Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

39 reviews

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective 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

4.0

This is my first by Tia Williams, and I look forward to going back now to read Seven Days In June. Williams set vivid scenes, both in present day Harlem and the Harlem of the 1920s, and her banter was funny and fast-paced. Tonally, this felt like reading a fairy tale, with the mysterious opening from a seemingly omniscient narrator, and the fluidly shifting perspectives through scenes. Even the premise felt like a gender-bent fairy tale with a dash of dark magic and curse-breaking. For those who enjoy magical realism, Williams captures the right balance between whimsical and unsettling, bridging eras in a way that thankfully never felt cheesy.

That said, I struggled a bit with the pacing in the first half, as well as the decision to include several scenes with Ricki's family. We assume her family will be a central conflict, given the opening scene, and they even reappear at the height of the third act, but ultimately I don't understand the purpose of their involvement, as these scenes don't really advance the plot in a meaningful way, and don't add much to Ricki's character development (not much that we hadn't already gathered from her own inner monologue). It felt distracting. And while I don't mind the romance beats feeling expected, I was disappointed that the reveals in the magical plot were fairly obvious. I was hoping for a twistier story, given the set-up. 

The epilogue though. The epilogue was absolutely perfect. It was tender and sweeping in a beautifully panoramic way, bringing the story to such a satisfying conclusion. 

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lindsayerin's review against another edition

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emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

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thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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

2.0

Review:
She’s a scatterbrained outcast of a rich family looking to prove herself by opening a floral arrangement shop in Harlem. He’s a traumatized soul whose entire family burned alive in a church fire set by Ku Klux Klansmen. A match fated in the stars? /s
 
Okay, before I launch into my very mixed review of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams, please know that you should take my opinion with a grain of salt. Listening to my opinion would be like asking someone who doesn’t like pickles to review someone’s world-famous fried pickles. I’m not someone who enjoys romance, although I continue to pick up romance books for the sake of challenging my literary tastebuds every now and again. If you like romance, then listen to someone else’s review of this book. This review is for myself and others like me.
 
This book had a strong start for me; I actually laughed out loud at Ricki’s deliciously horrible family, and I was disappointed that they didn’t make many more appearances. I also enjoyed several of the side characters, including Della, an elderly woman who unofficially adopts Ricki as her grandchild. More than these specific characters, this book has an enthusiastic earnestness that’s hard to hate even if I really didn’t like the romance between the main characters. Williams’s passion for her story and subject matter shines through on every page.
 
Unfortunately, I didn’t like the main characters, the romance, or the supernatural element. Ricki’s entire character is established through the author’s exposition dumps (telling instead of showing), and she comes across somewhat like a Manic Pixie Dreamgirl instead of someone with real insecurities and anxieties. I found Ezra’s story to be more compelling, but as a character, he’s your typical love interest in a romance: that is, basically perfect with a few *minimal* flaws sprinkled in for some semblance of believability. Of course he’s the right mix of old-school chivalrous while also respecting women and gay people. He’s a musical genius who can cook delicious food and make the main female character see stars during their extremely charged, non-awkward sexual encounters. And you can’t forget the fact that he’s physically flawless (which of course means extremely muscular with a big dick). I might have grown to appreciate these characters and their romance more if it weren’t so insta-lovey. Instead, it felt like being a third wheel on a date where you’re forced to watch the other two people be sickeningly cutesy with each other. 
 
And then, of course, there’s the supernatural element to the plot, which honestly made me laugh with how bonkers it is.
This book is basically Twilight without the bloodlust. (It’s also slightly less creepy, so there’s that, although the MMC does watch our main character in her sleep!) There’s still the “fated lovers” element (ew) and the fact that he’s 124 years old and she’s a 28-year-old, very sheltered woman with the mindset of someone much younger. It’s not so much creepy as it is hard to believe. I feel like the gap in age and life experiences would be too much for any couple to overcome, no matter how “destined” they are to be together. Additionally, the whole connection with Della and her sacrifice didn’t sit well with me, but I’m not quite sure why.
 
So, this book didn’t quite work for me. So what? Don’t listen to my romance-hating ass. 
 
The Run-Down: 
You will probably like A Love Song for Ricki Wilde if . . .
·      You like romance books and are looking for one with an interesting twist
·      You love wholesome friendships 
·      You loved (or still love) the Twilight series
·      You love the idea of going back in time to experience the Harlem Renaissance
 
 
You might not like A Love Song for Ricki Wilde if . . .
·      You don’t like insta-love plotlines
·      You’re looking for a non-cheesy, believable romance
 
 
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karina_dreamsinwords's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

“It was their song. Her song. The one he’d been writing for her forever.”



No doubt about it a 5 star read. Review to come but just know I was sobbing in the end 😌

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d0505's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative inspiring mysterious sad 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

5.0

This story is absolutely gorgeous. 
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bibliomich's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated

4.5

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was my first ever Tia Williams read, and wow, what a fantastic introduction to this author! I often struggle with books that lean heavily into historical fiction or magical realism, and this story had a healthy dose of both, but I was still able to get completely swept up in the narrative. While it took me a little while to settle in to the story and get used to the switching perspectives (as well as the switching timelines), all of the exposition really paid off once everything started coming together and clicking into place.

What I loved:
- The "fated mates" element of the story: I've been really loving this trope lately, and Tia Williams writes it so, so well.
- The supporting characters: Tuesday and Della add so much to the story, and I love the way their relationships with Ricki evolve over the course of the book.
- The setting: I loved reading about Harlem, both in present day, as well as during the Harlem Renaissance. It was the perfect setting for this story, particularly since the location played such an integral role in both of the protagonists' stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for my advanced copy!
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ana_distracted's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

The narrators of A Love Song For Ricki Wilde were amazing.  Mela Lee who narrated most of the novel brought the characters to life!  I enjoyed the story.  I love the set up, a young woman who's never fit in with her family moves to Harlem to follow her own dream of running a flower shop.  Along the way she makes new friends and find romance.  The romance, is of course complicated; here the novel takes a turn into magical fantasy.  Ricki and her friends are great characters, however I did have trouble suspending belief and just going with the set up.  Tia Williams is a talented writer and I look forward to discovering what she writes next.  Also, shout out for the gorgeous cover art! 
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cristinaaa's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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babeinlibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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hannahmichele5's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Deeply romantic, whimsical, and a celebration of Black history, Black love, and Black art. I loved the magical realism aspects - it felt like reading a modern fairy tale! Also, I squealed when we got a "Seven Days on June" character cameo!!! 

I read almost entirely via audio and loved that format! Thanks to Hachette Audio for the ALC and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC! 
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