It’s been a while since I read a Jodi Picoult and this was my first read by Jennifer Finney Boylan so wasn’t sure what to expect here, but it did not disappoint!

One thing Picoult (and I’m guessing also Boylan, now!) does well is shock. When a surprise hits you out of nowhere you know it has been done well and that was certainly the case here.

Loved this one, thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Such a gripping read, I was hooked immediately. I learned a bit more bees than I needed to but aside from that, the story is so fantastically written. A real whodunnit. I wasn't sure who was the killer....really had time gripped!! A great piece of fiction. Highly recommend.

Jodi Picoult is a genius and this book proves that. I loved this book There are so many twists and turns and important issues raised and discussed, I loved the themes of compassion and second chancers too, and as always this book left me thinking, Picoult always makes the reader think and talk about certain issues and this is no different. Asher is a brilliant character. A fantastic book.

I absolutely loved this book. It was such a fascinating read that I just could not put it down. So many themes are covered, this would be an excellent choice for a book group as it provides so much for discussion. It is an emotional read which will keep you guessing throughout as there are many plot twists throughout.

Olivia has escaped an abusive relationship with her young son, Asher, she returns to her family home to raise him. Years later her life is turned upside down when he is accused of murdering his girlfriend Lily. This story is told across various time periods by Olivia and Lily. Despite having two authors there is a seamless flow between the narrators.

I just cannot recommend this book highly enough and I know it will stay with me for a long time to come.

Fantastic read.

It's been a while since I read Jodi Picoult, and I have not had the privilege of reading Jennifer Finney Boylan before.

The story gripped me from the start, and when the 'secret' comes out half way through the book I nearly fell out of my bed. I didn't expect it and the way the story developed afterwards was great. Educational without being lecturey. I found the book hard to put down and I really rooted for Asher and Oliver and also for Lily even though we already knew her end.

My friend and I often refer to Jodi Picoult books as being similar to marmite; they’re either really incredible reads, or forgettable duds. Mad Honey is actually the first novel of hers that I can’t figure out which category to put it in.

Olivia McAfee knows what it’s like to be starting over; once married to a cardiothoracic surgeon in Boston, she’s now back in the house she grew up in, with her beautiful teenage son, having taken over her father’s beekeeping business. But when Olivia receives a phone call telling her that her son’s girlfriend is dead and her son is being questioned, she starts to wonder where she knows her son at all.

Picoult often uses animals as an extended metaphor in some of her novels, and sometimes I enjoy it, other times I’m bored to tears. I actually really enjoyed learning more about bees, and was fascinated by the different aspects of beekeeping, so that was definitely a plus for me. However, I felt that it was let down in other places.

The novel started off very strong and it was very engaging, but I think it was overly long and dragged out. I think she also seemed to be trying to tick off a lot of ‘hot topics’ that would make the book controversial and relevant (It covers transgender, diversity, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, rape, homophobia, abortion, same sex marriage, the justice system, intolerance, gender and sexuality…. not an exhaustive list.) and I just found it a bit much. I think if she’d focused on one or two rather than five or six, it would have given the story more depth and made the points she wanted clearer and more poignant.

Picoult is very good at creating engaging characters that you really do care about, and developed worlds that feel believable. She’s also a master at creating books that do stay with you, and Mad Honey still does tick these boxes. It is a book that could teach you a lot, however, I feel like some people might find it too preachy, rather than being left to come to their own conclusions.

I loved parts of it, but it didn’t satisfy me as others of her novels have. Straight down the middle for me.

I knew that if Jodi Picoult was one of the authors, there was a good chance I would like the book. I had not heard of Jennifer Finney Boylan at that time – I have since read a lot about her. The two of them together made this book amazing. I loved that each took a character and then they wrote a chapter for each other’s character.

Lily and her mother move to New Hampshire to make a fresh start. She meets Asher, tall and good looking and they slowly and sweetly fall in love.

But when she is found dead at home, Asher is charged with her murder.

I have thought about this book so many times since finishing it. I’ve recommended it and I will certainly re-read it.

5 stars.

This is definitely my favourite Jodi Picoult book which has 100% been enhanced by being co-written by Jenny Finney Boylan. The two different voices give the book more depth overall but definitely to the characters and I think the story feels that little bit more powerful as a result. It has all the elements we’ve all come to love in Jodi’s book modern complex and emotional issues, courtroom drama and a superb ending, just even better.

Gosh. Where to start? This is my first of both authors and certainly won't be my last of either. I'm glad that my buddyread pal recommended Jodi Picoult, and even more so that we were able to both experience her co-writer Jennifer Finney Boylan's writing. I really enjoyed both of their writing which merges almost seamlessly; and the sheer amount of hours dedicated to research and planning is very clear to see.

This isn't just your bog standard heart breaking tale of boy meets girl; although at the very heart of the book, it is exactly that. Asher and Lily fall in love. Then Lily dies. And here begins the story of Olivia and her son Asher, and Ava and her daughter Lily - all four of them survivors,
recently escaped from their old lives, simply looking for a brighter future.

The chapters go from Olivia to Lily - Olivia's moving forward from the day of Lily's death as Asher is taken to trial, and Lily's moving backwards from the day of her death. I quote the epigraph to the book - 'Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.' - Soren Kierkegaard

Its tricky as I want my reviews to be spoiler free but what I will say is that big subjects in this book include discrimination and prejudice - there are other TW which you may want to look up, although be warned some of them will give away some big twists.

I found this story to be both enlightening and humbling. It serves a reminder that we can always learn more, thrive to educate ourselves every day. It is raw and moving and thought provoking - I found the discussion around the 'correct timing' of disclosing ones' own secret private history with loved ones particularly so. When is it the right time to tell someone your deepest secret? surely only you can be the one to decide that? even so, others may feel they have a right to deem this withholding tantamount to lying?

This book explores the complexities of motherhood, and the lengths you might go to protect the ones you love the most - surely one of those people should be yourself? It also centres around how much we REALLY know our loved ones - presumably only as much as they choose to show us? or to share with us? Is it true we can we never truly know another? and what could we lose if we choose to show our true selves?

I wasn't sure if I was enjoying the book when I first started it, there was nothing I disliked but I could not decide if I liked it either. I've decided I did like it. I liked the bees that Olivia had and all the detail that came with explaining her beekeeping. I like how the title 'Mad Honey' made sense once I learned what it actually was. I liked that Lily knew so much and all the little hints of general knowledge she would share throughout the book - I learnt a quite a bit! I particularly enjoyed the way the characters were written, they felt authentic and three dimensional. As I was coming to the end of the book I felt a deep sadness for the loss of Lily - and of the loss of Lily's life, as she would talk about her plans for the future... These were real people to me. Ultimately, I can't fault this book - it had me ruminating, has left me with a deeper understanding of multiple things, and inevitably also had me sending my poor buddyread partner podcast length voice notes. I recommend this to anyone!

I'll leave you with a line from Jodi Picoult's Author notes -

' We are all flawed, complicated, wounded dreamers; we have more in common with one another than we don't. '

Amazing. Seamlessly well written, super emotive subject; and a twist that comes out of nowhere but makes so much sense. Absolutely brilliant

I haven’t really ever enjoyed a Jodi Picoult book a lot, the stories are interesting but they have never been amazing. However with Mad Honey I found Jodi Picoult’s writing was a lot more enjoyable. I enjoyed the long depictions and elaborated information about beekeeping and nature of bees. I also enjoyed the legal side of things and how scenes unfolded in the courtroom and seeing how the story unfold by way of confessions.

I was curious to read this book, being a big fan of Jodi Picoult and having seen her and Jennifer Finney-Boylan talking about it. I knew ‘roughly’ what the subject content was, but never could I have imagined the depth of education I would get!

I want to reflect on transgender for a moment more. This book was gently enlightening, with a purpose. As the story unfolds, so did my understanding, with so many analogies to make the issue easier to empathise with and facts that horrified me. Terminology, that is often passed by, brought out with meaning.

This is not a fast-paced thriller, however, what it is, is a brilliantly written, carefully researched, captivating and at times, heart-breaking, nerve-wracking, slow-burn story. Don’t be fooled, this story still has its twists, tension and surprises!

The authors have skilfully written a story in two directions, Olivia moving forwards ‘after’ the murder; and even more touchingly, Lily, moving backwards, before the murder. Not an easy feat, but really enriched the depth of understanding of what both characters had been through to reach this point.

The challenging areas covered so clearly, but with great sensitivity, include: transgender, domestic abuse, love, grief, motherhood, anger, the strength of family and the ferocity of public opinion. I delighted in the snippets of knowledge about beekeeping, threaded purposefully throughout the book too.

Facing the grief of two mothers, one child lost and one child grieving and possibly facing life imprisonment, reflects that life is never clear-cut choices.

Both young people, Lily and Asher, are totally believable and delightful. The struggles they have both faced through childhood, leading them to this point in their lives, makes a fascinating, engrossing read.

I loved this book totally!

Mad Honey

This book hit me so hard. It hard to talk about without giving away spoilers bur I have never read a book that's made me stop and think as much as this one did. This book is brilliant and heartbreaking and for me has given me insight I didn't have before. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder and Stoughton and Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finnley Boylan for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest Review

An emotive book about a complex relationship, families, untwined in a gripping read where you can’t wait to find out what happened. Told from different perspectives which tells the tale beautifully!

I absolutely loved this book. It’s so current and really deals with the topic so well. Got quite some time I thought it was predictable, that I knew exactly how it was going to pan out but I was very wrong. It was a great read.

An absolutely fascinating story, taking in domestic violence, transgender issues, and…love.
I love Jodi Picoult books, so was delighted to be given the chance to read this one, co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan. And I wasn’t disappointed - it’s a wonderful read.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for review.

So excited to read Picoult's newest novel and intrigued to see what impact writing alongside another author would have. It did not disappoint. Brilliant story, strong prose. Loved it

Mad Honey is the story of Olivia, a bee-keeper, her teenage son Asher, and his girlfriend Lily. The story follows the relationship of Asher and Lily, flashing backwards and forward through the timeline to provide context of different incidents throughout the story. Lily has died in mysterious circumstances and Asher is standing trial for her murder, and one of the running themes of the story is examining just how well you can know someone else - even the people that we are closest to. Another focus is nature versus nurture - is Asher like his father, whose true character is slowly revealed throughout the story, or does he have the nature that his mother has always believed?

As this is a Jodi Picoult story, there are twists throughout the story and it reframed the narrative at a crucial point. I found this really interesting and it fed into a very current debate, and I felt the approach to it was handled well. It poses an interesting question, driving you to consider how you would react in similar circumstances and what you would think of people close to you if they encountered the same circumstances.

I haven’t read anything by Jodi Picoult in a few years and I really enjoyed this story. It was engaging and well written, and I found it really interesting and well-paced, and I still keep thinking about it, which says a lot! I would definitely recommend this - the characters are interesting and the issues that they face feel very real.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My goodness this book. First off she's a big book!
And literally I just wanted one character to not have been through the ringer. There was just so much bad that happened to everyone around. It was a bit overwhelming. I liked that this talked about Trans persons and their struggles. I liked that it showed that people truly cared about who you were not what you were born with. I am kinda mad this didn't turn into a murder with mad honey tho haha.

The books intense so brace yourselves

A new book from Jodi Picoult is an immediate must-buy for many: a co-authored book with another star author is a rare and intriguing prospect. This project began when Jennifer Finney Boylan sent a DM to Jodi Picoult about a dream she’d had where the two writers were creating a book together, with switching narratives, which Picoult responded to with glee and excitement – the result is this brilliant novel about secrets, privacy and the difference between who we want people to be, and who they really are. Set in a sleepy New Hampshire town, the story picks up with beekeeper Olivia McAfee, who has moved back to her parents’ house with her teenage son Asher after the breakdown of her marriage to Asher’s father, a high-flying cardiothoracic surgeon who physically and emotionally abused Olivia over many years. The other narrator is Lily, Asher’s teenage girlfriend, who moved to the small town with her forest ranger mother for Lily’s final year of high school, so both narrators are starting again – yet one fateful afternoon it all falls apart, when Asher finds Lily’s body at the bottom of her home’s stairs, and the teenager is accused of her murder. Olivia rushes to her son’s defence, with her attorney brother providing legal counsel, yet internally worries: could it be true? How much of her husband’s violent behaviour did her son witness and internalise?

The story unfolds a little like the process of checking a beehive: you take out each frame one at a time, hold it up to the light, and gradually the bigger picture reveals itself, and it’s very rarely what you first expect. This is a tense, gripping thriller about the power of second chances that feels a little like listening to a true crime podcast: the switching narratives slowly reveal the concealed truths and the brilliantly unexpected twists – providing every element you could require for a winter read.