This book took me by complete surprise! I was expecting a normal contemporary romance, maybe a bit more literary in nature. But this was in a class all its own. There are so many different layers that come together to make this something special. Set in present day Harlem, the magic of the place is brought to life while also infusing the glamor and lifestyle of the Harlem Renaissance period.

As for the romance, I felt like I was peeking in on two lovely, fully-fleshed people finding their soulmate. Their connection was intense and I bought in to it every second. Which is funny once you know the sort of twist at the heart of this story.

This was so so good.

Sweet slow burn romance in the Harlem Renaissance era. Didn’t hit quite as good as seven days in June for me but still had some great and funny characters! I just found it hard to relate to the story for myself and it made it a little hard to get into.

This story was truly a wonderful balance between great writing, storytelling, characterization, and romance. This plot was so unexpected in the best way. Even though this was a bit of a slow burn, I loved the journey this book took me on and the twists and turns along the way. If you like found family, music, and characters that are just as compelling on their own as they are together, then this is the book for you.

Leap years are a strange, enchanted time. And for some, even a single February can be life-changing. Ricki Wilde has many talents, but being a Wilde isn’t one of them. As the impulsive, artistic daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, she’s the opposite of her famous socialite sisters. Where they’re long-stemmed roses, she’s a dandelion: an adorable bloom that’s actually a weed, born to float wherever the wind blows. In her bones, Ricki knows that somewhere, a different, more exciting life awaits her. When regal nonagenarian, Ms. Della, invites her to rent the bottom floor of her Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the chance for a fresh beginning. She leaves behind her family, wealth, and chaotic romantic decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. And just beneath the surface of her new neighborhood, the music, stories and dazzling drama of the Harlem Renaissance still simmers. One evening in February as the heady, curiously off-season scent of night-blooming jasmine fills the air, Ricki encounters a handsome, deeply mysterious stranger who knocks her world off balance in the most unexpected way. Set against the backdrop of modern Harlem and Renaissance glamour, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a swoon-worthy love story of two passionate artists drawn to the magic, romance, and opportunity of New York, and whose lives are uniquely and irreversibly linked.

I didn't know what I was getting into with this book. I loved Seven Days in June and went into this one blind. This book started off slow for me. I didn't enjoy the family drama with Ricki's family, it wasn't a big enough storyline to warrant that much time on them. I also wish the flashbacks would have just been a prologue. Especially because it only happened a couple of times and then went straight to the modern time for the rest of the book. By 4o% into the story, I needed to know Ezra's secret. I enjoyed seeing other characters' perspectives throughout the story as well. I loved the sub-characters. Mrs Dell and Tuesday were so entertaining and I loved that we got their point of view and perspective on life too. It made them more than just side characters but substantial characters in Ricki and Ezra's story. You do have to suspend some disbelief in this story. There is a bit of magical realism and relies heavily on the fated love romance trope. I enjoyed the magical realism. it wasn't hard to get past. I did have a little bit of a hard time getting into the Insta-love romance plot, but it wasn't cringey and I thought was handled pretty well overall.

Overall I'd give this book a 4.25. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 2/6

This story was the definition of love portrayed in story form . Tia Willams have put something in this book because I could not put it down and I didn't want it to end. This story made my heart smile. Ricki Wilde is the youngest daughter of 4 and her family owns a chain of funeral homes. All the women of the Wilde family are looked at as less than and should do as their father says in order to be successful in life. Ricki doesn't want the life her mother and sisters have. She wants more and she wants it her own way. After a chance encounter , Ricki decides to move to New York to make her own dreams come true on her own. She wants to own her own flower shop and create the perfect bouquets for the right occasion. What Ricki thinks is a walk in the community garden , turns into the day she first say the love of her life. Sounds amazing but there is so much more to this man that Ricki saw in the garden . What is uncovered and told to her will change the course of her life forever. Will Ricki take a chance on a love she's never experienced before or will she walk away before things can become dark. This love story is one I will be reading again. One of the best romance books I've read in my life.


All opinions are honest and my own. Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this e-arc.

First of all, look at the cover. I IMMEDIATELY wanted to read this because, gosh the cover, gorgeous!

The story inside was just as beautiful! I really think this is a read you go into blind. Any details will really spoil it in my opinion. Just know you are in for probably one of your favorite romances of the year! Well a romance mixed with some historical fiction and some magical realism.

AND you’ll meet a Grandma that you love and get to hang out in Harlem, NY which you will also love!

I really am jealous of those that get to read this for the first time!

Thank you @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for the early copy
This one comes out February 6th!

I really liked this story. I felt like the characters were easy to love and I enjoyed the whole premise but I did feel it took just a little too long to figure out what exactly was happening. I loved Ricki and her independence from her family, her friendships, and her overall strong protagonist ways. An enjoyable read with fun twists along the way.

telling you NOW so you can have the perfect reading experience:
read this book right when it comes out 2/6, soft jazz music in the background, no big lights on just small lamps, sipping a flirty fun beverage 🤌✨the story counts down to feb 29th, a leap year which is also THIS year!!

at 10% I was hooked, at 44% I was in love, at 100% I’m but a puddle of admiration

I had tears slowly falling while finishing this sweet book. it has the funniest lines, undeniable chemistry, the sweetest found family relationships all wrapped by the golden invisible string tying this romance + historical fic + magic realism together beautifully.

THIS is the kind of book that makes reading so magical for me🥲

Tia Williams can do no wrong!

The writing in this book was a great mix of funny, serious, and thoughtful. I liked the way the past timeline was woven together with the present day chapters, and getting the background and history on the Harlem Renaissance and learning about it in the context of the story. At the beginning of the book when the past sections are introduced I was a little confused, but it made so much more sense as I kept reading. I was not expecting the twist AT ALL but I loved the direction it took the book.

These two MCs were perfect together. Their chemistry was so good, and the dynamic and banter between them felt effortless and easy. I loved their support of one another, and how they knew what the other needed. Tuesday and Ms. Della provided so much levity and warmth to the story as well, and had me laughing out loud at multiple points. And a shoutout for the small Seven Days in June tie-in🥹

This story really drew me in, and I think fans of Williams’ other work will enjoy this one!

I went into A Love Song for Ricki Wilde blind, and I am pretty glad I did. I didn't know what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much is packed into this story. The most remarkable part of this book, though, is the love letter to the Harlem Renaissance. I am intentionally keeping this review brief so that other readers can go in blind...

Read if you like:
-Slow burn romance
-Harlem Renaissance
-The Seven Year Slip, The Unmaking of June Farrow
-Genre blends
-Meant to be, fated romance

Ooo such a good story! I loved the characters and writing. Big fan of Seven Days in June and also really enjoyed this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Tia Williams!

Thank you NetGalley, Tia Williams, and Grand Central Publishing for this arc of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. Seven Days of June was my #1 book of 2022 and I loved it so I was thrilled to read A Love Song. First, this is my first taste of magical realism and historical fiction is not my first choice of a genre. I really liked the characters and the beginning story of Ricki's journey. However, the pace was very slow for me and I found myself losing interest during the sections that took place in the past. I know the love story was going to be powerful but it didn't land for me. It is still amazing writing and an amazing story being told. I know a lot of people will enjoy this book and I totally would recommend it to others.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book a bit blind. All I knew was that there was magical elements involved in the story. The beginning of the story feels very Cinderella-esque, where Ricki is a looked down upon by her family members for being the odd one out. Her 3 older sisters make fun of her at every turn, and her mother treats her like she is an embarrassment. Only her father gives her his attention and a bit of respect. He also gives her his blessing to depart from the family funeral business to pursue her dream of opening up her own flower shop. She gets the opportunity to move into an apartment in Harlem where she renovates the front as her shop, and her landlord happens to be a wonderful, elderly woman who Ricki has named her adoptive grandmother named Della.

One night, she unexpectedly meets a mysterious guy who turns her world upside down. Just by looking at him, she feels as if she’s known him her entire life. And… while trying to forget each other, they can’t seem to stop running into each other, as if fate wants them to be together. Ricki and Ezra are from two different worlds. There’s no way they can be together… right?

I really enjoyed this story. It’s magical and dark and enthralling and sad and beautiful and romantic. The last half of the book I felt like I was floating from swooning over their story and also stressed for them to figure out a way to be with each other. I feel like I should’ve seen the plot twists and revelations, but I was truly just enjoying myself too much to care.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Ricki and her found family. The story was unique and well written.

Holy cow. This was steamy. Fantastical. Found family. It was amazing. The first few chapters were a bit slow going for me. Don’t let that sway you though. I eventually couldn’t put it down. I adored this book. I also appreciated the nod to the authors own struggles with migraines. I almost missed it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I almost gave up at 40% because I wasn't following what was happening. However, I really enjoyed the first 15% - functional dysfunctional families especially wealthy ones behaving badly is my jam.

I decided to stick it out and I am so glad that I did - at about 50% I really started to get into it. I loved all of the musical knowledge and what was happening in Harlem. I stopped to google so many things.

The relationship between "found family" was beautiful although it was a bit strange how they all came together.

If you are looking for a fun read based on a leap year; pick this one up. It was magical.

This book had a really interesting premise but it just didn't come together for me. The first half of the book felt very random and wandering, and then when the reveal came later, I just couldn't bring myself to really care. Insta-lust is boring to me; "fated lovers" often means there's no development or buy-in to a romance, and that's what happened here. I liked the side characters much more than the main ones, and I also really enjoyed the details of 1920s Harlem in the second timeline. Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a digital review copy.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Publish date is 02.06.24.

Tia Williams knows how to craft story. From the historical aspects that grip at your heart and give you a true understanding of Ezra, to the witches of Eastwick sisters Ricki is forced to contend with, Williams can hook. Aside from Ricki's family, I loved all of the characters in this story. Ricki's found family relationship with Miss Della was so special and sweet and her friendship with Tuesday will make you want to hug your best friend.

I was truly in my heart of hearts rooting for Ricki to succeed; not just so she could shove it in her horrible family's faces, but so she could finally realize her worth. You don't really realize, as you're reading, just how tragic her childhood really was. Yes, she came from a well off family, but she had no support and no one cheering her on; only people waiting for her to fail so they could drop her down another notch. How terrible.

There is a crazy twist in the story that will kind of have you scratching your head. There was no indication anywhere that the book would fall into another genre. I don't want to say more and give the story away, but it was not something I was expecting and it took the story in an entirely different direction. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it.

If you enjoy stories with female lead characters who are trying to find their way in this world, you will be a fan of this book. Ricki's ingenuity, creativity and business savvy are not a main focus, but should not go unnoticed. She truly transforms her dreams into reality and it is a testament to the value of hard work and determination. I loved the Harlem backdrop and snippets of information we get about its past along the way.

Tia Williams single handedly convinced this cold-hearted litfic/nonfiction reader to give romance a try with her best-selling novel, Seven Days in June. SDiJ remains my favorite romance book; it’s the book I most often gift to other readers, regardless of genre preference. So I was ECSTATIC 🤩 to learn of Williams’ latest work, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde.

Ricki is the artistic, independent daughter of a tycoon that never took to the family business. She branches out on her own to realize her dream of opening a flower shop in Harlem and is swept up into the city and a mysterious, handsome pianist.

Two things I think readers will enjoy about this one:
💜 This book is as much a love letter to Harlem and its Renaissance as it is a love story between two people. The glamour✨, the music🎼, the fashion👠, the FLORALS💐🪻🌺… it all added so much beauty to the story.
💜 Williams experiments with a magical element here that works because it deepens the “they are destined for each other” theme.

Two things that have deepened my appreciation for Tia Williams novels:
💜 Her female MCs are complex and interesting enough on their own. I would have read an entire story about gumptious Ricki (or Eva from Seven Days) even without the love story element. To watch main characters you love get their happily-ever-after is that much more rewarding.
💜 I am a sucker for how Williams does the “one true love” trope. The boundaries and “containers” she sets for her stories are reassuring enough for me to suspend all disbelief and get lost in the fantasy of the perfect love story.

And I mean look at that cover 🤩

Read this if:
✔️ You believe in soul mates
✔️ You find leap years fascinating
✔️ You have ties to Harlem

Charmed is the best way to describe my feelings while reading Tia William's latest. I grinned and chuckled like a mad woman reading this. The narrative voice is effervescent and whimsical, like the couple at the center of this book, Rickie Wilde and Ezra Walker. The banter between the characters is A+++ and Williams once again created an ode to NYC, this time in Harlem. I maybe wish the second act, when Rickie and Ezra are actively falling in love was a tad longer, but otherwise no other critiques! The plot, the romance, THE SIDE CHARACTERS immaculate. A perfect leap year book.