Book Club Blog: Honey on My Lips

I finished reading Honey on my Lips late last night, and as I sit here thinking of how best to describe it, I still feel a happy and sappy sigh fill my heart. This book is satisfying.

Honey on My Lips starts out with four quick chapters covering main character, Dania, at a specific moment in her life. She is the lead singer of a hit country music band, Wench. In these four quick chapters, we see her intimate life with the band guitar player, Lance, see them marry, see the band win a grammy, then see Dania's drunken suicide attempt after Lance's death in a drunk driving accident.

The writing in these four chapters contains long sentences with dropped articles, and somehow, the style adds to the somewhat out of control, frantic feeling that was the pace of Dania's life at that time. Wench's rise is meteoric, and her love affair with Lance is epic. A lot happens for them fast. Chapter five takes place 3 years later. Dania is now going by Dani, she is living in the tiny Okanagan town of Oyama, BC in the basement suite of her sister's family house, and when we see her next, she is wearing a red bikini lying on a beach towel at the lake.

Everything about Dani's life has changed. She is sober. She is chill. She is working as a music teacher. And she is no longer singing. Music was tied to Lance, and she misses him every day. It's just easier not to go there again. For Dani, though, that is changing. She's been asked to perform at a fundraiser for a child with cancer, and she has said yes. Within a few short days, she and her guitar will be back on a stage, and as she relaxes in the sun, her mind is worrying over this situation. Maybe that is why she reacts so harshly when Brandon, who is also out enjoying the lake, accidentally soaks her with a splash from his kayak paddle.

He's seen her, and he likes what he sees. He'd like to see more. Because it's a small town, he's about to get his wish. What he doesn't realize, though, is just how complex Dani's life really is. I mean, Brandon has some baggage from his past -- who doesn't -- but Dania's baggage comes with a capital B. She's dealing with addiction, she has a stalker, and is she even really over her husband?

She's not. That is one thing Dani knows for sure. Lance was the love of her life, and she'll never not love him. She's starting to realize, though, that she's still alive. She didn't die, and she needs to figure out what it means to really live without Lance. Before she can move forward, though, she needs to tie up some of her past. Only then will she be able to choose the future life that is her best fit.

This is a book about forgiveness, about transformation, about doing the work to beat addiction. It is about healing, and it is also about some of the aspects of fame that are negative, and deciding if the price to be paid is too high. Also, this book made me cry and made me smile, and ultimately left me feeling all gooey and satisfied inside. I loved Dania with Lance. I loved Dani with Brandon, too.

I also enjoyed the writing style. This book is more experimental. It begins with a sex scene -- which breaks conventions -- it involves two different loves -- which also breaks conventions. I also really felt like some of the lines were just beautiful. There were double entendres in spots, and language choices that made my little writer's heart sit up and smile. I mean, hopefully you won't even notice as a reader since the goal is to keep you focused on the story not on the execution of the writing. But as the writer? There were a few moments where I was thinking, dang, I wrote that?? Not a bad feeling, for sure.

I wanted to explore the idea of addiction with this book, and I'm thrilled with how that turned out. Because, addiction is more than just consumption. It's about what's behind the choices. It's about motivation and method to maintain sobriety. It's about getting real and staying that way and surrounding yourself with community to help. Dania's story is about all of this and more.

So, I highly recommend this book. I loved reading it, and I'm sure you will too!