Review by Booklist Review
While her previous book, The Perfect Find (2016), is being adapted for film, 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. Eva Mercy is a best-selling erotica author and a single mom. Shane Hall is an award-winning literary novelist known to be reclusive. When they appear together on a book panel, the chemistry between them is obvious to everyone. What no one else knows is that 15 years ago they spent seven drug-infused days together falling desperately in love until Shane abandoned Eva with no explanation, an experience that has secretly shaped their books. Now, in another week in June, history seems fated to repeat itself. 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.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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)
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Review by Library Journal Review
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.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
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. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
