Honey is a short & sweet story featuring a well-behaved tomboy, her true-blue best friend, a meddling 6-year-old, a rebellious grandfather, and a dog who just wants to find the girl he dreams about. I wish I could make a visit to Royal so I could see the Bee Hive in all its black & yellow glory!

Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. ( )

A sweet read, move at a fast past. It made have feeling for the main character Melody towards her dead mother. The ending was nicely done and sweet on how it came together. ( )

Melody lives with her serious but loving father. Her mother died when she was born. She notices that her father has been behaving strangely lately, and determines that he is secretly in love - something Melody has been hoping would happen for years. But who is the "honey" she overheard him talking to on the phone one day? She and her best friend Nick decide to investigate.
Bee-bee is a single woman who owns a hair salon in town, and her dog, Mo, she got from Meldoy's father when his wife died. Although Mo loves Bee-bee, he always dreams of a young girl being his perfect owner.
The story is sweet and well told, but a bit shallow and predictable. None of the characters have especially changed or learned anything at the end of the book. ( )

You know that song "You Are My Sunshine"? It's lyrics resemble the feeling of Honey - bittersweet and happy. It's also the song Melody has been hearing her father whistling along to for weeks. It's one of the few things that has been different about her father - the whistling, forgetting, and big goofy smile he has been having are concerning Melody. What do they mean?

Melody lost her mother young. When she's told by her going on seven neighbor Teeny that her own mother told her Melody doesn't have a mom; Melody is unfazed. It's always been a fact that Melody lost her mother. Although, when Teeny mentions how Henry has been bitten by the love bug Melody ears perk up. Henry? Her father has been bitten by the love bug? No wonder he's been acting strange. Who can it be? That question is a driving force for Melody in Honey. She strives to find who her father is in love with, with the help of her friend Nick. But, what happens when she finds her father is dating someone she flat out doesn't like? And these stirred up feelings inside her start welling up. What will happen when those feelings come to the surface?

Honey was a wonderful story. It's the third book I've listened to. I've got to say, it's much more appealing to listen to a short book than to a book that's 250 pages. The narrator, Rebecca Soler, really captured the story. I was able to enjoy the story fully even when she read the parts of anyone other than Melody. I haven't much experience with audio books. I do appreciate it when someone can read me a story and I can get lost in it easily. It's kind of strange saying that, but listening to books can be as interesting as reading them depending on the book and the narrator.

Melody deals with a lot in this book. There are times where her story really got to me and I begrudgingly was saying "How can you do this to me Weeks?" Honey can be really somber at moments. As a whole though I found the characters and setting to be eclectic from reading from the point of view of a dog to learning about a woman who owns the Beehive Salon to the investigation of Melody's fathers love interest. I enjoyed each and every part of it. I loved how everything and everyone connected together. Melody was a wonderful protagonist to follow around. It was really fun to get inside the head of the French Bulldog named Mo too. There were great secondary characters that really had me guessing who could Henry be dating. Needless to say, I had a difficult time trying to figure out who Henry's love interest was which was good. I don't like too much predictability in my books even if it a children's book.

The heart that Melody and her story exuded had me enjoying Honey from beginning to end. Honey's main thing that grabbed me was the heart in it's book. This would be an awesome first audio book listen. ( )

Melody's mother died when she was born, and her father doesn't talk about her. Melody says she doesn't miss her mother, and she'd like her father to remarry - it worked out well for her friend Nick Woo - but when she hears him call someone on the phone "Honey," and when her annoying next-door neighbor Teeny repeats gossip from local beauty salon the Bee Hive about Henry getting bitten by the "looooove bug," she's determined to find out who it is. And when she solves the mystery (or thinks she does), she's dismayed.

Honey is narrated in the third person from three perspectives: mainly Melody's, but also Bee Bee (who runs the Bee Hive), and Mo, Bee's aging dog. This is somewhat unusual for a middle grade book but it works well - readers can guess how the characters are connected. A sweet story with a happy ending, and important roles for best friends, next door neighbors, teachers, and a grandparent. ( )