In This Edition of
The BookBrowse Review
The BookBrowse Review
Published January 24, 2024
ISSN: 1930-0018
The BookBrowse Review
Published January 24, 2024
ISSN: 1930-0018
Contents
Highlighting indicates debut books
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Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
Short Stories
Essays
Poetry & Novels in Verse
Mysteries
Thrillers
Romance
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Biography/Memoir
History, Current Affairs and Religion
Science, Health and the Environment
Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
Poetry & Novels in Verse
Thrillers
Romance
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Biography/Memoir
| Critics: |
In this enchanting love story from the New York Times bestselling author of Seven Days in June, a free-spirited florist and an enigmatic musician are irreversibly linked through the history, art, and magic of Harlem.
Leap years are a strange, enchanted time. And for some, even a single February can be life-changing.
Ricki Wilde 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 a dandelion: an adorable bloom that's actually a 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 decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. And just beneath the surface of her new neighborhood, the music, stories and dazzling drama of the Harlem 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.
Set against the backdrop of modern Harlem and Renaissance glamour, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a swoon-worthy love story of two passionate artists drawn to the magic, romance, and opportunity of New York, and whose lives are uniquely and irreversibly linked.
"Elegantly blending past and present, romance and fantasy, Williams (Seven Days in June) delivers a gorgeous, transportive love letter to the Harlem Renaissance. What begins as a simple romance is elevated by rich history as the story flashes back through Harlem's past, revealing both its glamor and its danger. This vast time span creates an epic feel that never overpowers the tender heat of the romance. It's a showstopper." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[A Love Song for Ricki Wilde] is both a love letter to Harlem and a recognition of its history that gentrification cannot erase." ―Library Journal (starred review)
"Tia Williams brilliantly captures the magic and romance of Harlem—past and present—while giving us a heroine we can all root for. I adore Ricki Wilde and was utterly enchanted by this epic love story. Prepare to be transported!" ―Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of Meant to Be
"This book reads like the best kind of love song: tender, smart and undeniably sexy. Tia Williams simply doesn't miss." ―Leah Johnson, bestselling author of You Should See Me in a Crown
"Tia Williams writes instant classics, and A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is the perfect vehicle to demonstrate the rare range and insight that make her writing so special. At turns punchy and poignant, sweeping and yet so intimate, this story will steal your heart and surprise you. Make you ache. Make you laugh and cry and yearn. As Williams' most ambitious work to date with layers of romance and heartache and history and magic tucked between these pages, it is your next book of the year." ―Kennedy Ryan, bestselling author of Before I Let Go
"An enigmatic, enchanting, absolute gift of a love story that transcends time, place, and realm. Williams never ceases to surprise and delight!" ―Robinne Lee, author of The Idea of You
Tia Williams had a fifteen-year career as a beauty editor for magazines including Elle, Glamour, Lucky, Teen People, and Essence. In 2004, she pioneered the beauty-blog industry with her award-winning site, Shake Your Beauty. She wrote the bestselling debut novel The Accidental Diva and penned two young adult novels, It Chicks and Sixteen Candles. Her award-winning novel The Perfect Find is a Netflix movie starring Gabrielle Union. Her novel, Seven Days in June, is a New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Bookclub pick, published by Grand Central. Tia currently lives with her daughter and her husband in Brooklyn.
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