I loved every minute of this story and can’t wait to see what else this author has in store in the future. A definite 5 star read.

The premise of this book is so intriguing and from the very first page, I was pulled in. This book is a page turner, you literally do not want to stop reading because there is so much going on! This book is a modern twist on African mythology and how it has changed and morphed across the African diaspora from the Caribbeans to New Orleans. I loved how raw and real our Honey Goddess herself, Lola is. Watching her grow from start to finish all while juggling her new found divinity and a steamy romance with who she initially believed to be the enemy was absolutely riveting. I loved reading about her goddess circle of friends and I truly hope we get to learn more about them and their stories (in future books maybe??). This unapologetically black story is absolutely everything and I enjoyed every second of it. Would highly recommend!!!

4 stars

First of all, thank you & Netgalley so much for sending me an audio copy of this book.

“Honey Goddness” is about a young Black woman with a failing hair salon. She gets nominated for an award and calls upon the Gods with her friends, but then something happens….

This book is really good! It took me longer than I hoped for to get into the story, but once I did I was hooked. The dialogue and story can be corny at times, but it also has a lot of good story telling.
I can’t rate this book too deeply, since it’s more target toward Black queens (which I’m not), but all I can say is that I love how unapologetically Black the story is.

The fantasy was good, a bit confusing at times but I managed to follow along. The romance was decent, super expected and a “they fall fast and hard” trope. It’s not really my thing but I know a lot of people will love it and their way of communicating.

Overall, done really well and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley, Hay House, and Abiola Abrams for allowing me to read an advance reader copy of this book. In full disclosure, I have read one non-fiction book by Ms. Abrams and have two of her oracle card decks. When I saw that she was writing a novel on NetGalley, I immediately requested it, and again, I want to thank NetGalley, Hay House, and Abiola Abrams for the book.

Honey Goddess is as much a novel as it is a spiritual activation. I don’t know that I’ve ever read a novel like it. Not only is this a book about friendship among women, but it’s a story about family, both the family one is born into and the found family that they gain over the course of their life.
I truly enjoyed the fantasy aspects present within the book. Seeing each of the women represent a goddess in African spirituality was empowering, and learning more about each goddess who was invoked within them was a true gift. I relished the gatherings of these women as it felt like I, too, was present with them whenever the group was given “homework” by Bea. Each of these homework exercises was like a ritual that I could do myself to journey beside the characters in the book. It reminded me of the exercises that are present in many spiritual non-fiction books.
As an oracle card reader, I was over the moon to see the use of one of Ms. Abrams’ decks that I own as chapter headings, and I was so curious to see how each card’s message played out in the particular chapter. It helped me to have a little preview to know what I was getting myself into, and I think it was a wonderful way to incorporate the author’s oracle card deck into the story.

I also loved how the book veered into historical fiction with the adventure in New Orleans. Having lived there and being aware of the historical figure used in the book’s history, I was very intrigued to see how she would be used in the story, and I must say that it did not disappoint. In addition, I was super grateful that translations were included right after any phrases that were in another language. I’ve experienced other books where no translations were provided, leading me to have to pause my reading to look them up. I much prefer having the translations present in the book, and I did not think it stopped the flow or took anything away from the book by doing that.
The pacing got a bit slow for a bit in the middle of the first half, though it picked up towards the middle; overwhelmingly, it did not stop me from wanting to finish the book.

This novel contains the following tropes: enemies to lovers, found family, single mom, hidden truth, fantasy, historical fiction, and healing of generational trauma.

I think readers who enjoy romantasy novels and African spirituality will enjoy this book.