Salt and Honey: A Novel

by Carly Rose Smith

When you love someone, you accept the inherent risk of abandonment. Twenty-six year-old Molly Delmar has learned this lesson time and time again. Fleeing life-threatening danger in Boston, Molly seeks refuge in her childhood home with her estranged father and brother. Amidst rediscovering kinship, Molly collides with her greatest heartbreak of all, the man who set the tone for the lst decade of her life. Parker Ellis, with hgis gentle heart and magentic fire, sets Molly on a course of healing and love rekindled. When the past rises like the tide, relentless and unforgiving, can Molly make peace with who she has become, and who she is meant to be? Set in the astounding Outer banks of North Carolina, Molly's journey of strength, discovery, and resilience reminds us that darkness is simply the absence of light, and love guides us toward the sun.

385 pages, Paperback

Published February 21, 2024

Reviews

[Tyler Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a truly splendid read, even though romance isn’t my favorite genre I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book. It was incredibly enjoyable getting to know all the characters, their arcs have depth and realism. CRS writes in a way that is descriptive while not overly wordy, it’s easy to enjoy and see in your mind. Mollys journey is something countless can relate to with both heart break, terror, love and contentment. I can’t recommend this book enough, will be reading again as well as other CRS books soon to come out

[Megan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every second, every page of this read. Smith is a brilliant author. The book had a great plot, beautiful character development, and it kept me engaged throughout. Looking forward to more read from this author ❤️

[Jessica Scruggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. As a working mom of 2, a book really has to capture my attention to get read quickly. I finished this book in 2 days. As a woman who has survived trauma, I related a lot. This book breaks your heart, then puts it back together. I imagine it must be hard for an author to write something profound while also making it an easy, enjoyable read. CRS is able to do that. Can not wait to read more books from this author.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was absolutely sucked into this story right away! It was a fantastic read- emotional and enthralling. Now, there were a few small spelling errors and I found that some of the chapters going back and forth were slightly confusing as they weren’t titled chapters. I followed along well enough but I think it would’ve been a bit more seamless knowing exactly when we were back in the past. I think this is the authors first novel? If so, bravo! I look forward to reading whatever she puts out next!

[Nin Herron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel blew me away. I wish I had more to say about it, but as I've just read the last sentence, I am left speechless.

[Briana Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance isn't my genre of choice, but this book is so much more than that. It's a story about trauma, about healing, about second chances at both love and life. It's a reminder that regardless of what you have had to endure or how many years you may have lost, there is always a chance to start over and re-establish who you are. Carly takes us through Molly's life -- the ups and the downs -- in such a captivating way that it's hard to pull yourself away to return to the real world.

Every character has a unique voice and you fall in love with most for different reasons. I loved Jay for his humor and for his complexity, his passion and ferocious love for those he holds dear. I loved Emma for her sunny disposition, her drive to be more than her circumstances growing up, the fact she loved and accepted Molly from the moment she met her without condition. I saw myself in Molly, desperately trying to regain a sense of identity after realizing hers had been gradually chipped away by those who were tasked with her care, her rage at having her life stripped away from her due to little fault of her own. Camile had me laughing out loud at times, and her fear of letting someone in for fear of being hurt is something so relatable, I felt for her. Parker's unwavering love and dedication after all of those years, and how gentle he was with Molly while allowing her to take the lead. More romance authors should take note of him especially, a far better love interest than most I've seen thirsted after. I even almost liked Henry at times before his true colors showed.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a read that is engaging, thought-provoking, and makes you believe in second chances.

[Addison Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was equal parts good and bad.

Carly Rose Smith had a way of wording things beautifully, and I found myself highlighting a bunch of quotes and going back to them in appreciation. I liked the character of Molly, and for the most part how she went through her trauma.

The main problem for me was that there were SO MANY TYPOS! I was giving Smith grace because I saw that this was her first book, and the story was good enough to overlook it. But imagine my surprise, when I'm reading the acknowledgements, that she had an editor?

To whoever Samantha Swart is -- perhaps find a new profession. I genuinely feel bad for Smith because this would've been a book I'd recommend to people had it not been for the number of errors in it.

Other than that -- it's a good beach read. Fast-paced, though at sometimes a little too fast, and kept me engaged the entire time. Three stars, because I enjoyed the book but would've loved to see the writing perfected more.

[Casey Coe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely do I finish a book in 8 days. The character development was 10/10 and this book was easy to read and understand, (two very important things for someone who has attention deficit and minor dyslexia). If you’re looking for a book that is about a lovable character overcoming hardships I highly recommend Salt and Honey. I haven’t read many books but I have read all of Colleen Hoover’s and this book was as good as her best ones. I liked that the intimate scenes were not long and drawn out. I loved how the author made me feel like I was there, like I could smell the ocean and see the fireworks reflecting off of Parks face. My favorite authors are those who can explains things that I’ve experienced in life with such beauty and such feeling bc I’ve never been good at that - Carly Rose Smith is one of those and I can’t wait to read more from her!

[Austin Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is really difficult for me to read any books that I don’t love. It’ll usually take me awhile to finish if I find it to be bland or average. This book grabbed me almost immediately and found myself crying within the first few chapters. I have found a new book boyfriend that has raised my own standards of men. Parker is everything. This book is a beautiful telling of trauma and healing as well as love. I found myself connecting in consistently and falling in love with the characters. Emmaline became one of my favorites as soon as she was introduced. I found myself smiling, crying, and my heart racing throughout this book. Highly recommend reading this and excited to read more future books by this author!

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I did enjoy this book. One thing I have to say is that the flashbacks sometimes confused me because it wasn’t always clear that it was a flashback, yet at the same time she put them in there to perfectly time the story and make it full circle come together coherently. I just really do wish there was maybe a chapter title that had made the flashback more clear.

I did rate it 3.5, because personally it felt just a touch too cliche for me. It still made for a very good story and good read.

[Breanna Pullins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every bit of this book! If a book doesn’t catch my attention within the first few pages, I usually mark it as a DNF. But that totally wasn’t the case here. Every night I dreaded putting the book down and debating to just pull an all nighter to finish it sooner. This book had me going through all the feels and emotions. I love a book that can do that. I’m excited to read more from this author!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wait is finally over! Looking for a new read that will leave you in awe? Salt & Honey, the eagerly anticipated book by Carly Rose Smith, has arrived. Get your hands on a copy today and discover why it's a must-read!!

Available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. GypsyFaire will also be hosting a release event on March 2nd where copies will be available

[Melynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance isn’t usually my go to genre, but this book was fantastic. I laughed and cried. I loved the progression of the characters. The transitions between flash backs and present were seamless and easy to follow. I lost sleep because I just couldn’t put it down. It’s hard to believe this is CRS’ first book. 10/10 recommend.

[Taylor Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible first novel from a fresh new novelist! This romantic drama is the perfect beach read. For one, it takes place mostly at the beach. It also has strong characters and the perfect amount of suspense while exploring deeply emotional themes of family and domestic trauma. Loved it! Can’t wait for their next book!

[James Gribble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me and my wife are both reading this book because Carly got us our book early. Book is AMAZING!

[Halie Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a descriptive writer. Really envelops you into the story and captures your attention. Cannot wait to see more from this Author!!!

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t not put this book down! Coming from family trauma I will say if you read this you’ll cry throughout but LOVE it knowing you aren’t alone. Can’t wait for another book from her!

[Patti Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! So proud of you!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! The characters were so relatable and the plot drew me in from the beginning. I really enjoyed following Molly’s journey of healing and love.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are books that you read in a day because of how good they are, and then there are other books that take you a week to finish because of how brilliant they are ..
I didn't read this book fast because i wanted to sit with Molly and feel her ,what she went through the author did an amazing job taking us in Molly's journey
I sobbed so much.. I felt every word..
Beautiful brilliant writing
Can't wait to read more of this author
I'm hoping to get Jay's story next