did I expect to bawl my eyes out over this novel? not a chance, but I sure did in the best way possible 🥹 the characters that tia williams crafted in this magical realism romance were unforgettable (no pun intended)!!! 

by combining historical fiction with magical realism, tia williams created this gorgeous backdrop of a story in harlem spanning a hundred years, through the good and the ugly of black history. it was beautiful to read about both first-hand in the older timeline and in reflection in present day - and that alone created a sense of magic 💜

I absolutely adored all of the characters in this one - from MCs ricki and ezra, to childhood star best friend tuesday, and to my favorite grandmother della… I’ve never felt so connected so quickly to an entire group of characters before! I just want to give them all a huge hug thanks 🥹

and at the heart of the story, beyond the curses and magic, beyond the history of harlem, was the core of love - choosing who to love fully and wholly. I’m a firm believer of chosen family, rather than being loyal to your blood family who doesn’t respect or love you, and this just affirmed everything!!

I cannot thank netgalley and grand central publishing enough for this beautiful advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!! 

rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: south african pinotage