I loved this historical fiction. Listening to this drew me in right away, kept me engaged and hooked throughout the whole story. Listening to this story gave me an itch that made me want to go dig up an unsolved historical mystery and try to solve it, which is easier said than done.
This was so engrossing with each of the characters and their individual stories as well as the story of their group together investigating the mystery of the honeybee emerald necklace. Alice, who works at a magazine in Paris, goes to the neighbors to ask for help and while in the basement finds an old lot of costumes and in a coat pocket, she finds the honeybee emerald necklace, which she presents to her boss and then her boss tells the owner of the magazine about it and how they can use it to save the magazine. This group of friends becomes known as "the fellowship of the necklace" and they each have a part to play as they research and investigate this mystery.
Along the way, they unravel much more than just the secret of the necklace. Lily, Alice's boss, faces unresolved feelings with a long-time friend and the fact that she hasn't been writing like she wanted to years ago. Daphne, Lily's friend, and the Art specialist, who verifies the authenticity of the necklace, faces the issues with her struggling marriage and Alice finds her place where she belongs. There are a couple of lovely and heartfelt moments with romance and finding yourself and realizing/following your dream throughout. The mystery of the necklace is what drives and keeps everything tied together and going until the end when we find out the final key to the mystery of how the necklace ended up in the basement of their Parisian magazine building.
I couldn't listen to this fast enough to find out what the final key was and what happened with everyone.
Part of what kept me going and interested in this so much was the effect of listening to it on audio because I don't know that I would have been as engaged if I had been reading it. The narration on this one was lovely and well-done in my opinion. I was impressed by the fact that the narrator, Lameece Issaq, did all the voices so she sounded like multiple people speaking each part and not the same person. She did great in doing each character so you could tell which person was speaking and in building the world and drawing you into the story. If you haven't listened to or read this yet, then go check it out. It's very intriguing and wonderfully done.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for letting me listen to and review this 5-star story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Every piece of jewelry tells a story

A Mysterious Honeybee Emerald neckless lived many lives before it landed in the hands of a young researcher of the Parisian oldest magazine "Bonjour Paris." A group of very diverse characters formed a "fellowship" made it their goal to a) find the rightful owners of the mysterious neckless and b) save the drowning magazine from issuing its very last copy. During long but very thorough research, the group discovered a list of very exquisite owners of the neckless, but the biggest and most shocking secret of all was uncovered during the reading of the very unique letter left by a least expected individual.

I was pleasantly impressed by the plot. This novel is up to my alley - it has a great history and mystery, and it is based in a beautiful Paris. I was particularly pleased with the author's pairing of the characters. I was very well matched and didn't create the sappy love novel instead of focusing on the peculiar jewelry with its grand history. I enjoyed learning about its owners and the link that connected them all. This is a nice, easy read, with enough excitement to keep the reader glued to the pages of the book. Thank you, NetGalley and Keylight Books publisher, for a free and advanced copy of the novel.

I had not heard of this book or author at all, and was quite interested in the synopsis of the book when the publisher reached out to ask if I wanted to read and review it. Fortunately, I was also able to acquire the audio copy via Netgalley so I alternated between formats while reading this book. I loved this!! I would classify this as dual-timeline historical fiction, though it is primarily based in the present day with some flashbacks and stories from the past when describing the history of the honeybee emeralds necklace. It feels like a bit of a historical treasure hunt to find out the mystery of a necklace found in a green jacket in the basement of a expat magazine office in Paris.

There is a large and vast cast of characters in this novel but I didn't find it too difficult to keep track of who everyone was once I got into the story. A few of them are friends, but a few others aren't known to each other and yet they all come together to find out more about the necklace and write a dazzling magazine article about its history. It was fun hearing the different accents on the audiobook (well performed, in my opinion!) and learning more about each member's background and past relationships and how that related to their approach to the mystery unfolding.

By the end of this novel, I couldn't quite turn the pages fast enough as past secrets were revealed and there were a few bonus star-inducing tender moments near the end that I absolutely loved.

I don't know if this book will be for absolutely everyone, but if you enjoy that whole treasure-hunt-for-an-item-from-the-past idea of comaraderie, honestly, I can't recommend this story enough. So fascinating and enjoyable to read.

Thank you so much to Turner Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media.

A natural must-read for all fans of The Devil Wears Prada and Emily in Paris.

The Honeybee Emeralds seamlessly weaves obscure French history, Hollywood glamour, and seeds of WWII espionage together in one perfect narrative told from multiple perspectives.

The rag-tag employees of an expat magazine come together to research an article when one of them finds a genuine diamond necklace in a hidden room of the office’s basement. The necklace, like all of France, has an enormous history.

From the French Revolution, to Napoleon Bonaparte, to Josephine Baker, to Mata Hari, so many historical figures and notable time periods make an appearance in the novel. I love the historical aspect, and I even learned a few things.

This one singular read has the potential to spiral into a francophile obsession. Already I am eyeing a few choice biographies.

The characters create something of A Fellowship in their pursuit of knowledge, and it’s a race against the clock that they publish before their competitors uncover their discovery.

Each character is three-dimensional and lovely, I have a particular affection for a delicious perfumer who allows himself to be swept up into the chaos of journalism. All of them must endure their own trials and tribulations and I was engrossed in the ordeal beside them.

A gorgeously narrated audiobook, it made me feel like I was actually witnessing these characters discover history. I will definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Amy Tector for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

The Honeybee Emeralds was a fun little read! The story revolves around the finding of a beautiful honeybee pendant that is encrusted with gems. I quite enjoyed reading this book and watching (well, listening) the mystery unfold. With a colorful cast of characters, and exploration of the history of the honeybee emerald and the history and people connected to it, there was a lot to juggle! Yet Tector magnificently balances her writing in a way that allows for the story to not feel overstuffed. As for the narration,Lameece Issaq did a great job keeping the audio lively, and the various accents were done quite well.

Overall, this was a great read with lovable characters and a plot that kept me guessing all the way through!

Interesting story, but I struggled with the narration.

The story of the Honeybee Emeralds by Amy Tector is a discovery of a necklace found in a basement of a struggling Parisian magazine. As Alice Ahmadi shares her find with her friends Lily and Daphne, they decide to form a "fellowship of the necklace" to trace the authenticity and journey of the find in an effort to save the magazine.

The story is very character driven (liked Alice a lot) and has some interesting historical notes, but the tension of the rival magazine didn't capture me in suspense. The connection and information about Josephine Baker was enjoyable, though it felt as if the whole book was an effort to share this information.

The narration. Because this story is centered around a necklace, the word "jewelry" is spoken very frequently. Unfortunately, the narrator seemed to say "jew-ler-y" throughout and it completely distracted me from the story. I have never had this happen before, and I wonder if I am a snob, but it drove me crazy.

For people who enjoy a bit of history and character-driven stories, I think you will enjoy this one. I would have to recommend the written format opposed to audio, unless this is no issue for you! Again, probably just me.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen to this ALC. This is available tomorrow!

The Honeybee Emeralds by Amy Tector is a great book! I loved how the author meshed fact with fiction, past and present. The storyline was fascinating to me. I loved the vibrant imagery the author wrote and could envision so many details. The narrator, Lameecce Issaq was fantastic performing the book. She gave the characters distinguishable voices, and had appropriate emotions to fit the scenes. Also, her French pronunciation sounded authentic to me. Thank you #NetGalley and #Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to this pre-release audiobook. I loved it! Without giving away spoilers, the ending was so good. Kudos to the author for that twist. Bonjour Paris.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Honeybee Emeralds! It has a little bit of everything: history, mystery, family drama and romance.

Alice, a summer intern at Bonjour Paris, an English-language periodical aimed at ex-pats, discovers a gorgeous necklace in a jacket pocket in a storeroom full of costumes, while in the building’s basement with Alexander, who is trying to get the heat in the old building back on. This necklace is the Honeybee Emeralds of the title, a diamond and emerald necklace with a honeybee motif. A research team forms (“The Fellowship of the Necklace, is Alice’s term), with Alice, Alex (a neighbor of the magazine’s), Lily, the editor, Luc, the owner, plus Daphne, Lily’s friend and art expert, and Jacob, another of Lily’s friends, a well-known journalist/author. An information hunt ensues, gradually turning up evidence of the necklace’s storied history (no spoilers!). There’s also a rivalry with another ex-pat magazine, to spice things up. There’s a bit too much “telling” near the end, but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment.

The chapter titles are amusing and add a nice flavor. I wasn’t fond of Daphne, such a whiner! But the other characters were all interesting in their own ways, including the long-time office manager of the magazine, Elise. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Lameece Issaq, did an excellent job with the many voices and accents.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Imagine you stumble upon a priceless, unique heirloom necklace in an old costume jacket in the basement of your office. What would you do? Well, when Alice finds this necklace she pulls together a team of friends within the magazine she works in to discover its origins. The magazine is struggling to remain afloat after the death of its illustrious owner and her son is thinking of closing up shop. This "Fellowship of the Necklace" is formed, each member of the group is motivated differently. They are amazed by the glamour, intrigued by the history and driven with a hope to tell the true story and save the magazine in the process.

The amount of famous hands who touched this necklace throughout history is amazing. I liked the story was told mostly in the present with small chapters that gave us a window back to history. I was really intrigued by the different decades of history presented to us throughout France and how the necklace was used at different times by different women to get themselves out of scrapes. We see glitz and glam, beautiful love stories, scenes of war and intrigue.

Alice was my favorite character, a middle Eastern woman who immigrated to the EU serving as an intern to the magazine, she has nothing to claim as her own. She is sweet and innocent and so in awe of everything going on around her. Most of the rest of the "Fellowship of the Necklace" I could have taken or left. The women who held the necklace over the years though were all quite fascinating (I won't spoil them but they are all well known and full of intrigue). I did this one on audio and the narrator was great.

Thanks to Netgalley for advanced access to this audiobook. All opinions above are my own.

Intern to magazine Bonjour Paris, Alice stumbles upon a beautiful honeybee necklace encrusted in diamonds and emeralds in a long forgotten wardrobe room. Alice shows her editor, Lily, the necklace and she thinks a well-researched story about this necklace may be what the magazine needs to help it from going belly up. Lily entrusts her long-time friend and writer, Jacob, to write the story and her friend Daphne to help research the necklace's history.

When you have something as valuable as the honeybee necklace at stake, the more people you add into the equation, the more complicated things get. The characters often wonder whom they can and cannot trust with the information so that it doesn't leak to their rival magazine and their story get scooped.

I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis and beautiful cover of this book, which made me want to read it. I like the first quarter of the book, but I felt that it started to get more and more complicated and hard to keep up with as more characters were added in. I had a hard time trying to keep up with who was who and how they related to the necklace and the story and which time period they belonged to. The ending was great and I liked the epilogue that helped ties things together.

The story is set in modern day Paris. I loved the history surrounding the necklace. Most of the characters are likable, except for maybe Daphne, and helped move the story along in their own way. I felt like I was on a journey with Lily, Alice, Alex, Jacob and Daphne to uncover long buried secrets about the necklace, and what a great journey it turned out to be!

Special thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5*

The Honeybee Emeralds is an Adult Contemporary novel tying in the history of women throughout various period of history and the three women (Alice, Lily, and Daphne) who’s lives become intertwined with the story surrounding a mysterious necklace.

I do not read much adult fiction, but as I grow up I find myself a bit more drawn to it. I greatly enjoyed learning about the mystery of the honeybee emeralds and the lives of the three main characters. Each character felt unique and their stories were complicated and messy, similar to the stories of people in the real world. I don’t want to spoil anything but I think you’ll grow to like these women as much as I have when you read their stories.

The plot itself is slow, but not the dragging kind of slow. More like the kind of slow patience that is rewarded when one makes a loaf of brioche or cinnamon rolls. At first it seems as though the process could have the potential to drag but the multiple POVs both historical and in the present kept the mystery unfolding steadily, leaving the readers in the end with something sweet and filling to take away.

While some parts of the ending felt a little rushed and a little bit de es machina, the story overall was good and I would recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Story: 3 stars
Narration: 4.5 stars

TL/DR: A fun and creative concept with some good writing, but suffers a bit from lack of focus and trying to squeeze in too many ideas. Not enough to history to deserve the 'historical fiction' moniker, but a great part of the story. A good start as a debut, and a nice, light weekend chick lit read.

The synopsis of The Honeybee Emeralds tells you about a story of three female friends who embark on a glitzy journey through both historical and modern-day Paris to uncover the secrets of a famed jewel necklace. While this is generally sort of true, it's also misleading. I would propose the alternative of "two former BFF's, one of their employees, and a bunch of men do some amateur sleuthing to learn about a mysterious necklace, which was found in a room of riches someone somehow forgot".

Please don't get me wrong - it is a fun story with a great concept, some thoughtful characters, and the audio narration by Lameece Issaq is wonderful - it just isn't quite fully baked.

The story is packed with characters, and Issaq's delivery of them helped immensely in keeping them all straight with (sometimes creative) use of accents and varying tones. There were a few points, particularly early on, where the tempo seemed to miss a few beats, but otherwise it was a very enjoyable listen.

Said characters are a unique bunch, hailing from various places such as Iceland, the US, and Iran via the UK. Of the female leads, Lily stands out as the most believable and self-aware, without too much unnecessary drama. Daphne feels like she is "Emily in Paris" plus 10 years and a drop in relevance, and is honestly kind of hard to love, but brings some conflict that does ultimately allow some personal growth for a few people. Alice is, well...I don't know. She is 23, but reads as much younger and what seems to have been intended as quirkiness is actually a bit creepy. Despite the downfalls, they do actually meld together in an unexpected way, and become pretty credible in their roles.

Where this has room to grow is in having a solid foundation, but being built without enough focus. In brief, there is just too much. Too many characters, too much time spent trying to develop too many characters, and too many side arcs that don't add value to the story. Alice's every-other-day side trips were unnecessary and a bit stalker-like, Daphne's diva Insta-thoughts and the text message threads were distractions rather than adding anything, and Lily's dating dilemmas were a lackluster drag out (though I do like how they ended, and these could have been a stronger plot had some attention on other characters been left out in favor of better developing this). Overall, I would have loved to see more attention given to building fewer characters, and more time spent in the historical scenes; while those sections add richness to story very well, there is not enough too them to really call this historical fiction in any true sense.

As a debut novel, it's a good start and I hope to see more from Amy Tector as her experience and writing evolves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Amy Tector blew me away with this one. The Honeybee Emeralds takes place in modern day Paris but it is full of history and mystery all based around a piece of jewelry.
You have a cast of quirky characters that muddle their way through finding the true history behind the Honeybee Emeralds while making lifelong friendships. The fact there were a few Lord of the Rings references to describe their antics completely sold me.
Lameece Issaq does a phenomenal job bringing each character to life all while nailing multiple accents. I fully intend on purchasing this one once it releases- its cover is to die for!
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Good audiobook with a wonderful narrator. The pacing was slightly inconsistent between some of the characters but actually worked quite well in reading from each character's voice. The book itself- nice to read some historical fiction that isn't entirely about the world wars, but this book still fell flat with me. All the characters were annoying and showed very little growth or awareness, and the pacing of this book felt off- far too slow at times and ridiculously over the top in others. Hard to get into and harder to keep reading.

The Honeybee Emeralds is a debut historical fiction/mystery with some side romantic plots by Amy Tector. The eBook version is 338 pages. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at eleven and a half hours and is narrated with lots of different accents by Lameece Issaq.

Alice Ahmadi is an Iranian British intern at a struggling magazine in Paris, until one day she discovers a famed diamond and emerald necklace and finds herself in a world filled with courtesans, spies, and secrets. Hoping that they can use the Honeybee Emeralds necklace to help save the magazine, Alice along with her American editor Lily and Lily's best friend Daphne--the director of the International Art Registry--create a "Fellowship of the Necklace" to find out the actual history of the jewels.

The three women pull in a motley crew of others: Luc, who inherited the magazine from his mother, Lily's college friend and writer Jacob, and Icelandic perfumer Alexander, the guy next door. They all learn about more than just the necklace, they also find many of their personal relationships challenged and changed along the way.

The book alternates between present-day and various flashbacks and is told through many multiple points of view, which got a little confusing to me in the first half of the book. By the second half, the POVs gelled more for me since I knew all of the characters a bit better. Turns out the necklace was owned by three different historical divas! To learn who, you'll have to read the book.

Alice is a great 👍 character. The descriptions were detailed and lyrical. The voice was nice and soft for the narrator. The audiob book was soothing and adventurous. I loved seeing what was in store for Alice .

Very interesting storyline. The idea is great- seeing owners of this necklace throughout time. Narrator is great, I loved the accents. It felt a bit slow to start with. There are a lot of characters and timelines to keep up with that I ended up not really caring about. I think it could have been narrowed down to fewer characters and still kept the story entertaining.
Overall, I would recommend this to people who enjoy historical fiction.

The Honeybee Emeralds by Amy Tector
Narrated by Lameece Issaq

In present day Paris, shy, naïve Alice stumbles upon a famed diamond and emerald necklace. The magazine she works for, Bonjour Paris, is about to fold but the discovery of this necklace could be the big break they need by featuring this necklace as the cover story an upcoming issue. On the heels of finding the necklace, a rival magazine appears to be doing a story on it, also. Turns out there must be a leak among those connected to Bonjour Paris so the “Fellowship of the Necklace” must work fast to dig up everything they can about the origins of the necklace, where it's been since it's creation, and how it wound up in the basement of the magazine's building.

We go back in time to a mistress of one of the Napoleons, then to a famous spy, then to Josephine Baker. All those people and timelines are intertwined with the present day search and struggles of those who are trying to put together the story for Bonjour Paris. Making up the fellowship with Alice, is Luc, the owner of the magazine, Lily, the editor, wealthy Daphne, Lily's friend, Alexander, the man who was there when Alice discovered the necklace, and Jacob, a successful writer and college friend of Lily's. But there is distrust among them as they each wonder who could have told the competing magazine about the necklace.

The story is interesting but it does get bogged down with too many characters and too many transitions to different times and people. Alice is twenty three but her voice is so young, like a child's voice. Daphne is so selfish and immature its hard to see why anyone could stand to be around her. It was nice to know that the other characters agree with me about Daphne and some of them let her know their thoughts. A few characters seemed to whisper when they talk so I had to raise the volume for their dialogue. Plus there is a lot of "telling" in the story, especially when one character is reading a letter for us, at the end of the book.

Do read other reviews since so many people loved the story and got more from it than I did. I do think I'd have enjoyed spending more time in the past with the former owners of the necklace than in the present time, with all the childish squabbles among the fellowship and those associated with them. In the afterword, it's very interesting to learn what parts of the story are factual and what parts of the story are fictional.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

The Honeybee Emeralds
by Amy Tector

Alice Ahmadi is in Paris interning for a magazine. Dream job right? Well maybe not since the magazine might soon go under. During a typical day at the office, the heat goes out and Alice finds herself in the basement with her hunky office neighbor Alex. Then the lights go out. As she stumbles about the labyrinthine basement, she discovers a room full of exquisite vintage chiffon, silk and velvet evening gowns, feathered hats and an assortment of wigs. But the biggest surprise of her subterranean adventure, is the bejeweled necklace found in a jacket pocket. How did the necklace end up in a musty old basement? And who does it belong to? The game is on. Publishing a story about the mysterious Honeybee Emeralds could be the break they need to save the magazine. Alice and a select group of office mates, whom she dubs “The Fellowship of the Necklace,” must uncover the mystery of the wardrobe and the provenance of the Honeybee Emeralds. Will they succeed in uncovering the secrets of the Honeybee Emeralds before being scooped by their arch rival magazine?

This delightfully well narrated cozy mystery strings together the legendary lives of some unforgettable historical women, including the indomitable Josephine Baker, in the quest to uncover the mystery of the Honeybee Emeralds. Be sure not to miss this splendid debut.

Coming soon - Pub Date 29 March 2022 . I extend my thanks to @netgally and Dreamscape Media for this advanced audio recording.

Wow my first book by this author and I can say nicely done Amy Tector. This well researched book. This book is told from multiple points of view, and at times it almost seemed like too many. It was a little hard to keep track of what was going on with all the characters: all of their relationships, backstories, and how they related to the honeybee emeralds. Set in modern-day Paris, this mystery starts in a dark basement as Bonjour Paris magazine intern Alice fumbles with neighbor Alexander to find a fuse box in their cold office building. In a frightened rush she finds an apparently forgotten storeroom full of beautiful costumes which lead to another discovery: a vibrant diamond and emerald necklace with golden honeybee pendant. They soon discover that the necklace was once owned by a trio of fabulous real-life historical divas. We get glimpses of 19th century Paris, the origin of the necklace, and the woman whose neck it first graced. The bee in reference to France, will provide a look at its origins. I loved the glimpse of Parisian life, the historical elements and the hints of romance. This is a great friendship novel with some laugh out loud moments as well as a bit of mystery. I loved following the clues along with our heroine’s and heroes. It’s a full cast of characters, each with their own unique stories and troubles. We get to learn the complicated feelings and lives of so many characters while also having the mystery to drive the plot. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Keylight Books. Watch for this one to be published March 29, 2022.