For a debut novel this was quite intriguing. Carina the FMC has gone to Jamaica but not as herself. She poses as a nanny for a wealthy family and as we can imagine secrets come out and ghost are afoot. I loved how the story read very mysterious. It lead me to think more secrets where being hidden then their actually was. I quite enjoyed Carina because I felt she could resonate with girls in real life very well. Idk that many would run away to Jamaica but hey a girl can dream.

Honeysuckle and Bone by Trisha Tobias is a must-read! If you enjoy a good dramatic YA mystery, this book is for you! It has an FMC that you will find nerve-wracking immediately! There's a weird family, impending drama at every event, and certain demise. But that's not all! There's also lurking danger, crazy adventures, jaw-dropping discoveries, a major scandal, and a budding, somewhat forbidden, romance. I was clutching my imaginary pearls reading the last 100 pages. I don't typically read YA novels and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I highly recommend it. Go get it!
#HoneysuckleAndBone #NetGalley

3.75 ⭐️

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Intrigue: 7
Narrative: 8
Build-up: 7
Originality: 8
Wow Factor: 7

I truly enjoyed Honeysuckle and Bone! In this atmospheric YA novel, Carina Marshall escapes to Jamaica for a fresh start as a nanny to the Hall family, but soon discovers that Blackbead House—and the people in it—harbor chilling secrets. As mysterious occurrences threaten her new life, Carina must uncover what’s haunting her before it’s too late.

This book was a fun mix of thriller, horror, romance, and mystery. I appreciated how interconnected the story felt and loved that all my questions were answered by the end. The narrative was unique and well thought out, weaving key horror tropes into a fresh and engaging plot. While parts of it felt a little slow, the story was crafted in a way that kept me hooked until the very last page.

Thanks to the author and Hear Our Voices Tours for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Check out my IG (@blackgirlbujos) for a cover recreation inspired by the novel.

Some of my favorite quotes:
"Not everything that have sugar sweet."
"Shame should be a moment I pass through, not a home that I live in."

Now listen… horror isn’t my thing, but I’m trying. The cover grabbed my attention, and the synopsis was mysterious. With that being said, this read more like a paranormal thriller novel… and I’m not mad at that.

I’m not familiar with Jamaican mythology or lore, but this has definitely intrigued me, and I want to learn more. Carina is an 18-year-old who is trying to figure out life. She’s a bit messy, but I mean, she’s eighteen. No one has life figured out at that age. Fleeing a bad situation, life gets real for Carina as her past comes back to haunt her. With Aaron’s help, Carina has to figure out what is happening in this house before it’s too late.

The pacing wasn’t great, and it took some time to get into this story; however, once the story picked up, it was hard to put down. The characters were well-developed, and there was an interesting plot twist. There were moments of wondering how I felt about Carina. She makes some questionable decisions but also shows growth as the story goes along. I also loved that you saw the growth of the secondary characters, and they all had chemistry. I was a fan of Aaron and Carina. There was a bit of a triangle, but that was handled pretty well.

Tobias does an amazing job of immersing the readers in an immersive setting in Jamaica. As someone who has never been there, she had me ready to book a flight. I loved how she tackled the colonial impact on Jamaica. Since this is Tobias’s debut novel, some things could be improved upon. However, she does a phenomenal job of being authentic and handling such human emotions. This story has a high “re-readable” factor for me.

The mystery, the mystery!

This one for sure is a page turner! I am horrible at trying to figure out the mystery but I tried lol and failed.

Carina traveled from New York to Jamaica to work as a nanny for a well known family. While working for the family she is starting to uncover secrets while keeping a secret of her own. Her guilt, however, tries to get the best of her. She will discover that her new friends may be able to help with the guilt and a little more.

Even though this is a thriller, it still made me want to start planning another trip to Jamaica.

Thank you to my tour group and publishers for this ARC! The book is already out but this was super fun and had the perfect amount of suspense and humor to keep my interested.

Twisty and eerie. I love how atmospheric this setting was and the audiobook narrator kept me glued to my seat and my attention at a 10! Is this a debut? This was great either way.

Unfortunately, I DNFed this book at 20% in. The setting's description were beautiful but the setup for the plot was a little slow and I could not get past the way the teens talked and texted. They used what I assume are authentic Jamaican phrases and slang, but all the improper grammar and words I didn't know in the dialogue and text messages bothered me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

This book caught my attention when I saw it tagged as an atmospheric, Gothic horror. Throw in the Jamaica setting and I knew it was one I needed to read.

Unbeknownst to Carina's parents, she has headed to Jamaica for the summer to work as a temporary au-pair for the Hall family, a prominent family tied up in Jamaican politics. Carina is running from her past and obtained the job under fraudulent circumstances, but she quickly falls into routine and makes friends with the other young individuals employed by the Halls. However, nothing can explain the mysterious things happening at the Hall residence. Carina is haunted by a duppy whom she believes is trying to kill her. But is the duppy someone from the past Carina is clearly running from, or someone completely different trying to send Carina a message?

First of all, let me say I found it totally fascinating learning more about Jamaican folklore and traditions. I had no idea what a duppy is (fyi - it's a word of African origin for a ghost or spirit and in Jamaica, often in the form of something which howls through the night). While this was a YA book, it read a bit older to me but if you pick it up, still prepare yourself for some usual teenage angst. However, that didn't take away from the mysterious horror which we all know was what I really signed up for. I ending did provide me with a twist and even though I think it took a heck of a coincidence for it to happen, it was still quite entertaining.

If you are looking for a book featuring something different, then consider picking this one up. I love horror of all kinds, and this was a great atmospheric read.

I kept putting this book down and coming back to it, just to put it down again. I never could really get into the story. I was so excited based on the description but it just wasn't drawing me in unfortunately. Ultimately now I have decided just to DNF it.

Definitely a great coming of age story and figuring out who you want to be. It’s also filled with a ghost story that leads to the big secret. The setting is lush and gorgeous.

Spice: Mild
My Review:
This book has the best opening chapter I have ever read, and I’ve read a lot of books! It perfectly set the tone and mood for everything that followed. The atmosphere of the book was deliciously creepy and I loved how relentlessly the twists kept coming. Carina is a very unreliable narrator and the reader is kept in the dark on a lot of her secrets until late in the book. She was also what I guess you could call a “morally grey” character, but honestly she just felt very human. She made some choices that had very complex repercussions and there wasn’t really a right way forward. While I did find the ending a bit rushed and wish we had more time to process the fallout, the emotional side was very realistic and I could really connect with Carina’s growth. Personally with mysteries I don’t enjoy when the supernatural elements interfere with the plot as it causes me to have to suspend my belief, but I still liked how the Jamaican folklore was worked in! Overall, very impressive storytelling and as this is the author’s debut I already can’t wait to see what she puts out next. Happy Reading 😊

Thank you to @netgalley and @misstrishatobias for providing me with an eARC!

This is an all around amazing book. I love how the bits and pieces of the protagonists life and why she is in Jamaica are revealed. I love the relationships and the setting. I fully felt this book in my soul.
The ending was wonderful!

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025, and I'm so lucky that I got to read an early copy of this story. Also, that cover is stunning and it helps to set the tone of the book in a great way. This was such an interesting look into a society that I don't know much about--Jamaican social classes, wealth and privilege. I was enthralled by the look into a society in which I don't reside, and I loved the story that developed through that. The folklore woven in, the setting and the characters were all really well realized and made for a compelling story. This was a great book, with an interesting plot but also filled with important commentary and discussion. I really loved this, and I cannot wait for more from this author. One of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it was a hit! I can't wait to get our physical copies in at the branch.

Carina is on her own and in a country her mother has forbidden her to go. However, she is running away from the recent events of her life and feels the need to start over in a place she can be someone else.

Without too many spoilers, we quickly learn Carina has swapped places with her friend Joy as an Au Pair to a prestigious family. We also learn Joy's family came from money where Carina's was more on the level of lower middle-class. At first we don't know how or why she has swapped places, we just know something has happened at home and Carina may or may not deserve the hate she is receiving online.

Once in Jamaica, she tries to make a fresh start with the group of young people on the estate, but some are suspicious that she rarely talks about herself but seems to be curious about others. She also starts to have feelings for one of the guys, but in her mind he is off limits since her new friend, Ora, has a crush on him already.

The mystery arises as Carina feels followed by a ghost, or as the book calls it, a duppy. She feels as though she is burning at times, and there is writing on her mirror and other unexplainable events. I was continuously curious how the events would play out and I consumed this book in about 2 days.

For a while, I was a bit frustrated with the main character and the way she acted. However, I did have to remind myself, Carina is about 17 years old and going through some incredibly tough things. Overall, I was pleased with this book, and found it to be a good, semi-paranormal sort of drama. I am not certain I put this into gothic or horror but to each their own, I suppose.

On the run from her own dark secrets a girl becomes a nanny for a prestigious family on Jamaican estate only to find that this place may have its own dark secrets. Carina Marshall is running from her past, she's trying to start over and what better way to do so than to get a new job where no one knows her. She gets a job as a nanny for a rich family at Blackbead House, a gorgeous tropical estate filled with glamorous parties, wealthy people, and a great escape for her. When Carina arrives she joins her fellow junior staff members known as Young Birds and keeps herself busy. But as tension in the household begins to grow and Carina begins to fall for a fellow coworker... she begins to realize that someone is after her and that she has to figure out who is trying to haunt her and how she can stop it before she is kicked out. This story was definitely interesting, it had a unique setting and the overall mystery had a gothic vibe to it. My only issue was that I didn't exactly vibe with the writing style and didn't find myself as sucked into the story as I had wished. I really thought I would have enjoyed this more but it just was hard to get into and I found myself constantly just disassociating with the story. While this one didn't hit the mark for me I do think that other gothic mystery readers will have a fun time reading this and would recommend it!

Release Date: January 14,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Zando | Sweet July Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Honeysuckle and Bone was a delightful read. A nuanced peek inside the lives of the Jamaican privleged and social classes. I enjoyed the Jamaican folklore and the twist at the end was chef's kiss! I highly recommend.

Trisha Tobias’s Honeysuckle and Bone is a spellbinding young adult novel that masterfully weaves together suspense, self-discovery, and the allure of the unknown. Set against the lush backdrop of a sprawling Jamaican estate, this atmospheric tale follows Carina Marshall as she attempts to escape her troubled past, only to find herself entangled in a web of secrets that threaten to consume her.

Carina is an imperfect yet deeply compelling protagonist whose journey is as much about confronting her inner demons as it is about unraveling the eerie mysteries of Blackbead House. Tobias paints her struggles with nuance, making Carina relatable even as she navigates her self-imposed exile and the repercussions of her past mistakes. Her position as a nanny to the prestigious Hall family offers both opportunity and peril, drawing her into a seemingly idyllic world that is anything but.

The setting is vividly rendered, with Tobias’s evocative prose bringing Jamaica’s beauty—and its darker undercurrents—to life. From the intoxicating scent of mango trees to the ominous whispers of a haunted estate, the novel immerses readers in a world that is equal parts paradise and prison. The Young Birds, Carina’s fellow staff members, add layers of camaraderie and tension, while the enigmatic Aaron introduces a romantic thread that feels organic to the story.

As the plot thickens, Honeysuckle and Bone transitions seamlessly from a tale of reinvention to a gripping mystery with supernatural undertones. The suspense builds steadily, with the unexplained occurrences at Blackbead House becoming increasingly sinister. Is Carina truly being haunted, or are these manifestations of her guilt and fear? Tobias keeps readers guessing until the very end, delivering twists that feel both surprising and earned.

Beyond the thrills, the novel delves into themes of identity, privilege, and the weight of one’s past. It challenges the notion that a fresh start can erase old wounds, reminding readers that healing often requires confronting what we wish to leave behind.

Eerie and evocative, Honeysuckle and Bone is a standout YA novel that deftly balances intrigue, atmosphere, and character growth. With its lush setting, complex protagonist, and chilling twists, it’s a hauntingly beautiful tale that lingers long after the final page. Fans of gothic suspense and coming-of-age stories will find much to love in Tobias’s remarkable debut.

A delicious slow burn, a unique ghost story, a bevy of Jamaican heritage and influence. This book is so so so good.