I am 100% utterly and completely in love with this story.

I don't even know what else to say. Tia Williams has outdone herself again.

This one will stay with me for a while!

I tried but I couldn't connect with this book at all. I put it down and picked it back up and I still didn't get a connection.

I adore anything written by Tia Williams and this was a beautifully written story. The twist was perfection.

This was my favorite book of 2024! Tia Williams has proven once again why she is an autobuy author for me!

Honestly, when I read that there was magical realism in the book, I was very skeptical of reading it. I’m in no way a fantasy girlie, no matter how much I try. But I lovvveed how the magical realism weaved into the overall plot.

I loved all of the characters in this book. Especially Ricki, she made me feel seen as a quirky black girl. I loved how this book gave us Harlem Renaissance black excellence in the dual timeline. I especially loved the slow sizzling burn romance. I am very much a sucker for a slow burn and Mrs. Williams gets that right each and every time.

Tia Williams broke my heart again with her genre-bending and century-spanning love story for Ricki Wilde and Ezra Walker.
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This novel is beautifully ambitious as it weaves together nuanced strands of complicated family dynamics and weighty expectations, logic-defying romance, gorgeously rich history, and magic into one achingly human tale.
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If you loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue RUN to this book, don’t walk.
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10/10 a billion stars ⭐️

5/5 Stars

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is just as the title describes. We follow Richard Wilde, Jr, Ricki, who is unlike any of her family. Her parents and sisters appear exactly as the socialite family of Atlanta should be and Ricki is everything but what she should be. Described as a dandelion compared to her sister's "long-stemmed roses", Ricki doesn't want to work at the family funeral home. She wants to get out and run a flower shop so she does. As Ricki spends more time away from her family, she begins to grow more comfortable with herself and discover exactly what she wants in life.

This was such an unusual, genre-bending romance and I had the best time reading it! To be honest, the romance was there, but it wasn't earth shattering and I think that makes sense. With so many genres in the book, something had to give. Honestly, my favorite thing about this book was watching Ricki become more comfortable with who she is and how she exists in this world.

I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for something different in the romance space. Check your trigger warnings and be prepared for the emotional wreck you may be while reading this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

This is a beautiful and immersive story that pulled at my heart strings. Not only did it include a timeless romance, but the friendships that Ricki formed were wonderful.

Riki was the star of this story, and I really liked her arc, which involved the challenges she faced with the dynamics in her family.

Williams is a talented author who writes a love story like you have never seen before. I highly recommend this book and her novel, Seven Days in June.

4.5✨'s

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the opportunity to respond to this book with my honest opinions.

Sweet time travel-ish love story set in Harlem during the 1920s and 2020s. This was one of those for me where you kind of just have to let yourself get swept along - don’t think too hard about it, don’t worry about it if you’re pretty sure you know what happens next, just go with it!

It felt fairly predictable and a little over-the-top to my jaded brain, but honestly, so be it - the Harlem setting in both centuries was a pleasure to visualize, and the characters were spirited and fun.

I was such a huge fan of Seven Days in June and those characters are still imprinted on my heart. I was very excited for Williams's follow up, A Love Song For Ricki Wilde, and I could see the appeal for some readers, but unfortunately, that reader isn't me. I had a hard time buying the set up- why did this woman give her apt away so swiftly? And I am generally not a fan of magical realism. I knew it would be a part of it going in but I still tried with the hopes I could suspend disbelief, but in this case, I could not. I'll still try this author's books, so long as they're firmly set in today's world (personal preference).

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC! Tia Williams is a masterful writer of love, connection, and romance and this book is no different. I found the magical realism to be a welcome addition to this story and the historical context on Harlem and Black culture was interesting. Great read!

Tia Williams can do no wrong in my book! I absolutely loved SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE when I first read it, so I was very excited to pick up A LOVE SONG FOR RICKI WILDE...and it did not disappoint in the slightest! Packed with the same gorgeous prose and emotional arcs as SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE, this is not a book you'll want yo miss!

I loved the genre-mixing in this book -- it's definitely a romance but add in some magical realism/fantasy as well. Main character Ricki Wilde is forging her own path in Harlem, opening a flower shop and breaking away from her family expectations. There's flashbacks in time to the Harlem Renaissance, and also the Harlem of today. I liked the found family element in Ricki's neighbor Della, and how she was linked in with the main characters in the end. For me I find Tia Williams's romance writing a little sappy (personal taste!) so as romance goes I have to role my eyes at some of the cheesy lines. If I can see past those cheesier moments it's a heart-warming story of venturing out on ones own, finding family, finding love and success.

Tia Williams is one of my absolute favorite authors and I adored everything about A Love Song For Ricki Wilde. The magic, the history, the romance, everything about this book was so perfect and captivating. Tia always writes the most romantic, raw, and emotional love and Ricki and Ezra's love story was beautiful. Allll the stars.

I love Tia Williams but I wasn't a fan of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. This could certainly have been me as I don't typically like books that go back and forth in time and also include time travel. It just felt so unrealistic to me and I couldn't get into the story. The couple also didn't seem like a great fit to me and I couldn't always justify them being together but oh well!

Tia Williams doesn't miss—her latest is just as wildly romantic and lush as ever, and the speculative twists makes it especially magical. A true delight.

this book was magical, lyrical, romantic, poetic, and beautifully crafted. I love tia william's writing and it didnt disapoint me.

This was a fun book, and I really appreciated the opportunity to read it! I will recommend this book.

Tia Williams writes poignant tales, weaving deeply rooted pain into beautiful romance stories. A Love Song is no exception...it is beautifully written, fluid and completely captures the magic and essence of Harlem and the power of love.

I was completely engrossed by her story.

Great love story. Unique and a fun read. I love when I find a love story that isn’t a typical trope. Definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.

I loved Seven Days in June by Tia Williams so I was so excited to pick this one up.

I loved Ricki- she is messy and flawed. It was so rewarding to see her achieve her dreams because she has a big heart. I loved how the side characters.
The setting — Tia Williams really makes Harlem feel like a character and interwove history and historical figures in such a lovely way.

This was not what I expected and I loved it. I loved the magical realism and fantasy elements.


Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.