JULY 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Mela Lee’s extraordinary range and dramatic style allow listeners to experience every dark, humorous, and heartbreaking moment of this fraught second-chance romance. As troubled teenagers, Eva Mercy and Shane Hall shared seven life-changing days that inspired their successful writing careers. Lee’s conversational tone lends itself well to Eva, who now hides her chronic illness and her complacency with her career behind a smile. She has a tenuous relationship with her Creole mother, whom Lee portrays with a genteel accent. As Shane, Lee completely transforms her voice, speaking in a deeper pitch and an emotionally charged tone that perfectly fit the troubled writer. J.E.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2021 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
04/05/2021
Williams (The Accidental Diva) explores how trauma affects relationships in this emotional romance. When Eva Mercy and Shane Hall met as teens, their instant attraction was so explosive that the relationship burned itself out before it had a chance to get off of the ground. Now Eva is a bestselling erotica author and Shane is a literary darling—and the pair are thrown back together in New York City. But will they be able to make their relationship work as adults or will their dark pasts get in the way? Growing up, Eva was neglected and frequently preyed upon by her mother’s boyfriends, resulting in serious abandonment issues; meanwhile, Shane struggles with guilt over surviving the car crash that killed his foster mother. To be together, they’ll have to find a way to mend past hurt. Williams has a knack for realistically portraying how childhood trauma lingers into adulthood. In her exploration of how people cope, she also delivers hope: psyches can be mended and relationships can help to resolve pain. Williams doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of human experience, and her characters are fully formed and believable as a result. This is a winning romance. Agent: Cherise Fisher, Wendy Sherman Assoc. (June)
From the Publisher
[Seven Days in June is] filled with important observations and tidbits about Black life, giving the reader something that goes a step beyond the basic rom-com format.”
—USA Today
“While this is a sumptuous, fun, romantic story about two authors who reunite at a conference, it's also an ode to anyone who goes through life wishing they were more normal.”
—Good Morning America
“Sultry.”
—Marie Claire
“A read as sultry as the summer heat.”
—Harper’s Bazaar
“Steamy.”
—Essence
“Gutting, arousing, and sparklingly witty… a love story with depth.”—Vogue
“One of the most anticipated romance novels of the summer…Eva and Shane's story gets steamy, so be sure to read by the water so you can cool off.”
—Oprah Daily
“If this cover doesn't raise your temperature a few degrees, the story will. Grab a fan before reading this one, because it really heats up.”
—Good Housekeeping
“Readers will delight in the opportunity to become a part of Eva’s world, in a novel that seamlessly weaves young love, true love, addiction, pain, and hope.”
—Shondaland
“Very steamy…This one’s going to be everywhere.”
—The Skimm
“Seven Days in June is a beautiful ode to Black joy.”
—PopSugar
“Seven Days in June had me laughing out loud and crying with the characters as their hearts are broken and healed. Tia Williams’ book is a smart, sexy testament to Black joy, to the well of strength from which women draw, and to tragic romances that mature into second chances. I absolutely loved it.”
—Jodi Picoult, #1 NYT bestselling author of The Book of Two Ways and Small Great Things
"In Seven Days in June, Tia Williams conjures a seductive fantasy-rich friendships, star-crossed lovers, artistic fulfillment. But Williams, a canny anthropologist of contemporary urban life, is writing realism, exploring personal pain, family entanglements, and the negotiation of black identity in a world defined by whiteness. The result isn't escapism (though the book is a delight) but a vision of life at it truly is: complications and difficulties punctuated by profound joy."—Rumaan Alam, author of National Book Award finalist Leave the World Behind
"I can always rely on Tia Williams for a novel with a delicious plot, compelling characters, and all of the pop cultural references my heart desires. Seven Days In June is nothing short of a good time. It's funny, thoughtful in both a real and thotty way, and its protagonist Eva Mercy may not know it, but she is my new favorite pretend writer."—Michael Arceneaux, New York Times bestselling author of I Can't Date Jesus and I Don't Want To Die Poor
"What’s on its face is a delightfully steamy read is a story layered with nuance that gracefully examines thornier topics of parenting in the modern age, life with chronic pain, and Black identity. Through it all, Williams’ clever and witty writing will leave you clamoring to be part of Mercy’s world."—Reader’s Digest
"Williams has a knack for realistically portraying how childhood trauma lingers into adulthood. In her exploration of how people cope, she also delivers hope: psyches can be mended and relationships can help to resolve pain. Williams doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of human experience, and her characters are fully formed and believable as a result. This is a winning romance."—Publishers Weekly
"Williams’ novel is a tour de force, capturing Eva’s experience as part of the Black literati in Brooklyn, her urge to hide generational trauma from her daughter while still celebrating their ancestors, and the ways in which fate brings people together. The structure of the novel is complex but ultimately rewarding and provides a portrait of a richly layered world. A hugely satisfying romance that is electrifying and alive."
—Kirkus (Starred Review)
"Williams proves once again that there is much more to romance novels than meet-cutes and other reliable tropes. As she deepens the genre with multilayered characters living full and interesting lives beyond their burgeoning romance without skimping on explicitly perfect sex scenes, her characters embody this storytelling duality. The well-crafted love story alone would delight readers, but Williams generously provides even more. She explores motherhood and womanhood, the passion to write, and the sometimes fine line between romance and heartache."
—Booklist
“With funny, snappy writing and a strong eye for detail, Williams builds a compelling, glamorous Black literary world for the protagonists to inhabit. The book balances a second-chance romance with themes of motherhood, childhood trauma, and life with chronic pain.”
—Library Journal
“Williams' writing is zippy and fun to read, but her characters are also complicated individuals, making their love feel authentic.”
—The Week
"Sparkling with delicious sensuality and an intriguing plot, Seven Days in June by Tia Williams [is] a captivating contemporary story of romantic connection and love in an unforgiving world, overlaid with challenging themes of poverty, disability and childhood trauma that the author fearlessly addresses with grace and tenderness. [It] also shines in its celebration of strong female friendships and the unabashed pursuit of joy, reminiscent of Terry McMillan's beloved '90s classic How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Williams skillfully blends uplifting, hilarious moments into the story through a sensational supporting cast."—Shelf Awareness
"Through this gripping love story, Williams reckons with family histories and shows the power in rewriting our origin stories. Readers will feel as attached to these characters as Eva and Shane are to each other.”
—BookPage
“Steamy as all get-out but also laugh-out-loud funny.”
—Scary Mommy
“This story is so much more than a rom-com: It grapples with motherhood, chronic pain, and familial bonds. Sharp, funny, and thoughtful, Seven Days in June is exactly what you’d want in a romance-focused novel, and then some.”
—Apartment Therapy
“An incredibly witty, slightly tear-inducing romance that gives a beautiful nod to the sometimes complicated relationships women can have with their mothers.”—PopSugar
“An emotional journey you’re not soon to forget.”—Bookriot
“Warm and emotional.”—Insider
“The characters are vibrant, bleeding, pulsing, living creatures that crawl off the page and stomp on your heart. Equal parts swoony and razor-sharp, when it's done, you'll want to go again.”—Nikki Payne, Bustle
Library Journal - Audio
★ 09/01/2021
When Eva Mercy agreed to be on an author panel featuring important voices in Black literature, she wasn't expecting the man who broke her heart as a teen to show up, deliver a masterful analysis of her vampire erotica series, and plunge her right back into the tumult of emotions she felt so many Junes ago. While Eva and Shane have been quietly keeping track of each other's writing careers and hiding their tumultuous past from their shared publicist, when they finally meet again in person it is clear that their magnetic connection was no fluke of young love. But as Eva struggles with writing burnout, her invisible disability, motherhood, and the trauma of her past, can she finally trust Shane and let herself have this love? The narration by Mela Lee is gripping and emotional and will carry listeners away. VERDICT A perfect recommendation for listeners who enjoy intricately plotted and character-driven romance stories. Already a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, this is a must-have for all library audiobook collections.—Elizabeth Gabriel, Milwaukee P.L.
JULY 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Mela Lee’s extraordinary range and dramatic style allow listeners to experience every dark, humorous, and heartbreaking moment of this fraught second-chance romance. As troubled teenagers, Eva Mercy and Shane Hall shared seven life-changing days that inspired their successful writing careers. Lee’s conversational tone lends itself well to Eva, who now hides her chronic illness and her complacency with her career behind a smile. She has a tenuous relationship with her Creole mother, whom Lee portrays with a genteel accent. As Shane, Lee completely transforms her voice, speaking in a deeper pitch and an emotionally charged tone that perfectly fit the troubled writer. J.E.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2021 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2021-03-17
Two writers reunite 15 years after an intense, weeklong affair changed both of their lives.
Eva Mercy is the successful author of a long-running erotica series with a devoted fan base, but as the deadline for the 15th book approaches, she has to admit she’s run out of ideas. She can’t afford to give up the series, which keeps her and her 12-year-old daughter, Audre, financially afloat, so her dream of researching and writing the stories of the Louisiana Creole women who are her ancestors is permanently on hold. At a Brooklyn literary panel, she has a surprising public reunion with Shane Hall, the reclusive, award-winning author of four books of literary fiction. As seniors in high school, Shane and Eva shared one week of passionate connection; they revealed to each other their raw pain and the extreme coping mechanisms (addiction, cutting) they used to survive. Now Shane has been clean for two years and Eva’s finally found a doctor who properly medicates her chronic, debilitating migraines. With chapters from the past interspersed throughout the novel, Williams juxtaposes Shane and Eva as reined-in adults with their terrifyingly out-of-control teen selves. Their reunion feels like coming home but also reveals that they might not have the skills to sustain a successful adult relationship. Williams’ novel is a tour de force, capturing Eva’s experience as part of the Black literati in Brooklyn, her urge to hide generational trauma from her daughter while still celebrating their ancestors, and the ways in which fate brings people together. The structure of the novel is complex but ultimately rewarding and provides a portrait of a richly layered world.
A hugely satisfying romance that is electrifying and alive.
