Description
Seven days to fall in love, fifteen years to forget, and seven days to get it all back again…
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 novelist, 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 buried traumas, but the eyebrows of the Black literati. What no one knows is that fifteen years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. While they may be pretending not to know each other, they can’t deny their chemistry—or the fact that they’ve been secretly writing to each other in their books through the years.
Over the next seven days, amidst a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect—but Eva’s wary of the man who broke her heart, and wants him out of the city so her life can return to normal. Before Shane disappears though, she needs a few questions answered…
With its keen observations of creative life in America today, as well as the joys and complications of being a mother and a daughter, Seven Days in June is a hilarious, romantic, and sexy-as-hell story of two writers discovering their second chance at love.
From the Publisher
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
The Reading Chick –
I felt everything!I have not read any other novels by Tia Williams, and picked this one up because of two reasons. The cover struck me as gorgeous, and the synopsis called out to me. I always love it when the subject revolves around writing, books, libraries, or authors. This story did have that connection for me, but when I started reading, it wasn’t the fact that Eva and Shane were authors that made me stick around, it was their connection. Their story of loss, love, and perseverance. It was the fact that family was something they strove to hang onto, even though they both didn’t have concrete ideas of what would make a good one. Eva is now a mother, her daughter is by far one of my favorite characters in this book, and Eva is raising her like she would’ve wanted to be raised. To be strong, educated, and without fear. To be a leader among her peers. All of the things that she didn’t have from her own mother, who was went from man to man looking for self-validation.Shane also didn’t have those strong building blocks, growing up in the foster system. A big guy, he easily got into trouble so he self-medicated until not being drunk or on pills was his norm. As an adult, he is now one of the most sought after authors because of his reclusiveness, but what drives him is to go back to schools like where he and Eva met, and connect with young kids and give them hope that they will overcome their own struggles. I loved this part of Shane. A now sober man who wants to give back. It’s an inspiring part of his character that despite his short-comings makes him easy to like.When Shane and Eva reconnect, Tia Williams does an amazing job of giving their feelings a sense of urgency and chemistry. I wanted the two of them to make each other their person and when it happened, I sighed with relief, eager for them to get that hea they deserved. Of course, things weren’t that simple for the two of them, but gosh this author knows how to write a scene and make me feel. I felt EVERYTHING… and loved it.
#EmptyNestReader –
A fun, engaging and titillating story.Eva Mercy has just come face-to-face with her past: the good, the bad and the ugly. Presently living in Brooklyn, she’s a single mom of a bright, artistic and outspoken tween and a successful writer of bestselling erotica. Eva has worked to put behind her the memories of her one true love and their one wild and dangerous week 20 years ago. The part that she can’t forget, or forgive, is that she has never heard from Shane again.A respected member of the Black literati Shane Hall is an award-winning author. He’s reclusive and asocial and he surprises everyone when he show’s up at a book event in New York. For 20 years Hall has carried around a broken heart and a message to deliver – the truth of what happened on that fateful day. Shockingly, the person he wants to see most, and the person he hasn’t seen in years, is at the very same event.Suddenly Shane doesn’t know what to say and Eva can’t decide if her heart is still breaking or beginning to heal, but everyone can feel the temperature rising in the room. For the next intense seven days Eva and Shane try to decide whether to reignite what they once had or say a final goodbye and move on with their lives.This engaging story is at once amusing, sexy, heartbreaking and enchanting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Christine Melanie Benson –
Defies categorization! These characters grew on me…I initially bought this book simply because I’m an author with a women’s fiction book coming out soon, and I wanted to read another women’s fiction book by a fellow UVA alum! At first, since the book is about an erotica author and contains pop references out the wazoo, I was tempted to write it off as trendy and trite. That said, this novel quickly drew me in, far exceeding my expectations, mainly because the characters totally drew me in. I’ll mention a few notables…Shane: For me, Shane was the perfect male love interest. As a person who’s been through my own addictive struggles with food and relationships, I’m a sucker for recovering addicts. As far as I’m concerned, recovering alcoholics are the best of both worlds – they’re bad boys, but they’re being good! What could be better? Shane was deep and complex and weird and dark but also sweet and kind and vulnerable – not to mention those hazel eyes. Plus, I’m a marathon runner, and I loved that he channeled his addictive tendencies into long distance running. In case I haven’t made it clear: Shane checked ALL my boxes.Audre: This tween girl – protagonist Eva’s daughter – was so cool! I didn’t want to like her, because I don’t have kids and don’t relate to the whole mom thing. But Audre was really fun! I loved that she was a tween practicing therapy – without a license, obviously, and more competently than plenty of adult shrinks, from the sound of it. It busted and poked fun at a lot of the navel-gazing therapy stereotypes. At the same time, Audre had moments of true childishness which made her a credible and endearing character. In short, an atypical daughter character who kept surprising and delighting me!Cece: I found Cece’s borderline cynicism and pragmatic personality refreshing. If this book had any major flaw, it might be the over-the-top romantic nature of the Eva-Shane dynamic. Salty Cece was a welcome counter-balance to this hyper-romanticism. I appreciated that while she was apparently happy and content in her own marriage, her romantic relationship with her husband, Ken, was more ordinary and “normal” than the celestial fire between Eva and Shane – good, and good enough, but not unattainably, hyperbolically romantic.Eva: Protagonist Eva was the character who grew on me the most. I’m pretty hyper-healthy, and although I’ve dealt with my own “invisible” health issues in the past, Eva’s crippling migraine problem was new for me. Her disability was described in a way that made me have compassion for her without making her seem pitiful or annoyingly needy. In addition, as a writer myself, I also enjoyed hearing about the often ludicrous ins and outs of the writing world. When it came to her writing, Eva’s saving grace was that she didn’t take herself too seriously. I appreciated the arc of her creative development and how she ultimately abandoned her crowd-pleasing fantasy writing to write about what matters to her.Aside from these main characters, there were many other engaging and enjoyable minor characters who made the book very fun and lively – the literary equivalent of the best sort of people-watching. And as a native New Yorker, I loved all the Brooklyn details. The happy ending was happy, and even better, it didn’t come too quickly. The delayed gratification made it that much sweeter.All told, it’s clear that UVA alums write fabulous books! Thank you, Tia Williams, for entertaining me, educating me, making me laugh, and opening my heart to the world just a little bit more.
BookLoverUpAllNight –
Emotionally HeavyGripping and emotionally messy and beautiful. Seven Days in June when they fell in love, lost each other and 15 years to find each other again.Genevieve “Eva” Mercy is an erotic fantasy writer of witches and vampires with a huge social media fan base. Shane Hall is an award-winning writer, mysterious to his fans and public. Both are broken, flawed and in pain. Shane drowns out the pain in a bottle of alcohol and letting people beat him up or purposely breaking his arm. Genevieve abuses drugs and cuts herself to get through the pain. The two meet in HS, collide and love. Promises are made and broken. Years later the truth is revealed but can they trust the other, trust the love that won’t die and learn how to move forward.Loved the “Dream House” love scene which had me grinning like a fool. Loved Audre, who is truly a gem of a daughter and so insightful for a tween. Definitely following this author, Tia Williams and can’t wait to read everything she has written.
BWH –
Beautifully written and heartbreaking4.5 starsWhew chile. What a way to start 2023 with this gem of a book! I was initially sucked in by the gorgeous cover and summary, but I truly savored this story of Eva and Shane. It took me longer than usual to read because I would stop, think and reread sections before giving myself permission to move on.I won’t say this book is “delightful”, although it kinda is in its own way. But I will say that it’s a lovely story about youth, resilience, pain, loss and love. All of the characters are wonderfully complicated. Eva has a perfect circle of friends and I could read entire books just about them. I want to know how Eva’s daughter Audre turns out. I’m curious about Shane’s students and how they’re doing.How Eva and Shane find their way back to one another is heartbreaking and real. People have problems, some seemingly invisible, and I appreciated how the author handled their challenges. The banter was top notch and sexy. Really, such an amazing book.
Sandra –
RIVETING, EMOTIONAL STORYloved loved. LOVED this book!!!! I related on so many levels to the characters and became emotionally involved. so many tragedy and heartbreaking stories, but the way it’s written, the character development, back story, and everything I feel in love! I didn’t really feel it or know I was feeling it until 3/4 through when I started to cry…. and then I laughed out loud… it’s incredible and moving! and so real life!NOTICE TO ALL: DO NOT PLAY AN AUDIO IF IN AN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT OR YOU NEED TO BE PROFESSIONAL HAHA.
Victoria S –
Good readI hope it works out for Shane and Eva! I enjoyed reading this book. I wanted to read more about the long line of the mysterious Mercy women. I feel like Eva’s family history is another book in itself.
Donna Hogan –
absolutely perfecto!Eva and Shane..and surrounding folks simply brilliantly cast in this wonderful world of crazy and wonderful! Crazy lost folks can find a way back to perfection found, lost and found and grasped for what it was….Bestest, greatest being as one…. Gracias Tia!
MerTheBird –
🥰🥰🥰Eva and Shane’s traumatic love story will forever stay with me.I couldn’t put this book down, I just was so invested in this story.Funny, spice, love, trauma those are some words that form this book.Highly recommend.There love was trulyUnforgettable.
Leia Williams –
24 Hour ReadI finished this book in a little over 24 hours. I was completely transfixed. What an amazing story of “true love”. Embarrassingly shed a tear at the end. At this point, I need Eight Days in July (or whatever) immediately!