Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

18 reviews

literary_lyette's review against another edition

funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Slavery, and Suicide

Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse

nataliebootlah's review against another edition

emotional mysterious

• 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

3.5

 “What they heard as frenzied abandonment was the sound of his rage. Their joyous release was his escape, his chance to outrun the memories that stalked him. Jazz was freedom, but grief was his fuel. It was that simple, and that terrible.” 

 

Ricki is the outcast of her wealthy, perfect family. Ezra is the mysterious  hottie on the block, with an aura Ricki can’t quite stay away from. What plays out is a love song one hundred years in the making, one leap day at a time. 

 

I went into this mostly blind, it was available immediately from Libby and I was most definitely intrigued by the beautiful cover. I stayed for the Harlem-era journey, genre-bending between romance and magical realism, musical landscape, and sassy characters. I especially loved the minor characters and their stories. What didn’t quite stick for me was the romance, it felt rushed and a bit shallow. That said, I enjoyed it as a quick summer read! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, and Murder

Minor: Addiction

fkshg8465's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.75

This was the kind of love story and romance I enjoy - consuming, enduring, and without an ounce of cloying.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Classism

enneirda07's review against another edition

funny 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

4.0

IDK how to feel about this book. I enjoyed it but didn't love it as much as Seven Days in June but it was still good overall. I guessed most of the major twists so it wasn't as surprising as me. As always, Tia writes great dialogue but I fear the many pop culture references may make the book seem dated in a couple of years.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Terminal illness

Minor: Addiction

peachmoni'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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Addiction and Fire/Fire injury

afrenette's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious reflective 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, and Suicide

marena02's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

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!

---

Content Warnings

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

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

Minor: Toxic relationship and Blood

simplymodest's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

What can I say about A Love Song for Ricki Wilde? The book was written so beautifully.  It takes you on a whimsical journey of two lovers destined to be together.  On the backdrop of Harlem over the span of 100 plus years you will fall in love with all these characters and not want to put this book down. I loved everything about this book. The plot, the characters, and it is set in February in a LEAP YEAR!!!!  I didn’t want to put it down and I will think about these characters for a long time. @tiawilliams did her thing with this book.  Definitely recommend this book!!!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Infertility, and Death of parent