I was excited to read this as I loved other books by Dawn previously, This one was such a great read with amazing characters and relationships.

“Honeybee” is a really lovely book but not one that avoids some dark subjects. It tells the story of Flo and Renee, two young women who have been friends since school on the island of Guernsey where they grew up. They have both had grief in their lives and grew apart in their late teens/early twenties but find themselves back “home” and their friendship resumes. But as it does so, they have to confront the issues in their past as well as issues which they find in their present. And they have to work out what they want from their lives now that they’re adults and no longer care free youngsters!

Suffice to say, much happens along their paths of self discovery and a lot of it, I’m sure, people will relate to, I know I did. And it’s written in a wonderfully low key way which I mean as a compliment, It didn’t feel like there were any ridiculously big plot points that were clearly signposted. Everything that happened seemed to happen much more naturally and therefore felt more real.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to others. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

“A sweet tale”
This is a lovely story about facing your past, dealing with your present and stepping into your future. I hadn’t read Dawn O’Porter’s first book so Flo & Renee were new to me; it might have helped with some threads but ultimately made no difference to my enjoyment of the book.
The start intrigued me, and watching the story grow from that point was engaging and clever. The setting of a small island, Guernsey, was written like a love letter to a place Dawn clearly holds close to her heart, and rightly so. The double narrators bring a vibrancy and change of pace to reading, which meant I always wanted to read more.
This story deals with some big issues; grief, growing up, love, families, life changes and illness. There are almost too many to do justice to, and at times I found myself wanting each storyline to have more time to play out and develop.
I was also unsure why the story was set in the past, with a major world event slightly disjointedly included, but maybe I missed that in the blurb (or the first novel!)
Overall this had enough to keep me page turning and invested, and perhaps even wanting more….

I always enjoy a book by Dawn O'Porter so I was thrilled to reveive digital copy of her latest book, Honeybee. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for providing an ARC.

Renee and Flo used to be best friends but have drifted apart since leaving school. At the age of 22 the two friends are brought back together at a funeral on their home island of Guernsey. Both women have their own struggles and demons to face. Can they rekindle their friendship and support each other while working out how to be an adult?

I found this to be a wonderful read, full of warmth, wit and some truly cringey moments. We hear from both Renee's and Flo's POVs who are great characters, who one moment had me laughing out loud and the next shedding a tear. This book has all the feels. I did love the side characters too, in particular Aunty Jo. It was good to read about character going through menopause, a subject I really relate to. I would love a book with Aunty Jo as the MC.

While Renee and Flo have featured in previous books, it's not necessary to read those first to enjoy this book as it totally works as a stand-alone. I would definitely recommend Honeybee if you're looking for a laugh out loud book with strong female characters.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Honeybee.

I really enjoyed this, it was funny, relatable, in terms of figuring out your life/ finding work situation and I loved Flo and Renee’s friendship . I didn’t like Ben or the affair storyline however, really enjoyed the writing style and the dual perspectives.

Five stars from me.

When Flo and Renee go their separate ways after school, they are reunited randomly at the funeral of their common bully. Tracking the ups and downs of their relationship, Honeybee is a story about female friendship and the trials and tribulations of being a woman.

I got into this book really easily and enjoyed seeing the characters develop. I read Dawn O’Porter’s Cat Lady last year, and like that book, Honeybee is well-balanced between serious topics and humour. I found a couple of the plot points a bit predictable but overall I found it a thought-provoking, funny and heartwarming read.

Renee and Flo are besties, they live in the Channel Islands , Guernsey to be exact. This is about them and their experiences whilst they deal with life as young adults. I love Dawn and I loved this. Amazingly written as always.

I really enjoyed this story about Renee and Flo's friendship and how they navigated their early 20's as 'grown ups'. Dawn's writing is very sharp and funny and I laughed out loud whilst listening. I found them relatable and real and loved Lillian's character too and Aunty Jo's menopause struggle.

Last 2 audiobook chapters were missing so I requested the written version to complete the book. Enjoyed reading it as much as listening but really loved the narrators. One of them sounded a lot like Dawn and I was surprised that it wasn't her!

When life gives you lemons, make sure you have a decent wing woman who will sweep them straight in the bin and pour you a glass of wine. Renée and Flo had their hopes pinned on securing high flying marketing jobs and winning at life, but reality keeps stamping all over their plans. Adulting is so much harder than they imagined with disappointments in work and love. The pair nose dive into one disaster after another, but arm in arm, they tackle it together with lots of laughs alongside the melée disasters. A wonderful celebration of female friendship and solidarity. A freeing and uplifting read despite some heavy topics. #honeybee #dawnoporter #netgalley

Honeybee is a gem of a read about youth, resilience and self discovery.

I loved the warmth and wit of Dawn O’Porters writing. A character centred story, I was so invested in Renee and Flo’s experience of navigating relationships, grief and loss, substance use and finding their purpose and place. The egocentricities of youth were captured with empathy and understanding, and the broader story read as a testament to the female experience, of aging, relationships, adjustment, health and identity.

I’d highly recommend to anyone looking for a heartwarming and captivating read, and look forward to picking up more of O’Porter’s work.

Thank you HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Many thanks for netgalley for allowing me to review this book. I really enjoyed this book, so much so I read it in under 24 hours. It was a perfect way to show the imperfections of young adults and how office culture can be so difficult. Flo and Renee had to find their new place as friends but also when push came to shove, they were each others people and meant to be in each others lives. The book shows so beautifully how important real friendships are and to cherish them. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

I absolutely loved this book! The slower day to day pace gave me more time to get to know the characters given them a great depth.

Covering a wide age group was very endearing. Unfortunately being a woman doesn't stop being difficult. You just get a new set of problems! I love that there were the usual dating/life problems for Flo and Renee but also talk of menopause and what happens when you're older.

This book definitely gives a relatable, humourous sense of belonging.

Firstly thank you to the publishers for my early access in exchange for a review.
I’ve read and enjoyed all of dawns book including the Books where these characters are first introduced .
It was great to reconnect with them at a later age .
The themes in this book resonated so personally for me being sober and going through peri menopause so a lot of respect to dawn for raising awareness for subjects that can indeed be judged and treated like a stigma .
This book is hilarious sone bits really made me laugh

I raced through this as couldn’t get enough of the characters .
They each have their struggles and demons and through the chapters they achieve self awareness and self love to be kinder to themselves while evaluating their life paths .
I really enjoyed this and no doubt it will be flying off the shelves !

First of all, many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I'm a huge fan of Dawn O'Porter so was excited to get into this one.

O'Porter’s narrative is engaging, and, as always, characterised by her signature wit and empathy. Her writing style is brisk and accessible, making for a quick yet satisfying read. The novel’s mix of comedic moments and emotional depth ensures it resonates on multiple levels, providing both entertainment and insight.

Overall, Honeybee is a delightful read that showcases Dawn O'Porter’s talent for blending humor with heartfelt storytelling, offering readers a compelling narrative about resilience and self-discovery. If you have enjoyed any of Dawn's other offerings, you won't be disappointed with this one!

I really enjoyed this book. I hadn’t read Paper Aeroplanes but I don’t think that this mattered - I was still able to enjoy the story.

The liked the characters and the humour in the book.

Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

Requested the ebook after the audiobook failed to render the last three chapters. I couldn’t stand having no closure and couldn’t stop thinking about Reneé and Flo for the 2 weeks between listening to the first 89% and finishing the book.

Honestly, a visceral, intense and beautiful picture of friendship, love and vulnerability. Thank you for this story.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

I hadn't read the YA books but I don't think that mattered. I really enjoyed this story of growing up, how life changes in ages and phases and how adulting is definitely not all it's cracked up to be! Told with warmth and wit, I recommend you read it.

Renee and Flo (apparently characters from earlier books) at 22 discover being an adult isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Each with their own struggles and dysfunctional families they return to their motherland - Guernsey, in an attempt to stabilise and move on. Childhood friends, they quickly rekindle their relationship and move in together. We navigate early womanhood through their eyes at the turn of the century and it’s pretty funny, very relatable and tinged with sadness. The characters are all well developed and particularly likeable are ‘Mrs Mangle’ aka Lillian and (Renee’s) Aunty Jo…who happens to keep bees. There are several analogies scattered throughout the book - hence the title and it is very much a story about finding the right ‘hive’ as well as the ‘wingwoman’ mentioned on the front cover. Both women help to guide and steer the younger versions of themselves. In fact the book is very much a celebration of womanhood, including the ugly bits! Huge topics such as the menopause, alcoholism and 911 are touched upon and real place names are used (there definitely was a ferry from Weymouth to the Channel Islands in 2001 - I went on it more than once!) which makes it feel very real, almost like reading a diary. Now I have discovered Renee and Flo, I look forward to reading the next chapter of their lives soon.

It’s good to meet up with Renee and Flo again and watch how they navigate the tricky world of adulthood.
They are both relatable characters, but my favourite is Auntie Jo. I like that she is trying to talk about her experience with the menopause, but her husband doesn’t want to hear about it.
Such a quick and easy book to read that I devoured it in one day! It’s everything that you expect from Dawn O’Porter.