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Seven Days in June
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Romance (2021)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.
Brooklynite Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer, who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award-winning literary author who, to everyone's surprise, shows up in New York.
When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their past buried traumas, but the eyebrows of New York's Black literati. What no one knows is that twenty years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. They may be pretending that everything is fine now, but they can't deny their chemistry-or the fact that they've been secretly writing to each other in their books ever since.
Over the next seven days in the middle of a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect, but Eva's not sure how she can trust the man who broke her heart, and she needs to get him out of New York so that her life can return to normal. But before Shane disappears again, there are a few questions she needs answered. . .
With its keen observations of Black life and the condition of modern motherhood, as well as the consequences of motherless-ness, Seven Days in June is by turns humorous, warm and deeply sensual.
Brooklynite Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer, who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award-winning literary author who, to everyone's surprise, shows up in New York.
When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their past buried traumas, but the eyebrows of New York's Black literati. What no one knows is that twenty years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. They may be pretending that everything is fine now, but they can't deny their chemistry-or the fact that they've been secretly writing to each other in their books ever since.
Over the next seven days in the middle of a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect, but Eva's not sure how she can trust the man who broke her heart, and she needs to get him out of New York so that her life can return to normal. But before Shane disappears again, there are a few questions she needs answered. . .
With its keen observations of Black life and the condition of modern motherhood, as well as the consequences of motherless-ness, Seven Days in June is by turns humorous, warm and deeply sensual.
336 pages, ebook
First published June 1, 2021
About the author
Tia Williams
29 books4,490 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 22,796 reviews
September 14, 2021
I gotta be cursed. Almost all of my incredibly anticipated 2021 releases are just not hitting for me.
I know I'm the outlier with my rating on this book, but just hear me out. I see why folks loved this. In my view, it had an extremely strong start, and it had a lot of potential. It had the bones to be a knockout read for me, but didn't quite get there.
I'll start with what I loved about Seven Days in June. Firstly, the book is really funny, which I had not expected based on the book cover and description. I also loved the disability representation here. I think the author wrote about the main character's chronic migraine condition with tenderness and honesty, and I really appreciated that. I also think the chemistry between the main characters Eva and Shane was positively electric, and literally leapt off the page. And that is the whole reason for a romance novel, isn't it? So, slam dunk there. Eva and Shane's connection and dialogue had my heart racing.
What did not work for me, however, sort of outweighed my enjoyment of the above. Firstly, the book is crammed with every single possible millennial Black cultural reference possible, and it feels very effortful and a little try-hard. I get it, this is a Blackity Black book, and I appreciate that, as a Blackity Black person. But it almost felt as if someone who is not a Black millennial wrote it (I have no idea how old the author is, and I don't care enough to google it). It was like just trying way too hard to be hip and relatable. And it started to weigh the narrative down in some parts of the book, where the story could have been more streamlined. Because, the author definitely can write! Really well! But the writing here lacked restraint, lacked any sort of subtlety and falls into the trap of cramming every cultural marker it can into every sentence. Exhausting.
I also think the book is unnecessarily dramatic. I usually love a high-stakes story, I love high drama in my books - when it feels warranted and fleshed out. When it makes sense. So, our main characters met as two messy teens and have an electrifying (and super problematic, tbh) week together, and then don't see each other for fifteen years. However, the teen versions of the characters felt like two characters off the show of Eurphoria. Like, the premise of their week together and not seeing each other for fifteen years is, in my opinion, dramatic enough to keep a reader engaged. And, I'm not opposed to the characters meeting when they were both messy and fucked up kids (I actually like the fact that this romance was not cookie-cutter or typical in that way), but the characterization of teenaged Eva and Shane was just really intense and extreme, in my view. And, we did not spend enough time with them as teens to fully appreciate how damaged they were. It's also problematic to call that week they had together "love," imo. It was intense and all-consuming for them both...but the basis for love? I am not sure that is a safe message tbh.
Lastly, I take real issue with how many of the hood/lower class/working class Black folks are written in this story. It was very much giving classism, and it made my skin crawl. The characters were all these bizarrely outdated archetypes relying on some stereotypical notions of blackness and poverty, and it really soured my view of the book as a whole (and, the author.) Incredibly disappointing.
I had more issues with this read, but my hands are tired from typing so I'ma leave it there. In all, this book had potential but didn't live up to what I'd hoped for it. I'm happy others seem to be enjoying it, though.
I know I'm the outlier with my rating on this book, but just hear me out. I see why folks loved this. In my view, it had an extremely strong start, and it had a lot of potential. It had the bones to be a knockout read for me, but didn't quite get there.
I'll start with what I loved about Seven Days in June. Firstly, the book is really funny, which I had not expected based on the book cover and description. I also loved the disability representation here. I think the author wrote about the main character's chronic migraine condition with tenderness and honesty, and I really appreciated that. I also think the chemistry between the main characters Eva and Shane was positively electric, and literally leapt off the page. And that is the whole reason for a romance novel, isn't it? So, slam dunk there. Eva and Shane's connection and dialogue had my heart racing.
What did not work for me, however, sort of outweighed my enjoyment of the above. Firstly, the book is crammed with every single possible millennial Black cultural reference possible, and it feels very effortful and a little try-hard. I get it, this is a Blackity Black book, and I appreciate that, as a Blackity Black person. But it almost felt as if someone who is not a Black millennial wrote it (I have no idea how old the author is, and I don't care enough to google it). It was like just trying way too hard to be hip and relatable. And it started to weigh the narrative down in some parts of the book, where the story could have been more streamlined. Because, the author definitely can write! Really well! But the writing here lacked restraint, lacked any sort of subtlety and falls into the trap of cramming every cultural marker it can into every sentence. Exhausting.
I also think the book is unnecessarily dramatic. I usually love a high-stakes story, I love high drama in my books - when it feels warranted and fleshed out. When it makes sense. So, our main characters met as two messy teens and have an electrifying (and super problematic, tbh) week together, and then don't see each other for fifteen years. However, the teen versions of the characters felt like two characters off the show of Eurphoria. Like, the premise of their week together and not seeing each other for fifteen years is, in my opinion, dramatic enough to keep a reader engaged. And, I'm not opposed to the characters meeting when they were both messy and fucked up kids (I actually like the fact that this romance was not cookie-cutter or typical in that way), but the characterization of teenaged Eva and Shane was just really intense and extreme, in my view. And, we did not spend enough time with them as teens to fully appreciate how damaged they were. It's also problematic to call that week they had together "love," imo. It was intense and all-consuming for them both...but the basis for love? I am not sure that is a safe message tbh.
Lastly, I take real issue with how many of the hood/lower class/working class Black folks are written in this story. It was very much giving classism, and it made my skin crawl. The characters were all these bizarrely outdated archetypes relying on some stereotypical notions of blackness and poverty, and it really soured my view of the book as a whole (and, the author.) Incredibly disappointing.
I had more issues with this read, but my hands are tired from typing so I'ma leave it there. In all, this book had potential but didn't live up to what I'd hoped for it. I'm happy others seem to be enjoying it, though.
June 14, 2021
Reading this book was like being sucked into a VORTEX OF EMOTION. You know those books that carve out a place in your memory forever, the kind you could see on a stranger’s shelf in twenty years and immediately recognise as That One Book? Seven Days in June is one of those.
First of all, the heroine’s chronic migraines were brilliantly portrayed, which is no surprise considering 1. The author’s skill and consideration and 2. The fact that she also deals with the condition. (I was lucky enough to speak with Tia Williams about this book and everything I learned only made me love it more.) So if you enjoy warm but honest depictions of characters - especially heroines - dealing with illness and society and medical (mis?)management and everything else disability might encompass, you should read this book for that alone.
Then there’s the examination of, for want of a better term, generational curses. How the way we’re raised can lift us up or sit on our backs as we grow and move through the world. Eva and Shane’s backstories, the issues they coped with as a result, and the choices they made regarding the children in their lives and their own futures, were all so significant to me.
THEN there’s the fact that this is a book about people writing books, and it delves into creative process, fandom, sexism in publishing, and the public perception of various genres (romance and erotica fans who are sick of being underestimated RISE).
FINALLY, let me get to the fact that this romance is just… epic. From the titular 7 days in June, which was Romeo & Juliet inspired and certainly shows it, to the second-chance romance that is the central story, to That Scene in the art installation (here is a flames emoji), to the pitch-perfect ending that suited these characters down to the ground, to THE WAY EVA AND SHANE HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER, ugh, I am trash, I am TRASH FOR THIS BOOK OKAY??? That. Is. All.
First of all, the heroine’s chronic migraines were brilliantly portrayed, which is no surprise considering 1. The author’s skill and consideration and 2. The fact that she also deals with the condition. (I was lucky enough to speak with Tia Williams about this book and everything I learned only made me love it more.) So if you enjoy warm but honest depictions of characters - especially heroines - dealing with illness and society and medical (mis?)management and everything else disability might encompass, you should read this book for that alone.
Then there’s the examination of, for want of a better term, generational curses. How the way we’re raised can lift us up or sit on our backs as we grow and move through the world. Eva and Shane’s backstories, the issues they coped with as a result, and the choices they made regarding the children in their lives and their own futures, were all so significant to me.
THEN there’s the fact that this is a book about people writing books, and it delves into creative process, fandom, sexism in publishing, and the public perception of various genres (romance and erotica fans who are sick of being underestimated RISE).
FINALLY, let me get to the fact that this romance is just… epic. From the titular 7 days in June, which was Romeo & Juliet inspired and certainly shows it, to the second-chance romance that is the central story, to That Scene in the art installation (here is a flames emoji), to the pitch-perfect ending that suited these characters down to the ground, to THE WAY EVA AND SHANE HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER, ugh, I am trash, I am TRASH FOR THIS BOOK OKAY??? That. Is. All.
March 11, 2022
blood, sweat, and tears is what came out of me while reading this book! i fucking loved it so much. this books takes second chance lovers to whole other level yall. i was dragging my inner eyelids on concrete for these characters. 😭💖✨
Eva and Shane deserve the world. i really enjoyed how this book gave us equally parts deep characters and an enticing story. i was on my knees crying for these characters and hoping the best for them💖😭
i loved this book so much. the love story. this was smart and sexy. i love eva and shane separately and together. they were real and raw characters. this book had my emotions all over and i was here for it 100% 💖💖💖
Eva and Shane deserve the world. i really enjoyed how this book gave us equally parts deep characters and an enticing story. i was on my knees crying for these characters and hoping the best for them💖😭
i loved this book so much. the love story. this was smart and sexy. i love eva and shane separately and together. they were real and raw characters. this book had my emotions all over and i was here for it 100% 💖💖💖
December 31, 2022
i closed the book and immediately threw it !! now there is a bruise on my shin that was not there before tia williams ripped my heart out of my chest and trampled it with this story. it was good & you should read it, then throw your book too so we can have matching shin bruises!
that might be the review or maybe i’ll say more, either way i gotta go wipe my tears and take a breath.
that might be the review or maybe i’ll say more, either way i gotta go wipe my tears and take a breath.
May 18, 2022
Seven Days in June takes a second chance love story and manages to capture within its pages an entire spectrum of Black spirit, joy, humor, and redemption.
Fifteen years ago in high school, Eva and Shane had a euphoric week together that left them forever changed. Since then, they've each gone on to become best-selling authors, working out their heartbreak through their respective novels. When a chance encounter gives them another seven days together, they know they must give this second chance their all to see where it could lead.
I've been really getting into romances lately with diverse representation, and this book is a perfect example of that. It doesn't shy away from the fact that both of its main characters are flawed individuals. Shane is a recovering addict who has spent time in jail, but he's clean now and is mentoring underprivileged kids. Eva is a single mother to a precocious daughter, but she suffers from debilitating migraines and her pain affects every part of her life.
There's the all-important sizzle whenever these two share a page, and it makes for a riveting read. To see these two souls finally come together and experience love and acceptance, something they both desperately crave but had in short supply all their lives, feels poignant and heartwarming.
The cast of supporting Black characters adds so much spark and levity to the whole thing. One part of the book that felt particularly prescient is when a panel of authors are discussing how Black literature is often relegated to only talking about suffering and trauma, and denied the whole range of everyday human experiences that white literature is afforded. It feels like Tia Williams is making commentary on her own book, and I think she succeeds admirably in bring out the entire range of experiences for her Black characters.
This was a thoroughly compelling modern-day romance. Its message that everyone deserves redemption and love, even those with flaws and baggage, is a worthy one. And the author's homage to Black lives lived to their fullest is beautiful to witness.
My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.
Fifteen years ago in high school, Eva and Shane had a euphoric week together that left them forever changed. Since then, they've each gone on to become best-selling authors, working out their heartbreak through their respective novels. When a chance encounter gives them another seven days together, they know they must give this second chance their all to see where it could lead.
I've been really getting into romances lately with diverse representation, and this book is a perfect example of that. It doesn't shy away from the fact that both of its main characters are flawed individuals. Shane is a recovering addict who has spent time in jail, but he's clean now and is mentoring underprivileged kids. Eva is a single mother to a precocious daughter, but she suffers from debilitating migraines and her pain affects every part of her life.
There's the all-important sizzle whenever these two share a page, and it makes for a riveting read. To see these two souls finally come together and experience love and acceptance, something they both desperately crave but had in short supply all their lives, feels poignant and heartwarming.
The cast of supporting Black characters adds so much spark and levity to the whole thing. One part of the book that felt particularly prescient is when a panel of authors are discussing how Black literature is often relegated to only talking about suffering and trauma, and denied the whole range of everyday human experiences that white literature is afforded. It feels like Tia Williams is making commentary on her own book, and I think she succeeds admirably in bring out the entire range of experiences for her Black characters.
This was a thoroughly compelling modern-day romance. Its message that everyone deserves redemption and love, even those with flaws and baggage, is a worthy one. And the author's homage to Black lives lived to their fullest is beautiful to witness.
My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.
June 15, 2024
Y'all I finally found a second chance romance trope that I genuinely liked 😭😭 This is something I never saw coming and it makes me so happy 😭😭
But you know what worked for me? It had a genuine story and depth. The backstories were interesting, the past was well presented and the balance between past and present was chef's kiss. The best part was the fact that there was actual growth for both the characters. That's exactly what I expected from a second chance romance.
I liked Eva and Shane's connection and chemistry but most importantly I really liked them as individuals. They didn't need to depend on each other. They were their own people despite their traumas. I liked the chronic illness rep. Audre kinda annoyed me, but that's expected from a teen I guess. I really hated Lizette tho, especially when the reveal happened.
One thing that could have been better was if the trigger warnings had been mentioned. I wasn't expecting to be met with self harm, suicide, abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, gun violence, child abuse, neglect and death.
~•~•~
I think it would be a crime if I didn't read it in June. But am so scared of reading another second chance trope. Please be good 😭
But you know what worked for me? It had a genuine story and depth. The backstories were interesting, the past was well presented and the balance between past and present was chef's kiss. The best part was the fact that there was actual growth for both the characters. That's exactly what I expected from a second chance romance.
I liked Eva and Shane's connection and chemistry but most importantly I really liked them as individuals. They didn't need to depend on each other. They were their own people despite their traumas. I liked the chronic illness rep. Audre kinda annoyed me, but that's expected from a teen I guess. I really hated Lizette tho, especially when the reveal happened.
One thing that could have been better was if the trigger warnings had been mentioned. I wasn't expecting to be met with self harm, suicide, abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, gun violence, child abuse, neglect and death.
~•~•~
I think it would be a crime if I didn't read it in June. But am so scared of reading another second chance trope. Please be good 😭
March 26, 2024
I have said, many times, in many contexts, one could even claim "willy-nilly," that I am, at heart, a hater.
And in many ways, this is true. I enjoy making fun of people, writing negative reviews, and generally being a lovable but curmudgeonly presence in my community.
But also, I always want (and even usually EXPECT) to love what I read.
Sometimes it simply proves impossible.
In this case, I expected a kind of literary romance situation (and you can accuse me of judging a book by its cover, and you might be right!), but it is not what I got.
Instead, I got half extremely silly fun pop culturey second-chanceish love and (abruptly!) half very disturbing very messy very upsetting backstory of the original chance in question!
Let me back up.
This book follows Eva, a semi-struggling romance writer and single mom, and Shane, an enigmatic wildly successful bad boy of the literary world. We find out that they spent 7 sordid days together in, you guessed it, June of one high school year or other, and also by sordid I mean "violent, sexual, addictive, and generally a huge unexpected tone shift for lil old me and our lil old characters."
Unfortunately this just included too many things for me, and I didn't like how they were handled. Definitely visit a trigger warnings list for this book before diving in, if you need them! I do not need trigger warnings but I do really hate when things that may be triggering aren't treated in a way that feels delicate to me, and unfortunately that's how I felt about the fairly gruesome self-harm in this book, which seemed to me to be barely addressed except to be referenced as part of these teens' terrible traumas.
Alliteration unintended.
I cared about the characters, but I also wanted to shake them, and that never went away, not even in the overly-significant epilogue (where a lot of events were relegated!) or by the ending itself.
This meeting of the unpopular opinion club concludes here. Until next time, fellow haters.
Bottom line: Not what I expected, and with a handful of handy-dandy dealbreakers thrown in!
-----------------
pre-review
this was filled with so many feelings that i feel like i have to wait for my own feelings to load.
review to come / 3?? stars??? i don't know
-----------------
tbr review
when everyone is talking about a book, i wait until no one is talking about it anymore, and then i read it
And in many ways, this is true. I enjoy making fun of people, writing negative reviews, and generally being a lovable but curmudgeonly presence in my community.
But also, I always want (and even usually EXPECT) to love what I read.
Sometimes it simply proves impossible.
In this case, I expected a kind of literary romance situation (and you can accuse me of judging a book by its cover, and you might be right!), but it is not what I got.
Instead, I got half extremely silly fun pop culturey second-chanceish love and (abruptly!) half very disturbing very messy very upsetting backstory of the original chance in question!
Let me back up.
This book follows Eva, a semi-struggling romance writer and single mom, and Shane, an enigmatic wildly successful bad boy of the literary world. We find out that they spent 7 sordid days together in, you guessed it, June of one high school year or other, and also by sordid I mean "violent, sexual, addictive, and generally a huge unexpected tone shift for lil old me and our lil old characters."
Unfortunately this just included too many things for me, and I didn't like how they were handled. Definitely visit a trigger warnings list for this book before diving in, if you need them! I do not need trigger warnings but I do really hate when things that may be triggering aren't treated in a way that feels delicate to me, and unfortunately that's how I felt about the fairly gruesome self-harm in this book, which seemed to me to be barely addressed except to be referenced as part of these teens' terrible traumas.
Alliteration unintended.
I cared about the characters, but I also wanted to shake them, and that never went away, not even in the overly-significant epilogue (where a lot of events were relegated!) or by the ending itself.
This meeting of the unpopular opinion club concludes here. Until next time, fellow haters.
Bottom line: Not what I expected, and with a handful of handy-dandy dealbreakers thrown in!
-----------------
pre-review
this was filled with so many feelings that i feel like i have to wait for my own feelings to load.
review to come / 3?? stars??? i don't know
-----------------
tbr review
when everyone is talking about a book, i wait until no one is talking about it anymore, and then i read it
February 7, 2023
So, I have found myself a perfect book. A perfect book that should’ve been longer, because why do stories need to end again?
I don’t know what Tia Williams smoked, I don’t know what sorcery she conjured up, because her storytelling abilities? Out of this world. I’m not exaggerating.
The writing? Flawless. There is no way you can fault it.
It had me from page one. It just hits you right away and you instinctively know you are about to read something incredible and worthwhile.
Those moments where you can feel yourself slipping into a story? That was this book. I didn’t want to come back up, but I had to come back up, because I needed to breathe. I needed moments to let the story marinate into my soul. And there were things that I had to pay attention to. Important story things that had me reflecting and feeling far too deeply, but also laughing out loud.
It’s unnerving how compelling this book was and how mesmerised I became because of it. I think there was such a respect placed on the concepts of stories and art and Blackness and life itself.
It read spiritual. It truly read like a dream.
And Eva and Shane literally had what dreams are made of.
Man, I’m not going to move past this any time soon.
“You walked away from his books dazed, wondering how he’d managed to rip out your heart before you realized what was happening.”
*Trigger warnings for abuse, self-harm and alcohol and drug addiction.*
I don’t know what Tia Williams smoked, I don’t know what sorcery she conjured up, because her storytelling abilities? Out of this world. I’m not exaggerating.
The writing? Flawless. There is no way you can fault it.
It had me from page one. It just hits you right away and you instinctively know you are about to read something incredible and worthwhile.
Those moments where you can feel yourself slipping into a story? That was this book. I didn’t want to come back up, but I had to come back up, because I needed to breathe. I needed moments to let the story marinate into my soul. And there were things that I had to pay attention to. Important story things that had me reflecting and feeling far too deeply, but also laughing out loud.
It’s unnerving how compelling this book was and how mesmerised I became because of it. I think there was such a respect placed on the concepts of stories and art and Blackness and life itself.
It read spiritual. It truly read like a dream.
And Eva and Shane literally had what dreams are made of.
Man, I’m not going to move past this any time soon.
“You walked away from his books dazed, wondering how he’d managed to rip out your heart before you realized what was happening.”
*Trigger warnings for abuse, self-harm and alcohol and drug addiction.*
March 8, 2022
I'm going to have an unpopular opinion about this book. So many people have loved this book and have found it be heartbreakingly beautiful. While I found the writing to be spectacular, I just couldn't get behind the story itself.
Seven Days in June focuses on two characters, Eva and Shane, who originally meet at a young age and connect for a week. After a tragic incident, the two characters never see each other again until 15 years later where they both end up attending a literature event. They then spend time reconnecting attempting to put the pieces of the puzzle together of where they left off.
Here's my issue with this novel from the jump. There is absolutely nothing romantic about the way Eva and Shane meet. Nothing about that could be considered indicative of love. It was co-dependent and both characters spent the week mostly in a drunk, drug induced haze. So, I'm confused by those who consider this to be a second chance romance or even considered their relationship as teenagers to be powerful. It was painful to read and that could be because I was triggered by the nature of their relationship and some of Eva's behaviors. Because their foundation was so rocky and so co-dependent, I was actually concerned that they would fall into the same behavioral patterns once they reconnected. Don't get me wrong, as adults these two had great chemistry, but they just didn't seem prepared or ready for love. It didn't feel like they handled their trauma in totality. Because I was so concerned about not only their mental, but also their physical and emotional well-being, I wasn't really in-tune with the romance. In fact, this book is barely a romance. That HEA came through at the very last minute and even then I still had my concerns. Additionally, this book was laced with so many pop culture references to Black culture that it felt like it was trying too hard to be Black and it felt forced instead of natural.
This book wasn't bad. It was a solid read for me, but it definitely didn't live up to the hype. I think that it hit a little too close to home in terms of behaviors of the characters. I did enjoy Williams' writing style. It was fluid and poetic and really made the novel a quick read in terms of pacing. I think that she also did an excellent job with the disability representation. She wrote with a lot of thoughtfulness and compassion. I could say the same thing about the mental representation. It was handled with a lot of care, but I didn't feel like it was conducive to a stable, healthy relationship between the main characters. Unfortunately, I didn't share the same level of enjoyment that everyone else had.
Seven Days in June focuses on two characters, Eva and Shane, who originally meet at a young age and connect for a week. After a tragic incident, the two characters never see each other again until 15 years later where they both end up attending a literature event. They then spend time reconnecting attempting to put the pieces of the puzzle together of where they left off.
Here's my issue with this novel from the jump. There is absolutely nothing romantic about the way Eva and Shane meet. Nothing about that could be considered indicative of love. It was co-dependent and both characters spent the week mostly in a drunk, drug induced haze. So, I'm confused by those who consider this to be a second chance romance or even considered their relationship as teenagers to be powerful. It was painful to read and that could be because I was triggered by the nature of their relationship and some of Eva's behaviors. Because their foundation was so rocky and so co-dependent, I was actually concerned that they would fall into the same behavioral patterns once they reconnected. Don't get me wrong, as adults these two had great chemistry, but they just didn't seem prepared or ready for love. It didn't feel like they handled their trauma in totality. Because I was so concerned about not only their mental, but also their physical and emotional well-being, I wasn't really in-tune with the romance. In fact, this book is barely a romance. That HEA came through at the very last minute and even then I still had my concerns. Additionally, this book was laced with so many pop culture references to Black culture that it felt like it was trying too hard to be Black and it felt forced instead of natural.
This book wasn't bad. It was a solid read for me, but it definitely didn't live up to the hype. I think that it hit a little too close to home in terms of behaviors of the characters. I did enjoy Williams' writing style. It was fluid and poetic and really made the novel a quick read in terms of pacing. I think that she also did an excellent job with the disability representation. She wrote with a lot of thoughtfulness and compassion. I could say the same thing about the mental representation. It was handled with a lot of care, but I didn't feel like it was conducive to a stable, healthy relationship between the main characters. Unfortunately, I didn't share the same level of enjoyment that everyone else had.
April 8, 2023
eva and shane😩🫶🏼
August 2, 2021
7 days to fall in love,
15 years to try to forget,
7 days to try again?
Eva Mercy, a single mum and erotic writer, and Shane Hall, an award winning literary author meet at a book event and sparks fly. What no one else knows though, is that they've met before, after having a week long romance when they were teenagers. As they reconnect in this second chance romance, can Eva trust Shane after he broke her heart fifteen years ago? As Shane is battling with his own demons, can they make it work?
This wasn't what I was expecting... It was messier, more complicated and darker than I thought it would be from the cover and synopsis. I'm probably going to be an outlier here, but I didn't love it! I also had no idea how to rate it because although I loved aspects of it, I also had major problems with a lot of parts too. So I sat and wrote a pros and cons list, and they had about the same number of items on each one!🤦♀️Hopefully by the end of this review I will have a clearer idea!
Trigger warnings for drug/alcohol abuse, self harm, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, child abuse, neglect, and death.
Pros:
👍I really liked Eva! I felt for her dealing with her chronic illness, whilst working and being a single parent. She was a great character and I wanted the best for her after a rough start in life.
👍The inclusion of an invisible disability was fantastic to see, and it was handled sensitively. I have suffered on and off from migraines since I was a teenager, and they can be awful. Luckily I mostly know my triggers and very rarely have them now, but they can have a horrible impact, and so many people just write them off as headaches, when it's so much worse than that! I get blurry vision, flashing lights and then feel like the back of my head has been hit with a hammer. I've also had sickness. Even so, my experience is nothing compared to many migraine sufferers, who are so incapacitated by them, and Eva's case was tough to read about, but important to see on the page.
👍Self harm and mental health issues were depicted well.
👍Eva and Shane had some great chemistry, and definitely had unfinished business! There were a couple of very steamy scenes🔥🔥🔥
👍Seven Days in June felt like a celebration of black culture, and it was great to see such a positive look at it!
👍The humour and snappy dialogue had me smiling and giggling at parts!
👍The wonderful mother/daughter relationship between Eva and Audre.
👍The discussion about Hollywood whitewashing, which I have always thought is awful!
👍It was a quick, emotional and gripping read.
👍Adults overcoming childhood trauma ❤
Cons:
👎
👎The constant pop culture references did my head in, and will certainly date this book. I didn't understand many of them, and it just felt like excessive name dropping.
👎The overly descriptiveness, especially referencing the clothes everyone was wearing and who designed them was tiresome.
👎It felt too YA for me in parts.
👎The characters were both so dysfunctional, still recovering from their pasts. They needed therapy, not to jump into bed with each other! Especially Shane!
👎The clichéd conflict near the end, which could've and should've been sorted by sending a simple text message. It's 2021, everyone has a phone on them, no excuses for that dude.
👎The character who was used as a throw away, which was unnecessary and cruel.
👎I wanted more of Eva's family background and history in Belle Fleur! This was built up, and then quickly glossed over. I found that aspect of the book so interesting, but it felt like an add on to the story. I wanted to see more of Eva's relationship with Lizette; that felt unfinished, and I wanted more about her ancestors!
👎The epilogue... Here I go again whingeing about this! Why does every book have an epilogue these days? Most of the time it feels so unnecessary, and often it ruins things! In this case, some parts were sweet, but it dragged on for so long, I felt like it should've been included in the main chapters, rather than sticking it on as an overly long epilogue at the end?!
👎The political and social commentary.. I didn't disagree with it per say, but I just don't like it being shoved down my throat in a romance book like that. It could be very alienating to those who like myself, aren't American, or those who disagree. It felt like it was trying too hard, trying to fit too many things in.
Ultimately, I don't think this book knows what it wants to be? It wasn't the hot summer romance that I wanted it to be. I wanted more.
This is my opinion though, and I will probably be an outlier. A lot of people loved this book, and it was a Reese book club pick, so give it a go, and I'm sure many of you will enjoy it! If you want a romance with darker issues, and enjoy pop culture references, then it may be the summer read for you! For me, it was 2.5/3 stars, sorry!
15 years to try to forget,
7 days to try again?
Eva Mercy, a single mum and erotic writer, and Shane Hall, an award winning literary author meet at a book event and sparks fly. What no one else knows though, is that they've met before, after having a week long romance when they were teenagers. As they reconnect in this second chance romance, can Eva trust Shane after he broke her heart fifteen years ago? As Shane is battling with his own demons, can they make it work?
This wasn't what I was expecting... It was messier, more complicated and darker than I thought it would be from the cover and synopsis. I'm probably going to be an outlier here, but I didn't love it! I also had no idea how to rate it because although I loved aspects of it, I also had major problems with a lot of parts too. So I sat and wrote a pros and cons list, and they had about the same number of items on each one!🤦♀️Hopefully by the end of this review I will have a clearer idea!
Trigger warnings for drug/alcohol abuse, self harm, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, child abuse, neglect, and death.
Pros:
👍I really liked Eva! I felt for her dealing with her chronic illness, whilst working and being a single parent. She was a great character and I wanted the best for her after a rough start in life.
👍The inclusion of an invisible disability was fantastic to see, and it was handled sensitively. I have suffered on and off from migraines since I was a teenager, and they can be awful. Luckily I mostly know my triggers and very rarely have them now, but they can have a horrible impact, and so many people just write them off as headaches, when it's so much worse than that! I get blurry vision, flashing lights and then feel like the back of my head has been hit with a hammer. I've also had sickness. Even so, my experience is nothing compared to many migraine sufferers, who are so incapacitated by them, and Eva's case was tough to read about, but important to see on the page.
👍Self harm and mental health issues were depicted well.
👍Eva and Shane had some great chemistry, and definitely had unfinished business! There were a couple of very steamy scenes🔥🔥🔥
👍Seven Days in June felt like a celebration of black culture, and it was great to see such a positive look at it!
👍The humour and snappy dialogue had me smiling and giggling at parts!
👍The wonderful mother/daughter relationship between Eva and Audre.
👍The discussion about Hollywood whitewashing, which I have always thought is awful!
👍It was a quick, emotional and gripping read.
👍Adults overcoming childhood trauma ❤
Cons:
👎
👎The constant pop culture references did my head in, and will certainly date this book. I didn't understand many of them, and it just felt like excessive name dropping.
👎The overly descriptiveness, especially referencing the clothes everyone was wearing and who designed them was tiresome.
👎It felt too YA for me in parts.
👎The characters were both so dysfunctional, still recovering from their pasts. They needed therapy, not to jump into bed with each other! Especially Shane!
👎The clichéd conflict near the end, which could've and should've been sorted by sending a simple text message. It's 2021, everyone has a phone on them, no excuses for that dude.
👎The character who was used as a throw away, which was unnecessary and cruel.
👎I wanted more of Eva's family background and history in Belle Fleur! This was built up, and then quickly glossed over. I found that aspect of the book so interesting, but it felt like an add on to the story. I wanted to see more of Eva's relationship with Lizette; that felt unfinished, and I wanted more about her ancestors!
👎The epilogue... Here I go again whingeing about this! Why does every book have an epilogue these days? Most of the time it feels so unnecessary, and often it ruins things! In this case, some parts were sweet, but it dragged on for so long, I felt like it should've been included in the main chapters, rather than sticking it on as an overly long epilogue at the end?!
👎The political and social commentary.. I didn't disagree with it per say, but I just don't like it being shoved down my throat in a romance book like that. It could be very alienating to those who like myself, aren't American, or those who disagree. It felt like it was trying too hard, trying to fit too many things in.
Ultimately, I don't think this book knows what it wants to be? It wasn't the hot summer romance that I wanted it to be. I wanted more.
This is my opinion though, and I will probably be an outlier. A lot of people loved this book, and it was a Reese book club pick, so give it a go, and I'm sure many of you will enjoy it! If you want a romance with darker issues, and enjoy pop culture references, then it may be the summer read for you! For me, it was 2.5/3 stars, sorry!
December 23, 2021
gosh, im such a sucker for a good second-chance romance story.
but im even more of a sucker for stories about authors communicating their emotions through books (see: ‘swear on this life’ ).
so i thoroughly enjoyed this (despite all the pop-culture references)!
a very real, very relatable, very heart-felt novel.
↠ 4.5 stars
but im even more of a sucker for stories about authors communicating their emotions through books (see: ‘swear on this life’ ).
so i thoroughly enjoyed this (despite all the pop-culture references)!
a very real, very relatable, very heart-felt novel.
↠ 4.5 stars
April 19, 2022
love love love. a beautiful, messy, heartbreaking love story with two endearing main characters and a whole world of topics explored including masculinity, race, addiction, chronic illness, motherhood, and writing. this is joy and love coexisting with the grief and darkness of life and i loved every minute of it.
July 21, 2021
5-star stunner alert!!!
Eva Mercy is a single mom to 12-year old Audre, and also the author of an erotic witch/vampire series called Cursed. She’s usually good about keeping everything in control, but loses all sense of calm when she sees author Shane Hall at a Black author panel that Eva is a part of. You see, she knows Shane from 15 years ago. They spent 7 days together during their high school years, and that was that.
Eva has never gotten over him, and Shane has never gotten over Eva. Over the next seven days, they will have the chance to reconnect. Eva is hoping for closure, but the attraction between them is even stronger now as adults. Eva has a lot of things going on in her life and also deals with an invisible disease. Shane is only a couple years into sobriety and is still battling his demons.
After 7 days, could there be a chance to rekindle what they had and move on together from the past?
I loved EVERYTHING about this gem! The chemistry between Eva and Shane is OFF THE CHARTS! I felt electricity in the air every time I read a scene with them in the vicinity of each other. While there is a scene or two with serious steam, it doesn’t overpower the book, and still allows for deeper aspects.
What I also love is that even though this is technically a rom-com with legit LOL moments, it has a large amount of depth. These characters are broken...incredibly damaged. What brought Eva and Shane together 15 years ago is dark, and neither of them have been successful in complete healing.
All of the characters are so well-written and fully dimensional. I loved all of them, including Audre, Eva’s daughter. She’s precocious, extremely smart, hilariously astute, and well rounded.
In addition, the book also tackles invisible disabilities, which is an important topic as you never really know what someone might be going through. Eva has lived her life with severe, debilitating migraines. Other moving and important topics include alcohol/drug addiction and the beast that is the book publishing world.
Tia Williams has written the perfect book in my opinion. This is one that I had a hard time putting down. I didn’t want it to end, and was sad when I got to the last page. I wanted more of these wonderful characters, and can only hope there might be a sequel at some point. Either way, I am excited to read Williams’s other books, as I am now a huge fan.
Sincere thank you to Grand Central Publishing for sending me a finished physical copy to review. Now available wherever books are sold.
P.S. I absolutely adored the mention of what might be my favorite Mariah Carey album (Charmbracelet), but TW: There is also a snarky comment made about her later on (that I may have or have may not secretly laughed at 😡🤣).
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
Eva Mercy is a single mom to 12-year old Audre, and also the author of an erotic witch/vampire series called Cursed. She’s usually good about keeping everything in control, but loses all sense of calm when she sees author Shane Hall at a Black author panel that Eva is a part of. You see, she knows Shane from 15 years ago. They spent 7 days together during their high school years, and that was that.
Eva has never gotten over him, and Shane has never gotten over Eva. Over the next seven days, they will have the chance to reconnect. Eva is hoping for closure, but the attraction between them is even stronger now as adults. Eva has a lot of things going on in her life and also deals with an invisible disease. Shane is only a couple years into sobriety and is still battling his demons.
After 7 days, could there be a chance to rekindle what they had and move on together from the past?
I loved EVERYTHING about this gem! The chemistry between Eva and Shane is OFF THE CHARTS! I felt electricity in the air every time I read a scene with them in the vicinity of each other. While there is a scene or two with serious steam, it doesn’t overpower the book, and still allows for deeper aspects.
What I also love is that even though this is technically a rom-com with legit LOL moments, it has a large amount of depth. These characters are broken...incredibly damaged. What brought Eva and Shane together 15 years ago is dark, and neither of them have been successful in complete healing.
All of the characters are so well-written and fully dimensional. I loved all of them, including Audre, Eva’s daughter. She’s precocious, extremely smart, hilariously astute, and well rounded.
In addition, the book also tackles invisible disabilities, which is an important topic as you never really know what someone might be going through. Eva has lived her life with severe, debilitating migraines. Other moving and important topics include alcohol/drug addiction and the beast that is the book publishing world.
Tia Williams has written the perfect book in my opinion. This is one that I had a hard time putting down. I didn’t want it to end, and was sad when I got to the last page. I wanted more of these wonderful characters, and can only hope there might be a sequel at some point. Either way, I am excited to read Williams’s other books, as I am now a huge fan.
Sincere thank you to Grand Central Publishing for sending me a finished physical copy to review. Now available wherever books are sold.
P.S. I absolutely adored the mention of what might be my favorite Mariah Carey album (Charmbracelet), but TW: There is also a snarky comment made about her later on (that I may have or have may not secretly laughed at 😡🤣).
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
November 20, 2021
rtc dec 30th lol
March 29, 2024
“I love you,” said Shane. “Dramatically, violently, and forever.” She kissed the top of his head, smiling brighter than the sun. “I’ve always loved you,” he whispered. “What a coincidence,” she whispered back. “I’ve always loved you, too.”
4.5💫🌟 OMFGGGG 💖💖 guys, lemme tell you how this book made me feel!!!!!!!! it made me want to find out that my favorite classics author who is hot, broody and mysterious had a high school fling with my favorite smut author and I've been reading about them all this while in each other's books as main characters in completely different but riveting genres.
of course this is imaginary but it feels so exciting and something that I would be heavily invested in, obviously 😭 but then we get to the best, heartwretching teen angst portion with exploring addiction, hereditary migraines, self-harm, physical abuse, codependency and challenging societal and parental issues and I just don't know what to do with myself because my heart is breaking for these kids 🥺🥺
ugh this was amazing!!!! I think it was adult contemporary romance? but when it's a great read with an assertive and meaningful plot, it doesn't matter. it entertains where it's supposed to and the characters become important to you and I love books that make it difficult for me to forget about them.
***
and the award for the book it took me way too long to read goes to.. 💅🏾💅🏾
June 13, 2021
I didn’t care for this book. The author wrote a story about codependency masked as love, even at its best. I found the characters to be reduced to millennial black stereotypes and lack the depth/complexity necessary to carry the book. I could tell the author “wrote for a specific audience” that she’s not apart of. It read like my 60 year old mother tried to write as a millennial using slang terms she heard on tv. This book just didn’t do it for me. Sorry.
September 27, 2022
STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!! THIS BOOK WAS IMPECCABLE!!!! so much deeper than i expected but i loved every second.
“stop writing about me.”
“you first.”
“stop writing about me.”
“you first.”
September 11, 2021
I haven’t read a book that was so unapologetically black in a long time and oh my goodness I missed it so much. Not only is the book unapologetically black but it is a black romance book with everything under the sun. The characters are so complex in their own ways but the way they enter twine with one another is done so beautifully. The relationship between Eva and Shane is really one that can only be described as soulmates, no matter where they end up they will always find one another, and through their trauma they bonded and immediately connected with one another. This book is a book that should be read in school and I will never stop recommending it.
June 27, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5 - There is just too much of this book that blew me away. From the moment I gently non-cracked opened the spine on this book - I knew I was hooked. When I said I wanted REAL drama.. not immature angsty romance.. this is exactly what I was asking for.
THOUGHTS:
- Generational trauma is a real and complicated thing to undo. I think it's interesting to look at past generations and current generations and see how they work through the things they've been through. As a millennial and proudly part of the first generation to talk about needing/encouraging people to seek psychological help -- this has been one of my favorite reads in a very long time.
- Reading Seven Days In June is eye-opening in so many ways. Understanding the African American experience isn't something I can say I've 100% delved into before, but SDIJ makes you want to. As one of the most heart-wrenching things I've read in a while, I didn't expect that from this romance novel, and it most certainly won't be my last by this author!!
- The way SDIJ is written was *perfection*. I normally don't like alternating timelines, but Williams did an incredible job making those moments really count. It's more than an angsty youth flashback. Some of the things written are devastating. I cried a few times, and there are a few parts specifically that still make my heart feel like they're seizing up just thinking about them!!
- The only reason I removed half a star is that this romance is somewhat political. I'm not a political person, so I didn't enjoy those aspects, but overall - I think I'd recommend it to any of my fellow late twenties-and-up romance lovers! (I'm not sure I would have been emotionally mature enough to read/appreciate this in my early twenties? However, I do think I would have felt the impact. I'm not saying don't read it as a younger person. I'm saying make sure to read it again when you're older! 🖤)
FAVORITE QUOTES:
"Honestly, you shouldn't be allowed to have orgasms like that before you're twenty-one. It gives you brain damage." - YALL. I cried laughing at this. It's true.
'He'd always appreciated families from a distance, looked at them like they were a fascinating experiment: all that intimacy and domesticity couldn't have been more foreign.' - There is nothing more heart-wrenching for me than lonely abandoned children. I can't handle it.
↑↑ Update - Finished June 27th, 2023 ↑↑
Currently reading this and having so many jaw-dropping-tear-jerker moments! I didn't expect to find that in SDIJ, so that's interesting/refreshing. 🖤🖤
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Posts Here 🖤
**I also created a new category for African American literature because I'd like to start reading more of these voices. I've read some Indigenous American lit, and I'm starting to realize that I still have many areas to explore!
↑↑ Update - Started June 26th, 2023 ↑↑
NOTES:
- Childhood friends to lovers
- second chance romance
- 🌶️🌶️- A lot of tension and a few sex scenes but nothing overwhelming.
- Lots of little comedic relief quips throughout that really had me going!!
TWs: There are a lot in this book. Discussions on racism, s3xual assault, drug use, s3lf harm etc. Please be mindful. 🦋
THOUGHTS:
- Generational trauma is a real and complicated thing to undo. I think it's interesting to look at past generations and current generations and see how they work through the things they've been through. As a millennial and proudly part of the first generation to talk about needing/encouraging people to seek psychological help -- this has been one of my favorite reads in a very long time.
- Reading Seven Days In June is eye-opening in so many ways. Understanding the African American experience isn't something I can say I've 100% delved into before, but SDIJ makes you want to. As one of the most heart-wrenching things I've read in a while, I didn't expect that from this romance novel, and it most certainly won't be my last by this author!!
- The way SDIJ is written was *perfection*. I normally don't like alternating timelines, but Williams did an incredible job making those moments really count. It's more than an angsty youth flashback. Some of the things written are devastating. I cried a few times, and there are a few parts specifically that still make my heart feel like they're seizing up just thinking about them!!
- The only reason I removed half a star is that this romance is somewhat political. I'm not a political person, so I didn't enjoy those aspects, but overall - I think I'd recommend it to any of my fellow late twenties-and-up romance lovers! (I'm not sure I would have been emotionally mature enough to read/appreciate this in my early twenties? However, I do think I would have felt the impact. I'm not saying don't read it as a younger person. I'm saying make sure to read it again when you're older! 🖤)
FAVORITE QUOTES:
"Honestly, you shouldn't be allowed to have orgasms like that before you're twenty-one. It gives you brain damage." - YALL. I cried laughing at this. It's true.
'He'd always appreciated families from a distance, looked at them like they were a fascinating experiment: all that intimacy and domesticity couldn't have been more foreign.' - There is nothing more heart-wrenching for me than lonely abandoned children. I can't handle it.
↑↑ Update - Finished June 27th, 2023 ↑↑
Currently reading this and having so many jaw-dropping-tear-jerker moments! I didn't expect to find that in SDIJ, so that's interesting/refreshing. 🖤🖤
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Posts Here 🖤
**I also created a new category for African American literature because I'd like to start reading more of these voices. I've read some Indigenous American lit, and I'm starting to realize that I still have many areas to explore!
↑↑ Update - Started June 26th, 2023 ↑↑
NOTES:
- Childhood friends to lovers
- second chance romance
- 🌶️🌶️- A lot of tension and a few sex scenes but nothing overwhelming.
- Lots of little comedic relief quips throughout that really had me going!!
TWs: There are a lot in this book. Discussions on racism, s3xual assault, drug use, s3lf harm etc. Please be mindful. 🦋
February 12, 2024
3.85✨
“You ever experienced wild love?”
Brief Summary-
The story follows Eva and Shane. Both are writers and they share a romantic past. For a week during their teen years. But circumstances force them apart and they both try to forget about each other. Expect for the fact that they’re both using each other as inspiration for their bestselling novels.Eva and Shane bump into each other at a book gathering and sparks fly. As Eva faces the man who once broke her heart, she must also confront the questions that have haunted her for years.
”Girls are given the weight of the world, but nowhere to put it down.”
What To Expect-
🪻First Love
🪻Second Chance Romance
🪻The One The Got Away
🪻Insta Love (past)
🪻Over-coming generational trauma
Content Warnings-
🪻Drug/Alcohol Abuse
🪻Chronic Illness
🪻Self- Harm
🪻Suicidal Thoughts
🪻Child Abuse
”Women are expected to absorb traumas both subtle and loud and move on. Shoulder the weight of the world. But when the world fucks with us, the worst thing we can do is bury it. Embracing it makes us strong enough to fuck the world right back.”
My Thoughts-
I really enjoyed this read. I was totally immersed in the world of Eva and Shane. The plot gave more than a standard ‘will they get together?’ romance. There were lots more different elements that tied this story together so beautifully. I was cheering for their love and growth. I thought it was fascinating to read how much the two had changed from lost teenagers to successful adults. I think the last 100 pages could’ve been resolved by two phone calls. The miscommunication went crazy is this book 😅
Eva’s and Shane’s romance was an intense rollercoaster ride. I couldn’t get enough of their reconnection as adults.
I really really love Eva she is a strong beautiful woman. Her resilience in the book was so inspiring.
For Shane I have such a love hate/relationship.
I don’t know I really didn’t care for his childish behavior. But the more I kept reading the more emotionally invested I became with his story.
The writing style is mesmerizing. Very engaging dialogue that keeps you hooked. I really enjoyed when the story brought you back to the past and you are able to see the Eva issues with chronic illness and Shane dealing with his addiction. It really gave the story an added depth. The dual narrative allows the readers to dive deep into both characters’ minds, providing a more comprehensive understanding of their motives, past and present desires.
🗣️ Overall this was a beautiful read that was more than just a love story. I definitely recommend this book. I heard there is a TV series adaptation coming out so I definitely look forward to that .
”And maybe that was what real, adult love was. Being fearless enough to hold each other close no matter how catastrophic the world became. Loving each other with enough ferocity to quell the fears of the past. Just fucking being there.”
Playlist-
🎶Honey - Mariah Carey
🎶Ex- Factor- Ms. Lauryn Hill
🎶Pony- Ginuwine
🎶Return Of The Mack-Mark Morrison
🎶 I REMEMBER- Keyisha Cole
🎶Maria, Maria- Santana
🎶Always Be My Baby- Mariah Carey
🎶End Of The Road- Boys ll Men
🎶Not Gon’ Cry- Mary J Blige
🎶One Sweet Day- Mariah Carey, Boys ll Men
🎶Angel Of Mine- Monica
🎶Like A Tattoo- Sade
🎶Real Love- Mary J Blige
🎶 One In A Million- Aaliyah
🎶Fallin’- Alicia Keys
🎶U Got It Bad- USHER
🎶We Belong Together- Mariah Carey
🎶Differences- Ginuwine
🎶Happy- Ashanti
🎶My Boo- USHER
“You ever experienced wild love?”
Brief Summary-
The story follows Eva and Shane. Both are writers and they share a romantic past. For a week during their teen years. But circumstances force them apart and they both try to forget about each other. Expect for the fact that they’re both using each other as inspiration for their bestselling novels.Eva and Shane bump into each other at a book gathering and sparks fly. As Eva faces the man who once broke her heart, she must also confront the questions that have haunted her for years.
”Girls are given the weight of the world, but nowhere to put it down.”
What To Expect-
🪻First Love
🪻Second Chance Romance
🪻The One The Got Away
🪻Insta Love (past)
🪻Over-coming generational trauma
Content Warnings-
🪻Drug/Alcohol Abuse
🪻Chronic Illness
🪻Self- Harm
🪻Suicidal Thoughts
🪻Child Abuse
”Women are expected to absorb traumas both subtle and loud and move on. Shoulder the weight of the world. But when the world fucks with us, the worst thing we can do is bury it. Embracing it makes us strong enough to fuck the world right back.”
My Thoughts-
I really enjoyed this read. I was totally immersed in the world of Eva and Shane. The plot gave more than a standard ‘will they get together?’ romance. There were lots more different elements that tied this story together so beautifully. I was cheering for their love and growth. I thought it was fascinating to read how much the two had changed from lost teenagers to successful adults. I think the last 100 pages could’ve been resolved by two phone calls. The miscommunication went crazy is this book 😅
Eva’s and Shane’s romance was an intense rollercoaster ride. I couldn’t get enough of their reconnection as adults.
I really really love Eva she is a strong beautiful woman. Her resilience in the book was so inspiring.
For Shane I have such a love hate/relationship.
I don’t know I really didn’t care for his childish behavior. But the more I kept reading the more emotionally invested I became with his story.
The writing style is mesmerizing. Very engaging dialogue that keeps you hooked. I really enjoyed when the story brought you back to the past and you are able to see the Eva issues with chronic illness and Shane dealing with his addiction. It really gave the story an added depth. The dual narrative allows the readers to dive deep into both characters’ minds, providing a more comprehensive understanding of their motives, past and present desires.
🗣️ Overall this was a beautiful read that was more than just a love story. I definitely recommend this book. I heard there is a TV series adaptation coming out so I definitely look forward to that .
”And maybe that was what real, adult love was. Being fearless enough to hold each other close no matter how catastrophic the world became. Loving each other with enough ferocity to quell the fears of the past. Just fucking being there.”
Playlist-
🎶Honey - Mariah Carey
🎶Ex- Factor- Ms. Lauryn Hill
🎶Pony- Ginuwine
🎶Return Of The Mack-Mark Morrison
🎶 I REMEMBER- Keyisha Cole
🎶Maria, Maria- Santana
🎶Always Be My Baby- Mariah Carey
🎶End Of The Road- Boys ll Men
🎶Not Gon’ Cry- Mary J Blige
🎶One Sweet Day- Mariah Carey, Boys ll Men
🎶Angel Of Mine- Monica
🎶Like A Tattoo- Sade
🎶Real Love- Mary J Blige
🎶 One In A Million- Aaliyah
🎶Fallin’- Alicia Keys
🎶U Got It Bad- USHER
🎶We Belong Together- Mariah Carey
🎶Differences- Ginuwine
🎶Happy- Ashanti
🎶My Boo- USHER
August 4, 2022
Okay, wow, this was SO GOOD. I picked this up on vibes alone without reading the blurb or any reviews first so, though I did really enjoy this, I was a little taken aback by just how heavy this story was at times. I definitely recommend treading with caution if you want to read this and you're at all sensitive to any mentions of self harm or addiction. But with all that being said I really enjoyed my time spent between these pages and I will absolutely read more from Tia Williams in the future!
CW: chronic pain, addiction/recovery, self harm (on page), drug use (on page), narcissistic parents, death of a loved one
CW: chronic pain, addiction/recovery, self harm (on page), drug use (on page), narcissistic parents, death of a loved one
June 8, 2022
a new favorite book…i’m going to cry now
March 26, 2022
This story was so beautiful, I really enjoyed it. It reminded me quite a bit of Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino, at least with the storytelling style and the way we jump back and forth in time. I also love that this book follows two writers 💞
The reading vlog where I read it: https://youtu.be/8s5cz0XmpY0
The reading vlog where I read it: https://youtu.be/8s5cz0XmpY0
February 6, 2022
This one started off shocking 🤭 anyone who has read this, definitely knows what I mean. 😉 So… ⛔️ caution: rated R… for my wholesome friends.🛑 I’m not one to shy away from the steamy books and the connection these two characters have is definitely there. 🔥 But the rest just felt a bit too cookie-cutter. I know this is will be an unpopular opinion, but honestly I didn’t find myself anxiously waiting to see what would happen….. cause shocker, I predicted the ending…. but sometimes that still works for me… it just didn’t here. 😬 The “child therapist” 🙄 was over-the-top and just didn’t jive with me.
August 16, 2024
4.75⭐️ !! I genuinely had this book stuck to my hand. I couldn’t even drive without playing the audiobook.
June 27, 2021
I’m in love with Seven Days in June.
“Seven days to fall in love, fifteen years to forget, and seven days to get it all back again...” This and the stunning cover were the only hooks I needed to pick this book up.
Eva Mercy is a single mom to 12 year old Audre and the author of an erotic vampire book series. At a literary event in New York City, she runs into award-winning author Shane Hall, who typically keeps a low profile. They initially pretend not to know each other, but their chemistry is evident and rumors in the writing community begin to swirl.
While Shane is in town over the next week, he and Eva spend time together but Eva has her guard up, considering their past. The story alternate between their current week and their time together 15 years ago.
I was immediately drawn to Shane and loved his character. I really liked Eva too, and at first while Audre felt like a typical angsty pre-teen, she grew on me with her old soul personality. I ended up loving all 3 of them and felt for Eva and Shane with the pain they both experienced in their pasts.
Other things I liked: Eva is a chronic migraine sufferer, something I never see in fictional books. As someone who unfortunately suffers from migraines, but luckily not quite at the debilitating level described here, I felt for Eva and the immediate urgency she was required to act with when she felt one coming on. I enjoyed the modern, pop culture references throughout the story and that Eva and Shane’s chemistry was palpable.
Seven Days in June is my favorite book I’ve read in 2021, I loved it!
“Seven days to fall in love, fifteen years to forget, and seven days to get it all back again...” This and the stunning cover were the only hooks I needed to pick this book up.
Eva Mercy is a single mom to 12 year old Audre and the author of an erotic vampire book series. At a literary event in New York City, she runs into award-winning author Shane Hall, who typically keeps a low profile. They initially pretend not to know each other, but their chemistry is evident and rumors in the writing community begin to swirl.
While Shane is in town over the next week, he and Eva spend time together but Eva has her guard up, considering their past. The story alternate between their current week and their time together 15 years ago.
I was immediately drawn to Shane and loved his character. I really liked Eva too, and at first while Audre felt like a typical angsty pre-teen, she grew on me with her old soul personality. I ended up loving all 3 of them and felt for Eva and Shane with the pain they both experienced in their pasts.
Other things I liked: Eva is a chronic migraine sufferer, something I never see in fictional books. As someone who unfortunately suffers from migraines, but luckily not quite at the debilitating level described here, I felt for Eva and the immediate urgency she was required to act with when she felt one coming on. I enjoyed the modern, pop culture references throughout the story and that Eva and Shane’s chemistry was palpable.
Seven Days in June is my favorite book I’ve read in 2021, I loved it!
June 2, 2021
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Ever read a book that delves into so much that you're kind of at a loss of how to review it because you want to talk about e v e r y t h i n g, so you know you're going to forget most of it? That's me with this book. Also-- this review is dedicated to my cat. I don't think I'd be getting these ARCs as fast as I am if she didn't like sitting on me so much, thereby keeping me trapped in place. Thanks, cat.
So, SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE. What a rush. It's a book about dealing with chronic pain (where chronic pain itself is not the central conflict), a celebration of Black excellence, a pretty excellent insight into what it's like being an author/writer (being one myself, I know), and a fantastic second-chance romance. I don't normally like second-chance romances, but I ate this up like it was ice cream on a silver spoon.
Eva is a single mom and the author of a wildly successful romance novel about a witch and a vampire (both PoCs). She also has intense migraines, the kinds that can cause blackouts, auras, and nausea. I know someone who has those kinds of migraines and when I told them about this book, they were SO excited, because disability and pain management just really aren't subjects you see dealt with much in fiction unless it's a memoir (#sobrave) or a work of lit-fic about suffering (#soinspired), but in a romance? #notsomuch #repmatters
Shane, on the other hand, is a literary fiction author (#irony) who has made a killing writing the types of books that book clubs love to read: slices of life about poverty and Black pain through the medium of a plucky and sad heroine that the public loves to root for. When they meet, quite by chance, at a literary event, everything comes crashing down because neither of them have forgotten the week they spent together when they were young. A week of intense hurt and comfort, pain, love, and betrayal.
O M G.
First, let me just say that the flashback scenes were THE BEST. I would honestly read an entire book just about Shane and Eva as young adults because the passion they felt and the pain were both so real and the chemistry they had with each other was OFF. THE. CHARTS. I did not feel that their adult chapters quite reached that level, but I guess maybe it was because they had both grown up and grown wary as people and had to let down their respective guards. But I did think the past chapters were way more compelling and the author really captured what the early 2000s were like.
The present chapters were interesting in how they focused on both of their very different writing careers and the problems that accompanied them. I loved Eva's daughter, Audre, which was a nice surprise because I don't normally like kids in romance novels. But she made me laugh and acted exactly how you would expect a precocious teen to act. I also liked that this was a second-chance romance that didn't have a hero that acted like trash. Shane was SUCH A LOVE. I am obsessed with Shane, okay? Easily one of the most compelling male love interests I've read about in a while. #TeamShane
I wasn't sure what to rate this because there were things I LOVED and things I didn't love quite as much. I also don't really think I was adequately prepared for what this book would be like. I thought it would be one of those quirky romances that are kind of light-hearted and while this was that in parts, it was also quite dark and contains a number of content warnings for some pretty upsetting things. Reading it ended up being kind of like a rollercoaster with lots of ups and downs, and while that did work for me, it might confuse or put off some readers.
ALSO, looking at the cover, I kind of love how it ties into the book. Their clothes look kind of like abstract cartoons but their faces are real, and it's like they're both validating each other's existence by being in each other's embrace, grounding each other, acknowledging each other. Maybe I'm reading too much into that cover, but after reading the book, looking at the illustration made me feel so sappy.
This was the perfect blend of sexy, romantic, humorous, and angsty, and I am definitely adding this author to my "authors to stalk" list because it was just that good.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
4 to 4.5 stars
July 8, 2023
"I never realized I was lonely, until I met you and I wasn't anymore."
Eva Mercy is a successful writer, a single mother devoted to her daughter and a fiercely independent woman. But she wasn't always so put together, one week in June years ago changed her life and forever altered her heart. When Shane Hall, an award winning author, comes unexpectedly strolling back into her life after so many years, the feelings are still there and stronger than ever. But can Eva trust him after he already shattered her heart once....... even if they have been writing to each other through their books all these years?
"I am not just writing about you, I am writing to you."
This book gave all me all the things, every emotion you can feel, it gave. Told in two different timelines, it was unflinchingly raw and honest and at the same time was layered with so many different types of love. Romantic love, parental love, friendship, student/teacher, community, and culture. From generational trauma, to dealing with a chronic debilitating disability to drug abuse and the struggle of single motherhood, this book doesn't shy away from difficult topics. Shane and Eva burrowed themselves into my heart, their stories are so heartbreaking and tragic but at the same time their resilience and strength is so beautiful and inspiring. I loved this book with my whole heart. 💙
"We have unfinished business, you know we do. We've made careers off it."
Eva-Eva is one of the strongest fmc's I think I have ever read. Dealing with an absolutely devastatingly painful disability that she endures with so much grace she is determined to provide the best life that she never had for her daughter Audre. Putting a tragic and volatile childhood behind her full of drug abuse, self harm, suicidal thoughts and instability, she remakes herself but she never forgets the one person who really SAW her and stole her heart. Eva and Shane find each other at a time when they are both drowning in so much pain. I found their story to be so touching and also loved how they were anchors for each other. The generational trauma and the relationship with her mother was so upsetting but also so real and my heart squeezed for Eva the entire time.
"You burst into my solitude, demanding to be seen. You were overwhelming. Just wild and weird and brilliant, and I never had a choice. I liked everything about you. Even the scary parts. I wanted to drown in your fucking bathwater."
Shane-I can't even properly articulate how I feel about this man. His story is so heartbreaking and I love him so much. The dedication he has to look after and care so much for his students bc he knows what it's like to be in their shoes is inspiring and speaks to his character and his heart. Eva has always been the love of his life and the way he holds her in such high respect for all that she has accomplished and the way he loves her unconditionally and wants to be the one to care for her through her illness had me misty the entire book. All the while he is forging his own battle with alcoholism and staying sober. The way he speaks and thinks about Eva is GORGEOUS and then how he loves Audre!! 😍😭
"I need you so you can't die." "Stay. I'll make it worth it. I'll make it so fucking good, Genevieve. You'll be so happy, I swear. Just gimmie your pain; I'll take it all. Promise to stay, and I'll never leave. Me and you, forever. Promise me."
There is so much I am not saying bc this book touched on so many discussion worthy topics but then this review would be obnoxiously long so I will just leave you with some other quotes that I loved and some advice to do yourself a favor and read this book one day if you haven't already. 💙
"I wrote my books like you were the only one who'd ever read them, my books did what I couldn't." "Talk to you, and when I read yours, I knew you were reading mine."
"If you have an opportunity to make a moment meaningful, why not take it?"
"I love you. Dramatically, violently and forever. I've always loved you."
"I wanna be everything. Wanna be the reason you light up. I wanna make you laugh, make you moan, make you safe. I want to be the thought that lulls you to sleep. The memory that gets you off. I wanna be where all your paths end. I wanna be everything you do to me."
"It never ends, does it? Loving you never ends. Whether you're Genevieve or Eva. Whether I lose you for years or wake up to your face every morning. I love you. You're my home. And I want you forever."
Eva Mercy is a successful writer, a single mother devoted to her daughter and a fiercely independent woman. But she wasn't always so put together, one week in June years ago changed her life and forever altered her heart. When Shane Hall, an award winning author, comes unexpectedly strolling back into her life after so many years, the feelings are still there and stronger than ever. But can Eva trust him after he already shattered her heart once....... even if they have been writing to each other through their books all these years?
"I am not just writing about you, I am writing to you."
This book gave all me all the things, every emotion you can feel, it gave. Told in two different timelines, it was unflinchingly raw and honest and at the same time was layered with so many different types of love. Romantic love, parental love, friendship, student/teacher, community, and culture. From generational trauma, to dealing with a chronic debilitating disability to drug abuse and the struggle of single motherhood, this book doesn't shy away from difficult topics. Shane and Eva burrowed themselves into my heart, their stories are so heartbreaking and tragic but at the same time their resilience and strength is so beautiful and inspiring. I loved this book with my whole heart. 💙
"We have unfinished business, you know we do. We've made careers off it."
Eva-Eva is one of the strongest fmc's I think I have ever read. Dealing with an absolutely devastatingly painful disability that she endures with so much grace she is determined to provide the best life that she never had for her daughter Audre. Putting a tragic and volatile childhood behind her full of drug abuse, self harm, suicidal thoughts and instability, she remakes herself but she never forgets the one person who really SAW her and stole her heart. Eva and Shane find each other at a time when they are both drowning in so much pain. I found their story to be so touching and also loved how they were anchors for each other. The generational trauma and the relationship with her mother was so upsetting but also so real and my heart squeezed for Eva the entire time.
"You burst into my solitude, demanding to be seen. You were overwhelming. Just wild and weird and brilliant, and I never had a choice. I liked everything about you. Even the scary parts. I wanted to drown in your fucking bathwater."
Shane-I can't even properly articulate how I feel about this man. His story is so heartbreaking and I love him so much. The dedication he has to look after and care so much for his students bc he knows what it's like to be in their shoes is inspiring and speaks to his character and his heart. Eva has always been the love of his life and the way he holds her in such high respect for all that she has accomplished and the way he loves her unconditionally and wants to be the one to care for her through her illness had me misty the entire book. All the while he is forging his own battle with alcoholism and staying sober. The way he speaks and thinks about Eva is GORGEOUS and then how he loves Audre!! 😍😭
"I need you so you can't die." "Stay. I'll make it worth it. I'll make it so fucking good, Genevieve. You'll be so happy, I swear. Just gimmie your pain; I'll take it all. Promise to stay, and I'll never leave. Me and you, forever. Promise me."
There is so much I am not saying bc this book touched on so many discussion worthy topics but then this review would be obnoxiously long so I will just leave you with some other quotes that I loved and some advice to do yourself a favor and read this book one day if you haven't already. 💙
"I wrote my books like you were the only one who'd ever read them, my books did what I couldn't." "Talk to you, and when I read yours, I knew you were reading mine."
"If you have an opportunity to make a moment meaningful, why not take it?"
"I love you. Dramatically, violently and forever. I've always loved you."
"I wanna be everything. Wanna be the reason you light up. I wanna make you laugh, make you moan, make you safe. I want to be the thought that lulls you to sleep. The memory that gets you off. I wanna be where all your paths end. I wanna be everything you do to me."
"It never ends, does it? Loving you never ends. Whether you're Genevieve or Eva. Whether I lose you for years or wake up to your face every morning. I love you. You're my home. And I want you forever."
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