I was pissed at everyone around Ezra and Ricki! I was immediately protective of them... had them wrapped up in my safe haven praying Williams didn't break my lil heart. I enjoyed her latest book. I'll admit it's not nearly as beautiful as Seven Days in June but it's still a great story.

Tia Williams is back with another engaging romance filled with dynamic, relatable characters-- and this time, adding an element of magical realism. Seven Days in June was one of my favorite books of 2021, and while I didn't find this one to be quite as strong as her previous effort, she still continues to elevate the genre. In fact, this novel is far more ambitious than Seven Days, as it weaves together two time periods and adds a fantasy element in a way that is somehow wholly believable. Williams perfectly balances contemporary, colloquial language with historical references, lending the book a sort of timelessness. I love that she gives her characters strong, unique voices, so that we are able to see the world through their distinct points of view. Williams is in a league of her own, even though she's not doing anything that feels inaccessible-- and actually, it's quite the opposite. Her characters feel like your friends, coming alive off the page. She's just a damn good writer and I will read anything the woman releases.

This is an auto buy author for me as I love her work and can we talk about this cover. The chemistry between Ricki and Ezra is amazing and i enjoyed the growth of the two characters while reading. definitely recommend.

I'm a bit of a Tia Williams stan, so when I got a random email from NetGalley offering “Read Now” access to her upcoming book, you bet I jumped on that chance, even in the middle of a work Zoom call.

“Leap years are strange. And because February 29 exists only every four years, it is a rare, charged day. In the old days, back home, folks whispered that it was an enchanted time. When the veil between this world and the other was gossamer thin.”

Ricki Wilde was born into a wealthy Black family in Atlanta, with her father being the famed owner of a nationwide chain of funeral homes. And while her future is laid out for her–following in the footsteps of her three older sisters and taking over her own franchise, not to mention tapping into a trust fund–Ricki isn’t interested in this path. Instead, her creative, impulsive, and rebellious nature causes significant friction between her and her family.

When she announces her dream of opening a flower shop, her ambitions are ridiculed by her family. So she quits her receptionist job at one of the family funeral parlors and decides to make her own way. But a chance encounter with a nonagenarian widow, Ms. Della, opens up an unexpected opportunity.

Ricki takes Ms. Della’s offer to move into the ground-floor apartment of her Harlem brownstone, and opens her floral boutique, Wilde Things, in the storefront portion of the space. Ricki is mesmerized by Harlem, and is fascinated by the history that existed in that neighborhood, particularly during the Harlem Renaissance.

Owning her own shop Is exhausting work, but for the first time in her life, Ricki is following her dreams without her family’s criticism. And in Ms. Della, she finds a surrogate grandmother, who recognizes Ricki’s need for love and encouragement.

One February night, she is drawn by the scent of night-blooming jasmine in a nearby community garden. She knows it is not the season for jasmine to bloom, but she cannot resist. And then she encounters a handsome, mysterious stranger who upends her world.

I’m going to leave the plot description fairly vague, although once you start reading, everything becomes clear fairly quickly. Suffice it to say that Williams imbues her upcoming book not only with steamy romance, but also lots of history of the Harlem Renaissance, and some magical realism.

This wasn’t my favorite Williams book–that honor still goes to Seven Days in June–but I’m always captivated by her storytelling. I felt like the pacing dragged a bit here, but I enjoyed all of the characters except for Ricki’s family, who were fairly one-dimensional. (But Ms. Della was absolutely fascinating.)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this advance copy. The book will publish February 6, 2024.

I absolutely loved this gorgeous, gorgeous book. The whole vibe was stunning, and from the very first chapter I felt hooked. The vintage, thrift store loving protagonist, with a spunky attitude, her head in the clouds, a vibrant aesthetic with a love for flowers and nature, and a propensity for over sharing and social anxiety felt like she was written to be my twin. This super endearing character led the way, but the supporting cast were just as exceptional and had me laughing and crying throughout the entire story.

I know the title of this book is A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, but this beautiful, cinematic novel is a true love song for Harlem, and jazz, and black culture, and it absolutely soars. I loved every single page. I absolutely see this being turned into a movie, but the book itself is one that I could read again and again because of how easily it translates visually in the brain. I true testament to Williams' writing style. I cannot tell you what captured my attention initially to make me want to read this when it crossed my path - this is not at all my genre - I don't like feel good books, I tend towards dark, stormy plots with unlikeable and unreliable narrators - but I'm so, so very glad that I gave this book a chance. It had me feeling all sorts of warm and fuzzy in ways I didn't even know that I needed. My only critique is barely such - in that it's the kind of book where you know exactly what's going on and how it's going to play out, but it doesn't matter because it's so fun and moving that you're in it for the ride.

Absolutely recommend. I've already pre-ordered this book to add to read again and add to my collection when it gets published!

I read through this book so fast it was almost alarming!!! Sometimes you just know a novel is going to be life changing and this one was! The plot was beautiful, the characters were honest and real, and I absolutely couldn’t stop laughing and swooning equally in this book!!! I rarely “highlight” in books or annotate, but in this case I wanted to remember all the wonderful and sometimes quippy passages forever! Can’t wait to get a hard copy when this publishes in February!!

Tia Williams just knows how to craft a spectacularly deep, thoughtful, and fun novel, ALWAYS!! 5⭐️

I was so excited to read this book after Seven Days In June quickly becoming a favorite! I loved the supernatural elements of the book though the flashbacks was confusing at first. I couldn’t catch on if the main character was a descendent or the actual character. I also would have liked more background on the demise of Ricki’s relationship with her family besides the anecdotes here and there.

At the end of the book, I also would have liked an update on where her relationship with her parents and sisters stood.

Overall, it was great as expected but could have given just a little more.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing this advanced reader's copy.

I was really excited to see this available as an ARC on NetGalley given Tia Williams' success with "The Perfect Find" and "Seven Days in June." The description and title seemed right up my alley and I couldn't wait to read it in 2024. I immediately loved the dialogue and banter Ricki had with her family and the flower puns were really funny. Ricki's relationships were really interesting, but I realized a third of the way through, it still did not feel like a romance novel to me. I was excited to see some elements of magical realism, but overall this book (particularly the writing style) was not really for me.

Ricki has always been the black sheep of her family. Never dating the right person or doing the right thing with her career. When an elderly lady Della invites her to open her flower shop in her brownstone in NYC, Ricki feels compelled to say yes. Then one night she happens upon a mysterious stranger who she’s drawn to so deeply, it turns her world upside down.

WOW!! This book was so good. I loved Seven Days in June so I had high hopes going in and this did not disappoint. I instantly liked Ricki-she’s such a lovable main character and so easy to root for. The supporting characters were also so lovable and well developed. I mean how can you not love Ezra, Della, and Tuesday? (Side note I would love a book with Tuesday as the main character). Highly recommend this book!

Ricki Wilde leaves her overbearing, unaccepting family for Harlem, where she intends to pursue her dreams. A chance encounter leaves her shaken and changes her life. Magical realism and strong characters abound.

I absolutely loved “Seven Days in June” so I knew I had to pick this one up as well. Also, the cover is stunning!

Our main character Ricki Wilde is a powerful artistic main character wishing to follow her own dreams. She relocated to Harlem to open a flower shop. I don’t know why, but the fact that it was to open a flower shop really brightened my day.

In this new setting, Ricki meets a mysterious stranger who changes her in unexpected ways (not in a bad way). It’s a beautiful love story with a lot of depth. This book definitely pays homage to Harlem’s history which I didn’t know a ton about prior to reading this book.

While I did enjoy this book, I have to say “Seven Days in June” was perhaps more my cup of tea.

Boy oh boy, can Tia Williams write a book! A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was hilarious, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and honestly... just so very lovely.

While this story was very different from Seven Days in June, the prose was just as beautiful. I went into this book totally blind and I'm glad I did because some of the details might have been a turn off for me personally. Although, I read the synopsis after finishing and I don't think it gives much away!

Around 60% in we start to figure out what's going on with Ezra and the insta-love makes much more sense. While I personally wasn't a huge fan of the direction things went (I'm intentionally being VERY vague here), I was so enamored with literally every other detail of this book that the main plot point took a back seat for me.

The characters are all absolutely incredible. I couldn't get enough of former child star, Tuesday, and sassy Miss Della. When Ricki referred to her three sisters as "T-Boz, Chilli, and Left Eye" I almost cried from laughing so hard. Also, I absolutely loved the cameo from Eva Mercy.

All in all, if anyone else had written this book I probably wouldn't have finished it. But Tia Williams writes it and I'm going to be gushing about it for a very long time.

Great Author, Great Story, Loved it more than her others. A great book for a lazy weekend afternoon for an escape. Thanks

Thank you for providing a digital ARC of this amazing novel! I will be including it in my upcoming “Books I Can’t Wait to Get on My Shelf: 2024 Edition” blog post. It will be promoted across my social media platforms, including Good Reads. Below are the reviews I’ll be sharing on GoodReads, as well as Amazon once the option is available:


"A Love Song for Ricki Wilde


I devoured this book in two days! Ricki Wilde is a fun, quirky, creative, and authentic character. The opening does a great job of developing her character and presenting her conflict. When she met Ezra, I was already invested in seeing where life would take Ricki. Tia Williams centers Harlem in the plot, which adds to the overall texture of the storyline, allowing the plot to weave between modern-day Harlem and the Renaissance. There were several plot twists that I never saw coming, but loved how it all resolved in the end. I needed a good Black romance that’s easy on the nervous system and heavy on the romance, and A Love Song for Ricki Wilde understood the assignment! Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the digital arc. "

Gosh I love Tia Williams's writing. I get so pulled into the story and this one was wonderful! The magical element kinda threw me off a little but overall I enjoyed the way this story was told. It was fill with so much love and passion! I had a good time.

What a ride!
I didn’t know what to expect from this book. I expected to like it, though—even if it took me a second to get into it like with The Perfect Find. However, when Ricki greeted her sisters as T-Boz, Left Eye and Chilli I was SOLD. I knew I was gonna love Ricki even if she got on my nerves at times—as she did. This book is something I didn’t even think could be a thing outside of say maybe Tananarive Due or Octavia Butler—the blending of the perfectly normal and the paranormal in a way that you make make sense in your brain even if it doesn’t. It happened here, though, and I’d have loved to read more of it. This book was thoughtful, riotously funny, historical and romantic—in all of the perfect amounts. It was wild ride I’m glad I took, and will usher others to hop on it as well.

Overall, I found this to be a good read. The main storyline was nice, but something was missing in terms of the development of the characters, their relationship and this world of “Perennials.” It’s like all the pieces are there but they aren’t fully connected. A big issue for me was with the pacing. It took longer to get into the story than I would have liked and then it seemed to speed by very quickly. I like the details about the time period but there were so many, and it seemed to slow things down. Things felt rushed once the lead characters were introduced. I almost DNF, but the premise was interesting to me, so I pushed through. I had trouble connecting with the characters. Except for the main characters, they seemed to be inserted here and there to keep things moving along, no real connection to the story or each other. I wasn’t a fan of the chapter headings with the dates, possibly because I’m not used to seeing them that way. I enjoyed the moving back and forth through the time period the connection with Ms. Della and her mother. I would try other works by the author, but in terms of lasting impact the book was just ok for me.

This book was right on time. Tia Williams is officially an auto buy author for me. What a pleasant surprise this book was. I flew through this read.

This book made me believe in magic and myself. Not just because of the themes, but because somehow, mysteriously, this novel includes all the obscure, niche things that interest me most - Hoodoo, Black music across time, plants, Stevie Wonder, jasmine flowers, generational healing, honestly the list could go on but I won't as to not give too much away. But I just so appreciate how the themes of death and self-discovery were explored. A quote that hit especially hard for me at this stage in my life - "She wondered if she'd ever move past the need to prove to the world (and herself) that she was good enough." I also appreciate how mental health was discussed.

I loved every character we met in this novel, side characters included. The story was woven together so beautifully. It was rich with humor and personality to balance so much heaviness, especially considering Ezra's origin story. I definitely shed a few tears. My only tongue-in-cheek critique for the MCs, is what was y'all doing at that Wi****'s house? Y'all was just asking for it at that point. This was another beautiful work of art from Williams and I can't wait for my hardcover.

Full disclosure, as soon as I saw Tia Williams had a new book coming, it was automatically on my TBR list. When I was offered the opportunity to read the ARC (thanks to NetGalley), I immediately downloaded the title. This book….let me take a moment to sigh with my hand on my heart…was pure enjoyment from start to finish. It is chocked full of witty humor, 1920s Harlem references, mysticism, and romance (with some spicy sexual encounters of course). I love when books make you feel all the “feels” and this title did just that. The only thing missing is being able to hear the actual Love Song for Ricki Wilde. 💔

Tia Williams' "A Love Song for Ricki Wilde" is an absolute delight, a harmonious blend of romance, music, and self-discovery that hits all the right notes. The story follows Ricki Wilde, a brilliant music journalist with a sharp wit and a love for classic R&B, as she navigates the complexities of her career and her heart. Williams infuses the narrative with a refreshing authenticity, making Ricki a relatable and fiercely independent protagonist whose journey to finding love and rekindling her passion for music is both inspiring and heartwarming. The chemistry between Ricki and her swoon-worthy love interest is electric, and their banter is a joy to behold. Beyond the romance, the novel explores themes of self-acceptance, resilience, and the healing power of music, all while paying homage to the timeless melodies that make the heart sing. Williams' prose is as smooth as a soulful ballad, making "A Love Song for Ricki Wilde" a soul-stirring and unforgettable read for anyone who believes in the transformative magic of love and music.