Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Sweet as Honey
SERIES: Aster Valley Book 2
AUTHOR: Lucy Lennox
NARRATOR: Michael Dean
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 9 hours and 24 minutes
RELEASE DATE: April 6, 2021
BLURB:
When I rode my bike into Aster Valley, it was supposed to be temporary. A quick, relaxing visit with friends. No entanglements. Zero drama.
But then I saw the bumblebee being harassed on the side of the highway.
More specifically, I saw Truman Sweet, Aster Valley’s resident botanist, spice merchant, and bee-costume enthusiast, being harassed. And the second I got involved, all my plans for a quick departure scattered like pollen on the breeze.
It turns out that Truman—adorably shy, relentlessly sunshiny, hot as all heck, reluctantly-still-a-virgin Truman—has secrets. Secrets someone in this charming small town doesn’t want brought to light. Secrets that rouse every one of my protective instincts just as surely as his kisses rouse… other parts of me.
And before I know it, I’m thinking being entangled might not be so bad… if it’s Truman I’m tangled up with.
I’ll do whatever it takes to protect Truman from the dangers in his past, but after a lifetime of loneliness and disappointment, how can I possibly convince him to trust me with his future?
REVIEW:
With Sweet as Honey, we return to the picturesque world of Aster Valley, Colorado, a small, snow-covered valley town with twinkling lights in windows and soaring, snow-capped Rocky Mountain peaks in the distance, reflecting the warm glow of sunsets off the snow. But things are far from picture-perfect in Aster Valley. The town is down-on-its-luck ever since a freak ski slope accident caused the shutdown of the ski resort. Truman Sweet, the owner of The Honeyed Lemon spice shop in the heart of town, has borne the brunt of the anger from the townspeople, and in particular, one family (two brothers and their father, who happens to be the Sheriff) who have bullied and harrassed (and on occasion physically abused) poor, adorable sweet Truman. Truman refuses to be run out of town despite the danger. He is stubborn in all the best ways, and his indefatigable spirit is beyond endearing.
Sam Rigby, BFF of Mikey Vining from Book 1, Right as Raine, rides into town on his motorcycle to visit with Mikey and Tiller. The first thing he encounters is Truman, dressed in a bumblebee costume, being chased by one of the bullies. Sam stops to help and drives away the bully. But if you think this story is going to be a Sam Rigby, the knight in shining armor, here to rescue poor Truman story, you are in for a surprise because that is not how it pans out at all. Watching these two opposites attract each other and then personally grow and stretch themselves to accommodate the other’s needs is a beautiful thing. Plus, like any Lucy Lennox book, it is ridiculously well-written, there’s exceptional world-building and character development, and of course plenty of romance and sexy scenes.
As much as I love Sam and Truman together – and have no doubt, I adore them – the bromance between Sam, Mikey, and Tiller is a thing to behold. It gives you warm fuzzies. And then how they embrace Truman, who has been alone and lonely, into their fold, oh my heart. The found family aspect of this book is prominent and really well done. This book has a bit of a whodunit mystery to it which is a bit different from other Lucy Lennox stories and I have to say, I really liked the change of pace.
Michael Dean narrates this audiobook and his vocal performance explores the nuances of Truman and Sam’s characters through the textures of the voices he gives them. Truman and Sam’s voices sound very similar to Mikey and Tiller’s from Right as Raine. As such, listening to these two books back-to-back would result in a lack of distinction between the characters … at least that’s what you’d think would happen. But in Mr. Dean’s inimitable way, he creates voices for Truman and Sam that are uniquely theirs and altogether different from Mikey and Tiller despite their similarities.
Mr. Dean gives Truman a soft voice that is slightly tremulous reflecting his anxiety and fear of repercussions from the men physically intimidating and harassing him. Yet his defiant attitude and unflagging spirit come through in the underlying strength in his voice. In contrast, Mr. Dean gives Sam a deep, grumbly voice with some roughness to it. When he speaks, you hear a low growl that alternately sounds annoyed or angry, but is representative of his protective nature and fierce determination to stand up for his friends, loved ones, and anyone in need. In both voices, the emotion comes through loud and clear. Mr. Dean’s pacing, intonation, and emphasis are, as usual, on point.
Sweet as Honey is yet another sterling entry in the library of Lucy Lennox titles. I recommend the Aster Valley series (Right as Raine is also amazing), but you can read this as a standalone if you so choose. Either way, make sure you grab the audiobook and experience Mr. Dean’s immersive vocal performance.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
[…] Read More » […]