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A review by mstall_
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
emotional
funny
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
3.75
Tia Williams writes another knock out about love that spans decades and the magic that ensues when we step into our own power.
Ricky Wilde is everything her posh Atalanta family is not -- vibrant, eccentric and completely uninterested in doing things the "right way". She sets out on her own to Harlem, NY in pursuit of her dream of owning a flower shop. One night in February, dangerously close to leap day, Ricki stumbles upon an urban garden with the most peculiar thing happening, night blooming jasmine deep in bloom, completely out of season. Magic quickly begins to seep in to her life, upending everything she thought she knew.
Over a hundred years earlier, emerging jazz pianist Breeze Walker escapes the Jim Crow south for a better life in Harlem. The Harlem Renaissance was in full swing, and Breeze finds himself swept up in the glitz, glamour and madness of jazz, women and prohibition liquor. On one cold February, on leap day, his life changes forever.
Decades apart and yet connected by time, Breeze and Ricki are both fighting for lives they can call their own.
I loved so much about this book! I loved the way Tia Williams flawlessly blends magical realism with history to create a spell binding story of love that never dies. I also fangirled hard when she mentioned Eva Mercy from her first book, Seven Days in June (also so good!) and even included her in a scene.
The book does take awhile to pick up -- we didn't get any info on Breeze's story until about 50% into the book which felt like wayyyyy too long to get any info. I read a lot of reviews that said this was what caused them to not finish the book. I highly recommend pushing through because the last half is so good and the pay off is high!
Overall 3.75/5 stars!
Ricky Wilde is everything her posh Atalanta family is not -- vibrant, eccentric and completely uninterested in doing things the "right way". She sets out on her own to Harlem, NY in pursuit of her dream of owning a flower shop. One night in February, dangerously close to leap day, Ricki stumbles upon an urban garden with the most peculiar thing happening, night blooming jasmine deep in bloom, completely out of season. Magic quickly begins to seep in to her life, upending everything she thought she knew.
Over a hundred years earlier, emerging jazz pianist Breeze Walker escapes the Jim Crow south for a better life in Harlem. The Harlem Renaissance was in full swing, and Breeze finds himself swept up in the glitz, glamour and madness of jazz, women and prohibition liquor. On one cold February, on leap day, his life changes forever.
Decades apart and yet connected by time, Breeze and Ricki are both fighting for lives they can call their own.
I loved so much about this book! I loved the way Tia Williams flawlessly blends magical realism with history to create a spell binding story of love that never dies. I also fangirled hard when she mentioned Eva Mercy from her first book, Seven Days in June (also so good!) and even included her in a scene.
The book does take awhile to pick up -- we didn't get any info on Breeze's story until about 50% into the book which felt like wayyyyy too long to get any info. I read a lot of reviews that said this was what caused them to not finish the book. I highly recommend pushing through because the last half is so good and the pay off is high!
Overall 3.75/5 stars!