I loved this book. This book is co-authored by Jennifer Finney Boylan. I always learn something from Jodi's novels and this was no exception. One of the things I learned about was bee-keeping. Honestly, only Jodi Picoult could make that an interesting read. And that was just one thing. I love the twists in this novel and happy the big one came in the middle. I love that this book featured a return to the courtroom drama and the lawyer from previous books. Wonderful, thought-provoking, heart-breaking, educational and hopefully discussion inducing.. read this book!

Like other readers, as soon as I got this copy, I jumped right in and was excited to read. Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan partnered together to seamlessly tell a story that touches on another topic in society today that some people still struggle to understand and accept. This story follows Olivia and her son Asher who are starting over on Olivia's hometown, caring for her family's bees and recovering from a painful marriage. Asher's friend Lily is also starting over at a young age, moving to town with her Mom. The story follows Asher and Lily, their relationship, and Lily's sudden and unexpected death, and the investigation and accusations that follow.

My respect for Picoult grows exponentially after reading each of her books, and especially after hearing her speak last summer about systemic racism. She has inspired me to learn more, be better, and speak out, and I admire her greatly for her voice in the world.

I'm normally a fan of Picoult (I've loved every one of her books except one) and this book is no different - hitting it again out of the ballpark. When an arc of Mad Honey appeared in my inbox, I couldn't be more happy. This literally made my weekend.

The book starts out with Olivia and her son Asher. You begin to hear about them, their past, and their life. Olivia makes her living as a beekeeper. So, not only are you following the main story - the book enter twines facts about bees and beekeeping as they relate to what is going on around them. Then comes Asher's girlfriend - Lily. Their relationship and how it unfolds. All of a sudden, Lily is found dead one day and Asher becomes the main suspect. Asher goes on trial and it is revealed that Lily was trans, she was in fact born a male. This allows another plot line to enter the novel, a beautiful one. They explain more about Lily's life and who she was before she came to meet Asher.

They had multiple sources of attention throughout the books, which was a great. Just went you thought the entire storyline was unveiled, they put something else in the book that added another layer of beauty to this book. I was shocked at the ending. It was one of those ending's that you think the book is over and you know everything, but then something else comes into play.

All and all, another A+ must read for anyone.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Heartbreaking novel about a love story, abuse, a death, a trial, a confession, and mothers--not necessarily in that order. It is also about unrequited love and a horrible betrayal of sorts that needs some sort of justice but none is offered.

I love this novel and highly recommend it. It will most likely be banned in Florida high schools and elsewhere, so everyone should definitely read it.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine Books and NetGalley for sending me an ARC to provide my honest review.

Olivia McAfee has built a new life as an apiarist (beekeeper) in her hometown after she left her ex—a surgeon with a dark side. Her son Asher is the most important person in her life and Olivia is shocked when Asher calls her from the police station—his girlfriend, Lily, is dead, and he is being questioned. Lily and her mom had moved to New Hampshire for a fresh start as well, where she met and fell in love with Asher. Now, Lily’s young life has been cut short, and as secrets begin to surface, Olivia has to decide if she truly believes in her son’s innocence.

When I was offered an ARC of this book, I sped my way through the end of the book I was already reading so I could start this, and subsequently read the entire thing in a day. This book was actually written with a co-author, but Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Boylan’s writing blends seamlessly together. As expected with any Picoult book, this one addresses an issue that is very relevant today in a way that is sensitive and respectful. The authors helped me to really empathize with Olivia and Lily and put myself in their shoes. I didn’t see the big twist in the storyline coming at all!

I really enjoyed the information about bees that was intertwined throughout the story too, along with the courtroom drama that is characteristic of many Picoult books. I love that I can enjoy a riveting story, but also coming away with more knowledge on a topic after reading her books. I haven’t read any of Boylan’s other work, but will definitely be looking into it now!

I can’t say much without giving up what makes this book so powerful, but know that this story is one that will stay with you and just may give you a new perspective that you haven’t really considered before. When it releases in October, be ready to drop everything and get reading!

This is a story about a single mom, Olivia, and her son Asher. Olivia is a bee keeper and Asher, 18, is into hockey. Another character is Lily who plays the cello but her cellist prowess is overstated in the book (does she ever practice?). Asher and Lily begin dating and after 3 months Lily is dead and Asher is arrested for killing her.
But did he? Picoult surreptitiously weaves doubt about his guilt and about half way through the book she drops a bombshell.
The owner of the music shop where Lily buys her cello strings is trans and Picoult explores this topic as well as an in-depth knowledge of bee keeping. Picoult also throws in little nuggets of information like - loons mate for life, or - sea otters tie themselves in kelp when they sleep so they don’t float away. While these seem like off the wall snippets, they actually tie into the story line.
I did not like the gender specific instruments in the book. All boys play brass, all boys play bass (I am a female professional bass player), and all girls play flute. I know the point Picoult is making, but this isn’t the route.
Otherwise, this was a real page turner full of character development and suspense. Like her other books, I put the book down only when my eyes couldn’t focus any longer.

Once again JP delivers a sensational novel that both entertains and educates. Her co-author, Jenniter Finney Boylan adds a realistic voice to the transgender teenager Lily. As always, Picoult introduces a new subject - beekeeping - as a backdrop to her story. The characters ring true and leave the reader sad but noprful.

An ARC by Jodi Picoult? Yes please! This book consumed my entire weekend. This incredible, deep, passionate book tells of the art of bee keeping intertwined with love, abuse, family and a shocking twist.
I appreciated the attention to detail on all subject matters, including the courtroom drama. This book has it all. Thank you for this collaboration, one that will stay with readers for a very long time.
Also appreciated the honey recipes!

As may be expected from these authors, this novel is both memorable and thought provoking. The characters are incredibly well developed and their interactions are masterfully and flawlessly drawn. Mostly, they are incredibly complex, nuanced, and human. Several societal issues are addressed here, including spouse abuse, child abuse, betrayal, and a myriad of transgender questions. With incredible sensitivity the authors are able to allow the reader to experience all of these through the eyes and heart of the people who actually live these stories. There is no judgement, no preaching by any character.
You will be taken on a journey you will never forget, and learn about yourself in the process.

Another beautifully written emotional moving Jodi Picoult novel.Her characters the storyline kept me engaged from first page to last.A thoughtful involving novel that I will be recommending.#netgalley #randomhouse

This book immediately hooked me and I wanted to know what really happened to Lily. I really enjoyed learning more about Olivia and Lily, as well as their pasts, as the story went on. I learned so much too from both of them. I would highly recommend this book.

I will read anything that Jodi Piccoult writes! She has a way of entertaining and educating the reader at the same time. Beautifully written. Terrific character portrayal. Sorry when it ended!! Thank you for letting me read it!!

This is a powerful story of two families like no other. It’s about honey and bees, romantic relationships, and issues that are rarely discussed. It starts in 2018 and takes place in a small town of New Hampshire where it’s usually quiet in neighborhoods with kids playing in the fields.

Olivia is a beekeeper raising her son, Asher. He meets the new girl in town, Lily, at his High School and they quickly fall for each other. Lily’s mom, Ava, is raising her daughter on her own. The reader gets a glimpse of their lives and as the book progresses, one finds out more. The chapters go back and forth in time with perspectives from Olivia and Lily. The authors carefully crafted continued suspense.

There were many times that I would pause for words that couldn’t be clearer. Lilly who had just moved with her mom across the country said, “If you get to do anything at all on earth, it’s live your own life, not some sort of ghost version of somebody else’s.” I only wish someone said this to me when I was her age.

Two authors created this masterpiece; both successful. However, each remarked about how they had to release their own sense of control to do this project together. To me it was like one person pieced together this incredible soulful story. It was emotional and complex with so much to comprehend.

My thanks to Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of October 4, 2022.

I appreciated getting the opportunity to read an advance copy of this latest book by Jodi Picoult and her co-author Jennifer Finney Boylan. I was happy to have this introduction to Boylan, as the book was very well-written and they must have done a great job collaborating, since it appeared to be written by one person.

This would be a perfect book for book discussion groups since it covers many big issues. Although I didn't enjoy reading about some of the terrible, violent events in the book, I still was glad to have read it. Unlike many other readers, I was bored by the detailed descriptions of beekeeping, but it was easy to skim through them. I was very surprised by some of the revelations in the book, but I don't want to spoil it for others. Suffice it to say that the book went in an unexpected direction, and I appreciated learning about the subject.

I hope other readers don't read too much about the book ahead of time so that they can enjoy the surprises. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this thought-provoking book.

Powerful, intense, informative, engaging, compelling, and suspenseful are all words that I would use to describe this can't put down novel. I have read several books by Jodi Picoult before and my jaw always drops at some point in the novel when I am absolutely stunned at the twist. This book was no exception.

There are two voices in this novel, Oliva and Lily. Olivia is the mother of Asher. She is from a small town in New Hamshire and she is a bee keeper. Lily, a teenager in highschool has recently moved to New Hampshire and has fallen madly in love with Asher. Both are keeping secrets from the ones they love and are trying to escape things in their past. Then one day Lily is found dead and Asher is accused of murdering her. What follows is a novel filled with twists and turns in a quest to find out the truth.

I do not want to give anything away but I found this book informative and not just the parts about bees. It really helped to open my eyes which is why reading a great book can be so transformative. I did not want to stop reading this because I had to know how it ended. A very moving and powerful book!

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Random house for this advance copy.

I just reviewed Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult; Jennifer Finney Boylan. #MadHoney

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published October 4, 2022.

I’ve been a fan of Jodi Picoult’s book for decades, and this book does not disappoint. Even though it was a collaboration with Jennifer Finney Boylan the construction is seamless. (Be sure to read the Author’s Notes at the end to learn how this partnership started and who wrote what…)

Without revealing any spoilers (of which there are many), this book tackles two important topics and is told against a setting of bees! As with all JP books she does her research! 🐝

The plot begins with 2 moms and 2 teenagers. Told in alternating points of view and in non-chronological order, we learn about a death. Much of the book is set in a courtroom where you can’t help believing what each side presents.

Put this at the top of your To Read list come October!

“Mad honey comes from bees that forage on rhododendrons and mountain laurel , and it is full of poisonous grayanotoxins…”It can cause hallucinations and other psychiatric effects.” It’s a darker color but it looks like all honey. Mad honey causes changes. So do love, passion, violence, secrets and lies. Mad Honey, by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, is full of all these.

Two single mothers, Ava Campanella and her daughter Lily and Olivia McAfee and her son Asher, have relocated to Adams, New Hampshire for deeply personal reasons. Hockey star Asher and quirky, intelligent Lily fall in love. When Lily is found after a fall with Asher cradling her dead body, he is arrested for her murder.

Without spoilers, that is a simple description of plot. What is left out is what makes Mad Honey compelling, incredibly moving, suspenseful and informative. Buy two copies of this book - one for you and one for a friend so you’ll have someone to talk to. Recommend it to your book club. It will be a memorable discussion. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan for this ARC.

I loved 99% of this book so much. My knowledge of transgender women and men was expanded by beautifully written paragraphs and meaningful character conversations. Getting to understand the lives of bees was fascinating in its own right as well. I wanted this book to go on much longer, and I want to read it again already to absorb more of the beautifully written language. The only thing that threw me was the very end (chapter before the epilogue) - did it really need that kind of resolution? It seemed like a cheap throw away. I would have been happier to leave something to my own imagination. (Those who have read the book will know what I'm talking about- the strange confession that was very out of place). Otherwise, a perfectly wonderful book.

About this book Jodi Picoult says "I'd like you to give-a chance, a thought, a damn" This book is needed right now and everybody should read it. It is heartbreakingly beautiful and at times, hard to read. In the end I gave -a chance, a thought, a damn and so much more. I hope this book makes people realize love is love.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I will NEVER turn down the opportunity to read a Picoult early! In true fashion for Picoult, she tackles a relevant controversial issue while bringing you to tears at the same time. This one follows two single mothers trying to do their best when both of their lives turn for the worse. Trigger warning: domestic abuse. Picoult readers will love it as usual. Also, the twist at the end had me gasping! I never saw it coming!