stephaniepao 's review for:

Heathen and Honeysuckle by Sarah A. Bailey

4.25

emotional medium-paced

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I really enjoyed this book so much! Second chance romances and angsty stories are my favorite, and this one delivered. Leo and Darby were fantastic characters, and I loved how their story unfolded through the dual timeline—both in the present and when they were 17. The story was emotional, beautifully written, and it gave me a full-on book hangover. I’m still thinking about them, and I already miss their world.

My only small critique is that the jumps between timelines felt a little abrupt at times, which made it hard to stay fully immersed in one timeline before being pulled into the other. I also found the dialogue between Leo and Darby as teenagers to be incredibly eloquent and beautiful, but maybe a little too deep for 17-year-olds—it pulled me out of the story a few times. That said, the writing was gorgeous, and their connection was so raw and heartfelt that I couldn’t stop reading.

This is a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time, and I can’t wait to see glimpses of Leo and Darby in future books. If you love emotional, angsty second chance romances, this is a must-read!