Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers ~ a Review

by MK French

Grace Porter finished her Ph.D. in astronomy, just as she had always planned. A celebration in Vegas leads her to drunkenly marry Yuki Yamamoto, a woman she doesn't even know. Facing her family's expectations, a struggling job market, and burnout, Grace heads to New York to be with her wife and get to know her. While she falls for Yuki, Grace also realizes exactly what she was running from.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

February 2021; Park Row; 978-0778311027
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); romance

Grace is Black, with a father that was part of the military, a drive to succeed, and high expectations. It's explicitly stated that "A Porter always does their best," so to have out-of-character behavior is called out by her friends and leads to intense anxiety about disappointing others. We see she's right with the first meeting with the Colonel; he is domineering, says laughter isn't allowed, outright demeans her choice of study and states it isn't as stable as medicine, which he had chosen for her. Ugh. In that moment, my heart went out to her; she has her collection of friends that are found family, but there's always a special sting from blood family disapproval, and she has enough of that from the rest of the world. Yuki has a radio show in Brooklyn where she talks about myths and the human experience, and this creativity fills that void inside of Grace. Their courtship is beautiful, even if it happens after their marriage.

There is wonderfully beautiful language here, from Grace's advisor about the universe and about people, as well as Yuki with her storytelling. People are put under so much pressure to achieve and earn and reach for the next goal, and there isn't enough talk about being able to appreciate reaching those goals and existing in a safe space. There are also talks about reaching the expectations of others, dreams going unfulfilled, family relationships, mental illness, and self harm, and the need to have rest to find what truly makes you happy. It's a beautiful book to read, with visceral emotions and a message everyone needs to hear.

Buy Honey Girl at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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