kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Abandonment, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Blood, Death, Drug use, Racism, and Rape
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Author: Tia Williams
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: June 7, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Intense • Complex • Messy
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their buried traumas, but the eyebrows of the Black literati. What no one knows is that fifteen years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. While they may be pretending not to know each other, they can’t deny their chemistry—or the fact that they’ve been secretly writing to each other in their books through the years.
Over the next seven days, amidst a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect—but Eva’s wary of the man who broke her heart, and wants him out of the city so her life can return to normal. Before Shane disappears though, she needs a few questions answered...
💭 T H O U G H T S
Marketed as a romance with depth (which tends to me my favourite kind), I knew I wanted to read Seven Days in June, and I was kindly gifted a copy for my birthday last year. It took me awhile to be mentally prepared to dive into a romance novel touching on drug abuse and addiction, for personal reasons. But, boy oh boy, did those first two sentences captured my attention!
I enjoyed the storyline and the characters, yet there was something about the writing style that felt off. Yes, it ended up being heavier than I'd first anticipated, packing a strong emotional punch, but Eva and Shane felt so real. I felt a connection to them both because I, too, have always felt like a misfit, as well as connecting with their trauma and the invisible illness and addiction aspects. It reminded me of what real life looks like (messy), and not the happily-ever-after so many romance books focus on. It's quite possible I enjoyed it because of the realities of my own life.
Additionally, I loved all the cultural nostalgia and the literary backdrop. It felt each added to the story in its own way. And of course there was Audre, who added an whole other dimension to the novel. How Eva paints pictures of her life for her daughter is certainly interesting, although I am not sure shielding her from reality is always a good thing in the long run.
Despite loving so much, the language seemed inconsistent from start to finish. The first half of the book felt very angsty, intense and raw, whereas in the final third of the book took on an entirely different tone. It almost seemed as though each half was written by a different author or like I was reading an entirely different book, which is something I am not as fan of as a reader.
To me, Seven Days in June painted a realistic picture of love not being easy and how the past influences the present. I appreciated the mental health and chronic illness representation. And loved how Eva went back to her roots to write the story she really wanted to. This isn't a story I'll soon forget.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• second chance romance trope devotees
• fans of romance with depth
• readers who enjoyed You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Listen, caring about things don't make you soft. It makes you alive.'"
"And maybe that was what real, adult love was. Being fearless enough to hold each other close no matter how catastrophic the world became."
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Addiction, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Grief, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Cursing, Child death, and Racism
Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Classism, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
overdose, colourismmygvrses's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Self harm, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Ableism, and Child abuse
Minor: Car accident
kols's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Self harm, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Grief, Ableism, Gun violence, and Death
deetabz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Addiction, Chronic illness, Drug use, and Self harm
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Sexism, Suicide, Bullying, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Violence
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Ableism
peachani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Grief, Pedophilia, and Self harm
Minor: Cursing, Ableism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Blood, Gun violence, Medical content, and Vomit
madamenovelist's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Ableism, Addiction, Classism, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
deluna's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Abandonment, Addiction, Self harm, Child death, Alcoholism, and Drug use
Moderate: Physical abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent and Ableism
kayladaila's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Vomit
Minor: Ableism, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, and Pedophilia
leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Self harm, Addiction, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Ableism, Car accident, Child abuse, and Grief
Minor: Sexual assault