3.5 rounded up

Thanks for the ARC @netgalley! I’m a day late, this new thriller was published yesterday. I’m new to Picoult’s work, having only read her recent “Wish You Were Here” which is one of my favorites from 2021. While I’m glad I read “Mad Honey” as it deftly handled complex themes, it ultimately missed the mark for me.

Olivia fled her dark and abusive past to start over with her son Asher in an idyllic small New England town. Everything is perfect: until Asher’s girlfriend Lily is found dead and her son is blamed. She doesn’t want to believe her sweet son could commit murder, but she wonders how much of her ex’s temper rubbed off on their son. This book alternates between Olivia and Lily’s narratives as the plot unfolds for the reader.

Boylan wrote Lily’s chapters while Picoult wrote Olivia’s (although the author’s note said they each took on a chapter of the others.) This writing setup was effective and had distinct voices for each MC. While I cared about both women, I found this book extremely dragged out. Olivia is a beekeeper and there were lots of tidbits on the profession, including bee folklore and history. While all interesting, it felt unnecessary in the grand scheme of the book, especially when I found the entire ending so rushed that I was speechless!

I’m glad I read this and enjoyed DMing with @emilybooked up about it (check out her review on this!), I wanted more from this book.

✨Trigger Warnings: Death of a Parent, Domestic Violence, Suicide Attempt, Transphobia

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I read a few books from Jody Picoult over the years & always enjoyed her writing so I was super excited to see that she had a new collaborative novel with author Jennifer Finney Boylan.
"Mad Honey" is a well written & addictive drama about love, loss & the power of secrets.
I also enjoyed the backstory about beekeeping, I thought it was very interesting & educational.

Author Jodi Picoult has the ability to take very current issues and weave them into astoundingly emotional tales that keep readers glued to the pages from start to finish. Often the details of the story, and the sheer averageness of the characters, mask the surprise of the controversy hidden within it. I will not share the details of MAD HONEY because readers should discover it themselves. Suffice to say, Picoult once again provides both plot and characters sufficient to keep readers going long into the night. I read this in one sitting and could not put it down. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

JUST WOW. This one is so powerful! A must read that I won't soon forget with such a great twist half way through I DID NOT see coming!!!

A GMA Book club pick for October, this story is about mothers and sons, the dark natures people have inside them, seeing beyond labels and overcoming trauma.

I went into this book pretty blindly and I don't want to give too much away. Jodi Picoult has such a talent for writing about books that focus on timely and important topics and this book was no different! Reading it will take you on a journey and have you re-examining how you think about the world in the most necessary of ways.

The pairing with author Jennifer Finney Boylan was truly well done. I wouldn't have been able to tell there were two distinct writers - everything was so seamlessly done. Plus the fact that the idea for this story originated with Boylan and their unique perspective/experiences really shone through and I couldn't have imagined it being written any other way.

Great on audio narrated by Carrie Coon and Key Taw (with a wonderful interview between the two authors included at the end). I wasn't planning to buy this book but after I finished listening to the audiobook I knew it was one that needed a place on my forever shelf.

Highly recommended for fans of The music of bees by Eileen Garvin, This is how it always is by Laurie Frankel or The good son by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Much thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for early digital copies of this book in exchange for my honest review!

CW: transphobia, domestic violence

Summary: When Olivia McAfee takes her young son, Asher, back home to the town she grew up in, she is content running her fathers bee keeping business while watching him grow. 12 years later, Lily Campanella and her mom Ava arrive in town and immediately Asher becomes infatuation with Lily. And then Olivia received the phone call that will forever change their lives - Lily is dead and Asher is being questioned by the police.

Thoughts: My favorite thing about Jodi Picoult is that her work always centers around a particular social issue. No matter what it is she is writing about, she always does a deep dive, looking at the issue from many angles getting to the heart of each and every perspective. Her work in Mad Honey, along with Jennifer Finney Boylan is no different.

The character development in this story is stellar, with two distinct voices telling two completely distinct stories. By the time the book reached its conclusion, there was not a single character involved that I didn’t feel a profound and emotional connection to.

This story is told in dual timeline fashion, but with the past told out of order. Although it adds significantly to the tone of the story, it can be a little confusing at times, so make sure this story has your full attention especially during the chapters set in the past. Ultimately, though, I cannot imagine a better way to tell this story.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Although it is without a doubt one of the saddest books I have ever read, it is by far one of the most beautiful. This book is releasing today, and I implore you to give this one a go. I promise you, it will not disappoint.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for my ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I have already purchased a copy of my own to cherish.

This is the best book that I have read this year. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book that is a wonderful story.
Jodi Picoult coauthored this book with Jennifer Finney Boylan who had this plot come to her in a dream. The story is about Lilly, a teenage transgender female along with her boyfriend and their parents. This book has a sweet teenage romance but that is not the main attraction. The mothers were married to and escaped from abusive men and both are very protective of their offspring.
Each character was fleshed out to seem real with assets and foibles both. I highly recommend this book, whether you read Jodi or not. In wish that I could give it more than a five star rating. It also has very clever passages about beekeeping and I learned a lot from those.

Thank you Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan, NetGalley, and Ballantine Books for the eARC!

Olivia moves back home with her son, Asher, leaving her abusive marriage tending to her father's beekeeping business. Someone else who knows what starting over feels like is Lily, who has also moved to New Hampshire, after a roller coaster of a life she has already endured. Both feel like this is the fresh start they both need. Their paths cross when Olivia's son Asher starts dating Lily. Things seem absolutely perfect. Lily is happy with Asher, and Olivia's bee business is thriving. Until Olivia receives a call that Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned for it. Olivia knows her son is innocent but as the case unfolds, so do hidden secrets and lies. Olivia has seen Asher's anger before, could it be possible? Will history repeat itself? Had Lily been honest with everyone about her intentions?

Wow. Although this book was long, and at times a slow burn, it was not what I was expecting AT ALL (in a good way). I was not expecting to be what it was. For the sake of not spoiling anything, the second half of this book touched on so many different issues as a society, we are currently facing. It was moving, breathtaking, and I showed the will and strength of a mother - on top of abuse, identity, and everything in between. These ladies knocked it out of the ball park with this one! Truly an amazing story.

Mad Honey
By Jodi Picoult and
Jennifer Finley Boylan

A Delightful Interwoven Tale That is Grabbing and Gut-wrenching

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Olivia McAfee was living in Boston and married to a successful heart surgeon twelve years ago. She and her husband Braden were raising their young son Asher when Olivia had enough. Braden is a charismatic gentleman in public but was controlling and violent at home. And not just with her. Olivia takes Asher and heads to her family’s home in Adams, New Hampshire, and takes over her father’s family beekeeping business.

Years later, Ava Campanello, a forest ranger, and her smart and musically talented daughter, Lily, are looking for a fresh start and are running away from a past. They also land in Adams, New Hampshire, for Lily’s senior year of high school. Lily and Asher meet at school, and they quickly become close. Finally, Lily is the happiest she has ever been. But she is unsure if she can trust Asher with the reality of her past.

When Olivia receives a phone call from Asher, their lives are changed forever. Lily is dead, and the police are questioning Asher. Lily knows there is no way Asher could have hurt Lily, but when she thinks of her ex-husband's violence, Asher’s father, she wonders…

“Mad Honey comes from bees that forage on rhododendrons and mountain laurel, and it’s full of poisonous grayanotoxins. It causes dizziness, nausea and vomiting, convulsions, cardiac disorders, and more. Symptoms last for 24 hours and although rarely, if left untreated can be fatal.

REVIEW
MAD HONEY is about secrets kept and secrets revealed. It’s a delightfully interwoven tale that is both grabbing and gut-wrenching. It’s a love story, a murder mystery, a family drama (or two), and a courtroom brawl all rolled into one book. It’s a highly compelling and enlightening story.

Co-author Jennifer Finley Boylan dreamt this captivating novel into being. She woke up one morning from a dream that she had co-written a novel with Jody Picoult with characters similar to Olivia, Lily, and Asher. She mentioned her dream on Twitter, and these two fabulous best-selling authors got together and actually made it happen. And what a story they wrote.

The writing is delightful, and the descriptions are vivid. About halfway through the book comes an unexpected, revealing moment that will have you gasping. Not only did the authors illuminate significant issues, but they also interspersed fun and educational information about bees and beekeeping.

The story is told from both Olivia's and Lilly’s perspectives. Olivia's storyline is in the present, moving forward with flashbacks to the past. Lily’s timeline starts with her death and goes backward in time. Both Olivia's and Lily's stories are full of strength, determination, and courage. MAD HONEY just may be your next great read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“The secret weapon of mad honey of course is that you expect it to be sweet, not deadly. You’re deliberately attracted to it. By the time it messes with your head, with your heart, it’s too late.”

Publisher October 4, 2022
Published Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

WOW. This was an absolutely stunning book. Compelling, impossible to put down and really will leave you questioning everything. It is one of those books that immediately after finishing, I wanted to flip to the beginning and start it all over again.

There's a big twist about halfway through and I actually did not know anything about it! I highly recommend going in blind to this book if you can, because I think it makes the story so much more impactful.

This book is a mix of contemporary fiction, murder mystery in a small-town setting, but is really a character driven book. And these characters really touched me.

The only thing I didn't love was the use of flashbacks/timeline. The flashbacks are nonlinear (actually going backwards) which I did not pick up on right away, so that was a bit confusing. But once I understood where we were going, I think it was very effective in the storytelling.

It's been twelve years since Olivia escaped her abusive husband and returned to her hometown, six year old son Asher in tow, to take over her father's beekeeping business. Now her life is comfortable, her son is doing well... until she gets a phone call that he's being held for questioning for the death of his girlfriend.
Fun the blurb: "Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves."
How well do we really know our children? Olivia must ponder this throughout Asher's trial. If she can't believe 100% in his innocence, how can she expect a jury to? I liked reading about her unique beekeeping experience. This book also gave me a new perspective on gender identity that I never thought about before. This author has a way of taking current events and through her characters, giving us a whole new perspective. Each author wrote the chapters for the separate POV, but they blend so seamlessly that I didn't even realize it until I read the author's note. Another great book by one of my favorite authors.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

REVIEW POSTED TO INSTAGRAM AND GOODREADS ON RELEASE DAY, OCTOBER 4

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Jodi Picoult, and Jennifer Finney Boylan for providing me with an eARC of this book. This is my honest review. Potential spoilers to follow.
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Mad Honey is a timely story about family, true love, and our ability to grow. Books by multiple authors always make me nervous. I’m scared their voices won’t mesh and that the story presented will feel jumpy instead of feeling like one cohesive work. That wasn’t an issue here. I fell into this book incredibly fast and finished it in one day. These characters, their experiences, their emotions, everything, felt very real. They kept me reading as much as the need to find the answer to the mystery did. Overall, I felt that Picoult and Boylan told a heart-wrenching story that will hopefully open avenues for people to address topics and communities that they previously hadn’t.
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Disclaimers:
While I enjoyed this book and appreciated its messages, I’m not trans myself and therefore I cannot fully opine on whether the representation of trans people in this book is accurate.

Please check TW/CW before reading this book. Potential TW/CW include, but are not limited to, self-harm, depression, physical abuse, transphobia, and homophobia.
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Mad Honey is available for purchase now wherever books are sold.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Jodi Picoult book! I went in completely blind, which I highly suggest. It made multiple parts of this story even more emotional and heartbreaking. I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll just simply say… this book is a murder mystery, with some romance, a court trial, and many lies and secrets. I loved the writing; it was beautiful and flew by fast despite the length of the book. There was so much research put into this book, and I felt it could have been a real case going on in the media today. The one thing I did not love was the quick ending. There was a twist near the end that was meant to wrap up any questions the reader might have about the main character(s). I was not a huge fan of this twist, but I did see the irony the authors were trying to create. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will definitely be picking up another Jodi Picoult book in my future. 4 stars!

I have read every book by Jodi Picoult and this is the first one I have read by Jennifer Finney Boylan. I thought this was a great book that really made me think from all sides of the story and that they did a really nice job together. This novel is about secrets, starting over, protecting our children, and so much more, but it’s hard to say much without giving away too much of the storyline. I went into this without knowing much and was moved by this book and I know it will stay with me. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I am impressed by authors who can come together and write a cohesive and powerful
story.

I went into this one blind. I requested this book because of the authors, the cover and the title. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything for you. I will say this one kept me in suspense and the court room scenes and big reveal made my jaw drop.

I loved the beekeeping component and the beehive as a metaphor for the character’s life tied in so perfectly with the story.

This one came out today, 10/4/22- definitely check it out. Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine for this ARC.

I think I will be in the minority on this one. I was so excited to read it, but it wasn’t for me.

I really loved the idea for this book - and even the inspiration for it (a dream to write a book about these characters with Jodi Picoult that came true)! What a fantastic setup!

I really liked the characters and the basic plot of the story. I enjoyed learning about “the birds and the bees” (both figuratively and quite literally). The parallels between the two families were also pretty interesting and not too obvious or outlandish.

Unfortunately, I thought it felt like YA for half of it and the story was WAY too long. It dragged so much - it could have easily been 100-200 pages shorter. In fact, I think I probably could have read the beginning and the end and got the same thing out of it. It’s just SO MUCH back story.

I think this is an important novel based on its ideals, but it was like kicking a dead horse over and over again for me.

Also… I did not love the end. It was forced and a little ridiculous. I didn’t see it coming because it didn’t make sense.

I absolutely adore Jodi Picoult and now her work with a fellow author, Jennifer Finley Boylan on the latest novel, Mad Honey. Picoult has never found a controversial, ethically gray or purely divisive topic that she won’t explore every facet of to place her characters into challenging situations. This book is no exception. It tackles an issue that is misunderstood and largely in the spotlight purely for political show. As with many political hot potatoes, this is one of those “social” issues that people generally make determinations about how they feel based on a few snippets from their favorite news station rather than actually researching the issue for themselves or talking to someone it has touched personally.
This book is a much needed push to educate people about an issue that rarely affects any specific family on a routine basis but is important to understand so that an educated decision can be made about how to talk about it or when meeting a person that it affects. I love this style of writing. A great message with an intriguing and difficult story that handles tough topics with grace and love.
I would highly recommend this book and picking it up without a lot of detail. Just know that it is completely worth the read.
Loved it!
#MadHoney #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishingGroup #BallantineBooks

Authors Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan provide a seamless story that doesn't feel like two writers were involved. You would never know that each author wrote chapters for either Olivia or Lily (and then wrote 1 chapter for the other character). The story flows so well and the voices are strong and believeable.

From the blurb: "Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in, and taking over her father's beekeeping business.

Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.

Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in him, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her."

I appreciate the various timelines and viewpoints leading up to Lily's death and the courtroom/police procedural drama after her death. The writing was so good, it felt like I was right there watching and learning in real time. This is a story that will have you reading into the night to peel back all the layers. With secrets, lies, love and loss, the book covers a lot of ground. I was expecting a what happened and who done it type of tale and I discovered so much more.

Mad Honey is deeply moving and true to today's world issues. Picoult and Boylan tackle suicide, domestic abuse, gender identity and domestic abuse. There are meaningful discussions of bigotry, all the ways people can be horrible to each other, and how people often hate what they can’t or refuse to understand. Everything is approached with sensitivity and a trueness to life.

In addition to all of these heavy issues, the authors also layer in the trials and tribulations of beekeeping. I learned so much from this book. I found two women (mothers) who love their children and want to do what's right for them.

Mad Honey is enlightening and definitely in my top 10 reads of the year!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House - Ballantine Books and authors Picoult and Boylan for sharing a powerful story that will change the way we see the world.

I had a lot of mixed feelings and kept going back and forth, particularly throughout the first half of the novel. It starts off slowly and while I understand that we needed to build out the characters, I struggled to get into this book. The seemingly arbitrary and extremely in-depth detailing of bees also threw me for a loop and made it harder to get into the narrative.

About halfway through, though, the story began unraveling quickly and became much more compelling. The story jumps back and forth in time and is told through two different perspectives – Olivia’s and Lily’s – while Olivia’s son Asher is on trial for his girlfriend Lily’s murder. The two perspectives humanized each of them in a way that couldn’t have been achieved if there had only been one narrator.

This was an important story to tell and I loved learning more about gender identities and how they can be so different for every individual. I don’t have a ton of exposure or first-hand experience in this area, so that twist was my favorite part of reading this book. For that reason more than anything else, I thought this was an important story to tell because we don’t have enough diverse voices out there.

3.5 rounded up.
I wasn't quite sure how to rate this one. It was a good story, I liked Lily and Asher's relationship (I really liked Lily), and there are several issues in this book that are very timely and well written. The beekeeping and honey harvesting were very interesting and educational but I felt it sometimes was a bit too much. Perhaps it was a way to show how tending to the bees helped calm Olivia during the difficult and stressful time that was going on in her life because of her son Asher being on trial for the murder of Lily? The trial scenes were good and kept my interest, although I didn't care for the prosecutor very much. There were a couple of twists in the book. The first one was a surprise. Didn't see that coming at all. And even though I had my suspicions, the second twist was a little disappointing.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the review copy.

BOOK REVIEW: Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
2022 Publication Date: October 4

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

T.I.M.E. Favorite Books To Read
T.I.M.E. Best Book Club Books
T.I.M.E. Best Books By Genre | Contemporary Fiction
T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2022

CONNECT WITH A BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
Whatever you are holding in your heart that needs to bloom... Bring it out of the darkness and let the sun shine on it...

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW:
Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan have teamed up to deliver a powerful Best Contemporary Fiction Book of the year... Controversial? Yes. Page-turning? Yes. Hopeful? That's up to each one of us...

Because the experience of reading this remarkable book would be extremely diminished by providing too many details... I am always going to support you in making sure you are not robbed of potentially having the stunning experience I had in reading this story by keeping my book reviews free of any spoilers... Or even a faint whisper of what lies ahead for you as a reader.

All I will say is it is difficult to place this book in a genre as Mad Honey delivers in multiple modern books genres... Contemporary Fiction with a strong love story, a suspenseful plot line, and even incredibly encyclopedic beekeeping passages.

Bottom line... Mad Honey would be a fabulous contemporary novels Best Book Club Book selection for your book club... You will have plenty to unpack, discuss and explore. And I would love to be a fly on the wall (or should I save "bee in the hive"?!) of any book club discussion on this book... Please invite me!

Perfect for readers who are looking for that elusive book that is heart-racing, heart-stopping... and heart-inspiring.

On a final note to the authors...
Thank you, Jennifer, for saying "yes" to your dream and putting that dream up for grabs... And... Thank you, Jodi, for grabbing onto it and saying "yes"... Let's do it...

Your book has burrowed into my soul... May we all be willing to open our eyes and hearts to create space in this world for everyone...

With love and gratitude... ✨😎✨

Pages: 464
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Sub-Genre: Crime Fiction
T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶 (Mild Spicy)
Time Period: Present Day
Location: New Hampshire (New England Region, US)

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
Movie: Disclosure (Netflix)

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
If you're looking for your next great read, look no further than Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan... Just what you are looking for! This novel is a soul-stirring exploration of what we choose from our own life to keep and what we choose to leave behind.

Told through the perspective of two characters... one mother, one young woman... in opposing timelines... one moving forward, one moving backward. This book is a riveting American epic small-town page-turner that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. With an unforgettable love story.

Picoult and Boylan are no strangers to writing the best contemporary novels. Between the two of them, they have over fifteen New York Times bestsellers. And it's easy to see why their books are so popular. They are master storytellers who weave together complex characters and modern fiction plots with ease. Mad Honey is no exception.

For the first time, Picoult and Boylan team up in this duo's first novel to expertly explore the complicated relationships between mothers and children, the weight of secrets, secret history, and the healing power of forgiveness.

Mad Honey is a beautifully written modern classic novel. Each main character will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION:
• Our past shapes who we are, but it's not always what we choose to keep that defines us.
• Forgiveness is a powerful tool for healing.
• The relationships between mothers and children are complex... perfect and imperfect.

BOOK QUOTE:
"People always talk about how their love for you is unconditional. Then you reveal your most private self to them, and you find out how many conditions there are in unconditional love." — Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

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All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.