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A Love Song for Ricki Wilde
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romance (2024)An epic love story one hundred years in the making…
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.
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.
368 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2024
4757 people are currently reading
140397 people want to read
About the author
Tia Williams
26 books6,227 followersTia Williams began her 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 - and published her debut novel, The Accidental Diva. She went on to pen two young adult novels: It Chicks, and Sixteen Candles. Her 2016 bestseller, The Perfect Find, is being adapted for a Netflix film starring Gabrielle Union – and her latest novel, Seven Days in June, debuts in June 2021. Tia is currently an Editorial Director at Estee Lauder Companies, and lives with her daughter and husband in Brooklyn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,677 reviews
February 7, 2024
i deserve financial compensation after reading this…😭
ricki and ezra are that pair that are cosmically intertwined and destined to be together in any universe.
this book was magical, lyrical, romantic, poetic, and beautifully crafted. even beyond the romance, this book is a love letter to harlem, written through out 100 years.
i love ricki and ezra separately as people and together. “But when I met Ricki, I knew I was wrong. I was a fool, thinking that I was born to do anything grander than loving her."
EZRA PLEASE STOP
ricki and ezra are that pair that are cosmically intertwined and destined to be together in any universe.
this book was magical, lyrical, romantic, poetic, and beautifully crafted. even beyond the romance, this book is a love letter to harlem, written through out 100 years.
i love ricki and ezra separately as people and together. “But when I met Ricki, I knew I was wrong. I was a fool, thinking that I was born to do anything grander than loving her."
EZRA PLEASE STOP
March 11, 2024
the worst part of this romance book is the romance.
the best part of this book is: it's genre-bending. it's bantery. it's filled with unforgettable characters and a cool flower shop and a lovely setting in harlem. it is unrealistic in literally every way but most of the time that is fine too.
but i didn't like the love story, which is insta, and which is the story. no matter what the surroundings i can never seem to get past that one trope. it is my kryptonite.
i had so much fun with the rest of this! but not with the biggest part.
bottom line: hello instalove my old enemy.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
----------------------------
tbr review
it's leap year season
the best part of this book is: it's genre-bending. it's bantery. it's filled with unforgettable characters and a cool flower shop and a lovely setting in harlem. it is unrealistic in literally every way but most of the time that is fine too.
but i didn't like the love story, which is insta, and which is the story. no matter what the surroundings i can never seem to get past that one trope. it is my kryptonite.
i had so much fun with the rest of this! but not with the biggest part.
bottom line: hello instalove my old enemy.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
----------------------------
tbr review
it's leap year season
December 29, 2024
this book is a tale of two halves: a solid first half that does a great job at getting the reader hooked on the characters and the mystery surrounding their connection and a disappointing second half that forgets about all the development that was built in the first half.
i loved the first half. i enjoyed learning about ricki and ezra and, even though its pretty obvious, i couldnt wait until the reason behind their connection was revealed. and while the second half didnt ruin the entire story for me, i was so bummed by how rushed everything feels. its definitely a classic case of missed potential.
but, overall, this is a sweet story and the perfect read for a leap year.
↠ 3.5 stars
i loved the first half. i enjoyed learning about ricki and ezra and, even though its pretty obvious, i couldnt wait until the reason behind their connection was revealed. and while the second half didnt ruin the entire story for me, i was so bummed by how rushed everything feels. its definitely a classic case of missed potential.
but, overall, this is a sweet story and the perfect read for a leap year.
↠ 3.5 stars
March 1, 2024
4.5* This was so not what I was expecting this book to be but it ended up stealing my heart by the end. Beautiful 🥹
April 5, 2024
3.5⭐️ I'm not connecting well with magical realism in modern romance novels. I thought this was going to be an easy 5 star but when immortality was introduced 50% into the novel, it lost me 😔😔
I tried to follow the story and enjoy Ezra and Ricki's relationship but I don't know what went wrong, maybe it's just me but it started to quickly feel like insta-love even though it wasn't. I wish I had enjoyed it better 😭💗
I tried to follow the story and enjoy Ezra and Ricki's relationship but I don't know what went wrong, maybe it's just me but it started to quickly feel like insta-love even though it wasn't. I wish I had enjoyed it better 😭💗
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2024
Ever been the odd-one out in your family? The one dancing to the beat of your own drum? You may enjoy meeting Richard Wilde, Jr. - better known as Ricki - the free-spirited youngest daughter in the Wilde family - the “dandelion” to her sisters’ “roses”, as she’s described.
While her prim and proper sisters Rashida, Regina and Rae - referred to by others as Rashidaginarae, since they seem to think and operate as one mind on things - all work for their Dad’s highly successful chain of funeral homes, Ricki’s vision for her future has a bit more life to it. She wants to be a florist! Her dream is to own her own shop and bring beauty to the world with her floral designs.
When fate introduces her to feisty and fashionable nonagenarian Della Bennett, who just lost her beloved husband and offers Ricki a space in her Harlem brownstone to live and open a flower shop, she jumps at the opportunity! Her family may not believe she’ll succeed, but she does … and that’s all that matters, isn’t it?
Flowers may not be the only thing in Ricki’s future, though, when she encounters a mysterious man in a garden while out walking one night. It’s as if she’s always known him and his reaction to her is equally strange, but there’s no denying their connection. Who is this handsome stranger?
Here’s where the story really gets interesting! There’s more to this man, Ezra Walker, than meets the eye. Ricki’s hilarious no-holds barred friend, Tuesday, isn’t so sure about him, but Ricki? She can’t seem to avoid him even if she wants to!
What will the future hold for her? Let’s just say that she never could imagine in her “Wilde-est” dreams (sorry - I couldn't resist) where the next few weeks will take her and how Della, Ezra and Tuesday will fit into her story! They’re all wonderful characters who were a joy to spend time with.
This is my first read by Tia Williams, who also wrote Seven Days in June, and I’m impressed! Her prose is lovely and peppered with warmth and humor throughout. She’s able to balance the melancholic aspects of the story, evoking just the right mood, without dragging the story into the overly emotional sap that some stories suffer from. There are some spicy open-door scenes, but not too many and nothing you can’t easily skip past!
This does have a strong thread of magical realism - especially in the second half, so if that’s not your thing, you may not enjoy this as much. That IS my thing, so I loved it! It also has chapters that occasionally skip between past and present, showing the reader both modern Harlem and looking back to its Renaissance days, offering a look at important figures and places in Black history - especially major contributors to the music we still enjoy today!
At its heart, this is a charming contemporary romance with two fascinating characters who you can’t help but root for. The only ding to my rating was because I thought the ending wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly, so it lost just a touch of the emotional impact I'd hoped for. It certainly didn’t ruin anything, though. The story is wonderful, and the epilogue was so clever!
I read this on my Kindle while listening to the audio, wonderfully narrated by Mela Lee and Preston Butler. Both formats were excellent, so it’s dealer’s choice on what you prefer. I highly recommend both if you can!
★★★★ ½
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing, NetGalley, and author Tia Williams for this digital ARC to honestly review and to Libby/my library for the audiobook. It’s out now.
While her prim and proper sisters Rashida, Regina and Rae - referred to by others as Rashidaginarae, since they seem to think and operate as one mind on things - all work for their Dad’s highly successful chain of funeral homes, Ricki’s vision for her future has a bit more life to it. She wants to be a florist! Her dream is to own her own shop and bring beauty to the world with her floral designs.
When fate introduces her to feisty and fashionable nonagenarian Della Bennett, who just lost her beloved husband and offers Ricki a space in her Harlem brownstone to live and open a flower shop, she jumps at the opportunity! Her family may not believe she’ll succeed, but she does … and that’s all that matters, isn’t it?
Flowers may not be the only thing in Ricki’s future, though, when she encounters a mysterious man in a garden while out walking one night. It’s as if she’s always known him and his reaction to her is equally strange, but there’s no denying their connection. Who is this handsome stranger?
Here’s where the story really gets interesting! There’s more to this man, Ezra Walker, than meets the eye. Ricki’s hilarious no-holds barred friend, Tuesday, isn’t so sure about him, but Ricki? She can’t seem to avoid him even if she wants to!
What will the future hold for her? Let’s just say that she never could imagine in her “Wilde-est” dreams (sorry - I couldn't resist) where the next few weeks will take her and how Della, Ezra and Tuesday will fit into her story! They’re all wonderful characters who were a joy to spend time with.
This is my first read by Tia Williams, who also wrote Seven Days in June, and I’m impressed! Her prose is lovely and peppered with warmth and humor throughout. She’s able to balance the melancholic aspects of the story, evoking just the right mood, without dragging the story into the overly emotional sap that some stories suffer from. There are some spicy open-door scenes, but not too many and nothing you can’t easily skip past!
This does have a strong thread of magical realism - especially in the second half, so if that’s not your thing, you may not enjoy this as much. That IS my thing, so I loved it! It also has chapters that occasionally skip between past and present, showing the reader both modern Harlem and looking back to its Renaissance days, offering a look at important figures and places in Black history - especially major contributors to the music we still enjoy today!
At its heart, this is a charming contemporary romance with two fascinating characters who you can’t help but root for. The only ding to my rating was because I thought the ending wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly, so it lost just a touch of the emotional impact I'd hoped for. It certainly didn’t ruin anything, though. The story is wonderful, and the epilogue was so clever!
I read this on my Kindle while listening to the audio, wonderfully narrated by Mela Lee and Preston Butler. Both formats were excellent, so it’s dealer’s choice on what you prefer. I highly recommend both if you can!
★★★★ ½
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing, NetGalley, and author Tia Williams for this digital ARC to honestly review and to Libby/my library for the audiobook. It’s out now.
December 31, 2024
My #2 Favorite Romance Novel for 2024
“I refuse to live in a world without you in it.”
Sometimes families can mean well and expect you to follow along in their rich footsteps – the successful family funeral business.
But then there are those, like Ricki who have their own creative, talented spirit that needs to follow their own destiny, despite what the family expects of them.
“She was all hope and light and captivating artistic vulnerability, as luminous and colorful as sunlight refracted through a stained-glass window.”
Would Della who walks in the door seeking support for her recently departed husband at Ricki’s family funeral business, be the right angel that sees what her own family can’t in her?
“She just remembered knowing, with certainty, that she’d randomly met her real-life fairy godmother and that she’d felt as dazed and dazzled as if she’d been touched by a magic wand.”
Off Ricki goes to Harlem, New York to set her destiny in motion.
Starting her own business and living in the basement building owned by Della who lives in the top 3 stories of the same building, what new life is in store for Ricki?
Especially when she runs into the tall, dark, rude and secretive Ezra.
And speaking of secrets…
What is that secret that is holding Ezra back?
Will Ricki be what Ezra needs to ultimately save him from himself – or is he an ultimate danger to her?
This magical, sexy, rich racial consciousness undertone poetic story had me going from page one. I was mesmerized by Ricki’s desire for independence just as much as I was curious by Ezra’s mysteriousness.
Still there were so many questions that passed through me as I flew through the pages…
Would Ricki succeed without her family? What was the pull and tug between Ricki and Ezra? Would they overcome whatever it was that presented such tension between them? Could they ever have a chance as a couple? Will these two be able to find what they needed for a truly happy life? And, will it include each other?
And then there was Della – what key did she hold?
This unique page-turner with some magical elements was captivating and emotionally charged throughout. It kept me extremely engaged wanting more.
With an endearing (and sometimes quirky fascinating) supporting cast of characters, this story stayed with me up to the last page.
One last thought…this truly is an epic love story on so many levels. Maybe, one of the best ones I have read this year! Could this possibly be my favorite of 2024?
“I refuse to live in a world without you in it.”
Sometimes families can mean well and expect you to follow along in their rich footsteps – the successful family funeral business.
But then there are those, like Ricki who have their own creative, talented spirit that needs to follow their own destiny, despite what the family expects of them.
“She was all hope and light and captivating artistic vulnerability, as luminous and colorful as sunlight refracted through a stained-glass window.”
Would Della who walks in the door seeking support for her recently departed husband at Ricki’s family funeral business, be the right angel that sees what her own family can’t in her?
“She just remembered knowing, with certainty, that she’d randomly met her real-life fairy godmother and that she’d felt as dazed and dazzled as if she’d been touched by a magic wand.”
Off Ricki goes to Harlem, New York to set her destiny in motion.
Starting her own business and living in the basement building owned by Della who lives in the top 3 stories of the same building, what new life is in store for Ricki?
Especially when she runs into the tall, dark, rude and secretive Ezra.
And speaking of secrets…
What is that secret that is holding Ezra back?
Will Ricki be what Ezra needs to ultimately save him from himself – or is he an ultimate danger to her?
This magical, sexy, rich racial consciousness undertone poetic story had me going from page one. I was mesmerized by Ricki’s desire for independence just as much as I was curious by Ezra’s mysteriousness.
Still there were so many questions that passed through me as I flew through the pages…
Would Ricki succeed without her family? What was the pull and tug between Ricki and Ezra? Would they overcome whatever it was that presented such tension between them? Could they ever have a chance as a couple? Will these two be able to find what they needed for a truly happy life? And, will it include each other?
And then there was Della – what key did she hold?
This unique page-turner with some magical elements was captivating and emotionally charged throughout. It kept me extremely engaged wanting more.
With an endearing (and sometimes quirky fascinating) supporting cast of characters, this story stayed with me up to the last page.
One last thought…this truly is an epic love story on so many levels. Maybe, one of the best ones I have read this year! Could this possibly be my favorite of 2024?
March 31, 2024
10000 ⭐️!!! Tia Williams writes black characters and culture like no other. It’s all so beautiful and I cannot get over it. Absolutely loved the depiction of the black Harlem renaissance 😍
Ezra was SWOOOOOON. gosh, literally the perfect gentlemen who complimented Ricki’s chaos hahaha. Their relationship was as intense as Eva and Shane from 7 Days in June. Which is exactly what I wanted - a love that was so powerful it was almost heartbreaking.
I think the story became predictable after Ricki has a certain thing revealed to her about how to break the curse (don’t want to add a spoiler) but I almost didn’t care cause I was so focussed on the characters alone and not the premise 😂
The story is set in Harlem and is written from two time periods: black Harlem renaissance and present day, February 2024. It covers magic realism involving an unbreakable curse and the magic of the Leap Year. A great mix of romance, fantasy and drama ❤️
We get a HEA and a beautiful epilogue 🥹👌🏾
Ms Della? ANGEL 🥹
Tuesday? A CHAOTIC SISTER 🤣
Ezra was SWOOOOOON. gosh, literally the perfect gentlemen who complimented Ricki’s chaos hahaha. Their relationship was as intense as Eva and Shane from 7 Days in June. Which is exactly what I wanted - a love that was so powerful it was almost heartbreaking.
I think the story became predictable after Ricki has a certain thing revealed to her about how to break the curse (don’t want to add a spoiler) but I almost didn’t care cause I was so focussed on the characters alone and not the premise 😂
The story is set in Harlem and is written from two time periods: black Harlem renaissance and present day, February 2024. It covers magic realism involving an unbreakable curse and the magic of the Leap Year. A great mix of romance, fantasy and drama ❤️
We get a HEA and a beautiful epilogue 🥹👌🏾
Ms Della? ANGEL 🥹
Tuesday? A CHAOTIC SISTER 🤣
April 20, 2024
2/5 ⭐️
- If you love historical fiction or a heavy focus of magical realism, this will be a book that you love but I’m a lover girl and really wanted more of the romance. I fell in love with Ricki and Ezra’s love story and I really wish the story could have been focused more on that, but I feel like the magical realism really took most of the focus of the story.
- I wanted to love this book so bad because I enjoyed seven days in June, but when the book wasn’t leaning into magical realism, it felt almost like I was reading historical fiction because there was so much focus on the history of Harlem.
- The dialogue and banter with Ricki & Ezra was literallyyyy perfect! I almost feel like I need another book just because I didn’t get enough of their love story. The set up of the story was perfect, but it focused so little of the buildup in the romance that it was hard to really enjoy it.
- If you love historical fiction or a heavy focus of magical realism, this will be a book that you love but I’m a lover girl and really wanted more of the romance. I fell in love with Ricki and Ezra’s love story and I really wish the story could have been focused more on that, but I feel like the magical realism really took most of the focus of the story.
- I wanted to love this book so bad because I enjoyed seven days in June, but when the book wasn’t leaning into magical realism, it felt almost like I was reading historical fiction because there was so much focus on the history of Harlem.
- The dialogue and banter with Ricki & Ezra was literallyyyy perfect! I almost feel like I need another book just because I didn’t get enough of their love story. The set up of the story was perfect, but it focused so little of the buildup in the romance that it was hard to really enjoy it.
January 25, 2024
4.5⭐️ This leap year, prepare to fall in love with the magic that is Ricki and Ezra in this fantastic ode to New York City and the Harlem Renaissance.
Ricki Wilde, heir to the Wilde Funeral Dynasty, is unwilling to conform to expectations and join the family business. Ricki is determined to remain the outsider and forge her own path in the world. With the help of her grandmother, she opens Wilde Things, an unconventional florist shop in the heart of modern Harlem steeped in the rich history of the renaissance. Soon, she is encountering a mysterious stranger who shakes up her world, but seems just out of reach.
I have never gone into a book as blind as I did this one, and I am so glad I did. I had zero idea what kind of world awaited me and it tuns out Tia Williams has spun a majestic one.
It has every element you could want in a read - swoony romance, a backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance, an air of mystery, found family, amazing floral puns and so much more. Every scene is lush with the most vivid imagery, it’s hard not to envision this as a movie while reading/listening to it. It even exudes vibes of Pushing Daisies (IYKYK). And the characters? They felt like old friends.
If you want a treat, listen to this one on audio, or even better do an immersive read with the book and audio. Mela Lee (who gives voice to Seven Days in June) and Preston Butler narrate this story to perfection.
Read if you like:
•messy love stories
•fated mates
•floral references
•historical fiction
•the Harlem renaissance
•dual timeline
•Adding LaRue
Thank you {partners} Grand Central Pub and Hachette Audio for my gifted copies.
Ricki Wilde, heir to the Wilde Funeral Dynasty, is unwilling to conform to expectations and join the family business. Ricki is determined to remain the outsider and forge her own path in the world. With the help of her grandmother, she opens Wilde Things, an unconventional florist shop in the heart of modern Harlem steeped in the rich history of the renaissance. Soon, she is encountering a mysterious stranger who shakes up her world, but seems just out of reach.
I have never gone into a book as blind as I did this one, and I am so glad I did. I had zero idea what kind of world awaited me and it tuns out Tia Williams has spun a majestic one.
It has every element you could want in a read - swoony romance, a backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance, an air of mystery, found family, amazing floral puns and so much more. Every scene is lush with the most vivid imagery, it’s hard not to envision this as a movie while reading/listening to it. It even exudes vibes of Pushing Daisies (IYKYK). And the characters? They felt like old friends.
If you want a treat, listen to this one on audio, or even better do an immersive read with the book and audio. Mela Lee (who gives voice to Seven Days in June) and Preston Butler narrate this story to perfection.
Read if you like:
•messy love stories
•fated mates
•floral references
•historical fiction
•the Harlem renaissance
•dual timeline
•Adding LaRue
Thank you {partners} Grand Central Pub and Hachette Audio for my gifted copies.
February 19, 2024
Easily a contender for the worst book that I've read this year....
I was not a fan of Williams' last viral book, and if not for the book club that I participate in I probably wouldn't have rushed out to get this on hold. One of my goals is to be a better book club participant though, so I finished it even though I wanted to dnf.
Personal feelings aside I do think that this suffers from a bit of a pacing problem. This book wants to do some pretty big things, and I can commend Williams for their ambition. In three hundred pages though I'm not sure you can wait for half the book to go by before we really meet the love interest and get through all of the baggage this particular love interest.
Richard Wilde, or Ricki as she prefers to be called, is the daughter of the largest funeral home chain in America. Growing up it was assumed that she would follow in the family business, establish a franchise of the funeral home business and collect on her trust. Only Ricki really dreams of opening up her own floral shop. Only for some reason her family is massively against this? Which, I'm sorry just felt very fake. In fact every character in this book felt like two-dimensional caricatures of the people they were trying to be. Her voicing her desire to do this leads to her losing her job as the receptionist at the flagship location.
Via a pretty convenient moment she lands the perfect floral space, only it means ditching Atlana for Harlem and so that's exactly what she does. With a duo of misfit friends and an elderly landlady she starts about opening up for business and proving to her family that floral shops can be just as good a business as death...
It's here that she eventually meets the love interest, with half the book left... It's also where the book falls off a cliff.
It's important to note that in the early part of the book we get flashbacks to Harlem in the 1920s. It's clear that it's going to have some kind of connection to the present, maybe with the elderly landlady... When the connection becomes clear though is really when I wanted to dnf. So before I get to spoilers just know, no, I don't think anyone needs to read this book...
I was not a fan of Williams' last viral book, and if not for the book club that I participate in I probably wouldn't have rushed out to get this on hold. One of my goals is to be a better book club participant though, so I finished it even though I wanted to dnf.
Personal feelings aside I do think that this suffers from a bit of a pacing problem. This book wants to do some pretty big things, and I can commend Williams for their ambition. In three hundred pages though I'm not sure you can wait for half the book to go by before we really meet the love interest and get through all of the baggage this particular love interest.
Richard Wilde, or Ricki as she prefers to be called, is the daughter of the largest funeral home chain in America. Growing up it was assumed that she would follow in the family business, establish a franchise of the funeral home business and collect on her trust. Only Ricki really dreams of opening up her own floral shop. Only for some reason her family is massively against this? Which, I'm sorry just felt very fake. In fact every character in this book felt like two-dimensional caricatures of the people they were trying to be. Her voicing her desire to do this leads to her losing her job as the receptionist at the flagship location.
Via a pretty convenient moment she lands the perfect floral space, only it means ditching Atlana for Harlem and so that's exactly what she does. With a duo of misfit friends and an elderly landlady she starts about opening up for business and proving to her family that floral shops can be just as good a business as death...
It's here that she eventually meets the love interest, with half the book left... It's also where the book falls off a cliff.
It's important to note that in the early part of the book we get flashbacks to Harlem in the 1920s. It's clear that it's going to have some kind of connection to the present, maybe with the elderly landlady... When the connection becomes clear though is really when I wanted to dnf. So before I get to spoilers just know, no, I don't think anyone needs to read this book...
June 8, 2025
Romantic, real and a bit magical. This one doesn’t top Seven Days In June for me, but it was good nonetheless.
March 10, 2024
3 stars
I went into this completely blind… and I wish I didn’t. I rarely love a magical realism book. For some reason, they don’t usually work for me, and this one didn’t. A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was my first Tia Williams book and won’t deter me from picking up more books from her in the future, I liked her writing style, but the book itself didn’t keep or hold my attention.
I went into this completely blind… and I wish I didn’t. I rarely love a magical realism book. For some reason, they don’t usually work for me, and this one didn’t. A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was my first Tia Williams book and won’t deter me from picking up more books from her in the future, I liked her writing style, but the book itself didn’t keep or hold my attention.
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 3 stars
Narrators: Mela Lee & Preston Butler
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Romance/Historical/Magical Realism
Length: 11h 42m
January 3, 2026
"I was a fool, thinking that I was born to do anything grander than loving her."
i cried.
call me fucking obsessed. first book of the year and what a fucking start. tia willaims, i love you so much.
goddamn what do i even say because words cannot describe the emotional impact this story had on me. it was beautiful, poetic, and UNFORGETTABLE.
ricki, my girl i love you so much. come to mama, i will protect you from this world.
ezra, this man is so perfect i wanna cry. literally he was so mysterious the plot twist threw me upside down lololol.
this story was really different from what i usually read and i'm so glad gary told me about this book and i immediately picked it up and don't regret it.
— TW: death, injury details, racism (including descriptions of lynching), suicide, police brutality, fire/fire injury, emotional abuse, toxic relationships, mental illness, and drug use.
i cried.
call me fucking obsessed. first book of the year and what a fucking start. tia willaims, i love you so much.
goddamn what do i even say because words cannot describe the emotional impact this story had on me. it was beautiful, poetic, and UNFORGETTABLE.
ricki, my girl i love you so much. come to mama, i will protect you from this world.
ezra, this man is so perfect i wanna cry. literally he was so mysterious the plot twist threw me upside down lololol.
this story was really different from what i usually read and i'm so glad gary told me about this book and i immediately picked it up and don't regret it.
— TW: death, injury details, racism (including descriptions of lynching), suicide, police brutality, fire/fire injury, emotional abuse, toxic relationships, mental illness, and drug use.
February 13, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! a gorgeous love letter to harlem’s history & black arts 💐 I want more books like this!! tia williams crafted such a creative love story and her writing is excellent as always! sexy & romantic but also funny in a super charming way. the banter between all the characters (not just the romantic leads but also the eccentric side characters) was so fun!
both ricki & ezra were individually fascinating characters and their chemistry was absolutely sizzling off the page, buuuut I wasn’t fully bought into their deeper connection… it felt very love at first sight and I wanted more windows into their early conversations that really bonded them, instead of just this indescribable “pull” to each other. but at the same time I did believe their fated dynamic because they fit together so well, so idk 😩
one thing I LOVED is how genre-bending this felt. obviously it’s a romance, but it’s also got historical fiction and magical realism woven throughout too. the flashbacks to 1920s harlem renaissance in particular were so vivid & immersive. honestly I wanted more of that setting and more of ezra during that time! in terms of pacing, I did feel a little frustrated that we didn’t really understand how their paths were linked until about halfway through. I wish we got more crumbs leading up to the big reveal.
it has more similarities to addie larue than I expected with the magical realism component, so if you loved that book you could enjoy this one! overall a sweet story perfect for february or for a leap year 💫 definitely really enjoyed & will absolutely read whatever tia williams writes next!
both ricki & ezra were individually fascinating characters and their chemistry was absolutely sizzling off the page, buuuut I wasn’t fully bought into their deeper connection… it felt very love at first sight and I wanted more windows into their early conversations that really bonded them, instead of just this indescribable “pull” to each other. but at the same time I did believe their fated dynamic because they fit together so well, so idk 😩
one thing I LOVED is how genre-bending this felt. obviously it’s a romance, but it’s also got historical fiction and magical realism woven throughout too. the flashbacks to 1920s harlem renaissance in particular were so vivid & immersive. honestly I wanted more of that setting and more of ezra during that time! in terms of pacing, I did feel a little frustrated that we didn’t really understand how their paths were linked until about halfway through. I wish we got more crumbs leading up to the big reveal.
it has more similarities to addie larue than I expected with the magical realism component, so if you loved that book you could enjoy this one! overall a sweet story perfect for february or for a leap year 💫 definitely really enjoyed & will absolutely read whatever tia williams writes next!
February 11, 2024
This really hurts my heart because I REALLY wanted to love this book with all my soul. I’ve been waiting nearly a year for it and it just kind of didn’t hit the mark for me. Maybe it was timing, but it was even hard for me to get into. For me it was just meh, but I’m glad so many of my friends are loving it. Tia is a great writer. I learned a long time ago that not every book will be a hit and that’s okay.
February 9, 2024
dnf 51%
magical realism is not for me and i feel so misled…like even if it were done GOOD this was too insta-lovey (like, SOULMATE insta-lovey) and went downhill from there.
this is so sad because i love seven days in june with everything in me and expected to connect with this one just as much 😕
magical realism is not for me and i feel so misled…like even if it were done GOOD this was too insta-lovey (like, SOULMATE insta-lovey) and went downhill from there.
this is so sad because i love seven days in june with everything in me and expected to connect with this one just as much 😕
January 17, 2024
A LOVE STORY FOR RICKI WILDE was one of my most anticipated 2024 romance releases and it did not disappoint 💜🥹✨ i went into this book pretty blind and it was so unique and beautifully executed. i know fans will enjoy this one!!
read if you like: genre benders, Harlem/jazz, fated love stories, slow burns
can i just say how much i enjoy books that span across multiple genres? other examples: SPELLS FOR FORGETTING, THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW, ADDIE LARUE, etc. this experience while reading this book felt like those to me (and i looooved all 3!). the blend of genres was so well executed and never felt like “too much” was going on. the plot was extremely creative which i find SO refreshing in romance novels—when they feel too “trope-y” and predictable, i start to lose interest.
i will say this one was a slow burn for me and pacing is my main critique. there is a lot of character and “world” building before you start to hit the twists (yes plural..!) but once i hit those, i was 🤯 bravo to romance twists that make me as shook as a thriller 👏🏼
A LOVE STORY FOR RICKI WILDE follows Ricki, a free-spirited woman who breaks free from her families expectations and opens a flower shop in Harlem. little does she know that the apartment where she opened her flower shop has such an interesting history stemming from the 1920 Harlem Renaissance era 👀 and when she comes across a mysterious, handsome stranger in a garden, everything begins to change. that’s all I’m saying 🤐🤐🤐
my other faves thing in this book—1) Ms Della. once you read, you’ll get it. i want one in my life 😂🥹 2) how Ricki romanticized everything. her outlook and attitude was so refreshing. it’s also set during a leap year, so this releasing during a february leap year is 🤌🏼
i personally enjoy SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE more than this one, mainly bc second chance romances are my thing and so hard to beat. but it’s definitely in the same playing field!! i can’t wait for readers to get this in their hands! it was such a fun world to escape into 💜
read if you like: genre benders, Harlem/jazz, fated love stories, slow burns
can i just say how much i enjoy books that span across multiple genres? other examples: SPELLS FOR FORGETTING, THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW, ADDIE LARUE, etc. this experience while reading this book felt like those to me (and i looooved all 3!). the blend of genres was so well executed and never felt like “too much” was going on. the plot was extremely creative which i find SO refreshing in romance novels—when they feel too “trope-y” and predictable, i start to lose interest.
i will say this one was a slow burn for me and pacing is my main critique. there is a lot of character and “world” building before you start to hit the twists (yes plural..!) but once i hit those, i was 🤯 bravo to romance twists that make me as shook as a thriller 👏🏼
A LOVE STORY FOR RICKI WILDE follows Ricki, a free-spirited woman who breaks free from her families expectations and opens a flower shop in Harlem. little does she know that the apartment where she opened her flower shop has such an interesting history stemming from the 1920 Harlem Renaissance era 👀 and when she comes across a mysterious, handsome stranger in a garden, everything begins to change. that’s all I’m saying 🤐🤐🤐
my other faves thing in this book—1) Ms Della. once you read, you’ll get it. i want one in my life 😂🥹 2) how Ricki romanticized everything. her outlook and attitude was so refreshing. it’s also set during a leap year, so this releasing during a february leap year is 🤌🏼
i personally enjoy SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE more than this one, mainly bc second chance romances are my thing and so hard to beat. but it’s definitely in the same playing field!! i can’t wait for readers to get this in their hands! it was such a fun world to escape into 💜
May 18, 2024
Brb having a major "omg why am I a writer who tf do I think I am" moment after reading this 😅😅😅
Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous.
Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous.
August 26, 2024
as somebody who never cries at books, I cried. a lot.
February 6, 2024
Leap years are magical and unexplainable times. Ricki Wilde, youngest child of Atlanta funeral home owner, has had her path set out for her since she was a child. She has always been one to forgo this plan, so, when she decides to leave Atlanta and head to Harlem to open her own flower shop her family is disappointed, but not surprised. She settles in with her loving benefactor and proclaimed new grandmother, Miss Della, and her new best friend, former child star Tuesday. In the midst of navigating a new city and starting a new business on her own, February 2024 rolls around and weird things start to happen, centering around a strange yet handsome man.
My favorite part of this one was the exploration between the contrast of Harlem in the 1920’s and the gentrified Harlem that exists today. There were a lot of really interesting historical tidbits and commentary on how an overwhelmingly high amount of black people have been pushed out of Harlem. There were also a lot of really fun references to some old black musical icons. I wish we got to see more of it, but it was done really well.
Ezra and Ricki, while seemingly drawn to each other, felt very bland to me. I liked both of them on their own but felt no spark when they were together, which was unfortunate. Take this with a grain of salt as I am a lesbian who hates 99% of the M/F sex scenes that I read about, but the sex scenes were very meh to me. I made it through one of them, then skipped over the second one as I just didn’t want to deal with it. That being said, that could be (probably is) a personal thing.
Here is the thing, this book had a lot of stuff packed into it. So much stuff that it felt like I was reading a long prologue for about 40% of it – which is not something I’m really interested in when I pick up contemporary romance books, or really any books besides high fantasy. This book somehow dragged out yet had some many points that felt incredibly underdeveloped and moved too fast. I firmly believe that this could’ve really shone as a trilogy or at least two separate books. There were so many things I wish could’ve gotten more developed, but there genuinely was no time. A lot of plot points suffered (namely Ezra’s entire past), but so did the romance. The concept of this book really is the textbook definition of insta-love, so I didn’t mind it that much, but man I felt like there was no development or chemistry between Ezra and Ricki. I liked them separately, but it really felt like the only reason they were interested in each other at all was the mysterious pull they felt. The most fleshed out part of this book was Miss Della, Ricki’s elderly landlady, and I adored her and her story (even though I do think she could’ve been more fleshed out). The epilogue was also very sweet and warmed my heart.
While I didn’t particularly enjoy this one, I can see how others will and would still recommend checking it out if it sounds interesting. I think I probably would’ve enjoyed this a lot more if it was a movie.
Audiobook
The narrators, Mela Lee and Preston Butler, did an incredible job with this audiobook. While it wasn’t my favorite audiobook, these are some of my favorite narrators I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. If you’re interested in reading this one, I’d definitely recommend checking out the audiobook.
2.5/5
Thank you Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for the audio arc.
My favorite part of this one was the exploration between the contrast of Harlem in the 1920’s and the gentrified Harlem that exists today. There were a lot of really interesting historical tidbits and commentary on how an overwhelmingly high amount of black people have been pushed out of Harlem. There were also a lot of really fun references to some old black musical icons. I wish we got to see more of it, but it was done really well.
Ezra and Ricki, while seemingly drawn to each other, felt very bland to me. I liked both of them on their own but felt no spark when they were together, which was unfortunate. Take this with a grain of salt as I am a lesbian who hates 99% of the M/F sex scenes that I read about, but the sex scenes were very meh to me. I made it through one of them, then skipped over the second one as I just didn’t want to deal with it. That being said, that could be (probably is) a personal thing.
Here is the thing, this book had a lot of stuff packed into it. So much stuff that it felt like I was reading a long prologue for about 40% of it – which is not something I’m really interested in when I pick up contemporary romance books, or really any books besides high fantasy. This book somehow dragged out yet had some many points that felt incredibly underdeveloped and moved too fast. I firmly believe that this could’ve really shone as a trilogy or at least two separate books. There were so many things I wish could’ve gotten more developed, but there genuinely was no time. A lot of plot points suffered (namely Ezra’s entire past), but so did the romance. The concept of this book really is the textbook definition of insta-love, so I didn’t mind it that much, but man I felt like there was no development or chemistry between Ezra and Ricki. I liked them separately, but it really felt like the only reason they were interested in each other at all was the mysterious pull they felt. The most fleshed out part of this book was Miss Della, Ricki’s elderly landlady, and I adored her and her story (even though I do think she could’ve been more fleshed out). The epilogue was also very sweet and warmed my heart.
While I didn’t particularly enjoy this one, I can see how others will and would still recommend checking it out if it sounds interesting. I think I probably would’ve enjoyed this a lot more if it was a movie.
Audiobook
The narrators, Mela Lee and Preston Butler, did an incredible job with this audiobook. While it wasn’t my favorite audiobook, these are some of my favorite narrators I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. If you’re interested in reading this one, I’d definitely recommend checking out the audiobook.
2.5/5
Thank you Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for the audio arc.
March 3, 2024
The beauty of this book is beyond my ability to put into words. WOW! I adored every single thing about it. Ezra and Ricki were just beautiful.
My favorite line by Ms. Della "To me, love is like listening to an album. Some people skip to their favorite songs and ignore the rest. Other people listen to the entire album over and over, until it's familiar and cherished and they know every note by heart. That's how Dr. Bennett and I loved each other. He was music I could listen to forever".
My favorite line by Ms. Della "To me, love is like listening to an album. Some people skip to their favorite songs and ignore the rest. Other people listen to the entire album over and over, until it's familiar and cherished and they know every note by heart. That's how Dr. Bennett and I loved each other. He was music I could listen to forever".
October 4, 2025
This is such a great story of forbidden love.. The way the FMC family was to her is sometimes unbearable and downright disrespectful a times. The Passion in the book is what has me giving it a good rating. Tia did her thing second book of hers I have read and definitely will not be the last.. She has a cool writing style very great character development.. I have to say Tuesday is one of my favorites characters in the book her boldness and carefree nature is entertaining.. there is great representation also. Keep doing your thing Tia Williams
February 26, 2024
Tia Williams, what am I supposed to say about this?
This book starts as a 5 stars read to me because it just speaks to my Lindy Hopper soul. While everyone raves about Taylor Swift references on books, I just can't resist to jazz, swing and Harlem in the 20's.
A love song to Ricki Wilde has a bit of everything: magic, found family, mental health representation and a beautiful love story of 2 star crossed lovers.
I loved Ricki's personality, her perseverance and how she was able to overcome her insecurities and perceived/ imprinted flaws.
Ezra was a great character as well. I loved every bit of the story where he appears, but particularly his background.
The first half of the story was brilliantly executed. I was captivated by both characters, I was engaged in their story-line and I was very curious about how everything was going to be connected. The second part though... I felt the romance lacked some tension and I ended up not loving how the story was tied up. It felt a bit rushed and silly.
My pet peeve with Tia's books is the excessive amount of clothes descriptions. This was ok on the past bits, because it helps you picture everything, and it's actually not overdone on that part... but in the present? Please save me from this. I understand she was/ is a style editor but if I wanted to read about fashion I would just buy fashion magazines. I really don't think this adds anything to the plot and it actually hurts my perception of the characters personality.
This book deserved a playlist. I'll assume this role for Tia and leave here some suggestions:
1 – In a sentimental mood - Duke Ellington
2 – Take the “A” train - Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington
3 - Caroline Shout - James P. Johnson
4 – Honeysuckle Rose – Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie
5 - Stompin at the Savoy – Benny Goodman
6 – It don’t mean A Thing (if it ain-t got that swing) - Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington
7 – Ev’ry time we say goodbye – Ella Fitzgerald
8 – I’m beginning to see the light - Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington
9 – Sing, Sing, Sing – Benny Goodman
10 – Two Sleepy people – Fats Waller
11 – Exactly like you – Martha Tilton, The Carl Kresstette
I'm well aware most of this songs are from the late 30's. I love the instrumental versions from the 20's but I'm very partial to the wonder that is Ella's voice.
This book starts as a 5 stars read to me because it just speaks to my Lindy Hopper soul. While everyone raves about Taylor Swift references on books, I just can't resist to jazz, swing and Harlem in the 20's.
A love song to Ricki Wilde has a bit of everything: magic, found family, mental health representation and a beautiful love story of 2 star crossed lovers.
I loved Ricki's personality, her perseverance and how she was able to overcome her insecurities and perceived/ imprinted flaws.
Ezra was a great character as well. I loved every bit of the story where he appears, but particularly his background.
The first half of the story was brilliantly executed. I was captivated by both characters, I was engaged in their story-line and I was very curious about how everything was going to be connected. The second part though... I felt the romance lacked some tension and I ended up not loving how the story was tied up. It felt a bit rushed and silly.
My pet peeve with Tia's books is the excessive amount of clothes descriptions. This was ok on the past bits, because it helps you picture everything, and it's actually not overdone on that part... but in the present? Please save me from this. I understand she was/ is a style editor but if I wanted to read about fashion I would just buy fashion magazines. I really don't think this adds anything to the plot and it actually hurts my perception of the characters personality.
This book deserved a playlist. I'll assume this role for Tia and leave here some suggestions:
1 – In a sentimental mood - Duke Ellington
2 – Take the “A” train - Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington
3 - Caroline Shout - James P. Johnson
4 – Honeysuckle Rose – Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie
5 - Stompin at the Savoy – Benny Goodman
6 – It don’t mean A Thing (if it ain-t got that swing) - Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington
7 – Ev’ry time we say goodbye – Ella Fitzgerald
8 – I’m beginning to see the light - Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington
9 – Sing, Sing, Sing – Benny Goodman
10 – Two Sleepy people – Fats Waller
11 – Exactly like you – Martha Tilton, The Carl Kresstette
I'm well aware most of this songs are from the late 30's. I love the instrumental versions from the 20's but I'm very partial to the wonder that is Ella's voice.
June 14, 2024
***THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS***
I don't know what to say about this book other than it's one of the worst things I've ever read - a dubious honour considering that I've read a lot of crap in my life.
Love Song tells us the utterly ridiculous, outrageously unbelievable story of Richard Wilde Jr, the black sheep, wallflower, youngest daughter of a prestigious, filthy rich family of funeral home tycoons headquartered in Georgia, USA. Yes, you read that right - Richard Wilde Jr is a chick, named after her father, Richard Wilde Sr, because he'd hoped she'd be his long-awaited son after already having had three daughters. Excuse me while I wipe the film pretentiousness off my screen.
While Ricki's sisters are polished, successful, albeit ruthless, business women, Ricki, by deliberately over-the-top contrast, is awkward, clumsy and naïve - the shame of the family - because of course she is. *insert eyeroll here as we can already deduce where this predictable tale is headed* In fact, she's so different from the rest of her family, particularly her sisters, that they might as well have found her feral and flinging feces in the jungle, slapped a dress on her and plopped her down, wild-eyed and bushy-haired, in the middle of a dinner party at Buckingham Palace.
Her older sisters are perfect, of course, having already completed their university educations, donned their high-powered taupe business suits and, as expected, entered into the family business of chasing ambulances. Ricki, however, works as a lowly receptionist at one of her family's funeral homes and is considered the failure as she hasn't lived up to their expectations. She's a free-spirit, dontcha know, and all she wants to do is become a florist.
One day, she meets Ms. Della - an elderly woman in her 90's who comes to the funeral home to make arrangements for her recently deceased husband. Why dafuq this woman went all the way to Georgia to make arrangements when she lives in NYC is beyond me but I guess the author needed something to keep her dumb plot moving. Within, literally, the space of 5 minutes, Ms. Della has heard all about Ricki's hopes and dreams, formed an unbreakable bond with her and starts referring to her as her granddaughter. She has also offered up the vacant space that she just happens to have available in the boarded up lower floor of her Harlem brownstone so Ricki can open her very own flower shop. With practically no money, no experience and no idea wtf she's doing, Ricki moves from Georgia to Harlem and takes up residence in this strange old lady's home.
Ricki struggles with her business, gets tangled up with an artist named Ali who anyone with eyes can see is a douchebag. Fuck, Stevie Wonder could see he’s an idiot….yet Ricki, who has TWO working eyeballs, somehow doesn’t. She then becomes best friends with a former child star named Tuesday and continuously runs through a gamut of emotions that are so all over the place that they give us, dear readers, the impression that Ricki is in a constant state of mania. One minute she's depressed, the next she's angry, the next she's feeling sorry for herself, the next she`s happy, the next she's a badass bitch. It's exhausting! It feels as if the author wrote a much longer prose that illustrates the gradual shift from one emotion to the other but it ended up on the editing room floor. And if she didn't then she damn well should have!
Before long, Ricki runs into Ezra Walker - a super hunky dude who takes her breath away and triggers a new wave of manic emotions - in some quaint park/garden in what is the stereotypical meet-cute in every badly-written love story set in some big city. Ezra is all mysterious and cryptic, constantly telling Ricki that they need to stay away from each other because it will get "dangerous". Oooooo! Let me wave my exaggerated, sarcastic hands in the air. Of course, they can't stay away from each other because there wouldn't be 300 more shitty pages to wade through.
While we are following Ricki around Harlem in 2024, the author introduces a secondary storyline that takes place in the roaring 20's during the Harlem Renaissance. These parts are clearly written by someone else because the "voice" is completely different and they're actually pretty good! We learn all about a jazz pianist named Breeze Walker - who we are supposed to presume is an ancestor of our hunky present-day Ezra - who has come to Harlem from the Jim Crow south. Through shear talent and hard work, Breeze becomes a famous musician who influences countless rock stars and artists.
Back in the present-day, we learn that Ezra has some sketchy secrets - and it takes the author THREE LONG, DELIBERATELY-DRAWN OUT CHAPTERS to tell us wtf they are!!! And believe me, when you find out who and what Ezra is, you'll want to throw the book into the trash...and then light the trash on fire. It's the stupidest twist I have ever seen put to paper and I actually considered not finishing the book because of it. SPOILER: have you read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue? Yeah? Well, so did this author.
Ezra also has a "life coach"-slash-therapist who has the same sketchy secrets he does. OMFG shut up!
Anyway, when Ricki discovers Ezra's secrets, she spends a couple of paragraphs in exaggerated disbelief (there's a cringey scene where she ACTUALLY puts her curling irons in the form of a cross and shouts "the power of Christ compels you!"….I shit you not!) before having a heart to heart with ol’ Ms. Della and then buying the whole ridiculous thing, hook, line and sinker. She then tells her best friend Tuesday - remember that former child star we mentioned earlier? - the whole story and she's just like "yeah, I'd buy that because I once played a role on TV that had a similar backstory". DAFUQ??? Absolutely the most logical reason to believe this nonsense, right?
While all of this is going on, Ricki's business starts booming and her sisters, whom we haven't heard tell of since the first chapter, suddenly materialize on her doorstep like the fucking Sanderson Sisters. You can almost see the lightening flashing behind them when Ricki opens the door. The author even refers to them as the Witches of Eastwick. OMFG shut up! Ezra makes them dinner, they spend the evening insulting Ricki, Ezra stands up for his woman and then they disappear in a puff of smoke never to be mentioned again. The scene is painfully cartoonish and out of place and is clearly tacked on at the last minute as a big "fuck you" to her sisters for doubting her ‘cause she and her flowers are instagram famous now….or something….I don’t fukkin’ know. So, so bad!
The last 100 pages are Ricki and Ezra having a lot of sex and accepting their predictable fate - a fate that we've figured out 200 pages ago isn't actually going to come to fruition. This isn't a spoiler because, if you read this book and are even sort-of paying attention, you'll have the whooooooole plot figured out 100 pages in.
This book was awful! The author used to be some magazine beauty blogger and it shows. Not only is her writing atrociously bad and the story predictable and corny, her literary "voice" reads like a sassy "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" article in Seventeen magazine. And it irritates the fuck out of you! A lot of other reviews mention that it reads like wattpad fanfiction - this is 100% true. You may have also heard tell of a weird scene where Ricki has sex with a piano - yup, also true. Oh, and there’s also a voodoo curse that comes right out of left field that Ricky and Ezra spend faaaaaar too many pages running around NYC trying to break. It's so cartoonish, you can almost hear the Benny Hill theme song playing in the background. *shakes head in incredulous disbelief*
The author also smashes to smithereens the #1 rule of fiction writing: limit your use of adverbs. Had she been a real writer, she’d have been well-aware of this rule but as someone who talks about lipsticks and eyeliner for a living, she clearly doesn't because every, single page of this asinine piece of junk was littered with 'em. It made her prose sound goofy, childish and amateur. Ricki shouts loudly....have we ever known anyone to shout quietly? OMFG....get a thesaurus ffs!
I don't know where all these raving 5-star reviews came from. I've read the backs of shampoo bottles that were better written and more engaging than this. Absolutely DO NOT recommend. Worst book I've read this year. In fact, I’m confident this will remain a top contender for the worst book I’ll have read all year. Avoid!!!!
I don't know what to say about this book other than it's one of the worst things I've ever read - a dubious honour considering that I've read a lot of crap in my life.
Love Song tells us the utterly ridiculous, outrageously unbelievable story of Richard Wilde Jr, the black sheep, wallflower, youngest daughter of a prestigious, filthy rich family of funeral home tycoons headquartered in Georgia, USA. Yes, you read that right - Richard Wilde Jr is a chick, named after her father, Richard Wilde Sr, because he'd hoped she'd be his long-awaited son after already having had three daughters. Excuse me while I wipe the film pretentiousness off my screen.
While Ricki's sisters are polished, successful, albeit ruthless, business women, Ricki, by deliberately over-the-top contrast, is awkward, clumsy and naïve - the shame of the family - because of course she is. *insert eyeroll here as we can already deduce where this predictable tale is headed* In fact, she's so different from the rest of her family, particularly her sisters, that they might as well have found her feral and flinging feces in the jungle, slapped a dress on her and plopped her down, wild-eyed and bushy-haired, in the middle of a dinner party at Buckingham Palace.
Her older sisters are perfect, of course, having already completed their university educations, donned their high-powered taupe business suits and, as expected, entered into the family business of chasing ambulances. Ricki, however, works as a lowly receptionist at one of her family's funeral homes and is considered the failure as she hasn't lived up to their expectations. She's a free-spirit, dontcha know, and all she wants to do is become a florist.
One day, she meets Ms. Della - an elderly woman in her 90's who comes to the funeral home to make arrangements for her recently deceased husband. Why dafuq this woman went all the way to Georgia to make arrangements when she lives in NYC is beyond me but I guess the author needed something to keep her dumb plot moving. Within, literally, the space of 5 minutes, Ms. Della has heard all about Ricki's hopes and dreams, formed an unbreakable bond with her and starts referring to her as her granddaughter. She has also offered up the vacant space that she just happens to have available in the boarded up lower floor of her Harlem brownstone so Ricki can open her very own flower shop. With practically no money, no experience and no idea wtf she's doing, Ricki moves from Georgia to Harlem and takes up residence in this strange old lady's home.
Ricki struggles with her business, gets tangled up with an artist named Ali who anyone with eyes can see is a douchebag. Fuck, Stevie Wonder could see he’s an idiot….yet Ricki, who has TWO working eyeballs, somehow doesn’t. She then becomes best friends with a former child star named Tuesday and continuously runs through a gamut of emotions that are so all over the place that they give us, dear readers, the impression that Ricki is in a constant state of mania. One minute she's depressed, the next she's angry, the next she's feeling sorry for herself, the next she`s happy, the next she's a badass bitch. It's exhausting! It feels as if the author wrote a much longer prose that illustrates the gradual shift from one emotion to the other but it ended up on the editing room floor. And if she didn't then she damn well should have!
Before long, Ricki runs into Ezra Walker - a super hunky dude who takes her breath away and triggers a new wave of manic emotions - in some quaint park/garden in what is the stereotypical meet-cute in every badly-written love story set in some big city. Ezra is all mysterious and cryptic, constantly telling Ricki that they need to stay away from each other because it will get "dangerous". Oooooo! Let me wave my exaggerated, sarcastic hands in the air. Of course, they can't stay away from each other because there wouldn't be 300 more shitty pages to wade through.
While we are following Ricki around Harlem in 2024, the author introduces a secondary storyline that takes place in the roaring 20's during the Harlem Renaissance. These parts are clearly written by someone else because the "voice" is completely different and they're actually pretty good! We learn all about a jazz pianist named Breeze Walker - who we are supposed to presume is an ancestor of our hunky present-day Ezra - who has come to Harlem from the Jim Crow south. Through shear talent and hard work, Breeze becomes a famous musician who influences countless rock stars and artists.
Back in the present-day, we learn that Ezra has some sketchy secrets - and it takes the author THREE LONG, DELIBERATELY-DRAWN OUT CHAPTERS to tell us wtf they are!!! And believe me, when you find out who and what Ezra is, you'll want to throw the book into the trash...and then light the trash on fire. It's the stupidest twist I have ever seen put to paper and I actually considered not finishing the book because of it. SPOILER: have you read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue? Yeah? Well, so did this author.
Ezra also has a "life coach"-slash-therapist who has the same sketchy secrets he does. OMFG shut up!
Anyway, when Ricki discovers Ezra's secrets, she spends a couple of paragraphs in exaggerated disbelief (there's a cringey scene where she ACTUALLY puts her curling irons in the form of a cross and shouts "the power of Christ compels you!"….I shit you not!) before having a heart to heart with ol’ Ms. Della and then buying the whole ridiculous thing, hook, line and sinker. She then tells her best friend Tuesday - remember that former child star we mentioned earlier? - the whole story and she's just like "yeah, I'd buy that because I once played a role on TV that had a similar backstory". DAFUQ??? Absolutely the most logical reason to believe this nonsense, right?
While all of this is going on, Ricki's business starts booming and her sisters, whom we haven't heard tell of since the first chapter, suddenly materialize on her doorstep like the fucking Sanderson Sisters. You can almost see the lightening flashing behind them when Ricki opens the door. The author even refers to them as the Witches of Eastwick. OMFG shut up! Ezra makes them dinner, they spend the evening insulting Ricki, Ezra stands up for his woman and then they disappear in a puff of smoke never to be mentioned again. The scene is painfully cartoonish and out of place and is clearly tacked on at the last minute as a big "fuck you" to her sisters for doubting her ‘cause she and her flowers are instagram famous now….or something….I don’t fukkin’ know. So, so bad!
The last 100 pages are Ricki and Ezra having a lot of sex and accepting their predictable fate - a fate that we've figured out 200 pages ago isn't actually going to come to fruition. This isn't a spoiler because, if you read this book and are even sort-of paying attention, you'll have the whooooooole plot figured out 100 pages in.
This book was awful! The author used to be some magazine beauty blogger and it shows. Not only is her writing atrociously bad and the story predictable and corny, her literary "voice" reads like a sassy "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" article in Seventeen magazine. And it irritates the fuck out of you! A lot of other reviews mention that it reads like wattpad fanfiction - this is 100% true. You may have also heard tell of a weird scene where Ricki has sex with a piano - yup, also true. Oh, and there’s also a voodoo curse that comes right out of left field that Ricky and Ezra spend faaaaaar too many pages running around NYC trying to break. It's so cartoonish, you can almost hear the Benny Hill theme song playing in the background. *shakes head in incredulous disbelief*
The author also smashes to smithereens the #1 rule of fiction writing: limit your use of adverbs. Had she been a real writer, she’d have been well-aware of this rule but as someone who talks about lipsticks and eyeliner for a living, she clearly doesn't because every, single page of this asinine piece of junk was littered with 'em. It made her prose sound goofy, childish and amateur. Ricki shouts loudly....have we ever known anyone to shout quietly? OMFG....get a thesaurus ffs!
I don't know where all these raving 5-star reviews came from. I've read the backs of shampoo bottles that were better written and more engaging than this. Absolutely DO NOT recommend. Worst book I've read this year. In fact, I’m confident this will remain a top contender for the worst book I’ll have read all year. Avoid!!!!
February 18, 2024
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is an entertaining novel that will definitely appeal to fans of the fated lovers trope. Sure, in the long run, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde proved to be a tad too cheesy and smutty for my taste, but I still had a good time reading it. Tia Williams’ sense of humor shines front and center here as the story has plenty of funny one-liners (“you sentient Buddha statue from Urban Outfitters”), witty banter, clever descriptions, one-liners and comical scenarios and side-characters. At times the humour element did feel a bit too entrenched in internet humor, and some of the references felt already ‘dated’. The novel’s opening has a modern fairy tale feel to it as we are introduced to the Wilde family, who own a funeral enterprise. The youngest daughter Ricki is not particularly interested in her family’s business, nor does she want to emulate her older sisters’ socialite lifestyle. She’s a free spirit who is far more artistic and less materialistic than the rest of her family. Ricki decides to follow her dreams and sets up her own flower shop in a brownstone in Harlem. There she connects with the owner of the brownstone, widowed nonagenarian Ms. Della, who is busy fluffing her own bucket list. Ricki also makes her first real friend, Tuesday, a former child-actor who is in many ways her kindred spirit. As Ricki struggles to find the right business model for her shop, she happens to come across a mysterious musician who, despite their clear chemistry, is not keen on getting to know her, going as far as to ask her to leave Harlem. We also get chapters transporting us back to the Harlem Renaissance, in which follow a young man who shares a lot in common with Ricki’s mystery man.
The book is certainly self-aware in its approach to certain tropes. And in some ways, it succeeds in poking fun at the whole supernatural romance that is has going on…but then the storyline takes way too long to reveal something that most readers will have already figured out from the very start. Why else would we get chapters transporting us back to the roaring 20s? The shift in tone was jarring, as we go from Ricki’s fairly humorous escapades to a character who has endured so much trauma. And I guess I ultimately did not buy into this guy. The story does try to provide a rationale for his inconsistent knowledge of the modern world, but it wasn’t enough to make me believe in this guy. The more you think about his reaction and behavior upon seeing Ricki, the more you realize that, in spite of having ample time to prepare or devise a strategy to escape his fate, the guy decides to say the type of things that would inevitably backfire. Saying mysterious things, acting weird around the FL, and so on. It was giving Robert Pattinson, and in the year 2024, that kind of shit comes across as a huge red flag. Ricki’s bestie Tuesday seems the only ‘sane’ one, but then proceeds to be conveniently won over by him once the whole supernatural thing is explained to her. Ironically enough, for a novel with the words "Love Song" in it, that does primarily focuses on romance, romance was the thing that worked the least (for me obviously). It was just too cheesy: “And, God help her, there it was: Ricki was drawn to this secret tragedy of Ezra, the mystery, the tangible sadness. His unknowable depths.”
I liked Ricki’s new eccentric friends, and I would have much rather read about her bond with them than her insta-love with mystery man. Ricki’s family had potential, but they ended up being relegated to the role of minor villains. I found a certain cameo to be quite unnecessary but even more cringey were those sex scenes (that poor piano…).
Overall, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was a bit of a mixed bag for me. While I liked the chaotic energy of Williams’ characters, as well as her engaging storytelling and humor, the romance and plot failed to win me over.
The book is certainly self-aware in its approach to certain tropes. And in some ways, it succeeds in poking fun at the whole supernatural romance that is has going on…but then the storyline takes way too long to reveal something that most readers will have already figured out from the very start. Why else would we get chapters transporting us back to the roaring 20s? The shift in tone was jarring, as we go from Ricki’s fairly humorous escapades to a character who has endured so much trauma. And I guess I ultimately did not buy into this guy. The story does try to provide a rationale for his inconsistent knowledge of the modern world, but it wasn’t enough to make me believe in this guy. The more you think about his reaction and behavior upon seeing Ricki, the more you realize that, in spite of having ample time to prepare or devise a strategy to escape his fate, the guy decides to say the type of things that would inevitably backfire. Saying mysterious things, acting weird around the FL, and so on. It was giving Robert Pattinson, and in the year 2024, that kind of shit comes across as a huge red flag. Ricki’s bestie Tuesday seems the only ‘sane’ one, but then proceeds to be conveniently won over by him once the whole supernatural thing is explained to her. Ironically enough, for a novel with the words "Love Song" in it, that does primarily focuses on romance, romance was the thing that worked the least (for me obviously). It was just too cheesy: “And, God help her, there it was: Ricki was drawn to this secret tragedy of Ezra, the mystery, the tangible sadness. His unknowable depths.”
I liked Ricki’s new eccentric friends, and I would have much rather read about her bond with them than her insta-love with mystery man. Ricki’s family had potential, but they ended up being relegated to the role of minor villains. I found a certain cameo to be quite unnecessary but even more cringey were those sex scenes (that poor piano…).
Overall, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was a bit of a mixed bag for me. While I liked the chaotic energy of Williams’ characters, as well as her engaging storytelling and humor, the romance and plot failed to win me over.
Want to read
July 1, 2023What do you mean I have to wait till February, 2024?😭😭😭
Love the cover ❤️😍
Love the cover ❤️😍
February 11, 2024
I loved A Love Song For Ricki Wilde! Set in a mix of 2024 and the 1920s in Harlem, this story follows Ricki Wilde, the youngest adult daughter in a powerful Atlanta family, desperate to carve her own path, much to her judgmental family’s dismay. A chance meeting with Ms. Della, a recent widow in her 90s, offers Ricki the opportunity to rent space in Ms. Della’s Harlem brownstone and pursue her dream of opening a floral shop.
As Ricki is settling into her new life in NY, she meets a handsome, mysterious stranger in the community garden. He tries to keep her at bay but their paths keep crossing and as they continue to engage, some of the mystery surrounding him is revealed, for better or worse.
Seven Days in June is one of my all-time favorite romance reads, and it’s a high bar. While this story is different, Tia Williams gives a lot of the same elements I loved here in A Love Song for Ricki Wilde — Strong, believable chemistry between the 2 main characters, smart dialogue, humor, some fun, likable side characters, and a romance, with substance. Highly recommend!
As Ricki is settling into her new life in NY, she meets a handsome, mysterious stranger in the community garden. He tries to keep her at bay but their paths keep crossing and as they continue to engage, some of the mystery surrounding him is revealed, for better or worse.
Seven Days in June is one of my all-time favorite romance reads, and it’s a high bar. While this story is different, Tia Williams gives a lot of the same elements I loved here in A Love Song for Ricki Wilde — Strong, believable chemistry between the 2 main characters, smart dialogue, humor, some fun, likable side characters, and a romance, with substance. Highly recommend!
January 30, 2024
I like the way Tia Williams writes and tells stories. I like that there is some mystery to what she is doing. She is clever without doing too much. I liked the leads (especially Ezra) but I did want more sex and for the book to be shorter. It went on too long and took a while to get going. Overall good and fun with a little history mixed in.
February 13, 2024
“A young man with an old heart, stumbling to catch up with the world, wondering which he should cling to: the past or the present.”
I don’t even know how to begin describing this book without giving away its magic (literally). A Love Song For Ricki Wilde is a beautifully written love song to the Harlem Renaissance. To jazz. To our culture.
I loved everything about Ricki - her social awkwardness, her love for flowers, her independence. When she leaves Atlanta to chase her dreams in Harlem, her world is turned upside down when she bumps into a mysterious man. They are immediately drawn to each other and it becomes impossible to stay away from one another - no matter the consequences.
I don’t even know how to begin describing this book without giving away its magic (literally). A Love Song For Ricki Wilde is a beautifully written love song to the Harlem Renaissance. To jazz. To our culture.
I loved everything about Ricki - her social awkwardness, her love for flowers, her independence. When she leaves Atlanta to chase her dreams in Harlem, her world is turned upside down when she bumps into a mysterious man. They are immediately drawn to each other and it becomes impossible to stay away from one another - no matter the consequences.
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