A wonderful story about teenage love, abuse, and the bond between a mother and her child. Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan write a page turner that I could not put down. Asher and Lily are high school students madly in love, One fateful day, Asher shows up at Lily's house to make up after a fight to find Lily dead. Who was at fault?

What an emotional read!! I read this book in 2 days I was unable to put it down.

Olivia McFee left an abusive relationship with her son Asher. She ended up with her father's beekeeping business and started a new life. Asher met Lily in school as she too moved with her mother for a new start. When Lily ends up dead eyes are on Asher.

What I loved most about this book is all the details that brought this story to life.

This story about domestic abuse, secrets, family, and love with emotional twists and turns makes this a moving read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a longtime fan of Jodi Picoult, always reading her books the first chance I get and this book does not disappoint! I was delighted to receive an arc and dove right it. This book reminds me of her older work, thought provoking with many layers, and full of twists. Jodi Picoult can tell a story and cover current social issues like no one else and the writing partnership with Jennifer Finney Boylan was seamless. This is a great book for old-time fans of Jodi Picoult that love being challenged by a deep dive on social topics. The many characters and their relationships will have me thinking about Mad Honey for a long time to come.

Olivia McAfee never expected to return to her New Hampshire hometown with her son Asher, to live in her parents' farmhouse, and to take up beekeeping after the death of her father. But after a dark turn in her marriage, here she is. And she and Asher have made a nice, quiet life with one another. Asher is happy, playing hockey on the high school team and dating Lily Campanello, who is new to town. Then one day Olivia receives a call that Lily is dead and Asher is being questioned by the police, and suddenly their idyllic existence is threatened.

This was an excellent and thought-provoking read by Picoult and her co-author, Jennifer Finney Boylan. I don't want to give much away, so I'll keep my review short. The story alternates between Lily and Olivia's point of views, with Lily's going backward in time, chronicling her relationship with Asher. It's a neat plot device, but a little confusing sometimes. MAD HONEY focuses on the fierce and tumultuous relationships between teens and between mothers and sons. It delves into domestic violence and gender identity in deep and explorative ways. It also features a very Picoult-like trial (featuring a reoccurring character you may recognize from a few of her other books). It was sad, but lovely and mesmerizing.

Olivia never thought she would be living in her childhood home taking care of bees, but when the love of her life became abusive, she fled with her son. Lily has also started a new life. She had been bullied at her last school and believes a fresh start is what her senior year needs. These two meet up because of Olivia’s son, Asher. He quickly falls for Lily and Olivia believes this is the change she was waiting for. That is until Lily is dead and the police believe Asher did it. Olivia knows her husband was abusive, but could her son have done the unthinkable?

Mad Honey is a realistic fiction story that covers domestic violence, small-town relations, and gender identity. The overarching story was wonderful and I’m glad I invested the time in the book, but I feel as if Picoult was jumping on the social issues bandwagon to push an agenda. I believe everyone needs a voice, but sometimes it feels as if agendas are the only topics acceptable now. A good read, but know there is more to the book than just a good story.

This book seemed like old school Jodi Picoult with great courtroom drama. I’ve loved all her books, but especially those that had that courtroom aspect. The co-authoring is seamless. I now need to read more from Jennifer Finley Boylan. The story is told from two points of view, Olivia and Lily. Olivia’s son, Asher is a third main character. I loved all of them; they will stay with me for a long time. Make sure you read the author’s notes after you read the book. I absolutely loved how this author collaboration came about.

Growing up on a small farm, Olivia loves nature and adores her bees. Her colonies are renowned in the area. They are feared by some, but everyone agrees her honey is fabulous. She lives quietly with her teenage son, Asher, and her bees. Her life used to be complicated, married to a prominent doctor whom no one would have believed was (and maybe still is) a violent abuser. Olivia no longer has bruises to hide, or any contact with him. Keeping this secret to herself, she finally feels safe. Asher doesn’t know about the beatings his mother endured, because Olivia keeps him away from his father. Or so she thinks. Teenagers often keep secrets.

One of Asher’s secrets is how close he has become with his girlfriend, Lily. Recently the teens became intimate and both are smitten, sure it is a lasting love. But Lily has a secret that is leaving her torn about telling Asher or just keeping quiet. As the tension builds, she shuts him out of her life, thinking it will be for the best. Sadly, he never hears the secret from her as there is a tragic accident, leaving her dead. Asher is devastated. Soon there are rumors that Lily’s death was not an accident. Perhaps it was murder.

Asher cooperates with the investigation, only wanting to help. Soon he is arrested for the murder of his girlfriend. He and Olivia are numb and in shock. How could this be happening? Olivia calls on her brother, who is a lawyer to defend her son. Sadly, Asher has to be remanded to jail to await trial. Bail is out of her reach; she may have to turn to someone she hates and fears for help. What lengths will a mother take to save her son from prison for the rest of his life?

The bombshell in this whole situation is the secret Lily was harboring. According to prosecutors, this was the motive for murder. How does the boy who loved a now dead girl prove his innocence? Especially with secrets of his own.

I loved this book. The depth of characters and twists in the plot as more is revealed is a reader’s dream. The subplot on bee keeping is fascinating. If I was a bit braver, I would love to keep bees. At the very least I’ll try some of the recipes that are included at the end of the book.

Jodi Picoult is hands down one of my favorite authors. I read all of her books and am delighted that she, like James Patterson, has begun co-authoring novels. The seamless writing between Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is perfectly melded into this unique and interesting novel. I have never read any books by best-selling author Boylan, but have added them to my list.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the Author and Netgalley and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2022 Laura Hartman

Once again Jodi Picoult does not disappoint. I was conflicted with whether Asher was guilty or was Lily's death an accident. Wow, this book took you on an emotional roller coaster. The ending left me stunned. I definitely recommend this book to everyone.

Jodi Picoult has been a favorite of mine for years for her ability to tackle difficult issues in a way that makes you think about them way after the last page. Her newest book is no different. This story focuses on two families both who know what’s it’s like to relocate. When one of the characters is accused of murder a mother has to decide how much she really knows her son. This story has suspense, unforgettable love-and self discovery.

Honestly, anything written or co-written by Jodi Picoult will pretty much always be a winner to me, and Mad Honey was no exception! First and foremost, the authors did an amazing job with the characters. They all felt so REAL, and I felt so connected to each one by the end of the book. Sort of in the same vein, I really liked all of the tidbits of information about bees and beekeeping and honey in general. I felt like it really helped me understand Liv as a person. The same could be said for Lily and her talk about music. Another thing I really enjoyed was the differing timelines among the differing POVs. Liv's POV is going forward in time, while Lily's goes backwards. It's really interesting to read Liv's chapters, read about a plot point, and then to read Lily's chapters and have that plot point explained. Since Lily is dead, this is really the only way we get to hear what really happened in the situations that are brought up in the trial. And finally, I feel like it wouldn't be a Picoult without a twist in the end, which I loved as always. I sat on this one with 4 stars for awhile, because I wasn't sure how I felt about the ending, but after awhile, I felt like everything was wrapped up so nicely, and aspects that may have felt rushed or glossed over were explained away in a succinct but non-dismissive manner. So here we. with yet another 5 star Picoult from me!

Loved learning about the beekeeping! But throw in all the hot topics and social issues and I'm turned off. What happened to enjoying the read? I've read a lot of the author's previous books that contains controversial subjects but this one is too much!

Olivia and her son escaped an abusive relationship years ago. She has settled on her family's farm where she, like her father raises honey and tends bees. Her son Asher, now entering his senior year helps her. Shortly after school starts Asher, a popular hockey player begins a friendship that turns romantic with a young lady named Lily. It will be life-changing for his family and hers. Asher does not see his father but longs for a relationship with him. Lily doesn't see hers either and doesn't want to. This book, like Kristin Hannah's last one, has a major surprise for its readers about halfway into it. It is heavy and readers will learn a lot from it. It may even be life-changing to some;. The two authors of this book tell a very good story. Its plot is well woven and it is told from the eyes of mother Olivia, son Asher, and girlfriend Lily. The characters themselves are what make this book. Kristin Hannah and coauthor Jennifer Finney Boylan develop them slowly but well. This book is about love, family, pain, and finding oneself in a crazy world. I enjoyed it as a reading and learning experience. Thanks to #MadHoney#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Picoult delivers another amazing story that teaches, makes the reader think, entertains and delivers a crazy plot twist! Olivia is a bee farmer. She left her husband years ago to move with her son Asher and take over her family's bee farm. Her husband was a successful doctor but what she hid from others was the years of abuse that she suffered from his hands. Asher grows up to be a bright, popular, athletic star of the local New Hampshire school. Juxtaposed with Olivia's point of view is Lily's POV. Lily is Asher's girlfriend. Towards the beginning of the story, Asher finds Lily dead in her house and he is charged with murder. Olivia's POV is full of her story and it affects how she views Asher now. Lily's POV takes us back into her past and why she left her old life on the West Coast and how she met and fell in love with Asher. Being a Picoult story (and also by the wonderful Jennifer Finney Boylan whose stories I need to check out), there is a shocking twist that I did not see coming. I won't spoil it here but I wanted to mention that all of the research done on that arc, plus the beekeeping was really fascinating. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review. I'm sorry that I'm done reading it-it was really an engrossing story.

Jodi Picoult has an undeniable talent for covering hard, divisive topics with empathy and grace and Mad Honey, co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan is no exception. Set against the backdrop of the death of a young girl, her boyfriend stands accused of her murder and the story itself is told in a series of flashbacks from the deceased as well as the present day point of view from the accused’s mother.

Picoult and Boylan take great care and diligence writing about domestic and child abuse, gender dysphoria, and attempted suicide. As someone who has recently read a lot of books about trans youth, I think this one has the potential to reach out to the masses in helping dispel some myths about the trans community and truly help protect trans kids.

The story itself is full of page-turning twists that will keep the reader guessing until the end. I highly recommend this for any fan of Picoult or those who love legal thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine, Jodi Picoult, and Jennifer Finney Boylan for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Jodi Picoult. I love the duo on this book as well. This was a good book and I cannot wait for it to be published so that I can purchase it.

I did not enjoy this book. It’s trying to hard to be relevant in today’s culture and I think it does a poor job. I have love Jodi Picoult books in the past but I would not recommend this one.

4 1/2⭐️ I really loved this book from page 1 to the last page of the authors’ notes!

I will try to write a spoiler free review. I believe this book would be best read knowing as little as possible!

What I liked:
•The book is written from 2 perspectives, Olivia, Asher’s mom and Lily (who is Asher’s teenage girlfriend). I could definitely relate to a maternal point of view the most.
•Olivia’s chapters dive deep into beekeeping. I’m always shocked at how much I enjoy Jodi Picoults deep dives into niche subjects! It was absolutely fascinating and found a way to weave into the bigger story.
•Lily’s chapters are thoughtful and sensitive to several issues. And also deep dive into fencing!
•Lily’s mother Ava’s mini dive into Forest Rangering ~ another interesting career choice.
•two authors collaborating to create an incredibly cohesive book

What I didn’t like:
•this could be my own fault, but I guessed the classic mid-novel Jodi Picoult twist. And I guessed the ending. So no big surprises. If I had been surprised by anything I would have given it a solid 5⭐️. But with that said, knowing didn’t make me appreciate the book any less. It was very well executed!

My hope is everyone who reads this book will learn something new and be inspired to be a better human 💙.

This book will be released October 4, 2022. Thank you to @netgalley and penguin random house for access to the digital ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

Book 65 of 2022

Amazing novel that I could not put down. This novel follows the story of a mother, Olivia, who finds a fresh start from an abusive marriage and a young teenaged girl Lily, who also strives for a fresh start in the same small town in New Hampshire. This novel takes us on a journey of young love through Lily's eyes when she falls in love with Olivia's son Asher. However, alternating points of view also share Olivia's story. Everything in this novel is not exactly how it seems. Both Lily and Asher are not entirely truthful as to who they are, which ultimately has dire consequences. The characters were well-developed and honest. This novel was intense and beautifully written, exploring themes such as domestic violence, gender identity and suicide. I could not put this novel down and did not anticipate the ending. Jodi Picoult has long been my favorite author due to her exploration of thought-provoking, relevant and timely content. I rate this novel as five stars and would give it more if I could.

On the surface, this is a tried-and-true trope: girl is murdered, boy is accused, mother stands by her son. But, as one might suspect with a book by Picoult and Boylan, there is a whole lot more going on here. There are several unexpected twists, not to mention more than a few turns. Told in alternating chapters, Olivia, Asher's mother, tells the story going forward from Lily's death and Lily herself tells her story going backward from the same time. Together, the two stories form a brilliant picture of Lily and Asher, together and separately, and of the difference between things that are private and things that are secret.

Are there a few hanging threads here? Yes. After making dramatic (re)entrances, both Lily and Asher's fathers sort of disappear. And there's a lot in here that would, in the hands of lesser writers, be deemed pedantic, as we learn the ins and outs of beekeeping, among other topics. Instead of feeling like information that isn't really relevant to the plot is being forced on me, as I have in other books, I just found it interesting, like I was just having a nice conversation with an acquaintance. And I really wish I could have a nice conversation with these characters. Or their authors.

This book had such promise and is well-written, however over the top on the controversial topics in the world today. I did enjoy learning about beekeeping. If the main characters were college vs high school students, I may have rated this higher. There are some sensitive topics in this book and I feel if some characters were more mature it would have been more appropriate when reading a book on this topic for leisure.