This book was powerful. I don't want to say too much to give anything away, but as with any Picoult book, there will be strong opinions on certain topics. To me this was reminiscent of Picoult's earlier works, which I loved. There are even a couple of small Easter eggs connecting previous books.
This isn't a quick, easy beach read. It's heavy with some emotional content. The character development is phenomenal, and the research into so many aspects is evident. The way the authors connect current events in the book with past events in their lives, or connected it with the science of bees, is amazing. I actually didn't realize until I read the author's notes that each author was responsible for one character perspective (for the most part.) The writing for both felt so natural and the two authors meshed so well. I haven't read any of Boylan's previous works, but am inclined to check some out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Olivia is a beekeeper who escaped domestic abuse when her son was young and has been living her life in peaceful routine. Asher, now a senior in high school, is slowly falling in love with the new girl, Lily.

Until one day, Olivia gets a call: Lily is dead. Asher found her, but he's being charged with her murder. When secrets start to come out in court, what will we see as truth?

There were so many unexpected twists that made it an even more compelling story. The authors' notes really solidified that for me. Watching this play out felt like an investment of my time: I knew it would be worth it in the end if I just decided to see it through.

CW: domestic violence, death, gaslighting, homophobic comments

WOW! What a captivating read written by both authors. I had not read a Lori Picoult book in a while, and I can guarantee that this one did not disappoint.

There are two narratives in this story. The first is from beekeeper, Olivia McAfee - single mother of Asher Fields. Whereas the second, is Lilly Campanello, the new girl in town. Lilly recently moved to the small town of Adams with her single mother Ava Campanello, a park ranger, hoping for a new start.

One afternoon, Ava walks into her home after running an errand for her daughter and finds her unresponsive in Asher’s arms. As secrets unfold, Jordan McAfee, Asher’s uncle and attorney, is trying to prove to a judge and jury that his nephew is not guilty of murdering Lilly. Is Asher capable of murdering his girlfriend who he claims he truly loved and cared for? This amazing, jaw-dropping, page turner must be added to your TBR list for you to find out!

This book covers difficult but important themes such as suicide, gender, domestic abuse, and identity. These compelling yet heart breaking themes experienced by the main characters were wonderfully written. Additionally, as a person who loves bees, although scared of them, it was a nice added touch and interesting to learn about them throughout this book.

Big thank you to NetGalley for sending me the virtual copy of the ARC. Cannot wait to purchase this book on release day of October 4th, 2022.

You know the guy who checks your receipt at the door when you exit Costco? Or the guy who checks you’ve got your Costco card, the golden entrance ticket of privilege, on your way in? Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan are the door keepers of the heart of this book, and they ask that you check your prejudices at the door, too. Keep an open mind and a soft heart as you begin this poignant book because it will rip your heart open, tear out all the weeds of prejudice, and rework the soil of your heart, thereby allowing tolerance and acceptance to blossom. I’m so glad I doubled back after initially passing on this book. I received an education I wasn’t counting on and am better for it.

“Sometimes making the world a better place just involves creating space for the people who are already in it.”

Not only did I love the lessons from a master apiarist, but also those about compassion and about realizing we have more in common with one another than we don’t.

This book is my own mulligan. A chance to clean my rose-tinted glasses and see the world differently. With better acceptance and tolerance.

I was driven to Google the meaning of the title and appreciated the subtle message the authors gave about the ‘madness’ of love and how overwhelming the experience can be. I appreciated the message about hidden secrets and how we prevent growth of something special within because we let our secrets block out the sunlight. Equally well, I loved the references to Lily’s name in the American Sign Language symbol of —--. Sorry, you need to read this book, I can’t spoil it for you!

Thank you for a last-minute reconsideration, Penguin Random House Canada. You guys rock. I appreciate the privilege to read books such as this that hold a mirror up to my outlook and show me what a narrow view of the world I have!

I was gifted this advance copy by Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Always a big fan of Jodi Picoult, I read everything she writes. Another great book - loved the dual perspective.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. My favourite book in 2021 was J. Picoult's Wish You Were Here, and have enjoyed her other novels I read, so was excited to receive the ARC for Mad Honey. I regret it was a disappointment for me. I found it too convoluted, contrived, and bloated for my liking. I urge prospective readers not to be deterred by my impressions but to pursue the vast majority of positive reviews.

The premise was promising, with a good storyline and mystery that I should have found interesting, but they threw in too many hot, controversial topics, There was family violence, physical and emotional abuse, suicide, interracial marriage, same-sex marriage, abortion, teenage sex, a murder mystery, a court case, transphobia, gender and identity issues, and depression. Some of these issues were essential to the storyline, but some were superfluous and detracted from the flow of the book.

At times it was like reading intricate lectures. There was much detail about honey bees, their division of labour within the hive, how they make honey, and the beekeeper's work. Even recipes for food and drinks that included honey and its health benefits were thrown in. I didn't get these metaphors relating to the human characters. I thought this distraction belonged in a textbook with illustrations for future apiarists. There was also an information dump explaining the differences in people included under the LGBTQ+ banner and detailed descriptions of medications and surgical procedures used in gender transition. This was all interesting and informative but reminded me of lessons one usually sits for an examination to see how much one has retained.

The focus is on two single mothers who have fled their homes to protect their children. I would have preferred a more linear approach. One mother's story is told in the present time and from her memories and flashbacks. Her son is now accused of murder, and she begins to have doubts about his innocence. The other woman has a murdered daughter whose story is told in reverse. The focus is on how much a mother will do to protect her child and secure what is best for them. There are lies of omission and commission, guilt, dread, jealousy, and deceit leading up to a compelling court trial, but the book's structure detracted from my feeling of suspense and from the flow of what I thought was the main plot. The solution to the mystery and its conclusion fell flat for me. I stayed with the book until the end but was unable to engage with the characters or storyline due to its structure and overload of facts. I do think this book will appeal to many readers but am sorry it was not for me.

I decided to give this author another try with this book (the book of two ways was not my type of book ) but this book is just terrible. Too many beekeeping descriptions in my opinion, I did not like the characters at all, as a parent of a kid the same age as Asher I just can't read sex scenes involving teenagers 🤷‍♀️

Wow wow wow!!! I love Jodi Picoult. This book to me was one of her best and that's saying a lot.
I loved that the emotions poured from this book.
I personally hadn't heard of Jennifer Finney Boylan before this book. I loved that we could not tell who wrote what parts. Great collaboration. I devoured this book I could not put it down!!
Sad that I rushed through it as I want more

Thanks to the authors, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.