I did not finish this title. The summary omitted certain themes of the book (which I think would have been spoilers, but still should have been included), and one theme is one I avoid for traumatic personal reasons.

I didn’t finish this book at about halfway.
It was fine. The beekeeping descriptions are absolutely beautiful. The rest of the book I just struggled to get into. It felt drawn out. I never looked forwarded to picking it up.

SO GOOD! JP always knocks it out of the park and I loved the dual author style. As always it was a controversial topic approached in a compelling way.. I expect nothing less from her books. She nails it when it comes to forcing people to face their uncomfortable feelings towards others who are different from them.

Sometimes even when I figure out the twisty bits, I still love the ride. This was a joy to read even though I knew what was coming. Absolutely adored it. It had that normal Jodi Picoult “let’s make everyone think” tone throughout. I have been a fan of Jennifer Finney Boylan as well. It is not my first book of hers. This one reminded me more of a Celeste Ng book and that is a good thing.

Even if Jodi Picoult is not your jam, give this one a go. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. 4.5 stars from me!

This first thing I noticed about Mad Honey was how similar it was to Picoult's older books: provocative and thought-provoking with earth-shattering twists.

Similar to how Picoult has tackled school gun violence, domestic violence and mental health (among other things), Mad Honey combines the latter two in what is, truly, two love stories: that between a teenage boy and girl, and that between a mother and her son. Both stories are told by their respective female characters: Olivia, a beekeeping single mother to high school senior Asher; and Lily, Asher's musically-talented, general knowledge intelligent, new-to-town girlfriend. While the chapters in Olivia's point of view are told going forward, Lily's chapters tell the story backwards. Early on, we are given key pieces of information that, through Lily's POV, disclose how and when the information was given and changed each character.

The twist that halves the book was, unfortunately, spoiled for me; however, the spoiler was unsuccessful in depreciating how amazing the plot was. I have always appreciated the way that Picoult handles difficult social subjects, and she does a phenomenal job with Mad Honey and its subjects.

All in all, Mad Honey was about the freedom of CHOICE. The "what if" of the mystery surrounding what happened to Lily kept me on the edge of my seat, although the ultimate resolution left me a bit unsettled.

Jodi Picoult is a master story teller! This book left me speechless for a long time. It was an emotional rollercoaster. Picoult has an amazing way of sucking you into a story but also weaving in so many relevant life lessons. She makes you feel what characters feel...laugh with them, grieve with them, cry with them. I absolutely loved the social justice angle!

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

Picoult is always a thought-provoking author. This tale of beekeeping weaves personal choices and consequences into the modern tale of gender and acceptance. It's current, morally fluid, and will resonate with those redefining themselves in post-modern ways.

I always enjoy the storytelling. This time around, the values are so far from my own that I found myself shaking my head as I was thinking about the distance between what is accepted and promoted, and what is healthy for society and families.

I love Jodi Picoult books, and Mad Honey is so good. I really enjoyed the different identities this book explores, but I felt like it was trying to do too much when it flips in between Olivia and Lily's perspectives - however, I don't know how to change it and make it make sense. It just was a lot to digest and try to figure out where in the timeline things were happening because Lily's POVs go backwards and Olivia's POVs go forwards. Lastly, I didn't like the ending with Maya - I felt as if Maya should've been more involved in a sense if she were going to be the one guilty in the end of killing Lily. I was waiting for the pin to drop and, while I think Maya was a great choice, I wish I would've seen Maya and Asher's relationship a bit more throughout the book leading to that point.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC of the book.

Olivia McAfee is enjoying her quiet life in New Hampshire after she fled abusive relationship with her ex-husband. She took over her late father’s beekeeping business while raising a teenage son Asher. But everything changes when Asher is accused of his girlfriend’s Lily murder.

This is a beautiful story about feelings, insecurities, fears and love that we see through eyes of Olivia and Lily. This is a thought provoking book that left me both speechless and talkative at the same time. It raised so many important painful topics and questions that i think it would be a perfect book for any book club or buddy read.

Thank you Ballantine Books & Netgalley for the ARC of Mad Honey. Mad Honey is definitely one of my top reads so far for 2023. I was immediately intrigued by this story line and it kept me guessing right up until the very end! I loved how it was told through the perspectives of both Olivia & Lily. A truly unforgettable read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my eARC of Mad Honey in exchange for an honest review.

I have always loved Jodi Picoult’s storylines and writing style. I loved the interchanging voices of bother her and Jennifer Finney Boylan and the same interchanging voices of the novel’s main characters, Olivia and Lily. This story takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions and deals with major topics (abuse, transgender, etc) with the attention and care they deserve. It tells a fictional but believable story about real world things.

I really enjoyed this and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have read it! What a wonderful book!

The twists and turns in this book will have you reading past your bedtime. I highly recommend to anyone who wants a good read for this summer.

First, thank you to Random House, Ballantine, and Netgalley for a copy of this wonderful book.

REVIEW: “It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.”

To those of you who told me to read this -

Thank you. ♥️

This book was incredible. It was poignant, powerful, and moving. It tells the story of a victim of domestic violence, Olivia, who left her abusive husband with her son Asher, and started a new life in a small hometown. However, when Asher’s girlfriend dies, Asher is questioned by police and their lives change forever.

This book addressed SO many major, important topics in such a considerate, careful way. I cannot cover all them dude ti spoilers, but I will say that the authors did such a wonderful job of weaving these important issues into the story and constructing them with care.

It wasn’t one of those books where the authors were trying to check a “diversity box,” or something to that effect, to just bring it up and run; do you know what I mean? I hate when authors do that. They did fantastic research and follow-through ♥️

The courtroom scenes were electrifying. I was on the edge of my seat. Mayyy have been a bit unrealistic at times, but I loved it. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

There were twists, turns and surprises. The characters were well-done and thought-out.

Overall, this novel was honestly just perfection. I don’t even know what else to say.

🍯VERDICT: 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a strong story! I loved the how the love story broke down and how the impact of secrets affected this story. This was so good that I read it in two days. Highly recommend if you are looking for a great book to start today.

This is the first Jodi Picoult book that I have read, really enjoyed her writing her writing style and the book kept me interested in reading it. The way she presented controversial subject matter was powerful and it ended with a twist that I didn't see coming.
I hope to read more Jodi Picoult books in the future.

Olivia is starting over again after fleeing an abusive ex-husband. She's in her forties and getting her footing in her beekeeping business. Also, her son, Asher is doing well. He's found a lovely young girl...who just so happens to end up dead and as always, blame the boyfriend! Asher is accused of her murder. Is Asher like his father?
The character development is top notch. Things are not always what they seem. The abusive relationship is accurately portrayed. Loved this book. Thought it was a bit too long but it kept me riveted and shocked me to the core!
4.5 stars.

Lily has come to Adams hoping for a new start. New friends, a new school, even a new boyfriend, Asher. Things are looking up. Until a tragic accident occurs and Asher finds himself behind bars, accused of Lily’s murder.

Olivia McAfee, Asher’s mother, loves her son. And she knows she should trust him completely. But after suffering years of abuse at the hands of his father, how sure is she that Asher is nothing like him?

Of course, I loved the book. I first discovered my love for Jodi Picoult’s work in 2001, back when finding time to enjoy a novel was a luxury I could rarely afford. For Jodi’s books, though, I’d find the time, even if it meant reading into the wee hours of the morning, hiding behind the bathroom door, bribing the little ones with extra hours of PBS Kids. Now, I have all the time in the world to read. Too much time. And reading a Jodi Picoult novel takes me back to a time this mama’s heart has to brace herself for. Meaning, I’ve had this one on my Netgalley shelf for a moment, waiting until I felt tough enough to dive in. And then I absolutely devoured it. This book was co-authored by Jennifer Finney Boylan, who was new to me, but has completely won me over.

Just read the book. It’s beautiful and heart-breaking, but also encouraging and inspiring. And for the love of Pete, allow it to teach you something. Too many learning opportunities are wasted by people who use every excuse to avoid them.

Thanks to Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Ballantine and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Mad Honey is about a beekeeper whose son is accused of first degree murder after his girlfriend is found dead. She fights for him with the love of a mother, while struggling to fully embrace his innocence. The majority of the novel plays out in court and trial proceedings, and shocking secrets are revealed.

This was my first book by Jodi Picoult or Jennifer Finney Boylan. Although crime books are not a usual read, Mad Honey kept my attention the whole way through with a timely twist I did not see coming. I’m rating 5 stars and recommend for Pride month!

Thank you to Net Galley for an e-copy of Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finley Boylsn in exchange for a honest review. This is the first Jodi Picoult book I have read but it won’t be the last.This is a gripping, haunting and emotional book on so many levels.It is the story of Olivia , a beekeeper who has fled an abusive relationship with her husband Braden, a doctor .Her teenage son, Asher meets Lily, a transgender girl and falls in love.When Lily is found by Asher at the bottom of her stairs, Asher is the logical suspect.Did he do it? Read the book and find out.This book taught me so much about transgender people and beekeeping besides being such an emotional read.Highly recommend!