Seven Days in June- Tia Williams

Thirty something year old, Eva Mercy, has drawn on her past experiences to create a successful romantic fantasy book series. And now, after fifteen years, her main muse, Shane Hall, has walked back into her life. Their undeniable, extremely palpable chemistry is as strong as it had been all those years ago but is that enough? Eva has a twelve year old daughter to support and a chronic illness that has driven others away. Does she dare risk opening her heart again?

At the same time, Eva is navigating her emotions in regards to her career. A movie based off of her successful book series is in the works but she is being pressured to whitewash her characters to be more successful.

Seven Days In June explores what it means to be taken seriously as a woman, as a black woman, and as a black woman with an chronic invisible illness. All wrapped up in decades of generational trauma that scream out to Eva to be examined.

This book has so many layers. Romance, racism, sexism, family trauma, and the desire of a woman who wishes not to be defined by these layers; who wishes to forge her own path, to write stories that don’t solely rely on telling her harrowing past to be successful.

As a fellow spoonie, I am incredibly grateful for Williams’ vivid and vulnerable exposure of chronic illnesses. There was one line that really resonated and stood out to me. “ I wanted a wife, not a patient.” When you have a chronic illness, it’s all too easy to get sucked into the feeling of being a burden. Invisible illnesses are difficult enough to navigate let alone with the added pressure of not feeling like a constant colossal hindrance to your friends and family. It’s exhausting. Watching the growth of Genvieve (Eva) in regards to her self-worth as black woman with an invisible illness was absolutely inspiring.

The relationship between Shane and Genvieve was so right. While I do enjoy the whole long lost lovers/ second chance trope (because I do believe that there are certain people we carry long after a relationship has ended) I’ve found many books to be a little too “fluffy” for me.  This wasn’t the case for Seven Days in June. This story acknowledges that relationships are messy and scary; that they require consistent hard work but that just makes the good times all that much sweeter.

Seven Days in June is sumptuous & noteworthy.