Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters is an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers contemporary romance about finding hope and second chances.
Stella Carter is a former Assistant District Attorney and new widow facing middle age alone in Los Angeles. She’s so deeply embedded in grief and despair that she doesn’t know who she is anymore. She’s no longer a practicing attorney or someone’s wife, so who is she?
When she invites her niece, Addie to come and live with her, she accidentally reconnects with a former colleague, LAPD Captain Elizabeth Murphy, with whom she had a rather contentious relationship.
Stella soon finds herself leaning on both her niece and Elizabeth more and more as she navigates her new normal. As time goes on, her feelings for Elizabeth make their way to the surface, but she won’t act on them because there’s absolutely no way Elizabeth could possibly feel the same. Or could she?
Writing
Emily Waters has knocked it out of the park with her debut novel! I was hooked from the first chapter and was unable to walk away.I needed to know how it was going to turn out for our main characters. The story is told in the present tense which I found to be a really interesting choice. I usually find that present tense writing isn’t as reader-friendly, but with Honey in the Marrow, I was easily able to follow along and was totally engaged.
Stella, Elizabeth, and Addie are amazing women who I quickly fell in love with. Each of them has a well-developed backstory that plays a part in their beliefs and actions. All three women’s character arcs are not only profound but one hundred percent believable. The dialogue is witty and charming and the descriptive details are plenty.
Emily Waters writes with so much heart and her love for these characters and their journey is apparent. The sensitivity and compassion she uses in dealing with Stella’s grief and Elizabeth and Addy’s support are very much appreciated.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
When we meet Stella Carter, it’s been three months since her husband was gunned down in his own police department and she’s in a really bad place. She sleeps all the time, doesn’t bathe, clean, or grocery shop. She’s cut herself off from every one. Fortunately, Stella invites her niece, Addie to move in with her. Stella who’s unappologetically stubborn and obstinate, begins to come out of her depression with the help of not only Addie but her former colleague, Elizabeth Murphy. At first, Stella is less than thrilled with the continued appearances by Elizabeth but Elizabeth is just so endearing that Stella finds herself succumbing to a tentative friendship. Stella most certainly doesn’t make it easy on them, but Addie and Elizabeth are persistent and slowly Stella begins to redefine who she is.
Emily Waters has knocked it out of the park with her debut novel! I could not put it down and read it in less than a day because I needed to know how it was going to turn out for our main characters. Stella, Elizabeth, and Addie are amazing women who I quickly fell in love with. Being a part of their lives was so special.
This book is so very different from any other book about the loss of a spouse/partner I’ve read before. While Stella is drowning in grief and depression so deep she can hardly see a way out, there is this underlying ray of hope and light that I haven’t come across before. There isn’t any unnecessary drama or angst, just a lot of growth and development for our characters. Also, the little bits of sarcasm and humor really added levity to the overall narrative.
Normally when a book is a slow burn I’m ready to come out of my skin, stopping just short of yelling at the mains, telling them to get themselves together and get on with it. Not with this book. The pacing was absolutely perfect and left nothing to be desired. The smile on my face when Stella and Elizabeth finally let themselves be vulnerable could have eclipsed the sun!
Narration
I adore this book and have read it multiple times since its release, so I was super excited when the audio came out! Anastasia Watley’s performance is as fantastic as I knew it would be. She beautifully brought Emily Waters’s characters to life and I was swept into the story and was unable to stop listening. Even though the main characters’ voices have similar qualities it’s always easy to differentiate between them.
What Watley does so well is infuse so much heart and emotion into her narration. This story is deep with little elements of humor and sarcasm which Watley perfectly executes and I absolutely adore it when I can hear the smile in her voice.
This is a wonderful listen which is will return to again and again.
Heads Up
This book deals with the grief and depression that goes along with the loss of a spouse/partner and could be a trigger for some readers.
The Conclusion
Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters is one of my favorite books of all time. It’s a fast-moving enemies-to-friends-to-lovers contemporary romance with wonderful main characters who would do anything for one another. It’s about rebirth and rebuilding life after a devastating loss. It’s also about moving forward but never forgetting the past, letting others in, and becoming comfortable being vulnerable. I can’t say enough good things about this book. Ms. Waters is an author whose future books will be preordered sight unseen and devoured with the enthusiasm of a smiling toddler. Well done Emily Waters! I can wait to see what you do next!
Excerpt from Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters
Heat crawls up the back of Stella’s neck as she looks back at her niece.
”Addison, what did you do?” Her voice is a furious hiss.
Addie shakes her head, says, “It’s…it’s a cop bar.”
Stella wants to slink off the stool and slither out the back door, but it’s too late. Captain Elizabeth Murphy is already walking toward her in a black pencil skirt, pale peach silk blouse, and black heels, a purse hanging off her shoulder. Her shoulder-length auburn hair is brushed back behind her ears.
Stella hasn’t seen her since the funeral, and before that, not since Stella took a promotion and left Captain Murphy’s homicide squad. But she remembers her clearly enough. Elizabeth, even out of full uniform, is hard to forget. With her high cheekbones and striking green eyes, she looks like a young Greer Garson, despite being ten years older than Stella.
At the funeral, Elizabeth placed her hand on Stella’s arm, told her she was sorry for her loss, for the loss to the force. And then Lieutenant Sam Warren led her away.
Elizabeth stops at the bar where Addie is watching her and says, “You didn’t tell her I was coming?”
“I thought… I… She wasn’t going to—”
“Addie!” someone calls from across the bar.
“Sorry,” she says and dashes away.
“Well,” Elizabeth says, looking at Stella, “how are you doing?”
“I…” Panic washes over her. “I have to go.”
She grabs her coat and heads for the door, abandoning her nachos and the rest of her wine.
“Wait a minute,” Elizabeth calls out, but Stella is already pushing through the door and out into the chilly night air. By the time she gets back to the SUV, she’s feeling light-headed.
The inside still smells like Ron, and she starts to cry again.
Get It Online
When you use the links in this review and buy within 24 hours of clicking then we get a small commission that helps us run the site and it costs you nothing extra
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9783963247255
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
If you enjoyed Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters then you should also look at
Note: I received a free review copy of Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site
