Mad Honey

Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son Asher was six. Now, impossibly, her baby is six feet tall and in his last year of high school, a kind, good-looking, popular ice hockey star with a tiny sprite of a new 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, and Lily feels happy for the first time. But can she trust him completely?

Then Olivia gets a phone call Lily is dead, and Asher is arrested on a charge of murder. As the case against him unfolds, she realises he has hidden more than he's shared with her. And Olivia knows firsthand that the secrets we keep reflect the past we want to leave behind ­­and that we rarely know the people we love well as we think we do.
Another great book couldn’t put this down totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton
I just reviewed Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult; Jennifer Finney Boylan. #MadHoney #NetGalley

What an astonishing read this is! There are not enough stars in the world to convey how much I adored this read.
Firstly, you cannot tell at all that this book is co-authored. The transition is seamless and they both write in the same style, it is very well done.
The plot for 'Mad Honey' really feels like old school Picoult and that is when I loved her books the most. The plot is a tough one, and reminded me of 'Nineteen Minutes'. There are distressing and upsetting scenes but none of it is there to be sensational, all of it is integral to the plot and what an outstanding plot it is.
There are the usual twists I have come to expect from Picoult as well and they really turned the book on its head and meant the reader suddenly saw things completely differently. I also love how Picoult weaves in the facts about bees and honey, this aspect of Picoult's books always sets them apart from others for me.
The characters are also fantastic, they are strong, realistic and tell the story perfectly. For long time fans of Picoult there are some returning characters in this book and yes I did scream in delight.
'Mad Honey' is another outstanding, special read from Picoult and Finney Boylan. If you read one book this year, make it this one. I could not have loved this anymore.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy.

What a fabulous novel! Just when I thought I knew the direction this one was taking, I was proved wrong and the twists just kept coming.

Olivia has had to start over, after fleeing her abusive marriage and returning to her hometown to take over the family beekeeping business with her son Asher. Now in high school, Asher is a popular and well adjusted teenager with a girlfriend.

Lily also knows what it is like to start over, when she and her mother relocated to New Hampshire. Then she met Asher and fell in love, starting a new beginning together.

The future looks bright for both of them but then one day Olivia gets a call - Lily is dead and Asher has been arrested on suspicion of her murder. As the case unfolds, secrets come to light and a whirlwind court case begins that will undo both families.

There was just so much I loved about this one! Olivia's family that came into the story were intriguing, along with her past and the beekeeping side was fascinating. The timelines of now and then worked so well and I love a courtroom drama, which it had too. I want to share so much more about this story but I can't, due to spoilers. It's one I highly recommend.

Another fantastic book by Jodie Picoult!! I’ve read all her novels and this one is a real must read. This story is centred around teenagers Lily and her boyfriend Ashur, both carrying family baggage around. When Lily is found dead and Ashur found at the scene of the crime, he becomes the prime suspect. As Ashur’s mum left his dad as he was abusive, she has to consider the possibility that perhaps her kind and thoughtful son has the same temper his father displayed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this thought provoking ARC.

My favourite style of Picoult book, with crimes, court trials and characters who are real and flawed and interesting. Interwoven with fascinating information about bees! This is a real must read, it kept me hooked right to the end. The coauthoring worked really well and gave the characters two distinct voices which added to the enjoyment.
Thank you for this arc

I have been such a big fan of Jodi's work for such a long time. Ever since the first time I picked up my sister's keeper I have been absorbed in all of her books. Reading the ones that came before and all the ones that have come after. I feel like I get absorbed into the very pages and the essence of the books seep into my soul. The books that I love the most are always the ones that make you think, ones that open up discussions and beg you to look at the world in a different light and to try to walk the footsteps of someone who is completely different to you. I am also really fascinated by people, what they do, how they think, what makes us who we are and makes us do the things we do. What makes us stand out from society and why society are so ensnared by old points of view of what should make up a person, how a person should act and how they should live their lives. Which Is so outdated and wrong it's really disturbing why people still believe these outdated things. I think I find it so fascinating because I don't fit into the normal mould and for a long time I was fighting q world where I didn't fit in and trying to be someone I wasn't. Now I'm proud to be who I am and I am proud of all the people who are also different who stand up and say I am who I am.

This being said I haven't particularly liked the last few books by Jodi sadly. I just didn't gel with them and I didn't think that they lived up to her previous books. However this book Jodi is back with a bang. As a co author on this amazing book. I really need to read books by Jennifer to because if this book is anything to go by then they will be amazing too.

This book is centred around lily and her boyfriend Ashur. Both of whom have had troubling up bringings but for completely different reasons and both of them are trying to fit into a world where they long to be who they are. Lily is Trans and is trying to come to terms with this in a world that isn't very forgiving, is judgemental and whom osteracis those who are different. But lily knows who she is and is proud of it. Even if she does keep things guarded and close to her chest. But lily is dead Ashur has been found at the scene of the crime and is been trialed for her murder. But did he do it?

I have to say that I had placed it althougher in my head before it was revealed and I knew what had happened to lily before it was played out in the book. But I will say that it didn't dampen my enjoyment of the book one little bit.

There has been so much research and time spent looking and understanding how people feel who are transgender and how they try to navigate and fit into the world. I think that it is written sensitivitly and with great power.

This is an amazing book. I loved it.

I’m a huge Jodie Picoult fan and mad honey didn’t disappoint.
This book had ALOT going on! - in true Jodie style we are thrown into a world full of twists and turns and I did not see most of them coming. Thought provoking and intense I thoroughly enjoyed the whole storyline and couldn’t put it down.
Lily and Asher are a teenage couple and the story flits between then and now for both lily's story and Olivia, Asher’s mum. Lily is dead and Asher is the number one suspect…
I don’t really want to give too much away as I think this book is best read with no pre- conceptions. I can say that I feel I learned a lot that I didn’t previously know about a few subjects and Lily is a character I grew to love.

As a long time fan of Jodi’s, I was over the moon to receive a copy of Mad Honey. This is her newest novel and one with a difference, as it is the second one that Jodi has chosen to co-write (I especially enjoyed the true story of how the plot and collaboration came about!)

The novel is centred around Olivia, a single mum to her 18 year old boy Asher. Single through choice, after she left an abusive marriage 12 years earlier to settle in her parents’ old house. Asher has recently met Lily, new to town and now newly his girlfriend. Lily and her mum have just started afresh - new town, new job, new school. Lily feels happy and content for the first time in a long time.

But their worlds fall apart when Lily is found dead and Asher is later arrested for her murder. It will take an old friend from some of Jodi’s previous novels to help to unpick the facts of the charge against Asher, along with some typical gasp-out-loud twists you can expect from a Jodi novel.

I completely devoured this book. It engrossed me and shocked me and made me cry. I know that this book, just like Jodi’s previous novels, is one I will return to again. Would highly recommend. A brilliant book.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review.

Mad Honey is simply stunning. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m torn between what I can and can’t write in this review, because I wouldn’t want to ruin any of the plot twists and reveals for you.

Written seamlessly by two authors the story is captivating, intriguing and brutally honest. At times painful but ultimately enlightening.

It made me think, deeper than I ever have, about what being a woman means. It broke my heart in places yet it also opened me up to new ideas.

Mad Honey isn’t published until the 15th November, I was lucky to get an ARC copy from NetGalley but I’d encourage you to pre order and I will be bigging this up again at release date.

It’s a book that will stay with me, as will Lily, Asher and those amazing bees.

5 stars! Challenging, thought-provoking yet packaged in that eminently readable Jodi Piccoult style that’s as comforting as a rustcoloured Afghan blanket your grandmother crocheted in the 70’s. Enjoy!

I always enjoy Jodi Picoult's books, and I was intrigued by the idea of her co-writing this with another author. The collaboration is clearly a success, and the result is a gripping and devastating family drama centred around the sudden death of the teenage Lily, and the subsequent arrest of her boyfriend Asher. The story has a dual narrative, told partly by Asher's mother as she navigates the weeks and months following Lily's death and her son's trial for murder, and partly by Lily, who shares the story of her life and her relationship. It's beautifully balanced and thought-provoking.

I always describe Jodi Picoult as a guilty pleasure. As a 39 year old male, I am not sure I should enjoy her writing but I do and I am not going to do it guiltily anymore.

What I enjoy about her writing is that she deeply researchers all her novels and they can be very educational as well as enjoyable (I know more about bees now than I ever thought I would).

In this novel, Asher and Lily are in a loving relationship. Asher moved to New Hampshire with his mother after she left an abusive marriage to Asher's father and when Lily turns up dead and Asher is arrested, Asher's mother wonders if the same violent streak of her husband has been passed down to her son.

It is a hugely entertaining novel, and Picoult does what she always does - tackles a major societal issue with knowledge, compassion, heart with a healthy dose of entertainment and great writing.

Massive thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another book that I completely devoured. It's co-authored but, despite reading how it was written, it's impossible to spot the different writing in the novel.
Asher and Lily are teenagers in love. Both have moved to the area after starting again, living with single mothers. But some secrets about their past are just too hard to escape from.
When Lily is found dead at the bottom of the stairs, Asher turns from witness to suspect and his mother Olivia wrangles with her natural love and instinct to defend him, with her knowledge of the genes within him.
I learned so much through reading this book, whilst never preaching. A gorgeous read, with an ending that was entirely unpredictable.
'Sometimes making the world a better place just involves creating space for the people who are already in it'.

What a brilliant read, I really loved this novel so thought provoking .Olivia left an abusive relationship and takes over her family's small farm where she becomes an apiarist and looks after her small son Asher. They have a special relationship Asher does well at school and is captain of his ice hockey team and with his girlfriend Lily things seem to be going well but after Olivia receives a call from him things are set to change forever. I was engrossed in this story which was told in alternate chapters by Olivia and Lily and was so beautifully written that I could really empathise with the characters and the secret that eventually comes out and is central to the story. Don't want to give anything away except to say this is a must read book and I highly recommend it

Another stunner by Picoult and her co author Boylan. I am a massive Picoult fan so many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book. A powerful, emotional and educational read that will keep you turning the pages. When young couple Asher and Lily meet it appears that Lily has finally been given a second chance of happiness. Overall they are in love and happy. But Lily hasn't been honest with Asher and is struggling with how to tell him she is transgender. Asher lives with his mother Olivia who left her violent husband and is raising him alone and farming bees. When Lily is found dead and Asher is arrested it is Olivia's worst nightmare. Could he have his father's violent tendencies. A brilliant book that touches on an important topic and you relate to both the mothers in the book. A huge sense of loss ,discovery and recovery in this book. Absolutely brilliant.

Overall rating: 5.5/5 (an extra 0.5 because I learnt so much about bees and beekeeping)

One of the BEST books I've read in 2022! I am confident that this book will be a SENSATION when it releases!!!

I kid you not, I INHALED this book. I finished it in less than 12 hours and that too because of my humanistic needs of eating and going to the washroom.

I am utterly blown away by this wonderfully written story. This book will gut wrench you when you're least expecting. It's a small town murder mystery teeming with emotions. It's filled with love, tragedy, suspense, unmeasurable strength, and societal issues. This book will have you hooked from the very first page. Throughout the story, you'll feel that it's predictive and you know where the story is going but BAAAAAAM! At every twist and turn, you will feel that you've been hit by a bus! I thought I figured out the mystery while reading but man oh man was I incredibly WRONG!

The story is narrated by Olivia and Lily alternatively with a switch between timelines.

Olivia escaped an abusive marriage 12 years ago with her little 6 year old boy, Asher. She takes over her family's bee farm and tries her best to be a wonderful parent to Asher. Asher is now 18 and irrevocably in love with Lily, the new girl.

Lily is finally happy after a really long time of battling with her own demons. She is young, beautiful, and madly in love with Asher. She keeps her demons buried in the past but when Asher showers her with love and care, Lily begins to lower the walls she so desperately built around her. But can she trust Asher with her deepest secret?

However, Olivia's world turn upside down when she gets a call from the panic stricken Asher from the police station saying that Lily is dead. Thus, begins Olivia's fight for her son's innocence. But does she, herself, believe her son's innocence?

THIS IS A MUST READ OF 2022!

The book releases on 15 November 2022

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a brilliant book! Quite apart from the thrilling rollercoaster ride as we dip in and out of the complicated lives and relationships of Olivia, Asher and Lily, I learned so much about beekeeping and (without wishing to give away any spoilers) the issues surrounding gender and sexuality which many people face. Written by two very talented authors, the narrative moves seamlessly between the characters and just when we think we are reaching a conclusion we are hit with another twist that leads us down another avenue of tension and discovery. We are shown so many facets of the challenges facing young people finding their place in life; dealing with love, loyalty and friendship against a background of prejudices, jealousies and possessiveness. Clear your diaries, you won't want to put this one down!

I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan and was thrilled to be given an advanced copy of Mad Honey to read months before it's release. Mad Honey, despite being co-written with Jennifer Boylan, feels just like Picoult's early novels that made me fall in love with her writing. The returning characters will thrill any Jodi Picoult fan and I can't wait to discuss this with everyone I know when it's released.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Jodi Picoult is back to her best writing self sign Mad honey. I will be disappointed I did not really enjoy her last book but this one she is back to her best and the addiction of Jennifer Finney Boylan to give life and heart to Lily made this heartbreaking read feel totally honest and relatable. My heart broke for all of the characters who were all damaged in their own way and I fell in love with Lily and her story. I also loved the interwoven story with the beekeeping and the history around those as I found it fascinating and the recipes at the end were an added bonus. Who knew mad honey was a thing. This book is perfect and everyone should read it.

I’ve been a huge fan of Jodi Picoult’s for years and was so excited to see this new release, Mad Honey, co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan.

The story is told from two perspectives: Olivia, a former victim of domestic abuse raising her son Asher at her family home and running her beekeeping business, and Lily, a new student and Asher’s new girlfriend.

When Lily is found dead at the foot of the stairs, Asher is accused of her murder and we follow Olivia and her family as they move through the trial process. While Lily’s story tells of her past before moving to New Hampshire and delves into her growing relationship with Asher.

There are so many twists and turns to this mystery (I definitely did not see that ending coming and I suspected everybody!) and the story explores some real hot topics (LGBTQ+, abuse, abortion, etc) which were both insightful and moving at times.

I found that I really connected with the two main characters, seeing them grow and change as the narrative progressed.

The story is also beautifully interwoven with factual information on beekeeping, which was unexpectedly interesting!

A must read for all Jodi Picoult fans!

I love Jodi Picoult and some of her earlier books are amongst some of my favourite books of all time and this had the same feel to them so I loved it. It is well written with charcaters that are well developed and an interesting storyline that is intriguing, mysterious, twisty and morally gray. I loved it.

Having enjoyed some of Jodi Picoult's earlier books such as The Pact and Nineteen Minutes, but not having enjoyed some of her more recent ones so much, I'm glad I gave this one a try. It felt like a return to all that I loved about her earlier books, and it was a gripping and thought-provoking read.
It focuses on a teenage couple, Asher and Lily. Lily dies, and Asher is charged with her murder. The story is told from two perspectives: Olivia (Asher's mother) who tells of the aftermath of Lily's death and her son's trial, and Lily who tells the back story of her relationship with Asher.
The story is full of suspense and draws you in. It was interesting to consider the situation from the different characters' perspectives. It touches on a lot of difficult and complex issues but it is sensitively done. Definitely worth a read!

This is a powerful and moving read with characters that you take into your heart as their lives are blown apart by a tragic event and you begin to see the fractures that they had carried with them in life revealed. A teenage boy is charged with the murder of the girl that he had appeared to love the most and the families of both the victim and the defendant are laid bare. The timeline moves between past and present and we hear different viewpoints as we piece together the events of the book and question what we know and believe.
The two authors have blended styles well and there is no break in the fluidity of the narrative and I will certainly be sure to read more by both authors. The theme of bees and honey weave through the book and run parallel with events - I found it surprisingly interesting!
This book raises emotional and hard-hitting issues and makes you look at the impact of family, relationships, trust, betrayal, love, respect, friendship and acceptance, strength and adversity. It is about all that is good as well as all that is toxic and leaves much to consider about mankind and how we treat one another. As a parent, it made me think about my role and my children and vow to try and make the world a better place for their future. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the authors for the opportunity of reading Mad Honey.

There’s being gripped by a book and then there’s wanting to hurry up and finish every activity that you are doing so that you can pick your book back up. I was thinking about this book so much throughout the day and was so excited to get my hands back on it!

Mad Honey switches between Lily, a high schooler who has recently relocated to Adams for a fresh start, and Olivia, a beekeeper living back in her childhood home. When Lily falls in love with Olivia’s son Asher, things should be perfect, but when Olivia gets the call that Lily is dead and Asher has been taken in by the police for questioning, everything unravels.

It was such a special and powerful book to read. I loved how small fragments of the characters are gradually revealed until we build a complete picture of each. We jump between the past and current day which means we get lots of insights into the back stories of the characters and can understand and connect with them more.

This book was just beautifully written and I enjoyed the way the beekeeping journey was interwoven into the story too. You would not know this book was written by 2 authors, it just flowed seamlessly. Congratulations to Jodi and Jennifer for collaborating on such a spectacular book.

What a fabulous and thought provoking book. Realistic and likeable characters and a major plot twist kept me hooked. Told from multiple view points the story flicks back and forwards between past and present building a layered and engaging story. I can’t say too much without giving away the twist but boy did it come out of the blue. Complex and difficult issues are handled with sensitivity and may just lead to some people becoming less prejudiced - one can hope. Thoroughly recommend.

What a special book

This was a good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good story!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension - impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I have read most of Jodi Picoult's books and have always found them to be thought provoking, compassionate and well researched. This was no exception.. It explored young love, sexuality, abusive relationships, trust, identity, self worth and much more. These were interwoven with a court room case and the life cycle of the bees. The ending was not as I expected and fitted with all the twists and turns throughout the case.
I loved that each character told the story from their own perspective and not always in a chronological order. Lily & Asher had a lovely relationship as two teenagers experiencing first love. when something happens! A typical Jodie Picoult style of story where you are challenged to think for yourself. Where do your views lie? Who has your sympathy and understanding? How much did you already know of the issues raised?
I can highly recommend this book. It should be read by all, particularly those who can be narrow minded. The story is well written by the two authors and it is not at all obvious that they each wrote the story from a different characters perspective. I only learnt this when reading the commentary at the end.

Another amazing book from this wonderful author. Brave topics sensitively but intensively handled. The theme of beekeeping helps keep the story flowing without becoming too bogged down and draws some amazing analogies. The flips in timeline allow the full story to gradually unfold. One of the best books I've read in a long time.

I really adored this story of love, bees, honey and a right to be who you want to be.
Asher has fallen in love with Lily, she is his world. When Asher finds Lily dead at the bottom of her staircase he becomes the main suspect and soon ends up on trial.
Olivia is Asher’s mum, having fled an abusive marriage she has taken over her families bee hives. There is a lot of information about bees in the book, how they make honey, how they survive, their mating and feeding and looking out for the queen. I loved all this! It’s woven so wonderfully through the narrative.
The book is told in parts, of before Lily died and now. The lead up to what happened through Lilies eyes and the present with Asher and his family trying to prove his innocence. There is a big reveal halfway through the book so it’s hard to really say too much as it would ruin the plot, but I found this to be a tender, thoughtful book. A belief that we all have the right to live as we are and the lengths we go to to become our true selves
It’s perfect for teens to read too.

#MadHoney #NetGalley

I loved this book and read it in a day. I’m often wary when I see that a book is co-authored but learning that the novel came about because Jennifer Finney Boylan tweeted that she had dreamt that she and Jodi Picoult wrote a book and that then Jodi had contacted Jennifer to ask what their book was about!
The story of Olivia, Asher and Lily was compelling enough but the way that the beekeeping scenes were intermingled with the plot was clever and made for fascinating reading. The scene where Asher, Olivia and Lily were harvesting the honey in the barn was just perfect.
As a mother with adult children I could empathise with everything that Olivia said and thought. Doubt however small is part of the frailty of the human psyche and is far more authentic than a parent who believes everything their child says without any analysis or objective thinking.
I was so happy to read the section at the end of the book where Jenny and Jodi discuss how they decided to collaborate and how they created the story, one taking Olivia’s voice and the other Lily’s. At no point did the novel feel disjointed.
My only tiny criticism was the final plot twist revealed at the very end. Somewhat unbelievable in my eyes but it’s not taking away any stars for such a fabulous novel overall.

I have really enjoyed several of Jodi Picoult's previous books and was intrigued to read her latest offering given that it was co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan. I wasn't sure how it would feel with two different authors writing alternate chapters but I was pleasantly surprised it was done seamlessly.
The book tackles several different sensitive and challenging social issues , typical of Picoult's usual style, but there is so much more to this with great character development, an intriguing plot and several twists and turns and the odd bombshell along the way. This book really did keep me gripped from beginning to end and left me reflecting on many of the issues raised for quite some time after I finished it.
I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy of this book

I love Jodi Picoult books and this did not disappoint. I loved the references (and learnt lots about) to bee keeping and honey. As is usual in Picoult’s novels, the plot centres around a trial but also explores the characters affected by the murder. As a parent, it made me consider various scenarios and how I would react.

I was really intrigued by the idea of Jodie Picoult co-authoring a book and how that works logistically. I soon forgot it had been written by two people once I started- it is absolutely seamless, so it was interesting to then read in the author’s notes how it did work.
Anyway, I digress. The book itself. ABSOLUTELY phenomenal. With most books I feel like it is fairly easy to guess where the story goes, it’s not often I’m surprised. Picoult’s book, and this one, are the exception to the rule. I was constantly surprised, astounded, saddened, amazed, and enthralled by the twists and turns that this novel took. I won’t spoil it, but it absolutely has made me think about tolerance for those living amongst us and I particularly loved the exchange Olivia had with Elizabeth- a very useful dummies guide for us all to bear in mind to avoid clumsily hurting people we encounter with our naivety. Beautifully written and I’m sad it’s finished.

Another triumph from Jodi Piccoult, together with her co-author.

The writing style was easy to read so that I raced through this court room drama.

The book covers the story of Olivia, as her son is charged with the murder of his girlfriend Lily, after deep seated secrets are uncovered.

The story is narrated through the voices of two characters: Olivia, as she comes to terms with events and tries to support her son through the trial, even while having doubts about his innocence, which are entirely based on her own personal history with her son’s father; and Lily, the victim herself, in the events leading up to one fateful night.

As ever, detailed descriptions include the legal system, and also the process of bee keeping, Olivia’s profession.

The book includes themes around domestic violence as well as gender. I found it both enlightening and thought provoking.

All in all it’s another top class read from one of my favourite authors- I wasn’t sure I would like it when I learned it was co-authored but it was brilliantly put together and Olivia and Lily’s stories blended perfectly.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review, it’s a solid five stars from me ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Jodi picoult has smashed it again!
I’ll be honest, I didn’t actually realise until I had finished this book that it was written by both Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, however that just goes to show how seamlessly it was written that I couldn’t notice. I read at the end that they each wrote one of the characters and I think that’s a fantastic idea.
I went into this book not reading what it was about at all so each little twist was a complete surprise for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I don’t want to give anything away, but I love Lily’s character and I think it was really clever that we got to know her and then found out what we find out about her, it helps to educate people and show that it shouldn’t be a defining characteristic.

Olivia and her son, Asher, move from Boston to New Hampshire to start their lives over. Asher falls for Lily and within months she is found dead. He is subsequently questioned by the police and without warning their newly-constructed lives begin to fall apart. Asher protests his innocence but he has secrets and Olivia, although fiercely protective of him, has doubts.

Wow! What a powerful read but not an easy one to review without giving too much of the plot away. I welcome it when a book makes me challenge or review my perspective on certain situations and ‘Mad Honey’ does just this because, about half-way through, there is an bombshell turn of events which changes the whole dynamic of the story and stops you in your tracks. Jodi Picoult’s novels are not afraid of dealing with topical, emotive subjects and this book is no exception.

Analogies were cleverly drawn between bee-keeping and certain elements of the book so as a plus I also learnt a lot about the fascinating rituals of bees. Certain events in the book mirrored the life of bees so seamlessly that I can only imagine the amount of research that went into making this happen.

Jodi Picoult’s characters come alive on the page and I was completely invested in what happened to them. Lily’s character in particular was beautifully crafted. Superb writing played with my emotions and I found myself in the strange position of empathising with all of the characters at one time or another. My opinions and views were in a constant state of flux.

If I had to have one criticism, it would be that one particular aspect of the book’s conclusion, although very satisfying, was a little rushed. This is a tiny negative about what is a really great read.

The authors’ notes at the end are not to be missed. Their collaboration worked brilliantly and created a fabulous novel. Highly recommended!

One of my books of the year 10 * if I could. A book quite unlike anything else- in such a good way.
Olivia has inherited her mothers house and her fathers bees. Bees, for anyone who knows them, can tell us so much about life- they are truly fascinating creatures. In this story, Olivia tells part of it through them. Her eighteen year old son Asher, has been seeing Lily for a few months. When a surprise goes wrong and they don’t speak for a few days everyone thinks it's teenage angst. Olivia has had her own issues with Asher's father from whom she is now divorced. When Olivia gets a call from the police station, things have drastically changed and maybe even their whole lives.
In the blurb this book is described as compelling and wow! It most certainly is. There’s something not only about the plot but the style of writing that keeps the pages turning so very easily. I quickly took to Olivia and her predicament and that fear of what to do, who to all, what is happening etc. Halfway through there’s a twist and wow! This took my breath away as it was so unexpected. A book about life and what it may throw at us and of being who we truly are, not restrained by others or popular thought. Of learning from those little winged creatures who are always one step ahead of us humans and of life that can give us a real buzz both good and bad. A brave, beautiful, powerful stunner of a read.

)(rest of links on publication)

Another page turner from Jodie Picoult. It's been a long time since I've read a book that made me want to find out more asap. Once again Picoult has taken a topical subject or as in this case a couple of topical subjects, marital abuse and transgender and crafted them into a well written novel with twists along the way.
I had not realised that the book was co-written until the very end, the writing was seamless. Her research is always so through and as well as enjoying the fiction I also learnt a good deal along the way of the world of bees.
Picoult is a true story teller and I particularly liked the drama of the court room scene. All the characters were very well portrayed. The story unravels little by little as different characters continue the narrative and this made me want to keep reading on and on. I finished the book in a few days which is not my usual reading regime. I thoroughly recommend reading it.

Wow! What an amazing book!!
Would love to read more from the author.
Thankyou netgalley for the Arc!

Olivia escaped an abusive marriage taking her son Asher with her, to the farm where she grew up to find safety and give her son his best chance at a good life. When Asher falls for Lily it seems as though life is going their way, until Olivia gets a phone call that changes all of their lives.

Wow, this is such a moving and thought provoking book on a subject that I really knew nothing about. Its told from both Olivias and Lily’s points of view, and although at first I thought it felt a bit odd that Lily’s is going backwards, it really does make sense when you get into it. I like the analogy of the bees and relationships. The story telling is excellent and at no point are there two egos pulling against each other by either author, it all reads seamlessly. A definite must read

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Jodi Picoult is one of those authors where I know it’s going to be a good read whenever I pick up one of her books. Always a solid writer, and this one was absolutely no exception.
The story deals with some hard topics which the author had no hesitation in taking on.
Written with all of her usual depth and clear research, this story shines.
Beautifully written with “real” characters, this is one of my best reads so far this year.
This is a story that will stay with me long after I finish the last page.
Highly recommend this one.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.
All thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Thank you for my copy of this book to read and review.

This is the first Jodi Picoult book I have read and I was absolutely engrossed from the start.

I felt really invested in the characters and felt they were believable. I liked how each chapter was told from a different character perspective and at different points in time. I also enjoyed learning about bees along the way.

I will be going back to seek out some of her previous books now.

Wow!! What a book!! I’m a huge fan of Jodi Picoult and this book blew me away!! I’m still feeling lost now that I’ve finished it

This was, for me, a real return to form. I absolutely loved Picoult’s early work - her courtroom dramas - and this was like going back in time. Superbly crafted (with some characters I loved already), fantastic dialogue, complete suspense. In fact, I’m now going back and reading all of my old favourites.

As usual, Picoult has chosen themes and her research shines through.

Cannot recommend more highly.

This book has it all as as far as I’m concerned. A courtroom drama, a plot which makes the reader question their thoughts and beliefs and really credible characters. I have read most of Jodi Picoults novels and even though this is co-written it is as good as all of the rest. Thought provoking and a page turner. Brilliant!

Mad Honey feels and reads like Jodi Picoult’s earliest novels, and that’s not a bad thing. On the contrary, it’s what made this book such a fabulous read. This book is a collaborative effort with Jennifer Finney Boylan, but it has all the hallmarks of a Picoult classic, tough controversial topics, legal court room scenes, moral dilemmas, traumatic scenes that will pull on your heartstrings.

Mad Honey is a mesmerizing and devastating family drama centred around the sudden death of teenage Lily, and the subsequent arrest of her boyfriend Asher. The story is told largely from the POV of Asher’s mother and partly by Lily. These characters give a voice to subjects that are often concealed and kept secret. The story moves fluidly between past and present, allowing the reader to gain an insight into the characters’ life’s, you learn of their hopes and dreams, and you experience their struggles, trauma, pain and heartbreak.

When I’m reading a book, that’s a collaboration. I’m normally able to work out who's written what, but the authors compliment each other and have created a seamless narrative that feels like a single voice has written it, something that is rarely accomplished in writing collaboratives. Rich in research and information, I found the parts about bee keeping fascinating. Mad Honey is a soul-stirring novel about what we choose to keep from our past, and what we choose to leave behind. Highly recommended.

I love Jodi picoult style of writing anyway but this was a great book. Jodie’s themes are normally obvious from the outset but this one saved the theme until halfway so a really good twist when court room dialogue can be a bit dry.

A gripping read and beautifully written, I was captivated from the first paragraph when Olivia was describing her dreams of her future child "Each vision was a bead on a rosary of future memories; I prayed daily". The information about bees and bee-keeping was engrossing, I learned so much and the court room drama was Picoult at her best; excelling at what she's so good at.

Bees weren't the only thing we were educated about but without giving away a major plot twist I can't go further, the only thing I will say is that I never felt lectured only educated and always in a gentle way which moved the story forward effortlessly.

Honey bees are the background throughout this extremely good book, but it is about more than bees.
The three main characters are Olivia, what has happened in her life to take her back to her childhood farmstead as a bee keeper.
Her son Asher, and Lily, his girlfriend and her story.
It is a powerful, compelling and thought provoking book.

I found this book absorbing. It is the first book I have read that was written by two authors, and wow this bold novel was such an interesting read. Sensitively portrayed, it certainly helped me understand a little better some very sensitive gender identity issues. With bee keeping running through the whole of the book I found it informative, with many interesting facts dispersed throughout, about bees and more.
I loved some of the one-liner sentences, and reading the epilogue from both authors found where a few of them came from. It was very interesting reading the authors reasons for writing the book.
I cannot go to much into the storyline as it would ruin it, and it is a book that should be delved into by the reader themselves.
The characters are easily understood.
For me it was a real page turner, and I have gleaned some interesting facts. I didn’t have an opinion about some of the books storyline before reading, but I now see things clearer, and hope it makes me a better person because of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an e-book copy. Opinions are my own.

Lily is new in town. Town is old to Olivia, who grew up here and now raises her son here. Their stories intertwine in ways I cannot go into, but ways that will have you utterly gripped.

It's hard to talk about much of the plot without giving it away, and as a reader I enjoyed it so much I won't risk taking away a moment of that for other readers. I've read other reviews that say this book throws in too many issues or 'hot topics' but I found it all so organic I heartily. disagree.

Considering it is written by 2 authors, it is so fluid and natural to read. It takes issues and rights head on and educates the characters as it educates the reader. I enjoyed this book on so many levels; it really had me gripped.

I absolutely wouldn't hesitate to read this - the two write seamlessly together.

This is Jodi Picoult,writing with Jennifer Boylan, back to her best.I haven’t enjoyed her last two books as much as her previous books, as I felt she had changed the style and format, but this is a great book.She always manages to tap into what people are currently discussing,and without giving anything away,this is exactly what this book does.Although there are two authors,it’s hard to know as the styles fit so seamlessly together.
I could not stop reading this-highly recommended.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for honest review which reflects my own opinion.

Lily and Asher are High School sweethearts but then Lily is found dead being cradled by Asher. Did he kill her? A thoroughly enjoyable read and especially good as it is written by 2 authors but you can't tell. Would highly recommend this book.

This is my first Jodi Piccoult read and it won’t be my last. A heart stopping story told from two points of view which had me gripped from beginning to end.

I devoured this book, it is what Jodi does best: takes a controversial topic and challenge the reader with her writing. I didn’t see coming the twist halfway through the book.

Asher and Lily are seen as the perfect couple- even though they have only been dating for a few months. Lily is the newcomer at the high school, Asher is the popular kid. They have so much in common: both only live with their mom and their dad is not in their life anymore. Both had to move and start again- but there are secrets that they are both keeping from each other.

And when Asher finds out Lily’s dad is not dead and arrange for her to meet him, Lily is very angry and stops taking to him.
Now Lily is dead and Asher is being trialled for her muster.

The story has two narrators: Lily and Asher’s mom, Olivia. Such a powerful book. Loved it.

This book really took me back to a ‘classic Jodi Picoult’ with its court dramas, twists and turns and complex family relationships; it may be my favourite of hers for some time.

There is so much I could say about the learnings of this book and the emotional journey we are taken on, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone! I would suggest to all readers to go into it with as little knowledge of spoilers as possible, to make the most of the journey.

I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and family!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I have always been a huge fan of Picoults and this book is no different, written in her signature multiple POV style, which is something I have always been fond of.

The story follows two points of view, Lily’s and Olivia’s. As always with Picoults tales, there are twists and turns which I can never predict and this book was no exception. I feel the less you know before starting this book, the better your experience will be.

However, this story brings to the forefront contemporary issues which we face in todays society and is a story of challenges, acceptance and understanding of those around us.

I would say this book is up there with my favourites from Picoult including House Rules, change of heart and small great things. Would recommend this book to anyone.

*Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton / Net Galley for this ARC*

Was not sure about this as it’s written by two authors. But WOWWY! Absolutely devoured it. Hopefully Jodi P will team up again with Jennifer Boylan. Team made in heaven.

Jodi Picoult’s books never shy away from issues that may be challenging and divisive. Mad Honey, a joint collaboration with author Jennifer Finley Boylan is no exception. Some people reading this book will feel challenged and immensely uncomfortable, most will hopefully see the strength and courage Lily showed in her life.

Lily is a gentle soul, who appears not to have had an easy path in her life. Sadly that life is taken away all too early.
At the heart of the story are two teenagers, very much in the midst of their first heady love. Both Mum’s have a huge amount in common, despite the situation dividing them. They are fiercely loyal and protective of their children. Their lives have been shaped by the decisions they made, to protect those children, from the outside world. In some ways it has cost them both dearly, though neither would change those decisions.

Early in the book, Lily mentions Jonah, and I had no idea who he was. Since reading who Jonah is, I really wish I hadn’t known.

This book looks beyond labels, looks through the assumptions and stereotypes, to show a human being, with feelings. At the end of the day we are human beings, with feelings, so we are all the same, while still being different, and deserve the same respect and empathetic treatment.

I do not know how the process of co-authoring a book works, but the result is an emotional, engrossing, thought provoking and extremely cohesive read.
If you have read this review, and thought, I don’t like feeling uncomfortable while reading; this is definitely the book you should read. Be bold enough to step outside your comfort zone, and fall in love with Lily. This book should make everyone question themselves. Are we open to looking beyond labels, to see the human being, and not just our assumptions?
My final thought, this book is about love.
If I could give 10⭐️ I would, so it is most definitely 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

I really enjoyed this novel, you could tell it was heavily researched and very well informed.
This book captured my imagination so much that i've booked for the in conversation piece at Storyhouse Chester after publication.

I think a good word to describe this book is wow! Not only did this story educate me but also made me think about and understand what it must be like to feel different because you do not feel or associate with the male or female gender you are assigned at birth.
This story tells of family relationships and their breakdowns with the devastating consequences they sometimes bring. I especially enjoyed the bond between the mothers and their children, who had a natural instinct to protect their child whatever happens. It is also about young love and how a romance begins with two quite vulnerable people Asher and Lily. Their story is heart breaking when a tragedy occurs as lives are turned upside down, some of whom never recover.
Asher’s Mum Olivia is a beekeeper, having moved back to her hometown after fleeing an abusive and controlling marriage. While Eva, Lily’s Mum had also fled an equally bad marriage.
This book is interestingly co-written with both authors writing a chapter and taking on a character. The subject matters are cleverly researched that leads to thought provoking and acceptance.
My thanks to Net Galley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Following her escape from an abusive marriage, Olivia and her young son Asher, return to her parents’ home, taking over her late father’s business as bee keeper. Several years later, the story begins when Asher’s girlfriend Lily, is murdered, and he is accused of being the perpetrator.
However, all is not as it seems. This gripping and compelling story is told by Olivia and Lily, giving their viewpoint from different timeframes. Olivia’s story is told in the present time fighting for Asher’s innocence, while Lily’s graphic account is about events leading up to the crime.
The book is incredibly well researched giving remarkable insight into beekeeping, caring for the bees and how honey is extracted from hives. Also, how the American judiciary system works as Asher fights his defence. Characters are strong, well drawn and relatable, developing as the story unfolds with its twists and turns. Some of them astonishing. Is Asher the well-liked, popular boy Olivia thinks he is, or an abuser like his father?
I became thoroughly absorbed in the characters, heart breaking story and complex plot as it advances through Asher’s trial, fiercely defended by Jordan, Olivia’s brother. This is an excellent collaboration between two talented authors, sensitively written, and I learned so much about certain issues. Highly recommended.

I absolutely loved this book. I'm a huge fan of jodi picoult anyway so I was expecting to like the book. That said it totally surpassed my expectations. Full of twists and the bees and honey background worked really well.

All the stars for Mad Honey. Reading this book I realised just how much I love Jodi Picoult novels. They used to be such a major part of my reading repotoire but lately I've been distracted by other genres. But this book reminded me what I've been missing out on. Fab story, courtroom drama, intrigue and love. Highly recommend x

One of the best books I have read in a long time. I couldn‘t put it down as i wanted to find out how it ended.. Well written and a very real possibility that could happen to anyone if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It also makes you think how humans are quick to judge perceived differences.. I liked the facts about bees too and how a hive works. Just Brilliant.

A return to Jodi’s older style books and I have to say I absolutely loved it! Read in one day.

I’ve not read anything by Jennifer Boylan before but I’m definitely going to have a look at her own novels now.

What an amazing story. I’ve read a lot of Jodi’s books and wondered how coauthoring would work - but it absolutely did.
Tell the story in the order it was, rather than chronological, meant it wasn’t predictable at all. And there’s a red herring or two threaded in as well.
Compelling reading, amazing story.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is an outstanding book written by two successful authors about love and transgender. It is a love story, the love of a mother for her child and a love story between two teenagers who love truly, madly and deeply.
Lily is in a relationship with Asher, does he know that she has transitioned from male to female, does he care or love her anyway?
When Lily dies Asher is charged with her murder and we go through the trial not knowing whether Asher is guilty or innocent.
The storyline is outstanding and informs the reader as well as telling a love story.
I enjoyed this book enormously and would highly recommend this book.

A brilliant read.

From the outset, the strength in the character’s voices and how their lives are woven together, grips you.
With each chapter, you jump between characters, Olivia to Lily and back again. And the to and fro of your emotions creates charge.
There are so many well executed and surprise twists, it truly keeps you on your toes.

Olivia and Asher manage their bee farm and it seems like their life is bliss. Asher and Lily are young and in love and Olivia is free from her tortured marriage and living the life she wants. But there are shadows from all three character’s pasts and they will rear up in the most unexpected ways; devastating and emotional ways

Without giving too much away, this book raises a salient and topical subject regarding secrets within relationships and whether there is a right time and at what point in any relationship where you should disclose secrets to your partner or whether they should remain personal to yourself only and should be kept that way for survival reasons. I am so grateful to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.

Wowwowwowwow! This novel will undoubtedly make it onto my list of favorite books of the year!

Olivia receives a phone call and learns that her son Asher has been arrested for the murder of his high school sweetheart Lily. The backdrop is New Hampshire, near the White Mountains, and Olivia works as a beekeeper. Olivia enlists the help of her brother Jordan, a well-known defense attorney, to defend Asher.

This is a book about how people are not always who they appear to be, and things aren't always as they seem - and I'll leave it at that so as not to spoil it for anyone. There's a significant revelation at about the halfway mark and a plot twist at the end. I didn't see either one coming; they were both so satisfying!

Amazingly, two authors (Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan) wrote this novel together. It's so seamless and perfect you would never know. I love a good courtroom drama and enjoyed following Asher's murder trial. I also appreciate how much I learned about bees and beekeeping!

Bonus - There are recipes that include honey at the back of the book, which feels like the perfect takeaway.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Hodder Books for an advance review copy in exchange for this honest review.

Jennifer Finney Boylan had the idea for this story during the night of May eighth 2017. She dreamed about the main characters in her storyboard and in that dream she was co-authoring the story with Jodi Picoult. She tweeted what had happened and almost straight away Jodi sent a private message asking what the story was about. Jodi was impressed with Jennifer’s outline and immediately wanted to make the dream come true. This is how their collaboration was born. The idea stayed with them until Lockdown 2020. They agreed that Jodi would write Olivia’s story and Jennifer would be the voice of Lily, but that each author would write one chapter of the other’s character. Their collaboration was managed through the Internet.
Olivia is a single parent who left her abusive husband when their son Asher was six years old. They live in close harmony in Adams, New Hampshire and are ardent beekeepers. It is their life blood. When the main story begins Asher is a strapping, handsome and popular six footer, eighteen years old and captain of the school ice hockey team. Each summer time he coaches children in his spare time. He is in his last year in school and looking forward to going to University. He is happy, kind and gentlemanly.
Ava is also a single parent who has had serious parenting issues with her husband, forcing her and Lily to leave their home. They have moved on several times because Lily has been bullied. She and Lily have recently settled in Adams, hoping for another new start. Lily has changed and is ready to give her new school a good go. Ava is a ranger and being near to the coastline is very exciting for her. Asher meets Lily when a boy is hitting on her. He tells the guy Lily is his girlfriend and thus the boy leaves Lily alone.
Lily and Asher actually become a couple and both of the teenagers soon fall deeply in love. They tell each other about their families, go on dates and enjoy each other’s company. Soon they have an intimate relationship, they are serious and life is good, until it isn’t. They squabble and Lily takes a timeout. Days go by with many unanswered calls until Asher knows he has to break the stalemate. He goes to Lily’s house to try to talk to her, but when he gets there the door is wide open and Lily is on the floor at the bottom of the staircase. She is bleeding and non-responsive, so Asher carries her tenderly to the lounge sofa. Asher is found alone with Lily when Ava returns home, still cradling his precious Lily. The police and ambulance are called but Lily is pronounced dead. Olivia goes with Asher to make a statement. Asher is eventually charged with murder, still claiming he did not kill his girlfriend. So the preparations for the court case begin with his uncle Jordan taking control. He is mourning the loss of Lily and very scared.
This is a heartbreaking, powerful and riveting story. The storytelling is simply fantastic and the characters are vibrant, imaginative and engaging. I loved them all (apart from the two hateful and abusive husbands). I am in awe of the meticulous amount of research undertaken to enhance the story, adding even more authenticity and interest. The storyboard is enticing, filled with action, mystery, thrills and twists and turns. The issues explored are relevant and challenging: the power of untold secrets, abuse, the right to claim your identity and love and loss. I loved the back stories of both Olivia and Lily. These chapters gave poignant stories that helped the story become complete and explained the situation from the beginning.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Hodder & Stoughton through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you very much for my copy of this novel, sent in return for an honest review. These are my opinions of my own reading experience. It is a really well earned 5* review from me. It is a real page turner, totally unmissable and it will stay in my mind for a long time.

A Five-star read where the emotion within pours from the page. I have been a fan of Jodi Picoults for a long time, and so I was eager to get my teeth into this one, and I was so happy, there was a difference to the story, as there is a second voice, but it’s well done and kept together, there is a very nice compliment to the story. This will put you through the emotional wringer, I had to wait a week to write my review, as every time I sat to write it, I just could find the words. It did feel at times like they were hitting targets with some topics, but that seems to be a theme within books recently, and they did it better than lots. But the story and the underlying depths just swept me in and kept me hooked.

I thought this book was written really well and the two authors blended together seamlessly. I liked that it was a legal drama in the style of Jodi Picoult's older novels, and I was invested in finding out what had happened to Lily and whether Asher was innocent.

What turned me off a bit was that parts of it turned into more of a lecture than a story. Jodi's books usually allow more opportunity for debate, which is one of the things I enjoy most about her work - but this was very much more didactic - there's no real debate on it, you feel sorry for Lily's situation, and that's it, I'd defy anyone to feel differently. Gender identity is such a complex topic and the novel was really only able to explore one aspect of it - as it says in the book, you meet one trans person, you know one trans person. This novel barely grazes the surface really.

All of the characters felt like real, 3D people, and I think this story will stay with me for a long time.

However I really disliked the ending. I'm not sure what the point of it was, and it was also hugely frustrating.

I truly cannot put into words, just how much this novel effected me and how much I took away from this book.
I started reading this book and having read and loved all of Jodi’s previous novels, I knew that at some point the reader would be faced with a moral dilemma, coupled with a legal dilemma.
As soon as I begun this book journey, I knew I was in for a rollercoaster of a read, back to Jodi’s thought-provoking, tense, earth shattering novel.
I devoured the first half of the book, fully expecting a twist to be revealed at some point. However, I did not see the actual twist coming! Wow! Just wow!
The second half of the book took a different turn and I felt like instead of exploring the murder trial, we were now learning the lives of two women who had lived through and survive two life changing events.
I had so much warmth and love for Lily. Reading her story, it really hit home. I sat there questioning myself, have I ever made someone feel as Lily did, have I ever discriminated. Have my actions ever hurt someone. I truly believe that I am an accepting person, and try and educate myself, but this book. It educated me towards feelings that a person may feel, when going through what Lily did. Lily was one of the bravest literature characters I’ve come across. I just wanted to give her a big hug.
We then meet Olivia, who is working through her own demons. I felt like I knew Olivia. That she was someone who I would turn to for advice and she would never tell me of her troubles. I have a friend like that, and she reminded me of her so much.
Jodi and Jennifer have obviously done extensive research on bee-keeping and at first, I did think that the indepthness of learning about this may have been too much. However, it was perfect for the novel and the relationship between the Queen Bee and Olivia, just made so much sense.
Books the learn you something, as well as opening your eyes to something, really are a rarity. Jodi and Jennifer tackled some horrific tops, but did them perfect justice.
I am a huge fan of court room dramas. At some stages in this book, I didn’t want it to cut to the courtroom as I just wanted to learn about Lily. This is highly unusual for me. However, it was nice to see a return of a familiar character and mention of one of my favourite Picoult novels. The courtroom scenes were done perfect, as Jodi always does and a felt like a person in the gallery. I could just picture the scene.
It is hard to review the book without spoilers. But this book for me, had EVERYTHING that I expect from my favourite author. I cried reading this book. Lily will always have a place in my heart.

Mad Honey - Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan
🌟🌟🌟🌟.💫

LIKES
☀️ I can’t say too much without giving anything away, but I really like the decision for this to be co-written. It added a whole other layer of depth and understanding to the entire book.
☀️ How it properly addressed social issues, and why particular stereotypes and assumptions are so damaging.
☀️ I truly felt the pain each character was experiencing.
☀️ The multiple POV. Both were equally compelling and woven together seamlessly.
☀️ All the commentary about the bees! This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I found it so interesting.
☀️ This felt like a classic Jodi Picoult book! I’ve missed her juicier, courtroom style books so much.
☀️ The acknowledgements 🤍

DISLIKES
🌙 I couldn’t help but feel it slightly absolved abuse behaviours to a degree. While for one character it was made clear how toxic their actions were, with another it was sort of brushed over and almost forgotten about.
🌙 I wish the drama towards the very end hadn’t happened. It felt rushed and very out of the blue, so much so it wasn’t believable. It had already finished brilliantly well in my mind without it.

I highly recommend picking this one up when it releases on November - it’s definitely one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long, long time!

(Review will be posted to Instagram nearer pub date)

This was a great rug-pulling thriller. I thought I knew what was likely to happen, but I really didn’t.

The story tells the story of the murder trial of a a teenager accused of killing his girlfriend. It charts how both their family secret histories brings them to that point.

Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC.

Picoult is back! After struggling with The Book of Two Ways I was eager for her to get back to the style we know her for - the one that makes you question your morals. The one that makes you think about every difficult question.

She has co-written this and now I have another author to read too!

We have two students who fall hopelessly in love with each other. We hear from the boy, Asher, who is the typical high flyer. Captain of the hockey team. Super good looking. But you’re never sure if you should trust him or not because he has a temper. Did this temper come from his Dad? The one that his mother Olivia left in the middle of the night?

Olivia now tends the bees that her own dad used to keep. I was concerned early on in the novel, when there was a detailed history of bees, that this was going to be like The Book of Two Ways. I am happy to report that this simply enhances the plot. She’s still nursing the wounds that her husband gave her, whilst hiding it all from her home town. But she still sees echoes of the abuse in her own home.

We have Lily, who is new to the town. She’s super intelligent and plays in the orchestra. But she’s hiding a secret of her own. The one that’s made her and her mum Ava move too. But she’s fallen in love and can she really risk that perfect relationship by telling Asher the truth?

This was a complex and intriguing storyline. One that provokes many different questions within the reader. I enjoyed it throughly.

Wow what a book! This was impossible to put down, everytime I thought I knew where the plot was going Picoult and Finney Boylan were masters at throwing curve balls at the reader. I found it impossible to tell who wrote what part of the book as it flowed so well. I have not been able to stop thinking about the characters. I love a book that challenges my thoughts and really shows me a characters point of view I've not read before. I feel to get the most out of this book you should start reading without knowing very much about the plot. This was a wonderful author partnership that really worked well. This could well be my read of the year, it is such a powerful story, I was on the edge of my seat as the mystery unfolded and it was heart breaking.

I've read every Jodi Piclout book. To me, she almost writes 2 types of books and my favourite types of books by her are ones like The Pact, Nineteen Minutes, House Rules, Plain Truth etc. They are perfection to me and make Jodi my favouritr author. This book was almost like those books so I loved reading it. It did have a lot of prose about bees though, and while I do love the effort she goes into to research topics I find it slows the story for me, it's one of the things I dislike about her other 'type' of books. Still a 5 star for me though.

I was granted access to this novel on NetGalley and couldn’t wait to read it, bumping it to the top of my TBR when I had a free weekend. This is Jodi Picoult in her element. Her last book was an interesting take on the pandemic and a couple of her recent novels have been more experimental, moving away from the legal case structure of her earlier work. When I met Jodi Picoult several years ago I asked about her writing. Did she start with character, or was it the controversial issues she explores that start the writing process? Having covered racism, school shootings, teen suicide and abortion it seems that these complex issues drive her imagination. She admitted that these issues do spark her creativity, that if an issue stays in her mind for a couple of weeks she realises it has potential. Then she starts to research and during that process, characters form and make themselves known to her. I love the flow of Picoult’s writing and the tension that builds around the legal case, but thought that she’d maybe moved away from this way of working. When Jennifer Finney Boylan approached her with the idea to write a book together with a trans character at it’s heart, Jodi Picoult had been wanting to write about trans rights for a number of years. I’ve never read Jennifer Finney Boylan, but I can say with confidence that Mad Honey is vintage Picoult. Even where Jennifer Finney Boylan takes over the narration I didn’t notice a difference in tone or style. Picoult and Boylan haven’t shied away from controversy, choosing to write about one of today’s hottest and most complicated topics; the complexities of being transgender.

We meet Olivia and her son Asher, who live near a small town in New Hampshire. When Asher was a toddler she fled her abusive marriage to return to the place she grew up. Her timing was perfect, as her father was starting to struggle physically and needed to teach Olivia all the wisdom he’d accrued in a lifetime of keeping bees. Now Olivia is the bee expert, tending daily to her hives where each queen bee is named after a musical diva: Celina, Gaga, Beyoncé. The toddler who was just steady enough on his feet to intervene when his father attacked his mother, is now a six foot ice hockey player in his final year before leaving for college. Asher is a popular teenager with lots of friends and now he has Lilly too. Lilly understands starting over, so Olivia feels they have something in common. She likes Lily when she’s been over to the house and she’s helped them with the bees, who are a good judge of character. Lilly feels happy for the first time in her life and Asher is a huge part of that, although there is still a part of her that wonders if she can truly trust him, be open and vulnerable. Then out of the blue comes the call every parent dreads. It’s the police. Lily is dead and Asher has been arrested for her murder. She calls her brother Jordan to come to New Hampshire and be Asher’s lawyer. There’s no way that the boy she knows could have done this. However, as the case starts to unfold she realises that Asher has hidden more than he’s shared. Could he be exhibiting the same tendencies as his father? As Olivia knows more than anyone, we rarely know the people we love as well as we think they do.

I think it’s incredibly hard to take on writing about someone else’s experience, especially someone from a minority group. When it comes to books about disability, my own minority, I do prefer ‘own voice’ narratives. After all, who better to write a character with a disability than a writer with a disability? Failing that I want to know that an author has done their very best to represent that minority, through research and spending time with people who have a disability. I want to know they’ve asked the hard and sometimes uncomfortable questions that take them to the heart of how living in that body might feel. Armed with that they can hopefully create a character who feels real rather than clichéd and avoids stereotypes. I have to be honest and say I don’t know enough about being transgender to judge whether the authors have got it right, but at least they wanted to write about transgender rights in a mainstream novel that’s very likely to be a bestseller. I guess time will tell how the book is received as it moves out into the world. In her acknowledgments, Jennifer Finney Boylan quotes a terrible statistic; in the year that she and Piicoult wrote the book, ‘more than 350 transgender people were killed around the world, more than a fifth of them inside their own homes’. This awful number stayed with me and made me think that at least these authors are trying to start a conversation, using their fame and renown to bring the subject into the mainstream. It helped me have a conversation with my 75 year old dad who becomes confused between gender and sexuality and is totally baffled by labels like transgender, transsexual, non-binary.

Picoult speaks for me when she says it never occurred to her to think of a transgender woman as anything other than a woman, so it was good for me to have my view challenged, because it opened me up to how vehemently some corners of society disagree with me. We are given a lot of background information that clearly comes from both author’s research, but is presented in the guise of Olivia educating herself. She talks about how common it is for animals to change gender, from clown fish to bearded dragons and female hyena’s who can have retractable penises. She’s pressing home the argument against those who claim transgender people are unnatural and if you don’t have the internal sexual organs of a woman then you’re not a woman - but where does that leave women like me who can’t have children? Or those who’ve had a hysterectomy? Are we not real women? I was very interested in something called ‘passing’, a concept that applies to race, disability, sexuality: an African-American man may be treated very differently if he has a lighter skin tone; a gay man may ‘pass’ as straight in order to be treated differently; someone with an invisible disability like mine can be seen as able-bodied with all the benefits of both ways of being. If a transgender woman has a naturally feminine look she can pass as a woman more easily than someone who is is taller, broader or has large and feet. This ability to pass means no one, not even someone the transgender woman is in a sexual relationship with, need ever know that their assigned sex at birth was different. Of course this then begs the question of whether there is an obligation to disclose this information and when? All of this information comes in the courtroom, in the guise of expert testimony so it doesn’t feel like endless exposition.

The story flows beautifully and really grabbed hold of me quickly. I found myself unable to do anything until I’d finished reading, so I let uni work and household chores pile up, completely engrossed in the terrible situation both Asher and Lily’s mums find themselves in. I did feel this was Olivia and Ava’s story, despite our narrators being Lily and Olivia. For me the transition between the two writers is seamless. I really couldn’t tell whether I was reading Jodi or Jennifer’s writing and I know they worked hard at this, swapping sections for re-writes at times. I did feel for Olivia who has fled a terrible situation to protect her boy from her violent husband. I understood how she and Asher had become a tight unit, now challenged by Asher’s age and this new person coming into their small world. I thought the aftermath of being a victim of violence was tackled really well, as Olivia’s job keeps her hidden from the world. She doesn’t make friends and relationships haven’t been on her radar at all. I felt this massive change looming over them, Asher going away to college and leaving his mum alone for the first time. Her protection of them both has been necessary but she must be lonely at times. It was interesting to see her reaction to a possible romance, could she take down those walls and start to build a life for herself? By contrast, Lily’s chapters are lighter than Olivia’s, capturing that moment of being at the cusp of adulthood. Lily is brim full of potential and possibility. She’s like a newly transformed butterfly taking it’s first flight. Then all of a sudden she’s gone and it feels like a light has been snuffed out. How much harder must it be for Ava, who has nurtured and protected her daughter in much the same way as Olivia has? Ava stayed with me after the book had ended because her loss is unimaginable and her only solace is to retreat into the natural world where she feels at home. I found myself hoping she experienced the healing power of nature and didn’t feel too lonely out there on the Appalachian Trail.

I enjoyed the bee analogy that ran through the book, the reference to Mad Honey referring to bees who’ve collected pollen from rhododendrons and laurels. Unfortunately the honey produced is poisonous, causing dizziness, convulsions and cardiac symptoms. The ancient Greeks used it in germ warfare, it’s secret being that we expect it to be sweet not deadly. The analogy between this and Olivia’s husband is clear as she describes the love bombing in their early relationship and her utter shock when he first lashes out in anger. Her biggest fear is that Asher could be cut from the same cloth as his father, she sees nothing but her sweet boy. However, she knows that her own mother-in-law would have struggled to accept that her boy was a monster behind closed doors. The tension is brilliantly handled, rising slowly as we get to the final days of the court when I found myself biting my nails! I wasn’t sure how I felt about Asher and the potential verdict, I wasn’t sure I believed his version of events and if Asher was found innocent, would we ever find out what happened to Lily? The twists and turns here were brilliant, with the killer blow delivered just as everything is starting to calm down.

I’m hoping that this novel can be a gateway novel, an introduction to what life can be like for transgender people, hopefully inspiring readers to search out writing by transgender authors going forward. There is one scene where Olivia seeks out the woman who runs the town’s record store, because she’s known to be transgender. Here she gets to ask the questions that are running through her mind and although he’s a reluctant authority on the subject, he doesn’t get offended by her insensitivity or ignorance. What he does reinforce for her is that no one can speak for all trans women, because ‘when you’ve met one trans woman, you’ve met one trans woman’. What it reinforces for me is that gender and sexuality are a spectrum, there are as many ways of being as there are people. Our need to categorise, label and compare creates a pyramid of bigotry and ultimately divides us. All we can hope is that future generations find ways of relating to each other that bridge these man made divides. It’s only then that all people can live ‘with power, and fierceness, and with love’ and, as one of our characters says, without the obligation ‘to explain and defend the things I have known in my heart since the day I was born.’

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC of Mad Honey.

I am a big fan of Jodi Picoult and when I saw this new novel I knew I had to read it. However I am not familiar with Jennifer Finney Boylan's work so I was intrigued on how the two writers would fit together.
Both author's styles blended perfectly to create this novel which is reminiscent of Jodi Picoult's older work, think the pact, nineteen minutes etc.

I loved how both author's took modern day issues and push the boundaries by writing about them, there's a reason most Jodi Picoult books get banned and that's because they're brilliantly written and don't conform. (not that I agree with them being banned as I said, I'm a massive fan).

The characters are well carved out and so natural. Olivia questioning whether her son is capable of murder is a heart wrenching moment, he's showing signs of his abusive father's traits, could he be a killer? I think as a parent it's extremely difficult to think of your child in that way.

The twists and turns left me shocked, the direction the novel takes I wasn't expecting and I was truly pleased when an old favourite turned up, any one who's read Jodi Picoult will know this happens sometimes.

As with all of Jodi Picoult's novels it left me in an emotional state. In my opinion it's another fantastic novel.

Wowzers…. This author is my go to holiday author! This book didn’t disappoint, I gasped twice with unexpected end of chapters! I read this book in one long sitting, loved the story and wanted to hug Asher, learnt so so so much about bees along the way too.

I’m a relative newcomer to Jodie Picoult books, only having read her last two book. I absolutely loved reading Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. As I was reading the book, I was trying to work out which of the authors had written which sections of the book. I found the notes at the end of the book on how Jodie Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan came together to write the book and their process of writing collaboratively fascinating.

As with the other Jodie Picoult books, this is very well researched. I found the information on apiary sprinkled throughout the book absolutely fascinating and I went on and did more research on bee-keeping!

The book centres on an apiarist Olivia and her teenage son Asher who live in a small town on the East Coast. Asher starts dating the new girl in school, Lily, and all is good until it isn’t and he’s arrested for Lily’s murder.

I found the process of building Asher’s defence really interesting and how it played out in court. Also, interesting was the secrets that all the characters kept from one another for differing reasons - self-preservation, not wanting to hurt others, etc.

I don’t want to say anymore about the plot and let slip any of the huge reveals of the book. This is a really thought-provoking book and also quite topical.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It has been a long time since I read a Jodi Piccolo book, but Mad Honey has made me remember exactly why she was one of my favourite authors for years. There's something so honest and unflinching about her writing, making every book captivating from start to finish. I don't want to go into any details here as I don't want any spoilers, but this book really made me reevaluate how I think about certain issues raised in the story.

I loved it! Jodi Picoult never disappoints. Thought provoking book with engaging characters. I completely understand the hype about this book possibly being banned. Jodi Picoult at her best.

I absolutely loved this book. Really thought provoking with great characters. I couldn’t wait to finish it. Highly recommended.

I really liked this familiar characters of a Jodi picoult book updated with a new twist and modern storyline. Will stay with you.

When I read comments from Jodi Picoult that she suspected this book would be banned, I thought she was being overreactive but no, I reading it can see why it would cause controversy among some which means it has an important story to tell and should be out there in the world.
Mad Honey is a court room based novel like Jodi Picoult's older novels which I adored and Jorden from nineteen minutes makes an appearance adding depth to the world building. Told in several multiple points of view, the truth of the story was eked out taking me on a journey into Olivia and Lily's life and the reasons leading up to her death. I couldn't stop reading.
Like all my favourite Jodi Picoult novels is littered with facts which the characters know. In this case, it's bees. I've always loved bees so to join Olivia as she checks her hives was a joy and Lily had a fact for most occasions giving an insight into her personality. Lily was a wonderful character and could easily have read her story in isolation.
The topics covered were told with the love and care, you'd expect from Jodi Picoult and the collaboration with Jennifer Finney Boylan worked well as I couldn't tell who wrote what. A must read for this year

Absolutely Picoult at her best - keep writing with Jenny Boylan please! I was completely gripped by this to the point of doing little else. There are some great well timed twists and the narrative goes forward and back around the event being told by two different people. Don’t want to give anything away but I learnt a lot and not just about honey. Fabulous read, six stars.

Love al, of Jodi Picoults books and this latest one did not disappoint, it had me hooked from beginning to end, loved it! Definitely worth reading

A very modern, brave topical story of Asher and Lily’s love story which goes wrong in the worst possible way.
Without giving too much away, this is a very poignant tale of murder and love with a very current and poignant message. You will not see the twist coming! A brilliant read.

Jodi picoult never fails another brilliant story I absolutely loved it from the first page.

Many thanks for the arc

WHAT A BOOK! OMG I was not ready for this! I found the two voices very interesting and all the aspects of this story it was amazing! I know people will find problems in this book where it does not exist but i hope you all give this book a try

You can see my full detailed review here: https://youtu.be/muCGI0E9jww

A beekeeper who was abused in her own marriage and left that marriage to protect her son. Years later son is accused of something similar to his father.

This novel is beautiful. The words just flowed. I just couldn't put this book down at times I didn't know who to believe If you liked it ends with us by Colleen hoover then you will love this book. Highly recommend. With thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A very interesting and enjoyable book. The story is centered around a teenage couple, Lily and her boyfriend Asher. Both had difficult beginnings in life. Lily is Trans (although I had no idea about this fact when I started the book, so this was a revelation to me!) and her mother removed her from the family home when her father could not deal with 'his son's' sexuality. Asher's mother was in an abusive relationship with his father. She left taking him with her allowing Asher no contact with his father. Lily's is found dead at home with Asher and he is charged with Lily's murder.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the advance copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. All the way thrlugh, each of the characters was carefully developed and the storyline was uneven in a really interesting say. a must read.

Although this is classic Picoult at the top of her game (and it’s right up there with The Pact, 19 Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper), it’s also an awesome collaboration with a new-to-me author and Transgender Activist, Jennifer Finney Boylan.
I read it in two sittings over two days and it’s every bit the page turner you’d expect from a collaboration of this pedigree. As you’d expect, it doesn’t shy away from difficult and complex topics, including domestic violence, alcoholism, gaslighting, and the bias, ignorance, violence and other issues that transgender people have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Please check the trigger warnings, but please read this excellent and enlightening story.
There’s the characteristic Picoult moment in this novel when a mother questions whether she knows her offspring as well as she thinks she does and the inevitable tension this creates, always at the most pivotal moments in the plot.
One of the things I love most about this story is the way it illustrates the complexity of gender, and helps to bust the myth that gender is binary.
I loved this novel and recommend it with my whole heart.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for a chance to read an ARC.

This book will go down as one of my favourites that I have ever read. I love a good Jodi Picoult book and knew that this would live up to her fantastic name. Having co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan I was intrigued to see if I could tell the difference in the writing styles but this book easily flowed and I did not have a clue who had written which parts until the very end of the book.

Olivia McAfee is restarting her life with her son Asher, after fleeing an abusive marriage. Her beekeeping business is doing well and Asher appears to have dodged the childhood traumas of domestic abuse. However, when Asher's girlfriend Lily is found dead Olivia's world comes crashing down around her as Asher is a accused of her murder.

Narrated not only through Olivia's point of view, but also from Lily's we see flashbacks of her early life and complications that she fears may sending Asher fleeing forever. We see that Lily is apprehensive to truly get close to Asher at times and we are left wondering why.

Only when we get to the twist in the book do we truly realise the implications this will have for all those involved. Jodi Picoult is famous for those twists and as expected this one truly took my breath away.

I would 1000% recommend this book because of the topical nature and real life implications that it has but also because it really is a special book.

I have just finished Mad Bees by Jennifer Finley Boylan. and Jodie Picoult. Blimey, this is certainly a book that makes you think and makes you feel. Hats off to Picoult - she says at the end that she has wanted to write a book that tackles one of the main subject matters (no spoiler) and that the opportunity to write it alongside an author with personal experience was what persuaded her to write a co-authored book. I respect that and It worked really well.
The book is narrated by different two women. 19 year old Lily and forty-something Olivia. It has a lot of interesting elements that are Picoult’s trademarks. (I have never read any Finley Boylan novel’s before). I like books with court cases and family dynamics and both are here. It has reveals and suspense and I didn’t see what was coming at any point.
Definitely recommend this one. You will love the sensitively written characters and will learn a lot about bee keeping.

I thought this was going to be “just” a story about beekeeping and a family’s relationships and the secrets they keep. But I should know. Y now that there’s nothing “just” about a Jodi Picoult book.

I own 23 of her novels, and have read 24 of them, so I’ve nearly got the whole collection. I admit I haven’t read any of Jennifer Finney Boylan’s work, but given how exceptional this book is, I’ve noted down all her previous books to add to my book wish list. At first I was a little wary as to whether a co-authored book would work, whether it would dilute Jodi’s voice, which I have come to adore. But if anything I think it is the addition of Jennifer’s work that rockets this book to the top of the list. Together they bring their own little nuances, their own beauty, and together they have created an unbeatable tale of love and family.

Having done a bit of googling on Jennifer, as she is a new author to me, it is clear there is so much of her in this story. You can see her heart and soul that’s been laid bare in this story and it’s beautiful.

I actually sent Jodi and Jennifer a message on Twitter asking how they went about co-authoring the book (this was before I saw the explanation in the acknowledgements section). They told me that they each took one narrator (of Olivia and Lily), and then edited each other’s to ensure the whole book felt as one. I won’t say who wrote each chapter, but I guessed early on and I’m a bit smug to say I was right. But it is true that the whole storytelling is seamless and if you hadn’t already been told, you would just assume it’s been written by one person.

I have never been in a court room or involved in a court case I am glad to say, but the description of the daily ongoings on in court, as well as the legal stuff around the arrest and whatnot could have been overwhelming, or I might have been tempted to skip as I have no understanding of it. But the authors have created such an easy piece of writing that I might as well be reading about how to make a cup of tea, it felt so natural. It’s so well written, so well told that you can follow it all like you’re in the room yourself. It is interesting but not overwhelming, informative but not technical, understandable but not patronising. These scenes are proof of excellent storytelling,

I like that there’s minimal characters. Sure, I’m a town there are many background characters such as Mike, Ava and Braden, but our focus is mainly on Asher, Olivia, Jordan and Lily. For me this is a four-person story. And they’re all concocted and explored in such depth and with such passion that you become part of this community.

Of course there are some sensitive subjects - domestic violence, physical abuse, injury, verbal abuse, illness, accused murder, relationships, divorce, sexual/gender identity - but they’re so sensitively done. Having now been in any of these situations before, luckily, I can’t say for certain they wouldn’t be overwhelming or hard to read, only you can make that decision for yourself, but I feel there was an appropriate balance.

It is heartbreaking in so many ways. To be able to express such levels of grief and sadness, both fictional and very real, is either down to impressive writing abilities or a personal experience, and it saddens me to think that any of this is from personal experience. But it’s so beautiful and gorgeous but in both happy and tortuous ways. That may seem like a contradiction. How can sadness be beautiful? I can’t answer that, not for everyone, but I think you’ll get what I mean if you read it.

There is an interesting use of timing. The chapters from Olivia’s point of view are always going forward in time after the ‘event’, whereas Lily’s are always set in the past but they go forward and backwards in the past. It shouldn’t work quite as well as it does, but it does. You don’t even really notice the chopping and changing, it flows so well.

It is a book you never want to end but at the same time, are desperate to find out who pout what happens. You want to read it fast because it’s so engaging but you want to take your time so it’s not over too fast.

Whilst this book is predominately a piece of entertainment, something for you to lose yourself in, it is so much more than that. It’s one of the most important fiction books I think you could hope to read. It doesn’t ram the author’s opinions or beliefs down your throat or tell you how or what to think about certain social issues, it just states them for what they are, and it’s up to you how interpret them. You’re entertained and informed. You’ll be smiling, screaming, crying - it’s all there, and it’s so gorgeous. It’ll stay with you long after you’ve finished, long into your next read, and you just wish everyone could get the chance to read it.

I couldn’t remind this book higher, and once it comes out in physical form I will need to get my hands on a copy to add to my Jodi Picoult shelf.

All year, I’ve been noting down my favourite books of each month, and then at the end of the year I will pick my absolute favourite. I can tell you now, unless something else pops up that can match it, there will be no argument that this will get top spot come the end of the year.

I adored this book! I feel in recent years that Jodi Picoult strayed a little bit from the way she used to write but this book with its alleged crime, court case and family drama took me right back to those wonderful earlier books that I loved so much. There's nothing I love more than a good Courtroom drama and I was blissfully hooked on the parts of the story that included that aspect. I really didn't want to put the book down and was desperate to see how it all turned out. There were the usual twists that one comes to expect from Jodi Picoult books and one shockingly big one that I never saw coming but that took things to a whole new and even more intriguing level. The co-writing was seamless, and had I not known I'd never have guessed that two authors were involved. As usual the research that went into this book was amazing. Jodi always includes the most fascinating facts, and I learned much about bees from this one but without it being overwhelming. I loved the characters of Lily and Asher. Beautifully written. This is Jodi Picoult at her very best and with the addition of her co-author on this book it was doubly fabulous. Highly recommended. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a really interesting read for me, I've never read either author before and struggled to tell their voices apart as the writing of each character just flowed so well keeping me interested in finding out what had happened and why. There were an awful lot of tough subjects covered in this story, each was done with a lot of care to not disturb the reader but to give information on the reality of the situations. It's left me feeling that this is an important book and one that everyone really needs to read.
I found all the details about beekeeping that was given throughout the story fascinating and then as I turned the last page I discovered recipes for some of the dishes mentioned through the book. It made me smile to realise this book didn't have to finish here, I could keep the feel of it with me by trying out these dishes and drinks.

Oh how does Jodi Picoult do this to me every time? I read this book in one sitting, didn’t have a clue where it was going and was absolutely hooked from the first chapter
I found the facts about bees and beekeeping absolutely fascinating and how it weaves into the story plot is amazing.
Jodi always tugs on your heart strings and you never know which way you’re going to tilt with her books and that’s what I love. Another outstanding novel, as always CANT wait to read more!

"As it turned out, I was not a zealot...only a martyr. When I gave birth, and the doctor announced the baby's sex, I did not believe it at first. I had done such a stellar job of convincing myself of what I wanted that I completely forgot what I needed. But when I held Asher, slippery as a minnow, I was relieved. Better to have a boy, who would never be someone's victim."

Imagine having a dream about co-writing a book with an author, tweeting about it, and then that tweet leading to an outstanding book. This is exactly how Mad Honey came about and I am blown away, the story unfolded and the world outside the pages fell away.

The writing was seamless and compelling and the plot provided me with a much needed education on a certain topic that I won't reveal because this book is too good to spoil.

Mad Honey is first and foremost about how well we can really know someone we love.

When Asher was six Olivia left her abusive husband and returned to her hometown. Now he is a hockey playing teen with a beautiful girlfriend who has just been found dead. Asher is arrested for murder and as the trial unfolds Olivia learns she didn't know everything that went on in her son's life.

Olivia is an apiarist and this novel contains a crazy amount of knowledge about bees and the process of keeping them. It was absolutely fascinating and so throughly researched. I enjoyed learning about the bees as much as the rest of the story. Fascinating.

The topic of domestic abuse is sensitively handled in the book and I felt that learning about Olivia's relationship with her ex husband helped inform the reader as to her state of mind as the case unfolded.

Die hard fans of Jodi Picoult will be thrilled to see the return of Jordan in both a professional and personal capacity. He is Asher's uncle and agrees to take on the case.

I loved loved loved this book and I can see it being an istant hit. It has been several days since I finished it and the book hangover was severe!

"We don't know anyone as well as we think we do. Especially the people we love."

I love love loved this book! So well written - you would never in a million years think there were two different writers! - and just such a good plotline! I felt in the dark until the very end when the mystery was resolved - it was great! Refreshing to read a book from the point of view of a trans woman, and informative enough without being overly mansplain-y. Will definitely be recommending! Loved it! Thanks for the ARC!

Wow what a page turner I was hooked from the first few pages. The story follows a woman called Olivia who with her son called Asher flees her abusive husband to start a new life. She starts to do bee keeping and everything is good until one morning her son is arrested for murdering his girlfriend lily.
The court scenes are full of surprises one is that Lily was a trans gender I could not wait to find out what the verdict would be.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton for a advanced copy.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

Absolutely superb!!
This is an almost impossible book to describe without giving anything away it has everything you would want and more and I loved everything about it. As I set about reading the story I was completely engrossed in the lives of the characters and more so in the lives of the bees there was so much I didn’t know about them it was so interesting and full of facts. Then as the book progressed and I was getting deeper and deeper into the story there was the shocking, jaw dropping revelation that in no way I had seen coming and it took my breath away!
I’m not going to say so much about the book as I think that this a read to go into with no misconceptions I had just liked the idea of a possible murder story and was interested in the title of the book Mad Honey but never in a million years did I expect to be reading that truly took my breath away.
The writing of the story was done with care and empathy and the words were so beautiful, the lives of all the characters felt real and I really praise both the authors for a book I won’t forget and cannot praise it highly enough I’m sure it’s going to be a huge hit.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Before I start - there are huge content warnings with this one, that are spoilers so if you want to read more, check out at the end.

This one has me feeling all the emotions - a huge amount of emotions and it will stay with me for a long time. Picoult is no stranger to writing books that are topical and stir up lots of emotions - and Mad Honey is no exception.

As this one is written by two authors, each author has written a character’s viewpoint, and it was honestly hard to distinguish which author was writing for which character - the writing style is seamless. The writers are very good at mirroring events from Lily’s life into that of Olivia’s, making her more relatable - the amount of trauma these 2 have experienced broke my heart. I loved reading each character’s story and learning more about what makes them tick - but by golly, Lily is such a beautiful soul. The circumstances leading up to her death are just heartbreaking.

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Hodder and Stoughton and the authors for the opportunity to read this review copy.

⚠️Content warning/potential spoilers: reference and detail to self harm, domestic abuse, transphobia and suicide (including detail of an attempt) ⚠️

Love this author!This is a book about how people are not always who they appear to be, and things aren't always as they seem - and I'll leave it at that so as not to spoil it for anyone. There's a significant revelation at about the halfway mark and a plot twist at the end. I didn't see either one coming; they were both so satisfying!
Amazingly, two authors (Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan) wrote this novel together. It's so seamless and perfect you would never know. I love a good courtroom drama and enjoyed following Asher's murder trial. I also appreciate how much I learned about bees and beekeeping! Simply gorgeous.

I absolutely loved this book from the very start. The characters are very engaging and so well written that I felt as though they were all my friends by the time I reached the end of the book. I learned doucj during the process of reading this book, not only about the incredible life of bees but also what it means to be transgender. I consider myself to be open minded but reading about Lily made me realise and understand the struggles that transgender people undergo just to be accepted. This book was simply fantastic and I'm really glad I selected it to read.

This is an absolutely stunning book. I've long been a fan of Jodi Picoult, and always brace myself when picking up one of her books, as I know I'll be in for an emotional ride.

This book was no exception and I was reading it every free minute I had.

If you've read the blurb, you'll know what the book is about, so I have nothing else to say for fear of spoilers.

But just outstanding. Even though the book was co-authored, it was absolutely seamless.

Another great Social conscious book by Jodi Picoult.
When I started reading this book I had no idea how sympathetic and informative it would be on life for a trans person. Whilst we all read and listen to reports and media on the whole LGBTQ movement. I for one am (or was) quite ignorant about all the problems these people face, whether social, medical or psychological.
This is a great story of a boy meets girl. Both of whom have single Mums as a result of sexual abuse in the case of the boy and in the case of the girl, her father couldn't cope with her wanting to be a girl instead of the boy as she spent her first years as, so the Mother left the family home to protect her child.
Lily's life ends after she falls down the stairs at home, the boy, Asher, is charged with her murder. HIs Uncle is a lawyer and fights for Asher's innocence. He is acquitted in the end, but his best friend, Maya, eventually admits that she and the Lily were arguing and this lead to Lily falling down the stairs by mistake, an accident. Maya is let off after this is reported to the police, saying accidents happen. Strange how the boy was taken to court and aggressively accused of her death and taken through a first degree murder trial. To me this seems a little gender bias and unfair too. He always pleaded his innocence, he just happened to find Lily at the foot of the stairs, but police jumped to conclusions, which thankfully were disproved. But how easily he could have been wrongly judged.

I always find I learn so much when I read a Jodie Picoult book. I am always surprised how she finds time to write so prolifically while doing so much research.
This book was jointly written by Jennifer Finley Boylan. I have to admit that I had never come across her before and it wasn’t until the end of the book that I realised she is transgender and so I was no longer surprised by the fact that you could imagine yourself as Lily. I intend reading her memoir.
The book is beautifully written and it is hard to tell which author was writing which bit although this is partly explained at the end.
I felt I got to know all the main characters well. The court scenes were slightly on the long side and I have to admit to guessing the conclusion correctly. Reading about the abuse was at times hard.
We all know how important bees are and I felt I learnt more about bees from this book than I ever did at senior school where we learnt about bees very early on in our biology classes. Much more interesting too!
Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy.

To say that I enjoyed this book doesn’t do it justice. It’s thought provoking, I learnt quite a lot and I liked all of the characters.
I really couldn’t decide if Asher was guilty of murder or not and I certainly didn’t guess the ending.
I wasn’t sure about two great authors writing together, but it worked well and I had no idea which person had written which bit.
All in all I found this an interesting book that I keep thinking about.

Jodi Piccoult's books have always interested and fascinated, each of her story is based on a pivotal and controversial topic. Mad Honey is one of her new books, which she co authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan.

The book mainly deals about transgender issues and domestic abuse issues. Olivia McAfee seemingly had a good life in Boston, married to a cardiothoracic surgeon until Braden started abusing her. Olivia returned back to sleepy town in New Hampshire and is running her father's successful beekeeping business. Lily and her mother moved to this small town and Olivia's son, Asher and Lily started dating each other. But one day, Lily was found dead and Asher who found the body becomes the main suspect. Olivia then hires her brother, Jordan McAfee to defend Asher and she realizes that Asher had been keeping secrets from her. Can Asher be like his father Braden?

First of all, the writing was engaging and I simply couldn't put the book down. The story divides between the present day, said in Olivia's POV and past said by Lily's POV. I do like the part where Olivia had named all her bees after the singers--Adele, Celine, Whitney etc. and the process of extracting honey from the bees sounds interesting. I have read books previously before featuring Jordan McAfee as the defense attorney (Nineteen minutes and The Pact) so it was interesting to see him back as this was the third book I have read with him as the character. I do like the court scenes and as usual like all her books, made me hate the prosecutor more. I also liked Lily's relationship with Asher and both their friendship with Maya. There are some senstive topics discussed in this book like domestic and sexual abuse as well as transgender issues. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and this book worth five stars!

The end of the book contains the recipes that can be made with bee honey so I can't wait to try them out.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

What an incredible book! I've been reading Jodi Picoult books since I was in my teens (I'm now in my 30s) and I remain captivated by every single word that she writes. It is a really powerful book.

This is a powerful, and timely novel. I loved the connection of the natural world and the gentle education around the trans world, it's connection to the bee world - really well done. There are several relationship dynamics at play, including parent-child, spousal, sibling, and friendships. The fact that one character was a trans woman had a place, but was not the identifying dynamic, and the simple acceptance of that is one that's heartwarming to me. It's tragic, but it's a love story. It's also a story about surviving and finding your way at a lot of different stages of life. It had me guessing throughout, as different scenarios were presented. The back story, and dual timelines were presented in a creative and thought-provoking way; this technique can be confusing in some stories, but it here, it really added to the experience for me.

Stunning read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.

I love Jodi Picoult and have not read Jennifer finney boylan before but will look out for her now. Mad honey has all the aspects I love for a Jodi Picoult book…emotional dilemmas, topics that challenge and make you really think, and brilliant characters and plots.

Mad honey is great for so many reasons. I learnt so much about bees for a start! It also covers a current topic that needs to be talked about. Transgender is so emotive for many and I think this is largely because it raises so many questions for so many people. How we get passed that is to think and talk about it. This book allows you to see the issues from multiple points of view: the girl trapped in a boy’s body, the parents trying to support their child, the boyfriend coming to terms with his girlfriend’s transition, peers trying to make sense of something that feels alien to them.

This book makes everything real and personal. Through a variety of characters we see that not every trans person is the same, there are a variety of choices and none of these are easy. What really come across is the need to love, to be tolerant and to empathise.

This book doesn’t only touch on transgender but also domestic abuse and violence against women. It is full of difficult topics and subjects and is all the better for it.

A brilliant read that is essential for anyone wanting to consider transgender (or anyone wanting to know lots about bees!).

A triumph!

Lily and Asher fall in love. They both come from broken homes but with different histories and secrets. Will their love bring them happiness or will life turn in a more difficult way?

Brilliant novel with a twist I was not specking. At times funny and often very sad. Yet there is always hope. Great characters and a good read so enjoy.

This was a really emotional, sad yet uplifting book which has love and trust at the heart of it. Told from 2 viewpoints, of Olivia and Lily,both before and after the tragic event, the unending love the mother's have for their children and the soul deep love Lily and Asher have for each other becomes apparent and has us rooting for good to triumph in this story. However there's also a lot of sadness in the book which is still there at the end around transgender acceptance and donestic violence.
The Co authors have written, rewritten and edited so well- it reads smoothly as though one author has written it. It is clear they feel a lot of love towards their characters and by the end I think we're all a little bit in awe of Olivia and Ava and hope for good things in their futures.

I haven’t read Jodi Picoult for a number of years and I hadn’t heard of Jennifer Finney Boylan so I was coming at this with no preconceived notion’s at all. Firstly, you would never have known this was co-written, told from the POV’s of Olivia and Lily, I assume one character each, and in the past and present, this was an incredibly moving and beautiful story. At times heartbreaking in the extreme but at others totally uplifting. The court case is a good chunk of the book and is so well written, I was on tenterhooks at times worried about Asher’s reactions!

Briefly, Olivia fled her abusive marriage when her son Asher was 6 years old. Since then she has made a living as a beekeeper. Lily and her mother also ran from an abusive marriage and are also happily living in Adams, New Hampshire. When Asher and Lily meet the attraction is mutual and soon they are inseparable but at times their relationship is volatile. Three months after they first meet, and after an argument, Asher goes to see Lily and finds her dead at the bottom of the stairs. He is taken into custody, and then charged with murder, and Olivia asks her brother Jordon, a high profile criminal lawyer, to help.

What I really want to say about this book I can’t as it would be too much of a spoiler, but what I will say is that this book has a message to send - be yourself and don’t judge those who are different to you. Some amazing reveals in the book and a shocking one near the end which I hadn’t guessed. As an aside, I now know a lot about bees and honey and there are some fabulous recipes at the end of the book. Wonderful writing and a life affirming story that will touch your heart.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published on 15/11/22

No spoilers

An amazing read. Not only a great story but an informative read on so many levels. The narrative is so coherent you would not know it was written by 2 authors. Each voice is authentic and original and I could not put it down. Some major twists and a very satisfying and realistic conclusion. Loved it.
Thanks to the authors, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Trigger warnings - please check before reading this book.

You can call me biased but Jodi Picoult has been my favourite author since school. I immediately fell in love with her writing and a take-away was always how well researched her writing was and the support of the team that would be involved to verify the facts. It is not a small feat to tackle controversial topics such as, euthanasia, school shootings, abortion clinics and yet I have always felt Jodi presents all sides of the story, making the writing as informed as possible even though it is fiction.

I know Jodi has written with her daughter before and this is the second book she has co-written. It makes sense and the need for representation is real. I appreciate sometimes research can be everything but when it is crucial to the storyline to keep a novel authentic, you need a person with the experience to tell it exactly how it is. From the credits, I really appreciated Jennifer's attempt to educate those have either been ignorant or afraid to ask the right questions and instead make the wrong assumptions, I include myself in this, The hand writing analogy will always stay with me and I am so glad I read this book. Inclusivity is the greatest gift with education and we need to be more aware of the way in which we treat other people given the world around us is so diverse. I have never read an LGBTQ book which covers the various ways people identify with gender. This was really enlightening and I learnt alot about the world we live in because of this story.

About Mad Honey - Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in, and taking over her father's beekeeping business.

Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.

And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can she trust him completely . . .

Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in him, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.

Mad Honey is another riveting novel by Jodi. A courtroom drama and another attempt at having difficult conversations. The authors deserve all the accolades for this one - the issue of battered women was often difficult to read and I think the suspense aspect was lost towards the end with the final reveal behind Lily's death but given the significance of the themes the book tackles, I am definitely over-seeing that because this is a must-read for everyone. I know why I missed Jodi's writing so much and I will definitely look out for more from Jennifer Boylan.

Thank you @NetGalley @Hodder & Stoughton for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

My first Jodi Picoult book but definitely not my last.
A truly brilliant read that’s a contender for the “if you read just one book this year” title.
Moving, appalling, thought provoking, the sort of book that stays with you ages after you’ve read it.
Family, loyalties, bonds, tradegy, hope and a whole lot of really interesting stuff about bees.
A totally engrossing read

I’d like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Mad Honey’ by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Olivia’s son Asher is six years old when she escapes from a difficult marriage and moves back to her family home in Adams, New Hampshire. Now eighteen, Asher is dating Lily when he phones Olivia saying that Lily is dead and he’s at the police station being questioned. Asher is charged with Lily’s murder and Olivia’s brother Jordan who’s a retired defence attorney takes on the difficult case of proving to the jury that Asher is innocent.

‘Mad Honey’ is a thought-provoking novel narrated by Olivia, her son Asher who’s a popular young man and star of the hockey team and Lily, an intelligent young woman born in a man’s body. I’ve read many novels by Jodi Picoult and have been privileged to be in the audience when she’s discussed one of them, but this is the first I’ve read when she’s collaborated with Jennifer Finney Boylan. It’s obvious that between them a great deal of work has gone into researching the various topics that have been handled with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. At times I’ve found it confusing as the narrator changes mid-chapter and it isn’t clear who’s speaking, but despite this it’s an enthralling and extremely well-written story that ends with a gripping courtroom drama and eye-opening epilogue as we finally discover what happened to Lily. I can wholeheartedly recommend this amazing novel that has also educated me on bees and honey!

It took me a while to become immersed in the story but I stuck with it and I am so glad I did. The story of Asher and Lily will stay with me for a long time.

Lily’s revelation was a surprise, it wasn’t what I was expecting but it was extremely well written and allowed you to feel the absolute injustice of what had gone before.

It was a heartbreaking read which challenges your perceptions.

Mad Honey is a compelling, nuanced look at family relationships, tragedy, and culpability. The novel tells the experiences of Olivia, a 40-something single mom of 18-year old Asher; and Lilly, a talented high school senior who has recently moved to a small town in New Hampshire and is dating Asher. Slowly, relationships and events are pieced together so we understand what has happened to both Lilly and Olivia's past life. It reminded me of Defending Jacob as I was reading it. We're not sure what the truth is and parents tend to air on the side of seeing their child as better than they may actually be. It suffers a little bit as some of Picoult's other books have by being bogged down with technical details. Olivia is a beekeeper, so we learn a lot about beekeeping and how honey and bees have been used or perceived throughout history.

I really enjoyed how Picoult and Finney Boylan create a nuanced picture of each character. When someone has done something bad, it can be hard to see them as anything but bad. But how does that change if it's your own child or even if there is the preponderance of evidence that they may have done something bad? We also see how a court case can hurt the lives of their family members. I listened to the audiobook, which was well narrated by Key Taw and Carrie Coon.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Long held dark secrets, public and private lives and nature, all clash. Unexpected violence that is all too frequently hidden, involves a court room drama and who should go to prison. Mad Honey is a winner, raising many moral questions of our time that beg to be answered. Jodi Picoult and Jenny Finney Boylan collaborated on this novel and are master storytellers with over 30 books published between them. The novel is due to be published by Hodder & Staunton on 17 November 2022. It will also be available as a download. Just in time to grab it for a Christmas present.

Thanks to Netgalley for an uncorrected advance copy. The review is an honest account and completely my own.

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!

Mad Honey Jodi Picoult Jennifer Finney Boylan

5 stars

I have read many books by Jodi Picoult but this is the first one for about 10 years. I can always remember how, in every book, she poses incredible questions about almost impossible situations that always got me thinking.

This book is slightly different but again talks about subjects in a way that really made me think and consider my own feelings.

The story revolves around two single mothers who both have one child that they protect with everything they have. Olivia has escaped from an abusive marriage and has made a new life for herself with her son, Asher, and a new profession as a beekeeper. Ava has also escaped from her husband, works as a forest ranger and is looking after her daughter Lily.

Asher and Lily start dating and fall in love. Then one day Lily is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in her house and Asher is the last person to have been to the house and his fingerprints are all over Lily’s bedroom. Lily and Asher have recently had an argument over a secret that Lily has told him, they had not been speaking for many days until finally Asher sends her a text stating that he is coming round to see her.

It is almost a cut and dried case and Asher is obviously guilty but is he really?

The rest of the book is concentrating on the resultant trial but intersperse by flashbacks to the lives of the four main characters. There are many shocks that occur but to reveal them would spoil the reading of the book. Suffice it to say that this was an engrossing read and the fact that it was written by two separate women made it even stronger although it is impossible to tell who wrote which bits. I would thoroughly recommend reading the stories of the two authors at the end of the book, it is fascinating.

I also learnt many interesting facts about beekeeping which was quite absorbing.

I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone.


Karen Deborah
Reviewer for Net Galley

I’m not going to say too much about this book as I feel it is best to go in blind like I did.
Wow this book. I literally stayed up until 4am reading this because I was so emotionally invested and had to know the truth about what happened. This book is told in a unique way from two povs. One being from Liv, the mother of 18 year old Asher who is accused of murder ring his girlfriend Lily, following the events of Lily’s death. The second pov is Lilys but it is told starting from just before her death and continues chronologically backwards.

This is ultimately a heartbreaking and difficult book as we know from the beginning that Lily dies yet I was so invested in her story and her life. I had quite a lot of empathy for all of the characters and their motivations and backstories are well explained.

In addition this book was informative and educational. It tells a story that needs to be told more often in a beautiful and poignant way. This book definitely got me thinking and further increased my awareness and empathy which is always important.

I think I've read most of the novels that Jodi Picoult has written and enjoyed them all. This one was no exception. It's up there with the best. Jennifer Finney Boylan and Jodi Picoult are two very talented authors and their tandem writing of this emotional, thought provoking and extremely informative novel worked really well. (and not just the information about beekeeping). No spoilers from me about the plot of this mystery/courtroom drama, suffice to say that I do highly recommend you read it and enjoy it. Thank you to the authors, the publisher and to NetGalley for an advance reading copy.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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!

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.

Wow this book !!
This was nothing like I expected and I think that's the point the blurb is vague.
The fact that it is wrote by two separate authors you would never know.
I love the way Jodi Picoults books make you think about life issues and really enjoyed the bee link really interesting the twist actually made me gasp !
This is a definite 5 stars for me !

Primarily this story is told from the perspective of Olivia. She flees a domestic violence marriage with their son Asher. They return to live in Olivia’s parents house in New Hampshire where Olivia takes over her fathers bee keeping business. .

The other POV is that of Lily, another child at the the centre of her parents separation, this time her fathers anger was aimed at her and her decision to be true to herself. Lily and her mother flee for a fresh start where Lily can be Lily. After some travelling they also find themselves in New Hampshire. Lily and Asher are the same grade at school and quickly become inseparable.

That is until one day Asher calls his mum from the police station where he is being interviewed for Lily's murder. This book then swaps between the leads up to Lily’s death and the court case following Asher’s trial.

I found this book absolutely wonderful to read, I’ve enjoyed a few Jodi Picoult books up to now and this is up there with my favourites. I was educated so much in this book, about bees and more interestingly, transgender issues and the transition process. I would definitely recommend this book, it’s a good read with up to date issues explored in a appropriate manner. Big love for Jennifer and Jodi for this book.

Thank you so much to @netgalley for the ARC copy gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! what a wonderful book, so good, poignant and moving! I got to the pivotal moment, and re-read again from the beginning - beautifully written! Tactful, tasteful and utterly heartbreaking! Loved Lily, Asher and the Mums! I’ll be buying a hard copy for the bookshelf! Stunning read thankyou

Olivia left her abusive husband and built a new life with her son, Asher, in the town where she had grown up making a living as a beekeeper at her family home. When Asher’s girlfriend, Lily, is murdered attention immediately turns to Asher and he is arrested and charged. Olivia doesn’t want to believe her son could do such a thing but is he more like his Dad than she could ever have known or is there more going on than meets the eye?

I have long been a fan of Picoult’s work. She gets me thinking whilst also being easy reading, it’s a mix that not many authors could pull off. I’ve never read any of Boylan’s books but I was intrigued by the idea of the joint authors.

This. Is. Incredible. I thought I had an idea of where it was going but then just before the halfway mark everything I thought I knew was blown away. Honestly, it’s rare for a plot twist to have me literally open mouthed in shock but that was me in the coffee shop on Tuesday when I read it.

The split narrative is a tool that Picoult often uses and it’s so effective. Lily tells the reader her story over the months prior to her death and through Olivia’s eyes we see the aftermath. The action switches between the two with Lily’s story often serving to show the reader something that has been mentioned in the present day. It’s incredibly effective and done in such a clear way that you always know where you are in the story. The authors also had an incredible grasp of each character’s voice because you can easily tell the difference between them.

I loved Lily and her love of facts, she’d have been an excellent addition to a quiz team! I also liked the honey and bee facts that were sprinkled in and am definitely going to try some of the recipes that were included.

There was a returning character in Jordan McAfee, who has featured in three of Picoult’s other books and turns up again here as Uncle and Lawyer to Asher. I do love when authors include little links to their other books like this but in such a way that it wouldn’t matter if you hadn’t read the others. It’s handled in a very inclusive way if you are a first time Picoult reader but is a nice little touch for fans.

As with all of Picoult’s books there are some parts that are pretty tough reading and really get you thinking about how you might act or react if put in the characters’ shoes. These parts are, as always, handled with sensitivity and respect and nothing is ever included for shock value or sensationalised in any way.

I would definitely check out more of Boylan’s work as well because this was excellent and she’s clearly also a very talented writer.

I would highly recommend this to fans and newcomers alike.

Another fabulous read from Jodi Picoult that I couldn't put down. The story is based around very topical but hard subjects to explore, such as domestic abuse, suicide and trans sexuality, which are all explored in a very sensitive way leaving the reader almost educated without realising it! I loved the story, the characters and the inclusion of the bee keeping storyline woven throughout. I was left feeling sad but strangely uplifted by everything I learnt. Every page was a joy. 5 stars is not enough

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Mad Honey
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Jennifer Finney Boylan and Jodi Picoult
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Contemporary
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 15th November 2022
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5

TW: domestic abuse, abortion, bullying, self harm, murder

Surely nature—or god, or the universe—is full of miracles and wild invention and things way beyond our understanding, no matter how hard we try. We aren’t here on earth in order to bend over backward to resemble everybody else.

So many heavy and important themes are explored in this book. Domestic abuse and identity are the main topics of conversations chosen by the authors. They each tackle an issue and create these unique characters that are borne from past experiences, present self awareness, and future hopes. However, the authors do not stop there. There are sub themes (indicated by the trigger warnings) that are explored that are equally as important but perhaps less prominent within the storyline.

My initial thoughts on this book are that it is emotional, gripping and educational. It combines activism with actively entertaining through a compelling storyline and browbeaten characters that tugged on my heartstrings so hard, my heart fell out and into the story. I’m not even sure I want it back I’ve fallen that hard for this book.

I have been a fan of Jodi’s since I stole a book off my mums bookcase as a teen and read Nineteen Minutes in the sneaky, sly safety of my bed. That safety didn’t last long whilst JP shattered my world. I cried during the first five minutes. I cried throughout. I cried at the ending, too.

Mad Honey embodies that.

Overall, it’s powerful, profound, and full of suspense. I know that this is typical of Jodi Picoult however this is my first novel by Jennifer Finney Boylan. That, of course, needs to change.

Just as bees are important to the pollination of global crops, Mad Honey is equally as important to have on your shelves. This book taught me so much.

🧚🏻‍♀️

Here’s the thing about Jodi Picoult: she writes the very human condition, and that is why she is so popular. Is there an element of formulaism in her work? Certainly - but it is overshadowed by her gift of flaying open the conundrums of human emotion.

The more books I read (and perhaps the older I get), the more I find myself interested in the writing methods of good authors. I started reading Picoult many, many years ago, and her writing has grown beautifully. I think that is very important, because many famous writers will strike upon a method that works, and never stray from it. Instead, Picoult has shown that she has the courage to evolve in her writing. I enjoyed the meta experience of knowing that the book was authored by two people, and I appreciate Picoult’s knowledge that Lily’s story wasn’t really her’s to tell.

That brings me to her co-author, Jennifer Finney Boylan, who I - shamefully - knew nothing about when I started reading Mad Honey. As a result - and perhaps because I had not read any reviews or further information about the novel, prior to reading it - Lily’s truth was a massive surprise to me. Like, TOTAL PLOT TWIST at almost exactly 50%! I actually like that it - Lily's biggest secret - was as big of a surprise to me, as it was to (almost) everyone in the courtroom.

Readers have come to love Picoult’s dramatic court-settings, and the ethical quandaries her characters experience - and Mad Honey is no different. Only, this book feels to me deeper, messier, more complex, and more gutting.

Mad Honey is, yes, a murder drama set in a small rural town. But much greater than that, it is a story of love - romantic love, the love a parent has for their child, and toxic love. It is a story about how people can be both good and evil, and how one can both love and doubt them. Mad Honey is about owning one's identity, and the right to protect that. It is about trust, and about secrets; it is about the ability to be anything, and go anywhere. Mad Honey is about family, pain, bees (obviously), and violence.

The voices of these characters are raw, and the writing is alive. Some of it was sickening, revolting - just like the titular “mad honey”. Some of it was magnetic, calling to me like sweet, sweet nectar.

I will strongly recommend this book - over, and over again.

I read other books by Jodi Picoult but this one was my favorite, a heart wrenching and gripping story that deals with serious topics like abuse and toxic relationships.
The authors did an excellent job in developing well rounded and realistic characters, they're all a mix of good and bad and you like or dislike them like in real life.
The plot is tightly knitted and flows even if there's some repetitions. It kept me turning pages and guessing.
This novel is a mix of mystery and women's fiction. The mystery plays a relevant role in the plot and it surprised me.
An excellent, gripping, and well plotted book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I absolutely loved this book. It’s emotional, thoughtful and beautifully written. It left me on the edge of my seat, flying through the pages and learning new interesting things about beekeeping along the way.
The writing between the two authors is seamless and smooth. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the different timelines, the riveting characters, the thought provoking topics and the twist, just wow, didn’t see coming, just brilliant. I also enjoyed the authors notes at the end.
Mad Honey is a deeply moving story that will stay with you and touch your soul. I highly recommend.
Thanks to #NetGallery #HodderAndStoughton and #JodiPicoult #JenniferFinneyBoylan for an arc of #MadHoney in exchange for an honest review.

When I read a great book like this one, I'm always concerned I won't be able to convey in words just how good it is.
Let me start by saying this might be the best book I've read this year. It's a crime, a novel, a mystery and a love story, all in one, and also much more, but I can't say because I don't want to spoil it for you.
There's a lot of research and it is very informative and interesting, and this is an aspect I always appreciate about Picoult's books. More over you wouldn't tell this is co-authored as the transitions from one pov to the other is seamless and Boyland explains why it is, at the end of the book.
This book will surprise you, will educate you and will move you to tears several times along the way. A wonderful, beautifully written story I highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC.

I have read and enjoyed a few books by Jodi Picoult but the co-author is a new one on me and it looks like another author to add to my tbr!
Olivia has relocated back to her hometown after her marriage breaks down. She is accompanied by her Son Asher who though initially reluctant is starting to embrace his new life with him mum, looking after the family beekeeping business. Things start to look up for him when he starts to date new-girl-at-school Lily. But then tragedy strikes and Lily is found dead, with Asher the main suspect. Olivia is obviously distraught. The reason for her marriage breakdown was the violence meted out by Asher's father. Could he be following in his father's footsteps... although dismissing this thought, knowing her son, she can't help wondering. But she will fight for her son either way...
Oh My Days. As well as being a bit of a whodunit / whydunit / howdunit, as always with Ms Picoult's books it's a masterclass in character driven stories. And, what wonderful characters she has created herein. I say she, I actually mean they - co-authors and all that, I just write from my experience with the one I have read other books by. Anyway, once again I was drawn into the wonderful threads that meandered around. Olivia's backstory and why she came home, the details and information regarding beekeeping that I found fascinating. Just enough to complement the story but not too much as to be boring. In fact there are parallels between the bees and some of the narrative - but I'll leave you to discover all that yourself.
And then there's Lily and why she and mother Ava relocated for Lily's last year of school. And that's all I am saying on that matter.
And then there's the court case which ties it all up together... culminating in a cracking ending which wholly satisfied.
It's a slow burn but it has to be for the story being told. It also contains a lot of heavy topics - as you'd expect from the author who's never shy about these things - so it might take a wee while to get into / plough through. But stick with it - it is all worth it at the end.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thoughtfully and beautifully written, with the two authors’ voices blending seamlessly together. I enjoyed the dual perspective and the split timeline aspects, as I felt it really fleshed out not only the two female protagonists, but also provided alternative perspectives of the third focal character, as he is seen through the eyes of both his mother and girlfriend. The multiple sensitive subjects tackled in this novel are treated with respect, and I believe the story will open many readers minds and hearts. Highly recommend.

I made the mistake of reading part of this in public. And of course the tears came! I found this a really emotional read. 18 year old Asher and his mum Olivia have been living in the small town of Adams, where Olivia grew up since they fled from an abusive marriage when Asher was 6 years old. Olivia is a successful beekeeper, having taken over the family business. Asher is star of the hockey team, boyfriend to Lily and friend to Maya, and a caring young man. Until Lily is found dead, Asher found with her body and all hell breaks loose. Olivia calls her retired barrister brother Jordan to defend Asher when he's accused of first degree murder. Asher is a lost little boy maintaining his innocence. As the trial unravels, more and more strands are revealed. This is not as simple as it's made out to be. In my mind, there was no way Asher had committed the crime. When the trial is over and the truth is revealed it is a masterstroke - I did not see that coming! The story is told on chunks by Olivia and Lily with strands of their stories gradually revealing as we go through the book. A fabulous collaboration. #netgalley #madhoney

i absolutly loved this book. i felt it took me on an emotional journey through humanity, acceptance and compassion. This storyis beautifully written and is told in dual timeline and looks at many things, including family, friendship, love and self-acceptance.