Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

196 reviews

jippieyay's review

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Definitely one of the LGBTQ+ reads I've loved most this year. And by year I mean ever since I dove into reading queer (BIPOC) authors a bit over a year ago, not 2024. But it will probably also be one of my 2024 reads that'll stay with me the longest. So much insight, such good storytelling, so much love in all it's many (albeit somet mes difficult) forms. 
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msrae89's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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choicepotatoes_20240331's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

a tender, wholesome, heartfelt read.

i was ready to give this five stars until
the birthday montage around two-thirds in, when the author made it clear that the vast majority of the book took place in 2020. suddenly, the whole story became an AU in which covid never happened, as opposed to a believably contemporary romance.

maybe it’s silly, but that one almost throwaway detail toward the end of act two pretty much completely destroyed my suspension of disbelief and made it really difficult for me to settle back into the story.


i loved it until that moment, though, and did eventually wind up getting wrapped up in the story again.
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cass_ward's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I’m always so bad at reviews bc I don’t know how to not go overboard. But this one deserves it. This book is sweet and sad and so good. Morgan writes about some really hard things, and everything was given respect and honor, while having an undercurrent of hope. I went on this journey of healing with Grace, and come out of it a better person. Stories like this are so important, not only bc of the honesty about mental health, but also the constant reminders that community is everything. Found family is everything. We can stand alone in the face of a world that wasn’t created for us, and be eaten up by the hardness and the hurt. Or we can lean on those we love, trusting them to always stand with us, as best they can. In the end, our best is what we’re able to give while remaining true to ourselves. And that will always be enough. 

Morgan, thank you a thousand times for this story. For the bravery in your characters, for the fight to be seen that you gave absolute justice to, for talking about queerness in more ways than one, and for acknowledging that things are hard and they do suck sometimes. From one lonely creature to another lonely creature - thank you. 

Read this book! You won’t regret it. 
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catch__up's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
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strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book starts off with a drunken marriage in vegas. That alone was enough to pull me in, especially because it was with two women. 

I enjoyed the book and I’m very happy that Grace (the main character) was able to work through her problems
with a therapist. However, by the end of the book she still hadn’t told her father about her wife. Wack! 
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mariebrunelm's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Grace Porter has always had a plan and now she has accomplished it. PhD in hand, she’s ready to take on the next part of her journey. But what will that part look like? And how hard will she have to work to earn her father’s pride and respect from her white coworkers? When she celebrates in Las Vegas with her closest friends, ending up married to a stranger was definitely not part of the plan. But can it be?
This heartfelt novel was tender and full of yearning. I fell head over heels for Grace and her found family. True, I sometimes thought “having so many endearing characters is not like real life”. But none of these characters is without flaws - they are all painfully human. Grace Porter’s journey struck a chord deep within me. Of course, I cannot compare to the hardships she has to face as a Black, queer woman in a scientific environment filled with white men. But I know something of feeling lonely and lost, almost done with a PhD at 29 and with the gnawing feeling that people have had time to figure things out and get started with life while you’re deep in theoretical work.
The poetry within Morgan Rogers’s prose utterly charmed me. As a reader who tends to stay as far away from romances as possible, this one felt both messy and sweet, and the willingness of those two girls to make this marriage work somehow touched me. Who knew a contemporary romance would end up as one of my favourite books of the year?
Rep: queer, lesbian MC. Asian, lesbian love interest. Diverse & queer cast of characters.
 
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beebeewin's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is sapphic love story and a story of finding yourself, that is moving, funny, cute, and poignant. While I can't identify with everything Grace is going through, I can deeply relate to her emotional and mental journey in this book. Being the "perfect" child is impossible and Morgan Rogers captures how painful it is to learn that for yourself. Grace is a well written character, who's flaws are relatable and raw. Rogers writes stunning inner monologues, something you can really appreciate in this novel. I was drawn in by Grace and her friends who are so full-bodied and alive; I stayed for the simmering romance that was incredibly cute. The ending felt so true to the rest of the novel and all loose ends were tied up, if not full resolved. I appreciate how nothing is glossed over or mysteriously resolved, but instead we are left with an ending that feels true to life. It is messy, imperfect, and beautiful. My only critique is Grace's friends got much more attention and care than Yuki's friends, and I want to know Yuki's friends. This is the kind of novel where I almost want a sequel from Yuki's perspective. For the fullness in character for everyone else, it made Yuki's friends seem like props instead of full-fledged characters.  I recommend this to anyone wanting a little romance mixed with mental health journey.  

My favorite quote (apologies for any errors, I transcribed it from the audiobook ;]) "Here's the thing about the tar, the sludge, the inky black poison. Once it starts its ascent out of your body, there is nothing you can do to stop it. It tastes like volcano ash and fire, and you must taste it and gag on it, and ultimately you must spit it out. There comes a time when you cannot swallow it down any longer. Everything that is buried will be unburied. Everything that  is pushed down will find its way out. It's the way of the universe." Did this quote hit me like a ton of bricks? Why, yes it does. 
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chasingpages1's review

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emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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lynsea's review

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emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Nice read! We love queer representation with diverse backgrounds. Also a good read if you’re feeling lost on your current life path, especially if it’s post grad. 
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