What a great collaboration of these 2 authors to write a book that is so perfect for what is happening in the world today. As I was reading I kept thinking what a great story to open up the doors of communication and understanding and discuss with one of my book clubs. I know I sure learned a lot while reading this fictional story.
The story has so many dimensions to it, each character has their own story that plays a part in each other character. It’s a story of love and acceptance , its a story about stereotypes, it’s a story of death, it’s a story of one’s past, it’s a story of being your true self, it’s a story of living your best life.

This story revolves around a teenage love story between a young boy and a transgender girl and a murder. To find out what happens and the twists and turns pick up a copy of this book to read.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I would recommend this book to my friends and family and friends and my book clubs.

Everyone knows that Jodi Picoult’s novels always address some kind of social issue. Often controversial, these issues can cause divisive opinions about her books. I am writing this review without having read any other reviews, giving my honest feelings about Mad Honey. The jacket copy gives nothing away; all we really know is that two teenagers fall in love, and one dies. Asher is accused of Lily’s murder and Asher’s mother Olivia looks back at her own life and broken marriage to try to determine what went wrong.
The authors do a good job of telling the story. It moves back and forth in different timelines, mostly told by Lily and Olivia. We learn their back story, how they ended up in the small Massachusetts town, and eventually what led to Lily being dead, and Olivia in a courtroom with her son defending himself against a murder charge. I found the ending to be a little too tidy, and a bit disappointing. I look forward to hearing what other readers think about the ending.
It isn’t until almost halfway through the story that we finally learn what is at the heart of the tale . Without spoiling it, I must say I was surprised and very interested to continue to see how the rest of the book unfolded. It is a topic that I felt somewhat uncomfortable about, mostly because of my lack of knowledge. I learned a lot from this book, and I hope it has made me just a little more open-minded.
The main character Olivia (Asher’s mother) is a beekeeper and throughout the book, we learn a lot about her vocation. There was probably meant to be a parallel comparison between what was happening in Olivia’s life with what was going on in her hives. This will no doubt be fodder for good book club discussion! The last few pages of the book had several honey recipes, which I found out-of-place, because there was no referral to cooking with honey in the story.
Jodi Picoult fans will undoubtedly love this book. Shout out to co-author Jennifer Finney Boylan Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

Wow! There was so much in this book. I loved how much I learned about bees and the bee/honey analogies were lovely. The story of Olivia, Asher, and Lily was so amazing. I thought the education about transgender people and what that means was so excellent. It’s a concept I have personally struggled with and I feel more understanding.
The way the book is set up works going back and forth before and after the event that ends up impacting everyone. The supporting characters are excellent with Jordan and Selena being my favourites. Braeden can suck it…that guy is awful.
I’m so glad I read this book. It was amazing!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin RandomHouse for the opportunity to read this book.

Lily is trying to live her best life and her journey is documented interspersed with that of Olivia's story of heartache, loss, and personal growth. Kindness and compassion are the core values in this book where a horrible tragedy has taken place

This book makes you stop and think. Many times I need to stop and think things over.
Things that made me reevaluate my thought process. The authors blended voices carry through as it was intended two clear voices in one story.
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’m years late to the Jodi Picoult party. Earlier this year I read one of my first Jodi Picoult books, The Book of Two Ways. I loved it so much that even now, months later, I can’t stop thinking about it. So, when Mad Honey came out, I knew I had to read it. I admit, I was surprised that it had a co-writer in Jennifer Finney Boylan, I had no idea who she was, but I see now that this book is truly the work of something special.

Olivia and her young son flee the abuse from her cardiologist husband. They start over and decide to take over the family beekeeping business. But now, years later, her son Asher has been arrested for the murder of his girlfriend Lily. Through the murder case, the community learns of Lily’s secret. And now the question is was her death a crime of passion or a hate crime?

I will tell you honestly, that this story of a mother’s love, and the death of a young woman had me reeling. When I wasn’t reading Mad Honey I was thinking of it constantly – day and night, and night and day. Is Asher the man everyone thought he was? Is Asher more like his father than we thought? What would it be like to be in Lily’s shoes even for one day. There’s so much emotion to unpack in this book and I don’t know if this story will ever leave me. Without a doubt I highly recommend.

Thank you to Jodi and Jennifer for this incredible story I’ve learned so much! And especially to Jennifer for giving Lily a voice.

I posted my review on Goodreads, and have attached the link! It was a great read & thank you so much for sending it to me. Will be purchasing!

Mad Honey by Picoult and Boylan is a tour de force. I was slow to get into it, when it suddenly took off. I was smacked between the eyes and grabbed by the throat by the structure, the compassion, and the tension of this story. As an author myself, I also marvelled at the huge amount of research the two authors had achieved and how their separate voices in the changing POVs worked so well.
The story is fundamentally that of Lily, a teen who had transitioned early from being Liam, while her father ridiculed her, and did all he could to force her to be a boy. Lily later falls in love with Asher, the product of Olivia and her violent and controlling husband. Both teens bring complex damage to the relationship.
Tragedy comes early when Lily dies and Asher is accused of murdering her.
The novel loops backwards and forwards in the two voices of Lily and Asher's mom as the court case reaches a crescendo. (I'm not going to say more!) It is held together by bees as the throughline which also provides the metaphor.
I learned much about the transgender scene and the abuse and fear that trans people suffer. Also about the medical and surgical side of the transition from male to female.
I thank Picoult and Boylan for creating this important book and highly recommend it. I also suggest a box of Kleenex is worth having nearby as you read long into the night.
Superb, heartrending, and delicate too.

What is secret and what is private.

Olivia and her son Asher move to her hometown Adams, New Hampshire to start over after leaving an abusive husband, Braden and take over her father’s beekeeping business. Lily and her Mom, Ava have also moved to this sleepy town to start over leaving secrets behind.

Asher and Lily fall in love and what appears to be a normal teenage romance becomes much more when Lily is found dead and Asher is charge with her murder.

I was thoroughly entertained with this murder mystery and enjoyed being educated on beekeeping. I loved all the well-developed characters and just when I was wondering when Jodi’s big twist would come into play, BAM! it hit and my mind was blown! This story had a good plot line with an engaging courtroom drama element. The backwards story telling was easy to follow with well labeled Chapters. Some repetitiveness in writing however was a thought provoking read. I guessed the ‘who’ early one and like many novels the ending felt rushed.

I also enjoyed both Jodi and Jennifer’s author’s notes at the end with their explanation of how their co-writing blossomed into this excellent story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.

I was really excited to get a copy of this book to review because Jodi has been on my author watch list for months after I picked up one of her other books Wish You Were Here. This book was super intriguing to me because of the murder mystery aspect of it. It was right up my alley to read.

In the beginning I was hooked, Jodi and Jennifer do a great job at pulling the reader in. I wanted to know everything about Olivia and Asher, understand them and the fact that Asher is being accused of a crime Olivia doesn't quite know or believe if he actually committed. I loved the concept and I was on the edge of my seat wondering if he really was a killer or not.

The book itself was good but I found it dragging and just a touch too long for my tastes. Jodi's books normally aren't ones I'd pick up but I'm glad I picked up this one to enjoy the story of it!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This was a compelling read and I enjoyed the story line. It kept me hooked and turning pages.

Ultimately though I wish some characters were more detailed, it was frustrating that Lily’s mother didn’t have a voice and there were parts of the book that felt too rushed while others felt too long and meandering. Lily’s chapters felt repetitive by the end and it felt like the book was just stretching it out to match the pacing of the trial, but that’s where I wish some others had a chapter dedicated to their perspective.

In the end, this was enjoyable and readable but not my favourite Picoult. Received as an advance copy from NetGalley.

Timely, relevant and very well written, Mad Honey kept me reading long into the night. The ending was a bit twisted and unexpected which I enjoyed. I also loved all the facts about bees; the added layer of realism gave Mad Honey even more interest and depth.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan.
4* Confession time, Jodi Picoult is an auto read author for me. I own many of her books. You know there will be an emotional story with well developed characters, Mad Honey delivers this formula. I love the origin story of how this project began. I have not previously read any of Jennifer Finney Boylan’s works. The story is seamless, you wouldn’t know their were two authors.
Yes, there is a lot going on in this novel, it is impactful in so many ways.
I highly recommend.

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown with her son, Asher, 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.
Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. As the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.



Jodi Picoult is and forever will be one of my favourite auto-buy authors; her books have resonated with me for years. The way she is able to capture such intense subject matter and make it relatable is nothing short of incredible. This book reminded me of some of her older work which I absolutely loved.

For fans of Jodi…. Jordan McAfee is back!!!! I love that she tied this character in again.

Don’t make the mistake like I did and accidentally read the authors note at the back of the book first, as it spoils a big reveal in the book 🙈 but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. It’s hard to comment on much without giving away key parts of the story, but the subject matter was handled beautifully. I did figure out the ending early on (or rather I hoped for it) but it still kept me on the edge of my seat.

I haven’t read anything by Jennifer Finney Boylan but I thought hers and Jodi’s writing styles worked really well together. I like that they each wrote a POV.

Thank you to Net Gallery and Penguin Random House Canada for this eARC!

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Boylan is a sad and thought provoking women's fiction about love, perceptions, personal growth and finding yourself.

This story touches on many heavy topics including abuse, gender identity, gender reassignment and self-harm.

While this novel touches on many heavy topics, it was an amazing read and I cannot recommend this novel enough.

Plus, I loved all the tidbits about honeybees. 🐝🐝🐝

This book gave me so many feels. As a trigger warning, this book explores themes of gender identity and domestic violence which are quite prominent.

This book is primarily told from the perspective from a mother, Olivia, who fled from an abusive relationship with her son Asher. When his girlfriend, Lily, turns up dead, he is the primary suspect and charged with her murder. This book mainly follows the trial, but flips back and forth between Lily’s perspective as she gets to know him, and Olivia’s in real time.

I was honestly shocked I enjoyed this book as much as I did in some ways - I find books with long chapters difficult, and the chapters in this book are LONG. BUT, between Olivia’s beekeeping business, the gender identity themes, the DV themes which I relate to on a very personal level, and all of the ethics that make this court case a very heartwrenching one, I could not put it down. I typically reach for books that are “easy” books, and this one was admittedly not. I had so many thoughts and feels, and it opened my perspective to different experiences in a way I had never read before.

Honestly, I could not tell that this book was written by two authors - it was seamless and a total masterpiece. I’ve already raved about it to several friends - this is a must read if you want to challenge your beliefs in a moral dilemma, and be open minded. This is not for everyone, I am sure there will be people who dislike this based on subject matter alone, but it’s a very strong 5/5 stars ⭐️ for me.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This is the first Jodi Picoult book I’ve read in many years. When I was in my late teens, early twenties I was obsessed with her books, devouring them one after the other and buying her entire backlist. This was a bit of a trip down memory lane for me as a result, one I looked forward to to see if her books still held the same magic for me. The co-author for this book was a brand new one for me, and I was interested to see how the two worked together.

My feelings were a bit mixed in the end. Not to say her books don’t still hold the same intrigue and ability to get the reader flipping through pages intently to see where the drama is going to end up. But either my taste has changed a bit since I was an avid Jodi Picoult reader, or this one just didn’t catch me quite the same.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, and there were still those moments where I’d get extremely invested in what was happening and need to know more, but at the same time I would feel like I needed breaks from the book, like it was too much to take in all at once at times.

The story is told in alternating view points between Olivia, the mother of the accused, and Lily, the victim in a case where they are trying to determine if her death was accidental or murder. Asher, Olivia’s son, and boyfriend to Lily, is on trial for her murder throughout the course of this book. Olivia’s chapters follow the progress of the trial, with her brother Jordan defending Asher. Lily’s chapters unravel more of the story leading up to her death, revealing bits and pieces of her life and secrets, as well as her relationship with Asher prior to the incident that results in her death.

I did really enjoy the flip back and forth from present to past and having more and more details unravel between the two. Not to mention getting to know more about Lily, who obviously isn’t in the present, where only the people who knew her can give their side of things. So having that opportunity to learn about things from the actual victim really added to the story. And of course, as always, the author provides a tense court experience with the uncertainty of what really happened and who might or might not be guilty.

Again, there was just something about it that didn’t entirely suck me in, because I had moments where I either just wanted to be finished or wanted to take a break and read something else. But for the Jodi Picoult fan, and the fans of court dramas, this would be a great read and I do recommend it. I just had mixed feelings on it, though I still found myself wanting to find out the truth and rooting for the characters. In typical Jodi Picoult fashion, there is a twist at the end that I won’t go into details on. All in all, I say this book is worth a read, though for myself it likely won’t be one I come back, it was worth it to get a taste of an author I haven’t read in many years though. And I do enjoy the odd courtroom drama and this didn’t disappoint in that manner.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin House Canada. When I received the e-galley, I already had the kindle version of this book. It was a good read by Jodi Picoult. She always writes interesting characters with detail. This was another good read of hers.

I found it hard to put this book down once I started reading it! Mad Honey explores so many topics - beekeeping, jury trial, transgender issues, intimate partner violence – while exploring what we should keep secret or private. I did find the format a bit confusing, switching between Lily and Olivia over different time periods, and those not always in chronological order. Even though this book is heart wrenching at times, it’s a really great read.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It was a well written book. I have read other books by this author and liked them too.

This book was a bit like an onion--layer after layer after layer. Starting from a a tragic start, we peel down to discover more and more about Asher and Lily. About Olivia and her past and how that might have an influence on Asher. And just when you'd think you knew what was going on, another layer got exposed. And like an onion, made me cry.

I don't want to say too much about the actual story as that is part of the depth to the book, that digging down to find out the actual truth. Just know that it is worth it. Even if onions make you cry.