e-ALC, 13:47:49
Narrated by: Lynnette R. Freeman
Release Date: January 27, 2026
Published by: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Read from: January 5-6, 2026
Stand-alone
Source: LibroFM (I received this ALC free from the publisher and LibroFM. This did nothing to influence my review!)
Content Warning: Drug Use/Abuse, Racism, Microaggressions, Infidelity
For Readers Interested In: Adult, Audio, Historical Fiction, Sparkly Covers, Most Anticipated, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Realistic Fiction, Stand-aloneFrom The Queen of Sugar Hill author ReShonda Tate—a new novel inspired by beloved Harlem jazz performer Hazel Scott and the equal parts exhilarating and tumultuous relationship that changed the course of her life.
Harlem, 1943. At just twenty-three, Hazel Scott is a woman on fire. A jazz prodigy, a glamorous film star, and a fierce advocate for civil rights, she’s breaking barriers and refusing to play by the rules. Then Adam Clayton Powell Jr. walks into her life. Harlem’s most electrifying preacher-turned-politician, Adam is as bold and unyielding as Hazel—charismatic, powerful…and married.
This kicks off a decades-long relationship that propels them into the center of a political and cultural revolution. As Hazel’s star rises, Adam takes the national stage in Congress and the couple becomes the toast of the country. But when their affair turns into a marriage, behind the glamorous façade is a battlefield of ego, ambition, and sacrifice. Forced to choose between her music and her family, Hazel must decide what she’s willing to lose—and what she refuses to give up.
Set against the pulsing backdrop of twentieth-century Harlem and featuring icons like Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, and James Baldwin, With Love from Harlem is a sweeping, emotionally charged romantic drama, rich with historical detail. ReShonda Tate delivers a powerful portrait of love, art, and the price of being unforgettable.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I kept putting off reviewing this because I had so much to say lol It was quite a shock to learn some of the things I did. Like Adam, I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU? Are they all like this? I really want to know. Like how did we get here? Nevertheless, I was so into this story and was basically binge reading it until I finished.
The entire time I was reading this I felt like I learned something new. I had never heard of Hazel Scott before, so I was writing down everything as I read. I learned she was an amazing pianist and even played two pianos at once. That was crazy. And she had some of the biggest names supporting her as well, like Billie Holiday, so I have no idea how I didn’t know who she was. Throughout the rest of the book I found myself applauding her for every time she snapped back at someone who judged her or her family. She felt like I really knew her by the end of it. Tate did a wonderful job at introducing me to her and making her feel like family by the end of it.
The other thing that stood out to me while I was reading was Adam Clayton Powell. I need someone to let me know if I’m going to be fighting air in every historical fiction book I read. First it was Will (Harlem Rhapsody) and then this introduced me to Adam. I can’t lie, I was shocked. Nothing I’ve ever heard about him had anything to do with this. But then again, I guess I know why lol He did a lot of good in his time, but he was not that great to women. Add on to that Quincy Jones too? I felt so bad for Hazel. She deserved so much better.
She deserved so much better all around tbh. She was very involved in the advancement of Black Americans, she was a bomb musician, and she loved her husband. But the old bitties started talking about her because of her husband, they put her on the Red Channel list, AND her husband started using her. It was a lot and I don’t think any of it was warranted. Although I do live by the, “the same way you get em is the same way they’re going to leave…..
I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I’ve found when its about someone that I’ve never heard of or that I know a little bit about, I’m always interested in knowing more about them. Especially if they have some weird or drama filled stuff happening. And let me assure you, this book has all of this and more.
