In February, I had the pleasure of being invited to a Minneapolis-based book club. I suddenly had to pivot from reading, Beach Read by Emily Henry, to Tia William’s 7 Days in June. Imagine my shock to find that my “Authors to Lovers” romance was not just a one-off, but potentially a sub-genre! I left January and Gus to sit in their respective writer’s blocks, so I could focus on finding out if Eva Mercy would ever finish the 14th installment of her vampire-witch-erotica series.
Two authors drawn together by unforeseeable circumstances is the premise of 7 Days in June and Beach Read. However, Eva and Shane’s experiences navigating the publishing industry as two Black authors adds depth and dimension to an otherwise classic romance novel. External pressures, trying to whitewash their stories, is something no white or vaguely “olive-toned” character would ever deal with.
Beach Read is exactly what it claims to be, a beach read. It’s easy, fun, and light. Of course, there are spicy scenes, but the passion between January and Gus is one of a missed opportunity given a second chance unlike the earth-shattering passion of Eva and Shane: two soulmates reunited.
Writing from Experience and Trauma
Authors can only stray so far from their own experience. The advice “write what you know” is given to many aspiring authors. This means that white authors will not be able to share the same type of story that minority authors can. It’s not to say that different books are worth more because of the person that wrote them, it’s a reminder to reach for novels written by people who do not look like you. By uplifting the perspective of minority writers, we get deeper stories. Eva was resilient in every facet of her life, January had to learn resilience.
“Women are expected to absorb traumas both subtle and loud and move on. Shoulder the weight of the world. But when the world fucks with us, the worst thing we can do is bury it. Embracing it makes us strong enough to fuck the world right back.”
― Tia Williams, Seven Days in June
Beach Read‘s January was going through traumas of her own. She was processing her mother’s battle with cancer and her father’s passing and secret life. As an aspiring author myself, I questioned her response to these traumas. Instead of using her writing to process the revelations about her father, January became stuck in deep writer’s block.
It was harder to root for January in the same way that I rooted for Eva. January had a series of unfortunate events that left her inheriting a house. I was happy to watch January evolve into a stronger woman but many of her struggles felt shallow. There was also a narrative of insecurity that Eva would never let get the best of her but often left January miserable.
Ultimately, the stories in 7 Days in June were intrinsically harder than in Beach Read. What does this mean? I think books have a time and place. If you need a poolside read, grab Beach Read. If you are yearning for something with more substance but are still a sucker for romance like me, 7 Days in June is all of that and more.
Happy Reading!