Review: Butterflies by Samantha Roman
When grief changes everything, can hope find a way back?
Grief has a way of changing everything, even the relationships we depend on most. In Butterflies by Samantha Roman, a mother and daughter face the same devastating loss but struggle to find their way through it together. This contemporary Christian family drama, the first book in the Honeybrook High series, explores heartbreak, forgiveness, and the difficult journey toward healing.
Book Details for Butterflies by Samantha Roman
Butterflies By Samantha Roman
Series: Honeybrook High Series, #1
Published by Batyah Press on June 2025
Genres: Christian Family Drama
Formats: Audiobook, Paperback
Pages: 288
Seventeen-year-old Candy dreams of singing country music on Nashville stages. But when her father dies in a car accident and her mom drowns her pain in alcohol, Candy's world crumbles. Told through both Candy's and her mother Leslie's perspectives, Butterflies is a heartfelt Christian YA novel about grief, brokenness, and the healing power of faith.
As Candy fights for her dreams and her family, she learns that hope can rise even from the ashes and God’s plan is always more beautiful than we ever imagined.
Perfect for fans of emotional coming-of-age stories, Butterflies explores faith under fire and the redemptive journey toward grace, healing, and happily ever after.
Note from the author"Butterflies is the book for teen girls looking for a touch romance, but a good hard story. They want to be inspired, touched, and changed after reading the Honeybrook High series. Butterflies is innocent, sweet, yet compassionate book for the teens who have had addiction brush over their lives, whether through family or observed through a friend. Butterflies is a great book for teens who love dual POVs, a school crush, and the message of how faith in Jesus wins every time."
As a former homeschooled girl and an educator, Butterflies is your Christian teen's beach read.
I received a review copy for the tour. This is my honest opinion.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Reader Resources
Reader Info at a Glance
| Best For | Older teens and adults who enjoy strongly faith-centered Christian family dramas |
| Pacing | Steady, with an engaging flow and relatively quick reading experience |
| Faith & Themes | Strong Christian messaging; grief, addiction, forgiveness, family relationships, and healing |
| Romance & Content | Clean, gentle romance with brief hand-holding and one mild kiss; emotionally heavy themes |
| Overall Feel | Emotional, reflective, hopeful, faith-centered |
| Rating | ⭐⭐⭐¾ (3.75/5) |
Quick Take: An emotionally engaging, deeply faith-centered family drama that will appeal to readers who appreciate stories of resilience, forgiveness, and finding hope after heartbreak.
Things to Know:
- Emotional subject matter: The story deals with the death of loved ones, a fatal drunk-driving accident, alcohol misuse, and the lasting effects of grief.
- Dual perspectives: Alternating between Candy and her mother, Leslie, gives readers insight into how differently family members can experience the same tragedy.
- Explicit Christian perspective: Faith and religious teachings are woven throughout the story, making this a particularly strong fit for readers who enjoy overtly Christian fiction.
- Series reading: This is Book One of the Honeybrook High trilogy. The ending leaves some storylines unresolved, so readers should expect the journey to continue.
Now let's talk about the parts that shaped my reading experience.
My Thoughts
What struck me most about Butterflies was the way Samantha Roman portrayed two people experiencing the same tragedy in very different ways. Through alternating perspectives, readers get to know both Candy and her mother, Leslie. Their grief is deeply personal, and neither knows quite how to reach the other when they need that connection most.
Leslie's struggle is particularly difficult to watch. Already overwhelmed by loss, she retreats into alcohol rather than confronting the pain threatening to consume her. Candy, meanwhile, clings to her love of country music, finding purpose and a measure of comfort in something that still feels like her own.
I appreciated that Roman didn't present healing as an immediate or effortless process. Both characters must navigate difficult emotions, changing relationships, and an uncertain future. The caring people around them play an important role, reminding readers that support can come from friends, family, and sometimes unexpected places.
The mother-daughter relationship gives the story much of its emotional weight. Their struggles are different, but the need for connection, understanding, and forgiveness runs throughout the novel.
At approximately 290 pages, Butterflies was a relatively quick read for me. The pacing generally kept the story moving, and I was interested in seeing how Candy and Leslie would manage the challenges ahead of them.
I also appreciated the gentle handling of the romantic elements. There is a little hand-holding and one brief, non-passionate kiss, but nothing that overshadows the larger story. The language and romantic content are appropriate for the book's intended readership.
A Note About the Faith-Based Themes
Faith is central to Butterflies, and Samantha Roman makes no secret of the Christian message she wants to share.
While I appreciated the novel's emphasis on hope, forgiveness, and healing, I sometimes felt the religious message was delivered a little too directly. There were moments when I would have preferred the characters' experiences to carry those themes more naturally, allowing the story itself to do more of the work.
That's largely a matter of reading preference, and I recognize that readers who enjoy strongly faith-centered fiction may appreciate precisely this aspect of the novel.
For me, the emotional journey was most compelling when the focus remained on Candy, Leslie, and the complicated relationships surrounding them.
What About the Ending?
The ending felt somewhat abrupt, and I might have found it more frustrating had I not already known that Butterflies was the first book in a trilogy.
Knowing there are additional books in the Honeybrook High series helped me view the conclusion as part of a continuing story rather than expecting every question and relationship to be neatly resolved.
Still, readers who prefer completely self-contained novels may want to keep that in mind.
Final Thoughts
Butterflies is a thoughtful, emotionally driven story about a mother and daughter learning to live with loss and discovering that healing doesn't always follow the path we expect.
I appreciated the dual perspectives, the complicated family relationships, and Candy's determination to hold on to her musical dreams. The story offers a meaningful look at resilience, the importance of a caring support system, and the courage it takes to move forward when life changes unexpectedly.
For readers who enjoy deeply faith-centered family dramas, Butterflies offers an engaging introduction to Samantha Roman's Honeybrook High series.
If you enjoy stories exploring grief, changing family
relationships, and the different ways young people
process loss, you might also enjoy my review of
Sisters ... No Way! by Siobhán Parkinson.
Before we wrap up, here's a little more about the author behind the book.
Meet the Author
Beyond her writing, Samantha Roman is a former homeschooler turned teacher-author who enjoys watching mystery movies, crocheting, and walking on the beach. These little details offer a glimpse of the person behind the Honeybrook High series.
Learn more:
Amazon | Goodreads
Where to Buy
Ready to add Butterflies by Samantha Roman to your reading list? Choose the format that works best for you.
Let's Chat
Have you read Butterflies or another book in Samantha Roman's Honeybrook High series? Do you enjoy stories told from multiple perspectives, especially when family members experience the same events differently?
I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Tour dates: November 10 through November 30, 2026. To see the full schedule of stops, visit the
iRead Campaigns tour page.
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