#Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers Book Review

[bookishlydazed]

Book Review: Honey Girl by Morgan Rodgers

Rating: **** 4.75/5

Pacing: Medium

Description:

With her newly completed PhD in astronomy in hand, twenty-eight-year-old Grace Porter goes on a girls’ trip to Vegas to celebrate. She is not the kind of person who goes to Vegas and gets drunkenly married to a woman whose name she doesn’t know…until she does exactly that.

This one moment of departure from her stern ex-military father’s plans for her life has Grace wondering why she doesn’t feel more fulfilled from completing her degree. Staggering under the weight of her father’s expectations, a struggling job market and feelings of burnout, Grace flees her home in Portland for a summer in New York with the wife she barely knows.

When reality comes crashing in, Grace must face what she’s been running from all along—the fears that make us human, the family scars that need to heal and the longing for connection, especially when navigating the messiness of adulthood.

Review (Spoiler Free):

I absolutely loved this book. I wasn't a huge fan of the premies and only chose to read it cause it was a shorter one with less than 300 pages. Honey Girl was such and unexpected joy to read. From the very beginning this book grabbed me and sucked me into the story I almost couldn't put it down. If not for life getting in the way I would have finished it in one sitting. It definitely gave me Solitaire by Alice Osman vibes so if you like that you would probably like this one to.

First off Morgan Rodgers writing is so beautiful. the way her words spoke to me was insane I loved it. Graces journey over the course of this novel was relatable and inspiring. You see her rise and fall. this book really spoke to me. I would definitely recommend this book it was so good.

this next bit has a few little SPOILERS

There were few things I didn't love about this book like her interactions with her parents they mostly just didn't make a a lot of sense to me. and maybe that because I couldn't fully relate or understand her parents but there reactions were a bit strange. and her friends reaction to her leaving and needing a break. it was almost like they didn't want to her to heal. very very weird because then they would say things like "we only want what's best for you" I don't know I was weird.

I do wish that we could have seen a little bit more of Yuki and Grace cause I really felt that I didn't get a great since of their relationship. I would love for Morgan to write a second book about their life in New York anyhow things have changed. I would buy it immediately.

Quotes (there are quite a few):

"They are doing their best for all the people that star up at the dark and do not know that they, too, shine brilliantly." (pg 23)

"She thinks, I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay, like a mantra. She has to be okay, because there is no other option. She is okay because she must be." (pg 31)

"Who else, Grace wonders, can understand loneliness if not someone who sits in solitude all their own?" (pg 49)

"The Grace Porter I know isn't afraid of anything. The Grace Porter Grace knows is afraid of so many things. she is afraid of disappointing people. She is afraid of straying from her carefully curated life plan." (pg 53)

""I wonder", Yuki asks quietly, "do you ever get scared like I do? Do you ever wonder how things will come together, and how things will fall apart?"" (pg 59)

""I put my head down and grit my teeth for a long time, and I never stopped to consider if it was good for me. If--if things would be different now if I had been honest with myself from the start about what I would need and how I would get it. I haven't been" she starts to pinch her skin and catches herself. "I haven't thought about myself or taken care of myself for awhile now.""(pg 97)

"you know being vulnerable and honest is not weak." (pg 248)

plus many others that are one my Goodreads account if you want to check them out!

#book blog #book review #book #honey girl #morgan rogers #romance #lqbtq romance #reading #self care #finding yourself #self discovery

[lgbtqreads]

Hey! Do you have any good suggestions for books with lesbians?

Lots! The Lesbian Review has a way better organizational system for books with lesbians that I do, so I definitely recommend checking them out because that's their whole raison d'etre, but a few personal faves of mine are Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers, Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, anything by Ciara Smyth or Kelly Quindlen, Casting Lacey by Elle Spencer, The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould, and of course, my own Home Field Advantage.

[medusasbush]

read april 2023

articles

How to Finger Your Partner When You Have Chronic Pain in Your Hands

You'd Be Happier Living Close to Friends: Why Don't You?

Why Do We Connect to Female Rage? (prompted a reread of The Scream Gap)

You should call your friend for a ride

The Sex Life of the Internet

It’s a “Brutal, Fearful Winter” for Journalism

“We Didn’t Know What We Had Until It Was Gone.” (on alternative news weeklies)

How Joni Mitchell's "Blue" shattered gender barriers

Why are movies so dark these days?

Poker Face is Peacock’s first truly great original series

The Bataan Death March of Whimsy Case File #1: Elizabethtown (essay that coined the term manic pixie dream girl)

I'm sorry for coining the phrase "Manic Pixie Dream Girl"

Why Venmo Is My Favorite Sympathy Card

The gift that never stops giving: Christy Dawn Ads

It's Hot to Look Ill

How the Hell Is 'The Last of Us: Part II' Going to Be Adapted?

What Happens in 'The Last of Us Part II'?

How Much Would You Pay for a Movie Ticket?

Is Therapy Speak Making Us Selfish?

Bad Projection is Ruining the Movie Theater Experience

When Self Awareness Eats its Own Tail

A Case Against Washing Your Face

Honey, I sold the kids.

Trickster and tricked

‘The Resort’ Review: Peacock Comedy-Thriller Series Is Strong on Vibes, Weak on Story

“The Resort�� Needs to Relax

Peacock's The Resort is a Rip-Off Mystery Series

Ted Lasso Wonders Whether He's Outstayed His Welcome in Season Three

What if we stopped using male and female as synonyms for man and woman?

The Great Deflation

Who is Queerness for?

‘Nobody Can Take Your Power’: Megan Thee Stallion in Her Own Words

Steven Yeun, Ali Wong and ‘Beef’ Creator Say David Choe Has ‘Put in the Work’ Since ‘Fabricated’ Rape Story

Why We Can't Leave Celebrities Alone

Tucker Carlson Set the World on Fire

How to Have the Fat Talk

Eat the Rich, Steal Their Skin?

books

Dietland by Sarai Walker

Virtual Equality: The Mainstreaming of Gay and Lesbian Liberation by Urvashi Vaid (started)

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers (started/abandoned)

#read lists #s

[mountainmaven]

What Kim Read in 2022

I read 53 books this year: 10 were DNF, 5 were audio books.

My Favorites this year were:

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe The Hacienda by Isabel Canas Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers The Sweetest Remedy by Jane Igharo Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Kiss Her Once For Me by Allison Cocrun

I read a lot more contemporary and contemporary romance than I usually do, and I enjoyed many of them. I read more books by women, and women of color, and more LGBTQ+ books as well.

Overall I'd say it was a really good reading year.

#books #booklr #kim's year in books 2022

[typewriter-worries]

Book recommendations please kindly

Just give me anything, not too romantic nor too much like a thriller, or maybe, if you have ever read anything, like, the secret history

Hey there! Gladly will recommend some <3

I've linked the Storygraph entry for each book so you can check the trigger warnings need be.

I've yet to read the Secret History (waiting for it to get a bit colder where I'm at) but I often see it associated with If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, and I loved that one.

A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood and Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin if you're in the mood for a more slow paced read that'll crush you.

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers is a romance but it's definitely more of a book about self exploration and healing. It's like a coming of age, if that age was 28 (which was awesome to see).

A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck seems like a romance but it quickly becomes anything but. I think about this book often; it broke my heart, but I kind of love the author for it.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a tough read because of the material but easily one of the best books I've read in recent memory.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, though you may know him as Lemony Snicket. I loved this one but I think it's important to note you might need to have sensitivity to morally grey characters. No one is a good person here.

And to wrap it all up; if you've got the time for a series, I can't recommend The Raven Cycle enough. If you're not much of a series reader, you can treat The Raven Boys as a stand alone, but you'll most likely end up loving the characters so much you'll want to get to the end.

I've reviewed a few of these on this blog, if you want to check out my book reviews tag to get a more in-depth description from me.

My taste in books is a little scattered so my recommendations tend to reflect that, but I hope you find something you do love throughout them. If you do, please let me know!

#hope you're having a lovely day <3 #recommendations #these are a few of my favorite things

[cosettepontmercys]

Hello love!!!!! Just popping in to say hi and how much ily <3 <3 hope everything is going well, and you're enjoying your readings!!

Also, I've FINALLY got the inclination to read For The Throne, but idk if I should reread For The Wolf first? I wouldn't hate rereading it (as it's one of my fave fantasy books + love the prose). On your goodreads it's marked that you're currently reading For The Throne, is it just a shelved reading? If you are truly reading it, hat are your thoughts so far?

As well for the game, could you do top 5 Maisie Peters songs (The Good Witch was my first listen to her so I want to get into her more!!) and top 5 books with prose > plot (or books with fantastic prose)?

hi love!!! i would definitely reread for the wolf, because i started for the throne a while ago and then was like "i don't remember a single thing" and then put it down but i'm technically still reading it (i also do not remember where i put my copy of for the throne, which means it's probably sitting in my car — i'll have to check tomorrow)! i do like the little i've read of it so far, i just don't really remember anything from for the wolf so it feels very ???? what have you been reading lately? 🤍

andddd: top 5 maisie peters songs (in no particular order):

the band and i

wendy

take care of yourself

glowing review

elvis song

honorary mention: happy hunting ground, maybe don't, the list, lost the breakup !! how did you like the good witch? do you have any favorites?

top 5 books with fantastic prose (again, in no particular order):

the night circus by erin morgenstern

the starless sea by erin morgenstern (i usually try not to put the same artist on lists like this twice but erin's prose ....)

honey girl by morgan rogers

all the dead lie down by kyrie mccauley

our wives under the sea by julia armfield (beautifully written, but not my favorite, but it was a recent read)

ask me top 5 anything!

#post: answered #mutual: lindsay #would love to hear ur recs too <333 #the prose one was difficult ngl!

[anastasiacurtiswrites]

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers: Book Review

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers: Book Review #BookReview #BookTwitter

Honey Girl is the relatable journey of finding oneself through anxiety all through the lense of a lesbian drunken marriage in Vegas. Book Trigger warnings Before I get into reviewing Honey girl by Morgan Rogers I would like to say that this book does contain light self harm (Scratching, pinching, bruising oneself when overwhelmed) Depression & Anxiety. The main character multiple times in the…

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#book review #Book reviews #Honey Girl #Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers #Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers Book Review

[kathyreviewsbooks]

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers rating: 5/5

Summary: Honey Girl follows a 28 year old astronomer called Grace Potter, she had just finished getting her doctorate. She is struggling to find a job due to her being a black, queer woman. One day on a trip to Las Vegas Grace wakes up to find out that she had drunk married another woman. The woman left her a card but other then that Grace has no clue how to find them. From there on we follow Grace not just as she finds out whom she married but also through a journey of self discovery. As she discovers how to deal with insecurities and the fear of not being good enough.

Rating: I cannot express how much this book spoke to me. It had me sobbing because I could heavily relate to some of the struggles that Grace was going through. What made me really love it is that Grace may have been surrounded by people who love her and yet she still struggled. She still felt loneliness and burnt out with overwhelming feelings. Not only that but her struggle to make her parents proud of her and to prove that her education is worth something, i have never related so much to a character. Morgan Rogers did such a great job of portraying mental illnesses. I went into this book expecting a sweet romcom, it wasn't that. It was something so much better. This book is so emotional, not depressing just very emotional. Morgan Rogers knows how to make you feel so heavily for the main character.

#books #book tumblr #kathyreviewsbooks #book reviews #morgan rogers #honey girl

[bookcub]

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers: Thoughts

I hope Honey Girl is the start of more coming of age type novels for adults. It was nice to read the uncertainty of Grace through the book and seeing her on this journey.

I liked this book but unfortunately I didn't love it. I seem to be in the minority, which is good, and I'll probably pick up more books by this author in the future (I'm excited to see what she does next).

what I liked:

Grace and Yuki's relationship. It didn't always feel real but it felt magical and I got lost in it. the prose between them was gorgeous and many of my favorite scenes. I don't know if they will last, but I'm rooting for them.

Yuki's show and her view of storytelling. It's not a secret I love storytelling and the theme of it, so of course the monsters of the radio show and the history stood out to me. these were my other favorite scenes.

the wandering and disjointed plot. I enjoyed how this plot was very slow and not the most cohesive. Grace was finding herself and it took time and the fluidity of the book was able to capitalize on that. it wasn't very fast paced and had a slow start but wandered in some interesting directions.

complicated relationships with parents. (spoilers) her parents were never excused for their behavior but complicated people who we could see developing a stronger relationship with Grace and that was a lovely journey to see. (end spoilers)

this book had some pretty intense moments.

thank god this book took therapy seriously. love good therapists in fiction.

*happy sigh* so much diversity!!!! so causal!!! so awesome!!! lesbians who don't die!!! and don't struggle with coming out!!! ahhhhh!!! love that part.

(spoilers) (oh and did we have polyamorous lesbians at the end 👀) (end spoilers)

what I disliked:

this may sound insignificant but the NICKNAMES. as someone who uses a lot of nicknames, the sheer amount in here was still way too much for me. Either call her Grace or Porter, I couldn't handle the back and forth. Grace didn't seem to like being called Porter and never referred to herself in the narrative as Porter, so it felt like a misplaced name. Little sister, big brother, oh my god, and it was only the tip of the iceberg.

and on a related note, I love found family as a trope but this version . . . .didn't do it for me. it felt forced. some of the conversations were organic but the relationships were forgettable until mentioned.

it was a bit didactic. I don't love being told how i should feel, I'd rather have a nuanced conversation about a topic and many books do that well. this had very little subtlety.

other things:

oh and I expected that astronomy would play a larger part??? why did Grace not talk about space more? I just. . . thought she would. that's not really bad just confusing.

there were a LOT of characters and shockingly I only got confused once or twice about who was who, so kudos to that. however, did prevent the side characters getting the depth I thought they deserved because of all the shared page time.

trigger warnings: self harm

#honey girl #morgan rogers #my book review #my book reviews #queer books

[mfred]

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers is a coming-of-age story, a queer story, a love story, a story of finding yourself and others and building a family from what you find. I loved it. 5 stars.

#book reviews #honey girl #morgan rogers #queer books #lgbtq bipoc books

[leighsnovelhour]

“Good luck on the 20 somethings”: Honey Girl review

I wrote a review of Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers! Here’s an excerpt:

Honey Girl is a part of burgeoning millennial fiction subgenre. There are so many coming-age-age and young adulthood, but what happens when they transition into adulthood? Adults don’t magically have their shit together when they enter their twenties and the journey of adulthood is always changing, and the novel depicts that nicely. I definitely found this novel relatable in that regard. Reading about a twenty-something who doesn’t know what they’re doing with their life and doesn’t know what direction they want to go was comforting to me because that’s how I feel at 23. It gives me “20 Something” by SZA vibes. It was comforting that even nearing 30, Grace was still unsure about her path and who she was. It reassured me that I have time and also that adults don’t have everything figured out, so I don’t have to rush my life. Also, finding yourself and deciding the rest of your life does not have to be restricted to your twenties; it can go beyond that. Society makes us feel like our twenties are the make-or-break of our lives but we have a whole life to live beyond that.

Click the link to read the full review!

#Honey Girl #Morgan Rogers #millenial fiction #contemporary fiction #LGBTQ #book review

[morgan--reads]

Honey Girl - Morgan Rogers

Summary: To celebrate finishing her PhD in astronomy, Grace Porter goes on a trip to Vegas with some friends and gets drunkenly married to a beautiful stranger named Yuki, who lives across the country. As her career falters and Grace begins to question her meticulous life plan, she turns to her wife for a chance to escape her problems for a while. 

Quote: “I wonder, do you ever get scared like I do? Do you ever wonder how things will come together, and how things will fall apart? It seems bizarre to wonder so deeply about a stranger, but I have half of you in the ring on my finger, so I don’t think you are a stranger at all.”

My rating: 4.0/5.0  Goodreads: 3.94/5.0

Review: My only real issue with this book is the categorization of it as a romance. Yuki and Grace’s romance is filled with aching text messages, heartfelt radio broadcasts, and tender conversations, but it isn’t really the center of the plot. Largely, the book is a coming-of-age novel. Grace’s struggles with her father’s expectations, transitioning from school to the job market, being a good friend, being a good partner, and finding her way in a world that doesn’t value people of her sexuality or ethnicity. The themes hit hard for someone in their mid-to-late twenties. I cried at least twice, but it was the good, cathartic kind of crying. The book, thankfully, doesn’t offer easy answers, but it ends every plotline on a hopeful note. 

Read-alike: Evvie Drake Starts Over - Linda Holmes

#honey girl #morgan rogers #book recommendation #book review #romance #new adult #coming of age

[bigheartedbibliophile]

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary: 🌈👩🏿👩🏿‍🎓🎉🍾✈🥰💔

Grace Porter works harder than most people. She has to, as a queer, black woman in the astronomy field. Her whole life, she’s been planning for her dream career. She has been in school nearly her whole life, and now with her PhD. in hand, finding a job should be easy right? When she wakes up in Vegas to find that she’s married to a random girl, and doesn’t get the job her professor basically said she was a shoo-in for, Grace realizes she needs a break. She leaves her entire plan behind to truly get to know the woman she married - and herself. This book is about self-love, mental health, and finding your own place in the world. It’s about being okay with not being perfect, finding your family, and choosing who you want to be.

I laughed. I cried. I'm still crying. This book was so well written and so relatable. This book will rip your heart out and sew it back together. ❤

#honey girl #morgan rogers #honey girl by morgan rogers #lit #literature #book #book review #book lover #bookworm #beautyandthebooks #queer love #mental health #self-care #queer black women

[typewriter-worries]

Love You, Space Girl

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers: A Review 

When I came across Honey Girl; I was ecstatic. It's so rare for me to come across a book about two women of color falling in love with one another and I was excited to dive into the escapism of the world built around Grace Porter and Yuki Yamamoto. It also helps that I've always been a bit of a starry eyed girl myself. However, the longer the book went on; the less it became about a love story between two women and more about a book about a woman falling back in love with herself, which ever version that might be. I like that this is a book that tackled the topic of dealing with mental health, generational trauma and the inevitable twists and turns of life (especially in the black community). That said, I still wish this was a book that delved into romance, as that's what I thought I was reading. 

Overall, I appreciated Grace's voice, as it feels rare to come across it in contemporary work; I just wish I could have been able to fall more in love with love.

★★★★☆ 

Find me on Storygraph (same name as here!) 

#book review #honey girl #morgan rogers

[aroaessidhe]

Hello beaujester fans I made a little list of f/f book recs for no reason other than i love beaujes and i love sapphic books

(the last two are bonus vexleth + some of my general fave f/f books by authors of colour)

more info and transcript below the cut;

these are a range of genres & are based on various tropes & things that might appeal to beaujes/ cr fans!

pls don't treat them like beaujes fanfic or anything, they're all great books on their own!!!

check goodreads reviews for trigger warnings if you might need them :)

oh also! if you have a library card, download the libby app! you can borrow ebooks for free!

transcript:

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco 

cool fantasy world split into day & night, with asian characters & author

bodyguard + princess who’s lived in a tower her whole life

they met in a bookstore & one loves silly romance novels

(& there’s a m/f pair too)

a duology, complete

The Mermaid, The Witch & The Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

this is actually f/nb (one MC is genderfluid)

a rich sheltered girl travelling to meet a husband she’s never met gets taken by pirates, and one of them helps her escape

fairytale-like, pirates, mermaids, & magic!

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

a girl who accidentally sent her family to a kind of Latinx fairyland must travel to get them back

best friends to lovers!

a bi love triangle

(start of a trilogy based around 3 bruja sisters)

We Set The Dark On Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

two girls (forced to be) married to

the same man in a Latinx dystopian fantasy world fall in love with each other

& become involved in the revolution

friends to rivals to friends to lovers!

a duology, complete

The Falling In Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

grumpy + sunshine girl ya contemporary romance

girl who doesn’t believe in romance or happy endings meets a girl who

loves romcoms & they plan to date

just for the summer

their dynamic reminds me a lot of bj tbh

The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake

sapphic retelling of Twelfth Night

shipwreck hunting & family mysteries

honestly i’m partly putting this here just bc there’s a chapter called ‘sapphire of the sea’

Under The Lights by Dahlia Adler

lesbian korean-american actress in a new teen tv show falls for her bi coworker

(dual pov w a straight guy who’s kinda a dick but they end up friends in the end)

The Weight of The Stars by K. Ancrum

two girls bonding over their love of space

scrappy teens in a small town

found family

rivals to friends to lovers

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

dystopian future ruled by an AI by keeping children of world leaders as ‘hostages’ in isolated schools

slow burn best friends to lovers And oh my god they were roommates....

(there’s a love triangle w a boy but she ends up with the girl)

Crier’s War by Nina Varela

fantasy world where automae rule over humans

human rebel / sheltered automae princess

lots of yearning, enemies to lovers

a duology, complete

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

adult sci-fi with an ambassador from a small station travelling to the empire

interesting alien cultures, court intrigue, politics (if u like that side of CR)

slow burn allies to friends to lovers

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

new adult contemporary novel where two women get drunk married in vegas

smart girl + creative girl

queer found family

coming of age & dealing with family expectations

[i have not read this one yet!]

BONUS: VEXLETH

Ash & Huntress by Malinda Lo

two seperate books set in a chinese inpisred fantasy world

a cinderella retelling where she ends up with the huntress instead of the mysterious fae man

and two women on a quest to save the world from a fairy queen freezing it

Of Fire And Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

a princess goes to another kingdom to marry a prince, but falls for his horseriding sister instead

one has fire magic, the other loves animals (their hair colours are swapped from vexleth too 😂)

magic, fantasy world, dragons

a duology, complete (with a prequel too)

Breaking Legacies by Zoe Reed

a huntress gets tasked with finding runaway princess but falls for her instead

dragons, wolves, magic & found family

[I have not read this one yet]

These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy

awkward redhaired lesbian who can turn into a giant flaming monster bird

& a swordfighting dark haired palace guard

sister relationships & politics

MC has a pet bear that she rides...

[have not read this one, I don’t think it’s out quite yet]

BONUS: some fave f/f books by authors of colour because half of the above are by white authors

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (ya persin fairytale fantasy)

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (adult sci-fi)

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan (YA asian high fantasy trilogy)

Each of us a Desert by Mark Oshiro (YA latinx fantasy)

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aaminah Mae Safi (YA contemporary romance) You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson (YA contemporary romance)

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (YA contemporary romance)

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee (YA contemporary/superhero/dystopia)

In The Vanisher’s Palace by Aliette de Bodard (adult beauty & the beast retelling w a dragon)

#beaujester #beaujes #critical role #long post #this is exactly what i should be doing with my time right now #posting this on my book blog bc. u know. books. but i am layahimalaya/layaart #laya talks