Monday, September 15, 2008

Honey Moon By SEP:
Review & September Challenge

TBR Challenge for September
Read a book with a 2-word title
Examples from Darla shelves:

Death Drop by Alina Adams
Dating Game by Beverly Brandt
Chill Factor by Rachel Caine

Let us know what you read, how you liked it, and how long it had been in your TBR pile.

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I chose Honey Moon by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. One of my favorite author. Read review below :)


















Susan Elizabeth Phillips website
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Pub. Date: June 1993
ISBN-13: 9780671735937
448pp
4 stars

Honey Moon Jane was a South Carolina orphan, who lives with her aunt Sophie and cousin Chantal after her mother death. When her uncle Earl was alive, he used to run the Silver Lake Amusement Park and everyone would come to have fun. Honey recall at the age of six, when Earl made her ride one of the famous roller coaster name "Black Thunder" because he was fed up with her loud crying for her mama tantrum. Frighten and scared she rode the roller coaster as it terrors her to life. And when it ended, she then realized that Black Thunder give her a sense of force that allowed her to feel and touch her mom. And it became her favorite ride of all times.

When Earl died, he left Silver Lake Amusement Park to his wife Sophie. But Earl death had hit her hard that she became depressed and have not step outside the house since. Leaving Sixteen year old Honey to take care of her and Sophie daughter Chantal. Honey have always been the one to make the decision for them and looking after them, to be sure they are given their need. Up until to the point when Honey know she need money to support them, she knew she couldn't do anything else. Because of the Wheel that assembly to the famous roller coaster, Black Thunder was snapped off from it rear car and broke - the State of South Carolina closed it down. And since the bank refuse to finance the expense to renovation it, Black Thunder was never re-open again. Without Black Thunder attraction, Silver Lake Amusement Park have died low.

Honey knew she must find a way to get Black Thunder back up and Silver Lake Amusement Park running again and to keep her family together. Later she was discovered by Hollywood and became a sixteen years old famous child star of the popular TV show "The Dash Coogan Show". Because she have always been small, she could pass to play Thirteen year old "Janie". Her life took a sudden turn when she met the famous star, 40 years old Dash Coogan and the bad boy actor Eric Dillion. It was there, where everything start to happen and her life changed.....

Now that she all grown up, she struggle for the attention and loves from both men. And at same time, she took care of both her aunt Sophie and Chantal. Honey would do anything because she want someone to love her. And she want to have a family she never had. And once she fall in loves, she fall hard.

Honey Moon was an emotional roller coaster ride with well written characters so real that you felt their heart and soul. A very heartfelt and painful plot development story. Good writing depth and characters who you will grow to love.

At first when I read the book, I had a love and hate feeling toward Honey. Because of her mean demanding and whining she have done through out the book. But yet, at same times she had those soft spirit inside of herself too. I realized then that she is staying true to what Hollywood life is like in the reality world. I think that Susan did good job of writing her. You can tell deeply, that she wanted someone to love her and be loved. And she never had that. It had lot of emotional intense scenes that just don't show you but walk you through it. And it easy to understand why the characters became the way they are as you follow into their lives. There is a icky part (to me it was), that might turn the reader off but I find my way to love both of them anyway - despite it. And while I did like the ending, I didn't like it that it was cut short and interrupted. I wish it was span out more. I do prefer Susan's comedies (Chicago Star series) and this book does not have it. But I really enjoy the book. I recommend anyone to read it if you not looking for comedies romance but instead to go deeper! I really don't know in what category this book would be. I think maybe general fiction might fit it. Or maybe contemporary romance?

And I'm looking forward to read more of Susan's series books. Last I heard, she is currently writing a brand new series!

3 comments:

Melody said...

Great review, Julia! I enjoyed reading your thoughts. I know how much you love her books, especially Chicago Star series. ;)

Alice said...

Hi Julia, this one sounds good. I've not read anything by this author. I may give it a try one day. :)

Julia said...

Hey Melody and Alice....it was a good book. But I know that Alice might want to try Susan's Chicago Star series. Since I think that would be the kind she like to read...or maybe not LOL...

Thanks both for posting :)