A review by clairebartholomew549
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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

During the first half of the book, this was a definite three stars for me. It felt disorienting going back and forth between Ricki's 2024 timeline and Breeze's 1920s timeline, and Ricki's storyline sort of felt like a caricature of sorts. It's also definitely insta-love, but I can usually get over that if I feel like the chemistry is written well - and here, I think it is. I couldn't really get into the book until the second half, when we get a lot more answers and things really start picking up steam. I loved the insights into the Harlem Renaissance, although for some reason Breeze's chapters felt a little detached and devoid of feeling for me, and I appreciated Ricki's connection to her history and her roots. Della and Tuesday are incredibly entertaining and add a lot of color to the narrative, and I was very satisfied by the last third of the book and the way things ended. I didn't like this quite as much as Seven Days in June, but Tia Williams is still a powerhouse author whose books I will continue to read.