A thought provoking while light read. The characters are so well written you can almost see them traveling the world and discovering their place in life. On a 1-10 for adult content it’s a 1 for describing a man’s bare chest. No foul language and slight violence. Describes a scene from the Rwanda genocide.
Baking, humanitarian aid, luxury and mending hearts not to mention bees and lavender. So much to enjoy in this sweet easy read.

Mia is at a crossroads after her boyfriend broke up with her on their anniversary (when he was supposed to propose). Her roommate, Rosie, convinces her to apply to join the humanitarian trip she is about to go on. I really enjoy Rachel Linden's writing, especially since this one takes inspiration from Linden's own life. I think Linden is now an auto-read for me.

The enlightenment of bees is an interesting book. I liked the story as the main character was figuring out life. Mia decided to break out of her comfort zone and travel around the world helping others. As she traveled, her perspective changed and she learned who she was and what she wanted to do in life. I liked how it gave the reader a real glimpse into the lives of people around the world.
The dreams that have bees in it were rather weird and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story.
I thought it was well written and I wanted to know what happened.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

The Enlightenment of Bees is one woman's journey of heartbreak and disappointment to finding fulfillment and her passion humanitarian efforts. Although it is slow reading at times, it has a good storyline. There are threads of compassion and serving others throughout but it is a story about self discovery.

Cute book that will draw you in. Loved the story and the main characters. It was well written and easy to enjoy.

If you are into books about self discovery and applying one's passion to make the world a better place then this could be the one for you. The downside was the main character. I had a difficult time relating to Mia.

Good read! The author was creative and created a relatable character for the reader to sympathize with.

I did get a free copy of this book to review from the publishers via netgalley, but that was over a year ago because I’m awful and never read this before pub date 🙈 so you can rest assured that my opinions are all my own.

Mia’s boyfriend breaks up with her the night he’s going to propose and she decides to go “find herself” by traveling around the world with a humanitarian group to try and help people all over who are less fortunate than her.

Tbh the plot sounds a little “white savior complex-y” but they do kind of touch on that and how the group she’s traveling with doesn’t really make a difference and is all for show, and she does find a way to genuinely help people by the end.

However all the characters felt very one dimensional and I never really cared about anyone I was reading about, except Mia’s grandma. I was just bored the whole time.

But I will say this was a super fast read and I flew through it in just a few hours. I can definitely see how some people would love this book but it wasn’t for me.

When she loses both her job and her boyfriend of six years, Mia West has to reevaluate what she wants for her future. She has always believed she should do “something more,” so she agrees to join her friend, Rosie, on a humanitarian trip around the world. Only, she has much more to learn about herself and her future than she knew.

"Remember, Mia, your place in this world is the space where your greatest passion meets the world's great pain," she says firmly. "Go now and find that place."

Rachel Linden’s The Enlightenment of Bees is much more than its charming cover suggests. Of course, it is charming with its touches of humor, romance, and whimsy, but it also challenges readers to grapple with how to be in the world and if it’s possible to follow passions and make a difference. It’s an excellent story, and I definitely recommend it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. I tend to be drawn to books about bees, so this one definitely caught my eye. Though I understand what the author was trying to do, I just didn't connect with Mia as a main character. She really frustrated me and was often insufferable! This one wasn't for me.

Thanks so much to the author, NetGalley, and Thomas Nelson publishing for the complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } I listened to this book on audio through Libro.fm. All of my full reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my blog at tacklingtbr.home.blog

TW : refugee issues, slums, men with hero complexes, cancer, loss of a family member, religion

When I am listening to an audio book, I tend to get into a rhythm for each book of when I am tending to listen to it - and for this book that was in my car while I was out for a drive or running errands, which I was doing very frequently when I started this book and then have recently spent months not doing at all. So I started this book once around the holiday season of 2019, had to put it down when I wasn't listening to audio books for a bit, and had to then start it over again in March. So when I picked it back up and decided to start over, I was really worried that I would have a hard time getting back into it. But that definitely wasn't the case.

I ended up listening to this book from start to finish over the course of about a week. I was invested in the story and the characters, and I found that I just didn't want to put it down - I found myself trying to find activities and chores that I could do around the house so that I could keep listening to this book, and kept telling myself "one more chapter." I was even crying by the end. I really loved getting to read this book, and especially loved getting to listen to it.

This is definitely a novel driven by it's characters, although primarily by it's lead Mia. I found Mia incredibly likable, even though she was never presented as a perfect character. We get to see her throughout the course of the book go on a journey of self discovery and coming to terms with losing the life that she had been planning and settling into, as well as additional development of her character. Now as I said, she is never presented as a perfect person or character. She is basically your typical young woman in her 20s who always wanted to do something great, but never really had to face too many challenges. I wouldn't say that she is spoiled, but she is definitely sheltered in a few ways that she hadn't necessarily expected of herself. And that is why I liked her so much. She was realistic and relatable, and it felt like her journey was one that I could go on as well.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the various settings. In her search to do something great, Mia joins a humanitarian group so that she can travel and help people around the world. The settings in this book ranged from lush and beautiful, almost dream-like, to really heartbreaking and eye opening. The juxtaposition of the places that Mia got to see during her travels was really beautifully written, and I could have listened all day.

Worth noting, while I mention that I listen to this in an audio format - the narrator of the audio book was amazing. I never had issues recognizing which character was speaking. She brought different voices and intonations that made it a really enjoyable listening experience.

Over all I highly enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it to my friends who are wanting a good mix between light reading with good humor and a dash of romance, as well as some heavier topics and some really deep moments. I would also highly recommend it on audio to anybody looking to read it for the first time, or wanting a reread with a different experience than the first read through.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

The Enlightenment of Bees by Rachel Linden is one woman's quest to find herself as she travels across the globe to help others. This author is a favorite of mine and I was excited to pick up her latest book. While I enjoyed this novel and its themes, it is not my favorite by this author. It was a bit slower at the start but it picked up later on. I really loved the book's theme of finding the best use of your talents to help others. It is an important message and this is a fun read. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I have decided after reading all of Linden's books to date that her work always shows the following a.) a brilliantly authentic atmospheric trip to the settings she clearly knows wells and that feature so well under her competent pen, b.) a heart for adventures that take us beyond our comfort zones and open our hearts and challenge us to step out of our worlds, c.) clear and alluring prose that frames stories that foster two types of romance: that of the characters and the new worlds and settings around them, and a sly, wonderful romance that slowly blooms against beautiful descriptions.

In The Enlightenment of Bees, Linden ensures that her wonderful scenery that sweeps the reader is countered by the social justice issues a now hallmark undercurrent that strengthens and grounds her fiction.


This is the perfect book to lose yourself in and add to your literary passport.

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Bees are reading weakness of mine. It might be odd and random but I usually find myself gravitating to stories where bees play a role. Most of the time including those little fuzzy bugs means a home run. While The Enlightenment of Bees certainly was an enjoyable enough story, it lacked something big for me. And I think what it lacked was depth. There are some heavier topics and subject matters handled but there was no depth to back it up. I’ll get into it heavier shortly.

Mia is a woman whose been in a relationship for the last six year. Ethan is a dream boat who has it all going on. She is expecting him to finally pop the question that he has been dragging his feet on. But life isn’t always as we plan and hope. Mia had to learn that the hard way. While Ethan takes time, Mia uses her time to bake. That is until an opportunity to make a difference come forth. She packs up her bag and takes a shot at exploring the world and offering what help she can to make a difference.

In all honesty, this story is hardly original. This plot has been said and done many times. And I don’t expect all novels to be a brilliant idea that has never been touched. It simply is not realistic. But if you are going to write a novel with a plot that has been read before you have to set yourself apart somehow. There needs to be a profound variation or big twist that has not been done before. Unfortunately, I just didn’t get that from this novel.

I can appreciate what Linden was trying to accomplish. But I have to admit, I didn’t really have the emotional connection to this story that took my caring to the next level. I simply did not have a reader-character relationship with Mia that made me truly care about what happens. In reality, I felt like Mia had a very insular view on life as did the other characters. There were elements of an over the top party and extravagant arrangements before going on their journey. There was also an incident where Mia’s friend received a gift of outrageous proportions while trying to help refugees. Again, I understand what she was trying to do. How she was attempting to show readers growth but I just didn’t receive it well.

Also, Mia’s problems seemed damn ridiculous. You are dealing with refugees and homelessness. People who have experienced war torn countries and Mia’s over here worried about her ex-boyfriend. I feel as if Linden was trying to make light of an incredibly tough situation but it kind of missed the mark. Maybe I am being a harsh reviewer based on other novels that deal with the refugee crisis. But they possessed the proper elements. These authors were deep, emotional, painting reader’s a very real picture that made you uncomfortable. I can’t help but feel like Linden tried to coddle readers when the rawness is what is needed with a refugee story line. Overall, I think this novel was okay. But I think it lacked something essential.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a copy of this novel.

Please note: I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF BEES is a story of self discovery as the heroine finds that the life she had planned on has disappeared. She takes a chance to chase a dream, and finds that dreams can change. It's a heartfelt story of facing hard things and finding yourself and love through them. Recommended to women's fiction fans.

Mia has always felt that she wasn't quite enough or that her love of baking was enough. She wanted to sacrifice her time and travel helping those in need in some way that would change the world. I think many of us can relate to this. Few of us find that we can do that grand of a gesture, but most of us find small ways we can better the world. For Mia, she has to figure out for herself who she is and what she can do to make a positive impact in the world. I loved how easy it was to relate to those feelings and to her as a character. It was a tough for her to go through―to figure out what she may or may not be cut out for. All the while she faces some heartbreaking situations in the slums in India and the refugees streaming into Hungary. She is still so unsure of exactly what she will do and who she is, but eventually she figures it out.

I loved so many of the relationships in this story! There were old friendships and some newly formed. There was family. I especially loved Mia's brother, Henry, and the background noise and dialogue between him and his kids that just cracked me up and that I could relate to as a mother. I also adored her Nana Alice. What a dear, spunky lady. There was also a sweet romance that I felt didn't take over the story, but was a very enjoyable aspect of it. I liked that the story made me think and appreciate the good things in life. So many of us, particularly us women, feel like we need to be contributing in a meaningful way to the world and we don't always see our own roles as mothers or our own talents as doing that. This was a good reminder that we each have our own strengths and can find a way to use those in helping others.

There were a few very small things that I didn't feel quite fit the story. Maybe too many perfect endings to tie the story up, and a few other things that I wasn't completely okay with. However, these were minor.

There were quite a few poignant moments in this story and little nuggets of wisdom that I loved. Here are a few:

When I imagined this trip, imagined a life of service like Mother Teresa's, somehow I didn't factor in the people I would meet. I pictured how I would touch their lives, but I never thought about how they would touch mine.

"I think even small things can change the world for good."

"Remember, Mia, your place in this world is the space where your greatest passion meets the world's great pain. Go find your right place."

"Almost anything can change the world if it's done with love, if you use it to comfort, encourage, or strengthen someone."

In the end, was it what I wished for? I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! It's a story full of heart, finding the world is a hard place, and self discovery, with friendships, family, and romance. Definitely a book worth the read and one that would be a great pick for book clubs. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

Content: References to drug use, heavy drinking, and some violence.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through JustReadTours, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.

I really had a hard time getting into this book. The premise made me want to read it but it became a do not finish for me. I was very sad because I love the cover and really wanted to enjoy it.

How to find romance on a humanitarian mission? That's somehow what this book should be named.

Somehow I expected more depth, especially about the humanitarian trip.

The writing was good, but couldn't make up for the shallow plot.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I could not connect with the characters. I will day that the writing was very strong and the setting felt vivid and real. I think it will appeal to other readers, however, which is why I still will give it three stars. I would be interested in checking out other books by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for granting me early access to "The Enlightenment of Bees".

I'm currently in the middle of a major move, and will definitely come back at a later time and write out a full review and rating.

Thank you so much!