One of my favorite audiobooks of the year. This was truly a masterpiece from start to finish. The magical realism in this book was unlike anything I have read before and I never wanted the story to end. This is truly one of the most unique, romantic and heartwrenching stories I have ever read and the narrators did an incredible job of bringing the story to life. The time jumps were done seamlessly and I loved the curse plot line and how Tia Williams wove in real world issues. Also LOVED the cameo we got towards the end!!

Thank you #netgalley for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review

This didn’t end up being exactly what I thought it was going to be. But either way I loved it! Ricki and Ezra are too good for this world. They were cosmically intertwined and I couldn’t see a different future for either one of them. I’m in love! One of my top reads this year!

Well I’m sad I put this one off for so long. This was remarkable. Once I finally picked it up I couldn’t put it back down. I devoured this beautiful story.

This was a sweeping tale of Ricki Wilde who is wanting to break out of the family business of funeral homes, and Breeze Walker, and jazz musician who is cursed for eternity. Stories like this feel so big and epic to me. The touch of magic that it has, paired with the fated lovers makes this a story I’ll remember for a long time. I loved the bits we learned about the Harlem Renaissance throughout this story. I don’t read as many Black authors as I should, and this book was a great reminder of that. Now I want to read everything Tia Williams has written.

This story and audio was perfectly done. The narrator kept my attention and it added to the story. The story was equally light and had depth. Please read more of this author!

I had to stop everything I was doing to write this little note so I wouldn’t forget how beautiful this book was. It gave me goosebumps and tears at the very end. If you are looking for something for Black History Month, leap year, Valentines, the month of love, a good freaking story , this is it. I fell in love with all the characters not just the main characters. This was a unique story, not your typical romance, and I loved every word throughout this book. This is definitely one that will stay on my shelf forever.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Tia Williams is at it again with another beautifully written love story. Told with alternating timelines from present day and 100 years back. This leap year is one to remember for decades to come.
Williams weaves an intricate tapestry of the blooming love between two people who can't stay away from each other an also don't want to. A Love Song for Ricki Wilde will keep you interested and wanting so much more as their lives intertwine and the Harlem Renaissance's history comes alive.

I forgot to download before it archived, but it was worth the long Libby wait! Lesson learned: download immediately or regret it. Tia Williams writes such emotionally layered, evocative love stories. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the approval. I'll do better on my end to download sooner next time!

Overall I enjoyed the characters individually. Ricki was super relatable and I loved how passionate she was about her creativity and passion for her career. The importance of her friendship with Tuesday and the closeness she developed with Ms. Della. However, the love story just didn’t do it for me. I am however, not the biggest fan of magical realism and so overall I just don’t think I was its target audience.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a romance novel that is perfect for readers who might not necessarily want to read a romance novel. Yes, Tia Williams has written a beautiful love story, but this book is so much more than that. It's funny and sweet and quick-witted in a way that really surprised me. I loved Ricki - the dialogue was written so beautifully for her and performed just as well in the audiobook. I loved the dual timeline and the mysterious and somewhat magical circumstances that serve as the backdrop for this story. Recommend!

Thank you to netgalley and Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this book. This book was so damn good. This is a book I wish I could read over and over again for the first time.

✨Book Review✨
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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Not only was this book beautifully written, but it had so much ambiance. Old time Harlem, a blossoming plant shop, the BEST characters (Dellaaaaaaa!), and all the magical realism. I highly highly recommend this book to anyone who loves magical realism like I do.
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I mostly listened to the audio and it was SO well done. The pacing of the book was perfect. Now I can't wait to read Seven Days in June. I will be recommending A Love Song for Ricki Wilde for a long time.

Ricki leaves the family business (and money train) to strike out on her own in New York City as a florist. Soon enough, she runs into a handsome musician with a deep, dark secret. They keep running into to each other! It's almost like they are fated to be together, but things are more complicated (and sinister) than she thought possible. He insists they have to stay away from each other, but of course they don't.
This is a romance for people who love romances (I imagine) and for people (like me) who don't love romances. There's a lot going on. With storylines taking place in leap year February of 2024 and of a leap year February 100 years ago, there are a lot of layers. Ricki has a solid and prioritized found family, everyone in the book has an interesting job and back story and the book is set against the inviting back drop of New York City, specifically Harlem.
Mela Lee and Preston Butler do an amazing job narrating the cast with their warm voices.
Finally, for fans of Tia Williams last novel, there's a fun easter egg to look out for.

The thing I like most about Tia Williams’ stories is the way she writes witty banter and her characters always seem like real people, whether they are made of people I know or not, I don’t know, but they feel genuine.

When I started the book, I wasn’t aware of the instalove, or paranormal romance/magical realism elements. I’m fine with these elements, but in this cased it sometimes impacted my ability to be believe in the relationship, or the chemistry we are told they have. I also felt like the pacing was off, or that it felt like it was a long story.

Potentially if I had have known about the instalove, or paranormal romance/magical realism elements going in, then I would have felt differently, but I genuinely went in blind, and because I loved Tia Williams’ other two contemporary romance novels, I was expecting something other than what was written. This is definitely a ‘me problem’, and not the book or author’s problem.

I did like how the characters grew and learned to live and the secondary characters (including the flower shop and Harlem’s music and culture) built the story for me.

While the story wasn’t my favourite, the narration was done so well.

Loved the premise of this one! The magical realism aspects were done really well and man, was it spicy at times!

I would definitely read more of this authors work in the future.

This is my second Tia Williams book and now that I have read this as well I have an opinion about her overall writing. She can definitely create grasping romantic tales for sure but it is not anything which will stay in my mind for long.

First one I considered as one time read and second one as well. Maybe the fault is with me but even though I tried to feel for both Ezra and Ricky I just couldn't connect with them. I rather was able to connect and feel for miss Della and Tuesday. Both Ezra and Ricky I found them very ordinary and not special like Williams wanted her readers to feel about.

The ending was predictable. I had figured it out much earlier. Till about first 60% I didn't really like the book and skipped the parts , then it got interesting but even then came a part which again felt dragging unnecessarily. This could have been shorter than it is.

Audiobook was good, enjoyable but I felt that it was overdramatic at places and I might have enjoyed reading it more than listening to audiobook. I feel narrators did an okay job, it was the book which couldn't keep my attention.

Audiobook: 3 stars
Book : 3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I wanted to love this one but instead it just helped me realize how much I dislike magical realism. Harlem Renaissance is one of my favorite time periods, I just wish the author had picked then OR the present day to focus the story instead of bouncing back and forth. I loved the flower shop, the main character's independence regardless of family expectations, it was just the magical realism that killed it for me.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams is a love story between Ricki Wilde, the free-spirited daughter of Atlanta businessman, Richard Wilde and Ezra, a mysterious man that Ricki meets in Brooklyn, NY.

After Ricki tells her family that she does not want to be a part of her family's dynasty, she packs her bags and moves to a brownstone in Brooklyn, NY, which is owned by Ms. Della, an elderly woman that Ricki meets in Atlanta. Ricki opens a flower shop, Wilde Things, in the bottom of the brownstone and lives behind the store, and Ms. Della occupies the top floors. Ms. Della and Ricki form a bond that is like that of a grandma and granddaughter.

Ricki quickly adapts to New York, meeting new friends, including friend, Tuesday, a former a child star. Ricki runs into a mysterious man, Ezra, several times, and after they actually talk to each other, they both feel sparks.

The story goes back and forth between the early 1900s and 2024, weaving an interesting story, however the story takes a long time to develop.

I enjoyed the characters, especially Ms. Della, and the story reminded me of the movie Meet Joe Black. Fantasy is not one of my preferred genres, but I do love a good love story. I can see this story really appealing to fantasy fans, but it was not a slam dunk for me. I give it 2.5 stars.

The narrators, Mela Lee and Preston Butler, did a great job.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Special thank you to Hachette Audio and Netgalley for an advanced listening copy of this beautiful story.

You know the feeling when you start a book and you know right from the beginning you are going to love it? I had that as soon as I started a Love Song for Ricki Wilde. 

I had never read anything by Tia Williams, and was intrigued to read this as she was coming to a local bookstore for a signing event. I was so happy to be approved for the audio ARC. I started it before the event, then got a physical copy, so I read this half on audio and half on physical. The audiobook version was great and the voice actors were wonderful. They made you feel as though you were in the story itself. 

I loved the development and character arc that Ricki went on. I really loved her right from the get go. And the relationships and found family aspect of well with Tuesday and Ms. Della. The side characters were just as much a part of the story as the main characters and truly made the book that much more special. 

The magical realism intermixed with the historical fiction aspect was done perfectly. And the love story was beautiful. It was a bit insta-lovey, but I got over that pretty quickly as I just loved the characters so much. 

Really just a gem of a book. Would recommend to others. Cannot wait to read more by Tia Williams!

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the early release of this book!

Ricki and Ezra… wow. Their cosmic entanglement and soul crushing love will go down in romance history. Tia Williams did an amazing job portraying the high highs and low lows of Ricki and Ezra’s stories. The characters were so loveable, and it felt like I was right there in the story the entire time. Ms. Della was a brilliant secondary character - her life story was so raw, and she absolutely broke my heart at the end….

Mela Lee’s narration was absolute perfection - really enhanced the story and brought the emotions to life. Unfortunately, I did not love the tidbits with the male narrator. Though I understand the point was to help capture Ezra’s experience and make a clear distinction in time …. It still felt disjointed.