Is it really summer without a new Dorothea Benton Frank novel to read?

I love returning to the Lowcountry and the quirky families that live there every summer with Frank's novels and Queen Bee is no exception. Queen Bee brings us an actual Queen Bee (in the form of a grouchy old mother) as well as the Queen Bee of the Honeybee variety - and 3,000 others in the hive! Sisters Holly (she of the beekeeper fame) and Leslie are both struggling to find themselves, Holly with her widower neighbor and his young sons and Leslie, coming to terms with the fact that her husband Charlie wants to perform as a Drag Queen in Vegas.

At the heart of the story, like many of Frank's other novels, is family and identity. With our cast of quirky characters that somehow shouldn't fit so seamlessly in one story, yet do, you will feel at home and find yourself with a smile on your face and not quite ready to say goodbye to this crew.

Thank you to William Morrow for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I've read many books by Dorothea Benton Frank though I must admit, this was not one of my favorites. I found it slow to get moving and found my self many chapters in before I cared at all for the characters. Yet, what the author does so well is develop the characters, even when they are not always the most likable.

Queen Bee tells the story of beekeeper Holly, smart, yet unable to get a job as a school teacher and spending her time as caretaker to her ailing mother (the Queen Bee) while decorating cakes at the grocery store and basically acting as doormat to all of those in her life.

This was the second book I have read by Dorothea Benton Frank. One of the things that should be noted is that she has the ability to develop characters in such detail that you feel like you've known them for years. Another plus for me when I read one of her books is the fact that they are set in the Charleston/Low Country part of the South Carolina coast. Since I grew up vacationing in this area, I love to read her books and feel like I'm back there again.

Queen Bee was a lovely story about realizing what is important in life and going after it. The evolution of the main character, Holly, over the course of this book was the most notable. Next to her, her mother's transformation was most impressive. What they each had to go through to get to their newer and happier selves was trying at times but well worth the effort and difficulties. Even though Holly's sister, Leslie, also makes some life-changing adjustments, she still has a long way to go in some of her newer choices...in my opinion. I enjoyed how the author wrapped the events together in such a way that it impacted all of them - - the two sisters and their mother. In other words, it was almost a "one for all, all for one" type of mentality after a while in the story. It was rewarding to see that because they were very disjointed in the earlier portion of the book.

I found this book quite enjoyable and highly recommend it to others. It was a light and easy read and would be great going into summer for poolside or beach reading.

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

Queen Bee is the first Dorothea Benton Frank novel I have read. I felt like the author and I could be good friends by the end of the novel. I pictured being at the family's home in the novel drinking sweet tea and watching the bees buzz around the flowers. Queen Bee is a really quirky, fun novel for summer. I look forward to reading many more novels by the author.


Centered around two sisters and the mom, or "Queen Bee" as they call her, the the three ladies are enjoying life on Sullivan's Island in South Carolina. Leslie moves away after she is married to a childhood sweetheart. What she doesn't know is that he has a secret love for impersonating a woman and performing on stage. The other sister, Holly, is a homebody and beekeeper trying to overcome a painful past. The mom goes into a deep depression after Leslie leaves the island and won't get out of bed. All three must overcome their fears so they can lead the life they want.

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My review for the novel will be posted to my blog on Friday, May 10th, 2019. Thank you for the free advanced copy!

When your life is not working out as you dream what do you do? Holly talks to her bees about her dreams and frustrations and how her Mama, the Queen Bee, is driving her nuts.A story of family and change and finding what really makes you happy.

Another fun beach read from Dorothea Benton Frank. I did think some of the circumstances were a bit over the top but the characters were relate-able and down to earth and that sometimes makes the outrageous a little more palatable. I'm glad Holly was able to find love with the right person.

I received my book as a free ARC from net galley. All opinions are my own. Charming book which made me smile. I would highly recommend it

Richly layered story taking place in the South Carolina low country. Centered around a honeybee keeper named Holly. Her dreams, her family and friends. Wildly quirky, fun and romantic.
This book touched my heart and will remain there. Beautiful.

Beekeeper Holly lives a quiet life on Sullivan’s Island, SC, tending to her hives, taking care of her shrewish, demanding mother, and mooning over the widower next door.

Her world is turned upside down by the homecoming of her sister Leslie, by her mother’s health scare, and by the neighbor’s sudden marriage.

Dot Frank, in her warm, funny ability to
plumb the depths of the human heart, brings us a Lowcountry tale to warm every reader’s heart.

Fans of Ms. Franks are going to love this new book! Sister dynamics, a cranky, older mom, charming men, rogues, sweet little boys, honeybees, Vegas, and more all rolled into a great deep South novel. We know we love our families but they can cause untold frustration too. What is often needed to shake things up isn't always fun to experience out of the blue but the results can be surprisingly amazing. Get yourself a copy of this book!

Being from the south, my library patrons love Dorothea Frank. I have not read one of her books in a while and I really enjoyed this book. This will be good beach read for my patrons.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley and Harper Collins. All opinions expressed are my own.
Holly is a homebody stuck living with her Mama, while her sister Leslie is living the good life. Holly fills her days with her bee hives, watching the neighbors boys and decorating cakes at the local grocery store. She wishes her life could be something different, but when she gets the chance, will she run far away or realize she’s already living her best life?
I truly enjoyed this book. The beekeeping aspect was especially interesting to me as I am considering beekeeping myself. The characters we all very interesting and lovable. Being from the south myself, I had to laugh at some of the things I read. The phrases used are just like home. I love the sense of humor of the characters as well.
This was another book I couldn’t put down and will recommend it to my patrons.

One simply cannot go wrong with Dorthea Benton Frank. My favorite vacation is to the lowcountry in one of her titles. This one did not disappoint, as always, weaving in Southern culture, friendships, family, and love. I particularly enjoyed Holly and the beekeeping culture as it's become such a hobby forum of late. I've already got a waiting list for this title!

Dorothea Benton Frank is back with one of her best books in years. Books like "Queen Bee" are the reason I began reading her work - smart and funny with a little bit of magic thrown in. The subplot is so good it could almost be spun off into another book. Love!

This book was received as an ARC from HarperCollins Publishers - William Morrow in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Our patrons are huge fans of Dorothea Benton Frank because she turns a dramatic, sticky, and complicated situation into a heartwarming happy ending and Queen Bee did not steer away from that. The relationship between Holly and Leslie still remained strong even after Leslie left the island and the love they had for their neighbors was if they were part of the family. I also love the reference of Queen Bee describing Holly and Leslie's mother due to her high demand lifestyle and the care she gave for her bees. Also, I immediately connected to Holly when she turned to the Bees for help and tell them everything going on with Archie and the boys. I know any person who reads this book will feel a deep connection with ALL of the characters in this book.

We will consider adding this title to our Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Set in the Carolina Lowcountry. Holly keeps bees, cares for her mother and watches over the little children next door who have recently lost their mother. while waiting to teach at the local school. Her sister returns to the family home after living away for several years. And while there is tension in the house. the three women become a formidable force not be reckoned with ,especially where men are concerned. This is Dorothy Benton Frank's best book ever. A real feel good book.

Dotty Frank does it again. I read this book within 24 hours. I loved learning about honey bees and always love a low country novel. GREAT beach read

Enjoyable as a quick read. Not one of my favorite books by this author. However, I did enjoy her descriptions of Sullivan Island.. I will probably recommend to my patrons for a summer read.

Frank is back with another Southern beach read and this one is especially appealing because the man character is a bee keeper. Holly McNee Kensen tends her hives on Sullivan’s Island and works in the local library. She craves the quiet of her bees and library, all the better to escape from her loud and difficult family. When Holly’s sister, Leslie returns to the island, the sisters, who are normally oil and water get caught up in neighbor Archie’s love life. It would appear the man is about to marry a most unsuitable woman and while Leslie works on changing that, the girls’ mother ups the ante on her game as family hypochondriac. There’s an old saying about bee keepers telling the bees all that’s happening in their lives, and Holly certainly has a lot to share. I’m not sure if Frank is getting better (her last couple of novels have not been up to par) or whether it was the addition of the bees, but I really enjoyed this book, a light-hearted look at family and all the trouble they cause us

This book is as sugary sweet as the honey that Holly collects from her own bee hives. And underneath, just like her honey covered pecans, there are some hard nuggets well worth learning about.

The first is about the current issues that there are surrounding the future of bees and our entire agricultural ecosystem. Holly not only cares for her difficult and stubborn mother, but is also devoted to her bees. She teaches the reader lessons about bees, as she mentors her young neighbors, Tyler and Hunter. A bit sadly, she has a crush on their father, who she sees through rose colored glasses. We feel her pain as he marries a cruel and vicious woman.

The second kernel is the prevalence and openness about gender fluidity and the acceptance of those around us who are going through various gender transitions.

It is Holly’s very ornery mother, THE QUEEN BEE, who serves as a model of acceptance for the gender fluid people she meets. I don’t want to give too much away, but this is a lovely beach read which will leave the readers licking the honey off their lips.