This was a super solid read for me. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the plot as a whole - lots going on but all done well. There was familial drama, romance (obvi), personal struggles, and friendship and then a lack thereof. The book follows the MC's from a summer when they were 17 to ten years later when she runs away from the altar. The rest of the book follows them in the current timeline while alternating with the summer from 10 years ago. Was this insta love? Yes. They fall in love immediately and then the rest of their relationship in total is probably like 3-4 months at most. But I'm cool with that.

Parts of this was a little slow, but it was necessary I guess for the foundation of the relationship between the two main characters. Hated the dad in this book, which you're supposed to so it's fine and I'm happy he got his just desserts at the end.

I look forward to reading the other books coming in this series. Specifically for Dahlia's book (assuming she get's a book).

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love a second chance romance and this was really good! Dual pov and past and present included. Really was a perfect summer read

Second-chance romance, dual POV, dual timeline set 10 years apart. Sarah Bailey has some solid writing and a cohesive plot, but it took me some time to get invested in the story. Some of the nicknames and dialogue were cringey but I don't regret not DNF-ing this one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this digital ARC.

🌊✨BOOK REVIEW✨🌊
Heathen & Honeysuckle by Sarah A. Bailey
📖 Pacific Shores #1 | Releases June 10, 2025
📚 Romance | Second Chance | New Adult
#HeathenHoneysuckle #NetGalley #LiteraryHavocReviews

💔“Heathen & Honeysuckle wrecked me in the best way.”💔
What started as a small-town summer romance turned into an emotionally explosive, angst-drenched, second-chance love story that ripped my heart out, kissed it better, then shattered it again before putting it back together.
And I loved every second.

🌞 Then:
Darby was the good girl. Leo was the barefoot bad boy with a surfboard and a smirk.
A golden summer. A first love so intense it couldn’t possibly survive reality.
Until she vanished without a word. And he never stopped wondering why.

🕰️ Now:
Ten years later. She's engaged to the wrong man.
He shows up with a letter she never meant to send...
And a second chance she’s not sure she deserves.

💬 “You were the storm and the calm, all in one. And I’ve spent a decade waiting for the sky to break again.”

🔥 If you love:
🌊 Small town coastal vibes
💌 Lost letters + surprise reunions
🚘 Road trip + forced proximity
💔 Second chances done RIGHT
🥀 Girls learning how to live again
👑 Golden boy surfers turned loyal kings
💥 Long-buried secrets and big emotional payoffs
…this book is your new obsession.

🎯 This one hit me in all the tender places. The teen summer romance was so vivid, so alive—and the adult reconnection felt earned, raw, and healing. Their chemistry? SCORCHING. The angst? Chef’s kiss. The ending? Hope incarnate.

📌 Add this to your summer TBR, bestie. Leo and Darby’s story is a heartache you’ll want to live through again and again. 🫠

⭐️ 5/5 | I need the rest of this series IMMEDIATELY.

#SecondChanceRomance #SmallTownRomance #EmotionalReads #RomanceBooks #BookReview #RomanceBookstagram #SpicyReads #SarahABailey #BookstagramRecs #LiteraryHavoc #RomanceWithDepth #LoveAfterLoss #ComingJune2025

This book definitely surprised me in the best way. I have never read any work by Sarah A Bailey but after this book I will be reading absolutely everything she writes.

This is a dual pov and dual timeline. This follows Leo and Darby from when they are spending a summer together as teenagers but it is also in the present 10 years later as adults. Darby was sent to live with her grandmother for a summer after this happen with her family. She comes from a weathly prominent family in Kansas so she is out of her comfort zone in a small beach town in California. Immediately on her first day she meets the boy next door, Leo. He is considered a heathen and troublemaker from her grandmother. After some persistence from Leo, they become fast friends and immediately develop a crush on each other. They have an epic summer romance but Darby goes home and never speaks to him again. Flash forward 10 years later and we are at her wedding and Leo is in the audience. She must now choose if she wants that one true love or the life her father wants for her.

angsty, angsty, angsty! If you want a book that makes you yearn, you've found it. Darby is a flawed but likeable character, and Leo would do anything for her. I love their relationship and how it progressed; nothing seemed rushed, and the writing was *chefs kiss* 4.5 stars!

This has been my favorite book of the year. The dual timelines, emotional depth, and beachside setting make it a standout read. Darby and Leo first met the summer they were 17, when Darby was in town visiting her grandma. Their story begins with a snarky comment from Leo about the music Darby is listening to - and from that moment, that summer the two became inseparable.

Darby comes from a strict home, so with no parents around for the summer, Leo helps her loosen up and experience the freedom of being a typical teenager. He shows her how to enjoy life, and together they create the kind of memories that stay with you forever. But their summer is cut short, and life separates them in different directions for the next ten years.

Leo finds out Darby is getting married and helps her escape out of town. As they take a road trip back to the beach, they reconnect and slowly uncover the reasons that kept them apart for a decade.

Sarah's writing will break your heart and bring you back to life. Be prepared-this book is so good, and I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series.

4.5 stars!! I LOVE this authors writing! I am so so excited to continue this series.

I loved the dual timelines, but definitely preferred their lives in the present tense, so I know the rest of this series will be incredible!!

Leo is too good for this world! There were so many heartfelt moments and some swoony, fun scenes. And the quotes!! Just listen to how incredible this writing is:

“You remind me of honeysuckle. Nectar sweet as honey, like the sound or your voice. But the berries are deceiving-poisonous if consumed… Beautiful and deadly.”

“You did hear me say your name. The name I’ve been moaning every time I fuck my fist for the last ten years.”

“Despite the fading daylight, she remains shrouded in brightness, the most golden thing in existence.”

“You’re still the sunlight shining through the cracks of my shattered soul.”

AND SO MANY MORE

Rating: 4/5 stars

This was such a heartfelt, second-chance romance that swept me up from the very beginning. The chemistry between Leo and Darby was undeniable—equal parts sweet and sizzling. Their summer together in Pacific Shores was nostalgic and tender, full of moments that made me smile and ache in equal measure.

Darby is a well-drawn character: torn between duty and desire, struggling to reconcile the expectations placed on her with the life she truly wants.

While a few plot points felt a bit convenient, the emotional payoff more than made up for it. This story is perfect for fans of “the one that got away” romances and anyone who loves a good “follow your heart” narrative. A satisfying, romantic escape with just the right amount of angst

🏄‍♂️ Bad boy x good girl
🌊Runaway bride
☀️It’s always been you
🌻Road trip
🏄One bed / one hotel room
🌊Second chance
☀️Summer love
🌻Incredible vibes

This was so good. Loved it so much. Admittedly I’m a sucker for a summer romance. The angst was doing its thing. Immediately starting Wicked & Wildflower. I love Sarah Bailey's writing and I'm extremely invested in the Pacific Shores crew.

This book violently tore my heart out, gave it a little kiss, and popped it straight back in my chest.

Heathen and Honeysuckle is a second chance romance following Leo and Darby. After first meeting at 17 years old, fate and toxic family tear them apart, despite them truly being a once-in-a-lifetime love.
Fast forward ten years and Darby is about to walk down the aisle to another man when her sister whispers the word “Honeysuckle”. From there, we watch as Darby and Leo reunite in the most bittersweet moments - figuring out what truly happened between the two all those years ago.

I genuinely enjoyed every minute of this book. I took my time with it, savouring each special moment spent watching Darby and Leo fall back in love. The grief, heartbreak, and healing that happens over the course of this book is enough to keep a romantic heart, like mine, nourished.

The characters are well rounded, the story is gripping and heartbreakingly beautiful, and the ending was exactly what I hoped for.

An instant favourite.

Thank you NetGalley, Page and Vine, and Sarah A. Bailey for the eARC of Heathen & Honeysuckle!

Heathen and Honeysuckle is one of those stories that wraps around your heart slowly, then squeezes it when you least expect it. I just know the Pacific Shores series is going to WRECK me. I went in thinking I was getting a swoony, surfer-boy summer romance (and yes, Leo delivers)—but what I didn’t expect was just how deep this book would cut emotionally.

And, Darby. This girl has been carrying the weight of so much—guilt, shame, pressure, all thanks to parents who never really saw her for who she was. Her dad? Manipulative, cold, obsessed with control and appearances. The way he twisted her life (and her sister's) and choices to serve his image made my blood boil. And the trauma from that runs deep. You can feel it in every decision Darby makes, every time she questions herself, every time she tries to be good instead of free. Leo, on the other hand, is her light. Her safe haven. Her one chance to be wild and soft at the same time. He meets her when she’s 17, all locked up in expectations, and instead of pushing her to change, he just lets her be. He sees her, builds her up, and teaches her the true meaning of love. And that kind of love? Yeah, it’s beautiful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. Their summer fling turned soul-deep connection had me hooked, but when Darby leaves without a word—and we find out why years later? My heart f*cking shattered. The fact that Leo still shows up years down the road because of a letter she didn’t mean to send? That man. THAT. MAN.

The dual POV + then/now timeline works perfectly. The pacing, the buildup, the spice (it’s open door and it’s SPICY)—it’s all so well done. And the emotional weight behind it all? I was not ready. This isn’t just a love story. It’s about breaking free from the people who tried to define you. It’s about finally choosing yourself. And it’s about finding the kind of love that never asks you to shrink.

Darby and Leo = Mom and Dad forever.
Darby’s dad: go fall in a hole or a raging pit of fire.

oh no i am not ok after this book. you know the blurbs you read as a romcom lover. you know the ones that are going to make you ache and fall hard. you dont want them to. you want to hold on to your reality cynicism. but you no because of all those things you wont, you just wont and infact you will fall harder for these gorgeous kind of stories. yep. this book is another one of those. and boy am i glad they exist haha. i loved this book.loved it. and i melted for it.
from the moment i met Leo and Darby in the blurb i new id be into this. and i was right. but even more so once i met them in the book.wow.
these two were together for one summer. than they werent. she left just like that. but he never gave up on her, or it wasnt possible for his heart to. and they never forgot each other.
poor Darby though. she had my heart. this poor young woman who was ruled by her need to do right, and the right person. keep to the rules, follow expectations. but as you learn when you grow older, this never actually brings you to be a good person. it means you under the control and bend of others. it makes you very unhappy and should never be the dictator of a good person. and someone who truly love you would know that. enter Leo. hes saw Darby and allowed her to be just as she was, perfect as she was in all her flawed and successes. just her.
when we meet them years later you are wondering how this could possibly come together. Sarah cant break us readers hearts too can she? because under the instruction of her father Darby is due to be married. oh, oh, oh no!
but just read this book. you wont be let down. and you will fall for it like i did.
the moving parts all work together perfectly.
the characters are spot on.
the love and hope and bits even the reader needs to heal from is all in this book.
i couldnt say enough about this book. it goes into my top top reads list for sure.

Heathen and Honeysuckle had some standout moments—especially when it came to the spice. Those scenes were written with intensity and emotion, and they definitely held my attention. I appreciated the raw vulnerability in some of the character interactions and the atmospheric writing style.

That said, the overall pacing of the story dragged for me. While I was initially intrigued by the premise, I found myself waiting for the plot to pick up speed or for the stakes to feel more compelling. There were stretches where not much happened, and I struggled to stay engaged.

If you’re looking for a slow-burn romance with poetic prose and a few steamy highlights, this might be a great fit. But for readers who crave a tighter plot and more momentum, it may fall a bit short. Still, I’m glad I gave it a try—and I’ll be curious to see what the author does next.

Heathen & Honeysuckle by Sarah A. Bailey is a great sports romance, featuring tropes of right person wrong time, second chance, runaway bride, road trip, and it's always been you. This book has a dual timeline that I really enjoyed! I can't wait to read more by Bailey.

4.5 stars!! I LOVE this authors writing! I am so so excited to continue this series.

I loved the dual timelines, but definitely preferred their lives in the present tense, so I know the rest of this series will be incredible!!

Leo is too good for this world! There were so many heartfelt moments and some swoony, fun scenes. And the quotes!! Just listen to how incredible this writing is:

“You remind me of honeysuckle. Nectar sweet as honey, like the sound or your voice. But the berries are deceiving-poisonous if consumed… Beautiful and deadly.”

“You did hear me say your name. The name I’ve been moaning every time I fuck my fist for the last ten years.”

“Despite the fading daylight, she remains shrouded in brightness, the most golden thing in existence.”

“You’re still the sunlight shining through the cracks of my shattered soul.”

AND SO MANY MORE

Ok this book will continue to be a favorite of mine for years to come. It was phenomenal! My first read by this author but def will not be my last. Leo was everything in this story. Surfer boy and rich girl meet and fall in love. But life has twists and turns and man it was a ride. Second chances are always a way to my heart!
Leo and Darby
Heathen and Honeysuckle
So so good! Must read!

This was such a sweet second chance.

I really enjoyed the story of Darby and Leo. This was I can't put down kind of story.

The duo POV and timeline of past and present really rounding out that once in a lifetime romance that started out one summer when Darby and Leo were seventeen. Heathen & Honeysuckle had it all. Heartbreak, fun times and finding oneself again.

Darby had a strict father who had plans for his daughters, one already rebellious and Darby breaking out her shell and seeing her worth with the help of Leo when she was sent out to California to be away from her sister. Both Leo and Darby had things to work through and they helped each other be the light when their worlds got dark. Leo is that fun loving adventurous surfer who has lost a lot with the help of his unofficial foster family and friends he lives life to the fullest. I liked that fact that is wasn't just Darby finding herself again with Leo's help and reigniting a love that never went away but it was also Leo healing from what and why Darby left.

I loved it and highly recommend picking this book up and it'll make you want to continue with the next book in the series.

What a sweet second chance romance novel. This is something that anyone can relate to. The story line and characters were well written. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-arc.

I don't think I've ever read a book that completely swept me away like Heathen & Honeysuckle did. I was so enchanted by the story and the characters that I didn’t even notice time passing, I read it all in one sitting, and honestly... I regret that just a little. Not because the book disappointed me, but because I wish I had made it last longer. I want to live in this story forever.

This isn't just a five-star read. It deserves stars, moons, galaxies. It deserves its own constellation.

The writing is stunning, some of the best I’ve ever read. The double timeline (which I usually don’t love) worked so beautifully here. Each chapter revealed a new layer, and I could feel the shift in time, in atmosphere, in emotions. It was like watching hearts grow, break, and rebuild in real time. You see the characters evolve, you feel their pain, their love, their everything. And I was right there with them, heart pounding.

This book pulled me out of a months-long reading slump. It reminded me why I love books so much, why I adore getting lost in pages. It’s now one of my all-time favorite books, and I will forever treasure the feeling it gave me.

Thank you, NetGalley, and thank you, Sarah A. Bailey, for sharing this masterpiece with me. I’m so grateful I got to read it early, and I cannot wait for the rest of the series.