TEST
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 16 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.
Dash and Eric are the two male leads in this novel, neither of whom want to get involved with Honey in the beginning of the book. Neither man is a villain which is a fresh twist. Usually, when there is another man in a romance novel, he has to become the villain as a foil to the hero. This novel is too complex to take such an easy way out, however and both men have romances with Honey in the course of the book, but not at the same time. I like seeing the evolution of a character in a book, flaws and all, and Honey does not disappoint. After years of poverty and doing without, Honey becomes a real brat as a result of her instant fame and wealth. She tries to control everyone and everything. Part of Honey’s problem is that Hollywood does not want her to age. Since she plays a child on the screen, she acts the child in real life to her personal and professional detriment. She is not stupid, however, and when she sees the destructiveness of her ways, she begins to mend them.
Honey matures into a lovely young woman and has her first shot at romance with her idol, Dash Coogan – a romance which causes her viewing audience to abandon her. Dash himself is a complex character whom we come to fully understand. That is the real strength of Honey Moon. There are many books about Hollywood featuring actors as lead characters but this one is different in that it fully explores the three lead characters, all of whom have demons from their past which handicap them in the present and try to doom them for the future.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ trademark humor in not in play in this book. The humorous aspect of her writing is more prominent in her later books which are more straight romance stories whereas Honey Moon is more Women’s Fiction than romance. There are also dark elements to this story – death and child abuse to name two – which are well handled and give the book terrific emotional impact. Actually, Phillips’ humor would have struck a false note with these darker elements present so she wisely did not upset the book’s exquisite balancing act.
Ultimately, Honey must come to terms with her past by going home to her old amusement park. The coaster ride, Rolling Thunder, gave her a great feeling of empowerment as a child. By rebuilding it to pass the ride and the park on to future generations of needy children, she strengthens herself. This setting also presents the climax of her romance with her old co-star Eric Dillon and leads to the HEA ending. Honey Moon is a wonderful book that I couldn’t put down and it has become a classic of Women’s Fiction with a prominent place on the keeper shelf for many, many romance readers.
Grade: A
Book Type: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 13/03/99
Publication Date: 1999
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
Over the years, AAR has had many a guest reviewer. If we don't know the name of the reviewer, we've placed their reviews under this generic name.
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I’m picky about SEP books because the heroes always seem to dislike the heroines so intensely. Sounds like this is one of the same.
I’m pretty sure AAR would classify this as women’s fiction today. It’s been many years since I read it but even at the time it (and Hot Shot) stood out to me as being quite different from the rest of SEP’s more traditional romances.
It reads a bit like a Danielle Steele novel, with two love interests and honestly, I think readers would be upset by several aspects of it now.
I liked Hot Shot for its description of the start of the whole computer invention and madness in California- a sense of time and mood that was very interesting. Not as a romance, but as a (by now) recent historical. It stood out, and I might reread it.
i did not warm to this book then, it was „just another Hollywood eats people who come in gifted but already wounded“ book at a time when there were many of them. And I did not warm to any of the characters.
Agree about Hot Shot.
I also liked Hot Shot for the very same reason but it is definitely Women’s Fiction. The story is about Susannah’s personal journey and the romances are secondary. I think she wound up with the right guy for her in the end though.
Me too.
This one had an entire horrible family straight from central casting. Can’t remember if there was a distinct mom. Just remember sibs. Dreadful.
I think I am confusing it with Glitter Baby. Both books are pretty dark.
I have almost no memory of this book even though I know I read it. Is there a horrible stage mom or is that the one in Glitter Baby?
Glitter Baby has the horrible stage mom. Honey’s parents died and she was raised by an aunt and uncle and her a beautiful cousin.
I just reread the beginning of this and actually, Honey only had a mom who died when she was six. After that her only family was her aunt, uncle and cousin.