Brooks, Brenda. Honey. ECW Press. 2019. $15.95. 226p. PB. ISBN 978-1-77041-497-6.

“And I guess the story goes that such lovers are doomed to flame out, go down in disappointment and ashes, but I knew that would never be our story.” (p. 139) 

Six years ago, Nicole’s best friend Honey disappeared. Standing at her father’s funeral, worrying about her mother’s health- after all, she was badly injured in the car accident that killed her father- Nicole sees Honey, leaning against that beat-up old Cadillac. The same one she drove six years ago. Nicole has never forgotten the hole left in her heart when Honey disappeared, and while she is eager to fill it, what cost will come with it? As Nicole and Honey grow closer, more secrets start to reveal themselves. Surrounded by dead bodies, criminals, and blackmail, Nicole starts to wonder if Honey is truly in danger? Or is she the danger?

Described as a modern noir novel, this book comes up short. While the plotline for this story is intriguing, exciting, and brings up recollections of the film Bound, it falls flat in reality. The author spends more time than necessary building up big moments that are then glossed over in one to two sentences. I missed the characters having sex for the first time because it was glossed over so quickly. Other than the sultry, dark, and dangerous protagonist familiar to noir stories, this book didn’t have much in common with the genre it claims to be.

Miranda Dube