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Lime Juice Money
With the sultry atmosphere and ratcheting tension of The White Lotus, The Mosquito Coast, and Nine Perfect Strangers, Lime Juice Money is an intoxicating, sensuous debut that follows a woman trapped in an increasingly volatile relationship 5,000 miles from home in a Central American jungle.
A woman losing herself. A brutal relationship. And a jungle full of secrets.
When disaster strikes, hearing-impaired Laelia Wylde leaves London with her new partner, Aidrian, and her young children, hoping for a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize. There, she can be closer to her botanist father, get away from her sister, and maybe find a way to open the restaurant she’s always dreamed of.
While the jungle is mesmerizingly beautiful, it is also unforgiving and brutally hot, filled with deadly creatures and sinister magic. Laelia’s fragmented recollections of the past are increasingly bewildering, the gunshots she hears at night through her worsening tinnitus seem to be getting closer, and she still doesn’t understand why her father tried to turn her against Aid when they first met—though maybe she just misheard.
Uncovering long-buried secrets that threaten to derail everything, Laelia must somehow find the courage and resilience she needs to survive. Or is she destined to disappear into the shadows, like the orchid her father named her after?
Lime Juice Money is a twisty, searing journey of raw love, betrayal, corruption, and greed in a shaken paradise, pulsating with danger both inside and outside the door.
A woman losing herself. A brutal relationship. And a jungle full of secrets.
When disaster strikes, hearing-impaired Laelia Wylde leaves London with her new partner, Aidrian, and her young children, hoping for a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize. There, she can be closer to her botanist father, get away from her sister, and maybe find a way to open the restaurant she’s always dreamed of.
While the jungle is mesmerizingly beautiful, it is also unforgiving and brutally hot, filled with deadly creatures and sinister magic. Laelia’s fragmented recollections of the past are increasingly bewildering, the gunshots she hears at night through her worsening tinnitus seem to be getting closer, and she still doesn’t understand why her father tried to turn her against Aid when they first met—though maybe she just misheard.
Uncovering long-buried secrets that threaten to derail everything, Laelia must somehow find the courage and resilience she needs to survive. Or is she destined to disappear into the shadows, like the orchid her father named her after?
Lime Juice Money is a twisty, searing journey of raw love, betrayal, corruption, and greed in a shaken paradise, pulsating with danger both inside and outside the door.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published August 12, 2025
77 people are currently reading
8811 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
October 5, 2025
A dark tale of mystery and intrigue, Lime Juice Money was driven by an unsettling vibe that went from the characters actions all the way to the exotic locale. Rippling with unease, the jungle setting felt increasingly claustrophobic as the plot moved along. From the dangerous animals to the encroaching pitch-black nights, it was the perfect feeling for this danger-filled debut novel. I’m not joking when I say that this was one of my all-time favorite settings thanks to the atmosphere. I mean, even the mostly slow-burning pace of the first two-thirds of the book only amplified this vibe as Aidrian seemed to go off the rails in the absolute best possible way.
Sadly, however, there were a few bumps in the road. While the slow burn had its pluses, it went on for rather too long in my humble opinion. On top of that, when the pace finally picked up, the climax and ending felt just a little bit rushed. Don’t get me wrong, everything was tied up with a nice, pretty little bow, but I would’ve loved for the adrenaline-fueled section to take up more of the story. After all, it was sheer perfection in how it brought together the dual alternating timelines and POVs. With plenty of jaw-dropping twists and shocking truths, Morey delivered the answers in a way that had me holding my breath with complete and utter glee.
All said and done, though, the best piece to this puzzle was easily Laelia herself. An unreliable narrator who questioned her memory and hearing, I was right there with her wondering whether she was losing her mind or being gaslit by a monster. Even better, her hearing disability only added to this feeling. By the time I put the book down, I was beyond impressed by the constant sense of foreboding within this suspense-laden plot. So if you’re looking for a summer read that will pull you into the dark heart of Belize, look no further than this domestic thriller, because, despite the slow start, I found myself utterly glued to the pages. Rating of 3.5 stars (upgraded).
SYNOPSIS:
When disaster strikes, hearing-impaired Laelia Wylde leaves London with her new partner, Aidrian, and her young children, hoping for a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize. There, she can be closer to her botanist father, get away from her sister, and maybe find a way to open the restaurant she’s always dreamed of.
While the jungle is mesmerizingly beautiful, it is also unforgiving and brutally hot, filled with deadly creatures and sinister magic. Laelia’s fragmented recollections of the past are increasingly bewildering, the gunshots she hears at night through her worsening tinnitus seem to be getting closer, and she still doesn’t understand why her father tried to turn her against Aid when they first met—though maybe she just misheard.
Uncovering long-buried secrets that threaten to derail everything, Laelia must somehow find the courage and resilience she needs to survive. Or is she destined to disappear into the shadows, like the orchid her father named her after?
Thank you to Jo Morey and Harper Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 12, 2025
Content warning: near drowning, hearing loss, stroke, domestic abuse, alcoholism, ableism
Sadly, however, there were a few bumps in the road. While the slow burn had its pluses, it went on for rather too long in my humble opinion. On top of that, when the pace finally picked up, the climax and ending felt just a little bit rushed. Don’t get me wrong, everything was tied up with a nice, pretty little bow, but I would’ve loved for the adrenaline-fueled section to take up more of the story. After all, it was sheer perfection in how it brought together the dual alternating timelines and POVs. With plenty of jaw-dropping twists and shocking truths, Morey delivered the answers in a way that had me holding my breath with complete and utter glee.
All said and done, though, the best piece to this puzzle was easily Laelia herself. An unreliable narrator who questioned her memory and hearing, I was right there with her wondering whether she was losing her mind or being gaslit by a monster. Even better, her hearing disability only added to this feeling. By the time I put the book down, I was beyond impressed by the constant sense of foreboding within this suspense-laden plot. So if you’re looking for a summer read that will pull you into the dark heart of Belize, look no further than this domestic thriller, because, despite the slow start, I found myself utterly glued to the pages. Rating of 3.5 stars (upgraded).
SYNOPSIS:
When disaster strikes, hearing-impaired Laelia Wylde leaves London with her new partner, Aidrian, and her young children, hoping for a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize. There, she can be closer to her botanist father, get away from her sister, and maybe find a way to open the restaurant she’s always dreamed of.
While the jungle is mesmerizingly beautiful, it is also unforgiving and brutally hot, filled with deadly creatures and sinister magic. Laelia’s fragmented recollections of the past are increasingly bewildering, the gunshots she hears at night through her worsening tinnitus seem to be getting closer, and she still doesn’t understand why her father tried to turn her against Aid when they first met—though maybe she just misheard.
Uncovering long-buried secrets that threaten to derail everything, Laelia must somehow find the courage and resilience she needs to survive. Or is she destined to disappear into the shadows, like the orchid her father named her after?
Thank you to Jo Morey and Harper Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 12, 2025
Content warning: near drowning, hearing loss, stroke, domestic abuse, alcoholism, ableism
October 2, 2025
♫♪♬ Jungle love it’s driving me mad – it’s making me craaaaaaazy♫♪♬
This was a case of instalove when it came to the cover and I couldn’t help but notice The White Lotus being name-dropped in the blurb so I read no further and simply put my name on the library waiting list. For any of the rest of you who might want to take that bait, please don’t be a dummy like me and continue reading on to see the next line was The Mosquito Coast . . . which was a book (and movie) that I did not love. And in case you forget this was clearly inspired by that novel, have no fear for there are TEN REFERENCES within these pages (and an additional three bonus references to The Beach) to remind you.
Things that worked for me here were clearly the atmosphere of the jungles of Belize and after the author got done beating me over the head with reminders that our protagonist was hearing impaired and let her character develop I found her interesting and intriguing. As were the sisterly dynamics. The problem I had was I just wasn’t much interested in the story that really seemed to slog along at a snail’s pace without much going on and the clearly obvi and well-foreshadowed issues with the boyfriend’s chosen occupation. The ending was quite satisfactory, but the getting there just wasn’t much fun for me. Hopefully others will enjoy it more.
This was a case of instalove when it came to the cover and I couldn’t help but notice The White Lotus being name-dropped in the blurb so I read no further and simply put my name on the library waiting list. For any of the rest of you who might want to take that bait, please don’t be a dummy like me and continue reading on to see the next line was The Mosquito Coast . . . which was a book (and movie) that I did not love. And in case you forget this was clearly inspired by that novel, have no fear for there are TEN REFERENCES within these pages (and an additional three bonus references to The Beach) to remind you.
Things that worked for me here were clearly the atmosphere of the jungles of Belize and after the author got done beating me over the head with reminders that our protagonist was hearing impaired and let her character develop I found her interesting and intriguing. As were the sisterly dynamics. The problem I had was I just wasn’t much interested in the story that really seemed to slog along at a snail’s pace without much going on and the clearly obvi and well-foreshadowed issues with the boyfriend’s chosen occupation. The ending was quite satisfactory, but the getting there just wasn’t much fun for me. Hopefully others will enjoy it more.
April 18, 2025
Lime Juice Money is a story about a woman and her father and how they each develop a deep connection and love for the jungle of Belize. The story takes you through their experiences in life and in the jungle while exploring some heavy themes and highlights the complexities of relationships.
Laelia travels to Belize with her kids and her boyfriend to surprise her dad for his birthday. Her father falls ill at the party and slips into a coma. Amid her life at home in London hanging on by a pinky toenail, she decides to stay in Belize on her father’s land and be there for dear old dad in the event that he awakens or fairs worse. What unfolds next takes place between the present day life of Laelia living in the jungle with her kids and her boyfriend and her dad’s life in the past in his early days in Belize.
There was quite a bit of build-up as the book progressed. I found myself anxious to get to the climax and find some answers. Was Laelia really forgetting/ hearing things? What was causing the sudden shift in Aid’s behavior? Why did he keep calling her crazy? When would the past chapters and the current chapters collide? What was going to happen to dad? Did dad know Aid forreal? And what is lavender feels? When things finally come to a head, the climax and resolutions happen very quickly. Everyone’s secrets are revealed and everyone’s problems are solved.
One thing I appreciated about this book is the complexity that Laelia’s disability adds to the events. There were times when I didn’t know what was true and what wasn’t! And I genuinely felt like I was being gaslit by Aid. I thought the characters who were native to the jungle were so open and helpful to Laelia and her family and the way her kids fell in love with Belize immediately was great to see. The author’s writing and description of the setting made me stop several times and pull out my old pal Google to see for myself. They did excellent research on this setting. The ending was very quickly wrapped up and a bow put on everything neatly, which for me, left something to be desired. Overall, I enjoyed the book and couldn’t wait to see what happened as the story went on but felt that the big reveals and twists felt rushed in comparison to the slow build of 85% of the book.
Laelia travels to Belize with her kids and her boyfriend to surprise her dad for his birthday. Her father falls ill at the party and slips into a coma. Amid her life at home in London hanging on by a pinky toenail, she decides to stay in Belize on her father’s land and be there for dear old dad in the event that he awakens or fairs worse. What unfolds next takes place between the present day life of Laelia living in the jungle with her kids and her boyfriend and her dad’s life in the past in his early days in Belize.
There was quite a bit of build-up as the book progressed. I found myself anxious to get to the climax and find some answers. Was Laelia really forgetting/ hearing things? What was causing the sudden shift in Aid’s behavior? Why did he keep calling her crazy? When would the past chapters and the current chapters collide? What was going to happen to dad? Did dad know Aid forreal? And what is lavender feels? When things finally come to a head, the climax and resolutions happen very quickly. Everyone’s secrets are revealed and everyone’s problems are solved.
One thing I appreciated about this book is the complexity that Laelia’s disability adds to the events. There were times when I didn’t know what was true and what wasn’t! And I genuinely felt like I was being gaslit by Aid. I thought the characters who were native to the jungle were so open and helpful to Laelia and her family and the way her kids fell in love with Belize immediately was great to see. The author’s writing and description of the setting made me stop several times and pull out my old pal Google to see for myself. They did excellent research on this setting. The ending was very quickly wrapped up and a bow put on everything neatly, which for me, left something to be desired. Overall, I enjoyed the book and couldn’t wait to see what happened as the story went on but felt that the big reveals and twists felt rushed in comparison to the slow build of 85% of the book.
June 25, 2025
Book Review 🌺🍋🟩
thank you so much partner @harperbooks for gifted copy!
Lime Juice Money
by Jo Morey
About the book👇🏽
When disaster strikes, hearing-impaired Laelia Wylde leaves London with her new partner, Aidrian, and her young children, hoping for a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize. There, she can be closer to her botanist father, get away from her sister, and maybe find a way to open the restaurant she’s always dreamed of.
While the jungle is mesmerizingly beautiful, it is also unforgiving and brutally hot, filled with deadly creatures and sinister magic. Laelia’s fragmented recollections of the past are increasingly bewildering, the gunshots she hears at night through her worsening tinnitus seem to be getting closer, and she still doesn’t understand why her father tried to turn her against Aid when they first met—though maybe she just misheard.
Uncovering long-buried secrets that threaten to derail everything, Laelia must somehow find the courage and resilience she needs to survive. Or is she destined to disappear into the shadows, like the orchid her father named her after?
🍋🟩 My thoughts:
Ohhh the secrets, the drama, the twists!! I feel like I was transported into a Jungle. It is lush and atmospheric and the kind of suspenseful read I love in the summer! The kind you can feel the heat just radiating from the pages. This is not a fast paced story but will immerse you all the same. With Laelia’s impaired hearing, it made the whole reading experience a unique and unreliable one (in a good way). With a slow build, tensions rise, and I am so happy to report the ending was nicely done! If you’re looking for a book with an unforgiving and relentless atmosphere that’ll keep you turning pages, you need to read Lime Juice Money when it hits shelves 8/12/25!
Happy reading 📖 🍋🟩🌺
thank you so much partner @harperbooks for gifted copy!
Lime Juice Money
by Jo Morey
About the book👇🏽
When disaster strikes, hearing-impaired Laelia Wylde leaves London with her new partner, Aidrian, and her young children, hoping for a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize. There, she can be closer to her botanist father, get away from her sister, and maybe find a way to open the restaurant she’s always dreamed of.
While the jungle is mesmerizingly beautiful, it is also unforgiving and brutally hot, filled with deadly creatures and sinister magic. Laelia’s fragmented recollections of the past are increasingly bewildering, the gunshots she hears at night through her worsening tinnitus seem to be getting closer, and she still doesn’t understand why her father tried to turn her against Aid when they first met—though maybe she just misheard.
Uncovering long-buried secrets that threaten to derail everything, Laelia must somehow find the courage and resilience she needs to survive. Or is she destined to disappear into the shadows, like the orchid her father named her after?
🍋🟩 My thoughts:
Ohhh the secrets, the drama, the twists!! I feel like I was transported into a Jungle. It is lush and atmospheric and the kind of suspenseful read I love in the summer! The kind you can feel the heat just radiating from the pages. This is not a fast paced story but will immerse you all the same. With Laelia’s impaired hearing, it made the whole reading experience a unique and unreliable one (in a good way). With a slow build, tensions rise, and I am so happy to report the ending was nicely done! If you’re looking for a book with an unforgiving and relentless atmosphere that’ll keep you turning pages, you need to read Lime Juice Money when it hits shelves 8/12/25!
Happy reading 📖 🍋🟩🌺
May 30, 2025
This is a really fun summer read! I loved the Belize setting and the family dynamic. At times I found it hard to follow the various side characters and the story could have been a little tighter, but a great book for the beach!
September 9, 2025
[3.5 rounded up]
I really enjoyed this one for the most part. I did find it to be a bit on the slow side. It's definitely more of a literary suspense than a thriller. Lots of character development/scene setting, which i don't mind, especially when the the setting is deep in the jungle in Belize. I also felt like the ending was way too rushed for how slow the rest of the book was, but it still wrapped up nicely and didn't make me feel like I needed more.
I really liked the main character, Laelia. She is hearing impaired so there are sometimes words missing from sentences, like the reader is getting only the information she's getting and that was so unique!
Thank you to Harper Books for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review!
I really enjoyed this one for the most part. I did find it to be a bit on the slow side. It's definitely more of a literary suspense than a thriller. Lots of character development/scene setting, which i don't mind, especially when the the setting is deep in the jungle in Belize. I also felt like the ending was way too rushed for how slow the rest of the book was, but it still wrapped up nicely and didn't make me feel like I needed more.
I really liked the main character, Laelia. She is hearing impaired so there are sometimes words missing from sentences, like the reader is getting only the information she's getting and that was so unique!
Thank you to Harper Books for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review!
July 27, 2025
This one took me a bit to get through. I loved the overall mystery of it, the freedom and secrets of the jungle. But the story itself felt like it was dragged out a bit. I think it could’ve been shorter and actually would’ve made more sense. The ending was definitely satisfying but some parts still have me a bit confused.
July 16, 2025
****Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper for an advanced eArc in exchange for my honest opinion****
This whole book felt like a fever dream that you are stuck in, where the light is too bright and you are unsure of what to do with yourself.
SO. FREAKING. ATMOSPHERIC. I have NO notes, not a single one. I was instantly teleported to Belize. The oppressive jungle heat and humidity, the mosquito's buzzing, the turquoise water surrounding Caye Caulker, the iguanas that drape themselves in the trees, the howler monkey's at night. I have to been to Belize, I can confirm everything is 100% accurate. She nailed the details down and it shows you constantly throughout the book.
I won't lie this started a little slow and my attention wavered a bit but the slow uptick in pacing, the mystery, the "did she really hear that?" "did he really say that?", her father's POV just further meshed well with the crazy heat of Belize. I was Laeilia in this book. I didn't know what direction was down or up, what was true what was made up, what might have been a fever dream and what wasn't. Jo did such a great job keeping you on your toes.
Laelia was written incredibly well, the love she has for her kids is really strong and you can tell she is a mama bear and would do anything to protect them but they also reflect that back to her, protectiveness of their mother. I loved that she didn't give up on her dream of cooking, just wanted a different space to create. Falicia and Mounia are great friends and I love their interactions together and can we talk about Nico? Every kindness he showed Laelia made my heart somewhat heal a little from the all the crap she put up with.
The ONLY moment I was frustrated with Laelia was her interactions with Aidrian. OMG I was pulling my hair going "please please drop this man!!" Especially since she encountered violence before in a prior marriage. Her obliviousness was frustrating. The betrayals were like lime juice in a open wound.
You can also bet I googled EVERY single Orchid species that came up in this book as well, I had to know what they look like!
Needless to say this book was like a heatwave, and only by continuing to read did I get the relief of a ice cold glass of water.
This whole book felt like a fever dream that you are stuck in, where the light is too bright and you are unsure of what to do with yourself.
SO. FREAKING. ATMOSPHERIC. I have NO notes, not a single one. I was instantly teleported to Belize. The oppressive jungle heat and humidity, the mosquito's buzzing, the turquoise water surrounding Caye Caulker, the iguanas that drape themselves in the trees, the howler monkey's at night. I have to been to Belize, I can confirm everything is 100% accurate. She nailed the details down and it shows you constantly throughout the book.
I won't lie this started a little slow and my attention wavered a bit but the slow uptick in pacing, the mystery, the "did she really hear that?" "did he really say that?", her father's POV just further meshed well with the crazy heat of Belize. I was Laeilia in this book. I didn't know what direction was down or up, what was true what was made up, what might have been a fever dream and what wasn't. Jo did such a great job keeping you on your toes.
Laelia was written incredibly well, the love she has for her kids is really strong and you can tell she is a mama bear and would do anything to protect them but they also reflect that back to her, protectiveness of their mother. I loved that she didn't give up on her dream of cooking, just wanted a different space to create. Falicia and Mounia are great friends and I love their interactions together and can we talk about Nico? Every kindness he showed Laelia made my heart somewhat heal a little from the all the crap she put up with.
The ONLY moment I was frustrated with Laelia was her interactions with Aidrian. OMG I was pulling my hair going "please please drop this man!!" Especially since she encountered violence before in a prior marriage. Her obliviousness was frustrating. The betrayals were like lime juice in a open wound.
You can also bet I googled EVERY single Orchid species that came up in this book as well, I had to know what they look like!
Needless to say this book was like a heatwave, and only by continuing to read did I get the relief of a ice cold glass of water.
August 10, 2025
Thank you to Harper for a copy in an exchange for a review, but sadly this will be a DNF for me at 79 pages in.
This is big bummer for me as this is the one august thriller release that I was really looking forward to.
What’s working for me: the setting and the main character
What’s not working for me: the main character’s partner and his ‘habit’ that is one of my least favorite tropes in thrillers/mysteries.
This is big bummer for me as this is the one august thriller release that I was really looking forward to.
What’s working for me: the setting and the main character
What’s not working for me: the main character’s partner and his ‘habit’ that is one of my least favorite tropes in thrillers/mysteries.
August 23, 2025
3/4⭐️
Family drama. Long buried secrets. Fragmented memories. The verdant and merciless setting of the jungle in Belize.
This book had me hooked from page 1. Our main character Laelia deals with tinnitus which offers a unique layer to the story because she often struggles to hear what people are saying to her and it can also affect her memories. We often have to question what she hears and knows, and I do love an unreliable narrator.
When she and her family visit Belize to celebrate her father’s birthday, he falls ill and they decide to stay at his home in the jungle to be close to him while he recovers. There also seemed to be tension between her father and boyfriend, Aid, before he fell ill. Maybe she misheard or misunderstood…
But while she and her children fall in love with the jungle and the people who live there, her relationship with Aid becomes more strained and secrets and fractured memories that surface has her questioning what she knows.
I loved the uniqueness of the story, the uncertainty that we could trust Laelia and what she was hearing, and the lush and unforgiving setting of Belize. Unfortunately, I did find the pacing to be quite slow and at times wanted it to move along faster. I also think the relationship could be triggering for some, so proceed with caution. Overall though, I think it’s a great debut that many mystery/thriller lovers will enjoy and I found the ending very satisfying!
Thank you Harper for my free arc!
Family drama. Long buried secrets. Fragmented memories. The verdant and merciless setting of the jungle in Belize.
This book had me hooked from page 1. Our main character Laelia deals with tinnitus which offers a unique layer to the story because she often struggles to hear what people are saying to her and it can also affect her memories. We often have to question what she hears and knows, and I do love an unreliable narrator.
When she and her family visit Belize to celebrate her father’s birthday, he falls ill and they decide to stay at his home in the jungle to be close to him while he recovers. There also seemed to be tension between her father and boyfriend, Aid, before he fell ill. Maybe she misheard or misunderstood…
But while she and her children fall in love with the jungle and the people who live there, her relationship with Aid becomes more strained and secrets and fractured memories that surface has her questioning what she knows.
I loved the uniqueness of the story, the uncertainty that we could trust Laelia and what she was hearing, and the lush and unforgiving setting of Belize. Unfortunately, I did find the pacing to be quite slow and at times wanted it to move along faster. I also think the relationship could be triggering for some, so proceed with caution. Overall though, I think it’s a great debut that many mystery/thriller lovers will enjoy and I found the ending very satisfying!
Thank you Harper for my free arc!
September 6, 2025
🎧 ALC Review 🎧
Summary:
Laelia’s life feels cursed. She just lost her job after an accident, and what was supposed to be a quick trip to Belize for a surprise party has unexpectedly turned into a permanent move. Her father needs care after a sudden incident. Now, she finds herself deep in the jungles of Belize for the foreseeable future. And maybe, just maybe, her luck is finally turning. The people are kind, her children are thriving, and for the first time in a long while, she can actually hear herself think.
But Aid, her significant other, seems to be the one cursed now. The man who was once gentle and loving is unraveling. She’s not sure if he really just said that . . .if she really just saw him do that. Her worsening hearing and frequent tinnitus only blur the line between what’s real and what’s imagined.
The jungle has secrets. And so does everyone else.
My overall thoughts:
This was a slow burn for me and I believe that was entirely intentional. The author reveals just enough at a time to keep the suspense simmering, making your heartbeat spike with sudden apprehension, all while telling what initially seems like a quiet, domestic tale. I loved the atmosphere and the glimpse into a culture we don’t often see in fiction. I can’t say I’ve read another book quite like this, and I really appreciate that.
That said, the pacing felt just a bit too slow for me to rave about it. Is it well written? Absolutely. Is it unique? Without question. I just found myself wishing for a full boil moment, but instead, we stayed at a gentle simmer for most of the story.
If you enjoy slowly building suspense and the quiet unraveling of a relationship, this book is definitely for you. Just don’t expect it to hit you in the face. . . this is a subtle, quietly haunting story.
My rating: 4 ⭐️
Thank you to @netgalley and @harperaudio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
What I Liked:
🍋🟩 The Hearing Loss! I loved how the author portrayed Laelia’s hearing loss! I'm not sure how this translates to all formats, but the “skips” and glitched out words when her hearing aids malfunctioned were incredibly immersive in the audiobook. I could feel her frustration, and I thought it was such a creative and effective way to show her struggle. Watching her condition deteriorate throughout the story made her journey feel even more grounded and emotional.
🍋🟩 The Psychological Narrative! The depiction of a relationship slowly becoming more volatile felt incredibly real to me. I could truly empathize with Laelia and understand why she ignored or rationalized the signs, unlike in some books, where you're yelling at the protagonist. This felt like a believable, slippery slope, and it added depth to both her character and the story.
🍋🟩 The Atmosphere! Setting this story in the jungles of Belize was a brilliant choice. The heat, isolation, and dense environment added a layer of tension that made the psychological unraveling even more intense. The characters were suffocating in more than one way, and it absolutely worked for the mood of the book.
What I Didn’t Like:
🍋🟩 The Pacing. I went into this expecting a thriller and while it technically is one, the pacing is surprisingly slow. It's a strange mix of simmering tension and drawn out development. The ending does pick up, but be prepared for a very gradual build up in the first half.
🍋🟩 The Father’s POV. I honestly felt the father's point of view wasn’t necessary. His chapters slowed the narrative and gave the book an academic tone that pulled me out of the psychological core of the story. A few letters or journal entries could’ve conveyed his perspective just as effectively without disrupting the flow.
🍋🟩 Trigger Warning! Not a dislike, but definitely a heads up. This book contains a volatile relationship, heavy alcohol use, and several other potentially triggering topics. Be sure to check content warnings before diving in.
Summary:
Laelia’s life feels cursed. She just lost her job after an accident, and what was supposed to be a quick trip to Belize for a surprise party has unexpectedly turned into a permanent move. Her father needs care after a sudden incident. Now, she finds herself deep in the jungles of Belize for the foreseeable future. And maybe, just maybe, her luck is finally turning. The people are kind, her children are thriving, and for the first time in a long while, she can actually hear herself think.
But Aid, her significant other, seems to be the one cursed now. The man who was once gentle and loving is unraveling. She’s not sure if he really just said that . . .if she really just saw him do that. Her worsening hearing and frequent tinnitus only blur the line between what’s real and what’s imagined.
The jungle has secrets. And so does everyone else.
My overall thoughts:
This was a slow burn for me and I believe that was entirely intentional. The author reveals just enough at a time to keep the suspense simmering, making your heartbeat spike with sudden apprehension, all while telling what initially seems like a quiet, domestic tale. I loved the atmosphere and the glimpse into a culture we don’t often see in fiction. I can’t say I’ve read another book quite like this, and I really appreciate that.
That said, the pacing felt just a bit too slow for me to rave about it. Is it well written? Absolutely. Is it unique? Without question. I just found myself wishing for a full boil moment, but instead, we stayed at a gentle simmer for most of the story.
If you enjoy slowly building suspense and the quiet unraveling of a relationship, this book is definitely for you. Just don’t expect it to hit you in the face. . . this is a subtle, quietly haunting story.
My rating: 4 ⭐️
Thank you to @netgalley and @harperaudio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
What I Liked:
🍋🟩 The Hearing Loss! I loved how the author portrayed Laelia’s hearing loss! I'm not sure how this translates to all formats, but the “skips” and glitched out words when her hearing aids malfunctioned were incredibly immersive in the audiobook. I could feel her frustration, and I thought it was such a creative and effective way to show her struggle. Watching her condition deteriorate throughout the story made her journey feel even more grounded and emotional.
🍋🟩 The Psychological Narrative! The depiction of a relationship slowly becoming more volatile felt incredibly real to me. I could truly empathize with Laelia and understand why she ignored or rationalized the signs, unlike in some books, where you're yelling at the protagonist. This felt like a believable, slippery slope, and it added depth to both her character and the story.
🍋🟩 The Atmosphere! Setting this story in the jungles of Belize was a brilliant choice. The heat, isolation, and dense environment added a layer of tension that made the psychological unraveling even more intense. The characters were suffocating in more than one way, and it absolutely worked for the mood of the book.
What I Didn’t Like:
🍋🟩 The Pacing. I went into this expecting a thriller and while it technically is one, the pacing is surprisingly slow. It's a strange mix of simmering tension and drawn out development. The ending does pick up, but be prepared for a very gradual build up in the first half.
🍋🟩 The Father’s POV. I honestly felt the father's point of view wasn’t necessary. His chapters slowed the narrative and gave the book an academic tone that pulled me out of the psychological core of the story. A few letters or journal entries could’ve conveyed his perspective just as effectively without disrupting the flow.
🍋🟩 Trigger Warning! Not a dislike, but definitely a heads up. This book contains a volatile relationship, heavy alcohol use, and several other potentially triggering topics. Be sure to check content warnings before diving in.
September 2, 2025
Rating; 4.5/5 Stars
Lime Juice Money took me on a thrilling sensory journey to Belize that I won't soon forget.
Laelia Wylde, her partner Aidrian, and her two children visit her father in Belize to celebrate his birthday. When her father, Ellis, becomes ill, Laelia decides to remain in Belize with her family until her father is well. They settle into his home, an old resort area deep in the jungle and befriend the local residents. While the children seem to enjoy their new home, Aidrian seems to change in a less positive direction. Laelia is physically isolated in the jungle without reliable internet, cellular service, and running water. Her hearing loss intensifies the isolation as she is unable to properly hear those around her. Can Laelia trust her senses? Is she dealing with some break from reality? Or, is she the subject of Aidrian's gaslighting?
Lime Juice Money was replete with twists and turns. The story is told in a dual timeline/dual POV style with Laelia and Ellis, her father, as the storytellers. The exotic and sometimes primitive jungle atmosphere provided a constant sense of danger and claustrophobia. Laelia's hearing disability adds to the sense of claustrophobia. The suspense intensifies exponentially as the novel progresses and Laelia becomes less of a reliable narrator. At times, I felt that the novel was moving slowly, but ultimately, it was well worth the effort of getting through the slower chapters.
Far and away, my favorite aspect of reading this book was the gorgeous prose:
"The jungle thrives as it has for millennia, in wild shadows, even in the basking light of day, shrouding its secrets in a tangle of leaves and roots and vines."
... and that is just the first sentence of the novel! Jo Morey writes beautifully and hauntingly about the jungle of Belize. I felt transported with every sentence and more deeply enthralled with every chapter. Lime Juice Money was a masterclass in transporting readers through description of the natural world, and I feel honored to have been able to glimpse the world that Morey describes. This book is 363 pages of poetry!
I would like to shout my recommendation for this book from the rooftops. If you are a fan of atmospheric suspense, domestic drama, or stunning prose, please pick up Lime Juice Money.
Lime Juice Money took me on a thrilling sensory journey to Belize that I won't soon forget.
Laelia Wylde, her partner Aidrian, and her two children visit her father in Belize to celebrate his birthday. When her father, Ellis, becomes ill, Laelia decides to remain in Belize with her family until her father is well. They settle into his home, an old resort area deep in the jungle and befriend the local residents. While the children seem to enjoy their new home, Aidrian seems to change in a less positive direction. Laelia is physically isolated in the jungle without reliable internet, cellular service, and running water. Her hearing loss intensifies the isolation as she is unable to properly hear those around her. Can Laelia trust her senses? Is she dealing with some break from reality? Or, is she the subject of Aidrian's gaslighting?
Lime Juice Money was replete with twists and turns. The story is told in a dual timeline/dual POV style with Laelia and Ellis, her father, as the storytellers. The exotic and sometimes primitive jungle atmosphere provided a constant sense of danger and claustrophobia. Laelia's hearing disability adds to the sense of claustrophobia. The suspense intensifies exponentially as the novel progresses and Laelia becomes less of a reliable narrator. At times, I felt that the novel was moving slowly, but ultimately, it was well worth the effort of getting through the slower chapters.
Far and away, my favorite aspect of reading this book was the gorgeous prose:
"The jungle thrives as it has for millennia, in wild shadows, even in the basking light of day, shrouding its secrets in a tangle of leaves and roots and vines."
... and that is just the first sentence of the novel! Jo Morey writes beautifully and hauntingly about the jungle of Belize. I felt transported with every sentence and more deeply enthralled with every chapter. Lime Juice Money was a masterclass in transporting readers through description of the natural world, and I feel honored to have been able to glimpse the world that Morey describes. This book is 363 pages of poetry!
I would like to shout my recommendation for this book from the rooftops. If you are a fan of atmospheric suspense, domestic drama, or stunning prose, please pick up Lime Juice Money.
March 29, 2025
Jo Morey’s “Lime Juice Money,” with its lush prose and Central American setting evocative for me of Malcolm Lowry’s similarly feverish and hallucinatory “Under the Volcano,” takes a startling turn in its last 30 pages or so – too precipitously, to my mind – that takes it out of merely menacing terrain and plunges it full-on into adrenaline-raising thriller territory.
Not that there haven’t been portents of true danger all along, starting with a prologue in which a body with a missing digit is rotting in the jungle and, amid the “infinite ways to die in the jungle,” the reader learns of the highly venomous fer-de-lance, which “with a single zap can strike down even athletic, robust men.”
Welcome to the new habitat of principal character Laelia (“like the orchids”), a chef of some renown who has come here along with sister Chloe to celebrate the birthday of their father, noted botanist Ellis Wylde.
More than just an occasion to fete her family's “Paw-paw,” though, the trip is making for something of an escape for Laelia from her having been fired from a London restaurant for a shellfish accident in part caused by her hearing issues – the clamor of the restaurant as well as that of London in general is just too much for her hearing aids.
Indeed, as she settles into her new, less clamorous existence and notes how happily her children seem to be taking to it, she comes to think she might like to start a restaurant here – this amid a swirl of cascading events including her father suffering a stroke that puts him into a coma at a Belize hospital and her husband acting more and more strangely and taking up with unsavory types looking to be up to some sort of nefarious activity.
A tale of exotic menace, in short, Morey’s novel, even if the first two thirds, with its slower pace, tried my patience somewhat, and the last third, as I say, for all its acceleration of the action, seemed hurried. More of the latter and less of the former, to my mind, would have made for a more absorbing read.
Not that there haven’t been portents of true danger all along, starting with a prologue in which a body with a missing digit is rotting in the jungle and, amid the “infinite ways to die in the jungle,” the reader learns of the highly venomous fer-de-lance, which “with a single zap can strike down even athletic, robust men.”
Welcome to the new habitat of principal character Laelia (“like the orchids”), a chef of some renown who has come here along with sister Chloe to celebrate the birthday of their father, noted botanist Ellis Wylde.
More than just an occasion to fete her family's “Paw-paw,” though, the trip is making for something of an escape for Laelia from her having been fired from a London restaurant for a shellfish accident in part caused by her hearing issues – the clamor of the restaurant as well as that of London in general is just too much for her hearing aids.
Indeed, as she settles into her new, less clamorous existence and notes how happily her children seem to be taking to it, she comes to think she might like to start a restaurant here – this amid a swirl of cascading events including her father suffering a stroke that puts him into a coma at a Belize hospital and her husband acting more and more strangely and taking up with unsavory types looking to be up to some sort of nefarious activity.
A tale of exotic menace, in short, Morey’s novel, even if the first two thirds, with its slower pace, tried my patience somewhat, and the last third, as I say, for all its acceleration of the action, seemed hurried. More of the latter and less of the former, to my mind, would have made for a more absorbing read.
September 4, 2025
(Probably closer to a 2.5/2.75, but I'll give it a 3 since it's a debut). Lime Juice Money wants to be a dark, eerie, slow moving thriller... Instead it just drags along and leaves the reader wanting more of everything. It takes place in Belize where Laelia's father once lived. Early on in the book, he falls ill and Laelia and her boyfriend Aidrian decide to temporarily move to his old villa. As their time in Belize gets longer, mysteries unfold - between them, from her father's old things, from the locals, and from Laelia's family.
One of the most frustrating things for me is the biggest twist of all is crystal clear within the first few chapters. While it doesn't formally get revealed until the end, the reader more or less knows what's going to happen, so the thrill is less. The book also relies a lot on Laelia picking awful, abusive men that are framed as "dark and mysterious". It's a tired trope that didn't really add much to the story except making the reader uncomfortable. Laelia as a main narrator is dry, insecure, and jumbled. It's hard to follow her thoughts but also hard to empathize with her when most of the action is simply because she's clueless. I also really disliked the "female lead is thought of as crazy" theme. It's overdone, annoying, and really doesn't add much.
The writing is well done though. While the plot relies on probably every cliche in the book (literally nothing was surprising), the writing is poetic and really pretty. The Belizean setting is so vivid and rich, and that alone kept me from abandoning the book. The book maybe could have succeeded as a short story, but in its current state, it's too drawn out and forgettable. I appreciated the inclusion of a partially deaf main character, though, but I didn't like the way the author used Laelia's disability as a way to dismiss her.
One of the most frustrating things for me is the biggest twist of all is crystal clear within the first few chapters. While it doesn't formally get revealed until the end, the reader more or less knows what's going to happen, so the thrill is less. The book also relies a lot on Laelia picking awful, abusive men that are framed as "dark and mysterious". It's a tired trope that didn't really add much to the story except making the reader uncomfortable. Laelia as a main narrator is dry, insecure, and jumbled. It's hard to follow her thoughts but also hard to empathize with her when most of the action is simply because she's clueless. I also really disliked the "female lead is thought of as crazy" theme. It's overdone, annoying, and really doesn't add much.
The writing is well done though. While the plot relies on probably every cliche in the book (literally nothing was surprising), the writing is poetic and really pretty. The Belizean setting is so vivid and rich, and that alone kept me from abandoning the book. The book maybe could have succeeded as a short story, but in its current state, it's too drawn out and forgettable. I appreciated the inclusion of a partially deaf main character, though, but I didn't like the way the author used Laelia's disability as a way to dismiss her.
April 11, 2025
Just finished this book. I have a lot to say, so lets see if I can get it all out. The plot concerns a hard of hearing female from the UK. While visiting her Dad in Belize, her Dad has a stroke, and they stay to take care of him. Her, her boyfriend/husband. and their two kids, Dylan and Ella. After not liking the UK very much, they decide to try and make a go of it in Belize, where she'd like to open a restaurant and have a fresh start. They end up staying in her dads old, run down house, which is kind of also a bed and breakfast. While in Belize, drama ensues. Topics/plot points covered include alcoholism, cutting, domestic violence, hard drug use, topics around death/dying etc. I couldn't put this one down, and finished it out over a weekend. The author doesn't spend too much time on any one point, which I really appreciated, she keeps the plot moving, and doesn't hang out somewhere overly long. Learning about the scientific stuff behind orchids, I really appreciated too. The story is told with stuff happening in the present day, as well as flashbacks to about 20 years earlier. I don't see the Nine Perfect Strangers vibes, but this book is definitely a summer beach read, for a hot, lazy Summer day. The descriptions are good as well, at times it felt like you were actually there. (Keep in mind also, this is the authors debut novel, while the writing isn't the strongest, I see room for improvement. Was very happy to receive this as an advance copy. At times, I did find the book hard to follow, keeping track of who was who and what was happening. Overall, it was a very good book, pick it up in time for Summer!
August 4, 2025
4.5 stars.
Lime Juice Money by Jo Morey is a riveting thriller which takes place in Belize.
Laelia Wylde is a hearing-impaired chef whose life has not been easy. She is divorced from her first husband who does not have any contact with their kids, Ella and Dylan. Laelia lives with her partner Aidrian who is a father figure to her children. Laelia and her family, including her sister, Chloe, are visiting her father in Belize. After he has a stroke, Laelia’s sister’s family returns to London while she, Aidrian, and the kids stay at her father’s place in the jungle.
Laelia dreams of opening a restaurant and the deeper she falls in love with Belize, she thinks that might just happen. Ella and Dylan love their new life but Aidrian would rather leave. The longer they stay, the more unstable everyone’s relationships with Aidrian become. Laelia hardly recognizes the man she loves, but she makes excuses for his increasingly erratic behavior.
Lime Juice Money is a compelling mystery. The characters are three-dimensional with relatable foibles and strengths. Laelia is a strong woman but she is frustratingly loyal to Aidrian and makes excuses for the way he is treating her and her children. The changes in Aidrian make him unrecognizable as the story progresses. Her father’s life in Belize unfolds through chapters from his perspective. The storyline has a bit of a sinister vibe as Laelia questions strange happenings. The beach and jungle settings spring vividly to live. Jo Morey brings her sinister debut to a shocking yet satisfying conclusion.
Lime Juice Money by Jo Morey is a riveting thriller which takes place in Belize.
Laelia Wylde is a hearing-impaired chef whose life has not been easy. She is divorced from her first husband who does not have any contact with their kids, Ella and Dylan. Laelia lives with her partner Aidrian who is a father figure to her children. Laelia and her family, including her sister, Chloe, are visiting her father in Belize. After he has a stroke, Laelia’s sister’s family returns to London while she, Aidrian, and the kids stay at her father’s place in the jungle.
Laelia dreams of opening a restaurant and the deeper she falls in love with Belize, she thinks that might just happen. Ella and Dylan love their new life but Aidrian would rather leave. The longer they stay, the more unstable everyone’s relationships with Aidrian become. Laelia hardly recognizes the man she loves, but she makes excuses for his increasingly erratic behavior.
Lime Juice Money is a compelling mystery. The characters are three-dimensional with relatable foibles and strengths. Laelia is a strong woman but she is frustratingly loyal to Aidrian and makes excuses for the way he is treating her and her children. The changes in Aidrian make him unrecognizable as the story progresses. Her father’s life in Belize unfolds through chapters from his perspective. The storyline has a bit of a sinister vibe as Laelia questions strange happenings. The beach and jungle settings spring vividly to live. Jo Morey brings her sinister debut to a shocking yet satisfying conclusion.
October 4, 2025
Thank you Harper Books for this copy!!! The premise of this sounded so interesting (with the blurb likening it to White Lotus.) I really loved this one & can’t believe it’s Morey’s debut.
Londoner Laelia is in Belize on vacation with her family to celebrate her father’s birthday on a fancy resort. But when he collapses and is suddenly in a coma, Laelia makes the decision to stay with her kids and partner Aidrian at her father’s remote jungle home as he heals. At first, Laelia loves the jungle and friends she makes. She finally feels confident to open her dream restaurant here after failing due to her hearing loss in bustling London. But when Aidrian begins drinking too much and getting caught up with the wrong crowd, she begins to be afraid. Alternating from Laelia’s POV to her father’s past, we get to piece together how the local gang connects them both.
Laelia’s tinnitus made her a fascinating protagonist, as it provided a layer that made her question everything she knew - almost naming herself as an unreliable narrator. (The author also is hearing impaired and handled all of this with such nuance.) The dark Belize jungle was atmospheric, beautiful yet scary. I really didn’t know where this book was going to end up and there were several twists that surprised me. I can’t wait to read what Morey writes next. Highly recommend this for fans of slow burn atmospheric mysteries!
✨Content Warnings: Domestic Abuse, Adultery, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Death of a Parent, Suicide, Violence, Medical Content, Sexual Content
✨Themes: Isolation, Survival, Greed
✨You May Like This If You Enjoyed:
-The Exiles (Jane Harper)
-One Step Too Far (Lisa Gardner)
Londoner Laelia is in Belize on vacation with her family to celebrate her father’s birthday on a fancy resort. But when he collapses and is suddenly in a coma, Laelia makes the decision to stay with her kids and partner Aidrian at her father’s remote jungle home as he heals. At first, Laelia loves the jungle and friends she makes. She finally feels confident to open her dream restaurant here after failing due to her hearing loss in bustling London. But when Aidrian begins drinking too much and getting caught up with the wrong crowd, she begins to be afraid. Alternating from Laelia’s POV to her father’s past, we get to piece together how the local gang connects them both.
Laelia’s tinnitus made her a fascinating protagonist, as it provided a layer that made her question everything she knew - almost naming herself as an unreliable narrator. (The author also is hearing impaired and handled all of this with such nuance.) The dark Belize jungle was atmospheric, beautiful yet scary. I really didn’t know where this book was going to end up and there were several twists that surprised me. I can’t wait to read what Morey writes next. Highly recommend this for fans of slow burn atmospheric mysteries!
✨Content Warnings: Domestic Abuse, Adultery, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Death of a Parent, Suicide, Violence, Medical Content, Sexual Content
✨Themes: Isolation, Survival, Greed
✨You May Like This If You Enjoyed:
-The Exiles (Jane Harper)
-One Step Too Far (Lisa Gardner)
September 22, 2025
Laelia Wylde travels from London to the wilds of Belize to visit her aging botanist orchid-obsessed father. Her new partner, Aid, accompanies her. Their romance is still newish and heady; her children hungrily accept a male presence with their bio dad so very absent. Having very recently lost her job, Laelia is struggling to define her next step. A chef, and a woman with profound and escalating hearing loss, she misread instructions on her last kitchen job having not worn her hearing aids and almost served shellfish to someone with lethal allergies, resulting in her firing.
Things take a sudden turn in their Belize sojourn when Laelia's father suffers a sudden and traumatic stroke. Impetuously, Laelia decides that she and her young children, and Aid, might have a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize, where her father purchased an old lodge and outbuildings.
But as the story unfolds, Laelia is challenged by her deteriorating hearing loss, her fragile relationship, her traumatized children, and the beauties, dangers and mysteries of the Belize jungle. Her unreliable hearing and her own fractured memory challenge her ability to maintain a grip on the daily reality as her relationship with Aid is increasingly problematic, and he becomes controlling, distrustful and aggressive.
Lime Juice Money is a story about danger in paradise, danger in relationships, and danger within ourselves.
Things take a sudden turn in their Belize sojourn when Laelia's father suffers a sudden and traumatic stroke. Impetuously, Laelia decides that she and her young children, and Aid, might have a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize, where her father purchased an old lodge and outbuildings.
But as the story unfolds, Laelia is challenged by her deteriorating hearing loss, her fragile relationship, her traumatized children, and the beauties, dangers and mysteries of the Belize jungle. Her unreliable hearing and her own fractured memory challenge her ability to maintain a grip on the daily reality as her relationship with Aid is increasingly problematic, and he becomes controlling, distrustful and aggressive.
Lime Juice Money is a story about danger in paradise, danger in relationships, and danger within ourselves.
July 3, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this jungle thriller in the sense that I ripped through it searching for answers to the mysteries of the plot. It is definitely a page turner. If you are looking for a book that has you addicted to finding the answers to the plot holes, you will love this book.
The vibes:
- orchid botany and collecting
- jungle life
- mangos, and limes, and fish, and cilantro
- learning about Belize
- danger, mystery, mayhem
- dark secrets
- disability awareness (the FMC is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids) which I appreciated the inclusion in this story.
Heavy trigger warning: this is a very intense domestic violence relationship that unfolds in the jungle. I was not expecting how serious this book would be.
While it was a page turner, I wished the middle didn't go on as much and instead there were more pages dedicated to uncovering the mystery. The end was rushed for me. The story does wrap up, but left me wanting more clarity and I didn't feel like it did Laelia as much justice as she deserved.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this advance review copy. All opinions are very much my own.
The vibes:
- orchid botany and collecting
- jungle life
- mangos, and limes, and fish, and cilantro
- learning about Belize
- danger, mystery, mayhem
- dark secrets
- disability awareness (the FMC is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids) which I appreciated the inclusion in this story.
Heavy trigger warning: this is a very intense domestic violence relationship that unfolds in the jungle. I was not expecting how serious this book would be.
While it was a page turner, I wished the middle didn't go on as much and instead there were more pages dedicated to uncovering the mystery. The end was rushed for me. The story does wrap up, but left me wanting more clarity and I didn't feel like it did Laelia as much justice as she deserved.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this advance review copy. All opinions are very much my own.
August 5, 2025
Book Stats:
384 pages
Genre: Fiction, Thriller and Mystery
Publisher: Harper
Expected publication August 12, 2025
Themes:
Lush Island setting
Romance
Mystery and suspense
Slow burn/buildup
Synopsis:
When disaster strikes, hearing-impaired Laelia leaves London with her new partner, Aidrian, and her young children, hoping for a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize.
My thoughts:
Lime Juice Money was a fun, atmospheric summer read! I loved how you are transported into the lush tropical paradise of Belize. The writing and prose are well done. I especially admired how the writer composes Laelia’s hearing-impairment perspective. However, parts did feel a bit dragged out and repetitive. I felt it was definitely a slow start and slow burn but when the pacing picked up, wow! I found myself in suspense once the buildup of mysteries and secrets started to unravel and I completely breezed through the novel after that. The merging of the POV’s to reveal the climax was cleverly done. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Expected publication date is August 12, 2025.
384 pages
Genre: Fiction, Thriller and Mystery
Publisher: Harper
Expected publication August 12, 2025
Themes:
Lush Island setting
Romance
Mystery and suspense
Slow burn/buildup
Synopsis:
When disaster strikes, hearing-impaired Laelia leaves London with her new partner, Aidrian, and her young children, hoping for a fresh start in the verdant jungle of Belize.
My thoughts:
Lime Juice Money was a fun, atmospheric summer read! I loved how you are transported into the lush tropical paradise of Belize. The writing and prose are well done. I especially admired how the writer composes Laelia’s hearing-impairment perspective. However, parts did feel a bit dragged out and repetitive. I felt it was definitely a slow start and slow burn but when the pacing picked up, wow! I found myself in suspense once the buildup of mysteries and secrets started to unravel and I completely breezed through the novel after that. The merging of the POV’s to reveal the climax was cleverly done. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Expected publication date is August 12, 2025.
December 19, 2025
I read the first page, which was over-full of adjectives, and put this aside. I'm glad I picked it back up because once we were into the story it was quite good, and much better written than page 1.
We're in the jungle in Belize, which is an interestingly unusual location. Two sisters and their families are visiting Dad and things go wrong and he ends up in the hospital in a coma. Daughter Laelia and her SO Aidan decide to stay until things sort out. Her two children are thrilled about it. So we follow forward, but we also go back and follow Dad's roundabout trip to the jungle he loves and learn about him along the way.
Laelia is named after an orchid, which is what drew her dad to the jungle, and like an orchid, she seems to flourish there. Aidan not so much. The big flaw in the whole book is Laelia, in my opinion, because she's a mess. She overlooks too much and seems blind to a lot of what goes on around her.
Otherwise, I have to say that once I got into the book, I couldn't stop reading.
We're in the jungle in Belize, which is an interestingly unusual location. Two sisters and their families are visiting Dad and things go wrong and he ends up in the hospital in a coma. Daughter Laelia and her SO Aidan decide to stay until things sort out. Her two children are thrilled about it. So we follow forward, but we also go back and follow Dad's roundabout trip to the jungle he loves and learn about him along the way.
Laelia is named after an orchid, which is what drew her dad to the jungle, and like an orchid, she seems to flourish there. Aidan not so much. The big flaw in the whole book is Laelia, in my opinion, because she's a mess. She overlooks too much and seems blind to a lot of what goes on around her.
Otherwise, I have to say that once I got into the book, I couldn't stop reading.
August 12, 2025
I loved the cover of Jo Morey's first novel - Lime Juice Money.
You'll find out what that phrase means - and travel to Morey's setting in Belize. She has done a fabulous job of building her "world" in the jungle. The plants, orchids, predators - both animal and human, the indigenous people, those who are hiding and those who come for holidays. And more....
The book is told from two time lines and two characters. Laelia and Ellis - father and daughter. Laelia's sister plays her part well. There are many other characters - many are toxic. I was surprised at the direction Laelia's life went. I tried to be not judgmental. Another factor is her tinnitus - she cannot hear well. And some persons might take advantage of that...
The plotting, the setting, the characters - kept me engrossed from first page to last.
You'll find out what that phrase means - and travel to Morey's setting in Belize. She has done a fabulous job of building her "world" in the jungle. The plants, orchids, predators - both animal and human, the indigenous people, those who are hiding and those who come for holidays. And more....
The book is told from two time lines and two characters. Laelia and Ellis - father and daughter. Laelia's sister plays her part well. There are many other characters - many are toxic. I was surprised at the direction Laelia's life went. I tried to be not judgmental. Another factor is her tinnitus - she cannot hear well. And some persons might take advantage of that...
The plotting, the setting, the characters - kept me engrossed from first page to last.
September 1, 2025
Lime Juice Money immerses you in the jungles of Belize but not in a tropical vacation sort of way. It's more of a perilous, tension-filled, atmospheric journey into the depths of something that is beautiful on the surface but is really anything but. The story takes you slowly into a family and a relationship that is troubled, accelerating into a heart-pounding conclusion that had me wanting to throw my headphones across the room. No one's behavior is commendable, and there are so many snake references! If you, like me, are terrified of snakes, proceed with caution.
The audio production was so interesting, often skipping parts of words to mimic Laelia's hearing loss and leaving the listener intentionally confused as to what was said. This contributes to the overall feeling of uncertainty and unease that weaves throughout this story.
The audio production was so interesting, often skipping parts of words to mimic Laelia's hearing loss and leaving the listener intentionally confused as to what was said. This contributes to the overall feeling of uncertainty and unease that weaves throughout this story.
May 30, 2025
**NetGalley ARC**
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC and give an honest review of Lime Juice Money.
I really liked this book, I thought the story was great, there was lots of intrigue and mystery to how the plow was developing and I really enjoyed seeing what the direction was going to be. There’s a lot of jumps in the chapters and I wouldn’t normally like that but the character often says how days are bleeding into each other so I thought it added on to the character’s experience.
I also loved the hint of an “unreliable narrator” vibe and it just added to what was happening. I thought it was fast paced and it made the story that much more twisty.
I will definitely be buying a physical copy
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC and give an honest review of Lime Juice Money.
I really liked this book, I thought the story was great, there was lots of intrigue and mystery to how the plow was developing and I really enjoyed seeing what the direction was going to be. There’s a lot of jumps in the chapters and I wouldn’t normally like that but the character often says how days are bleeding into each other so I thought it added on to the character’s experience.
I also loved the hint of an “unreliable narrator” vibe and it just added to what was happening. I thought it was fast paced and it made the story that much more twisty.
I will definitely be buying a physical copy
June 1, 2025
TW:Be kimd to yourself when going into this!!!!
Jo Morey, you killed this and I can’t wait to read more ❤️
Set in the beautiful Belize, this familial drama takes place over multiple generations and revolves around the secrets lingering, both in past and present.
Laleia is our FMC in present time. She arrives in Belize to celebrate her father but he suffers a terrible stroke and she finds herself, her two children and her boyfriend stuck in the jungle to take care of him and his desolate home. Over the course of a few months, she learns about the culture, her father and her boyfriend. Secrets come to light and she is tested as a daughter, mother and partner.
The other POV is that of the father in the 80s and 90s, as he navigates love, passion and fatherhood.
Jo Morey, you killed this and I can’t wait to read more ❤️
Set in the beautiful Belize, this familial drama takes place over multiple generations and revolves around the secrets lingering, both in past and present.
Laleia is our FMC in present time. She arrives in Belize to celebrate her father but he suffers a terrible stroke and she finds herself, her two children and her boyfriend stuck in the jungle to take care of him and his desolate home. Over the course of a few months, she learns about the culture, her father and her boyfriend. Secrets come to light and she is tested as a daughter, mother and partner.
The other POV is that of the father in the 80s and 90s, as he navigates love, passion and fatherhood.
August 16, 2025
What I loved about this book was the strong sense of atmosphere. The jungle setting vividly came through the pages. The heat, humidity, and descriptions of creatures living in the wild all made me feel like I was in a jungle setting. Initially drawn into this dysfunctional family story with a bit of sister drama. Unfortunately, as the story moved on, I lost interest. This very much could be a me thing. Wrong time for this book situation. It has been a tough week and reading has been hard.
I found Laelia to be an interesting protagonist. Her challenges with her hearing loss were unique. All I really needed was family drama with her sister and ailing father and her personal challenges (job, hearing loss). Didn't need this to attempt to be a thriller with the boyfriend situation which went places I didn't enjoy.
I found Laelia to be an interesting protagonist. Her challenges with her hearing loss were unique. All I really needed was family drama with her sister and ailing father and her personal challenges (job, hearing loss). Didn't need this to attempt to be a thriller with the boyfriend situation which went places I didn't enjoy.
September 18, 2025
My feelings on this book are complicated. On the one hand I enjoyed reading it, on the other hand I had no idea what I was reading or supposed to be anticipating. The prose itself is very well written, it immerses you into the jungle, and that was very fun for me. I felt that the setting was established very well and pulled me into a different world. However I found the plot to be very weak. I wasn’t even really sure what the main conflict was supposed to be. It felt a bit all over the place and some random things happened that were big events but rushed through and didn’t have the impact they should’ve.
May 19, 2025
I loved this story. I’ve never been to Belize but the setting is so unusual and the descriptions so immersive I really felt like I was somehow there. The story simmers to start with, building slowly, then ramps up to some really page turning tension. I loved the beautiful writing, the characters and the sexiness of it, the steamy jungle, the tension hiding just under the surface of everything. Can’t believe this is a debut, to be honest - it’s such a well structured plot and so beautifully balanced between tense and descriptive as Laelia’s life starts to unravel.
August 27, 2025
Easily one of my favorite reads in a long time. The world the writer has built is so intense and vibrant, I felt as if I was inhabiting the jungle of Belize while reading it. The duality of the locations beauty and danger was super interesting for me. The main character Leilea also has a hearing impairment and the constant tinnitus in her ears along with the descriptions of jungle sounds made the mystery/thriller aspect even more heightened. I’m not sure why people are complaining about the length of the book, I never wanted to leave Belize or this strange world. Deeply unsettling, somehow Leilea and her children find peace amidst this chaotic paradise.
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April 7, 2025DNF @ 44%
Setting: Belize
Rep: protagonist wears hearing aids
I started this two weeks ago, it's taken me that long to slog to nearly halfway, and nothing has happened. I'm afraid I just can't push through any longer - the only reason I keep reading is because it's set in Belize and I've never read a book set there but that isn't a good enough reason when I'm so bored.
Setting: Belize
Rep: protagonist wears hearing aids
I started this two weeks ago, it's taken me that long to slog to nearly halfway, and nothing has happened. I'm afraid I just can't push through any longer - the only reason I keep reading is because it's set in Belize and I've never read a book set there but that isn't a good enough reason when I'm so bored.
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