ARC Review: ” Love Radio” by Ebony LaDelle

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

Publication Date: May 31, 2022

Genre: Romance, YA, Contemporary, Fiction

Page Length: 320 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

Prince Jones is the guy with all the answers—or so it seems. After all, at seventeen, he has his own segment on Detroit’s popular hip-hop show, Love Radio, where he dishes out advice to the brokenhearted.

Prince has always dreamed of becoming a DJ and falling in love. But being the main caretaker for his mother, who has multiple sclerosis, and his little brother means his dreams will stay just that and the only romances in his life are the ones he hears about from his listeners.

Until he meets Dani Ford.

Dani isn’t checking for anybody. She’s focused on her plan: ace senior year, score a scholarship, and move to New York City to become a famous author. But her college essay keeps tripping her up and acknowledging what’s blocking her means dealing with what happened at that party a few months ago.

And that’s one thing Dani can’t do.

When the romantic DJ meets the ambitious writer, sparks fly. Prince is smitten, but Dani’s not looking to get derailed. She gives Prince just three dates to convince her that he’s worth falling for.

Three dates for the love expert to take his own advice, and just maybe change two lives forever.

Review:

Love Radio follows the narrative of two teens, Prince and Danielle, through alternating povs. Set in the Motor City, I was eager to delve into this book as I recognized all the sights and sounds detailed throughout the book. It showcases the beauty and culture of Detroit and the surrounding areas that I love and frequently visit. This YA novel plays off of some fun romance tropes as Danielle is a girl who hates romance coms and focuses on school, not boys. Meanwhile, Prince is the friend giving love advice and even has his own relationship radio show. The juxtapositions of the two make for an interesting romance to bloom and pulls the reader into the story immediately.

I also love how lyrical the writing is too. It matches the themes of writing and music and how it brings two seemingly opposites together, but also the true power of these art forms. This story tackles themes of coming of age, caring for loved ones, graduating from high school, and navigating friends and relationships in general. Both Prince and Danielle have been burned in the past and they do their best to try to overcome some of that trauma and work through it in order to find love.

I watch my parents interact—how easily they’re able to go from being playful one moment to having a serious conversation about the latest news cycle the next. Their body language, so in sync with each other, so natural. That’s what love looks like. It’s not always about the flowers and grand gestures, but this right here. Being completely yourself with another person in the moment….

I loved the romance and development of Prince and Danielle’s relationship. With college looming around the corner things are more serious besides the many swoon-worthy dates they go on in the story. The combination of their love for music and books is what connects them to the core and they benefit from each other. On top of the romance, they have to navigate through some tough feelings and decisions about their future. They feel the heavyweight of how their decisions will shape their lives.

We all sit in silence for a second, thinking about the gravity of the decisions we’re forced to make and the anxiety of waiting for our dream colleges to determine the next four years of our lives. How we’re trying to find our own happiness, even with our parents’ expectations of what we should be doing.

All in all, Love Radio was a really refreshing YA Contemporary Romance fiction novel. It’s a good mixture of romance growing up self-discovery, moving on, and healing with your past. I loved watching the relationship progress between Danielle and Prince and thoroughly enjoyed the cast of characters featured in the story. Most of all I loved how it showcased all the things that are special about my hometown and being an avid music and book lover I think anyone who is a fan of either will truly enjoy this book as it delves deep into music and literature history/knowledge.

I appreciated that this novel most importantly shows how life is a constant journey of learning, reflecting, and growing individually and in any type of relationship (platonic/romantic/familial). I highly recommend this novel!

*Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

Final Verdict:

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.