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sdupont's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Suicide and Hate crime
Moderate: Grief, Cancer, and Death
Minor: Miscarriage and Drug abuse
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Suicide
Moderate: Cursing, Bullying, Cancer, Sexual content, and Racism
Minor: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Addiction, Classism, Hate crime, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
shanaetheflyest's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
What an incredible journey? What a magnificent story?
My little reader heart is so full.
Immediately Tia Williams pulls you into the story and you want nothing but the best for the FMC, Ricki Wilde. Then she takes you on a different journey and you're hopeful for the MMC Ezra. Through the pages, Williams unfurls a magical tale of love and loss that you just cannot put down.
About 40% into the story, readers learn that Ricki and Ezra have so much in common and one quote really sums it up:
"I'm afraid that I don't belong anywhere. Do you ever feel like that?"
"Every day," he admitted. "I look like something I'm not. And I never feel at home."
Ricki struggling to define herself outside of her family's daunting legacy. Ezra struggling to create a legacy for himself, despite losing his entire family. Two beautiful people looking for home.
Williams doesn't just rest on the fact that A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is just a fantastical story. No no no. She just has to make you feel it with every bit of your being with the most beautiful writing I've ever seen in a romance novel. Ezra is the ideal MMC:
Contemplatively, Ezra slowly ran his fingers along his jaw. "You live as long as I do, you think you've felt all the feelings, seen everything there is to see. It's hard to be surprised. But, Ricki, I've never experienced anything like you. You knock me senseless."
"For a long time, i thought I knew what my calling was. My grand purpose. But when I met Ricki, I knew I was wrong. I was a fool, thinking I was born to do anything grander than loving her."
I mean...what?!
But just when you think A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is all heavy feelings and flowery language, it gets really funny, too. Ezra's puns, Ricki's random facts, Ms. Della's sense of humor, and, even, Tuesday - they're all hoots.
The characters have so much depth, are so well written, and are incredibly diverse. For the entire 340 page ride, you find yourself rooting for everyone's success. And in the end, with the epilogue, which is just so perfect, you find that everything works out perfectly.
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is beautiful, captivating, thought-provoking and emotionally charged. This might possibly be the best romance novel I've ever read and, somehow, it manages to top Seven Days In June, which I thought was spectacular. Tia Williams has become a must-read author for me. Her work is just getting better and better.
Graphic: Abandonment and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Cancer, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Classism, Cursing, Death, Medical content, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, War, Fire/Fire injury, Chronic illness, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Miscarriage, Racism, Self harm, and Stalking
sariereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Cancer, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual content
karina_dreamsinwords's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
“It was their song. Her song. The one he’d been writing for her forever.”
No doubt about it a 5 star read. Review to come but just know I was sobbing in the end 😌
Graphic: Suicide, Racism, and Hate crime
Moderate: Grief, Miscarriage, Death, and Cancer
Minor: Drug use
bibliomich's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
What I loved:
- The "fated mates" element of the story: I've been really loving this trope lately, and Tia Williams writes it so, so well.
- The supporting characters: Tuesday and Della add so much to the story, and I love the way their relationships with Ricki evolve over the course of the book.
- The setting: I loved reading about Harlem, both in present day, as well as during the Harlem Renaissance. It was the perfect setting for this story, particularly since the location played such an integral role in both of the protagonists' stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for my advanced copy!
Graphic: Hate crime and Racism
Moderate: Grief, Suicide, and Miscarriage
Minor: Alcoholism and Death of parent
literaryintersections's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Finishing this book while watching the Grammy’s was something. A book that at its heart is about love, grief, not fitting in and being too much, but also is about our societies ability to forget about Black people and Black music. Black folks changed the game in music - jazz, blues, swing, country. Always at the forefront but always last to be recognized. I loved how Tia immerses the reader in Harlem, the Harlem Renaissance and Black excellence, while also reminding you that the very places where Black excellence shone are now condos, Starbucks, parking lots.
This book was so emotional to me. I was on a journey where I truly didn’t think it was going to end happy. You have to go into this book without knowing anything because the joy of trying to figure out wtf is going ok is so fun but also mildly anxiety inducing lol.
Ricki and Ezra were beautiful together. “Promise me that you’ll choose to love each other hard.” Every moment, every word, every touch was gorgeously rendered on the page. You feel everything. And Williams created wonderful side characters: particularly Tuesday (the hilarious best friend everyone wants) and Ms. Della (the spunky old lady everyone wants to be).
This review is a mess because I am a mess. Y’all have to get this book now. And thank you to Grand Central Pub for my digital copy to review.
Graphic: Racism and Suicide
Moderate: Miscarriage and Drug abuse
bookishkellyn's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Terminal illness, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Abandonment, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Drug use, Death, Racism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
belarna's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content and Suicide
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Self harm, and Terminal illness
Minor: Infertility, Drug use, and Pandemic/Epidemic
cristinaaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Violence, Racism, Grief, Murder, Miscarriage, Hate crime, Death, Racial slurs, and Death of parent