Six Degrees: The Power of Attraction Connects Us All is the sixth book by Australian author, Honey Brown. In this book, Brown gives the reader six separate short stories covering different themes, and in each case, one or more of the characters is loosely connected by a certain tragic event. “Threesome” involves a café owner, a famous chef & and a thirteen-year long Valentine’s Day tradition of a bouquet and a proposal: a third party is needed to finally overcome enduring misunderstandings. “Two Women” sees a bikini-clad pub waitress in a WA mining town meet the one person she truly wants to dance for. In “Older”, a young woman shares her passion for the outdoors, and, eventually, certain other passions, with an older man.

In “Younger”, a divorced mother of two finds her dormant desires reawakened by a young neighbour. In “Two Men”, the walls of the writer’s group meeting room are witness to more than literary fervours. In “First Time”, a party reluctantly attended results in traumatised teens finding their way, and Brown also uses this story to tie the rest together. In this departure from her usual style and subject matter, Brown does not shy away from explicit sexual descriptions. These are romantic stories and, while they also deal with loss, grief, trauma, and miscommunication, there are erotic descriptions of lesbian and homosexual relationships, a threesome, sex with much older (or younger) partners and loss of virginity.

Certain aspects of “Threesome” do not quite ring true, but the rest of the stories have an authentic feel: they are believable and well written, and the connections are cleverly done. The characters are familiar and appealing, and their dialogue is commonly heard in the pub, café or pharmacy. Readers who like their romance tinged with an erotic hue will enjoy these sexy, sensual stories. A different shade of Honey Brown.
With thanks to The Reading Room and the publisher for this copy to read and review.