Carleen Brice's debut Orange Mint and Honey is an invigorating and poignant novel. After grad school, Shay Dixon feels like she's had enough for a while. Inspired by her spiritual adviser-a blues player named Nina Simon-Shay calls her estranged mother Nona for the first time in years to ask if it would be alright to stay with her for a while.
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"Great coming of age story, with very sensitive plot intricacies that all mothers and daughters can and will appreciate. Frankly, I fell in love with this book. I can see myself reading it over and over again. Probably will. I refused to part with it, as I do many of my books, when I was asked to allow someone to borrow it. No way!"
— Terra (4 out of 5 stars)
“A wonderful, jazzy, exciting read.”
— Nikki Giovanni, author of Acolytes" very different, but I loved it! "
— Shix, 2/11/2014" I really enjoyed this - it's very challenging if, like Shay, you are struggling with bitter relationships. "
— Anna, 2/8/2014" A quick read. Nice to have a story about life after someone gets sober and the effect of using on our loved ones. Not super deep but an entertaining read. "
— Sueb, 2/5/2014" A well-crafted and moving tale about mothers and daughters that restores my faith in contemporary black fiction! We need more writers like Carleen Brice. There's a great conversation going on about this book in the Literary Fiction by People of Color group. "
— Qiana, 2/3/2014" Pretty good for chick lit. I probably wouldn't have liked it as much if it wasn't set in Denver. "
— Ted, 2/3/2014" Orange Mint & Honey is a fantastic book. It's well-written and thoughtful. "
— Maegen, 1/23/2014" This book is much "lighter" than what I normally read, thus the two star rating. I wasn't challenged to think deeply or read carefully; two things I like to do when I read. That being said, I did enjoy the parts of the story about Nona and Shay's relationship and how alcoholism affected Shay's maturation process. As other people have commented, the ending felt rushed and too "neat." "
— Wavelength, 1/23/2014" Gave this a 4.5/5.0 rating "
— Robin, 1/6/2014" The story is based in Denver; about an estranged relationship between a mother and daughter. For me, the book was a page turner. She's a fresh new voice. Also, I absolutely love the title. "
— Ebony, 1/3/2014" I had to read this book for my human development class, and just by looking at the cover I was iffy about it. It just didnt look like my kind of book, I judge my books by their covers. Turned out to be a really awesome book. I loved the characters and fell in love with their stories. "
— Jenni, 12/24/2013" This was a good read, my favorite character was Oliver. "
— Ally, 12/19/2013" I could not put this one down. The charachters are relatable and very 3 dimensional. I would of given it 5 stars but it was a tad too predictable. "
— Crystal, 11/24/2013" I love reading books by local authors who scatter Denver references throughout... Quick read, good story. Love Nina Simone guiding Shay... "
— Nancy, 6/2/2013" I heard good reviews even in JET magazine, checked out the book, and unable to get into this book regardless of what the back of the book said on an alcoholic parent. "
— Adrienna, 4/1/2013" I enjoyed this book and the lessons she learned as she grew. It has a really sweet ending. "
— Angie, 1/8/2013" Loved it!! can't wait to see the movie :) "
— Janell, 11/1/2012" Good story, missed the climax... b/c there really wasn't one. This book was perfect for what I needed at the time- nothing too though provoking yet was intriguing, but no page turner...overall was well written... but nothing to brag about. "
— Jessica, 10/26/2012" I had to read this because the author's name is Carleen, but to my surprise it's a great book about a mother-daughter relationship, one of those books you don't want to put down because the story draws you in and you can relate to the characters. I recommend it. "
— Carleen, 6/27/2012" Interesting and entertaining read. "
— Carmen, 3/11/2012" This was, honest to God, like reading a story about my own life. "
— Akilah, 2/26/2012" Pretty good for chick lit. I probably wouldn't have liked it as much if it wasn't set in Denver. "
— Theo, 5/13/2011" Loved it!! can't wait to see the movie :) "
— Janell, 10/14/2010" Set in Denver and written by a Denver author. I invited the author to speak at our book group but didn't hear back from her!!!! "
— Ginger, 9/8/2010" I could not put this one down. The charachters are relatable and very 3 dimensional. I would of given it 5 stars but it was a tad too predictable. "
— Crystal, 8/2/2010" A quick read. Nice to have a story about life after someone gets sober and the effect of using on our loved ones. Not super deep but an entertaining read. "
— Sueb, 7/21/2010" Oh, I just LOVED this novel. The characters were so real and the plot was so defined. I listened to this as an audiobook, so while I couldn't see the writing, listening to it was a great experience. <br/><br/>You must read this novel! "
— Shanae, 7/19/2010" Quick read. First book by this author. About mothers and daughters, forgiveness, understanding..... "
— Paulette, 6/19/2010Carleen Brice is a freelance writer who lives in Denver with her husband. Her mother died of breast cancer in 1992.
Cherise Boothe, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, has worked extensively in theater, film, television, and narration. She has appeared in numerous regional plays, as well as in television shows such as The Good Wife, Law & Order: SVU, and Gossip Girl. She holds an MFA in acting from New York University. She was a finalist in 2015 for the prestigious Audie Award for best multivoiced narration.