"What’s on its face is a delightfully steamy read is a story layered with nuance…Through it all, Williams’ clever and witty writing will leave you clamoring to be part of Mercy’s world."
’s Digest
Kirkus Reviews
A hugely satisfying romance that is electrifying and alive.”
author of National Book Award finalist Leave the W Rumaan Alam
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.
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…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
New York Times bestselling author of I Can't D Michael Arceneaux
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.
actress Reese Witherspoon
This book is so spicy and romantic, and I just could not stop turning the pages. It’s so good.”
Shelf Awareness
Sparkling with delicious sensuality and an intriguing plot…overlaid with challenging themes of poverty, disability, and childhood trauma that the author fearlessly addresses with grace and tenderness.”
New York Times bestselling author Rumaan Alam
A seductive fantasy: rich friendships, star-crossed lovers, artistic fulfillment.”
Vogue
Gutting, arousing, and sparklingly witty… a love story with depth.
Publishers Weekly
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.
Good Morning America
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.”
BookPage (starred review)
Seven Days in June is a slow burn as Shane and Eva attempt to heal old wounds…Through this gripping love story, Williams reckons with family histories and shows the power in rewriting our origin stories.”
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.
