Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for access to this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Honeysuckle and bone is in my opinion a solid mystery/ thriller book. If there is one thing done right, it was the suspense that gripped me in. We follow our main character Carina who has moved from the US to babysit children for a wealthy family in Jamaica. Carina has a past that begins to catch up to her with all the strange things happening at the house. This is a mystery that combines with paranormal aspects to keep you guessing alongside Carina.

To start with the things I particularly liked about this book:
- The suspense and tension truly had me for the entire book, there was never a moment where I felt the stakes were too low. I was definitely intrigued and wanting to know what would be revealed.
- often times, main characters in mysteries can act… foolish (which is of course subjective) but I felt like Carina was a more rational character or at least had a more sensible thought process to what her next steps were which I found refreshing. (That’s not to say she didn’t have her moments but I feel like anyone of us in her situation would have our brain scrambled trying to be logical so I feel like it really works for her)
- I adore friendships in books and I loved seeing the dynamics of each of the young birds together. Ora and Simone in particular I really enjoyed reading about and seeing how they were fleshed out.

Naturally, with this book being a mystery, there were plenty of reveals with a key one being what Carina had experienced back home. In reveals like these there are two ways they can turn out. The reveal can either be disappointing and inconsequential or turn out to be something surprising to the reader making it a very well planned reveal. (This of course can be subjective) From all the great suspense this book was giving me, I was expecting something so extreme to have happened and while in some ways it makes sense for Carina’s character to be so distraught over it, I was expecting very much worse and so the reveal fell a little flat for me. I will say that I was happy with how the reveal was presented and told to us.

Now our big ending reveal of who was the big bad in the story was much more of a surprise to me. In hindsight maybe I should have seen it coming from previous clues that Carina found but for me it came out of left field and it came fast. I thought the twists that came after the reveal of Carina’s past were more of an interesting reveal, particularly the one with Simone.

I would definitely recommend this book to someone who enjoys paranormal mysteries and I thought it was very interesting to see how ghosts are viewed in this cultural context.

I did not get the opportunity to finish this book but from what I did read i thoroughly enjoyed it and will be purchasing it so I can finish it!! Thank you for the opportunity for this arc read!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

This was ann intriguing YA read that combines mystery, suspense, and self-discovery, all set against the vibrant backdrop of Jamaica. It’s a story about secrets…the ones we try to bury and the ones that refuse to stay hidden.

The story follows Carina, an 18 year old leaving her troubled past in New York to work as an au pair for the wealthy Hall family. Blackbead House, their luxurious home, promises a fresh start, but Carina quickly realises something is very wrong. Whispers, warnings, and an unsettling atmosphere make it clear the family has skeletons in their closet, ones tied to their mysterious past. As Carina digs deeper, what she uncovers is nothing like she imagined.

Carina’s messy and flawed personality made her feel so real. She doesn’t always make the best choices, but her growth by the end had me rooting for her. I also loved the dynamic with Ora, Simone, and Josh, the other youngworkers at Blackbead House. Their group chats and banter added humor and heart, balancing out the heavier themes.

The twists kept me guessing, and the way Jamaican culture and folklore were woven into the story made it feel authentic and immersive. While the pacing dipped in places, the suspense and mystery more than made up for it.

If you love YA stories with flawed characters, unsettling atmospheres, and gripping secrets, I’d definitely recommend Honeysuckle and Bone. It’s an enjoyable and thought provoking read.

I’m sorry to say that I just couldn’t get into this book. I found the plotline too bizarre and unrealistic which felt jarring. Apologies for not being able to give this book a higher rating.

There were so many amazing moments in this book that mixed together to create a great story with intense family dynamics and surprising twists and turns.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed the gothic elements of this story (mysterious house and family, haunting secrets) and the setting. The plot really pulled me in and I ended up devouring this book! I would have loved to hear more of the Jamaican lore, but overall this was a great book if you love mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

Lovely story with a Jamaican backdrop. I would have preferred a little bit more depth in this novel but overall was an ok read.

I did moderately enjoy this book but it wasn't an easy read for me. I was intrigued by the idea of a Jamaican ghost story, but to be honest I did struggle through this one a bit. I think it would have helped if I was more familiar with Jamaican lore and culture, as there were quite a few references to Jamaican words or phrases that I wasn't familiar with and my kindle wasn't able to provide any more information on. The words being written to show the Jamaican accents was a bit hard to follow for me (I have the same problem getting through Outlander and similar, my brain just wants the actual words, I guess?) That being said, I did enjoy the characters and storyline and I do love a FMC with skeletons in her closet. This one took me a while with the writing style but I did enjoy the story. I had to take breaks and read comfort books in between portions of this one. I'd give it 3.5 stars, I'll round up to 4 for the rating here.

Really enjoyed this book, the characters were great and the small elements of their back stories coming out slowly and giving just enough without pulling away from the main story, which was great. So many twists, turns and I did not see the ending coming at all! Was unique and exciting throughout.

It took me a few chapters to get into this one, but I chose to power through as I was interested in the Jamaican folklore and vibrant setting, and I’m glad I did. It’s a story of finding yourself alongside finding skeletons in the closet. Our main character Carina is messy and imperfect, but she was easy to root for and resonate with in the end. She’s a young adult trying to find herself whilst not knowing who she is or how to navigate an adult world. It was fun to read about her getting to know and settle in with the other young staff, and I enjoyed her and Aaron teaming up to solve the mystery of their ghost.

To me, this feels more like a paranormal thriller than a true young adult horror, but I imagine it’ll be a good fit for readers looking for a ghost story with spooky overtones, but overall isn’t too creepy or scary. I also felt a little let down by the final plot twist—I had to suspend my disbelief more than I wanted to and it felt like there was an unbelievable amount of coincidences in the plot for it to be truly believable.

I did enjoy this book and liked the Jamaican setting and the main character. I just felt that it lacked a little depth, the worldbuilding lacked something. Overall though a decent gothic style novel set in contemporary times.

Thank you to both Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read this book

I noticed this beautiful cover on a leaflet that I picked up at YALC. I'll be honest, at the time, I didn't have a clue what I was picking up - I saw a leaflet with a cool-ass design on and in my rush I figured that if I grab the leaflet, I could look into the book later on when things calmed down. Imagine my surprise when it was a QR code to access the E-ARC of this book.

My interest was further piqued when I realised this was a Jamaican ghost story - it's already such a unique premise compared to other books on the market at the minute.

I like that the main character is only 18. She's legally an adult with no idea how to approach the adult world. She's trying to find herself, whilst not knowing who she is. This is a story of finding yourself... whilst uncovering quite literal skeletons in the closet.

I definitely recommend this one, and I can't wait for it to come out so the physical copy can join my personal library.

2.5 stars

Let me start this review by saying that this is not a bad book. It just wasn't for me. I expected a YA horror story, but the book is more a paranormal thriller. It had some spooky undertones, but it wasn't creepy at all. I was also dissappointed when they revealed what happened to Joy, and I thought the book did not handle the end well (it felt unnatural to me). However, this book could be a good fit for people looking for a gothic ghost story that isn't too scary.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love gothic and horror stories and this one surely does not disappoint. I love how it is set in our times, instead of some distant past. The writing is beautifully done and the story got me guessing till the very end.

Honeysuckle and Bone by Trisha Tobias was such a great experience of a book. What a story!!!! I rated this book 5 stars because I loved the experience of reading it.

On the run from her own dark secrets, a teen girl becomes the nanny for a prestigious family on their extravagant Jamaican estate. But things aren't quite as they seem, and she quickly discovers that even paradise may be haunted.

I was drawn to this book by its concept and was immediately hooked from the first chapter; it does a great job at enticing you and making you want to read on to find out what our main character is hiding but also follow her on his journey to uncover the secrets the Hall family is hiding. Honeysuckle and Bone has a great balance of thrill and suspense but also contains flawed multi-dimensional characters that allow them space to self-reflect and grow.

This book teaches you a lot about owning up to your mistakes, not running from the past and putting that effort into moving forward and building a future.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read an early version of this. I was gripped throughout my entire read.

I've been struggling with my last few reads, so this has been a breath of fresh air. I'm a sucker for ghost stories where an outsider arrives in an old place that is haunted, and has to figure out who the ghost is and what skeletons are hiding in the closet (literally). And this is that, with a healthy dose of family drama, some teenage drama (and trauma) and all that in a Jamaican setting. Lots of mystery, friendship, Jamaican patois language, maybe even romance?!

I initially thought that the reveal of Carina's "crime" was underwhelming, but now I feel like that was part of the point. She's just a teenage girl, and there's bigger monsters here. I also wanted there to be something romantic between Carina and Dante, but I guess that didn't work out, huh?

I liked that Carina struggles with her identity - she's Jamaican, but she's never been to Jamaica, and in the past she'd clung to stereotypes to feel connected to her culture, which was interesting.

Overall an interesting read, the mystery and the characters were both very intriguing, and the setting/atmosphere also.

Ooooh the vibes of this were excellent. Adored the way this built up really slowly, leaves you feeling tense and on edge.

Love the combination of Jamaican culture, finding your place in the world AND a ghost story.

Not sure I was wholly sold on the plot twists but a gripping read with lots of fun and interesting elements!

Overall a great book, great characters and an enjoyable read!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC