Lime Juice Money is a story about a woman and her father and how they each develop a deep connection and love for the jungle of Belize. The story takes you through their experiences in life and in the jungle while exploring some heavy themes and highlights the complexities of relationships.

Laelia travels to Belize with her kids and her boyfriend to surprise her dad for his birthday. Her father falls ill at the party and slips into a coma. Amid her life at home in London hanging on by a pinky toenail, she decides to stay in Belize on her father’s land and be there for dear old dad in the event that he awakens or fairs worse. What unfolds next takes place between the present day life of Laelia living in the jungle with her kids and her boyfriend and her dad’s life in the past in his early days in Belize.

There was quite a bit of build-up as the book progressed. I found myself anxious to get to the climax and find some answers. Was Laelia really forgetting/ hearing things? What was causing the sudden shift in Aid’s behavior? Why did he keep calling her crazy? When would the past chapters and the current chapters collide? What was going to happen to dad? Did dad know Aid forreal? And what is lavender feels? When things finally come to a head, the climax and resolutions happen very quickly. Everyone’s secrets are revealed and everyone’s problems are solved.

One thing I appreciated about this book is the complexity that Laelia’s disability adds to the events. There were times when I didn’t know what was true and what wasn’t! And I genuinely felt like I was being gaslit by Aid. I thought the characters who were native to the jungle were so open and helpful to Laelia and her family and the way her kids fell in love with Belize immediately was great to see. The author’s writing and description of the setting made me stop several times and pull out my old pal Google to see for myself. They did excellent research on this setting. The ending was very quickly wrapped up and a bow put on everything neatly, which for me, left something to be desired. Overall, I enjoyed the book and couldn’t wait to see what happened as the story went on but felt that the big reveals and twists felt rushed in comparison to the slow build of 85% of the book.

This book pleasant to read it pulls you in from thevery beginning I love it easy to read very emotional for me

Thank you #NetGalley for the eARC of #LimeJuiceMoney by Jo Morey

Lime Juice Money is one of those books that sneaks up on you—quietly unraveling until suddenly, you're completely consumed. Laelia Wylde, a hearing-impaired woman, relocates to Belize with her partner Aidrian and their two kids, only to find herself slowly swallowed by a volatile relationship, long-buried family secrets, and the dangers of the jungle.

This book doesn't shy away from heavy themes: there's domestic violence, substance abuse, self-harm, grief, betrayal. And yet, it never feels gratuitous. Laelia’s hearing loss and tinnitus are woven into the story in a way that feels raw and deeply immersive.

That said, at times, I had to backtrack to figure out who was speaking or what was going on. The use of flashbacks was necessary but also disorienting. The writing also needed more editing. And yes, the character name “Aid” paired with Laelia’s hearing aids.…why? Nevertheless, I understood the vision, I can see this made into a limited series.

Just finished this book. I have a lot to say, so lets see if I can get it all out. The plot concerns a hard of hearing female from the UK. While visiting her Dad in Belize, her Dad has a stroke, and they stay to take care of him. Her, her boyfriend/husband. and their two kids, Dylan and Ella. After not liking the UK very much, they decide to try and make a go of it in Belize, where she'd like to open a restaurant and have a fresh start. They end up staying in her dads old, run down house, which is kind of also a bed and breakfast. While in Belize, drama ensues. Topics/plot points covered include alcoholism, cutting, domestic violence, hard drug use, topics around death/dying etc. I couldn't put this one down, and finished it out over a weekend. The author doesn't spend too much time on any one point, which I really appreciated, she keeps the plot moving, and doesn't hang out somewhere overly long. Learning about the scientific stuff behind orchids, I really appreciated too. The story is told with stuff happening in the present day, as well as flashbacks to about 20 years earlier. I don't see the Nine Perfect Strangers vibes, but this book is definitely a summer beach read, for a hot, lazy Summer day. The descriptions are good as well, at times it felt like you were actually there. (Keep in mind also, this is the authors debut novel, while the writing isn't the strongest, I see room for improvement. Was very happy to receive this as an advance copy. At times, I did find the book hard to follow, keeping track of who was who and what was happening. Overall, it was a very good book, pick it up in time for Summer!

Lime Juice Money by Jo Morey is an intoxicating debut that masterfully blends tension, atmosphere, and emotional depth. Set in the lush yet isolating backdrop of a Central American jungle, the story follows a woman trapped in a volatile relationship far from home. The sultry setting and escalating stakes create a gripping narrative that feels both intimate and suspenseful.

What I found particularly compelling is the way the novel explores themes of independence, resilience, and the complexities of human relationships. The characters are vividly drawn, and their flaws make them feel achingly real. The narrative voice is sharp and immersive, pulling you into the protagonist's world and keeping you hooked until the very end.

Overall, this is a thought-provoking and atmospheric read that lingers long after the final page. If you enjoy stories with rich settings and emotionally charged plots, this one is worth diving into.

DNF @ 44%

I started this two weeks ago, it's taken me that long to slog to nearly halfway, and nothing has happened. I'm afraid I just can't push through any longer - the only reason I keep reading is because it's set in Belize and I've never read a book set there but that isn't a good enough reason when I'm so bored.

Jo Morey’s “Lime Juice Money,” with its lush prose and Central American setting evocative for me of Malcolm Lowry’s similarly feverish and hallucinatory “Under the Volcano,” takes a startling turn in its last 30 pages or so – too precipitously, to my mind – that takes it out of merely menacing terrain and plunges it full-on into adrenaline-raising thriller territory.
Not that there haven’t been portents of true danger all along, starting with a prologue in which a body with a missing digit is rotting in the jungle and, amid the “infinite ways to die in the jungle,” the reader learns of the highly venomous fer-de-lance, which “with a single zap can strike down even athletic, robust men.”
Welcome to the new habitat of principal character Laelia (“like the orchids”), a chef of some renown who has come here along with sister Chloe to celebrate the birthday of their father, noted botanist Ellis Wylde.
More than just an occasion to fete her family's “Paw-paw,” though, the trip is making for something of an escape for Laelia from her having been fired from a London restaurant for a shellfish accident in part caused by her hearing issues – the clamor of the restaurant as well as that of London in general is just too much for her hearing aids.
Indeed, as she settles into her new, less clamorous existence and notes how happily her children seem to be taking to it, she comes to think she might like to start a restaurant here – this amid a swirl of cascading events including her father suffering a stroke that puts him into a coma at a Belize hospital and her husband acting more and more strangely and taking up with unsavory types looking to be up to some sort of nefarious activity.
A tale of exotic menace, in short, Morey’s novel, even if the first two thirds, with its slower pace, tried my patience somewhat, and the last third, as I say, for all its acceleration of the action, seemed hurried. More of the latter and less of the former, to my mind, would have made for a more absorbing read.

I adored this book. It's made and ready for a Netflix movie and would most likely go completely viral if it was made into one.

The Good:
The setting, the atmosphere, the tension. All of it boils and simmers and is slow enough without making me toss it away. The narrative voice is impeccable and the research is top-notch. It honestly had me from the first page, and I didn't really stop reading it when I didnt have to (work etc. but I'm a librarian so I did have a few quiet moments.

The Iffy
Any critiques I have are only because I want this book to explode when it gets published. The name of the character (Aid) and the hearing aids clash. If this was an artistic choice, it should maybe be explained in the author's note because I was very thrown by that. I realize that gaslighting was a massive portion of the plot, I just am not sure to what extent we as the reader were made to feel gaslit. There were times when my own confusion added to the plot, but other times when I wonder if the loose threads might just be slight plot holes.

I love and hate all of these characters. I felt that some extremes of them were over the top, but all the same, this is a story. In this story the characters are over-the-top.

There is the matter of the children, who I feel get pushed aside for plot reasons more often then they should, but that also echos certain pieces of the various character arches. (no spoilers here).

Overall, this book is solid and engrossing, I love the title, its why I picked it up. It is not my usual genre, but close enough for me to personally get something fresh into my reading. Themes of parenthood, female independence, love and loss are extremely prevalent. Highly recommend!