Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - A Love Song for Ricki Wilde

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

26 reviews

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious 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

3.0

I wanted to read this book because I enjoyed Seven Days in June and wanted to read more of her work, this was a new release of Tia Williams, and I was intrigued by the title. This is one of the reasons I should always read the blurb and the genres before I start a book.

This book is based on Ricki Wilde and she 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 an adorable bloom that’s actually 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 decision to realize her dream of opening a flower ship. And just beneath the surface of her new neighbourhood, the music, stories and dazzling drama of the Harlam 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.

I liked the characters within this book. Every single character was built and had their own background and trauma and it didn’t feel like they were 2D or needed to move the story along. I loved how strong and independent Ricki became and her character development was brilliant. Ezra took a while to grow on me because I thought he was a stalker and a creep at the beginning but once it was established that he was 106 or something, I could focus on his character. Though I kept thinking it was a black version of Edward Cullen. I loved Tuesday and that she was the only character with some sense of danger and being like this dude is a creep.

I didn’t like the insta-love trope, it was just weird, this man is staring at Ricki, and she wants to know who it is because she feels so strong about him from him staring at her across the garden – that's weird. Like dude, run for the wind and ring the police don’t try and find out who he is. I also struggled with the storyline and didn’t expect to have a fantasy or magical aspect to it, and I struggled with the whole immortality side. It was a bit predictable with Della being the daughter of the girl from the 1930s and the building being the link.

This had a lot of potential to be amazing and I would have loved Ezra to have been the benefactor and how Ezra maybe funded the shop.

Content Warnings

xereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

Okay wow, I really liked this book! Any book that makes me feel is always a 10/10. At first I was a little confused especially at the dynamics of Ricki and her family (cause why was the dad talking about his kids like that lol lol). I also was like girl is this romance/sci-fi causeeee no. BUT I kept listening and it is more of romance, historical fiction, and a splash of fantasy and it hit the mark. I loved Ricki’s character development especially and how the author had her navigate relationships (family, sisters, men, supports, and friendships), especially as a late 20 something. And the connection with Mrs. Della whew, really did it for me. The turns in the book are funny and eyebrow raising but kept me engaged. Would absolutely recommend to others !

Content Warnings

bri_14's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny mysterious medium-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This book has glimpses of potential but the ideas didn’t come together for me. Personally I would’ve preferred Tuesdays story of being a former child star growing into adulthood. Idk it felt more rich than Ricki opening a flower shop in Harlem 🤷🏾‍♀️ also Ezra’s flashbacks were very entertaining and this book was written SO VERY WELL. That’s what stinks bc Tia Williams can write but it needed to be reformulated to really be a standout for me.

I don’t read much “fated love/soulmate” tropes so maybe this isn’t my ministry but I didn’t see WHY Ezra and Ricki were drawn to one another. Like sure Ezra was

cursed to see Ricki in his dreams, stuck trying to find her in life

but I barely saw the connection on Ricki’s end. Just lust and “This pull…He understands everything about me” mess.

Ms Della dying for The couple was so predictable

didn’t carry much emotional weight. AND ANOTHER THING (I don’t mean to whack this book) I couldn’t stand how Ezra and Ricki spoke to each other after some time. When Ezra asks Ricki why she believes his life story, she goes “when I was little, I had a red coat. It made me believe in magic, it was magical. The world is filled with things we don’t understand, like the Bermuda Triangle or twinkies”. GIRL WHAT LOL at that point I think it was cemented that I was completely and utterly over Ricki and her daydreams.

And why in the world would a *checks notes* funeral home franchise not support an independent flower shop? In what world is that ever plausible? FUNERAL HOMES NEED FLOWERS😭 they were talking to Ricki like she said she wanted to open up a Spirit Halloween! Very unserious people indeed

Content Warnings

mariahw00ds's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Content Warnings

brittonmc1221's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective

4.5

Content Warnings

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.0

this was not at all what i was expecting. this is such an unique take on the romance genre. supernatural/mystical stuff in books isn’t usually my favorite, especially in romance, but this was still thoroughly enjoyable.

Content Warnings

amateur_bookworm's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful mysterious 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? No

5.0

My summary:

Ever the disappointment in her family, Ricki Wilde has dreams of opening her own flower shop. But her family owns the nationwide chain of Wilde Funeral Homes and all of her sisters have successfully followed in their father’s footsteps, with the expectation of Ricki doing the same. When she finally finds the nerve to reveal her grand idea to her family, they completely dismiss her and then her father effectively fires her. All hope seems lost for her dream to gain traction, until Ms. Della, a kind older woman, comes into the funeral home on one of Ricki’s last days there. Worried it’s too good to be true but out of options, Ricki takes up Ms. Della’s offer and moves to Harlem into the bottom floor apartment of Ms. Della’s building. As Ricki pours her heart into Wilde Things, her flower shop begins to grow and she is drawn to the magnetic Ezra Walker in an inexplicable way.

My thoughts:

This book is the perfect blend of romance and intrigue and magical realism. A vibrant blending of modern day with the Harlem Renaissance makes you feel like you’ve stepped right into the pages.

This book is fantastic and I felt so drawn into it. I really didn’t know anything at all about the Harlem Renaissance during the Roaring 20s before picking this up and Tia Williams made this glimpse of it sound so incredible that I want to learn more about it.

I love Ricki’s social awkwardness and wit. Ezra is maddeningly intriguing and I just couldn’t get enough of him. The mystery of his story is both tantalizing and infuriating. I love Ms. Della with her found family and guardian angel role in the story—and she gives us all someone to aspire to be like when we’re 96! Tuesday is also such a fun yet somewhat tragic character as a former famous child actress.

I saw Tia Williams at a panel at the LA Times Festival of Books and I had never read any of her books before. And after hearing her talk—especially about the, ahem, piano scene—I knew I wanted to dive into this as soon as possible.

Going into this book after hearing Tia talk about some of her inspiration for this book made it SO much better than just going in blind. Listening to her talk about not knowing flowers or pianos before this book, her previous work at magazines, and that she loved the idea of how exotic night-blooming jasmine sounded all made reading this such an incredibly richer experience for me.

Go to author events. Or listen to podcasts featuring authors. Dive into the author’s story a bit before reading and all of it will really take your reading to a new level of enjoyment.

Content Warnings