop and living space. She's also lucky to have been found by Tuesday, a former child star who is a hoot. And then she meets a mysterious man in a community garden. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Williams drops lots of hints before the big reveal but oh this is joyous. No. more from me- just read it.

I absolutely loved Seven Days In June but I am so disappointed to say I did not love this one. I loved the 2024 timeline but for whatever reason skimmed through the 1928 timeline. I was not a fan of the connection between the two and the genre bending. All that to say, the writing is beautiful and this is a case of it’s me, not the book.

This was absolutely unhinged, in a great way!! I had no idea what to expect (went in blind but knew I needed to read it) and it was so fun. I felt like I saw a lot of the reveals coming, but that didn't bother me because I loved the characters and writing so much. This was a spin on magical realism that was new for me and I enjoyed it so much. Richard Wilde forever!

Ricki is a young black woman who moves to Harlem to follow her dreams of owning a flower shop. She specializes in exotic flowers and designing and is trying to make her mark on the world outside of her family's status. She runs into a young man named Ezra who is very mysterious and flips her world off its axis.

I will read anything and everything written by Tia Williams. This book was beautiful in so many ways. The writing, the characters, the storyline, the love story... I am in awe. Tia's writing creates a wonderful experience for me as a reader because I am able to visualize everything. It feels like I am watching a movie, or able to follow along with my own pictures in my mind. We are immersed into a story that highlights the Harlem Renaissance and old New York that has pieces of romance, mystery, suspense, and magic. I do not want to give too much away, because this is definitely a book that you want to go into with nothing being spoiled. I highly recommend you read this book!