This book is such a mixed bag!

Pros ; writing style is short, snappy and glorious to read
It’s a super quick book to read
It looks at grief , relationships, morals and it’s a story of how the ‘other woman ‘ copes when the man she loves dies

Cons; OMG the main character is hateful. Obsessive . No morals . Parenting is awful .


There will be a few trigger warnings for this books as well.

I gave this book 4 stars as it is such a thought provoking read ! Even if the main character is vile 😂

Sarah Crossan is a wonderful writer with such a unique, fluid, engrossing writing style. This book was upsetting and evoked powerful emotions in me. Ana was messed up, destructive, towards others and herself but lacked the self control to right her situation. She was caught within an explosive time bomb that was slowly ticking along. Sarah Crossan showed with astute accuracy the hurt that can stem from betrayal. How could she do this was all I could ask myself continually. This really was an excellent read, short but so powerful. I highly recommend it.

I'm in two minds about this book.

I liked the style of writing, the blank verse was engaging & allowed certain artistic license for repetition & helped drive home the point at critical points. The premise was intriguing, looking at forbidden grief as a three year affair ends in death rather than a break up, not allowing those left behind answers & resolutions.

On the other hand I couldn't find anything redeeming about the characters. Connor & Ana are, understandably reprehensible with a handful of redeeming features occasionally alluded to, Rebecca doesn't really do anything to gain the readers sympathy & Paul isn't really explored much.

I felt I was waiting for a big reveal, an explosive climax that never came, so it left me a little flat.

Another stunning read from this talented writer, this time presenting the ruins of an affair while exploring grief, loss and obsession.

I've been a huge fan of this author since reading her YA novels 'One' and 'Moonrise', both written in blank verse. They were incredibly evocative of place, emotion and story, with each sentence, each line, each word, so carefully chosen. Breathtaking!

This is her first novel for adults, similarly written in blank verse. The storytelling is just as intense, possibly even more so.

Ana and Connor have been having an affair for three years. They are both married with children, but have created a separate, secret world for their fierce, passionate moments together.

But Connor has died, suddenly, and Ana has almost been driven mad by the shock of her loss. She cannot express her profound grief, because their life together was illicit, hidden, unknown. She chooses, then, to become close to Connor through befriending his wife.

It is an unsettling insight of a selfish obsession to which I didn't enjoy being privy! But the power of emotion, the intensity of feeling, and the sense of emotional entrapment was extraordinary. It was a troubling read. I am still stunned by her writing, but I was eager to leave Ana's world.

DNF after finishing the first part. It seemed like a great premise but I just didn't get on with the writing style. It's written like poetry and I'm sure some people will find it beautiful but I'm really not a poetry person. I've never been able to get into it. The other issue I had was that it was written in second person. The book seemed to switch between present tense and the beginning of the affair but because it was written in second person, I found it hard to keep track of which time we were meant to be in. This book seemed like it would have been great if you can get into, I just couldn't this time.

Aww this was an absolutely heart breaking story. How do you deal with the death of your lover when you had to live in secret. Brilliant book xx

Here is the Beehive, a take of sorrow and desperation after Ana incidentally learns that the man she has been having an extra-marital affair with has been killed in a car accident. What follows is her story of life before and after Connor’s death, and Ana’s desperate struggle to grieve for a man that no one in her fold was even aware of.

Sarah Crossan writes like no other. Her beautiful, poetry like prose is so engaging that the book almost read itself and I could not put it down until I’d finished the entire thing.

Aside from the exquisite writing style is the execution of the story. I felt every bit of Ana’s pain and desperation. Sarah writes with such pure emotion that it’s difficult not to be engulfed (I failed miserably) by it all. This really is a must have book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Books UK for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Connor, his wife Rebecca and Ana his lover. This book highlights the dangers and many many secrets of having an affair. Events happen and both Rebecca and Ana are left alone to deal with loss, lost love and even an obsession that could destroy everybody.
A very interesting tale told with insight and a quick read.

Even though I loved the description of this book it took a long time to adapt to the style of writing and the short sharp paragraphs were, at first, incredibly off putting.

I thought the fact that the book was written about an affair was bold. I was instantly cross with both Connor and Ana and felt, as I do in real life, that if you’ve fallen in love with someone other than your wife/husband do the honest & decent thing and leave.

The book however did improve drastically and became more interesting when Ana befriended Connor’s wife.

All in I felt it was a very realistic look at an affair and highlighted some of the perils that could befall. I would definitely recommend this book!

I enjoyed the style of writing from this author and was easy to get into , but felt the story lacked substance. I kept waiting for something to happen and it just didn’t.
Saying that I think she portrayed the character well and gave her raw real emotion.
Easy read if you don’t want anything to complicated.

I've heard much about Sarah Crossan as an author, and this is the first novel of hers I have read. Unfortunately I did not particularly care for the style of writing, although others may love it. I found it distracting (and to be honest thought the formatting on my Kindle was up the spout!).

The story itself is good; a tale of loss from the mistress's point of view, one whose grief cannot be acknowledged, and I found her story very sad. Her desperation for him is heartbreaking, as is her loss of confidence and self-esteem.

I read Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan in one sitting. It is an engrossing tale of grief and betrayal.
Ana is married but having an affair when her lover dies suddenly. She has no one to turn to, and through flashbacks and inner monologue we see how this affair impacted her personal and professional life. Told through verse, the writing is stunningly beautiful and emotional.

What a great foray into adult fiction! I ha e read a few of Crossan's books for younger readers but this one is by far my favourite. Dark themes of a tortured love and grief make you turn the pages as you need to know more, much the same as, Ana, our protagonist. This is the story of a woman who loses the man she loves, a man she should not be with, a man who has been a secret for years. How can you grieve if no one knows he ever existed? A compelling read and I hope the first of many adult offerings from Corssan.

I was blown away by this book. It presented itself in almost poetic form. The words flowed through me and I was living Ana, and Connor’s lives. I don’t believe I have ever read a more lustrous and real story of an affair and it was fantastic to Feel the emotions, see the Actions and glimpses of ‘not quite truthfulness’ amidst all the dishonesty. A really amazing deep and haunting read. Well done to Sarah Crossan.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks so much to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Read the book in2 sittings....easy prose and a story that keeps the interest. The ending came suddenly and abruptly......leaving a feeling of dissatisfaction..Nevertheless an enjoyable read

Here is the Beehive is a shocking but incredible novel. It unashamedly demonstrates the power of addictive, painful and forbidden love. We see in Ana the way that two lives can be wrecked by a love that cannot publicly exist. Every word is perfectly crafted, and this book will stay with me for a long time.

This is the first of Crossan's books that I've read, but I will be looking out for more now.

This is a bleak tale of betrayal and loss. Well written, but overwhelmingly sad and without hope. Not for me.

Here Is the Beehive is the author's first foray into "adult fiction". I have read two of her books previously that were aimed at younger readers and I can tell you with complete certainty that this is not suitable for kids the way the other books were.

It quickly becomes apparent why this book is aimed at the adult market rather than children. While the other books focused on child protagonists this one features an adult female. The story is also about the sudden death of her paramour. It is also chock full of swearing, which I have absolutely no problem with, but also meant that the book transported me in a different way than the others had.

Once again, the story is written in verse, which I still absolutely love. There is something about it that completely immerses the reader in the story.

The topic is one that I haven't really approached before. What happens when your "lover" dies? You can't tell anybody, but it must affect you both emotionally and physically. Here we see the far-reaching effects and how it takes over the life of our protagonist and takes its toll on not just her personal life, but her professional life also.

Our protagonist Anna is a startlingly well written character. What she is going through is obviously a great ordeal, but due to the circumstances some may say she deserves little sympathy. I thought she was a fascinating character and even though I didn't want to feel sorry for her, I did. I didn't feel much of a connection to her overall, but I did think she was a great lead character.

The overarching story was absolutely brilliant, but, while I thought this was a great read, it didn't hit the highs of either Moonrise or Toffee for me, perhaps due to not being totally in love with the main character.

This is still a fascinating read, and one that I am sure people everyone will be recommending. I'm glad to say I'll be right there promoting it with them. I really do think you should read this one.

Here is the Beehive is the first novel for adults from Sarah Crossan and it is magnificent.

The tale of an affair, a death, duplicity and how worlds can collide in the most unexpected ways. Told entirely in verse, the language is smart and succinct. The narrative builds in layers, introducing characters and building the plot in a way that often made me stop to take stock of the richness of the language. It is difficult to like any of the characters but equally hard not to think you can see the traits of most of us in many of them. A strong rounded up 3.5*.

With thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for an ARC for an honest review.

This is a different more mournful and adult tone compared to her other books. Although the format of telling the story through verse is still the same there isn't the same hope or positive possibilities of her previous books. At times, it was hard to continue due to the morose nature but it was very beautifully written. This is a book that you need to be in the correct mindset for but it has a beauty that needs to be appreciated.