Firstly this is a brilliant book about friendships, flaws and would definitely recommend reading this. The book follows on from the first 2 books based on Renee and Flo who are now 22. I haven’t read the first two books however this can easily be read as a standalone.
Renee is returning from Spain where she has been living with her Dad who she doesn’t have a great relationship with and Flo is coming back from London to their childhood home Guerney and they bump into each other again at the funeral of a girl they went to school with. They rekindle their friendship and end up living together in Flo’s Brothers flat while he is out of the country. An elderly lady called Lillian also lives in the same block is nicknamed Mrs Mangel initially as she always moans about them slamming the doors however as the book progresses we also get to learn a little more about Lillian and then scene in the cafe made me laugh out loud.
Flo is suffering and doesn’t appear to ever have got over the grief of her Dad dying and the resentment she feels at her Mum and this has led her into alcohol issues, Renee isn’t sure where her life is heading, she knows she wants to be a writer but embarks on an affair with a married man, which makes her realise she has never felt the same way about a man before.. Working together does bring added strains to Renee and Flo’s relationship but ultimately they are there for one another, providing support when needed and felt that by the end of the book they showed a maturity, as if they suddenly grew up and realised they need to take control.
This book also touches on the issues of menopause, living with someone in a care home and dealing with the loss of your parents and how this can affect people.
If you want a book that has great characters, shows how real friendship can endure the tough times and the mess ups that friends make then this is the book for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for providing an advance copy however the opinion is completely my own.

I had high hopes for this; it was my first DoP book but I’d heard such good things about her others and, being of a similar age to Renee and Flo, I was looking forward to this.

Guernsey came across beautifully, I’d love to go. Unfortunately I just could not connect with the characters, they were a bit flat and 2D and their actions really frustrated me. I didn’t like the two main characters at all.

Sadly not for me, but I am sure this will be loved by the authors usual fanbase. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my copy

I loved this story and Dawn O Porter as a menopausal women I identified with the aunty. The connection between the 2 friends was lovely and also the office dynamics especially the error with emails which I admit I’ve also done!

Best friends Renee and Flo return to the island of Guernsey to start being adults, but they soon discover it’s not all it’s cracked up to be!

This was an entertaining read with lots of amusing and cringy moments which the author is famous for, as well as some more tender moments. I loved how the girls came together to rekindle their friendship, although probably felt myself relating more to menopausal Aunty Jo! It was also really interesting to learn about how growing up on a small island impacted them, it never occurred to me that Guernsey didn’t have trains!

Firstly thank you to netgalley for sending Honeybee in exchange for an honest review. I have really enjoyed all of Dawns books, I find her writing funny and relatable!
This book was a follow on from Paper Aeroplanes (which I kinda wish I’d re read to familiarise myself with their stories again however I think it would be fine if you hadn’t ever read Paper Aeroplanes).
There was lots of nostalgia in this book, very character driven and some deep, sensitive challenges that Reneè & Flo face however I must admit it wasn’t my favourite of Dawns, I felt she was holding back on the storylines somewhat but that’s just my opinion!
It has made me want to visit Guernsey though!
(Also if my phone changes Honeybee to Hornybee one more time I’ll go mad 😵‍💫🫣😂)

Oh, this story filled up my heart very nearly to bursting! Flo and Renee, 22 years old and desperately trying to find a grown up way in the world, cue, love, friendships and misunderstandings aplenty but also some wonderful laugh out loud moments, thank you for this story

Really sweet and heart warming book about female friendship. They were childhood friends, and then in adulthood as they face difficult times in their lives they help each other and grow together. Would definitely recommend this.

Life hasn't turned out quite as they expected for Rennie and Flo.
Now in adulthood but both getting nowhere and back where they grew up.
So long as they stick together will everything be ok?

I’ve read a couple of Dawn O’Porter’s books and I’m becoming quite the fan.
Old friends Renée and Flo couldn’t be more different – chalk and cheese.
Flo wants to be invisible, Renée wants to be a somebody.
But old friendships are like magnets and the duo find themselves drawn to one another once again after a falling out and a period of not speaking.
In their early twenties, and on the cusp of the rest of their lives, Renée and Flo both fly home to the island where it all began.
As usual O’Porter’s dialogue is natural and witty, and the narrative voice is warm and inviting, making the reader feel like they are part of Marnie's world.
I find her writing is engaging and accessible, with a sharpness that often leads to laugh-out-loud moments and funny looks from my husband!
There’s also some really dark themes explored too – an older man in a position of power taking advantage of a subordinate in the workplace, affairs, alcoholism and grief.
It’s a real coming of age story and I loved getting to see Flo and Renée grow throughout the book.
There’s some wonderful female friendships and examples of women supporting women which I loved!
If you are a fan of her previous work you will not be disappointed, and new readers will find themselves drawn into a world that is both relatable and profoundly touching.

A lovely book about female friendship between two friends that meet as children. They meet up later in life and this is the story of how they help each other through difficult times in their lives.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy

This is a very sweet book that nonetheless deals with some serious issues.
It's not really for my age group I guess, but I don't know any 22-year-olds who are quite as clueless (or irresponsible) as these two. But I liked them and enjoyed following the twists and turns of trying to figure out family, independence, jobs, relationships.
What you think you want and dream of sometimes turns out to be completely wrong for you. What endures are people and friendships.

This was a complex read - sad, funny, frustrating, hopeful in equal measure. It tells the story of Renee and Flo, old friends who couldn't be more different but end up both living and working together. Flo is seemingly put together and career driven but quietly paddling furiously under the surface. Renee is a free spirit type who doesn't get office life, wants to be a London writer and can't understand why everything is so serious. Nevermind the intense crush she's developed on big boss Ben.

Reading about these two make me want to tear my hair out and give them a massive hug. Dawn is great at writing messy characters. She doesn't shy away again here, getting right into the complications of being young and figuring out your path. I loved every minute of it.

I love, love, LOVE Dawn's books and was thrilled to be sent an early copy of her newest title. And I hate to say it but it wasn't my favourite. But, the positive things first.

The main story starts in 2001 and whilst Renee is 22 years old and I am almost a decade older, I truly resonated and related to her from the off. I didn't like Flo as much but can't really say why. She just fell in the background.

It is very real, this idea of having your life mapped out and then realising none of it is happening. This idea that women should have a house, a job, a husband, and children by the time they reach their 30s, we see it time and time again, both in fiction and in real life. She has infused a sense of nostalgia in the book, directly for the characters, but also for the reader, looking back at school times, Uni times, travelling, friendships, relationships etc.

Dawn reminds me, in a way, of how Julie Owen Moylan writes women. Whereas Julie's are generally historical, Dawn's are modern, but they're both imperfect, rough, and often running from something or running towards something.

You can tell Dawn has a connection to Guernsey - an island that I so long to visit - because the way she's written about it in this book, you can feel her love for it constantly.

This isn't as fun as her other books. I don't necessarily mean it in a bad way. Whilst there were serious elements in her previous books, this felt more serious, more grown up. It dealt with very difficult topics. It's a different tone to what I am used to from her books.

However.

I didn't particularly gel with the characters. I initially liked Renee, but if I'm honest, I didn't particularly care for either of them. I didn't like them but I didn't dislike them. They had their plus points and their flaws. I just felt a bit...vanilla about them, unbothered. They didn't excite me, but nor did they enrage me. I'd have preferred one or the other, some sort of feeling towards them.

I also found the plot, whilst it did have good points, nostalgia and whatnot, I just found it a bit boring. I felt nothing really happened and I found my mind drifting off and not really focussing on the story.

Overall it's a decent book with some good points, but I just felt it wasn't as polished as her other books. I'm glad I've read her others because I know just how great her writing can be. But if this was my first of hers, I'd have been disappointed. And that pains me so much to say because I adore her so much.

Flo and Renee are old school friends brought up on Guernsey and are determined to move to the big city of London, but things don`t turn out as planned. Flo comes back after a few months and has a serious alcohol problem and Renee wants to write but doesn`t know where to start or to find her own personality, they both start working together with Flo being the boss of Renee and the main boss is everyone has the hots for and things started to get complicated.
Loved the friendship between them both but Flo was very irritating with her attitude.
thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review.

I didn’t originally realise that this was the third part in a trilogy, however when I did I immediately bought the first two - testament to my confidence in this author.

Honeybee did not disappoint. Amusing, heartfelt and well observed it was an absolute joy to read. I loved the characters and the dialogue. I’m not sure whether it would be as strong as an independent novel though.

I have read all of Dawn's previous novels, so I was thrilled to be granted with an e-ARC of Honeybee in exchange for an honest review. I was looking forward to reading about Renee and Flo again.

The book covered many, many topics, unfortunately some topics were skimmed over and could have been discussed in more depth. Flo's journey in particular - it would have been nice to have some more dialogue where she realises what her issues are and accepting them.

I really enjoyed reading more about Guernsey as a place, and the settings were really well done.

I hadn’t, until I started the book, realised it’s a sequel to Dawn’s Young Adult book ‘Paper Aeroplanes’ which I’ve never read – so I might be coming at it differently to someone reading a follow up to a much loved previous novel.

The book starts with Renée and Flo being reunited, after 3 years, at a funeral on the island of Guernsey where they (and in fact Dawn O’Porter herself) grew up. They are in their early 20s (so a similar age to my eldest daughter) and their lives aren’t panning out as they’d expected.

Having read 2 wonderful, literary books most recently, I was little concerned about my next read being a disappointment – but I need not have been concerned, this was wonderful. Just so different to either of them – but early in the book Renée’s first day at work had my literally laughing out loud!

Whilst it is part ‘coming of age’ it also deals with infidelity, mental health, grief, menopause, strained parental relationships – but not in a deep, depressing way – just in the way that most people’s lives are complicated with lots of different strands.

The setting of Guernsey is really well described as well – I’d definitely like to go and visit having never ‘done’ a Channel Island.

I hadn’t fully appreciated the time period of the book until a huge international event takes place – one of those times when you will always remember where you were – and I thought Dawn captured both the unfolding of the event – but also how everyone felt in the aftermath – really well.

The book is told alternately from Renée and Flo’s points of view – but the supporting cast of characters – family members, neighbours, colleagues, even bees – all provide a rich tapestry for the storyline. I romped through it – keen to see how everything turned out for our leading ladies. There would definitely be room for another instalment in their lives in the future too.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable, escapist read – it would appear I prefer bees to cats!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC. Honeybee is out in September 2024 and can be pre ordered now.

Honeybee by Dawn O’Porter is a bittersweet story of female friendship, love, home, growing up and belonging. Following on from Paper Aeroplanes and Goose, best friends Renée and Flo are now in their early 20s and find themselves back on the island of Guernsey. Having been estranged for a number of years they rekindle their friendship in an all or nothing fashion. Not only living together but working together too.

Told from the perspectives of both Renée and Flo, Honeybee is beautifully written and captures the intensity of those early adult years, with hope and gentleness at its heart.

Having read Paper Aeroplanes and Goose, I was delighted to receive this ARC. Dawn O’Porter’s writing is honest, warm and very witty and Honeybee is no exception. I loved this book and read it in a couple of days because I couldn’t put it down. Although this book and the previous books in this series are about characters much younger than me, the fact that Honeybee was set in the early noughties, brought a welcome dose of nostalgia to my reading experience.

Thank-you NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC.

I've read and enjoyed most of Dawn's other books. This one left me wanting. The characters were mildly annoying, they were not very likeable. It didn't really seem to flow. It was a bit disjointed and I felt that the story was missing parts and just gave me highlights. Overall a bit disappointing. More development work needed imho.

Estranged best friends Renee and Flo are accidentally reunited when they both end up back in Guernsey where they grew up. Easygoing Renee is keen to let bygones be bygones and recapture the fun times they had, but Flo is reticent. Both women are holding onto secrets and fears that threaten to damage their fragile, rekindled friendship if exposed. The book attempts to deal with some dark themes but there is plenty of humour. The pacing is good and there’s enough tension to maintain interest, although not enough to make you want to devour it way past your bedtime. The novel is structured as a two-hander, alternating between the two character’s viewpoints. This is what ultimately lets the book down, the voices are so similar, that the focalisation is not always clear. Another drawback is that the big, dark themes are not given quite enough attention to tackle them thoroughly.