Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

20 reviews

samchase112's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a beautiful story, bursting with so much — history, culture, friendship, romance… I did end up loving the first half more because it was so full of everything, and once the romance started it took over the story as it took over Ricki and Ezra’s lives. At all times, however, I was enthralled by this story, and I’ll definitely be checking out Seven Days in June now!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death, and Sexual content

Moderate: Racism, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, and Violence

Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexism

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.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Racism

Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Miscarriage, and Fire/Fire injury

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

STAR CROSSED LOVERS! BREAKING A CURSE! HARLEM RENAISSANCE! MOVING TO NEW YORK CITY! LEAVING YOUR FAMILY AND THE FAMILY BUSINESS BEHIND! FOLLOWING YOUR HEART! 

I listened to the audiobook (thank you Libby), and I highly recommend that format if it is accessible to you. I rooted for Ricki and Ezra so hard, and was so upset when I found out about the curse. If you like a bit of surrealism with your romance, pick this one up! 

steam rating: 3 out of 5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Sexual content

Moderate: Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Death, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Drug use

brittonmc1221's review against another edition

emotional reflective

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Hate crime, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, and Racism

peachani's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Classism, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Cancer, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Racism

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and War

theoceanrose's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Death, Racism, and Sexual content

Minor: Grief

carriepond's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a genre-bending romance with a lovely blend of romance, history, and fantasy. As she did in Seven Days in June, Tia Williams creates characters with such  compelling backstories and inner lives that the eventual (or in this case, not-so-eventual) romance feels like a lovely bonus— you like them so much and feel happy that they’re happy. The setting also felt so lush and lovely— 1920s Harlem, present-day Harlem, Ricki’s gorgeous and wild flower shop. I don’t want to give too much away, but I really loved the way Williams handled the fantastical elements of the story— it felt natural and added some cool moments to the book.

I loved this one and highly recommend to romance readers for sure but also anyone looking for a lovely book with fully formed characters, a cool setting, some cool history, and some magic. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Racism, and Suicide

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Addiction

kdailyreads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Grief, Sexual content, Suicide, Racism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Alcohol, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Terminal illness, and Violence

Minor: Miscarriage, Cursing, Drug abuse, Infertility, Police brutality, and War

meredith_williams_'s review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

This book is so whimsical! It is somehow equal parts historical fiction, romance, and magical realism. The characters are so endearing and funny. There felt like some minor plot points that were rushed or resolved too quickly, but overall it was a nearly perfect book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Sexual content, and Cursing

Minor: Miscarriage

znvisser's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Eesh, Tia Williams can write romance! And with so many more elements that I loved: dramatic and classist family members that could’ve come out of an Austen novel, magical realism, pop culture references that aren’t cringey, and admirable women all over the place. I loved Ricki with all her passion and colourfulness (“Because she (a) found fashion calming and (b) was dramatic, Ricki had dressed carefully for this occasion”.); and Ezra being funny and attractive (“Ricki barely heard him, as she was mid-epiphany. Was Warm Weather Ezra the sexiest Ezra?”) and their entire art-drenched love story, in which their love itself is so wonderfully uncomplicated, despite the circumstances they’re facing together. Loved this!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Terminal illness, Drug abuse, Infertility, Suicide, Abandonment, Miscarriage, Racism, Cancer, Classism, and Death of parent

Minor: Blood and Toxic relationship