This is another triumph by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. A compelling story, interesting facts, thrilling legal drama and twists that pop up when you least expect them.

I throughly enjoyed this.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book, and did not see the twist coming, making me want to continue reading to see how the story ends.

Coming back to where she lived, Olivia and her son Asher return, as she’s left her successful surgeon.

Now, she’s looking after her father's beekeeping business. Then, Ava and her daughter Lily arrive in the town, to begin their lives again, where no one will know them or what they’ve left behind. Lily and Asher fall in love. But, soon after Asher discovers Lily dead at the bottom of the stairs, and he’s charged with murder.

Throughout the story, we learn about beekeeping and another issue. We also find out about Asher and his trial, the story goes back to the past and present, discovering what the characters haven’t revealed about their pasts.

I recommend this book.

I have read many of the author's books but feel that this was not for me. I found it difficult to get into as there was a great focus on bee keeping. I know many other readers have found it great but I will still follow the author.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for approving me for an ARC of this book. I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan and chose to read this for NetGalley November prompt – Most Anticipated. We all have those authors who we want to read everything they write but desperately hope it is as good as their last and this was something I was really hoping for in this book. I haven’t read too many books written by two authors so again I was curious to see if I could spot which parts Jodi Picoult had written.

Well, where do I even start? First of all the writing is beautiful, I honestly could not tell which parts were written by which author and it felt like I was reading one author. It flowed so smoothly and even when it changed to the different characters it felt very natural.

This story starts with a bang when Asher calls his mom Olivia to tell her he thinks his girlfriend, Lily, is dead. Before they know it Asher is being arrested for Lily’s murder and Olivia has to call on her brother, Jordan to represent Asher. I loved that Jordan has also been used in previous books like Nineteen Minutes and his presence brought back a little nostalgia for me.

The story flips between two POVs, Olivia and Lily. Through these two women we learn not just what happened in the events leading up to lily’s death, but some of their own histories too. Olivia’s dark past soon has her doubting Asher and hoping he hasn’t followed in his father’s footsteps and Lily is clearly keeping secrets, but what are they?

Jodi Picoult is well known for taking the subjects we struggle to talk about and putting them at the forefront of our minds. As I started this one I did wonder when the controversial topic would appear and when it did I was knocked sideways. It was a twist that I never would have seen coming and from there, I was hooked. I can’t say much more for fear of spoiling the book but lets just say JP and JFB have educated me and opened my eyes to so much in this story and whilst I could never fully understand what Lily and Elizabeth went through I do feel I’ve walked a little in their shoes through this dramatic story.

I also learnt a lot about being an apiarist and am even more fascinated with bees then I was before. The details of how bees work and they it was tied into the story, matching the event surrounding Asher and Olivia, worked perfectly. This was another fantastic read from JP and felt very much like we returned to some of her earlier works, which are some of my favourites. I would love to see these two authors work together again, the authors notes at the end of the story were very interesting and I shall be checking out some of those recipes!

Olivia returned to her family home to manage the beekeeping business. It should be a dream role, but she fled an abusive marriage and took her six-year-old son Asher with her. Now over a decade later, Asher is a bit of a heartthrob, living a teenage version of the American dream. His girlfriend Lily loves Asher and they share an understanding of what it’s like to start fresh. But when Olivia learns that Lily has died, and her son has been arrested, her world understandably falls apart. She knows her son and there’s no way he can be responsible… but it is clear that Asher has plenty of secrets that he’s chosen not to share with his mum. As is expected in a Picoult novel, the characterisation is complex and detailed: no one is instrinsically good or bad, which makes the storytelling even more captivating.

This is a totally absorbing story about a boy who felt he was a girl from a very young age. His father didn't agree but his mother did. Eventually they leave the family home and the rest of the book details Liam/Lilys lifewith its ups and downs. There is a final twist in the tail of this great story.

This was a biggish book, they always are from Jodi, but they are always so well worth it. Sometimes a bit repetitive but the powerful storyline was worth it all.

I loved all the facts about bees and bee keeping. The Egyptian honey, oh my word, I still can't get that thought out my head. There is a storyline in the book, which is hard to talk about because its a massive spoiler. It was written with such sensitivity and care and I understand more now than I did before.

I've only read one other book by Jodi but I do have a few on my TBR pile. I was pleased to see Jordan, the defence lawyer in both 19 minutes and this one. Its actually written in a similar style that goes back and forth in time, told from the prospective of Olivia, the mother of Asher and Lily, the girlfriend of Asher. Its emotional, it stays with you and I couldn't put it down.

What a book. I started reading this on a trip to Australia from Ireland, thinking that it would see me into the first few days of my visit. By the time I landed in Sydney, I was mulling over points for the review, having been completely blindsided by the excellent writing and storyline. The book starts well with strong characters and interesting content - bees and honey have a great deal going for them; the life of a beekeeper is similar to that of a new parent, being constantly aware of outside factors and ready to spring the the defence of your charges, no matter how tired. But then, the real purpose and storyline arrives like a truck across the page..... amazing writing and attention to detail. At least 12 out of 10!

I always look forward to a new Jodi Picoult book be ause I know that I will learn something and it will be thought provoking.
The story is about Asher and Lily and their families. Olivia, Asher's mum, escapes an abusive marriage by returning to her home town to tend the family bee farm. Lily and her mum, Ava, have also arrived in town to start a new life away from Lily's father. Asher and Lily fall in love and all seems fine until one day Asher finds Lily dead in her home and is accused of murdering her. Olivia's brother, Jordan McAfee, comes to be Asher's barrister in her trial. We have met Jordan in 3 previous books.
The story is told by Olivia and Lily in turn and bounces between the court case and jumping back to help us understand what happened. The American legal system is held up to the usual scrutiny. Facts about bees and their life cycle are I terweaved throughout.
Yes it gave my incite to Lily's life experience, Olivia's marriage before she escaped and the bee facts were correct as well.

Id hate to give away too much, but its what you would expect from Picoult. Topical, controversial, moving and powerful. I found it really interesting the way the two authors successfully wove their narratives together and that the idea was borne from a dream. Both writers have the ability to get under the skin of their characters and really make them live. All the characters had so much depth and heart and the story itself was fascinating and compelling. Not to mention informative (but as I said, I don't want to give the away the big reveal).

Olivia owns a bee farm (and bees are a central metaphor throughout the story). She has fled an abusive marriage and is raising her gorgeous talented son, Asher, on her own. Their world gets turned upside down when he gets accused of murdering his gorgeous girlfriend, Lily, of three months. Lily has demons of her own. Asher is on a murder trial for Life. We need to dig into all their secretes to understand what really happened.

Overall, I couldn't put this book down. There is a lot of depth and information in the story. My only comment is that the story jumps from past to present a lot, and even the past doesn't follow chronological time which I found quite confusing. Sometimes, the parallel narrative was 3 weeks the past, then 3 months, then 2 months. So you have to really be paying attention. That said, it didn't impact the masterful ability of the authors to draw emotion from the reader, on so many different levels.

I have not read a Jodi Picoult for some time and this one certainly seemed intriguing so I was quite interested in giving it a try. I am so glad I did. It was exceptional, well written, dramatic, intense, emotional and captivating. The combination of Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finley Boylan resulted in the story unraveling with astonishing detail and a seamless joining of two authors speaking with one voice.

This is a must read and one that is best started with very limited knowledge of the contents. It is impactful in all ways that a good book can be and one of my favourites for the year.

A very unusual and different book. I did not know that bees were such complicated creatures. Some very deep storylines in the two families of Asher and Lily. So many jaw dropping moments in this one.

Jodi Picoult never misses! One thing I love about her and the thing that makes her stand out is her realistic approach to heavy topics (such as domestic abuse).
This story is no different as well,
We have a well-developed plot with unforgettable characters.

My favorite kind of books are those who make you think, or even better, make you question your own beliefs.
This is one such book. I devoured it.

An intriguing story that kept me hooked from start to finish. The plot and the characters were amazingly written and the emotions conveyed led me to feel stressed at some points while reading.

Definitely a story you don't want to miss

I really enjoyed this, I think Jodi Picoult is excellent at writing books that get you thinking about family situations, and she always deals with moral dilemmas with warmth and empathy. I loved the author’s notes telling how Jennifer Finney Borland tweeted about a dream she’d had about co-authoring a book with Jodi Picoult, and how she got a positive response straight away. The two of them have worked really well together to produce such a thought provoking read.
Lily and Asher meet and fall in love, but three months later Lily’s body is found and Asher is accused of murdering her. Told from two perspectives and across different points in the timeline, this story deals with love, trust and secrets.
I’d definitely recommend this. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced reading copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Jodi Picoult is an amazing writer and her stories are fantastIc. Ive read every one of her books each one just seems to get better and this is no exception! I would recommend this book to anyone.

This. Book.
I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult's work, some more so than others! I thought this one sounded amazing and had no idea the turns it was going to take. It's such an interesting topic for a book and relevant for our times, it was hard to read in places but informative and emotional. I found a lot of it to be quite raw too which is a hard concept to get across in a book. I've never read anything by Jennifer Finney Boylan but judging by the author comments and the end of the book, she's led a tough life and that's is poured into this book. Brilliant and well worth a read.

Olivia flees her abusive husband with her 6 year old son and takes over the family bee keeping business. 12 years later her son Asher phones her to say he's in trouble, he thinks he's girlfriend Lily is dead.

I was very nervous to start this book because I had built it up so much in my mind and it definitely exceeded my expectations!
It's told in dual point of view: Lily, a gifted cellist and skilled fencer and Olivia a beekeeper and mom. Each character is written by one of the authors.I haven't read a co authored book so seamlessly put together.

I loved all the captivating bee and honey facts that are intertwined in the story and despite actually having a hive of my own I still learned so much. I can't say alot as to not give spoilers, but all the topics are covered with such sensitivity and compassion.
It has everything from drama, romance, suspense and is kick you in the gut raw, it's heartbreaking, thought provoking and incredibly enlightening, if you only read one book this year, read this!
This book was just 😍. And it's my favourite book of the year.

Thank you netgalley and Hodder and Stoughten for the arc copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
I give this book 5 stars

Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son Asher was six. Now, Asher is in his last year of high school, and has a girlfriend.
Lily also knows what it feels like to start over - when she and her mother relocated to New Hampshire it was all about a fresh start. She and Asher couldn't help falling for each other, but can she trust him completely?
Then Olivia gets a phone call - Lily is dead, and Asher has been arrested.As the case against him unfolds, she realises he has hidden more than he's shared with her. And Olivia knows that we rarely know the people we love well as we think we do.

This compelling and contemporary story swept me away and held me captive while reading.Written by 2 authors the writing style was evocative and seamlessly done.I absolutely loved the interwoven facts about beekeeping and the honey recipes.It is a strong character driven novel that tackles love,relationships,family,secrets and our identity..Olivia and Lily the two main narrators are so vivid and real that l felt immense empathy for them and didn’t want their stories to end.l was completely riveted by the courtroom and trial and the twists and turns of the backstory.as it unfolds.(my review is spoiler free and I strongly suggest you don’t read reviews before starting) This is a standout book for me this year!
Such a beautifully written poignant,powerful and thought provoking read, l couldn’t put this one down.
With thanks to Netgalley,the authors and Hodder and Stoughton for my chance to read and review this book

About the book

Olivia started her life over, she ran away from an abusive husband and started a new life with her son Asher. They now live in the town where Olivia grew up, where she has been taking care of her father’s bees since his death. Lilly knows all about fresh starts herself. She just moved to Adams for her final year of high school, where she meets Asher and they fall in love. They have their ups and downs while their relationship grows, until one day Asher is worried about Lilly and finds her dead at the bottom of the stairs in her house. While he has to deal with losing the love of his life, he soon finds himself being prosecuted for murdering Lilly. Olivia has sometimes seen the temperament of her ex-husband in Asher and he at times hasn’t been completely honest. Can she keep faith in him and do everything she can to let the jury see her son is innocent?

My thoughts about the book

It’s very hard to write a review without giving any spoilers! I loved how the chapters alternate from Lilly’s point of view an Olivia’s, going from past to present. During the story you see that their lives have had some similarities (they both have a past they like to forget about), although they’ve dealt with very different situations. During the trial you are in for a surprise halfway, which makes Asher’s case even worse. The book deals with some very important and interesting topics, and the character development is so so good. I’d like to say so much more but would spoil a lot, you have to read it yourself! I found myself trying to read just one more chapter on many days, which says enough! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!