This book has obvious parallels with Daisy Jones and the Six and other similar novels but with this set in the 90s and 2000s this felt very authentic to me, a child and young adult of those times. I imagine this is pretty close to the truth of the manufactured pop of those decades and how artists were treated.

An insight into the toxic world of celebrity and fame of a young pop star. A really enjoyable read that shows fame and fortune is not all it's cracked up to be and how it affects those involved.

I found myself really wishing to come back and read this book every time I put it down. It had a Daisy Jones and the Six vibe and it was so honest and raw. Totally my vibe. And behind the celebrity glamour theme is a really talented writer in Isabel Banta.

I really enjoyed this, the story seems to have been based on a lot of the realities of being a young female popstar from the late 90s/early noughties era. I could see clearly at times where certain inspirations had been taken from (I'm looking at you, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in particular) and there was quite a bit of deja vu!

The writing does not go for the salacious tabloid angle which was so heavily prevalent at the time - I think the author gives a much more balanced, sensitive view while still not sugar coating situations and circumstances the characters encounter along the way. The female friendships are portrayed in a very believable way, even while the industry is pitching them against each other with the narrative of 'good girl' and 'bad girl' and we see how they try to navigate this behind the scenes while maintaining their media 'image'.

I found the characters believable and was rooting for Amber and Gwen throughout - there were a lot of nice touches and nods to things that seemed the norm at the time, for example the obsession with sex and whether or not popstars were virgins (anyone else remember the Jonas brothers and their purity rings?!)

By the time the story reaches the present day Amber is in her 40s so we're the same age group which is I think why I could relate to her story and empathise with her. This is more than just a frothy popstar story, highly recommended.

A gripping page turner and an eye opener into the pop culture of the 00s, albeit fictional but you can imagine much of it being reality.

How many times have we watched X-factor and wondered what happens behind the TV camera's, how someone plucked from obscurity makes it big. Banta, well and truly lifted the lid and even though it was fiction, her portrayal was most probably based on a Amber Young was one of those who dreamt of making it big ever since she was 12 and when she is beaten in a competition by fellow contestant Wes, the dream and drive becomes even bigger. But hey, Banta wasn't going to make it that easy for her, and its not until she is seventeen when she is co-opted into a manufactured girlband Cloud 9 that the dream starts to become reality. ot of fact. Its frantic, the girls pushed to their limits, but Banta still gave them time to for relationships, perhaps the most endearing and enduring with fellow bandmate Gwen. When they each go solo, become rivals, I liked that Banta maintained the relationship, sisters united against the constant touring, sharing experiences both good and bad.
And where would a good novel be without romance, but how do you have a romance when the whole world knows who you are, and what if that romance was with someone who was supposedly with someone else. This is where Banta excelled, she absolutely nailed the press and their ability to print the good and the bad, to vilify someone who in their minds had done a huge wrong. It didn't matter that Amber was barely in her twenties, that the mental aspects could and would affect her life.
Yet Banta forced Amber to reach deep down within herself, to re-evaluate, to turn the negative into a positive and fight back. The fight back was calm, and in the only way she knew how, with music. Would she win over the music critics the press, regain what she thought she had lost?
Irrespective of the outcome Banta, did what she set out to do. She gave us a glimpse into a world that built people up only to knock them down. That took advantage of youngsters desperate for fame, worked them hard, controlled every aspect of their lives, cared little for the after effects. Who survived depended on how strong they were, the people they surrounded themselves with.
am so glad Banta did not take the tried and tested route of drugs and alcohol, but concentrated on relationships, on the triumphs and the successes of her characters.

A fabulous debut and hopefuy soon to be an on screen drama??

An interesting read, at some points it hit the nail on the head and other times it missed just slightly. Great premise for a book and I found myself really intrigued by the characters.

My type of read to a tee.
Loved it and tho it by it gave an interesting take on the toxic world of fame

90s nostalgia at its finest and I couldn’t get enough! I had high hopes on this one and had my eye up on it so was over the moon to be able to have the chance to read it.

I was expecting a nostalgia t read from Honey and, don’t get me wrong, it totally delivered on that. However, Honey was actually far more than that.

An insight into the entertainment industry which felt so real. The shame on women, their bodies. A sensitive approach.

As somebody who adores pop culture, reading this was a no-brainer for me. However, I did not love it as much as I expected to. I think what let me down was how it was advertised as a Y2K Daisy Jones. Daisy jones is my all time favourite book, so my expectations were set really high and it just didn’t meet them.

However, there were some beautiful quotes in here that i was taking photos of on my phone and will go back to in the future, so it definitely made an impact.

This took me right back to the world of late 90s pop music.

Amber has the world at her feet. She’s a small town girl who is making it big. Her face is everywhere and you cannot turn on the radio without hearing her songs. But along with the fame comes a level of scrutiny and intrusion that she is not prepared for and knowing who is genuine becomes increasingly difficult

There is definitely some Britney Spears inspiration in Amber’s story: boy band boyfriend dramas, rival stars and Rolling Stone covers.

As her career progresses and she learns more about the music industry and the media, Amber is fighting to be taken seriously as an artist and break out her pop image.

There are some great moments in this book. Parts of the story are vivid and alive – you’ll want to check that the characters aren’t real. I didn’t always like Amber. She makes some really selfish decisions. Sometimes she is determined and hardworking, and others it almost seems like she isn’t quite sure what she is doing .

I liked the hidden gay relationships which rang true. And I did fly through this as it was very readable.

Thank you NetGalley for my gifted digital copy of Honey.

This took me right back to the 90s era with Britney/Christina vibes. I loved this insight into life behind the fame and really warmed to the friendship between Amber and Gwen who the press decide to pit against each other. I really loved this book much more that I thought I would. It was interesting reading about how the music industry warps people's views of young women in the limelight I can certainly see the truth in real life from this novel.

This was an interesting throwback to the 90s/00s pop era, with hugely poignant hints towards famous rivalries that hooked girls my age. I really enjoyed the characters and the way Amber developed. Sometimes the structure felt too jarring, and jumped between place or time with little detail, which was confusing and made it feel like things were left unfinished.

I really appreciated how Banta explores themes of resilience and self-discovery, making Honey’s journey relatable and compelling. The characters are well-developed, and their dynamics add depth to the narrative. However, I did feel that some plot points could have been fleshed out more, as there were moments where the pacing felt a bit uneven.

Banta's writing shines in its simplicity and sincerity, making it easy to connect with Honey’s journey. It’s not a fast-paced drama, but more of a gentle, reflective read that feels honest and relatable. Honey’s struggles are raw and real, and there’s something comforting about watching her navigate the ups and downs of her world.

If you’re in the mood for a slice-of-life story that feels like catching up with an old friend, this one’s a great pick.

Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my advanced copy in exchange for a review. It surprised me how much I enjoyed this book. Normally books based on people in the limelight overglamourise the life. This certainly did not do that.

Thank you for approving me to read this book. Unfortunately I don't think it was for me right now. I was excited to read it as it's set in a time when I was a young adult and so I know the time well. I thought the story was interesting and definitely spoke to how the media was at the time for young people, women especially, who were in the public eye but I just felt like I was held at too much of a distance from the characters and couldn't connect with it. I think I perhaps read this book at the wrong time for me so I would look out for more books by this author in the future.

Not what I expected - but in a good way. Was refreshing to have female friendship centred, and the writing style was surprising and compulsively readable. A little rushed character growth at the end, but a great ending so not complaining!

Being an 80’s baby I was excited to read this but again this book is one of them ones where you shouldn’t believe the hype!!!
The song lyrics really!!! It was all a bit cheesy and I found it quite slow paced. Took me longer than i actually wanted to spend on this to read!
The characters were boring and the storyline was a bit pretentious and dull!!

I was sold on this book as a Britney Spears meets Daisy Jones and the Six read. It was beautifully written and tackled some big themes, especially how (un)glamorous fame is, the power hungry individuals in the music business and how creativity can be compromised by them - and the cost of individual freedom when you’re thrown into the limelight. I enjoyed it, but the one thing missing for me was a bit more pace and unpredictability in the plot. Huge thanks to the author and publisher for this advance review copy. Views my own. 4*