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justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
Giving out strong Call Me By Your Name vibe, Honeytrap is a convincingly-told, tormenting romance between two men challenged by their honor and duty. Despite some serious flaws with its pacing, Honeytrap remains a diamond in the rough, shining through with its compelling historical context and complex character development.
Spanning across three decades, Aster Glenn Gray skillfully utilizes the cultural shifts in history (the Cold War, Swinging in the 70s, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, etc.) to enhance the unlikely affair between our protagonists of opposing nations. Both Daniel and Gennady are so vividly realized, one can read them going about their daily routine and still be enthralled. Which leads to the one major drawback regarding Honeytrap: it pacing.
The first 50% was a near perfect blend of romance and espionage, however, the spy element diminished abruptly at around 60%, leaving the remaining book without a proper anchoring through line. I was already fully committed to the characters at that point, so while I was never bored by the romance in its final 40%, I could clearly detect the scatterness and constant dissipation of narrative momentum as the story drifted towards its ending.
Aster Glenn Gray has masterfully created two memorable characters, and I haven't been this heartfelt about a fictional relationship since André Aciman's acclaimed novel. Even though Honeytrap could've used a couple more rounds of editing, to redistribute its intended subject matters (spy and romance) across its entirely, it is nevertheless still a memorable journey wholly worth checking out.
Giving out strong Call Me By Your Name vibe, Honeytrap is a convincingly-told, tormenting romance between two men challenged by their honor and duty. Despite some serious flaws with its pacing, Honeytrap remains a diamond in the rough, shining through with its compelling historical context and complex character development.
Spanning across three decades, Aster Glenn Gray skillfully utilizes the cultural shifts in history (the Cold War, Swinging in the 70s, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, etc.) to enhance the unlikely affair between our protagonists of opposing nations. Both Daniel and Gennady are so vividly realized, one can read them going about their daily routine and still be enthralled. Which leads to the one major drawback regarding Honeytrap: it pacing.
The first 50% was a near perfect blend of romance and espionage, however, the spy element diminished abruptly at around 60%, leaving the remaining book without a proper anchoring through line. I was already fully committed to the characters at that point, so while I was never bored by the romance in its final 40%, I could clearly detect the scatterness and constant dissipation of narrative momentum as the story drifted towards its ending.
Aster Glenn Gray has masterfully created two memorable characters, and I haven't been this heartfelt about a fictional relationship since André Aciman's acclaimed novel. Even though Honeytrap could've used a couple more rounds of editing, to redistribute its intended subject matters (spy and romance) across its entirely, it is nevertheless still a memorable journey wholly worth checking out.
gillianw's review
4.0
4 stars
I picked up this book thinking it was going to be a quick, somewhat light-hearted read (not sure why, I guess it was the name?). What I got was an epic-ish, slow burn of a romance that covered three decades, two disparate countries and miles of American highways. I couldn’t have been more delighted. The bulk of the novel takes place in 1959 and it’s where most of the charm lies. The following 2 parts (‘75 and ‘92) aren’t quite as good but they still broke my heart and pieced it back together.
If you’re looking to lose yourself in a book, this might be the one for you.
I picked up this book thinking it was going to be a quick, somewhat light-hearted read (not sure why, I guess it was the name?). What I got was an epic-ish, slow burn of a romance that covered three decades, two disparate countries and miles of American highways. I couldn’t have been more delighted. The bulk of the novel takes place in 1959 and it’s where most of the charm lies. The following 2 parts (‘75 and ‘92) aren’t quite as good but they still broke my heart and pieced it back together.
If you’re looking to lose yourself in a book, this might be the one for you.
katerockreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
riahwamby's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
“If only there was some way to show someone your soul – not with words, which so easily became lies, but some way to let a person know that they could truly trust you not to hurt them.”
🍯 Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray is going to live rent free in my head for a long time y’all. This is a historical romance that spans countries and decades and not-quite- warring countries. Daniel and Gennady both deserve only good and soft things, but they don’t always get them…
Would recommend this book for folks who enjoy Cold War stories, reluctant enemies to lovers, and a ton of mutual pining. 🍯
🍯 Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray is going to live rent free in my head for a long time y’all. This is a historical romance that spans countries and decades and not-quite- warring countries. Daniel and Gennady both deserve only good and soft things, but they don’t always get them…
Would recommend this book for folks who enjoy Cold War stories, reluctant enemies to lovers, and a ton of mutual pining. 🍯
saff_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
booked_bylara's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
"After all, if you didn't grab happiness when it was offered, it might never come again.“
Alright so, I read this book solely because someone recommended it to me, without knowing what it was about and holy hell, did it not disappoint.
Roughly said, it is about two Agents - one from the USA and one from the soviet union - they both get assigned to work together and now have to try to get along and face the difficulties that culture differences -and their countries being enemies - brings them both.
Therefore it was full of historical discussion and I really loved those and that they were both readers, especially in Part 1, where they were talking about various books, as well as authors and discussing them.
This book is also queer and representative of queer people in history (even if not 100% accurate, probably, but hey, it's fiction) and I loved the display of feelings of Daniel and Gennady
It is all in all very quiet, subtle and also lyrical.
~very mild spoiler~
I loved that it followed history in three parts (1959, 1975, 1992) and showed how our main characters are dealing with what happened in the past and how they live their lives, although it wasn't like society would have wanted them to.
This book is a character driven book and has really, really lovable characters who, later in the book, also have character development - which I loved and think is well done.
Although I would have loved to see more “Plot” in the sense of knowing more about the crimes that were going on - but that's just subjective speaking and is not that big of a bother.
The book left me with a bittersweet feeling - but that could also be because I read it at night and was a lot tired. 😂🥲
Alright so, I read this book solely because someone recommended it to me, without knowing what it was about and holy hell, did it not disappoint.
Roughly said, it is about two Agents - one from the USA and one from the soviet union - they both get assigned to work together and now have to try to get along and face the difficulties that culture differences -and their countries being enemies - brings them both.
Therefore it was full of historical discussion and I really loved those and that they were both readers, especially in Part 1, where they were talking about various books, as well as authors and discussing them.
This book is also queer and representative of queer people in history (even if not 100% accurate, probably, but hey, it's fiction) and I loved the display of feelings of Daniel and Gennady
It is all in all very quiet, subtle and also lyrical.
~very mild spoiler~
This book is a character driven book and has really, really lovable characters who, later in the book, also have character development - which I loved and think is well done.
Although I would have loved to see more “Plot” in the sense of knowing more about the crimes that were going on - but that's just subjective speaking and is not that big of a bother.
The book left me with a bittersweet feeling - but that could also be because I read it at night and was a lot tired. 😂🥲
nhixxie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jufliii's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
soph_sol's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Aster Glenn Gray did it again! Wrote a really good queer historical romance that is thoroughly grounded in its historical setting with characters I love!
Honeytrap is that classic set up of a Soviet agent and an American agent during the cold war have to work together because of reasons and then fall in love, and it's one which I am primed to love because of my time spent in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. tv show fandom back in my younger days. The Soviet agent in Honeytrap even has a patronymic of Ilyich, which I immediately took to be a homage to MUNCLE's Ilya Kuryakin, and then felt extremely vindicated when MUNCLE was the first thing mentioned in the author's note at the back of the book.
However! This book is doing much more nuanced things than MUNCLE did, or indeed that MUNCLE fanfic did as far as I can recall.
It starts out in 1959 with Gennady and Daniel going on a road trip through America together in search of leads on the case they've been assigned to work together, and it all feels very familiar and classic, but then....it keeps going. The book goes up to the 1990's! And over that time it really explores the political and social realities of the times and places in question.
It's not actually a story about the Soviet agent making a home in the US like this kind of story often is, at least in English-language stories; both characters have understandable attachments to their homelands, understandable concerns and frustrations with the evils large and small that their countries perpetrate, ways in which they have been hurt by their country, etc. The reason why the road trip becomes such an idyllic part of their past isn't because it's about Experiencing The USA, but because they get to learn to know each other; and though the road trip must eventually end, their relationship isn't over.
The book is realistic about what it means to be queer in the changing eras as well. Both Gennady and Daniel are bisexual but have very different relationships with their bisexuality, and the other queer men who have come in and out of their lives have different journeys with their identities too.
I loved the moment where Daniel meets with a boy he'd kissed when he was young, who has grown up into a man who sponsors a group for gay students on campus in the 70's - and Daniel is horrified, because he's so worried about what he sees as the lifelong danger this man is encouraging these kids to subject themselves to, admitting to their gayness permanently on paper in the yearbook. But that man and his students are making their choices for very good reasons as well!
And over time both Gennady and Daniel have other relationships too, relationships that are deep and meaningful to them, and which fail for reasons entirely unconnected with each other. I love that we get enough of a sense of Alla that I truly care about her happiness too, even though we only get to know about her after her and Gennady's relationship is on the rocks; and I love seeing Elizabeth and Daniel's happy polyamorous lifestyle which eventually has to end because it turns out one of Daniel's relationship needs is to be someone's primary partner, though that's not exactly how he phrases it, and in the end Elizabeth can't quite give that to him.
The Daniel/Gennady relationship isn't the only possible love for either of them, isn't the only possible happy ending, and yet they do love each other and do end up getting a chance at a happy ending, and I just adore that.
Goddd so much of the book is about like, moment after moment of glorious stolen happiness between them with the sure knowledge that it will have to end. I finished the book with this sense of like. idk. Wistful yearning, and total satisfaction at the same time. It wasn't what i expected, at all! And it's so good.
Honeytrap is that classic set up of a Soviet agent and an American agent during the cold war have to work together because of reasons and then fall in love, and it's one which I am primed to love because of my time spent in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. tv show fandom back in my younger days. The Soviet agent in Honeytrap even has a patronymic of Ilyich, which I immediately took to be a homage to MUNCLE's Ilya Kuryakin, and then felt extremely vindicated when MUNCLE was the first thing mentioned in the author's note at the back of the book.
However! This book is doing much more nuanced things than MUNCLE did, or indeed that MUNCLE fanfic did as far as I can recall.
It starts out in 1959 with Gennady and Daniel going on a road trip through America together in search of leads on the case they've been assigned to work together, and it all feels very familiar and classic, but then....it keeps going. The book goes up to the 1990's! And over that time it really explores the political and social realities of the times and places in question.
The book is realistic about what it means to be queer in the changing eras as well. Both Gennady and Daniel are bisexual but have very different relationships with their bisexuality, and the other queer men who have come in and out of their lives have different journeys with their identities too.
I loved the moment where Daniel meets with a boy he'd kissed when he was young, who has grown up into a man who sponsors a group for gay students on campus in the 70's - and Daniel is horrified, because he's so worried about what he sees as the lifelong danger this man is encouraging these kids to subject themselves to, admitting to their gayness permanently on paper in the yearbook. But that man and his students are making their choices for very good reasons as well!
And over time both Gennady and Daniel have other relationships too, relationships that are deep and meaningful to them, and which fail for reasons entirely unconnected with each other. I love that we get enough of a sense of Alla that I truly care about her happiness too, even though we only get to know about her after her and Gennady's relationship is on the rocks; and I love seeing Elizabeth and Daniel's happy polyamorous lifestyle which eventually has to end because it turns out one of Daniel's relationship needs is to be someone's primary partner, though that's not exactly how he phrases it, and in the end Elizabeth can't quite give that to him.
The Daniel/Gennady relationship isn't the only possible love for either of them, isn't the only possible happy ending, and yet they do love each other and do end up getting a chance at a happy ending, and I just adore that.
Goddd so much of the book is about like, moment after moment of glorious stolen happiness between them with the sure knowledge that it will have to end. I finished the book with this sense of like. idk. Wistful yearning, and total satisfaction at the same time. It wasn't what i expected, at all! And it's so good.