What an absolutely amazing book by the fabulous Jodi Picult.

A really interesting and thought provoking courtroom drama with an interesting modern day twist. Boy meets girl, girl doesn’t tell boy she was born male. A beautiful but argumentative relationship develops full of teenage angst. A sudden death is the cause of a trial and great trauma for all involved.

Loved this and highly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating - 4.5 stars rounded off to 5

An informative and compulsively readable cocktail of multiple genres – of course topped with a touch of the sweetness of honey!

Synopsis –

We have two narratives in Mad Honey –

a)Olivia McAfee – a beekeeper in the quaint town of Adams in New Hampshire, divorced single mom of 17 year old Asher.
b)Lily Campanello – relocated to same town recently with her mother, looking for a fresh start

Lily & Asher soon start dating. But unfortunately, Olivia gets the shock of her life when she gets a phone call about Lily being dead & Asher now being questioned by the Police.

Review -

One thing that occupies a large part of the novel, is the plethora of information about bee-keeping. Olivia’s narrative frequently dips into detailed explanations of the bees, their history, evolution and honey production. Although I was fascinated in the beginning, my patience for this excessive data dump began to wear thin.

It is also a unique factor of the novel that we get a chronologically descending timeline with Lily’s narrative and this felt a bit strange once we knew she was dead. However as we progressed, it felt as though it was necessary to have it like this.

The authors deal with a lot of heavy subject matter here. Domestic violence, LGBTQ with a focus on trans, teenage depression form the basis of the plot. I can imagine the kind of research, planning and synchronization that has gone into this. They deserve a huge applause for the brilliant execution in tackling these topics and for crafting a highly compelling storyline.

The book gains an intensive momentum with Asher’s arrest and went on grab me by the throat with the trial proceedings. Secrets are revealed with both Asher and Lily, history is revisited with Olivia’s troubled married life. Lily’s narrative became vital as we get to know more about her relationship with Asher dating back to the initial days.

I loved how the authors explored Lily’s personality, her life experience until her teenage years, interlinking these with Olivia’s as a single mother, the circumstances of her divorce, her dilemmas, the distrust she felt towards her own son, as well as how her marriage might have had a bearing on Asher’s childhood and his behavior now as a young adult.

There were several twists towards the end and I did kind of gauge the direction it might head towards. And that’s how the authors integrate the “sweetness” of honey with its “madness”.

Except for the bee-keeping facts overload, I ended up really enjoying this one!

Thanks NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton Books for the ARC!

cw: murder, grief, depression, suicidal ideation, and attempts, gender dysphoria, domestic violence, coercive behaviour

Olivia is a single parent to an 18-year-old son, Asher, having left an extremely abusive marriage twelve years earlier. Lily is Asher's girlfriend, with her own complex and at times troubled past. When Lily is found dead, Asher is suspected of her murder. Told in a mixture of present-day and flashbacks from both Olivia and Lily, we discover the events that lead up to Lily's death, and the aftermath.

I initially requested this from NetGalley for the simple reason that I love bees, and the cover is STUNNING. The story is packed with facts about these majestic creatures, but more than that, the symbolism of their lives is interwoven beautifully throughout the story. However, for all the beauty of these creatures, this book is an often bleak read. I hold my hands up. I've never read anything by Jodi Picoult or Jennifer Finney Boylan, though I have seen adaptions of Picoult's work. There are a lot of potentially triggering themes throughout the story (possibly too many at times), and without spoiling the 'twist', there are no real winners in this story. I found myself incredibly sad for almost every character, on most of the pages, though I had to keep reminding myself that Lily was dead as she was such a vibrant, though at times troubled, character with such a distinct voice. Every time I remembered she was gone, it broke my heart anew. I found almost every chapter of Olivia's voice painful to read, not only because of the amount of domestic violence she'd endured. but because I really identified with her as a mother of a teenager. The scenes with Asher in jail were almost unbearable to read, but seemed sadly realistic, given the number of American crime documentaries I've watched. I also found Selena, Olivia's sister-in-law's comments particularly poignant. The procedural elements of the trial were particularly well written, and I appreciated the themes of family, love, and identity that were sensitively explored.

I feel that the pacing was slow at times, and it occasionally meandered off on a bit of a tangent which didn't really add anything important to the plot. I can't say I enjoyed the story because as mentioned, it was so bleak, but I was compelled to keep reading and I'm glad I did, even if the ending was so abrupt.


Overall Review: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Emotional Rating: 💓😢💔😢💔😢💓


**The same review has been uploaded to Amazon UK but I am awaiting moderation**

Mad Honey By Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan
Earc:NetGalley
Publisher:Hodder and Stoughton
Publication Date: 15 November 2022
Genre:General Fiction

Olivia is starting fresh after fleeing from a domestic violence relationship whilst she just getting her business afloat. Her world comes crashing down yet again when her son Asher has been accused of murdering his girlfriend Lily.

This provokes some thoughts from Olivia does the apple fall far from the tree? Or is there something else behind what has happened to Lily?

Great writing which has you thinking every step of the way.

Olivia, I feel for her as she looking out for Asher whilst he's locked away.

Maya is one of Asher's best friends.

Jordan's working on Asher's case as he is a lawyer. Alongside his wife Selena, they are trying to find out what happens to Lily before Asher gets put behind bars for life.

So many twists it's that heart-wrenching feeling as you read through.

#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #generalfiction @HodderPublicity

I have read and enjoyed a few books by Jodi Picoult but the co-author is a new one on me and it looks like another author to add to my tbr!
Olivia has relocated back to her hometown after her marriage breaks down. She is accompanied by her Son Asher who though initially reluctant is starting to embrace his new life with him mum, looking after the family beekeeping business. Things start to look up for him when he starts to date new-girl-at-school Lily. But then tragedy strikes and Lily is found dead, with Asher the main suspect. Olivia is obviously distraught. The reason for her marriage breakdown was the violence meted out by Asher's father. Could he be following in his father's footsteps... although dismissing this thought, knowing her son, she can't help wondering. But she will fight for her son either way...
Oh My Days. As well as being a bit of a whodunit / whydunit / howdunit, as always with Ms Picoult's books it's a masterclass in character driven stories. And, what wonderful characters she has created herein. I say she, I actually mean they - co-authors and all that, I just write from my experience with the one I have read other books by. Anyway, once again I was drawn into the wonderful threads that meandered around. Olivia's backstory and why she came home, the details and information regarding beekeeping that I found fascinating. Just enough to complement the story but not too much as to be boring. In fact there are parallels between the bees and some of the narrative - but I'll leave you to discover all that yourself.
And then there's Lily and why she and mother Ava relocated for Lily's last year of school. And that's all I am saying on that matter.
And then there's the court case which ties it all up together... culminating in a cracking ending which wholly satisfied.
It's a slow burn but it has to be for the story being told. It also contains a lot of heavy topics - as you'd expect from the author who's never shy about these things - so it might take a wee while to get into / plough through. But stick with it - it is all worth it at the end.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Jodi Picoult is, in my book, the Queen of the ‘unputdownables’ and Mad Honey just makes that crown indisputable.

Olivia and Lily are both used to hiding, hiding who they are to protect their true selves. They both come to the same town looking for a new beginning and it looks like they are going to get one. Olivia’s business keeping Bees and producing Honey may not be massively lucrative but she is happy and she feels safe. Asher (Olivia’s son) meets a girl, Lily and they fall in love. Lily also feels safe and accepted. But then Asher is found at the bottom of the stairs holding Lily’s unconscious body and things get REALLY interesting.

As you would expect of Jodie Picoult, Mad Honey has a lot to say, as we are gently educated on the what, why’s and wherefore’s of Bees the social commentary surrounding love, acceptance, trust and what you would risk to be true to yourself becomes part of the fabric that is Mad Honey.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thoughtfully and beautifully written, with the two authors’ voices blending seamlessly together. I enjoyed the dual perspective and the split timeline aspects, as I felt it really fleshed out not only the two female protagonists, but also provided alternative perspectives of the third focal character, as he is seen through the eyes of both his mother and girlfriend. The multiple sensitive subjects tackled in this novel are treated with respect, and I believe the story will open many readers minds and hearts. Highly recommend.

Not my favourite book by Jodi Picoult. I think Small Great Things will always be the best for me. Despite of this, I found Mad Honey a well written book, with interesting characters and plotline. I really liked all the bee references too.

It wasn't something unexpected, but I had a nice time reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

I made the mistake of reading part of this in public. And of course the tears came! I found this a really emotional read. 18 year old Asher and his mum Olivia have been living in the small town of Adams, where Olivia grew up since they fled from an abusive marriage when Asher was 6 years old. Olivia is a successful beekeeper, having taken over the family business. Asher is star of the hockey team, boyfriend to Lily and friend to Maya, and a caring young man. Until Lily is found dead, Asher found with her body and all hell breaks loose. Olivia calls her retired barrister brother Jordan to defend Asher when he's accused of first degree murder. Asher is a lost little boy maintaining his innocence. As the trial unravels, more and more strands are revealed. This is not as simple as it's made out to be. In my mind, there was no way Asher had committed the crime. When the trial is over and the truth is revealed it is a masterstroke - I did not see that coming! The story is told on chunks by Olivia and Lily with strands of their stories gradually revealing as we go through the book. A fabulous collaboration. #netgalley #madhoney

It was with no small degree of trepidation that I sat down to read this latest, co-authored volume from Jodie Picoult. From being a super fan back in the day, I’d fallen out of love with Picoult, bemused and frustrated by her insistence on showcasing excessive research in what purported to be works of fiction. I wanted stories and instead got lengthy, pseudo-scientific tracts on elephants, Egyptology and quantum physics. I wasn’t impressed.

Happily, in Mad Honey, Picoult has rediscovered her roots, delivering a tense, emotion-charged, human story of fresh starts, first love and personal identity. It’s a soul-searching tale, seamlessly told by the two authors, and (for the most part) I loved it.

The premise is compelling and instantly reminiscent of the Picoult of old. Teenagers Lily and Asher are in the first flush of young love, when one evening Asher’s mother Olivia gets a call from her son to say that Lily is dead and he’s being questioned by the police. The court case that follows, when Asher is charged with Lily’s murder, is Picoult at her very best.

I really enjoyed the dual narrative structure, which alternated between the voices of beekeeper Olivia and Lily: the mother and the girlfriend. With Lily it was all about the past, the secret she keeps, and her budding romance with Asher. Olivia’s account is mostly in the present, as she fights to prove her son’s innocence, but includes flashbacks that give revealing context to Asher’s situation.

The twin storylines, with their unfolding drama and revelations, kept me on a knife-edge. I felt everyone’s emotions, constantly switched allegiances, and didn’t foresee any of the twists. Kudos to the authors for this and for their delicate and informative handling of a very sensitive subject (which I can’t disclose here).

So why only four stars? Well, for me, there was simply too much bee waffle. Some small facts would have been fine, but this was overkill; an annoying distraction that added nothing to the narrative and an unnecessary 50 pages to the book.

i absolutly loved this book. i felt it took me on an emotional journey through humanity, acceptance and compassion. This storyis beautifully written and is told in dual timeline and looks at many things, including family, friendship, love and self-acceptance.

Mad Honey
by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan

I'm in a quandary. I have so many feelings about this book, but I am failing at finding a way to express them because the main theme has been turned into a twist by these authors, and I don't even know if making it a twist added to the book in a meaningful way. Was it a big surprise? Yes. However I wonder have the authors done a disservice to the community that ought to be represented by this theme. Sadly, my gut reaction is that they went for sensationalism over meaningful insights. I wish it was more open so that those who need to see this subject in fiction could access it.

I love the beginning of this story. I was starting to become invested in Olivia's charachter, her survival instinct, her relationship with her son, her work with her hives and her oneness with the bees. I have a son that age, and can relate to all Olivia's and Asher's dynamics and how they can change as girls enter the scene.

The writing starts strong, but for me, begins to feel overwritten and tipping into purple once the first few chapters have passed. I appreciate what the authors were trying to do with these themes, but it almost reads like an instructional manual in places. Once I realised how frequently I was rolling my eyes I began to loose interest in this book and probably would have DNFed but for my commitment to review it.

I think that maybe too many themes are being tackled at once here. There's the guts of two maybe 3 decent stories here. This book is long, and it feels long. Towards the end I was encouraged to see a bit of redemption, and if the book had ended at that, I think it might have been enough. But the final twist felt like it was shoehorned in and had this been paper, and not by beloved kindle, it would have been flung with force at the wall.

I'm sure Jodi Picoult fans will appreciate the emotional journey. If you are looking for a murder mystery/domestic abuse/lgbtq/courtroom drama/ mother-son dynamics/ sister-brother dynamics/ mother-daughter dynamics/apiculture/ small town small mind community/ bullying/ mash up, this might be for you.

I feel bad for the community that might not appreciate being used a plot device.

Publication date: 15th November
Thanks to #netgalley and #hodder&stoughton for the egalley

When I read a great book like this one, I'm always concerned I won't be able to convey in words just how good it is.
Let me start by saying this might be the best book I've read this year. It's a crime, a novel, a mystery and a love story, all in one, and also much more, but I can't say because I don't want to spoil it for you.
There's a lot of research and it is very informative and interesting, and this is an aspect I always appreciate about Picoult's books. More over you wouldn't tell this is co-authored as the transitions from one pov to the other is seamless and Boyland explains why it is, at the end of the book.
This book will surprise you, will educate you and will move you to tears several times along the way. A wonderful, beautifully written story I highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s emotional, thoughtful and beautifully written. It left me on the edge of my seat, flying through the pages and learning new interesting things about beekeeping along the way.
The writing between the two authors is seamless and smooth. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the different timelines, the riveting characters, the thought provoking topics and the twist, just wow, didn’t see coming, just brilliant. I also enjoyed the authors notes at the end.
Mad Honey is a deeply moving story that will stay with you and touch your soul. I highly recommend.
Thanks to #NetGallery #HodderAndStoughton and #JodiPicoult #JenniferFinneyBoylan for an arc of #MadHoney in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very interesting book. It's full of humanity and all the moral dilemma that I've come to associate with Picoult's books. (I know, it's co-authored, not just by her!) I did feel it went on a bit towards the end though.

Its difficult to say too much about this book without giving anything away. It follows the POVs of Olivia, Ashers mother and his girlfriend Lily. In alternating chapters we get to hear the two sides of the story leading up to the death of Lily and also the courtroom story. I enjoyed this book, it's an unforgettable love story and the court drama was old style Picoult , well written and quite moving. I loved the facts about bees and honey...

🐝Did you know that Mad Honey is when bees feed on the pollen of rhododendron flowers, and the resulting honey can pack a hallucinogenic punch alongside vomiting, vertigo and paresthesia to name a few symptoms!

I also liked that bees and recipes kept Olivia distracted in court ... and that at the end of the book there are a few recipes! I baked my own Hope Cake made from a recipe featured in the book... Hope cake is baked for 40 minutes or until an impossible thing comes true. Whichever comes first.

This is a must read and I'd recommend avoiding any reviews with spoilers before starting it. No spoilers here!

Mad Honey is a thought provoking and challenging book.
I was immediately grabbed by this book when interesting facts regarding bee-keeping were included from the off. It grounds the story when factual details are accurate.
It did take me quite a while to get through the book, but it's worth the effort.

Mad Honey is a story about love, love in all its different forms, romantic love, the love of a parent for a child, and self-love and acceptance.

Jodi Picoult is a very widely known author and has written a wide variety of books; what ties them as a common theme is typically multiple points of view and a deep dive into a fraught, socially current issue. Mad Honey is no different. Yet here she worked with Jennifer Finney Boylan (a new author for me), and each took turns writing chapters. I couldn't tell whose writing was who’s so seamlessly that the book progressed.

The story follows the non-linear timeline of Olivia and Lily and untangles slowly, a little at a time, from each of their perspectives.

Olivia McAfee fell in love with a cardiac surgeon, but her dream quickly became a nightmare when he husband revealed his dark side, so she fled with her son Asher to begin a new life, taking over her fathers apiary at her childhood home.

Asher, now in high school, begins dating Lily Campanella, who has recently moved into town with her mother. Lily has had quite a tough life up to this point, but now that she’s met Asher, she feels her future is optimistic.

Then, Olivia received a phone call from Asher: Lily is dead, and the Police have arrested Asher and charged him with murder.. As the story unfolds, Olivia begins to fear that perhaps Asher is more like his father than she had dared consider.

What follows is a compelling murder mystery with a stimulating courtroom trial where lives are scrutinised and painful secrets uncovered.

My only real negative was the absolute drenching in all things honey. I don't know all that much about apiary, but I am passionate about food history, eating seasonally & locally etc; even so, the honey information and metaphors flowed a little too far.

Mad Honey though a little slow to get going and feels a bit clunky in places but overall is a cleverly layered, thought-provoking page-turner that'll keep you guessing until the very end.

I really enjoyed this book, even though it really was not what I was expecting!

With lots of twists and turns, including a real gasp-out-loud moment, this book tackles lots of quite taboo subjects. I felt I learnt a lot about the main subject (trying not to give away any spoilers!) and that it was dealt with sensitively!

Very thought provoking, heart breaking book but long chapters made it a little difficult to read and the ending was disappointing for me.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.