Tia Williams creates the most endearing love stories. Seven Days in June is one of my favorite five star books and I'll read anything she writes. She has a special way of instantly pulling me in with her well developed characters and her storytelling.

In this novel, Ricki Wilde is the youngest of 4 daughters from a wealthy family. Instead of joining in the family business and following the plan set in front of her, she yearns to open a business of her own. When a chance meeting with an elderly woman from Harlem grants Ricki the chance to follow her dreams.

Ricki follows her heart and moves to Harlem to start up her business, but ends up discovering an instant attraction toward a stranger who she can't seem to avoid no matter how hard she tries.

The story started off really strong for me but then began to fall flat and felt harder and harder for me to want to pick up for some reason. While this book wasn't quite the one I was hoping it would be, it was creative and the inclusion of the Harlem Renaissance and Black history was great.

I ended up enjoying this book a lot. Starting out, I had a little bit of a hard time with it, but I’m glad I persevered. It turned out to be a great book. The relationship between Ricki and Ezra was the main plot of the book, and it was great. I enjoyed how Ricki went out on her own instead of following in the footsteps of her family. I could not stand her sisters, they were horrid people, but very well written.
I was pleasantly surprised to find Eva and Shane, from Seven days in June, make an appearance in this book.
In all, this was a great story.

Leap years feel like magic, and this highly anticipated love story did not disappoint on the hype or the magic.

Ricki Wilde, of the Atlanta Wilde funeral home dynasty, is anything but a traditional Wilde, and when she gets the chance to move to Harlem and start her own flower shop, there is nothing that will stop her. Steeped in rich history of the renaissance, Ricki finds herself blossoming into the person she was meant to be and setting down roots in magical ways. When she encounters a mysterious stranger, her world is shaken in ways that she did not see coming.

I had never read a book by the author and am now adding her others to my TBR. She has created such a unique, magical world full of swoony romance and lush imagery that has left me lusting after Wilde Things creations and piano-playing hotties. This was perfection and I am jealous of all who get to read it for the first time. It’s my first five-star read of the year and I couldn’t be happier.

Thank you to Tia Williams, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of the book for an honest review.

Flowers, love, magic, and a dash of historical fiction make up A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. I think it's best going into this book with as little knowledge as possible. Hence my super short review.

If you're expecting another Seven Days in June with steamy scenes, this is not it. I loved it just as much as Seven Days in June and I'm glad they weren't exact replicas. Don't get me wrong there are a few sexy scenes in Ricki Wilde, but it's so much more than that. I loved Tuesday and Ms. Della as much as Ricki and Ezra. For me it was a slightly slower reading experience because I wanted to savor the writing and atmosphere of the novel.

I hope you'll give this book a chance when it comes out on February 2, 2024.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Infinite stars!!
This was stunning and so romantic in all the best ways. It was the perfect story of Black love and Black history. I feel like this book was written for my soul. I had a hard time figuring out what was fictional because it felt so ALIVE. The magical realism elements were written so well; just barely unbelievable. There were jaw dropping moments and the plot twist were so obvious that I didn’t see them coming because I was so absorbed into the story. The book’s little not to Seven Days In June brought tears to my eyes.

This book is phenomenal! I couldn't put it down! Set in Harlem during leap year. I was enchanted by this spellbinding book. I think this is her best book to date. 6 out of 5 stars if I could. This is the book for spring!
I just reviewed A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams. #ALoveSongforRickiWilde #NetGalley
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Centers around Ricki Wilde the 4th and youngest of the Wilde sisters born into a powerful Atlanta family and the one who goes against the family socialite grain. Wanting to make her own way in the world she moves to New York to open a flower shop and get away from her family expectations. While there she meets a mysterious man, a new friend, and a grandmotherly neighbor who she becomes linked to all against the backdrop of current NYC and the Harlem Renaissance.

This was one of my most anticipated books for 2024 as I loved Seven Days in June but this one felt dissatisfying. I might have had too high of expectations going into it and didn't love the magical realism element to the story that was unexpected. While I liked the premise of the story and loved the Harlem Renaissance parts I wish there was more of the parts that touched on the Harlem Renaissance as I found those parts much more interesting than the modern day love affair. The book read a bit YA to me with some steamy parts thrown in which felt like an unsuccessful effort to make it read more mature.

This would be a good one for those who like fluffier love stories and fans of magical realism.

*4.5

This is such a unique book, I don't think I've really ever read any like it. It had a slow start and was a bit confusing at the beginning. It just took a while to introduce you to the world and how Ricki and Ezra were both fitting in it. Once they actually started interacting and we saw their love story play out, I was in love. The book felt like a bit of a love story to Harlem in both the past and present. There was just so much packed in the book but it all fit so well.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This book is a romance with a magical twist. I enjoyed this book. And look.forward to reading other books by this author. This is a must read for those that enjoy romance, flowers, quirky characters and a great ending. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I blindly followed the hype train into A Love Song for Ricki Wilde and fell into a slow-burned fated soulmate romance with elements of found family that ended with tears down my face.

It was a start-and-stop journey that took time due to the slow pacing in the beginning, but the ending was worth the god awful ugly cry I had. The love Ricki and Ezra held for each other makes me want to believe in soulmates more than I'd like to admit.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.

I enjoyed this story about family drama set during the holiday season. This would be a delightful Christmas read. I could see this as a Hallmark movie.
The characters have biblical names and a glimpse of the personality that might match. The title is also a play on biblical references. The nerd in me loved the historical references. Themes that I noted include: mental health, family love and loyalty and family rivalry (Kardashian style).
There was so much I enjoyed about the book but the writing prevents me from rating this higher. The tension addressed by the family seems unrealistic. The problems and how the characters address them was unbelievable. The conversations seemed disjointed and characters were underdeveloped. I think I understand where the author was trying to go but didn't always enjoy the journey.
Thanks @netgalley for the read.

I felt this book had really strong potential but overall fell flat for me. I was really intrigued by the premise of the summary but found myself disconnected from the plot for the majority of the book. I think the reason was that it felt like two different stories put into one book without a strong enough connection between them. However, I believe a large audience will enjoy A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. I do think Tia Williams is a strong writer and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Whoa! This is the type of books that makes you believe in love stories again! I don't want to reveal too many specifics because you need to read it for yourself. This is honestly my favorite read of the year so far! I had seen so many people write in their reviews how this is going to be the top reads of the year and it definitely is.

Tia Williams is just a magnificent writer and turns a subject like this which you think is completely unbelievable into a couple that you're rooting for the entire time. You will shed tears at the end, there is magical realism involved which I thought I was going to hate and throughout the book as it was happening but omg it was written perfectly.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review as always, all words are my own.

This was soooo unexpected! I've been the biggest Tia Williams fan forever and I was so not expecting a book like this! though it has a bit of voodoo magic, it was such a relatable love story! I adored this - it was so much fun trying to figure out what was going on, and how this story was going to end!

I went into this book fairly blind only knowing that I was a HUGE Tia Williams fan and was fairly confident this would be another win. TLDR: IT WAS!!

Full of a strong cast of main and side characters, this book was more than just a great star-crossed lovers romance, it also had lots of African American history, a mix of fantasy and magical realism, and yes, a swoony love story for the ages.

Great on audio too narrated by Mela Lee and Preston Butler. This book is perfect for fans of The invisible life of Addie LaRue and authors like Alice Hoffman or Ryan Kennedy. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Steam level: open door

I saw Tia Williams and immediately said yes please.
I did not read the description and was so so pleasantly surprised that this was also magical realism.

Ricki Wilde has always been the oddball of her wildly successful funeral home owning family whether it be her choices of partner, schooling or career; it just never was right or enough for them. When she comes to them with her dream of opening a flower shop she finally realizes she needs to gtfo if she is going to succeed. When she is looking for space to open her dreams shop she meets Della a majestic 96 yo who invites her to open her shop on the main level of her brownstone in Harlem. Something about the offer feels magical and fated. Maybe away from her family she can bloom? (All puns intended 😂)

Ughhh I loved this so much. I loved the magical realism bits even if I was a little confused at times. Her being a horticulturalist really spoke to my botany heart. I loved the characters!!! And I want a Della in my life please!

Anyway. Read this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central publishing for an eARC.

After reading Seven Days in June by Tia Williams a couple of years ago, both the book and author were cemented as some of my favorites of all time. So when A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was first announced I was so unbelievably excited to read it. I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy from Netgalley and then I buddy read it with my friend Emma which was a lot of fun.

I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about the plot which made it very interesting. Even after finishing it and reading the synopsis afterward, the synopsis doesn't even do the story justice. I think that's part of the book's charm though.

The setting of both modern-day and Renaissance Harlem was magical. I think that was the standout part of this book. The setting felt like its own character and that is what kept me so hooked into the book.

Unlike Seven Days in June, I wasn't as hooked on A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. It's not that it's a bad book, it's just not as strong and I didn't really care for the main characters. The mystery and intrigue is what pushed me through the book.

I loved Tia Williams’ previous book Seven Days in June, so I was super excited to get approved for A Love Song for Ricki Wilde.

Ricki Wilde is an artistic soul, a young woman who dreams of opening her own flower shop instead of pursing her family’s empire of popular funeral homes. When the regal Ms. Della invites Ricki to take up the bottom floor of her Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the chance chase her dreams, leaving her family in Atlanta and starting a new life. Beneath the surface, the Harlem Renaissance still lives on through the stories of the music and the drama. One evening, she meets the mysterious Ezra, who knocks her world off its axis and plunges her into a romance like she’s never seen. Ezra’s story is not so simple itself though, and it threatens to destroy their story.

I loved the set up of this story, oscillating between the Harlem Renaissance and modern day. I love Ricki’s personality and her story and found myself fully invested in her success. Ezra is also charming, albeit a bit haunted, and I fell head over heels for their story. Even though I felt like it was easy to connect the dots in this story before they revealed themselves, I didn’t care. I was completely swept up in this world.

Tia Williams does a beautiful job painting this world and the final chapter has me in tears! I loved this one! Definitely my first five star read of the year!

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tia Williams did it again! I thought Seven Days in June was the one but this one is the ONE!! I didn’t know how much I needed Ricki Wilde in my life! The way the book is written, it is breathtakingly beautiful. This book is magical, unique, romantic, lyrical and empowering all in one. I laughed, cried and even fell in love with some of the characters (especially Della). I can’t wait for release day so I can add it to my bookshelf!

Absolutely loved this book. Such a beautiful story. I can't wait to read more from this author. I'll be purchasing the hardcover copy of this as well.