A review by bookswithsoumi
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

emotional reflective 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

4.5

In an attempt to diversify my bookshelf, I picked up Honey Girl. This is my first lesbian fiction, but I’m hesitant to call it a romance. Honey Girl is more of a coming-of-age story for Grace Porter, a 29 year old newly minted Ph.D is astronomy. She has yet to find a job after graduation, no thanks to the institutional racism embedded in the predominantly white field. The story opens with Grace waking up in her Vegas hotel room after a night celebrating her graduation with her two friends. Grace’s adventure starts off with a bang when she slowly remembers she married a beautiful girl named Yuki during her drunken night out. 

Honey Girl shares Grace’s quest to start her next chapter in life while struggling with her strict father’s expectations, her original plan for her career, and now this woman she spontaneously married in Las Vegas. I found the beginning to be a bit slow, which laid the groundwork for Grace’s familial relationships and friendships. While I did enjoy getting to know Grace’s multiethnic friend group, the story got really juicy once Grace met up with Yuki in New York City for the first time after their wedding about 100 pages into the book. I loved getting to know Yuki and her friend group , and she helps Grace become more conformable with herself and how life doesn’t always have to go to plan to still have fun.

The book has a lot of relatable themes that make it a joy to read, including: being a conventionally “successful” 20-something but having no idea how to shape your career (or what that even means) while being a woman of color; how to incorporate family values and expectations; and how to be spontaneous and have romance in our busy lives. Grace deals with her mental health issues in a very logical manner, which can help readers relate back to their own anxieties. The author has a writing style that allows the audience to immediately reflect upon what they are reading. I would definitely say this book is on the heavier side, and you should not read it if you are in the mood for a light read. 

I had a lot of fun getting to know Grace, Yuki, and all their friends. While there were elements of romance, Yuki and Grace’s marriage was not at the forefront of the story, and I really want a sequel to explore more of their relationship! 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings