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Como en una montaña rusa
Honey Jane Moon es una pequeña sabelotodo, valiente e inteligente, pero mal preparada para convertirse en la más famosa estrella infantil de América... a pesar de que no es tan joven como todo el mundo cree.
¡Cuidado! ¡Honey va a manejar a los hombres de su vida loca! Entre ellos Eric Dillon, un ardiente "chico malo" y uno de los actores más talentosos de Hollywood. Y Dash Coogan, el último de los héroes vaqueros, un hombre atrapado en una pantalla demasiado pequeña para contener una leyenda.
Cuando Honey se enamora, lo hará de la única manera que sabe: con todo su corazón.
¡Cuidado! ¡Honey va a manejar a los hombres de su vida loca! Entre ellos Eric Dillon, un ardiente "chico malo" y uno de los actores más talentosos de Hollywood. Y Dash Coogan, el último de los héroes vaqueros, un hombre atrapado en una pantalla demasiado pequeña para contener una leyenda.
Cuando Honey se enamora, lo hará de la única manera que sabe: con todo su corazón.
516 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
197 people are currently reading
2888 people want to read
About the author
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
46 books15.7k followersSUSAN ELIZABETH PHILLIPS
Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy and is the creator of the sports romance, beginning with her 1989 bestseller, FANCY PANTS. An internationally acclaimed author, her books have been published in over 30 languages. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award, and a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.
Susan's newest book, SIMPLY THE BEST, is coming in hardcover, ebook and audiobook in February 2024. SIMPLY THE BEST is book #10 in the highly acclaimed CHICAGO STARS football series. Susan is also known for the Wynette, Texas book series and many stand-alone women's fiction/romance novels.
In addition to being a New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today bestseller, she is a hiker, lazy gardener, horrible singer, passable cook, passionate reader, wife, mother of two grown sons, and grandmother.
You can visit Susan on Facebook, Instagram or on her website.
https://www.facebook.com/SusanElizabe...
https://www.instagram.com/SEPauthor/
http://susanelizabethphillips.com/
Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy and is the creator of the sports romance, beginning with her 1989 bestseller, FANCY PANTS. An internationally acclaimed author, her books have been published in over 30 languages. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award, and a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.
Susan's newest book, SIMPLY THE BEST, is coming in hardcover, ebook and audiobook in February 2024. SIMPLY THE BEST is book #10 in the highly acclaimed CHICAGO STARS football series. Susan is also known for the Wynette, Texas book series and many stand-alone women's fiction/romance novels.
In addition to being a New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today bestseller, she is a hiker, lazy gardener, horrible singer, passable cook, passionate reader, wife, mother of two grown sons, and grandmother.
You can visit Susan on Facebook, Instagram or on her website.
https://www.facebook.com/SusanElizabe...
https://www.instagram.com/SEPauthor/
http://susanelizabethphillips.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 492 reviews
March 27, 2021
Honey Jane Moon is a scrappy little know-it all—brave, smart, but ill-prepared to become the most famous child star in America, even though she's not quite as young as everyone believes. It won't take her long to drive the men in her life crazy. There's Eric Dillion, a smoldering bad boy and one of Hollywood's most gifted actors. And Dash Coogan, the last of the cowboy heroes, a man trapped on a screen too small to contain a legend. When Honey falls in love, she'll do it the only way she knows how—with all her heart.
Let me just say, first off, that this book is 22 years old. A lot of my friends on Goodreads are a lot younger than me. But I really think you are doing yourselves a dis-service by not reading "older" books. Sure, "new" authors are great too but there are some real gems that have been around nearly as long as you have!!
This was a re-read for me. Some books are worth it. But as I was reading this one, 10%, 20%, 30%, I was thinking to myself ... "sure, it's a good read but was it really a 5 star originally for me?" Then about halfway in we have some things happen and wham, bam, thank you ma'am, we have lift off. Yes, a true rollercoaster of a ride.
It had tears, heartache, laughter, friendship, hate, love, tears, the makings of a fine old country songs. Did I mention tears? I could just hear George Jones singing "The Grand Tour" as I read it.
"Step right up, come on in
If you'd like to take the grand tour
Of a lonely house that once was home sweet home
I have nothing here to sell you,
Just some things that I will tell you
Some things I know will chill you to the bone"
Honey, Honey, Honey. What to say about Honey? I loved her. I loved her spunk, her independence, her capacity to love, her fears, her search for happiness.
We have a host of secondary character along with the main characters. They were great too.
But Black Thunder did not desert those it sheltered anymore than God did, not even in the darkest of hours.
I think you are better off not knowing a lot about this book. Just experience it. Live Honey's dream with her.
It's not easy.
The night was a silent as death.
There are some part of this book that are heartbreaking. Your heart will break for some of the characters.
Families are funny things ...
You reckon??
"I think I've been waiting for you forever."
She knew he didn't understand and she was humbled at his trust in her.
"I need that ride to set me free."
The ending. Perfect.
October 5, 2019
Heartbreaking but thoroughly beautiful!
When I chose to pick up this book, I assumed it was another SEP's Humorous-Romance story. I didn't pay much attention to any reviews, why should I? This is Susan Elizabeth Phillips! But I was so wrong. This is completely different from her other books I've ever read before. There's so much depth, so many emotions, and so many layers of meaning in the story. It was like experiencing a journey with Honey, Dash, and Eric, through the entire book to find the answer to the questions about love, hope, and faith.
**Posible spoilers ahead**
Honey Jane Moon was not so perfect heroine. She had many flaws, made plenty of mistakes, and also misjudged some people. But when she loved, she loved with all her heart. When she gave, she wanted nothing in return. The story started when Honey was sixteen. Her life had been transformed so many times, from a determined girl to a spoiled child star, then to be a woman in love, and then she experienced loss and grief and finally found the real meaning of happiness. Her character was so true to life!
Dash Coogan and Eric Dillon were other imperfect characters. They were both haunted by their miserable pasts, which made them scare to love and be loved in return. They didn’t know how to live a happy life.
When Dash left Honey, it hit me hard and smashed my heart into tiny bits. After she had awoken and found that she was alone in the house, everything there reminded her of him. At that moment, I couldn’t hold my emotions anymore. My tears started rolling down my face and I sobbed my heart out for her loss.
This was so sad and heartbroken…
But I was so happy when Honey and Eric eventually had such a beautiful life together. In the end, she had her own wonderful family that she had ever wanted all her life.
There were tears in my eyes again. It was so beautiful…
This is another one of my memorable reads. I loved every page of this book. Highly recommended!
When I chose to pick up this book, I assumed it was another SEP's Humorous-Romance story. I didn't pay much attention to any reviews, why should I? This is Susan Elizabeth Phillips! But I was so wrong. This is completely different from her other books I've ever read before. There's so much depth, so many emotions, and so many layers of meaning in the story. It was like experiencing a journey with Honey, Dash, and Eric, through the entire book to find the answer to the questions about love, hope, and faith.
**Posible spoilers ahead**
Honey Jane Moon was not so perfect heroine. She had many flaws, made plenty of mistakes, and also misjudged some people. But when she loved, she loved with all her heart. When she gave, she wanted nothing in return. The story started when Honey was sixteen. Her life had been transformed so many times, from a determined girl to a spoiled child star, then to be a woman in love, and then she experienced loss and grief and finally found the real meaning of happiness. Her character was so true to life!
Dash Coogan and Eric Dillon were other imperfect characters. They were both haunted by their miserable pasts, which made them scare to love and be loved in return. They didn’t know how to live a happy life.
When Dash left Honey, it hit me hard and smashed my heart into tiny bits. After she had awoken and found that she was alone in the house, everything there reminded her of him. At that moment, I couldn’t hold my emotions anymore. My tears started rolling down my face and I sobbed my heart out for her loss.
A sob racked her body. She missed him so much. He had been her lover, her father, her child, the center of everything good in her life. She missed his touch and scent. She missed the way he swore, the sound of his footsteps crossing the floor, the scrape of his whiskers against her cheek. She missed the way he turned the newspaper inside out so that she could never find the front page, the sounds of Sooners games blaring from the television. She missed his daily rituals of shaving and showering, the abandoned towels and underwear that never quite hit the hamper. She missed all the flotsam and jetsam that had been part of Dash Coogan.
This was so sad and heartbroken…
But I was so happy when Honey and Eric eventually had such a beautiful life together. In the end, she had her own wonderful family that she had ever wanted all her life.
Honey gazed through the lights straight into his heart. “But if it weren’t for Eric Dillon, I wouldn’t be here tonight. He loved me when I wasn’t lovable, and I guess when it comes right down to it, that’s pretty much what family is all about. Thank you, sweetheart.”
Eric watched from the second row, his chest so filled with love and pride he felt as if he would burst. It amazed him that Honey could thank him when she was the one who had given him everything.
There were tears in my eyes again. It was so beautiful…
This is another one of my memorable reads. I loved every page of this book. Highly recommended!
June 24, 2016
FOUR POINT FIVE STARS
AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE! High friend ratings and the audio being available at the library was the reason why I grabbed this one.
At first, I wasn't too sure if this story would touch me. Honey Moon, yes that was her name, is in her teen years when the story starts. In my opinion, she's a pretty annoying teen. The story was good but not great at this point. I contemplated why I saw 5-star friend ratings for this book but then part way through the book it expanded into something deeper which caught my attention.
Let's just say I was flabbergasted when one of the main male characters was accused of an unspeakable act that reshaped his future. Upon meeting this character early on in the story I had no real interest in him because he seemed superficial but after the incident that broke him I saw a whole new growth develop from this character. At times my heart broke for him as he struggled to come to terms with what the future would hold for him. He basically had his whole world ripped from him and his pain was unbearable.
About the same time, in the story, Honey also experienced a life altering event that changed her outlook on life and her ability to cope. To deal with this new circumstance in her life she went back her roots where she found the will to conquer the world.
For both of these characters, the thing that brought them back to the living was BLACK THUNDER. An old wooden rollercoaster that allowed them to face their fears and feel alive again.
I'm grateful I stuck with the story to see what it had to offer. Even though this book is "old" give it a whirl and see what you think.
STANDALONE
AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE! High friend ratings and the audio being available at the library was the reason why I grabbed this one.
At first, I wasn't too sure if this story would touch me. Honey Moon, yes that was her name, is in her teen years when the story starts. In my opinion, she's a pretty annoying teen. The story was good but not great at this point. I contemplated why I saw 5-star friend ratings for this book but then part way through the book it expanded into something deeper which caught my attention.
Let's just say I was flabbergasted when one of the main male characters was accused of an unspeakable act that reshaped his future. Upon meeting this character early on in the story I had no real interest in him because he seemed superficial but after the incident that broke him I saw a whole new growth develop from this character. At times my heart broke for him as he struggled to come to terms with what the future would hold for him. He basically had his whole world ripped from him and his pain was unbearable.
About the same time, in the story, Honey also experienced a life altering event that changed her outlook on life and her ability to cope. To deal with this new circumstance in her life she went back her roots where she found the will to conquer the world.
For both of these characters, the thing that brought them back to the living was BLACK THUNDER. An old wooden rollercoaster that allowed them to face their fears and feel alive again.
I'm grateful I stuck with the story to see what it had to offer. Even though this book is "old" give it a whirl and see what you think.
STANDALONE
October 6, 2016
La ley es la ley: Si me hace llorar ---> ¡5 estrellas!
Ay SEP, qué fácil es para ti hacerme llorar...
Si bien la primera mitad del libro no es lo mejor de SEP y me pareció bastante normalito, la segunda mitad es sublime. No me esperaba NADA de lo que podía pasar.
Hay tres protagonistas, pero a dos de ellos le toca sufrir lo peor. Dos situaciones que me han llegado al corazón y que me han hecho sentirme impotente. No voy a decir nada sobre ellas para que os sorprendáis tanto como yo. Dos giros que hacen que el libro cambie.
Me encanta una vez más cómo SEP trata el tema de las relaciones sexuales. Cuida los pequeños detalles al máximo y le da un toque especial. Es una grande SEP...
¡LEEDLO!
Ay SEP, qué fácil es para ti hacerme llorar...
Si bien la primera mitad del libro no es lo mejor de SEP y me pareció bastante normalito, la segunda mitad es sublime. No me esperaba NADA de lo que podía pasar.
Hay tres protagonistas, pero a dos de ellos le toca sufrir lo peor. Dos situaciones que me han llegado al corazón y que me han hecho sentirme impotente. No voy a decir nada sobre ellas para que os sorprendáis tanto como yo. Dos giros que hacen que el libro cambie.
Me encanta una vez más cómo SEP trata el tema de las relaciones sexuales. Cuida los pequeños detalles al máximo y le da un toque especial. Es una grande SEP...
¡LEEDLO!
March 7, 2011
This was definitely a powerful book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I can understand why some fans will likely hate this book. It is not your cookie-cutter style romance. There is tragedy, multiple love interests, giant age gaps between love interests, and not even the children are safe in this one.
That being said, for me, those elements are exactly why I am consistantly amazed by Phillips' novels. Someone who can make laugh, make me cry, make me hate the hero, make me love the hero, all within the same book.... Awesome stuff.
As usual, the audiobook version was the way to go for me with this novel. Such a talented narrator. Pirate voices. Slow Southern drawl. Children. I wish she hadn't died and could narrate more novels.
That being said, for me, those elements are exactly why I am consistantly amazed by Phillips' novels. Someone who can make laugh, make me cry, make me hate the hero, make me love the hero, all within the same book.... Awesome stuff.
As usual, the audiobook version was the way to go for me with this novel. Such a talented narrator. Pirate voices. Slow Southern drawl. Children. I wish she hadn't died and could narrate more novels.
October 19, 2015
WHAT A RIDE! ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL!!! LOVED IT!!! Review to come...
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November 11, 2015
I bow to this woman! Ms Phillips you are an amazing author. Another FABULOUS book that is a must read if you are a lover of SEP books.
Full review soon.
Full review soon.
August 7, 2016
MARAVILLOSA. ❤️ Esta es la historia más intensa, más compleja y más emotiva que leí de SEP hasta el momento (y he leído casi todas). El título es tan significativo (tanto en inglés como en español) y refleja, a la perfección, lo que encontrás entre sus páginas.
Imposible poner en palabras lo que solo puede sentirse con el corazón.
“Honey siguió con la vista la legendaria primera caída.
— ¿Sabes qué ocurre cuando llegas abajo?
— ¿Qué?
— Que vuelves a subir —contestó en voz baja—. Siempre remontas. En una montaña rusa, el infierno solo es temporal”. ❤️
Imposible poner en palabras lo que solo puede sentirse con el corazón.
“Honey siguió con la vista la legendaria primera caída.
— ¿Sabes qué ocurre cuando llegas abajo?
— ¿Qué?
— Que vuelves a subir —contestó en voz baja—. Siempre remontas. En una montaña rusa, el infierno solo es temporal”. ❤️
January 27, 2022
Very intense and beautiful story💖
April 1, 2015
What an amazing, incredible, heart breaking, breath taking story!
I cried, I laughed, I smiled & I even wanted to scream!
It was a book that I don't think I will ever forget.
January 11, 2020
Seda, my dear friend... Thank you so much for recommending this book to me. It was truly amazing. ❤❤❤
January 13, 2022
this is strange but I loved both men in her life👥
February 25, 2021
4,5 estrellas. Como fan de su serie Chicago Stars, esperaba leer una historia del estilo por culpa de esa portada, que no le hace justicia, y nada más lejos de lo que me he encontrado. Como en una montaña rusa es una historia con una primera parte algo lenta pero que a la mitad del libro da un giro que te deja con el corazón encogido y con ganas de leer sin parar hasta el final; una historia compleja e intensa, que me ha hecho sentirme muy impotente y llorar; una historia en la que vemos cómo crecen, sufren y aman sus tres protagonistas principales, que he sentido muy reales, con sus claroscuros y ese equipaje de mierda que llevan a cuestas; una historia que es un canto a la vida como lo que es, una montaña rusa donde lo malo y lo bueno, el dolor y la felicidad se alternan sin que muchas veces podamos controlarlo, solo tratar de disfrutar del viaje.
#RitaSEP #RetoRita5
#Popsugar21 Reto 18: Un libro sobre un tema que te apasione (el cine)
#RitaSEP #RetoRita5
#Popsugar21 Reto 18: Un libro sobre un tema que te apasione (el cine)
February 8, 2021
¡Maravilloso! Nunca pensé que otro libro de esta autora pudiera llegar a ser mejor que Besar a un ángel, pero al menos para mí, éste lo supera con creces.
Personajes complejos, relaciones complejas, de esas que están marcadas por la soledad, el dolor, la admiración, la orfandad, el rechazo, la necesidad de pertenencia... Me gustaron todos los personajes, para bien o para mal, pero Honey Jane Moon me robó el corazón. A ella la acompañaremos durante casi quince años de su vida, aunque puede ser más, ya que sus recuerdos y experiencias de la infancia marcarán su vida adulta y sus relaciones de forma a veces incompresible para quienes la rodean.
Iba con un poco de recelo porque había leído algunos comentarios que decían que la primera parte era algo lenta y sin mucho atractivo. ¡Para nada! Lo disfruté de principio a fin y nunca sentí que el ritmo decayera, a pesar que es un libro bastante largo.
Mi único pero es para la portada de la edición en español, que hace pensar que es una novela livianita, cuando en realidad es una lectura muy profunda y a veces dolorosa. Por supuesto y al más puro estilo SEP, hay varias situaciones realmente hilarantes que me sacaron más que simples sonrisas, pero esto solo lo hace ser un libro aún más completo.
Reto Rita 5.0 (febrero)
Reto #18 PopSugar 2021: Un libro sobre un tema que te apasione
Personajes complejos, relaciones complejas, de esas que están marcadas por la soledad, el dolor, la admiración, la orfandad, el rechazo, la necesidad de pertenencia... Me gustaron todos los personajes, para bien o para mal, pero Honey Jane Moon me robó el corazón. A ella la acompañaremos durante casi quince años de su vida, aunque puede ser más, ya que sus recuerdos y experiencias de la infancia marcarán su vida adulta y sus relaciones de forma a veces incompresible para quienes la rodean.
Iba con un poco de recelo porque había leído algunos comentarios que decían que la primera parte era algo lenta y sin mucho atractivo. ¡Para nada! Lo disfruté de principio a fin y nunca sentí que el ritmo decayera, a pesar que es un libro bastante largo.
Mi único pero es para la portada de la edición en español, que hace pensar que es una novela livianita, cuando en realidad es una lectura muy profunda y a veces dolorosa. Por supuesto y al más puro estilo SEP, hay varias situaciones realmente hilarantes que me sacaron más que simples sonrisas, pero esto solo lo hace ser un libro aún más completo.
Reto Rita 5.0 (febrero)
Reto #18 PopSugar 2021: Un libro sobre un tema que te apasione
January 28, 2012
When it comes to women’s fiction by SEP, Glitter Baby will always remain my favourite. But Honey Moon is very close. What prevented it from being Numero Uno was that it was just so sad! Not sad-bad, but just emotionally taxing. I don’t think I’ve ever cried this much while reading a book. But it is an intense, heartbreaking journey of three people in pursuit of happiness.
The main character of this book is Honey Jane Moon, a tough-as-nails endearing teen from South Carolina who wants to provide for her family and stops at nothing. She is the everyday teen – sweet, determined, ambitious and has an almost infectious enthusiasm, but with a difference. She may not be perfect, but who is? What she is, makes you love her and root for her till the end – which is of course happy!
I was opposed to the idea of Honey and Dash in the beginning, but they grew on me gradually and I was heartbroken when they separated. It was just full of anguish and made me cry buckets! Dash’s love for Honey was true and about as pure as it comes. I could feel Honey’s grief very keenly. It is never easy to love and be loved by a person who gave up everything just to be with you. It splits your soul. Dash’s fall from fame is the most depressing thing that happens in the book.
Eric, on the other hand, is a tortured soul falsely accused of molesting his little girls, the only people he loves more than himself. Being forced to stay away from your children can be about as emotionally heavy as anything. It just broke my heart.
Honey Moon is all about courage, love and second chances. You don’t come across such good books every day. It made me value people around me even more. What touched me the most was this quote by Honey..
“Families are funny things. People who have them don't always appreciate them. But if
you've grown up without one, it's sometimes hard to find your place in the world.”
In the end, it’s all about the people who love you and make life worth living.
The main character of this book is Honey Jane Moon, a tough-as-nails endearing teen from South Carolina who wants to provide for her family and stops at nothing. She is the everyday teen – sweet, determined, ambitious and has an almost infectious enthusiasm, but with a difference. She may not be perfect, but who is? What she is, makes you love her and root for her till the end – which is of course happy!
I was opposed to the idea of Honey and Dash in the beginning, but they grew on me gradually and I was heartbroken when they separated. It was just full of anguish and made me cry buckets! Dash’s love for Honey was true and about as pure as it comes. I could feel Honey’s grief very keenly. It is never easy to love and be loved by a person who gave up everything just to be with you. It splits your soul. Dash’s fall from fame is the most depressing thing that happens in the book.
Eric, on the other hand, is a tortured soul falsely accused of molesting his little girls, the only people he loves more than himself. Being forced to stay away from your children can be about as emotionally heavy as anything. It just broke my heart.
Honey Moon is all about courage, love and second chances. You don’t come across such good books every day. It made me value people around me even more. What touched me the most was this quote by Honey..
“Families are funny things. People who have them don't always appreciate them. But if
you've grown up without one, it's sometimes hard to find your place in the world.”
In the end, it’s all about the people who love you and make life worth living.
January 11, 2017
4 Stars
Debo reconocer que no creo que sea de los mejores libros de SEP al menos la primera parte se me hizo tediosa aburridona ´para nada a lo que nos tiene acostumbrados y como se iba dirigiendo la historia no me gustaba, me cuesta admitirlo pero estuve a punto de abandonarlo pero le seguí porque no soy dada a dejar lecturas a medias,además que llegas a un punto donde no puedes parar. Ya la segunda parte cambia todo creo que es a la que le doy la puntuación.
Al igual que el título, el libro es una montaña rusa de emociones frustración en la primera parte no conectaba con los personajes me estaban haciendo rabiar ¿No se si les ha pasado que te haces una idea en la cabeza pero cuando ves que la cosa se va para otro rumbo te frustras? pues es lo que me sucedió, pero en la segunda parte cuando creo que muchos lloraron parte insensible se alegró al fin las cosas están volviendo a su cause Sorry es lo que pensé. Fue otro libro totalmente los giros que dio la historia fueron increíbles muchos me partieron el corazón, pero también sentí maripositas en el estómago cosas que la primera parte no me provocó.
De los tres protagonistas al que más amé fue a Eric desde el principio aunque era un chico grosero tenía ese aura de misterio que me encantaba y después conocerlo más profundamente me encantó paso de ser un antagonista al chico perfecto que toda mujer desea tenía tantas capas que era difícil conocerlo verdaderamente pero cuando se despojó de ellas era totalmente un amor.
Debo reconocer que no creo que sea de los mejores libros de SEP al menos la primera parte se me hizo tediosa aburridona ´para nada a lo que nos tiene acostumbrados y como se iba dirigiendo la historia no me gustaba, me cuesta admitirlo pero estuve a punto de abandonarlo pero le seguí porque no soy dada a dejar lecturas a medias,además que llegas a un punto donde no puedes parar. Ya la segunda parte cambia todo creo que es a la que le doy la puntuación.
Al igual que el título, el libro es una montaña rusa de emociones frustración en la primera parte no conectaba con los personajes me estaban haciendo rabiar ¿No se si les ha pasado que te haces una idea en la cabeza pero cuando ves que la cosa se va para otro rumbo te frustras? pues es lo que me sucedió, pero en la segunda parte cuando creo que muchos lloraron parte insensible se alegró al fin las cosas están volviendo a su cause Sorry es lo que pensé. Fue otro libro totalmente los giros que dio la historia fueron increíbles muchos me partieron el corazón, pero también sentí maripositas en el estómago cosas que la primera parte no me provocó.
De los tres protagonistas al que más amé fue a Eric desde el principio aunque era un chico grosero tenía ese aura de misterio que me encantaba y después conocerlo más profundamente me encantó paso de ser un antagonista al chico perfecto que toda mujer desea tenía tantas capas que era difícil conocerlo verdaderamente pero cuando se despojó de ellas era totalmente un amor.
September 8, 2012
By Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Grade: A
When I picked up Honey Moon, I hadn’t known that it was one of Ms. Phillips’ earlier works. I expected a light read and was disappointed in that regard. Its not as full of good ol’ boy humor as some of her others but rather is full of deep emotions and characters. The emotional growth of the characters over time is very moving. If you are looking for the simple – guy meets girl, a few problems, jump into bed, live happily ever after with their one true love, kind of book – look again.
From a dilapidated South Carolina amusement park to the shimmering glamour of Hollywood, orphaned Honey Jane Moon became the most famous child star in America by challenging the world with her fists swinging. But little girls have to grow up someday, and the passionate woman she becomes loves as fiercely as she lives, changing forever the destinies of two famous men.
DASH COOGAN: The last of the movies’ cowboy heroes, trapped on a screen too small to contain a legend.
ERIC DILLON: Hollywood’s bad boy, whose dark, seductive appeal and blazing talent hide a painful secret that has scarred his soul.
For Honey Moon, who swears she can touch eternity on a roller coaster, true love and a family she can call her own are just one breathtaking ride away…
The name didn’t encourage me. I thought at first that this book was going to be about someone’s honeymoon which didn’t much appeal to me. But no, Honey Jane Moon, is the name of the delightful heroine of this novel. Brought up in a dilapidated South Carolina amusement park, she makes the trek to Hollywood at age sixteen and ends up as the “child star” of a hit television show, playing a character much younger than her real age. There are two actors on the show as well: Dash Coogan, a middle-aged cowboy, who plays her father on the show, and Eric Dillon, a young hunk, who plays her love interest who spurns her, a role he repeats in Honey’s real life while they are together on the show.
As I said before, Honey Moon is not your typical romance. It is at times gritty, heartbreaking, soul-searching and uplifting. Like Rolling Thunder–the roller coaster of redemption that plays a prominent role in the life of Honey Jane Moon, it’s a story with ups and downs, twists and turns. The lead characters – Honey, Dash and Eric – are part of the Walking Wounded. They hide their secrets behind carefully constructed facades – they are actors, after all. They are emotionally hot and cold and sometimes not very likable, but their complexities and personal odysseys make them worth the read.
Honey, an orphan, has been raised in an environment of neglect. She has learned to take care of herself and everybody else but, above all, never to depend on anyone else. Dash, a former alcoholic, is a man’s man who has developed a thick veneer because of his own childhood abandonment issues. Eric, the Golden Boy with a well-healed family background, seemingly has a carefree life, but he lives with his own private demons after one reckless night that results in deeply tragic circumstances.
Dash is paternalistic and a loner, seemingly content to be on his own. Eric is aloof and cold-hearted. All three seem not to need anyone. But scratch the surface and their deepest wounds are exposed as well as their deepest vulnerabilities. Honey is stubbornly independent and desperately needy. Honey is a character who is perfectly amazing in this girl-woman coming of age book. I cried at her pain and laughed at her spunkiness. It is not only a strong love story, but it is women’s fiction at its best. The romance in the book is generally pretty good, but the more interesting part of the book is Honey’s growth from a tough, unloved girl, to an emotionally dependent wife, to an independent and fully mature woman.
Most romances would end with Dash and Honey coming to terms with their changing feelings for one another. We get a glimpse of the healing that is taking place as the two are able to fill the empty spaces in one another’s broken souls. It was at this point in the book that I really began to understand Honey and Dash and how deeply they felt they were unworthy of being loved. But unlike the happily ever after of most romances, tragedy separates them and leaves Honey in a state of numb reality. All the while, Eric goes from being on top of the world to plunging into a dark abyss. It’s a gritty and gutsy plot twist. And the emotions are so very real. It is quite a metaphor – with Rolling Thunder taking us on a hair-raising plunge into the anguish of their world.
Eric and Honey drift through a numbing routine until fate brings them together again. When Eric and Honey couple for the first time–and it is not an act that can be called lovemaking–it is an almost desperate need to connect on a basic human level, to feel alive again rather than to feel so despondent and lonely. It is not all hearts and flowers, but there’s enough of a spark of intimacy that their defenses begin to thaw just a little. Still there’s more to come.
It is raw, sad, bemusing and bittersweet with moments of tenderness. But stick with it and you will find a story about hope, self-actualization, and not giving up. I always read it with hankies nearby and find myself thinking about the courageousness of the characters long after I finish the final chapter.
As usual, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is adept at adding touches of humor and creating interesting, multi-dimensional characters. It’s a good read. Nevertheless, if you’re reading it just for the romance, you will find it only marginally satisfying. You will be disappointed by the lack of thorough interactions between her and Eric later in the book, and the complexities of her falling in love with her father-figure-Dash- as a young adult. Also, you will feel there is too much unnecessary information that is not needed for a romance development, yet makes a stunning impact as a dramatic fiction.
Honey Moon is a terrific story about life, people and circumstances surrounding the good and bad of both. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It certainly will not disappoint even the most cynical reader.
Originally reviewed at www.vaultofbooks.com
When I picked up Honey Moon, I hadn’t known that it was one of Ms. Phillips’ earlier works. I expected a light read and was disappointed in that regard. Its not as full of good ol’ boy humor as some of her others but rather is full of deep emotions and characters. The emotional growth of the characters over time is very moving. If you are looking for the simple – guy meets girl, a few problems, jump into bed, live happily ever after with their one true love, kind of book – look again.
From a dilapidated South Carolina amusement park to the shimmering glamour of Hollywood, orphaned Honey Jane Moon became the most famous child star in America by challenging the world with her fists swinging. But little girls have to grow up someday, and the passionate woman she becomes loves as fiercely as she lives, changing forever the destinies of two famous men.
DASH COOGAN: The last of the movies’ cowboy heroes, trapped on a screen too small to contain a legend.
ERIC DILLON: Hollywood’s bad boy, whose dark, seductive appeal and blazing talent hide a painful secret that has scarred his soul.
For Honey Moon, who swears she can touch eternity on a roller coaster, true love and a family she can call her own are just one breathtaking ride away…
The name didn’t encourage me. I thought at first that this book was going to be about someone’s honeymoon which didn’t much appeal to me. But no, Honey Jane Moon, is the name of the delightful heroine of this novel. Brought up in a dilapidated South Carolina amusement park, she makes the trek to Hollywood at age sixteen and ends up as the “child star” of a hit television show, playing a character much younger than her real age. There are two actors on the show as well: Dash Coogan, a middle-aged cowboy, who plays her father on the show, and Eric Dillon, a young hunk, who plays her love interest who spurns her, a role he repeats in Honey’s real life while they are together on the show.
As I said before, Honey Moon is not your typical romance. It is at times gritty, heartbreaking, soul-searching and uplifting. Like Rolling Thunder–the roller coaster of redemption that plays a prominent role in the life of Honey Jane Moon, it’s a story with ups and downs, twists and turns. The lead characters – Honey, Dash and Eric – are part of the Walking Wounded. They hide their secrets behind carefully constructed facades – they are actors, after all. They are emotionally hot and cold and sometimes not very likable, but their complexities and personal odysseys make them worth the read.
Honey, an orphan, has been raised in an environment of neglect. She has learned to take care of herself and everybody else but, above all, never to depend on anyone else. Dash, a former alcoholic, is a man’s man who has developed a thick veneer because of his own childhood abandonment issues. Eric, the Golden Boy with a well-healed family background, seemingly has a carefree life, but he lives with his own private demons after one reckless night that results in deeply tragic circumstances.
Dash is paternalistic and a loner, seemingly content to be on his own. Eric is aloof and cold-hearted. All three seem not to need anyone. But scratch the surface and their deepest wounds are exposed as well as their deepest vulnerabilities. Honey is stubbornly independent and desperately needy. Honey is a character who is perfectly amazing in this girl-woman coming of age book. I cried at her pain and laughed at her spunkiness. It is not only a strong love story, but it is women’s fiction at its best. The romance in the book is generally pretty good, but the more interesting part of the book is Honey’s growth from a tough, unloved girl, to an emotionally dependent wife, to an independent and fully mature woman.
Most romances would end with Dash and Honey coming to terms with their changing feelings for one another. We get a glimpse of the healing that is taking place as the two are able to fill the empty spaces in one another’s broken souls. It was at this point in the book that I really began to understand Honey and Dash and how deeply they felt they were unworthy of being loved. But unlike the happily ever after of most romances, tragedy separates them and leaves Honey in a state of numb reality. All the while, Eric goes from being on top of the world to plunging into a dark abyss. It’s a gritty and gutsy plot twist. And the emotions are so very real. It is quite a metaphor – with Rolling Thunder taking us on a hair-raising plunge into the anguish of their world.
Eric and Honey drift through a numbing routine until fate brings them together again. When Eric and Honey couple for the first time–and it is not an act that can be called lovemaking–it is an almost desperate need to connect on a basic human level, to feel alive again rather than to feel so despondent and lonely. It is not all hearts and flowers, but there’s enough of a spark of intimacy that their defenses begin to thaw just a little. Still there’s more to come.
It is raw, sad, bemusing and bittersweet with moments of tenderness. But stick with it and you will find a story about hope, self-actualization, and not giving up. I always read it with hankies nearby and find myself thinking about the courageousness of the characters long after I finish the final chapter.
As usual, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is adept at adding touches of humor and creating interesting, multi-dimensional characters. It’s a good read. Nevertheless, if you’re reading it just for the romance, you will find it only marginally satisfying. You will be disappointed by the lack of thorough interactions between her and Eric later in the book, and the complexities of her falling in love with her father-figure-Dash- as a young adult. Also, you will feel there is too much unnecessary information that is not needed for a romance development, yet makes a stunning impact as a dramatic fiction.
Honey Moon is a terrific story about life, people and circumstances surrounding the good and bad of both. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It certainly will not disappoint even the most cynical reader.
Originally reviewed at www.vaultofbooks.com
March 20, 2009
This is a complex and emotional tale that touches on a few uncomfortable topics. I don't think I made it threw a whole chapter without at least getting misty eyed. I liked all the characters and the relationship between Honey and Dash did not creep me out like it did so many other people.
The last half of the book had me sobbing, and I will be walking around puffy eyed all day as a result. But it's a great story with a ton of happily ever after mixed in with the tears. :)
The last half of the book had me sobbing, and I will be walking around puffy eyed all day as a result. But it's a great story with a ton of happily ever after mixed in with the tears. :)
March 16, 2011
SEP write another great book with a wonderful epilogue. Gosh, I don't know how many times I re-read the epilogue. It made me laugh and cry and laugh again. Perfect.
January 8, 2017
Dos días me ha durado....imposible soltarlo...si bien al principio es lento luego puuuuuf....como escribe esta mujer¡
May 13, 2021
I didn't make it halfway. I'm not sure why I made it that far. Honey is a deeply broken character and I hate more than a little how she is treated by her "family". Those parasites are well beyond simply problematic.
And the two men she is headed for (I'm out before any actual intimate relationships happen) are more deeply broken than she is. Dash is way, waaaaay too old for her to be attaching to in that way (or for him to reciprocate) and there's no way that's going to be healthy and it's more-or-less inevitable that it's going to happen at the point I'm at. And Eric is an empty shell with a self-hate kicker that is busy screwing up his life beyond all recall, including a marriage and kid with another woman.
This may end up being a perfectly fine "love story" but it's not the kind of thing I look for in "romance". Having sex with others is a hardish no for me (I've made exceptions but they're rare) and love triangles in romance? Really?
I'm giving this a very reluctant two stars but only because I can't quite bring myself to give it one. The writing is outstanding. The character work intricate and interesting. And the setting is deeply realized and SEP does a great job conveying the sweep of a story that has, to this point, encompassed seven or eight years (starting up with Honey at sixteen). But I can't get past the setup and where this wants to go so all of that doesn't add up to "entertaining" for me.
And the two men she is headed for (I'm out before any actual intimate relationships happen) are more deeply broken than she is. Dash is way, waaaaay too old for her to be attaching to in that way (or for him to reciprocate) and there's no way that's going to be healthy and it's more-or-less inevitable that it's going to happen at the point I'm at. And Eric is an empty shell with a self-hate kicker that is busy screwing up his life beyond all recall, including a marriage and kid with another woman.
This may end up being a perfectly fine "love story" but it's not the kind of thing I look for in "romance". Having sex with others is a hardish no for me (I've made exceptions but they're rare) and love triangles in romance? Really?
I'm giving this a very reluctant two stars but only because I can't quite bring myself to give it one. The writing is outstanding. The character work intricate and interesting. And the setting is deeply realized and SEP does a great job conveying the sweep of a story that has, to this point, encompassed seven or eight years (starting up with Honey at sixteen). But I can't get past the setup and where this wants to go so all of that doesn't add up to "entertaining" for me.
October 21, 2016
Me costó mucho meterme en la historia, pero reconozco que después no pude parar...
May 25, 2023
Young Honey Jane Moon goes from living with her aunt and uncle at a dilapidated amusement park in South Carolina, to being the famous child actress nearly overnight. She is several years older than the 13-year-old that she plays on her popular TV show. There are two men on the show. Dash Coogan is a surly cowboy who plays her father. Eric Dillon is a Hollywood bad boy who has no time for a teenage girl with a crush. Honey's life of ups and downs ends up being tied to both of her co-stars.
This is not Susan Elizabeth Phillips usual story, but I loved it anyway. When I first read this book nearly 20 years ago, I was prepared for SEP's trademark humor and banter. You don't get that with this book. It is a contemporary romance that has more of a women's fiction feel to it. The characters have depth to them. They are all flawed which makes them feel real. This book is also a tearjerker...so be prepared with lots of kleenex.
I decided to listen to the audiobook this time around and I'm glad I did. Nicole Poole's narration was fantastic. Each character had a distinct voice. My rating: 5 Stars.
This is not Susan Elizabeth Phillips usual story, but I loved it anyway. When I first read this book nearly 20 years ago, I was prepared for SEP's trademark humor and banter. You don't get that with this book. It is a contemporary romance that has more of a women's fiction feel to it. The characters have depth to them. They are all flawed which makes them feel real. This book is also a tearjerker...so be prepared with lots of kleenex.
I decided to listen to the audiobook this time around and I'm glad I did. Nicole Poole's narration was fantastic. Each character had a distinct voice. My rating: 5 Stars.
February 10, 2019
This story moved me. As a lover of books by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, I’ve come to expect exceptional writing, well developed characters, witty banter, a strong heroine who undergoes an inspirational growth, and a light hearted romance. Honey Moon gave me all these things, but it also gave me something I didn’t expect at all: it made me CRY!
Yes, there was romance in this book, but I wouldn’t strictly categorize it as just romance. This is a life story. There is humor, anger, tragedy, growth, sadness, loss, healing and love. Your heart will fill, get ripped out, and fill again. There are times that you will laugh out loud, yell at the characters in this book, and then cry your eyes out.
This book really shows SEP’s range as a writer and is another example of why she’s my favorite. Highly recommend.
Yes, there was romance in this book, but I wouldn’t strictly categorize it as just romance. This is a life story. There is humor, anger, tragedy, growth, sadness, loss, healing and love. Your heart will fill, get ripped out, and fill again. There are times that you will laugh out loud, yell at the characters in this book, and then cry your eyes out.
This book really shows SEP’s range as a writer and is another example of why she’s my favorite. Highly recommend.
August 3, 2016
2 lectura, julio/agosto 2016: Buah, igual de bonito y desgarrador que la 1ª vez. Está en mi top 5 de libros favoritos de SEP y sin duda alguna lo considero su mejor obra. Es taaan bonito :')
1 lectura, 2015
OMG. Este libro me ha sorprendido muchísimo, me ha hecho reír, llorar, cambiar mil veces de opinión sobre algo/alguien y pufff increíble.
Susan Elizabeth Philips lo ha vuelto a hacer y me ha dejado con un gran vacío tras terminar este libro. Tiene más drama de lo que te esperas de uno de sus libros, pero sus personajes son tan buenos -incluso mejores que en otras novelas- y la trama es tan magnífica que este libro merece ser leído.
El "triángulo" amoroso es lo que puede echar a alguien para atrás, y no porque sea una especia e triángulo amoroso (no lo es, pero no encuentro una mejor forma de describirlo), sino porque la edad que se lleva Honey con uno de los hombres es bastante, pero a mi me ha encantado <3
1 lectura, 2015
“A coaster gives you hope. You can pretty much ride a good one through the worst tragedy life throws at you. You can even ride it through somebody dying, I guess.”
OMG. Este libro me ha sorprendido muchísimo, me ha hecho reír, llorar, cambiar mil veces de opinión sobre algo/alguien y pufff increíble.
Susan Elizabeth Philips lo ha vuelto a hacer y me ha dejado con un gran vacío tras terminar este libro. Tiene más drama de lo que te esperas de uno de sus libros, pero sus personajes son tan buenos -incluso mejores que en otras novelas- y la trama es tan magnífica que este libro merece ser leído.
El "triángulo" amoroso es lo que puede echar a alguien para atrás, y no porque sea una especia e triángulo amoroso (no lo es, pero no encuentro una mejor forma de describirlo), sino porque la edad que se lleva Honey con uno de los hombres es bastante, pero a mi me ha encantado <3
“The last one's hard. Marriage is always a balancing act, and it's never a good idea for one partner to get too big a head, but I'm afraid that's what's going to happen here. People write a lot of things about Eric Dillon's talent, and most of it's true. But nobody writes about the important things. The fact that he's a wonderful father and the best husband a woman could have. That fact that he cares about other people so much that he sometimes scares me. That doesn't mean he's perfect, of course. It's hard living with a man who's prettier than all of your girlfriends put together. But if it weren't for Eric Dillon, I wouldn't be here tonight. He loved me when I wasn't lovable, and I guess when it comes right down to it, that's pretty much what family is all about. Thank you, sweetheart.”
May 14, 2013
This book was VERY different than anything I have ever read. I love SEP so I was very interested to find a book of hers that I hadn't read yet. This book went in a completely different direction than I had pictured even though the ending was as I had predicted. Without spoiling anything, the story is of Honey Moon who is sixteen at the beginning of the book, a sad girl whose job is to take care of her loser family. She goes to Hollywood to get a job for her cousin and instead winds up as a child star herself. The story takes place over many years, and while at first, I was a little befuddled with all the different character viewpoints, by the end, I was glad to see how everyone came together. Definitely recommended!
March 25, 2010
I don't know why this isn't already in my read folder, I read it last year and decided to listen to the audio version yesterday. I couldn't put it down, Honey Moon is one of my absolute favorite SEP books and the audio version is wonderful. I love Susan Elizabeth Phillips books and her audio books narrated by Anna Fields are my favorite. I keep them loaded up on iTunes and listen to them again and again.
September 15, 2009
Another of my very favorites by SEP. Honey was charming, witty and gritty! One of SEP's earlier books but still a favorite even though a bit dated.
July 4, 2017
*Double groan*
This is gonna be bad. This is gonna hurt, bad. If I were talking to Susan Elizabeth Phillips, I'd be saying something along the lines of 'This is gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you.'
First off, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of my all time favorite romance authors, and if it wasn't for a copy of It Had to Be You I picked up out of curiosity one day, I may not have read very many romances. Up until then, I'd read a few, but they were the stereotypical cheesiness that gives good romances a bad name. After IHTBY, I had to find more like it. Fortunately for me, I started with SEP's later books. If I had read Honey Moon or even Glitter Baby (which isn't near as bad as HM) first, I wouldn't have read many more romance books. In all honesty, I don't consider GB or HM to be romance, more of early women's fiction, or chick-lit. They both are centered around the life a woman who has had to grow up tough, all she's done for self-preservation, and how well they turned out. Men in these books seem to be a side part, and in HM, doubled.
I don't want this to be a long review, but there is a ton of creepy, icky, nerve-wracking, gut-twisting things that happened in this book, and I think you need to know before you get yourself involved. The heroine's name is Honey Jane Moon, and it wasn't done on purpose. I really don't care for cutesy names, unless there's a very good reason for it, and there's not one for Honey. From a young age, life has been rough for Honey, from her mom dying when she was six, living with crappy and lazy relatives, working hard to keep said family together, all while in a pint size body that nobody takes seriously. I guess she's suppose to be this ultra tough survivor we can all root for, but I never liked Honey from the beginning, and I didn't care enough about her to want her to succeed. She wanted a family so desperately she kept her worthless, good-for-nothing relatives around her, giving them everything and expecting nothing. Of course the relatives took and took, and she just kept giving. This was the first thing I hated about her. Free-loaders are a pet peeve of mine, and Honey didn't have any courage to stand up to them and demand respect and appreciation from them, yet we're suppose to think she's tough and capable? Then at 18 she falls for her 'father' figure, who not only plays her father on TV, but acts as her father in real life! Honey thinks Dash Coogan (another horrible name) is the man of her dreams, but when he wisely at first rebukes her, she throws temper tantrums (to punish her for this, Dash literally takes her over his knee and spanks her!). Several months go by of Honey acting out because 'daddy' (yes, she calls him daddy, dozen's of times) doesn't 'like her' like her, and Dash ultimately caves in to de-flowering her at 19 (he's 43) because he's a recovering alcoholic and it's either f*ck her or drink. Nice daddy. Honey loves Dash, and he decides they'll get married (the next day after her de-flowering!) - not that he asks her, mind you. It ruins their hit show, rightfully so, because who can watch a TV show about a father and his 15-year old daughter when they've gotten married in real life? Careers mostly ruined, Honey takes random college courses (at first I thought this would go somewhere, it doesn't) and follows Dash around to crappy acting parts. They're losing money fast (Honey gave over most of her wealth to pay off daddy's, er, Dash's old IRS bills - again, nice daddy), but seems happy. At this point, even if Dash was the love of her life, I'm already disgusted with this part of the storyline. Honey's not doing anything with her life, in fact, the college courses are just to fill time, she doesn't even want to do anything with them. Dash is almost 50, his career is in the toilet and Honey is content to follow daddy wherever. Yes, she still jokingly calls him that after 5 years of marriage. They are on location for a movie Dash is shooting, in a bad part of town, and during a robbery gone wrong, Dash is fatally shot.
Thinking maybe, just maybe this is where the story will pick up steam, I imagine Honey going through terrible grief, and picking herself back up to live a better life. She's only 25 and I was hoping this would catapult her to get on with her life. Instead, she sells everything and goes back to South Carolina to restore the broken down wooden roller coaster in the abandoned theme park she grew up in. She doesn't have much money, her free-loading relatives follow, (irritates me she's still supporting them) and all she thinks about are Dash and fixing the coaster. Of course, this is where Eric Dillon, the second hero of the book comes back into her life (he was on the hit TV show with her and Dash, and he was her first kiss ever). What a coincidence he's hiding out from the world and just happens by her theme park in SC. Right. As if the ick factor in this book wasn't bad enough to this point, it gets worse. Eric is separated from his twin daughters because his ex-wife mistakes her own past sexual abuse for her daughters being abused by their daddy. (Lots of daddy issues in this book.) How you can confuse this, I'm not sure. Rather than fight for them, he becomes sullen, er, brooding, because that's suppose to be more sexy. At this point Eric and Honey come together, but it's not happy, or even special. It's needy and gritty and by this time in the book, gritty is too much. Somehow Eric decides he's in love with Honey, has been since the moment he met her (funny, he couldn't stand her on the TV show, and when they're together now, she's not nice to him, or anybody really) and now he desperately needs her. Honey is still a shell of her former self, obsessed with rebuilding the coaster so she can find hope, or God, or Dash, she's not really sure, and dismisses him. When the truth about Eric's ex-wife Lily comes out, that she was the abused one, not her daughters, again, it's creepy, disgusting, and just icky. And her daughters are spending the night with her dad, the man who abused her (told ya there are a lot of daddy issues). Eric gets to his daughters, but not in time to save one of them from grubby grandpa's drunken and nasty hands. After this, I just wanted it over, and to take a shower. I didn't care how Eric and Honey got together, or that they did. I didn't get their relationship, didn't feel genuine love between them, or that Honey redeemed herself in anyway. She goes on to act again, but only because Eric makes her in exchange for enough money to rebuild her coaster. Really, I just wanted it to end.
Listening to this on audio, I thought at least the fabulous narrator Anna Fields would at least be entertaining, but this story line even zapped some of that joy for me. Fields is terrific with accents, and her southern accent is so dead on that when she's reading the parts of the free-loading family, I want to reach through space and time (and Heaven, unfortunately Ms. Fields is no longer with us) to slap her, it was so annoying. Eric puts on a pirate clown show for kiddos in the hospital, and these are the best parts of the book, seeing Eric give selflessly to sick kids, and listening to Ms. Fields' cockney pirate, Patches. If you can listen to only these parts of the book, do so, it's highly amusing, and one of the main reasons this book got 2 stars instead of 1.
The title of this book is all wrong in my opinion. Honeymoon signifies happy times, and there are so few of them in this book, it must be an ironic nod to this fact. It should be called Daddy Dearest or something along those lines. Really, I can't understand why SEP would put so much bad into this book. Romances don't all have to 'hearts and flowers' (thank you Fifty Shades of Grey) to be enjoyable. In fact, I like some angst. But I read romances for the happily ever after, the true love conquers all feeling, and after this I just feel happy it was over. And so ready to take a shower.
This is gonna be bad. This is gonna hurt, bad. If I were talking to Susan Elizabeth Phillips, I'd be saying something along the lines of 'This is gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you.'
First off, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of my all time favorite romance authors, and if it wasn't for a copy of It Had to Be You I picked up out of curiosity one day, I may not have read very many romances. Up until then, I'd read a few, but they were the stereotypical cheesiness that gives good romances a bad name. After IHTBY, I had to find more like it. Fortunately for me, I started with SEP's later books. If I had read Honey Moon or even Glitter Baby (which isn't near as bad as HM) first, I wouldn't have read many more romance books. In all honesty, I don't consider GB or HM to be romance, more of early women's fiction, or chick-lit. They both are centered around the life a woman who has had to grow up tough, all she's done for self-preservation, and how well they turned out. Men in these books seem to be a side part, and in HM, doubled.
I don't want this to be a long review, but there is a ton of creepy, icky, nerve-wracking, gut-twisting things that happened in this book, and I think you need to know before you get yourself involved. The heroine's name is Honey Jane Moon, and it wasn't done on purpose. I really don't care for cutesy names, unless there's a very good reason for it, and there's not one for Honey. From a young age, life has been rough for Honey, from her mom dying when she was six, living with crappy and lazy relatives, working hard to keep said family together, all while in a pint size body that nobody takes seriously. I guess she's suppose to be this ultra tough survivor we can all root for, but I never liked Honey from the beginning, and I didn't care enough about her to want her to succeed. She wanted a family so desperately she kept her worthless, good-for-nothing relatives around her, giving them everything and expecting nothing. Of course the relatives took and took, and she just kept giving. This was the first thing I hated about her. Free-loaders are a pet peeve of mine, and Honey didn't have any courage to stand up to them and demand respect and appreciation from them, yet we're suppose to think she's tough and capable? Then at 18 she falls for her 'father' figure, who not only plays her father on TV, but acts as her father in real life! Honey thinks Dash Coogan (another horrible name) is the man of her dreams, but when he wisely at first rebukes her, she throws temper tantrums (to punish her for this, Dash literally takes her over his knee and spanks her!). Several months go by of Honey acting out because 'daddy' (yes, she calls him daddy, dozen's of times) doesn't 'like her' like her, and Dash ultimately caves in to de-flowering her at 19 (he's 43) because he's a recovering alcoholic and it's either f*ck her or drink. Nice daddy. Honey loves Dash, and he decides they'll get married (the next day after her de-flowering!) - not that he asks her, mind you. It ruins their hit show, rightfully so, because who can watch a TV show about a father and his 15-year old daughter when they've gotten married in real life? Careers mostly ruined, Honey takes random college courses (at first I thought this would go somewhere, it doesn't) and follows Dash around to crappy acting parts. They're losing money fast (Honey gave over most of her wealth to pay off daddy's, er, Dash's old IRS bills - again, nice daddy), but seems happy. At this point, even if Dash was the love of her life, I'm already disgusted with this part of the storyline. Honey's not doing anything with her life, in fact, the college courses are just to fill time, she doesn't even want to do anything with them. Dash is almost 50, his career is in the toilet and Honey is content to follow daddy wherever. Yes, she still jokingly calls him that after 5 years of marriage. They are on location for a movie Dash is shooting, in a bad part of town, and during a robbery gone wrong, Dash is fatally shot.
Thinking maybe, just maybe this is where the story will pick up steam, I imagine Honey going through terrible grief, and picking herself back up to live a better life. She's only 25 and I was hoping this would catapult her to get on with her life. Instead, she sells everything and goes back to South Carolina to restore the broken down wooden roller coaster in the abandoned theme park she grew up in. She doesn't have much money, her free-loading relatives follow, (irritates me she's still supporting them) and all she thinks about are Dash and fixing the coaster. Of course, this is where Eric Dillon, the second hero of the book comes back into her life (he was on the hit TV show with her and Dash, and he was her first kiss ever). What a coincidence he's hiding out from the world and just happens by her theme park in SC. Right. As if the ick factor in this book wasn't bad enough to this point, it gets worse. Eric is separated from his twin daughters because his ex-wife mistakes her own past sexual abuse for her daughters being abused by their daddy. (Lots of daddy issues in this book.) How you can confuse this, I'm not sure. Rather than fight for them, he becomes sullen, er, brooding, because that's suppose to be more sexy. At this point Eric and Honey come together, but it's not happy, or even special. It's needy and gritty and by this time in the book, gritty is too much. Somehow Eric decides he's in love with Honey, has been since the moment he met her (funny, he couldn't stand her on the TV show, and when they're together now, she's not nice to him, or anybody really) and now he desperately needs her. Honey is still a shell of her former self, obsessed with rebuilding the coaster so she can find hope, or God, or Dash, she's not really sure, and dismisses him. When the truth about Eric's ex-wife Lily comes out, that she was the abused one, not her daughters, again, it's creepy, disgusting, and just icky. And her daughters are spending the night with her dad, the man who abused her (told ya there are a lot of daddy issues). Eric gets to his daughters, but not in time to save one of them from grubby grandpa's drunken and nasty hands. After this, I just wanted it over, and to take a shower. I didn't care how Eric and Honey got together, or that they did. I didn't get their relationship, didn't feel genuine love between them, or that Honey redeemed herself in anyway. She goes on to act again, but only because Eric makes her in exchange for enough money to rebuild her coaster. Really, I just wanted it to end.
Listening to this on audio, I thought at least the fabulous narrator Anna Fields would at least be entertaining, but this story line even zapped some of that joy for me. Fields is terrific with accents, and her southern accent is so dead on that when she's reading the parts of the free-loading family, I want to reach through space and time (and Heaven, unfortunately Ms. Fields is no longer with us) to slap her, it was so annoying. Eric puts on a pirate clown show for kiddos in the hospital, and these are the best parts of the book, seeing Eric give selflessly to sick kids, and listening to Ms. Fields' cockney pirate, Patches. If you can listen to only these parts of the book, do so, it's highly amusing, and one of the main reasons this book got 2 stars instead of 1.
The title of this book is all wrong in my opinion. Honeymoon signifies happy times, and there are so few of them in this book, it must be an ironic nod to this fact. It should be called Daddy Dearest or something along those lines. Really, I can't understand why SEP would put so much bad into this book. Romances don't all have to 'hearts and flowers' (thank you Fifty Shades of Grey) to be enjoyable. In fact, I like some angst. But I read romances for the happily ever after, the true love conquers all feeling, and after this I just feel happy it was over. And so ready to take a shower.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2011
SEP is my all time fave contemporary romance writer. She builds stories that touch my heart and always cause me to fall in love with the characters. Originally written in the early '90's, Honey Moon is one of her older novels. That does NOT take away from the story line at all.
She begins Honey's story at 6 years old and brings us along for a fantastic ride as she weaves this fantastic and sexy, funny and sad, witty and uplifting tale that spans a couple of decades. SEP's writing is seamless. I remember thinking a few times "I can picture or feel exactly what she wants me to picture or feel". For fear of sounding too cliche...she truly brings stories to life without being pretentious or wordy.
Some people may not like her writing style (although for the life of me I can't find and haven't heard of a single one) but they cannot deny her obvious passion for each character she creates. I have recently given up on a few books I started. The characters seemed flat, the desire to keep reading to get to know them better was non-existant. Poor fools....don't they know SEP has ruined me for all other writers! :) Of course I'm exagerrating...but not much! ;)
I also listened to it on audio when I didn't have time to sit and read. Every single time Anna Fields' (aka Kate Reading) voice comes through my headphones, I reflexively break into a silly grin. Her passing (in 2006 at the young age of 41) has left a gaping hole in the world of audiobooks. She WAS and IS the voice of SEP's characters. I'm glad I had another opportunity to listen to her .
She begins Honey's story at 6 years old and brings us along for a fantastic ride as she weaves this fantastic and sexy, funny and sad, witty and uplifting tale that spans a couple of decades. SEP's writing is seamless. I remember thinking a few times "I can picture or feel exactly what she wants me to picture or feel". For fear of sounding too cliche...she truly brings stories to life without being pretentious or wordy.
Some people may not like her writing style (although for the life of me I can't find and haven't heard of a single one) but they cannot deny her obvious passion for each character she creates. I have recently given up on a few books I started. The characters seemed flat, the desire to keep reading to get to know them better was non-existant. Poor fools....don't they know SEP has ruined me for all other writers! :) Of course I'm exagerrating...but not much! ;)
I also listened to it on audio when I didn't have time to sit and read. Every single time Anna Fields' (aka Kate Reading) voice comes through my headphones, I reflexively break into a silly grin. Her passing (in 2006 at the young age of 41) has left a gaping hole in the world of audiobooks. She WAS and IS the voice of SEP's characters. I'm glad I had another opportunity to listen to her .
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