Seven Days in June (2021) -Tia Williams
This is a quintessential romance book
Content Warnings: Self-harm, substance abuse, child neglect, gun violence, sexual assault, car accident, death
Representation: Black, chronic pain/migraines, disability
Favorite Quote: “What was it like, the luxury of not hurting?”
Mid-way through this book I noted, “Where they lack in communication skills, they make up in horniness.” This is generally how I would summarize a great many of romance novels, but in this case, I don’t fault the book for falling into this dysfunctional trope because the novel really was so much more.
This can largely be attributed to the main character, Eva, who is a Black single mother who experiences chronic migraines. The pain from these migraines that have stumped doctors all her life leads her to develop a reliance on unprescribed drugs in her teenage years until she had the money and resources to find a specialist doctor in her adulthood. Eva also has made a career for herself writing erotic romance novels.
Eva is chaotically complimented by the love interest, Shane, a Black man who has grown far too used to being untethered. With no family, and recovering from an alcohol addiction, Shane is not viewed as a reliable figure in anyone’s life, particularly Eva’s after he inexplicably left her many years ago. Fifteen years since their separation, however Shane is a successful novelist, two years sober and a dedicated mentor to his students whom he teaches high school English, and he’s ready to face the past and Eva.
This doesn’t, of course, mean Eva is ready to face the past. To her, Shane showing up in her life after fifteen years is highly inappropriate, but they both know that they have been writing to and about each other in their novels since their separation. Neither have fully moved past those seven days fifteen Junes ago where they fell fast in love and left without closure.
There were parts of this book that felt unnecessarily drawn out. The second act conflict itself was worthy of docking points from this book, and like any good cheesy romance novel,Seven Days in Junerelied at times on well established tropes. I actually really enjoyed the tropiness and cheesiness, but miscommunication and dysfunctionality can only be taken so far before it becomes repetitive and annoying. This book solidly earned its star rating.