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kirkland433's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Swing and a miss #2.
How on earth did I read back to back romances that both were second chance romances, with a single parent, a MC with a drinking problem and a third act breakup??? Like HOW is that even possible. And so just for the fact that I gave the previous one a less then 3 star review but I rounded up to 3, this one gets that benefit as well.
So.. once again half my issues with this book are me problems and the other half are similar but different issues than I had with the Final Offer.
Eva and Shane as adults were my favorite part of this book. They are cute and funny and awkward. I really enjoyed every interaction I got of them. Shane is so in love with Eva that it just made me laugh. I wanted MORE of them really because they deserved it. They deserved to either have their relationship more flushed out OR... we deserved a just Eva centric story. I kept going back and forth on wanting more of a history between the two of them (because I have lots of issues with what we got of them as teenagers) or just getting more of Eva growing as a person and writing her badass novel about her badass female history. I think I would of LOVED this book if it wasn't a romance but really just an emotional journey of Eva where she maybe could of found love in the end.
Eva's representation of a disability? Loved it. It was done so well and with care. People who don't know things like that don't realize how much things like that can debilitate you.
Eva's daughter (where once again I don't remember the childrens names) didn't do anything for me emotionally. She was there. She was better than the last child because she was older but also she didn't sound like a 12 year old so that was weird. Basically, it did nothing for the heart strings.
The writing is very well done. The author knows what she's doing. My problem with the story though is we get distracted and lost because of too many details. There were too many times that I started skimming long paragraphs because I knew it was just long-winded descriptions of outfits or situations that weren't necessary to the plot. Also, it seemed we were trying to hard with all the pop culture references. It eventually felt like we were just throwing them in there just because we could which got exhausting. But a woot woot for this book being NOT 600 pages.
Now for my biggest issue. Eva and Shane's childhood. I don't know how I'm supposed to find their love story believable. They "fell in love" over a week in high school while they were drunk and high the entire time? That sounds insane. I don't care what kind of connection you have, at 17 you have no idea what you are doing. I know that was the point of the story.. that they insta fell in love but I really just wanted a teenage relationship that they were able to explore better. And I know I sound hypocritical saying this because I read romances that aren't believable all the time. I read romances that are toxic and unhealthy and I'm fine with that. I think the issue here is that this story is meant to be believable. We are supposed to want to be these characters because in reality they are good people. But their teenage romance ain't it for me.
Anywhoooooo, I get why people love this book. Like I said its well written and I definitely enjoyed parts of it but my issues are my issues not the books. So try it out. See if its for you. As for me, I'm going to avoid second chance romances for awhile.
How on earth did I read back to back romances that both were second chance romances, with a single parent, a MC with a drinking problem and a third act breakup??? Like HOW is that even possible. And so just for the fact that I gave the previous one a less then 3 star review but I rounded up to 3, this one gets that benefit as well.
So.. once again half my issues with this book are me problems and the other half are similar but different issues than I had with the Final Offer.
Eva and Shane as adults were my favorite part of this book. They are cute and funny and awkward. I really enjoyed every interaction I got of them. Shane is so in love with Eva that it just made me laugh. I wanted MORE of them really because they deserved it. They deserved to either have their relationship more flushed out OR... we deserved a just Eva centric story. I kept going back and forth on wanting more of a history between the two of them (because I have lots of issues with what we got of them as teenagers) or just getting more of Eva growing as a person and writing her badass novel about her badass female history. I think I would of LOVED this book if it wasn't a romance but really just an emotional journey of Eva where she maybe could of found love in the end.
Eva's representation of a disability? Loved it. It was done so well and with care. People who don't know things like that don't realize how much things like that can debilitate you.
Eva's daughter (where once again I don't remember the childrens names) didn't do anything for me emotionally. She was there. She was better than the last child because she was older but also she didn't sound like a 12 year old so that was weird. Basically, it did nothing for the heart strings.
The writing is very well done. The author knows what she's doing. My problem with the story though is we get distracted and lost because of too many details. There were too many times that I started skimming long paragraphs because I knew it was just long-winded descriptions of outfits or situations that weren't necessary to the plot. Also, it seemed we were trying to hard with all the pop culture references. It eventually felt like we were just throwing them in there just because we could which got exhausting. But a woot woot for this book being NOT 600 pages.
Now for my biggest issue. Eva and Shane's childhood. I don't know how I'm supposed to find their love story believable. They "fell in love" over a week in high school while they were drunk and high the entire time? That sounds insane. I don't care what kind of connection you have, at 17 you have no idea what you are doing. I know that was the point of the story.. that they insta fell in love but I really just wanted a teenage relationship that they were able to explore better. And I know I sound hypocritical saying this because I read romances that aren't believable all the time. I read romances that are toxic and unhealthy and I'm fine with that. I think the issue here is that this story is meant to be believable. We are supposed to want to be these characters because in reality they are good people. But their teenage romance ain't it for me.
Anywhoooooo, I get why people love this book. Like I said its well written and I definitely enjoyed parts of it but my issues are my issues not the books. So try it out. See if its for you. As for me, I'm going to avoid second chance romances for awhile.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
meganbolds's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Self harm
Minor: Domestic abuse
jahncie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Grief, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Medical content, and Alcoholism
eule's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I feel like this book did not give me as much as I expected. The ending was unnecessarily stretched and even though I adored the characters (especially the mother-daughter-relationship and the dynamic between Audre and Shane), the plot somehow seemed incomplete…?
Yet, this novel is breathtaking, funny and reflective while dealing with the power of love, coping with your past demons and tackling todays racism. Beautifully written and gorgeous characters with hell of a trauma. I especially enjoyed the fragility of Evas and Shanes relationship: a honest reflection of reality.
All in all: read this book y’all. It’s pretty good.
Yet, this novel is breathtaking, funny and reflective while dealing with the power of love, coping with your past demons and tackling todays racism. Beautifully written and gorgeous characters with hell of a trauma. I especially enjoyed the fragility of Evas and Shanes relationship: a honest reflection of reality.
All in all: read this book y’all. It’s pretty good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Child death, Death, Alcoholism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Self harm
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A little spicy, a little sweet, this book is a brilliant love story. It focuses on two broken people and their journey to loving themselves and one another completely. I loved the characters, I loved the way the author including many present-day pop culture references and allusions, I loved the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Abandonment, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Blood, Death, Drug use, Racism, and Rape
camikpa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
kelly_e's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Title: Seven Days in June
Author: Tia Williams
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: June 7, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Intense • Complex • Messy
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their buried traumas, but the eyebrows of the Black literati. What no one knows is that fifteen years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. While they may be pretending not to know each other, they can’t deny their chemistry—or the fact that they’ve been secretly writing to each other in their books through the years.
Over the next seven days, amidst a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect—but Eva’s wary of the man who broke her heart, and wants him out of the city so her life can return to normal. Before Shane disappears though, she needs a few questions answered...
💭 T H O U G H T S
Marketed as a romance with depth (which tends to me my favourite kind), I knew I wanted to read Seven Days in June, and I was kindly gifted a copy for my birthday last year. It took me awhile to be mentally prepared to dive into a romance novel touching on drug abuse and addiction, for personal reasons. But, boy oh boy, did those first two sentences captured my attention!
I enjoyed the storyline and the characters, yet there was something about the writing style that felt off. Yes, it ended up being heavier than I'd first anticipated, packing a strong emotional punch, but Eva and Shane felt so real. I felt a connection to them both because I, too, have always felt like a misfit, as well as connecting with their trauma and the invisible illness and addiction aspects. It reminded me of what real life looks like (messy), and not the happily-ever-after so many romance books focus on. It's quite possible I enjoyed it because of the realities of my own life.
Additionally, I loved all the cultural nostalgia and the literary backdrop. It felt each added to the story in its own way. And of course there was Audre, who added an whole other dimension to the novel. How Eva paints pictures of her life for her daughter is certainly interesting, although I am not sure shielding her from reality is always a good thing in the long run.
Despite loving so much, the language seemed inconsistent from start to finish. The first half of the book felt very angsty, intense and raw, whereas in the final third of the book took on an entirely different tone. It almost seemed as though each half was written by a different author or like I was reading an entirely different book, which is something I am not as fan of as a reader.
To me, Seven Days in June painted a realistic picture of love not being easy and how the past influences the present. I appreciated the mental health and chronic illness representation. And loved how Eva went back to her roots to write the story she really wanted to. This isn't a story I'll soon forget.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• second chance romance trope devotees
• fans of romance with depth
• readers who enjoyed You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Listen, caring about things don't make you soft. It makes you alive.'"
"And maybe that was what real, adult love was. Being fearless enough to hold each other close no matter how catastrophic the world became."
Author: Tia Williams
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: June 7, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Intense • Complex • Messy
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their buried traumas, but the eyebrows of the Black literati. What no one knows is that fifteen years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. While they may be pretending not to know each other, they can’t deny their chemistry—or the fact that they’ve been secretly writing to each other in their books through the years.
Over the next seven days, amidst a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect—but Eva’s wary of the man who broke her heart, and wants him out of the city so her life can return to normal. Before Shane disappears though, she needs a few questions answered...
💭 T H O U G H T S
Marketed as a romance with depth (which tends to me my favourite kind), I knew I wanted to read Seven Days in June, and I was kindly gifted a copy for my birthday last year. It took me awhile to be mentally prepared to dive into a romance novel touching on drug abuse and addiction, for personal reasons. But, boy oh boy, did those first two sentences captured my attention!
I enjoyed the storyline and the characters, yet there was something about the writing style that felt off. Yes, it ended up being heavier than I'd first anticipated, packing a strong emotional punch, but Eva and Shane felt so real. I felt a connection to them both because I, too, have always felt like a misfit, as well as connecting with their trauma and the invisible illness and addiction aspects. It reminded me of what real life looks like (messy), and not the happily-ever-after so many romance books focus on. It's quite possible I enjoyed it because of the realities of my own life.
Additionally, I loved all the cultural nostalgia and the literary backdrop. It felt each added to the story in its own way. And of course there was Audre, who added an whole other dimension to the novel. How Eva paints pictures of her life for her daughter is certainly interesting, although I am not sure shielding her from reality is always a good thing in the long run.
Despite loving so much, the language seemed inconsistent from start to finish. The first half of the book felt very angsty, intense and raw, whereas in the final third of the book took on an entirely different tone. It almost seemed as though each half was written by a different author or like I was reading an entirely different book, which is something I am not as fan of as a reader.
To me, Seven Days in June painted a realistic picture of love not being easy and how the past influences the present. I appreciated the mental health and chronic illness representation. And loved how Eva went back to her roots to write the story she really wanted to. This isn't a story I'll soon forget.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• second chance romance trope devotees
• fans of romance with depth
• readers who enjoyed You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Listen, caring about things don't make you soft. It makes you alive.'"
"And maybe that was what real, adult love was. Being fearless enough to hold each other close no matter how catastrophic the world became."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Addiction, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Grief, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Cursing, Child death, and Racism
Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Classism, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
overdose, colourismelisalasater's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse
lea_talisa's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Self harm
Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Grief, and Racism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, and Confinement
amacordova's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gun violence