I love Honey Lemon Soda. It does sound like a typical shoujo manga where shy girls meet bad boy but what I like the most about this is how the characters grow and the nice balance between that having the light fluffiness of a usual shoujo would have.
The main girl character, Uka, is super shy that she doesn't talk much and gets bullied. Through this manga it is a gradual change for her to stand up for herself. Then there is also the main boy character, Kai. He is a not a 'bad boy' per say, I would say that he is someone that enjoys to do things at his own pace. He is the main support for her but he knows how to step back as well so that she can do things herself. Along with their friends, both of them are breaking out of their shells.
The name Honey Lemon Soda is the way that Uka describes Kai. Soda have that sorta bubbly feeling, lemon with sour and refreshing and honey to be soothing. Uka doesn't need Kai but he is like a fall back for when things get worse, he is the best person to support her.
Characters aside, it is a cute story, nice sparkly art, and has those moments where I felt really touched. The first chapter sets up the rest of the story really well so use that as the base line for continuing