An interesting story, told very well, I enjoyed getting to know the charecters, and now I'd really like to take up bee keeping

I’m not usually a fan of co-written books, however this worked! I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This is a book that will stay with me for a long time!! I was totally transfixed from the very start. It's about a young woman called Lily who is found dead by her boyfriend, Asher who then becomes the prime suspect of her murder. The authors are afraid to raise many important topics, but i don't want to give away any spoilers, so won't say anymore!

M A D H O N E Y - Mad Honey is the story of 2 teenagers, Asher & Lily, boyfriend and girlfriend. One ends up dead, the other on trial for her murder - we don't know what actually happened and while Asher's Mum will defend her child unconditionally her own past leaves her with doubts and questions about his role in Lilys death.

The story is told from the dual perspectives of Asher's Beekeeper Mum, Olivia, and Lily. The narrators are likeable and engaging, there is a sadness to both their stories and how they are written, with Olivia's timeline going forward and Lily's backward.

On the whole, I enjoyed the story and was compelled to keep reading. It covers a lot of sensitive topics which will be difficult for some readers but they are handled bravely and with care. The book is many things rolled into one, a love story, murder mystery and courtroom spectacle. Its also crammed with facts and trivia about Bees, which although richly descriptive and genuinely interesting became a bit encyclopedic.

There is a twist mid story, which I didn't see coming. I felt the book shifted gears after this and the elements of the story previously mentioned - the romance & drama - became slightly diluted.

Written by both Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan, I was pleased by how well the collaboration worked. Like all the Jodi Picoult books I've read previously, I'll still be thinking about this one now that I've finished and recommend this for a thought provoking, soul searching read.

I have read nearly all of Jodi's books over the years and have got quite used to her highlighting up-to-the minute topics that make you assess your moral compass. I have grown to like her style and those that make you question "What If...", as well as those where courtrooms appear.
The title and cover drew me in initially, I like bees and I love orange so naturally I would zone in. I didn't read any of the reviews or the synopsis before requesting it, so wasn't aware that she had written this alongside Jennifer Finney Boylan. I have no preconceptions apart from those mentioned beforehand.
The story is told in different timelines, around two single-parent families, beekeeper Olivier & her son Asher, and, Forest Ranger Ava & her daughter Lily who have recently moved to the area. When Asher & Lily become more than high school friends, their mothers feel settled that they are happy and are overcoming previous problems. Howeverm when tragedy happens & Lily is found dead, events that neither mother knows about start to unfurl.
I felt that the first half of the book dragged & I wanted to skip parts (I didn't); & when the big twist was revealed, it got slightly more engaging but I felt it was in a lecture rather than a book.
I have read a number of books around this topic and fully support the authors intentions, but it really didn't work for me. However, I loved the parts that gave an insight into beekeeping - I didn't know what mad honey was !

Good read. Great characters, enjoyed the setting, lots of side stories weaved into it and it flowed really well. A good read for a rubbish day. Will make you feel better!

Olivia has left her abusive marriage and has returned to her parents house where she runs the family beekeeping business. She is a single mum to 18 year old Asher who is in a relationship with Lily. Olivia’s world is devastated when she gets a phone call informing her that Lily is dead and Asher has been arrested. The plot then follows the trial and we learn more about Olivia and Asher’s past and other characters hidden secrets, there are all the twists you’d expect from Jodi Picoult. This however is my least favourite book of hers, I found the characters lacked depth and the structure was a mess as it constantly flips from past to present. The book felt too long and was bogged down in detail whereas the end felt rushed. Not her best book on my opinion.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I really wanted to love this since Jodi Picoult is one-of-the-kind author but I was disappointed that a lot of hot topics was thrown into the story just because. For example, why was it mention several times that there were two moms as parents? Why was it necessary to make a big deal about it? I don't get it. I put it down...

As a Jodi Picoult fan, I was intrigued to pick this one. Writing alongside Jennifer Finney Boylan appeared to come off the page seamlessly, and I couldn't tell who wrote what part. They're obviously compatible co-authors.

The basis of the story was an interesting one and I didn't see the twist coming, though there wasn't any part during the story that I was eager to keep reading to find out what happens next. I'm not sure what it was but, in a strange way, I don't think I was getting enough emotion from the book to make me invested.

So, the backbone of the story had me but the feeling behind it was missing for me. But don't be fooled, I'll still be continuing to pick up Jodi Picoult books the second I can get my hands on them!

This is a truly brilliant book,
This book is thought provoking, an emotional roller coaster, it reminded me a lot of a few of Jodi Picoult’s early books, it also features Jordan McAfee. I was invested in this book from page one.
Olivia is a single mum, having left an abusive marriage. Her teenage son Asher, is popular and captain of the hockey team, she has been watching him fall in love over the last few months with Lily who is new to the area. Lily also comes from an abusive background but is beginning to trust Asher and open up to him.
Then alas tragedy’ strikes, Lily is at the bottom of the stairs dead., and Asher is found holding her.
He is accused of her murder, facing life in prison, Jordan McAfee his uncle comes to defend him.
A dramatic, gripping court case begins. It unveils hidden truths, there are many thought provoking, controversial topics covered in this brave heart wrenching, emotional read. I felt for both mothers. Rollercoaster read including a twist
The story is told with a lot of compassion and feeling.

Loved the bee keeping storyline

Many thanks to Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. Definitely a five star read. Congratulations to both authors

I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t see the twist coming and it literally floored me… however I do feel like the second half of the book, following the twist, was weaker. I also didn’t like the conclusion, it didn’t feel very fair.
Overall, a great book that I would recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC.

It’s difficult to review this book without massive SPOILERS as there is a twist in this book which makes it extra special. It also explains why there are two authors for this book (which I especially loved) but won’t go into detail for fear of ruining it for other readers. Picoult themes of family (especially maternal love), small town community, for good and ill, are present here. I loved this book and absolutely tore through it, thanks NetGalley!

I have loved Jodi Picoult books from the first one I picked up many years ago now. One thing I’d say is you need a gap in between reading them as she definitely has her style and structure which works but can feel repetitive if you read too many off the trot. The addition of a co-author didn’t change this, and it didn’t feel fragmented, I was interested to read about the conscious way this was achieved through the writing process. I loved the character of Lily and I’m not going to go into detail for fear of reading this, but, because of the author I read this book completely blind which really helped when I got to the big reveal. I’m delighted this book exists.

I always love Jodi Picoult’s writing and this book was no different. I was hooked, often staying up late at night to devour some more chapters. I found the moving timeline and narratives interesting and I liked the characters. This book is genuinely educational on some difficult topics (but I won’t name the topics as one is a bit of a spoiler!). Unfortunately I found the ending fell a bit flat and predictable which was disappointing as I’d been enjoying the book so much throughout!

I mostly enjoyed this book, it started off super strong, I enjoyed how it jumped around between timelines and characters and I found all the information on bees and beekeeping super interesting! I do however struggle with how many social issues they seemed to try shoehorn in, I feel they should have just picked one or two as opposed to trying to squeeze everyone they could think of in. I did however feel like the characters were well fleshed out and I ended up liking them, and feeling for them on their journey throughout the book.

Mad Honey is written by both Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finley Boylan each writing one of the two voices from the story. The writing is seamless with the story unfolding in both the present and the past. The book is about two mothers and their children: Beekeeper Olivia McAfee, and her son, Asher, and Forest Ranger Ava Campanello, and her daughter, Lily. Lily and Asher are dating and it seems like everything is going well and both moms are delighted to see their children so happy, each having had a struggle in their past. Then one day the joy turns to a nightmare when Lily is killed and Asher is arrested as the prime suspect in her murder.
To say anymore about this incredible read will spoil the joy for other readers but suffice to say once again Jodi Picoult and her Co-writer have taken a sensitive, controversial topic and breathed life, compassion and understanding into it.

Mad Honey is a novel by best-selling American author, Jodi Picoult and award-winning American author, Jennifer Finney Boylan. Mere days after eighteen-year-old Asher Fields has found his girlfriend of three months, Lily Campanello unconscious at the foot of her home’s stairs, he is arrested for her murder. His mother, Olivia McAfee doesn’t hesitate to call her older brother Jordan to help. A renowned lawyer, Jordan instantly abandons his vacation to defend his nephew.

While Ava Campanello is convinced that Asher is responsible for her daughter’s death, he vehemently denies harming her: he loved Lily. The young man spends time in jail awaiting trial because Olivia can’t raise a million dollars in bail.

Watching as her son deteriorates, she bites the bullet and calls her ex-husband, a charming, wealthy cardio-thoracic surgeon who proved to also be a violent gas-lighting control freak. She had felt relieved to remove herself and Asher from a marriage that felt “Like someone stabbed me and then blamed me for getting blood on the knife.”

Olivia has no idea that her son has been meeting Braden Fields once a month for breakfast, although Asher’s best friend, Maya describes him as “not a nice man, Lily. He’s just figured out how to imitate one.” He does efficiently come up with the cash and hovers in the background despite a restraining order.

If Lily and Asher had wondered just how well one can know a person after three months, fleeting gestures and expressions Olivia recognises from her earlier life have her privately doubting the earnest protestations of the son she has raised for eighteen years.

Jordan and his wife and legal investigator, Selena strategise with Asher and Olivia on how to defend the case which, without witnesses to Lily’s death and scant trace evidence, looks largely circumstantial, until a shocking courtroom revelation that makes it even more imperative that Jordan inserts the element of doubt into the prosecution’s case.

The story is told through alternating first-person narratives that start on the day of Lily’s death: Olivia’s describes the aftermath; Lily’s goes in reverse, returning to the events that lead up to that day; both include flashbacks.

Picoult Is especially skilled at endowing her characters with almost instant appeal through their banter and little incidents. By virtue of her occupation as an apiarist, a wealth of interesting bee/honey facts is subtly woven into the story as Olivia relates what is happening in their lives to what she knows best.

Olivia and Ava, women who have both escaped toxic males and might otherwise have had a strong rapport, are now at odds. Lily is an especially fascinating character, clever and observant, who notes that there is a vast canyon between who we want people to be, and who they truly are. “People always talk about how their love for you is unconditional. Then you reveal your most private self to them, and you find out how many conditions there are in unconditional love.”

Picoult never shies away from challenging or controversial subjects, and while some readers may find this an uncomfortable read, it is certainly topical. As always, the research is thorough and apparent on every page. These authors present a very balanced and informed view that asks: “How similar does someone have to be to you before you remember to see them, first, as human?” and also to consider the distinction between secrecy and privacy. The twelve delicious-sounding honey recipes are a bonus addition to this informative, moving and thought-provoking novel.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton.

I do love a Jodi Picoult book so was thrilled to be given an ARC of Mad Honey 🍯 I loved the chopping & changing between time lines and I feel the plot twist in the middle definately shocked me more than the twist at the end. Each chapter kept you wanting more and more but for me the chapters were far too long. This I guess is a me problem because I get through books alot faster with short sharp chapters, it's definately not a deal breaker though. You get to hear the story unfold through Olivia & Lily so dual POV but I'd have loved to have heard Ashers POV too as its him who's on trial for the murder he may or may not have committed.

My first Jodi and not the last. More incredible women and the worker bees who survive to keep the family together and the queens alive. Mad honey indeed

Jodi Picoult is back on form once again with this latest offering, in which she works with Jennifer Finney Boylan to create a compelling and beautifully written story which peels back the layers on themes of identity, wrapping it up neatly into an emotive murder mystery.

Olivia is a beekeeper and single mother to her teenage son, Asher. She’s escaped an abusive relationship with her ex-husband to build a life for herself and Asher back in her hometown. And it’s going well – Asher is a popular teen, playing hockey on the high school team, and he’s just got himself a new girlfriend, Lilly – who has recently arrived in town.

Lilly and her mother have travelled across the country running from their own secrets and past. She’s here for a fresh start, and she counts herself incredibly lucky to have found a boy like Asher who seems to genuinely care about her. She’s ready to start her future.

But, tragically, it’s not to be, and – early on in this story – Lilly is found dead in her home. And her new boyfriend is the prime suspect.

This book feels like a return to Jodi Picoult’s best, with all the staples of her novels – an emotionally charged story, a high-profile court case, even the return of a previous character in attorney Jordan McAfee. And, of course, her incredibly ability to research and explore different topics – from beekeeping to gender identity. Except this time she has help.

The story is written from two points of view – Olivia and Lilly. And, this time, they’re written by two different authors – but they’ve worked so closely together that it feels seamless and works perfectly. Picoult doesn’t often work with other authors but, as the true subject matter of the book became clear, I can completely see why Jennifer Finney Boylan’s experience and perspective were so important for this story – after all, it turns out that the whole book was Boylan’s idea. Every chapter is beautifully written.

It is best to go into this book knowing very little about it – but safe to say in classic Picoult style, there is a Big Twist. It occurs around halfway through the story – in a similar style to her last novel Wish You Were Here – and it takes the story in a completely different direction. I have to admit, at times it did feel a little like information overload, and like perhaps the authors tried to throw too many complex issues into the one story. But, this book has a big heart and an important message, it’s an inspirational, eye-opening story which I definitely learned something from.