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katrina_and_the_page's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Self harm
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent
feistyannotatingbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
eryncaroline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Self harm
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
rebeccaouellet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
shawshaff's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Car accident, and Abandonment
pageafter_paige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
katebrownreads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Racism, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Child abuse and Gun violence
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Author: Tia Williams
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: June 7, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Intense • Complex • Messy
📖 S Y N O P S I S
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...
💭 T H O U G H T S
Marketed as a romance with depth (which tends to me my favourite kind), I knew I wanted to read Seven Days in June, and I was kindly gifted a copy for my birthday last year. It took me awhile to be mentally prepared to dive into a romance novel touching on drug abuse and addiction, for personal reasons. But, boy oh boy, did those first two sentences captured my attention!
I enjoyed the storyline and the characters, yet there was something about the writing style that felt off. Yes, it ended up being heavier than I'd first anticipated, packing a strong emotional punch, but Eva and Shane felt so real. I felt a connection to them both because I, too, have always felt like a misfit, as well as connecting with their trauma and the invisible illness and addiction aspects. It reminded me of what real life looks like (messy), and not the happily-ever-after so many romance books focus on. It's quite possible I enjoyed it because of the realities of my own life.
Additionally, I loved all the cultural nostalgia and the literary backdrop. It felt each added to the story in its own way. And of course there was Audre, who added an whole other dimension to the novel. How Eva paints pictures of her life for her daughter is certainly interesting, although I am not sure shielding her from reality is always a good thing in the long run.
Despite loving so much, the language seemed inconsistent from start to finish. The first half of the book felt very angsty, intense and raw, whereas in the final third of the book took on an entirely different tone. It almost seemed as though each half was written by a different author or like I was reading an entirely different book, which is something I am not as fan of as a reader.
To me, Seven Days in June painted a realistic picture of love not being easy and how the past influences the present. I appreciated the mental health and chronic illness representation. And loved how Eva went back to her roots to write the story she really wanted to. This isn't a story I'll soon forget.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• second chance romance trope devotees
• fans of romance with depth
• readers who enjoyed You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Listen, caring about things don't make you soft. It makes you alive.'"
"And maybe that was what real, adult love was. Being fearless enough to hold each other close no matter how catastrophic the world became."
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
overdose, colourismryankaybee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail