Love Radio
Ebony LaDelle
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published May 31, 2022
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About Love Radio
Hitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this witty and romantic teen novel about a self-professed teen love doctor with a popular radio segment who believes he can get a girl who hates all things romance to fall in love with him in only three dates.
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.
My Review
I really enjoyed LOVE RADIO. It’s not easy to write in a way that’s both really natural and really emotive, but this book is very much both. I found it very easy to get lost in the story. The writing makes it feel as though you’re sitting down with someone, listening to them tell the story directly. It’s both entertaining and heartfelt, and I loved following both Prince and Danielle’s stories. I loved their families and friend groups, too.
LOVE RADIO celebrates music and literature and how both inspired Prince and Danielle. I loved the way both of those passions were woven into the story. Danielle writes letters to some of her favorite writers as part of processing some things that happened to her. I loved that as Prince and Danielle got to know each other, they each found ways to celebrate things the other person loved. They also respected each other’s commitments to family and friends and the boundaries they set with one another.
I loved this sweet, playful romance that celebrates music and literature as well as treating one another well. I’m super glad I read it, and I can’t wait to see what Ebony LaDelle writes next.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Representation
Danielle and Prince are Black. Prince’s mom has Multiple Sclerosis. His younger brother has ADHD. One of Danielle’s friends is Muslim.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.
Romance/Sexual Content – content warning for sexual assault.
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. In one scene a girl and boy take their shirts off together.
A college boy kisses and touches a girl after she repeatedly tells him no. He rips her dress. She runs away from him.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violent Content
See sexual content section.
Drug Content
Danielle and her friend drink alcohol at an apartment where college boys are hanging out.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This novel sounds like one I would really enjoy. The references to literature and music appeal to me, and the knowledge that there is something in Danielle’s recent past that she’s struggling to deal with piques my curiosity. I want to read the letters she writes. So it looks like I’m off to the bookstore.
Again.
I thought the letters were a really cool element to the story. I hope you enjoy the book! Sorry (but also not) for creating more bookstore trips for you. I am trying to limit mine, but it’s lots harder than I thought it would be! Ha.