Jodi Picoult has a knack for turning a book I might otherwise have issues with into something I really enjoyed. I've never been a fan of storylines with a "political" bend - the "subject of the day" if you will. This could have been one of those books, but instead, it was an incredibly thought-provoking story that made me really consider the question of what I would do in similar circumstances. Not in a way where I felt like I was being pushed to change my stance, but just think about my views. I want to stress that for me, a lot of the attraction of this book was NOT knowing the twists. So please don't rush to read spoilers ahead of time. The character development was stellar, even secondary characters like Olivia's brother and sister-in-law, and the storyline twists kept me guessing until the end. The two viewpoints of Olivia and Lily were an interesting choice (as opposed to Asher and Lily). I loved the inclusion of beekeeping and the parallel inferences. And the title choice was spot-on.

A couple of small issues: I struggled with the direction of the storytelling, with Lily's view jumping around to a point where I wasn't sure if I had missed something or if it hadn't been told yet. I was also not a fan of the ultimate outcome of the storyline. It felt easy, and was a bit of a letdown.

Overall, this was a wonderful book, and a fantastic combination of two authors who meshed so well together in their writing.

I have to admit, the start of this book felt very slow to me and I couldn't grasp where it was going. All I can say is I am glad I stuck with it because it held a huge shocker that made the rest of the book fly by. Stunning and timely book with a message that is so dearly needed to be shared. I 100% recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. (I will be buying a hard copy for my bookshelf!!) All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dual narrators Olivia and Lily tell the story of a teenage relationship between Olivia's son Asher and the new girl at school Lily. When Lily is found dead in the arms of Asher, he is arrested and tried for her murder. Olivia's timeline is told in order, while Lily's is told in a reverse timeline.

I loved this book so much. I have read some of Jodi Picoult's writing, but it has been several years. I know she likes to write about sensitive subjects, and this novel certainly brought several sensitive subjects to light. This was the first Jennifer Finney Boylan book that I have read, but I do plan to look for more of her work. I found the writing style to be incredibly interesting, with the dual narrators as well as dual timelines. It kept me interested but also flowed beautifully. While there were two writers on this novel, it never felt disjointed; they both did a fantastic job creating a seamless story. I found the book to be tragic but beautiful, the story of Lily and Asher's love drew me in and the twists kept me coming back for more. It was hard to put down once I started.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley who allowed me to read this advanced reader copy. The opinions in this review are all my own.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley.com I am leaving this review voluntarily

Wow. This book takes me back to when I first read Jodi Picoult. It doesn't hurt that the attorney in this book plays vital roles in The Pact, Salem Falls and Nineteen Minutes. I also appreciate that this book actually had an ending where I felt that a few of her more recent books left the end up to you.

Olivia left her abusive husband and moved with her son to her parents farm where she becomes a beekeeper like her father. Now a senior in high school Asher is a good kid, a gifted athlete and has a great girlfriend. Then Lily is found dead and Asher is the main suspect.

This book was in many ways torturous to read because I wanted to hurry up and find out what happens at the end of the trial. I can only imagine the stress Asher and his mother would have been under in these circumstances. Throughout the book we get flashbacks into Lilly's life from before she moved to the area and throughout her relationship with Asher. We also get flashbacks from Olivia who hides the pain and shame of being an abused woman. Ever since she left her husband she has not had another relationship, scared to trust again.

I don't want to give too much away because there is a secret revealed in this book about halfway through. Which this book is full of. Everyone seems to have secrets and its about the lengths and the costs they go through to keep them and who they eventually trust with them.

The ending actually caught me by surprise but it actually made sense. It also shows just how skewed the justice system is. I loved this book. I thought the topics it brings to light are timely and needed. It really dives deep into a subject many people don't know too much about and if some of the reviews I read are anything to go by things that people are scared to hear about. Our biases cloud our judgement so often maybe its time to open our eyes and see through someone else's for a change.

Thank you, Random House and Ballantine Books, for the gifted copy of Mad Honey. {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 10.4.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

"How similar does someone have to be to you before you remember to see them, first, as a human?"


So, Mad Honey is going into my 2022 Book of the Year stack. It's stayed with me days after finishing. I wish I could put into words the profound impact that reading this story has had on me. But, I genuinely can't even begin to describe how poignant this book was to read.

Mad Honey is one of those books that is nearly impossible for me to review without giving any of the key plot points of the book away. I had a general understanding of the book, but I didn't do any additional reading on it - I've found that this helps me not to have expectations for the story and where I *think* it should go. With Mad Honey, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do the same.

The first chapter was a little slow, but it ended with a bang, and, for me, the story took off from that point. But, it wasn't until that 50% mark that I was sincerely invested in this book. I learned a lot from reading Mad Honey and I think there are many people who could stand to pick this one up and read it.

🤐The less you know, the better
🎭 Family drama
👩🏽‍⚖️ Courtroom
✌🏼 Two perspectives, dual timelines (moving backward & forwards)

❌ self harm, suicide attempts, domestic violence

I could write pages about Mad Honey, and I've spent a lot of time discussing it with my husband. So, if you've had a chance to read this, I would love to chat with you!

3.5 rounded up

Thanks for the ARC @netgalley! I’m a day late, this new thriller was published yesterday. I’m new to Picoult’s work, having only read her recent “Wish You Were Here” which is one of my favorites from 2021. While I’m glad I read “Mad Honey” as it deftly handled complex themes, it ultimately missed the mark for me.

Olivia fled her dark and abusive past to start over with her son Asher in an idyllic small New England town. Everything is perfect: until Asher’s girlfriend Lily is found dead and her son is blamed. She doesn’t want to believe her sweet son could commit murder, but she wonders how much of her ex’s temper rubbed off on their son. This book alternates between Olivia and Lily’s narratives as the plot unfolds for the reader.

Boylan wrote Lily’s chapters while Picoult wrote Olivia’s (although the author’s note said they each took on a chapter of the others.) This writing setup was effective and had distinct voices for each MC. While I cared about both women, I found this book extremely dragged out. Olivia is a beekeeper and there were lots of tidbits on the profession, including bee folklore and history. While all interesting, it felt unnecessary in the grand scheme of the book, especially when I found the entire ending so rushed that I was speechless!

I’m glad I read this and enjoyed DMing with @emilybooked up about it (check out her review on this!), I wanted more from this book.

✨Trigger Warnings: Death of a Parent, Domestic Violence, Suicide Attempt, Transphobia

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I read a few books from Jody Picoult over the years & always enjoyed her writing so I was super excited to see that she had a new collaborative novel with author Jennifer Finney Boylan.
"Mad Honey" is a well written & addictive drama about love, loss & the power of secrets.
I also enjoyed the backstory about beekeeping, I thought it was very interesting & educational.

Author Jodi Picoult has the ability to take very current issues and weave them into astoundingly emotional tales that keep readers glued to the pages from start to finish. Often the details of the story, and the sheer averageness of the characters, mask the surprise of the controversy hidden within it. I will not share the details of MAD HONEY because readers should discover it themselves. Suffice to say, Picoult once again provides both plot and characters sufficient to keep readers going long into the night. I read this in one sitting and could not put it down. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

JUST WOW. This one is so powerful! A must read that I won't soon forget with such a great twist half way through I DID NOT see coming!!!

A GMA Book club pick for October, this story is about mothers and sons, the dark natures people have inside them, seeing beyond labels and overcoming trauma.

I went into this book pretty blindly and I don't want to give too much away. Jodi Picoult has such a talent for writing about books that focus on timely and important topics and this book was no different! Reading it will take you on a journey and have you re-examining how you think about the world in the most necessary of ways.

The pairing with author Jennifer Finney Boylan was truly well done. I wouldn't have been able to tell there were two distinct writers - everything was so seamlessly done. Plus the fact that the idea for this story originated with Boylan and their unique perspective/experiences really shone through and I couldn't have imagined it being written any other way.

Great on audio narrated by Carrie Coon and Key Taw (with a wonderful interview between the two authors included at the end). I wasn't planning to buy this book but after I finished listening to the audiobook I knew it was one that needed a place on my forever shelf.

Highly recommended for fans of The music of bees by Eileen Garvin, This is how it always is by Laurie Frankel or The good son by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Much thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for early digital copies of this book in exchange for my honest review!

CW: transphobia, domestic violence

Summary: When Olivia McAfee takes her young son, Asher, back home to the town she grew up in, she is content running her fathers bee keeping business while watching him grow. 12 years later, Lily Campanella and her mom Ava arrive in town and immediately Asher becomes infatuation with Lily. And then Olivia received the phone call that will forever change their lives - Lily is dead and Asher is being questioned by the police.

Thoughts: My favorite thing about Jodi Picoult is that her work always centers around a particular social issue. No matter what it is she is writing about, she always does a deep dive, looking at the issue from many angles getting to the heart of each and every perspective. Her work in Mad Honey, along with Jennifer Finney Boylan is no different.

The character development in this story is stellar, with two distinct voices telling two completely distinct stories. By the time the book reached its conclusion, there was not a single character involved that I didn’t feel a profound and emotional connection to.

This story is told in dual timeline fashion, but with the past told out of order. Although it adds significantly to the tone of the story, it can be a little confusing at times, so make sure this story has your full attention especially during the chapters set in the past. Ultimately, though, I cannot imagine a better way to tell this story.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Although it is without a doubt one of the saddest books I have ever read, it is by far one of the most beautiful. This book is releasing today, and I implore you to give this one a go. I promise you, it will not disappoint.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for my ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I have already purchased a copy of my own to cherish.

This is the best book that I have read this year. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book that is a wonderful story.
Jodi Picoult coauthored this book with Jennifer Finney Boylan who had this plot come to her in a dream. The story is about Lilly, a teenage transgender female along with her boyfriend and their parents. This book has a sweet teenage romance but that is not the main attraction. The mothers were married to and escaped from abusive men and both are very protective of their offspring.
Each character was fleshed out to seem real with assets and foibles both. I highly recommend this book, whether you read Jodi or not. In wish that I could give it more than a five star rating. It also has very clever passages about beekeeping and I learned a lot from those.

Thank you Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan, NetGalley, and Ballantine Books for the eARC!

Olivia moves back home with her son, Asher, leaving her abusive marriage tending to her father's beekeeping business. Someone else who knows what starting over feels like is Lily, who has also moved to New Hampshire, after a roller coaster of a life she has already endured. Both feel like this is the fresh start they both need. Their paths cross when Olivia's son Asher starts dating Lily. Things seem absolutely perfect. Lily is happy with Asher, and Olivia's bee business is thriving. Until Olivia receives a call that Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned for it. Olivia knows her son is innocent but as the case unfolds, so do hidden secrets and lies. Olivia has seen Asher's anger before, could it be possible? Will history repeat itself? Had Lily been honest with everyone about her intentions?

Wow. Although this book was long, and at times a slow burn, it was not what I was expecting AT ALL (in a good way). I was not expecting to be what it was. For the sake of not spoiling anything, the second half of this book touched on so many different issues as a society, we are currently facing. It was moving, breathtaking, and I showed the will and strength of a mother - on top of abuse, identity, and everything in between. These ladies knocked it out of the ball park with this one! Truly an amazing story.

Mad Honey
By Jodi Picoult and
Jennifer Finley Boylan

A Delightful Interwoven Tale That is Grabbing and Gut-wrenching

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Olivia McAfee was living in Boston and married to a successful heart surgeon twelve years ago. She and her husband Braden were raising their young son Asher when Olivia had enough. Braden is a charismatic gentleman in public but was controlling and violent at home. And not just with her. Olivia takes Asher and heads to her family’s home in Adams, New Hampshire, and takes over her father’s family beekeeping business.

Years later, Ava Campanello, a forest ranger, and her smart and musically talented daughter, Lily, are looking for a fresh start and are running away from a past. They also land in Adams, New Hampshire, for Lily’s senior year of high school. Lily and Asher meet at school, and they quickly become close. Finally, Lily is the happiest she has ever been. But she is unsure if she can trust Asher with the reality of her past.

When Olivia receives a phone call from Asher, their lives are changed forever. Lily is dead, and the police are questioning Asher. Lily knows there is no way Asher could have hurt Lily, but when she thinks of her ex-husband's violence, Asher’s father, she wonders…

“Mad Honey comes from bees that forage on rhododendrons and mountain laurel, and it’s full of poisonous grayanotoxins. It causes dizziness, nausea and vomiting, convulsions, cardiac disorders, and more. Symptoms last for 24 hours and although rarely, if left untreated can be fatal.

REVIEW
MAD HONEY is about secrets kept and secrets revealed. It’s a delightfully interwoven tale that is both grabbing and gut-wrenching. It’s a love story, a murder mystery, a family drama (or two), and a courtroom brawl all rolled into one book. It’s a highly compelling and enlightening story.

Co-author Jennifer Finley Boylan dreamt this captivating novel into being. She woke up one morning from a dream that she had co-written a novel with Jody Picoult with characters similar to Olivia, Lily, and Asher. She mentioned her dream on Twitter, and these two fabulous best-selling authors got together and actually made it happen. And what a story they wrote.

The writing is delightful, and the descriptions are vivid. About halfway through the book comes an unexpected, revealing moment that will have you gasping. Not only did the authors illuminate significant issues, but they also interspersed fun and educational information about bees and beekeeping.

The story is told from both Olivia's and Lilly’s perspectives. Olivia's storyline is in the present, moving forward with flashbacks to the past. Lily’s timeline starts with her death and goes backward in time. Both Olivia's and Lily's stories are full of strength, determination, and courage. MAD HONEY just may be your next great read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“The secret weapon of mad honey of course is that you expect it to be sweet, not deadly. You’re deliberately attracted to it. By the time it messes with your head, with your heart, it’s too late.”

Publisher October 4, 2022
Published Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

WOW. This was an absolutely stunning book. Compelling, impossible to put down and really will leave you questioning everything. It is one of those books that immediately after finishing, I wanted to flip to the beginning and start it all over again.

There's a big twist about halfway through and I actually did not know anything about it! I highly recommend going in blind to this book if you can, because I think it makes the story so much more impactful.

This book is a mix of contemporary fiction, murder mystery in a small-town setting, but is really a character driven book. And these characters really touched me.

The only thing I didn't love was the use of flashbacks/timeline. The flashbacks are nonlinear (actually going backwards) which I did not pick up on right away, so that was a bit confusing. But once I understood where we were going, I think it was very effective in the storytelling.

It's been twelve years since Olivia escaped her abusive husband and returned to her hometown, six year old son Asher in tow, to take over her father's beekeeping business. Now her life is comfortable, her son is doing well... until she gets a phone call that he's being held for questioning for the death of his girlfriend.
Fun the blurb: "Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves."
How well do we really know our children? Olivia must ponder this throughout Asher's trial. If she can't believe 100% in his innocence, how can she expect a jury to? I liked reading about her unique beekeeping experience. This book also gave me a new perspective on gender identity that I never thought about before. This author has a way of taking current events and through her characters, giving us a whole new perspective. Each author wrote the chapters for the separate POV, but they blend so seamlessly that I didn't even realize it until I read the author's note. Another great book by one of my favorite authors.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

REVIEW POSTED TO INSTAGRAM AND GOODREADS ON RELEASE DAY, OCTOBER 4

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Jodi Picoult, and Jennifer Finney Boylan for providing me with an eARC of this book. This is my honest review. Potential spoilers to follow.
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Mad Honey is a timely story about family, true love, and our ability to grow. Books by multiple authors always make me nervous. I’m scared their voices won’t mesh and that the story presented will feel jumpy instead of feeling like one cohesive work. That wasn’t an issue here. I fell into this book incredibly fast and finished it in one day. These characters, their experiences, their emotions, everything, felt very real. They kept me reading as much as the need to find the answer to the mystery did. Overall, I felt that Picoult and Boylan told a heart-wrenching story that will hopefully open avenues for people to address topics and communities that they previously hadn’t.
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Disclaimers:
While I enjoyed this book and appreciated its messages, I’m not trans myself and therefore I cannot fully opine on whether the representation of trans people in this book is accurate.

Please check TW/CW before reading this book. Potential TW/CW include, but are not limited to, self-harm, depression, physical abuse, transphobia, and homophobia.
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Mad Honey is available for purchase now wherever books are sold.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Jodi Picoult book! I went in completely blind, which I highly suggest. It made multiple parts of this story even more emotional and heartbreaking. I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll just simply say… this book is a murder mystery, with some romance, a court trial, and many lies and secrets. I loved the writing; it was beautiful and flew by fast despite the length of the book. There was so much research put into this book, and I felt it could have been a real case going on in the media today. The one thing I did not love was the quick ending. There was a twist near the end that was meant to wrap up any questions the reader might have about the main character(s). I was not a huge fan of this twist, but I did see the irony the authors were trying to create. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will definitely be picking up another Jodi Picoult book in my future. 4 stars!

I have read every book by Jodi Picoult and this is the first one I have read by Jennifer Finney Boylan. I thought this was a great book that really made me think from all sides of the story and that they did a really nice job together. This novel is about secrets, starting over, protecting our children, and so much more, but it’s hard to say much without giving away too much of the storyline. I went into this without knowing much and was moved by this book and I know it will stay with me. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I am impressed by authors who can come together and write a cohesive and powerful
story.

I went into this one blind. I requested this book because of the authors, the cover and the title. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything for you. I will say this one kept me in suspense and the court room scenes and big reveal made my jaw drop.

I loved the beekeeping component and the beehive as a metaphor for the character’s life tied in so perfectly with the story.

This one came out today, 10/4/22- definitely check it out. Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine for this ARC.

I think I will be in the minority on this one. I was so excited to read it, but it wasn’t for me.

I really loved the idea for this book - and even the inspiration for it (a dream to write a book about these characters with Jodi Picoult that came true)! What a fantastic setup!

I really liked the characters and the basic plot of the story. I enjoyed learning about “the birds and the bees” (both figuratively and quite literally). The parallels between the two families were also pretty interesting and not too obvious or outlandish.

Unfortunately, I thought it felt like YA for half of it and the story was WAY too long. It dragged so much - it could have easily been 100-200 pages shorter. In fact, I think I probably could have read the beginning and the end and got the same thing out of it. It’s just SO MUCH back story.

I think this is an important novel based on its ideals, but it was like kicking a dead horse over and over again for me.

Also… I did not love the end. It was forced and a little ridiculous. I didn’t see it coming because it didn’t make sense.