Seven Days in June
- Downloads：4263
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-02 08:31:22
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Tia Williams
- ISBN：153871910X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Reads & Reviews
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RTF
Caroline Kerdouci
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Actual rating 3。5 ⭐️Seven Days in June is no hearts and flowers romance。 If you’re looking for the typical cute boy meets girl， they fall in love and live happily ever after format then you’ve come to the wrong place！ Tia Williams offers a much darker alternative to that romantic scenario but one that is equally beautiful and moving in places; a complicated， raw， intense， messy， chaotic， passionate and painful love story involving two very damaged individuals， Shane Hall and Eva Mercy who first Actual rating 3。5 ⭐️Seven Days in June is no hearts and flowers romance。 If you’re looking for the typical cute boy meets girl， they fall in love and live happily ever after format then you’ve come to the wrong place！ Tia Williams offers a much darker alternative to that romantic scenario but one that is equally beautiful and moving in places; a complicated， raw， intense， messy， chaotic， passionate and painful love story involving two very damaged individuals， Shane Hall and Eva Mercy who first meet as teenagers and then again fifteen years later。 Both are bestselling authors。 Following their intense and impassioned week of romance with whispered promises that are destined to be broken， Genevieve Mercier reinvents herself age 19 as Eva Mercy， author of erotic fiction series Cursed featuring witches and vampires。 A single mum to the “tween tornado” that is daughter Audre， Eva juggles her writing career alongside motherhood and a debilitating illness。 With the deadline for book number fifteen fast approaching Eva’s heart no longer seems invested in her lead characters futures; the book she feels most compelled to write concerns her heritage。 Acting as a last minute stand in on a book panel at a literary event she unexpectedly comes face to face with her first love and fellow author Shane Hall and all her hard work to obliterate her painful past rapidly dissolves。 The reappearance of this reclusive figure automatically piques the curiosity of fans and those within the literary world， realisation dawning that this pair have been secretly conversing with each other through their fictional characters for years。 A case of art imitating life？ Having written his own novels whilst under the influence of alcohol Shane is now two years sober and looking to build bridges and make amends for his past behaviour but can Eva forgive and forget and if so how can they keep news of their long ago seven day affair under wraps？ Theirs is a history heavily influenced by drug and alcohol addiction， an invisible disease （debilitating migraines）， child neglect and a tragic accident。 As if these aren’t enough hurdles to hinder the healthy development of a long term loving relationship， Eva’s female role models are women for whom love has never run smoothly， their spirits crushed by their Creole menfolk; Lizette， Clotilde and Delphine unable to break the cycle that doesn’t acknowledge their eccentricities/mental illness declaring them possessed by the devil instead。 Reuniting after years of silence the chemistry between Shane and Eva is undeniable; it is scorching and sizzling hot but with so much accumulated baggage， hurt， disappointment and broken promises weighing them down is it even wise to revisit the past and risk getting burned second time around？ Can Eva and Shane together break the curse that besets generations of these women and find their own happy ever after？First loves can be impossible to forget but most of us consign those memories to the past and move forward。 Despite their best efforts these two have been unable to let go， the embers of their love still burning， issues left unresolved， their story not quite finished。 So it’s with the reappearance of Shane that this novel really comes alive and I felt more able to engage with these characters and the details of this couple’s lives past and present。 With scenes ranging from those choked with lust and desire， to those of a bleak， heartbreaking and harrowing nature to those that are more hopeful， this isn’t the most uplifting of reads！ An undercurrent of guilt runs through the narrative， contributing to the overall sombre mood but this is tempered in places by humour thanks to the presence of twelve year old Audre who is smart， sassy and a chip off the old block。 Without a doubt my favourite character， she definitely diffuses some of the tension as does the fierce， at times conniving but loyal friend/editor Cece。 A true “glamazon”！ Although I liked Audre immensely I thought her voice didn’t sound like that of a girl her age。 Are twelve year olds this grown up nowadays or is she simply precocious？ Aside from the romance element this is a novel about the events and the people who define and shape us into the individuals we are today。 Fraught with complications then and now this is a love story firmly rooted in gritty， seedy reality， with no glossing over the harshness of childhoods that are far from idyllic。 Understandably there’s a focus on the mother/daughter dynamic with Eva desperate to give Audre the childhood she herself didn’t get to enjoy， embracing her version of motherhood that differs vastly from Lizette’s。If I’m honest I didn’t find this an easy read， especially early on in the narrative， with so many cultural references that meant nothing to me floating right over the top of my head。 Unable then to fully appreciate every word of this risen from the ashes love story my overall enjoyment was somewhat marred。 There were a few occasions when I almost gave up。 However I’m glad I persevered because underneath all the darkness lies a love story that is deeply affecting。 Reading slight outside my comfort zone I don’t feel best placed to discuss certain aspects of this novel， namely that of race and ethnicity and the story Eva wishes to tell regarding her ancestors but nonetheless I would recommend giving this one a try。 In terms of a love story alone it’s worth your time and effort， if you’re up for the challenge！My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tess
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Ok， this swoony romance was SO FUN。 The hook drew me in at first: two Black authors who had a whirlwind romance in high school have been sending each other message through their books for almost 20 years before reuniting as adults at a literary event。 Doesn't that sound fantastic？ And it was！ I didn't know what else to expect with this book， but it's so modern and cute and heart-wrenching。 We have Eva， a single mother living in Brooklyn who has made a name for herself as a writer of Black vampir Ok， this swoony romance was SO FUN。 The hook drew me in at first: two Black authors who had a whirlwind romance in high school have been sending each other message through their books for almost 20 years before reuniting as adults at a literary event。 Doesn't that sound fantastic？ And it was！ I didn't know what else to expect with this book， but it's so modern and cute and heart-wrenching。 We have Eva， a single mother living in Brooklyn who has made a name for herself as a writer of Black vampires in a Twlight-esque saga spanning 14 books。 Shane is a literary superstar， a reclusive recovering alcoholic who rarely makes public appearances。 As you can imagine， this book is full of juicy literary gossip and name-drops， and an insider look at the publishing world through a Black lens。 It was fascinating， and I fell in love with these troubled characters who find their way back to each other after years apart。 It was also interesting to have the main character suffer from chronic pain and debilitating migraines， and I think the author did a good job depicting what living with that is like， and how it affects her daughter and her love life。 There are certainly hard moments in this light book as well， especially when we flash back to Eva and Shane's high school years as they were both drug addicts at such a young age。 But it still seems true to life， and understandable when you see where life takes them and what brings them back together。 I have to recommend this book for anyone， especially if the synopsis intrigues you and you're looking for a romance that isn't too fluffy！ This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 It comes out today， June 1st 2021！ 。。。more
Joce （squibblesreads）
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happy book birthday to my new favorite book in the world 😭❤️ this book is beyond special to me and i’m honored to have even laid eyes on it。
aarya
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2021 Spring Bingo （#SpringIntoLoveBingo🌷）: Big City Romancertc when i’m not half-asleep Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。
The CurvyJones
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 CW: self harm， addiction， fractured family relationships。 I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am so thankful because this was such a wonderful read。 I fell in love with THE PERFECT FIND in chapter 1 and have been looking forward to Tia's next novel ever since。 Seven Days was well worth the wait。 Tia is LOL funny- witty without being zany and so thoughtfully， insightfully deep without feeling like the book is full of faux wokeness。 So many times， i avoid books about writers becau CW: self harm， addiction， fractured family relationships。 I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am so thankful because this was such a wonderful read。 I fell in love with THE PERFECT FIND in chapter 1 and have been looking forward to Tia's next novel ever since。 Seven Days was well worth the wait。 Tia is LOL funny- witty without being zany and so thoughtfully， insightfully deep without feeling like the book is full of faux wokeness。 So many times， i avoid books about writers because they're incredibly cliche。 It's like writing an attorney by watching Law & Order （my goodness， WHO would EVEN？？？ Not me， haha *looks away）， but this book about lovers who work out their angst about their young troubled love between the pages of best selling novels and series？ *fans self* It's。。。 Words， I don't have them。 GET THIS BOOK AND PUT IT IN YOUR FACE。 Also I am extremely interested in seeing the Perfect Find on the big screen （in my bedroom）。 CANNOT WAIT。 。。。more
veronica
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before actually reading seven days in june i looked through some reviews of it， just to know what exactly i should expect from this book （i’m not a big fan of surprises）。 thanks to them， i knew that this was not going to be a romantic comedy as i believed it to be at first。 still， even with some knowledge about what to expect from this story， i was not prepared to be completely riveted by it。reading this book was a very emotional experience; heartbreaking and heart-warming at the same time。 the before actually reading seven days in june i looked through some reviews of it， just to know what exactly i should expect from this book （i’m not a big fan of surprises）。 thanks to them， i knew that this was not going to be a romantic comedy as i believed it to be at first。 still， even with some knowledge about what to expect from this story， i was not prepared to be completely riveted by it。reading this book was a very emotional experience; heartbreaking and heart-warming at the same time。 the story of eva and shane was moving， very complicated， sad and yet hopeful。 i felt truly devasted at times， reading about their childhood， about everything that they’ve been through; and then， after the story was coming back to the present times， all i could do was admire those two incredibly strong characters， whose lives were anything but easy， but they didn’t give up。 this book also raises a lot of serious， important subjects， such as mental-health problems， chronic pain， alcoholism， drug abuse， suicidal thoughts， hurting yourself and many others。 the romance itself was amazing as well。 very well-written relationship， which the reader could see and feel developing through the story。 the chemistry between eva and shane， their connection were absolutely terrific。 it’s really hard to desribe all the things they made me feel。 they were both fanstatic， interesting and complex characters， who i loved and admired as individuals， and completely fell in love with as a couple。 they cared， understoodnd and supported each other fully and i can only wish that someday i will have a relationship similar to theirs， filled with so much love and adoration。i also really liked how this book spoke about many issues black community has to deal with; white-washing of the characters， for example。 sadly， it is something still very common these days and i appreciated having a chance to know a little more about how complicated it may be from the perspective of a black author。overall， this book was truly remarkable， definitely one of those i am going to remember for a long time and probably come back to one day。 - i received a complimentary copy of this book from quercus books。 opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Louise
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An unusual love story: two people with very unstable childhoods， who find each other in the June of their senior year of high school and are separated in a traumatic event。 They meet again 15 years later。 So， essentially a second-chance romance trope， but such an original take on it。 The magnetism between Genevieve/Eva and Shane is undeniable。 And I just loved Audre， Eva’s precocious preteen daughter！ Eva and Shane are both black and are both writers （very different types of writers！） and each i An unusual love story: two people with very unstable childhoods， who find each other in the June of their senior year of high school and are separated in a traumatic event。 They meet again 15 years later。 So， essentially a second-chance romance trope， but such an original take on it。 The magnetism between Genevieve/Eva and Shane is undeniable。 And I just loved Audre， Eva’s precocious preteen daughter！ Eva and Shane are both black and are both writers （very different types of writers！） and each inspired the main character in the other’s books。 Williams’ writing style was terrific， with acerbic commentary （such as her commentary on the Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn， where I once lived） interwoven with very serious topics throughout the book。 The descriptions of Eva’s totally debilitating migraine pain were visceral。 The scenes of black literati in NYC were so much fun。 Warning: alcoholism， drugs， self-harm， descriptive sex， chronic painThank you to Edelweiss and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Lisa | Read Between the Spines
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I am generally not much of a romance reader。 I saw Seven Days in June on Oprah's list of most anticipated books of 2020 and immediately requested it from NetGalley。 I mistakenly assumed from the cover that it was literary fiction with some romance。 （Do not throw shade。 I know I am not the only person who partially judges a book by its cover。） I am so happy I did， because I may have otherwise skipped this book and that would have been a tragedy。Seven Days in June is an #ownvoices contemporary rom I am generally not much of a romance reader。 I saw Seven Days in June on Oprah's list of most anticipated books of 2020 and immediately requested it from NetGalley。 I mistakenly assumed from the cover that it was literary fiction with some romance。 （Do not throw shade。 I know I am not the only person who partially judges a book by its cover。） I am so happy I did， because I may have otherwise skipped this book and that would have been a tragedy。Seven Days in June is an #ownvoices contemporary romance about second chances， finding yourself， and black joy。 This book is so poignant and covers so many important topics， including invisible disabilities。 Let me start with Tia Williams's writing。 Seven Days in June is witty， funny， and powerful thanks to Williams's writing。 The characters jump from the page and settle into your soul。 I loved that she was able to do this without a ton of internal dialogue。 The conversations in this novel are so rich and deep - think a more currently relevant and smart Gilmore Girls。 I desperately want to be part of their world。 I commend Williams for her depiction of an invisible disability。 It was refreshing and raw。 I related so much and felt seen。 I cannot emphasize how amazing this is。 Williams did not use Eva's disability as a crutch or plot device as is so often done。 I cannot really put it to words， so just trust me and read it。 I often find romance novels annoying because they are all romance without context， plot， or other things occurring in the characters' lives。 Seven Days in June was none of these things。 I was completely absorbed in the story。 I stopped reading to go pee and was so surprised to find that 2 hours had passed。 I became totally invested in Eva's story。 I laughed， I cried， and I loved。 My only real criticism is that the whole seven days concept could have been stronger。 It was easy to breeze over， and it was not fully carried out in parallel which made it further lose its effect。 It also made for a weirdly long epilogue。Overall， I loved Seven Days in June and thought it was brilliant。 That is not a word I would have thought I would ever use to describe a romance， but here we are。 If you are not a fan of steam， you may want to tread lightly， but I thought it was exceptionally tasteful and not too graphic。 And from reading other reviews， if you are not progressive， you may apparently be offended？ 🤷🏻♀️Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an e-ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review。 。。。more
Amy
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A story of two people who shared one intense week of young love when they were teenagers， and meet again years later in New York City。 Both are now in their thirties and successful authors， her a single mother who writes erotic fantasy， and him a reclusive award winning novelist with a checkered past。 The story goes back and forth between June 2004， when they first met and fell in love， and June 2019， when they see each other again for the first time in 15 years。 This book is a beautifully writt A story of two people who shared one intense week of young love when they were teenagers， and meet again years later in New York City。 Both are now in their thirties and successful authors， her a single mother who writes erotic fantasy， and him a reclusive award winning novelist with a checkered past。 The story goes back and forth between June 2004， when they first met and fell in love， and June 2019， when they see each other again for the first time in 15 years。 This book is a beautifully written story of love and resilience。 You root for both of the characters， understand their decisions， and truly want the best for them。 Their stories and paths were both heartbreaking and hopeful。 The chemistry between them was palpable and absolutely sizzling。 The characters were incredibly multi-faceted and through them， the author seamlessly explored many other themes， including the struggle of "invisible disabilities" like chronic migraines， being a single parent， addiction， and life as an author of color in modern America。 The pacing was great and I was just as invested in the story of June 2004 as in them reuniting as adults。 I loved this book and I really fell in love with the two main characters。 This was the kind of book that I hugged to my chest when I finished， feeling happy and satisfied。 。。。more
Marieke du Pré
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A fantastic book！ It’s Black。 It’s hilarious。 Romantic。 Painful。 Dark at times。 A famous erotica author。 An addicted literary writer。 And a second chance love。This is a rom-com and a contemporary in one。 Time and again， I doubt if I still like rom-coms。 And I know now that a lot of books I liked before are not my favorites anymore。 But I love love stories like this。 I laughed out loud， my chest tightened， the corners of my mouth curved up again and again， and I repeatedly thought: no， no， no！ I A fantastic book！ It’s Black。 It’s hilarious。 Romantic。 Painful。 Dark at times。 A famous erotica author。 An addicted literary writer。 And a second chance love。This is a rom-com and a contemporary in one。 Time and again， I doubt if I still like rom-coms。 And I know now that a lot of books I liked before are not my favorites anymore。 But I love love stories like this。 I laughed out loud， my chest tightened， the corners of my mouth curved up again and again， and I repeatedly thought: no， no， no！ I read， and I read and didn’t want to stop。 A real page-turner！Seven Days in June is a witty story， mostly told in dual narrative （third-person）， covering hard-hitting topics like chronic illness， addiction， abuse， and self-harm。 Eva and Shane fell in love fifteen years ago and meet again。 The story jumps from now to then with flashbacks。 I loved to read those flashbacks， but sometimes it hurts tremendously to read about these two lonely and damaged and drugged teens finding refuge and love with each other。Like I said above， I laughed out loud at times。 About Eve’s twelve-year-old daughter Audre who thought she was a mental health specialist， about all those names Tia Williams used （Dadifornia， The Church of Just Think Good Thoughts， The Social Queen of Literari）。 Tia Williams’s writing style is refreshing。 Not cheesy， not cringe-worthy， just humorous。 And even though some parts were tough to read， there was still hope throughout the book。I almost skipped this book on NetGalley， but when I saw some reviews coming by， I decided to request it after all， and I am so glad I did！！I received an ARC from Quercus and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Annarella
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This is the kind of romance that I love: it's clever， full of humor and sharp observation。I think that the author writes tongue in cheek and I was hooked since the first pages。I loved how the dual timeline and I loved the two characters， well thought and interesting。Eva is a strong woman and who faces all the issues related to a chronic illness and pain。 She's my favorite and her POVs were my favorite parts of the books。The author is a talented storyteller and this story made me root for the cha This is the kind of romance that I love: it's clever， full of humor and sharp observation。I think that the author writes tongue in cheek and I was hooked since the first pages。I loved how the dual timeline and I loved the two characters， well thought and interesting。Eva is a strong woman and who faces all the issues related to a chronic illness and pain。 She's my favorite and her POVs were my favorite parts of the books。The author is a talented storyteller and this story made me root for the characters， laugh and think。I'm not the right person to write about the "sensual" part as I usually skip sex scenes （find them boring most of the times） but I can say I didn't skipped the so I consider it a compliment to the author。Engrossing， clever and highly entertaining。Strongly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Karen
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Seven days to fall in love， fifteen years to forget and seven days to get it all back again。。。 From the author of The Perfect Find， this is a witty， romantic， and sexy-as-hell new novel of two writers and their second chance at love。Seven Days in June is an intense read。 It’s full of emotion and deals with weighty subjects like chronic pain， addiction （and overcoming addiction）， family issues， and more。 Eva and Shane burned hot and bright during their week together as teens; they were on a path Seven days to fall in love， fifteen years to forget and seven days to get it all back again。。。 From the author of The Perfect Find， this is a witty， romantic， and sexy-as-hell new novel of two writers and their second chance at love。Seven Days in June is an intense read。 It’s full of emotion and deals with weighty subjects like chronic pain， addiction （and overcoming addiction）， family issues， and more。 Eva and Shane burned hot and bright during their week together as teens; they were on a path of self-destruction， but they saved each other in a way。 As adults， the pair continue to have a magnetic pull to each other， and they have to see if they can overcome their past while trying to figure out if it’s possible to have a future together。A romance novel for those who don't normally like the genre。 Seven Days in June reads more like contemporary fiction with a side of romance。 Characters are older， flawed， and just trying to live their best lives。 I enjoyed the storyline and it felt genuine and not added in as it can in typical romances。 A perfect read for the summer。 Sensitive romance readers should note that this is not a clean romance。 There is profanity throughout and there are two somewhat steamy scenes that could easily be skipped over if preferred without losing any of the story。I recommend this book for romance readers， make sure this is on your summer tbr！Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Milena
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Seven Days in June by Tia Williams was one of my most anticipated summer reads， and I am happy to say it lived up to my expectations。 I loved it！ I loved Tia Williams' refreshing and wry writing style， and I adored Eva's and Shane's second chance romance。 I also loved Eva's twelve-year-old daughter， Audre。 She was my favorite secondary character。 Eva and Shane spent a wild week together and fell madly in love when they were both seventeen。 More than a decade later， both are successful writers， Seven Days in June by Tia Williams was one of my most anticipated summer reads， and I am happy to say it lived up to my expectations。 I loved it！ I loved Tia Williams' refreshing and wry writing style， and I adored Eva's and Shane's second chance romance。 I also loved Eva's twelve-year-old daughter， Audre。 She was my favorite secondary character。 Eva and Shane spent a wild week together and fell madly in love when they were both seventeen。 More than a decade later， both are successful writers， they get a chance to reconnect and rekindle their relationship while attending Black Literary Excellence Awards in NYC。 They get to spend a week together and discover if their connection is as strong as it was the first time around。 Will they be able to overcome past hurts and traumas that tore them apart when they were seventeen？ If you are looking for an exceptional， emotional romance that celebrates Black love and Black success， make sure to pick up Seven Days in June！ Note: this book has a lot of trigger warnings including child neglect， drug/alcohol abuse， self-harm。 It also has a chronic illness rep （migraines）。 *ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley 。。。more
Traci at The Stacks
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This was such a good romance not too sappy and loved the main characters。 I enjoyed reading it and was rooting for their love story the whole time。 Good sexy scenes and romantic tension but not too graphic or excessive amounts of sex。 It went a little long at the end but otherwise a good one。
Jendella
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I laughed out loud， I cried a bit， I was completely invested in this。 Shane and Eva meet as desperate and troubled teenagers and fall in love over a wild week and then reunite 15 years later after flings， divorce， addiction and parenthood。 Come for the romance and the sauce， stay for the Creole accents， characters that feel real and New York Black Literati jist。
Toni （Brooms Reviews）
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This was so nearly a 5 star read for me but it just didn’t need the epilogue and in the style of a free arc for an honest review - I scan read the last 20 pages！ Of course that is just by opinion but I would have been wholly satisfied if the ending had left me wondering。 Anyway that’s my only criticism as there is so much to say about this book that deserves praiseI was initially drawn in by the tag line ‘Seven days to fall in love， fifteen years to forget， and seven days to get it all back agai This was so nearly a 5 star read for me but it just didn’t need the epilogue and in the style of a free arc for an honest review - I scan read the last 20 pages！ Of course that is just by opinion but I would have been wholly satisfied if the ending had left me wondering。 Anyway that’s my only criticism as there is so much to say about this book that deserves praiseI was initially drawn in by the tag line ‘Seven days to fall in love， fifteen years to forget， and seven days to get it all back again。。。’ and couldn’t wait to start reading Eva and Shane’s chaotic love story。Tia Williams doesn’t disappoint with a narrative that switches between past and present。 The characters feel real， their experiences raw， believable and far from a fairytale。 It also delves into some serious topics such as invisible disability， abuse， sexual assault， self harm。 I would suggest that the book should come with a possible trigger warning。Special mention to Audre - Eva’s daughter I loved her！ 4/5 stars from me！ 。。。more
Michele
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This review is only of the first 3 chapters。 （ I did not receive 4？ but that's ok）。 I was captivated immediately and can't wait for the release so I can pick up where I left off。 The story seems to flip flip in time from past to present。 The main character seems to have made a better life for herself but has some past issues with her health which I didn't get far enough to find out yet。 I am assuming the story will take us on how she got where she is today。 The author's writing is easy to follow This review is only of the first 3 chapters。 （ I did not receive 4？ but that's ok）。 I was captivated immediately and can't wait for the release so I can pick up where I left off。 The story seems to flip flip in time from past to present。 The main character seems to have made a better life for herself but has some past issues with her health which I didn't get far enough to find out yet。 I am assuming the story will take us on how she got where she is today。 The author's writing is easy to follow and not overkill in description。 Thank you #SevenDaysinJuneExcerpt and #NetGalley for the preview！ Looking forward to continuing this story。 。。。more
Marie
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Eva and Shane spent a week together fifteen years ago as lost， broken teenagers。 Each of them was looking to numb their pain - both physical and emotional - and they had a whirlwind romance that changed their lives and set them on very different paths。 Those paths cross again years later， and while much of the week they spent together is an alcohol-and-drug-hazed blur， they remember everything they felt for each other - including all the pain they ultimately caused one another。 In the last fifte Eva and Shane spent a week together fifteen years ago as lost， broken teenagers。 Each of them was looking to numb their pain - both physical and emotional - and they had a whirlwind romance that changed their lives and set them on very different paths。 Those paths cross again years later， and while much of the week they spent together is an alcohol-and-drug-hazed blur， they remember everything they felt for each other - including all the pain they ultimately caused one another。 In the last fifteen years， they’ve both become bestselling authors。 They’re the only ones who know they’ve been writing about each other all this time。Seven Days in June is an intense read。 It’s full of emotion and deals with weighty subjects like chronic pain， addiction （and overcoming addiction）， family issues， and more。 Eva and Shane burned hot and bright during their week together as teens; they were on a path of self-destruction， but they saved each other in a way。 As adults， the pair continue to have a magnetic pull to each other， and they have to see if they can overcome their past while trying to figure out if it’s possible to have a future together。 The heavy themes are balanced by humour （Eva’s 12-year-old daughter Audre is a trip） and sensuality， making for a truly compelling read。 I’ve seen so many people， especially over the last year， talking about how necessary it is to see Black joy in books and not just pain and suffering， since that’s what so many books about POC tend to focus on - Shane and Eva even say that themselves within the book - so I really appreciated the focus on Black excellent and triumph， and I rooted for Eva and Shane separately and together throughout the book。Romance fans， make sure Seven Days in June is on your summer TBR！ 。。。more
Kendra Hutchinson
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Wow this was spectacular。 I think I may have found a new favourite author。 The story in short is about Eva and Shaun both authors who were childhood sweethearts under tragic circumstances and only lasted for 7 days in June！ The book picks up with Eva who has a deadline for her 15th romantic erotica novel but has writers block！ I laughed， I criedh and then laughed some more。 A brilliant read and everything I want in a book！Trigger warnings for drug abuse， self harm， alcoholism and childhood traum Wow this was spectacular。 I think I may have found a new favourite author。 The story in short is about Eva and Shaun both authors who were childhood sweethearts under tragic circumstances and only lasted for 7 days in June！ The book picks up with Eva who has a deadline for her 15th romantic erotica novel but has writers block！ I laughed， I criedh and then laughed some more。 A brilliant read and everything I want in a book！Trigger warnings for drug abuse， self harm， alcoholism and childhood trauma。 Thank you to Netgalley for the arc of this book 。。。more
mw138
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3。5 starsThis is a sweet story about two people reconnecting after a decade and a half apart。 The banter between Shane and Eva was fun to read， and even with the many dark points in their past， they were really good together。 The book is engaging and is filled with current pop culture references。 I hope Tia Williams considers writing a book about Eva's grandmother。 That's definitely a book I'd love to read！ 3。5 starsThis is a sweet story about two people reconnecting after a decade and a half apart。 The banter between Shane and Eva was fun to read， and even with the many dark points in their past， they were really good together。 The book is engaging and is filled with current pop culture references。 I hope Tia Williams considers writing a book about Eva's grandmother。 That's definitely a book I'd love to read！ 。。。more
Eros Bittersweet
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I received a book sample consisting of the first four chapters via NetGalley。 And I'm so impressed by how this novel threads its way through extremely comedic and extremely difficult subject matter。 At first I thought the descriptions were a bit too summary and the tone a bit too self-consciously campy - there's a lot of physical character descriptions followed by mini infodumps about them， and lot of quippiness。 But this is done so intentionally against really dark and difficult scenes that the I received a book sample consisting of the first four chapters via NetGalley。 And I'm so impressed by how this novel threads its way through extremely comedic and extremely difficult subject matter。 At first I thought the descriptions were a bit too summary and the tone a bit too self-consciously campy - there's a lot of physical character descriptions followed by mini infodumps about them， and lot of quippiness。 But this is done so intentionally against really dark and difficult scenes that the comedy winds up feeling like a breather from the tough stuff， because you know this book will eventually become light and funny again。 We meet our protagonist Eva right before she's about to go to a book event for the very successful Twilight/50 Shades-esque erotica series she began when she was 19， and has continued to write into her late 20s。 Eva's on book 16 and there's talk of movie options along with fantasy casting by the fanclub！ The book event is filled with white women who are taking this fluffy project of hers waaay too seriously and getting far too invested in its erotic content right in front of the author， which makes her uncomfortable。 And she feels so many different ways about her own success。 She's a bit resentful of being chained to a project she started at 19 （she is literally chained to her chair as a nod to the book's kink in the meeting， lol）。 She's outgrown the dark romance she loved to write in her youth and would love to move on to other projects， but for financial reasons she can't。 Even so， she is proud of her work and does not discredit her teen self - she makes this speech to the audience she worries will come off as too forceful， about how teen girls change the world and she's in their company。 But later， Eva starts thinking of how she envies these women's perceived normalcy， how she feels like an alien and an outsider among them for a few reasons。 She suffers from chronic pain， and has a migraine coming on; she excuses herself to go vomit in the bathroom。 This bit of drama feels not at all gratuitous - it feels like the private side of a person who's clever and talented but also struggling to cope。 No one comes to save her， either。 She pulls herself together on her own。 With the help of some THC gummy bears， or course！ This picture of Eva is established in which she's clever and funny but also grappling with her health and her feelings of being an alienated outsider。 In her Brooklyn environment， the diversity around her is mostly queer and mixed-race。 Her identity as a young single mom， and black woman with a black child whose Dad is not "Jewish or Vietnamese。 Or a woman。" is not the norm in Park Slope。 We meet her charmingly precocious tween daughter Audre， who is woke AF。 In chapter 2， the daughter calls out her mother's "heterotypicalness" for assuming an older boy she'd invited over with a group of friends must have nefarious intent。 There's some holes in the daughter's education though: Audre thinks that "British Columbia" means "the British part of Columbia，" lol。 "Brooklyn school strike again。。。No concept of geography， but she's mastered mindfulness，" thinks Eva。 Audre has some kind of grift going on， psychoanalyzing white children in her class and charging them $20 a session。 Eva makes her return the money， while Eva's friend jokes that this is her daughter going after "reparations。" This book is so， so funny。 Chapters 3 and 4 get into Eva's tough childhood as the daughter of a single mom escort。 Because of this time spent on her journey， it seems like the novel will have a women's fiction arc of character growth alongside the romance plot。 By chapter 4， we haven't yet met the hero。 In these chapters， we see a young Eva in an exploitative situation with her mom's client that's really frightening， even if nothing too graphic actually happens。 The novel again manages to find just the right note， showing how tough， smart， capable and funny Eva is （even in a scene with a would-be abuser， she's cracking jokes at his expense） while also making her a realistically vulnerable and imperfect teen。I've never read anything quite like this， in which a really light tone is used to go really dark， especially with the humor， which has real teeth。 I've also never read a book in which I enjoyed infodumpy digressions so much。 There's background on Eva's brief， sad marriage to a Pixar animator， on her mom's family history， and her best friend literary editor buddy， that in less skilled hands might've felt too expository。 But each of these were a delight to read and made me increasingly invested in the characters。 I'll definitely be checking out the book when it's released！ 。。。more
Dallas Strawn
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I was immediately drawn in from this books tag line。。。。I mean come on， “Seven days to fall in love。。。Fifteen years to forget。。。and Seven days to get it all back again。。。。”。 My heart y’all 💔 This one wrecked me with all the feels。 It’s sexy as hell。。。。。and shockingly LAUGH out loud funny at times？！ The protagonists are Eva Mercy， an erotica writer， and Shane Hall， a reclusive literary fiction writer， who had a powerful connection in high school and something happened to cause there lives to go se I was immediately drawn in from this books tag line。。。。I mean come on， “Seven days to fall in love。。。Fifteen years to forget。。。and Seven days to get it all back again。。。。”。 My heart y’all 💔 This one wrecked me with all the feels。 It’s sexy as hell。。。。。and shockingly LAUGH out loud funny at times？！ The protagonists are Eva Mercy， an erotica writer， and Shane Hall， a reclusive literary fiction writer， who had a powerful connection in high school and something happened to cause there lives to go separate ways， but they never forgot about each other， it shows in the writing they’ve published。。。。and there paths cross again fifteen years later。 And you must read it to find out more。 Don’t let anyone spoil it for you！It was a true page turner， I kept flipping wanting to know what was going to happen， and I particularly loved the relationship on page between Eva and her tween daughter Audre。 The book is beautiful， and I truly loved it。 All the stars！！！！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you so much to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy！ 。。。more
Kimberly
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A romance novel for those who don't normally like the genre。 Seven Days in June reads more like contemporary fiction with a side of romance。 Characters are older， flawed， and just trying to live their best lives。 I enjoyed the storyline and it felt genuine and not added in as it can in typical romances。 A perfect read for the summer and it is rumored to be Reese's pick for June。 Sensitive romance readers should note that this is not a clean romance。 There is profanity throughout and there are tw A romance novel for those who don't normally like the genre。 Seven Days in June reads more like contemporary fiction with a side of romance。 Characters are older， flawed， and just trying to live their best lives。 I enjoyed the storyline and it felt genuine and not added in as it can in typical romances。 A perfect read for the summer and it is rumored to be Reese's pick for June。 Sensitive romance readers should note that this is not a clean romance。 There is profanity throughout and there are two somewhat steamy scenes that could easily be skipped over if preferred without losing any of the story。 。。。more
Rachel
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3。5 stars
OonaReads
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4。5 starsSeven Days in June by Tia Williams was an incredible romance novel。 The story is about Eva and Shane， who fell in love when they were in high school。 15 years later， they meet again and that is where we start the story。 Eva and Shane are both successful authors， and they have been writing about one another for over a decade。 I will say from the start that I’m not a big fan of second chance romances， however， this book did it so well that the trope actually enhanced the story。 The book s 4。5 starsSeven Days in June by Tia Williams was an incredible romance novel。 The story is about Eva and Shane， who fell in love when they were in high school。 15 years later， they meet again and that is where we start the story。 Eva and Shane are both successful authors， and they have been writing about one another for over a decade。 I will say from the start that I’m not a big fan of second chance romances， however， this book did it so well that the trope actually enhanced the story。 The book shows flashbacks to Eva and Shane falling in love and why they were separated in the first place。 I loved Eva as our main character。 She’s a single mom and a paranormal erotica author。 She suffers from migraines which cause her debilitating pain。 I don’t think I’ve read a romance book ever， where the main character suffers from a chronic illness which is discussed as thoroughly as this one。 Sometimes she manages the pain， but sometimes she’s limited in ways that not many people understand because of the invisibility of the illness。 Shane is seen as a very mysterious lit fic author， but he’s struggling with writing since he got sober。The love story between Eva and Shane was at times painful to read because both of the characters have gone through so much in their lives， but it was also hopeful， because we can see how far they’ve come from the circumstances of their teen years。 The book deals with many issues that are hard-hitting。 These were mostly in the flashback scenes because the things Eva and Shane had to go through as teens were very rough， due to Eva trying to manage her pain and her mom being quite neglectful and Shane being an orphan without a stable home。However， even with the more difficult topics being discussed， I still found a lot of scenes hilarious。 The first scene made me giggle because it was so unexpected。 Audre， Eva’s daughter brough such lightness into the novel， even though children generally annoy me in adult literature。 The spouts of humour and heart-warming scenes were balanced excellently with the more difficult scenes。 I would recommend this to anyone wanting to read a romance that is absolutely brilliant but not a fluffy or romcom type。Thank you to @quercusbooks for providing me an arc via @netgalleyTW: substance abuse （alcohol and drugs）， self-harm， homelessness， institutionalized racism， child neglect， and gun violence 。。。more
Kibkabe
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Seven Days in June by Tia Williams follows two best-selling authors who reunite on the New York literati circuit years after a high school fling that left them scarred。 It’s a sophisticated romance still accompanied by a happily ever after。 Manhattanite single mom Eva Mercy is a former best-selling novelist whose Black vampire romance series à la Twilight still excites fans via the interwebs。 By chance， an author drops out of a panel event， and Eva gets the last-minute invitation to fill the spo Seven Days in June by Tia Williams follows two best-selling authors who reunite on the New York literati circuit years after a high school fling that left them scarred。 It’s a sophisticated romance still accompanied by a happily ever after。 Manhattanite single mom Eva Mercy is a former best-selling novelist whose Black vampire romance series à la Twilight still excites fans via the interwebs。 By chance， an author drops out of a panel event， and Eva gets the last-minute invitation to fill the spot。 That’s where she sees fellow， still-successful best-selling novelist Shane Hall， a mysterious intellectual who makes women and men alike swoon。 Eva tries not to swoon because it turns out she and Shane went to high school once in D。C。 and spent a week of debauchery in a mansion during their senior year。 They meet up for a day in New York where the deep-rooted chemistry overtakes them。 The day blends into another one and another where they start catching up about what went wrong when they were teenagers。 Eva thinks Shane， who was a foster child and drug dealer at the time， abandoned her at her lowest point， but she learns that another force divided them。 As they try to rekindle what they had as adults， Eva and Shane must combat their demons to accept the love that was severed so many years ago。This is Tia Williams’ most complex work yet。 Known for centering her novels on Black women in New York working in media， the author adds more layers to Eva’s character and Shane’s character not common in a lot of women’s fiction and romance novels。 In adolescence， the main characters are dealing with substance abuse， self-harm， unstable homes， and missing parents。 In adulthood， the age-old traumas return with them realizing how reflective their behaviors are when they interact with each other and the kids in their lives like Eva’s Gen Z daughter Audre and Shane’s mentee Ty。 The character and storyline complexity blends well with the ubiquitous pop culture references the author loves to add to her novels。 Also， this is the first novel the author makes her main character an author as well when her previous novels’ main characters are beauty and fashion editors like her former day job life。 Switching up the career choice also shows more depth with Eva translating her healing process through her books and Shane doing the same with his。 Another element of the novel is Eva living with her invisible disability of suffering from debilitating migraines that worsen with barometric pressure。 This also reflects the author’s life。 She has given this trait to her first novel’s main character from The Accidental Diva， but this time around in Seven Days in June she makes Eva feel the everyday pain and impact and gives Audre the fear of seeing her mother chronically ill。 The migraines also contribute to Eva’s writer’s block and how she’s struggling to deliver the 15th book of her famous series that is getting the film treatment with some hiccups along the way。 Overall， this novel is an excellent summer beach read that’s definitely a page-turner the deeper you get into the book。 Tia Williams’ last novel from 2016， The Perfect Find， is in production with Gabrielle Union for Netflix。 This novel also has silver-screen potential， especially with the book-to-film subplot that brings up diversity and inclusion in Hollywood projects。 。。。more
AnnaLuce
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/ / / Read more reviews on my blog / / /3 ½ stars “It never ends， does it？ Loving you never ends。” Seven Days in June took me by surprise。 The romcom tone of this novel's first pages belies the serious topics and issues it later delves into。 Seven Days in June is the kind of read that has you laughing out loud one moment before pulling at your heartstrings next。 So on the one hand we have a heart-melting romance and an abundance of hilarious moments， on the other， we have a narrative that explor / / / Read more reviews on my blog / / /3 ½ stars “It never ends， does it？ Loving you never ends。” Seven Days in June took me by surprise。 The romcom tone of this novel's first pages belies the serious topics and issues it later delves into。 Seven Days in June is the kind of read that has you laughing out loud one moment before pulling at your heartstrings next。 So on the one hand we have a heart-melting romance and an abundance of hilarious moments， on the other， we have a narrative that explores grief， trauma， addiction， abuse， self-harming， and chronic illness。 This could have easily resulted in an uneven blend of romance and tragedy but it is not the case here。 Tia Williams flawlessly weaves together moments of lightness and comedic relief with more poignant and sombre scenes。“They both had their twisted compulsions， different corners of the same hell。” In Seven Days in June， we are introduced to Eva Mercy， a thirty-something single mom who has authored a paranormal erotica series about vampires and star-crossed lovers。 Eva suffers from a chronic illness that often manifests itself through severe migraines that leave her bedridden and unable to move， let alone perform those everyday activities that most people don't have to think twice about。 Eva is meant to be writing the next instalment in her series but finds herself wanting to write about the 'cursed' women in her family。 Between being pressured by her producer to agree to whitewash her own characters for the film adaptation of her book （here here is a brilliant video essay that discusses white audiences wanting & expecting white actors to play poc characters） and her 'tween' daughter， whom she is really close to， getting in trouble at school Eva is feeling understandably overwhelmed。 So when award-winning literary author Shane Hall shows up at a literary event she's taking part in。。。Eva is less than prepared。 More than a decade ago she and Shane spent a passionate love and drug-fueled week together， one that has haunted them ever since。 Shane， now a teacher， has been clean for two years。 His privacy has lent me an air of mystery in the literary world， and whereas Eva's books are often seen as popular smutty fiction， his books are celebrated as modern classics。 Shane wants to make amends for the way things ended between them but Eva isn't keen on getting her heartbroken again。Despite the years that have passed since their short-lived relationship neither of them has been able to truly 'get over' the other and soon Eva finds herself wanting to believe that Shane has truly changed。 In the following days， the two rekindle their love again， causing quite the stir in the literary community。Eva and Shane's chemistry was off the charts。 Not only are they on the same wavelength， but they seem to draw strength from each other's presence。 As the days go by they reveal to each other their vulnerabilities， fears， and desires。 Interspersed through these 'present' chapters are ones that give us a glimpse of their fated 7 days together back in their teens。 We learn how Shane became an addict， the neglect they both experienced， Eva's harmful coping mechanism in response to her chronic pain and home life， and of how the two fell for one another。 I loved how Williams is able to show the depth of their feelings for each other without taking away from their individual character arcs。Williams' writing flows like a dream， and she easily shifts between tones—from a more tongue-in-cheek one to a more melancholic one—and her dialogues can be either 'ah-ah' levels of entertaining to 'give you all the feels' levels of devastating。 Eva and Shane are of course the starts of the show and their dynamic was truly wonderful。“Was this being seen for what she really was？ Being witnessed？ It was heady and terrifying。” There were things that detracted from my overall enjoyment of this novel。 We have the classic misunderstanding that typically occurs in romance novels around the 80% mark， a tertiary character is sacrificed to amp up the tension between our mains， and the pacing in the final arc is kind of off （we get pages and pages of texting）。 I also wonder about the 'seven' days premise。。。I thought we would be getting a day by day narrative but the story often seems to forget to mention how much time has passed between each encounter （i can only remember that there was a party on Saturday）。Still， I think that Williams has written a great romance novel， one that doesn't shrink away from tackling complex subjects。 While I'm usually not a fan of steamy sex scenes （i prefer the kind of awkward sex scenes that appear in fleabag） Williams' ones were actually pretty decent， sensual without being corny or icky。“Eva had been imprisoned in pain for so long， she’d forgotten how good feeling good was。” Williams' portrayal of self-harming and chronic illness really resonated with me （we have doctors， strangers， and friends dismissing the severity of eva's symptoms， how she notices that the people around her make movements or perform activities she is unable to） and I was so happy that Eva's characterisation doesn't solely revolve around her pain。 Shane’s addiction too isn’t there to make him into the classic ‘tortured’ bad boy and we see how he still struggles to adapt to his new ‘clean’ lifestyle。“What was it like， the luxury of not hurting？” Eva’s interactions with Audre—her daughter—and her friends filled me with joy and it was refreshing to see non romantic relationships being given so much room in a romance。 Audre was such a delightful character and she has some of the best lines If you are looking for an emotionally resonant and nuanced second chance romance， look no further。 Brimming with humor and empathy Seven Days in June makes for a swoon-worthy and heart-rendering romance。ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Estelle
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I’m not rating this book because I am a part of GCP but wow wow wow wow。 Talk about a slump buster。 I loved this so much。 Second chance romance， alternate between now and high school， main characters are both writers， very cute daughter。 Steamy， whew！
Joe
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