I have no idea where the Red White and Royal Blue comp is coming from because this was a vastly different story with a completely different tone. There was an element of romance, yes, but this was heavier and absolutely more about Grace's internal character journey to deal with her burnout and get to the root of her issues.

I'm glad to see the space being made to tell diverse queer stories, especially in the late 20s and still figuring things out space, but ultimately this wasn't a read that really grabbed me. The flowery poetic language, while lovely, served to keep me at an emotional distance from all the characters and plot happenings, and the uneven time skips/pacing didn't help with that either. I cared about Grace and her journey, but this wasn't a book that had me itching to pick it back up every time I had to stop reading.

Wow, okay. YES. This book was everything I didn't know I needed and more.

Sometimes when I give too many books 4/4.5 stars, I start to wonder if my expectations are unrealistic and if I should change my ratings. This book reminded me of what a 5-star book looks like.

Honey Girl starts with Grace Porter, a newly minted astronomy PhD, who, one night in Las Vegas, gets drunkenly married to a stranger. Yet despite this setup, Honey Girl is not a romance book. It's the story of Grace Porter finding the girl she married, a part-time radio show host who hunts for supernatural creatures with her roommates in her spare time. It's the story of her finding a family, finding her path, finding her place in the world, and maybe even finding herself, whatever that might mean.

From the first page, this book pulled me in and didn't let go until I had reached the final page. It was quiet and introspective and just delightful. Not to be dramatic but absolutely everything about this book was stunning. I loved the way it portrayed the lost feeling that comes after reaching a goal you've dedicated your life towards achieving. Each and every one of the characters was so easy to fall in love with. I loved the way the friendships in this book were portrayed as well as the element of found family and all the casual queerness that was present. The writing was gorgeous and poetic without being overly flowery. And while this book is light on the plot, I wasn't bored for a single second while reading. Morgan Rogers can WRITE, and I can't wait to read anything else they come out with.

This book is out of this world (pun intended), please, please go read it.

There has been a lot of hype around Honey Girl and after reading the blurb I wasn't able to resist this debut either... I've somehow hardly read any F/F romance and the premise of this own voices lesbian romance story sounded absolutely fantastic and a perfect excuse to remedy this. I'm SO glad I decided to read Honey Girl despite the hype now: hyped books and me don't tend to get along, but this book is the exception to that rule. It turned out to be such a beautifully rendered and captivating read!

The first thing that stands out for me is the writing. Morgan Rogers sure has a way with words! This debut has such lush and lyrical writing that had me fully mesmerized as soon as I read the first chapter (the prologue written in the second person wasn't for me, but that is just a personal pet peeve). This same beautiful writing style can be found throughout the story, and the many descriptions were a true feast for they eyes. Honey Girl has definitely made me an instant fan of her writing!

I also loved that Honey Girl isn't only an own voices story with POC main characters, but also has a focus on the LGBT comunity with multiple characters on top of the lesbian relationship between Grace and Yuki. Both elements were key in the plot and I loved how they were incorporated into the story realistically and flawlessly. The main focus is on Grace and Yuki's relationship after their Las Vegas wedding of course, and I loved seeing their characters develop and connect. This Las Vegas wedding and the main characters not knowing each other at all despite being married is definitely a fascinating premise.

Honey Girl has a wide cast of side characters who all add their little something to the plot. All have their own background and are sufficiently developed to make them come alive and it's really easy to connect to the mayority. The story is told from Grace's POV, but it's quite easy to get to know Yuki very well in the chapters where they are together. Grace can be quite frustrating at times, but as a whole I really liked both main characters, which made it really easy to stay invested in the story.

I liked the development of the plot, and how multi-layered this story is. We not only have the Las Vegas wedding and what happens after, but we also have family issues, Grace struggling with mental health as well as parental pressures, race and discrimination among other things. The plot itself is just as rich as that lush writing and definitely helped turn this story into a success. I also loved that Yuki has her own radio show and how it played a role in the plot instead of being just background.

As a whole I most definitely had an excellent time with this debut, and if you enjoy well developed, beautifully written and diverse romance stories, Honey Girl is an excellent choice.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book gave me all the feels! I swear Rogers just looked into my brain and found all my fears and insecurities about what comes next after grad school and put them in this book. I am a mess. A RIGHT MESS. Easiest five stars I've ever given, and I think i need some therapy after this. Most likely in the form of some other emotionally traumatizing books.

Grace Porter has always had a plan. She's spent the last several years getting her Master's and PhD in Astronomy. She'd never be the type of girl to go to Vegas and get drunkenly married, until she does. This starts a chain reaction of events leading to Grace questioning her plan, her lack of fulfillment at completing her degree, the overwhelming feelings of burnout and struggling in the job market. All of this culminates in Grace fleeing her home in Portland to got to New York and find her wife, Yuki Yamamoto.

Grad school is hard, if you learn nothing but that from this book, let it be enough. The constant scrutiny, the constant self doubt, the constant anxiety of what's next can be overbearing. I'm already feeling it all and more and I still have two ish years left of my PhD. I've never seen the emotional struggle written so plainly on the page before Honey Girl. Granted, Grace has several more barriers to crush due to systemic racism and inherent bias of the scientific community.

I loved the family Grace surrounds herself with in this story. While she has baggage with her parents that she starts to work through, she has the best found family with Ximena, Agnes, Meera and Raj. Then she moves in with Yuki and is adopted by her roommates Dhorian, Fletcher and Sani. I'm pretty sure all of them are queer and several races and ethnicity's are represented. It was such a flawlessly diverse cast, it makes me ask, why aren't more stories like this?

I also loved the good representation this book gave to therapy. Grace eventually decides she needs help sorting through all her emotional trauma and she finds a therapist. But, she goes through a couple different ones to find one right for her. And seeing that so normalized in a book was a breath of fresh air. Therapy does so much good for so many people, but part of it is that you need a therapist suited to you.

Then there's the relationship of Grace & Yuki. God, I loved these two so much. They made my heart ache with every scene together. Their relationship had tense and tough moments, but there was so much more to it than that. I am such a romantic sap but this book delivered on all fronts regarding the romance. I need more of Grace & Yuki, I love them so much.

The only "bad" thing about this book is that I NEED MORE. Please Morgan, write us an extended epilogue like 1-3 years later. *insert puppy eyes* I need to see all my gay babies happy and thriving. I know they're headed there, but I would like to see more. This debut was everything and more that I wanted. I cannot wait to see what Rogers will write next, it will be an automatic add to my TBR.

I finished reading HONEY GIRL in the deep hours of the night, eyes a little bleary from staring at the screen, heart a little heavy from finishing what I cannot describe as anything else other than a masterpiece. HONEY GIRL is a glory to behold. It is exquisite and painful and more than just a love story — at its heart, it is a delicate clockwork of all that holds us together, and the things that kill us, slowly, eating at us from the inside, and about monsters and lonely creatures who sing into the dark, hoping that someone, somewhere, is listening.

I would tell you more about the book, but I think that HONEY GIRLS is one of those books that is best to go into knowing nothing more than the fact that it will change your life. Even as the world moves on, I find myself stuck inside the story, which is spun in honey & stars & songs & champagne bubble dreams — and I just know that HONEY GIRL will stay with me for years to come.

Morgan Rogers spins this tale with love and warm hugs and sweet wine — magic. her writing is nothing short of divine, as it manages to be lyrical and simple and raw, all at the same time. This story tackles mental health and being a woman of color in STEM and what it feels like to hold the responsibility to make everyone happy. It explores the ever-demanding struggle of being a dedicated people pleaser, and what it means to be the best, and how you can be lonely without being alone.

It is about all kinds of love — every shade of it, dull and vibrant, sparkling and stinging, familial, platonic, romantic, searing and everflowing love — and good god, i could not recommend it more. More than anything, it is a beacon of light for everyone who feels like they've been lost for too long, stuck in a foggy mind and the heaving pressures of life — HONEY GIRL tells all of us: You will be found.

conceptually and thematically? fantastic. execution? less than ideal, in my honest opinion. i was left a little disappointed with the dialogue and the characterization. i absolutely loved that the story was more about grace trying to find herself and work through her own complications with self-worth, facing racism in academia, etc. but i think the other facets of the story were impacted because of this. even though yuki is the romantic interest, she never really becomes more than an ideal. you don't even find out until the very last page why she is in las vegas to begin with. and it didn't feel like a big reveal, it felt more like something were i was going "i wish i knew this 150 pages ago." i did enjoy it, but i was SO pumped for it and i feel like it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

This book was a slow burn character study of Grace Porter. She is questioning her life, purpose, and where she fits in. Thankfully a drunken night in Vegas that results in a marriage to Yuki gives her the courage to explore. What we get to see is Grace navigate the uncertainty with her friends and her new wive's friends.

CW: racism, sexism, parental pressure

You hear stories of people getting drunkenly married in Vegas, but not always what happens after. When Grace Porter goes to Vegas with her friends after completing her PHD, she doesn't expect to wake up married to someone she never met. They go back to their homes across the country, but continue to text and then when Grace needs to run away she heads to the home of the wife she barely knows.

What follows is an examination of life, love, friendships, career goals, and everything else.

This book is a wonderful examination of new adulthood, lonely people finding lonely people, running away from your problems, and figuring out what to do with you life and I really enjoyed it.

“Maybe I believe in your monster, too.”
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

I inhaled tf out of this book. Morgan Rogers, I love you!!!

Honey Girl is about a queer, Black twenty-something having herself a little existential crisis. It’s about a lonely girl meeting another lonely girl. And when they hold each other, they understand.

:’)

I thought this was just going to be a sweet sapphic romance, but it was much more complex than that. It was quite heavy at times.

Things Honey Girl explored that really worked for me:

+ Being a Black woman in science
+ The beauty of a queer-found family
+ How complicated parents are
+ How healing therapy can be

Honey Girl is Rogers debut novel and I cannot wait to see what else she does. Her writing is poetic and special. There were a couple things I had personal issues with, but overall, I adored this book.

I’d recommend pairing this one with a nice glass of red. Actually, this is the ideal Valentine’s Day setup. So do with that what you will.

Thank you to Net Galley and Park Row Books for the advanced copy. Honey Girl is available to the public on February 23.

Loved this book! Such a great story with such heart and emotion. A wonderful story for anyone who feels a little lost.

Not going to Lie....I thought this was going to just be a fun romance novel, and in some ways it was but it was also SOOO much more. Grace has spent her life striving for perfection and putting a massive amount of pressure on herself. When she reaches her ultimate goal she was a crisis of it is what she really wants. On a drunken night in Vegas she married a girl she really wants but who definitely does not fit “The Plan”. As Grace tries to find a ends reality she delves into understanding her loneliness, depression, the societal pressure put on black women and how to find your own way. This book brought me to tears numerous times with its raw look at how lonely life can be even when you are surrounded with love. A great book!

This book blew me away. It’s a raw, emotional coming-of-age story that features an honest look at the pressures we put on people to stay on the path that was set for them, even when that path is no longer what they want. In Honey Girl, Grace Porter is a driven, focused, Type A scientist who is finished her doctorate and is awaiting to start her dream job. But before she goes back to the real world, she and her two best friends take a quick trip to Las Vegas for some fun and relaxation. Except Grace, known to everyone as Porter, wakes up on her last morning in Vegas hungover and married. Married to a beautiful woman named Yuki with rosebud cheeks who lives across the country and hosts a late night radio show about the supernatural. For someone as straight-laced and focused as Porter is, this is wildly out of character but deep down, she desperately wants to learn more about her new wife and wants to take a chance on love. But Porter has to deal with her overbearing father, known to all as the Colonel, and his constant pressure to begin her new career. Porter is burnt out and doesn’t know how to deal with all the changes in her life and this struggle will lead her across the country to discover if she can make a relationship work with a woman she knew for less than a day, and if she can overcome her own hang-ups about the life she set out to have, but no longer is convinced for her.

Honey Girl is a gorgeous story of family, the power of friendship, and the fear of risking everything for love. I fell in love with Grace and Yuki’s story and the wonderfully eclectic, tight-knit group of friends that were vital to each of them.
Thank you to Park Row and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲? 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀?⁣
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Let me just tell y’all this left me emotionally unstable for days and this is the first time I’ve let my brain think about it. Not becuase it was extremely sad but becuause I related to Grace on a deep deep level 🥴.⁣
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𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴:⁣
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• Grace is me. I am Grace.⁣
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• LGBTQ rep was *Chefs Kiss* ⁣
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• Xi and Agnes made me want to love on my girls a little harder. Such a sweet friendship they all shared 💞.⁣
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• Yuki is one of the best characters I’ve ever read about and she’s deep af.⁣
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• I cried when Grace talked about having an existential crisis on her place in the world bc if I’m being honest y’all I have no freaking idea what I’m doing with my life and where I truly belong. It’s overwhelming not having it all together. I’m a quarter on a century and I have no idea what the hell is going on 🥴⁣
[“𝘐’𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵,” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘣𝘴. “𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵.” 𝘐𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘴𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘳. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘯𝘰𝘸. “𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵.” 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. “𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺.”] <- had me looking like this 😭⁣
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• The way the author handled the characters grief, self harm, mental illnesses was amazing. It felt so real. Almost to real.⁣
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• I loved that this wasn’t the typical romance yet it was the perfect romance.⁣
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• I want to also note that from this day forward I will be buying anything Morgan puts out.⁣
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That’s all y’all, Idk what else to say. READ THIS NOW! ⁣

At the beginning of this book I was so annoyed with all the sugary poetic sweetness of the budding romance. That changed. There was still quite a bit of lyrical romance here and there but at the heart of the story is Grace Porter trying to solve an existential crisis. She spent 11 years working hard in academia and thought after getting her doctorate a job would come easy and life would bend at her will. She has to come to terms with finding her own best self like allowing herself to be vulnerable and not use other people’s expectations guide her life plans. Though I can’t begin to fathom the difficulties of being black and queer in her circumstance I know exactly how the depression and anxiety feel. Grace Porter’s Eat, Pray, Love summer gives me hope in the “learning how to breathe and live for myself” department. The friendships and romance, atmosphere and personalities in Honey Girl balanced perfectly in this “new adult” gem.

NOTE : writing this review was a STRUGGLE, I blame that on the new mom brain ok 😂

I thought this would be a cute, binge worthy romance and I'm actually kinda glad it wasn't ONLY that. So of course, there is a TON of queerness in this book, mixed in with society's expectations of millennials, as well as mental health (and not just of one character, but quite a few of them!)

The main character has just finished her PhD in astronomy (btw, how cool and unique is THAT career path?) However, being a queer black woman, she has difficulties finding a job even if she is extremely well qualified. She struggles with her father and society's expectations of what comes next after finishing her education (SUCH a relatable feeling). Turns out she needed to take a step back and focus on herself and the things that truly matter. Like, love. There is so much love in this book, it's TANGIBLE. On a romantic level for sure, but also with family and close friends.

I think I like the idea of this book more than the book itself. A black PhD trying to find her place in the world and that accidentally marries another girl in Las Vegas? Sounds like a pretty interesting story. But I tried really hard and I couldn't relate with the actual story. Maybe I didn't like how whiny the main characters were. Maybe I'm "too old" (like 5 years older than the character in the book) to relate. It's not a bad book, I managed to finish it, and this says more than enough about it. But I just wish it had a little bit less complaints and a little bit more action. You almost want to scream to Grace/Porter - wake up!

Instagram review:

What is a hyped book that lived up to your expectations?

I received an ARC of Honey Girl (out February 23rd) last month after hearing some rave reviews.

If you know anything about me, I am very suspicious of well received books because I often get my expectations up really high, but Honey Girl is a genre I don't read a lot of (Contemporary/Romance) and I think that really worked in its advantage because I loved it.

Honey Girl is not just a romance, though a sapphic romance is a key component of the plot, but a book about coming to terms with yourself as you are, coming to terms with broken plans, and learning to accept, but not necessarily go along with, others' expectations.

Grace Porter is a newly graduated PhD whose carefully planned existence goes off track as she gets drunkenly married in Vegas to a stranger in a ceremony that she barely remembers. She has lost momentum, and faced with continued racism and homophobia in job interviews after graduation she just needs a plan.

I really enjoyed the variety of relationships in the book (if you love found families, this is 1000% the book for you). I like that we got to see development throughout all of her relationships, not just her romantic one. There is codependency, there is anger, and there is frustration. But, there is also love in many forms. Grace doesn’t just figure herself out because she falls in love. She figures herself out because of the influence of her friends and family.

This was a book that hit close to home even with some outlandish (and fun) romance tropes.

A full-length review is up on my blog!
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Blog review:

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers is the sapphic romance novel for all anxious mid to late-twenties millennials out there. I don't make the rules. Thank you to Netgalley and Park Row Books for the opportunity to read Honey Girl ahead of its release on February 23rd! I had a great time.

Honey Girl follows Grace Porter, PhD, who wakes up after drunken revelry in Las Vegas to find out she's gotten married to a mystery woman she can hardly remember. But Grace has a plan. And getting drunkenly married in Vegas is not part of that plan. So she compartmentalizes (she's great at that) and heads back to Portland with her friends to pursue the plan she has made for herself.

As many us know, the transition from graduation to employment isn't always smooth. Grace has pushed herself hard and suffered under the burden of other's expectations. Not to mention the institutional prejudices she comes up against as a Black lesbian. She is burning out. So she runs. Away from her plans, away from her friends and family. Grace runs to New York City to spend the summer with the wife she doesn't know.

I loved this book a lot. Grace is anxious, depressed, self-harming, and doesn't know how to ask for help. She doesn't know if the life she planned for herself is the one she actually wants. She has a strong support network with friends that are more like family, but sometimes that isn't enough. I've gone through enough existential crises (even as someone who landed a great job a month out from graduation) that I really related with Grace and her struggles.

If you are someone who loves found family in book, look no further. Honey Girl brings it hard.
I like that we got to see development throughout all of her relationships, not just her romantic one. There is codependency, there is anger, and there is frustration. But, there is also love in many forms. Grace doesn't just figure herself out because she falls in love. She figures herself out because of the influence of her friends and family.

I also appreciated that we got to see how other people are harmed by Grace's actions, even in small ways, without vilifying her or mental illness. Or how we got to see how people trying to do the right thing negatively affected Grace. It is important to be selfish, but that doesn't mean that people can't feel hurt by your actions. What we think is the best for someone, what we think is helping someone, can be harmful.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and their relationships. They felt developed and realistic. Did I cry? A couple times. Some stuff just hit really close to home.

My only real criticism, beside a couple of personal things (I'm just not big on touchy feely friendships and sometimes it throws me off in books, but that really is just a me issue), is that I wish there was a little more content at the end. It was a great close to the story, but I would have liked to see just a little bit more. To have had a little bit longer after the resolution of the romantic arc. It felt a little abrupt to me.

I would highly recommend giving Honey Girl a read. It's a great queer millennial romance that deals with mental health in a positive light despite Grace's difficulties.

My favorite books are good first books. Like this one!

I love the real, complicated, maddening (on occasion) characters who seeped in to stay. And the writing.

Thanks to the glorious folks at NetGalley for an advanced copy to read.

I'll read whatever Morgan Rogers writes next.

Grace Porter has spent her life trying to live up to others' expectations. One drunken night in Las Vegas is going to change everything. I really loved the depth of this book, acknowledging the stress we put on ourselves and being able to accept help when needed.

This book has my entire heart. It is so full of love and characters that love each other that I didn't want to put it down even when it was over. Most of my favorite books are my favorites because the friends and family within the pages are so in love with each other that they're like little pieces of each other. This book is no different and it's definitely a new favorite since it is full to bursting with a diverse cast of gorgeous monsters.

Even though Grace Porter is 28 with a PHD in the pages of Honey Girl, I would still call this a coming-of-age tale. Grace spends the book growing up, gaining agency, and learning who she is, what she wants, and what she ultimately needs to be happy. She deals with the anxieties of finding herself in a career that is only made even worse while trying to find that as a young Black woman in the science field. She believes she needs to be "the best" and anything less would be a failure for her and for her reserved military father.

The book is beautiful but it has a lot of trauma depicted within its pages. I would give TWs for self-harm and mental health issues.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC!