Love Radio

Product Information

Love Radio is a hard-hitting, heart-warming, YA-Romance following two teens in Detroit approaching the end of their high school years. Love Radio highlights Black romance, beautiful Black families, supportive Black friendships, and Black artistry. They challenge each other’s preconceived notions such that both grow throughout the book due to their interactions with each other.

I loved how Danielle decided to take him out on a date, which was so funny because we see her being completely disgusted with the idea of love in the beginning of the story. It was also really smart for LaDelle to let Dani and Prince to both be supportive of each other with their passions to increase their connection with each other. This book also contains sweet dates and all the joy of falling in love, and I enjoyed the way these moments–the humour and the adorable romance–are more prominent than the pain. I could be a little biased but the passions for writing, music, love, and psychology had me sold from the very beginning. They talk about the influences Motown has had on today’s music, as well as how Black beauty practices have been appropriated.To sum it up: I feel like its a must-read for high school kids but for older readers it can be a bit too pedagogic. You would think that would be an easy task for an aspiring author, but Dani had something happen to her a while back, a traumatic event, that has ended up having an lasting impact on many different facets of her life. We definitely love our mental health representation here, and I especially appreciated both Danielle and Prince’s experiences with their school counselor.

Plus this book managed to so cute and wholesome, while also tackling a lot of really important topics. Throughout the book, the main characters face their own personal struggles, but while these moments are written with the care and the attention they deserve, this isn’t a story of struggle but one of joy. Born in MI, awoken at Howard University, and cultivated in Brooklyn, Ebony can usually be found eating out somewhere or being the undisputed Mom Friend of any group.Prince Jones is a self-professed love doctor who hosts a radio segment offering romantic advice to his listeners. Both Prince and Dani were very committed to their families and the scenes involving their family members were indeed some of my favorites. it’s not even super sad, especially when compared to other books i’ve read, but their story was so sweet and i fell in love with both of them🥹 i fell in love with the story and the writing, too, and i did not want to put this book down!

If you’re looking for a sweet contemporary or are a fan of The Sun Is Also a Star, you might enjoy Love Radio! LaDelle’s method of storytelling is so honest and genuine; you truly fall in love with these characters and can’t help but root for them. She’s focused on her plan: ace senior year, score a scholarship, and move to New York City to become a famous author. He was such a great sport about being snowed in all week, even as it affected what we could do for his special day.

I read this an ARC and everything in the ARC says: get it, share it, request it for your local library.