Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle: Review

Welcome to my review of Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle! I wanted to read this book ahead of the Black Romance Book Fest in May, and I’m glad I did. It was so authentic and charming.

Title: Love Radio
Author: Ebony LaDelle
Genre: YA Romance
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: 08/29/23

Description

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

What I thought was going to be a cute read was actually so much more than that and made me tear up multiple times. Admittedly, I didn’t know what the book was about before going into it. I just knew the author was going to Black Romance Book Fest, and so I finally wanted to read this book since I’d seen it around a lot. Don’t get me wrong, the swoonworthy moments were swooning. But the conversations around disability, consent, and when to ask for help were what really left an impression.

Prince and Dani’s dates were so thoughtful and make you reevaluate the effort you deserve when it comes to romance. I loved that they wanted to better and lift up the other because they believed in each other. And while the romance was a highlight, this story was also about believing in and healing yourself. The musical history and love advice was just the cherry on top.

Overall, I think this is a great book for teens who are dealing with a lot, whether it’s familial responsibilities and pressure, like Prince, or trying to heal from trauma, like Dani. I would definitely read more by Ebony LaDelle because of the realness she infuses into her writing.

Author

Photograph by Taylor Baldwin

Ebony LaDelle is the author of Love Radio—which was People magazine’s best book of the summer, a 2023 Audie Award Finalist, a 2023 Michigan Notable Book, and was featured on the Today show—and is the editor of the forthcoming romance anthology, You’ve Got a Place Here, Too. Prior to being an author, Ebony was a brand marketing director in book publishing and worked at Penguin Random House and HarperCollins, among others. You can visit her online at EbonyLaDelle.com and follow her on social at @EbonyLaDelle.