OMG! What an amazing book! Heart wrenching, tragic, and yet heartwarming at the same time. The authors go so deep inside Olivia and Lily’s heads, and the result is remarkable. An emotional roller coaster I highly recommend.

I have been working on bringing diverse reads into my high school classroom library and I will be purchasing this text for my shelves.

Mad Honey I knew would be a must read as Jodi Picoult is a must read author! I had never heard of Jennifer Boylan but I’m intrigued to read her books now

Mad Honey taught me so much about transgender individuals and the LGBTQ+ community. I thought I was well versed in it but learnt so much more. And love how the book shows Asher loves Lily not for what she was but for what she is.

I feel as time goes on we will hopefully see more books with characters of the LGBTQ community and it not always have to end in heartbreak that they get to go on with life like cisgender not having to worry people will judge them or possibly abuse them.

I enjoyed all the facts about Bees. I find bees so fascinating and love watching them.

I did find at time they book was a bit slow and I lived for the chapters when in court but overall I still really enjoyed it!

This was my first experience with Jennifer Finney Boylan's writing, but definitely not my first with Jodi Picoult's. As a writing duo, their writing was seamless, creating an intricate and beautifully written story. I requested this novel on a whim, drawn in my Jodi Picoult's name, but also drawn in by the cover art and title - and I am so happy that I did.

MAD HONEY is a dual timeline and perspective story. Olivia took up her father's business of beekeeping in her hometown with her son, Asher. Lily arrives in town and soon falls head over heels with Asher. But one day, Olivia receives a call stating Lily is dead and Asher is being questioned by the police.

Olivia's story is told in the present; Lily's story is told in the past tense, but not in chronological order. This method of building the story and plot through various time points added so much tone and context. I did not find it confusing in the least.

I really enjoyed learning more about beekeeping, so much research and information had to have gone into this; and its use in building setting and context to both the story and Olivia's life was impeccable. At first I was confused as to its relevance, but it really ties in well to the whole book and is a good reminder in regard as to the roles of bees in our present society. I love that the authors included honey-themed recipes at the end.

I absolutely recommend going into this novel blind! I was taken by surprise on several occasions and it entirely changed my thoughts about the novel. The plot and characters are creative and dynamic, gripping the reader from the beginning to end. As with Picoult's other books I've read, this one is no different in pulling on emotional strings via the use of heavy and societally-relevant topics. A beautifully written story with excellent execution.

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.</i>

Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan did an amazing job with their new novel Mad Honey. The book is thought-provoking and has a twisty plot that grips you to the core. As per Picoult’s signature, it tests your moral compass.
The story is told with two POVs and timelines that start together and move in opposite directions with plenty of flashbacks for both POVs thrown in.

This was a beautiful, yet tragic story. Bonus I truly enjoyed learning about Beekeeping.

Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful, just beautiful! This was such a wonderful story of love, loss and families enduring it all. It was so very informative and rich in story-telling that it flowed effortlessly throughout the pages. Touching on topics that are so relevant and important with poignancy and grace. I knew I would love the raw emotion this book would capture as only Jodi Piccoult does but truth be told I was blown away yet again. Jennifer Finney Boylan mastered the subject matter and made it simple and thought provoking all in one. Chef kiss!

Thank you Netgalley for this amazing arc

What to say about this book? I absolutely loved the characters, the story and the flow of this book.

Told with different POVs, as well as different timelines, the story flowed beautifully without any confusion. Three MCs — Olivia, Asher and Lily — steal the show in this fast flowing and emotional story about young love and unconditional acceptance. Without giving too much away, the story offers a poignant view of the weight of societal norms and how those factors can affect functioning families and how with unconditional love those norms can be stretched. This is a book that will stay with me for quite a while and I fully appreciated the new lens it gave me when thinking about gender assignment and sexuality. This book was written with much respect and consideration!

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC version of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review. Hands-down a five star read for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book! I learned so much, not in a way you need to know this way, but so clearly telling a story. About honey and bees and real human beings. This book made understanding so clear. Loved it. Thank you NetGalley!

Part murder-mystery, all character-based slow reveal, this story oozes sweetness and danger in a delectable unwind, a gradual pooling of cloying tension, fear, and poignant urgency as we are forced to question - what do we really know, after all, about those we cannot help but love?

Set in the small New England town of Adams, New Hampshire, this story tells the tale of two women: Olivia McAffee, former doctor’s wife and now the divorced single-mother of Asher, her teenage son; and Lily Campanello, Asher’s girlfriend, “tiny, dark, with a smile so wide it completely changes the landscape of her face.“

Olivia, a beekeeper, is long-versed in the art of keeping secrets. A survivor of physical-abuse at the hands of her ex-husband Branden, Olivia is soon to discover that, for others in the small town of Adams (some of which are even closer to home), things are not always what they seem.

“The secret weapon of mad honey, of course, is that you expect it to be sweet, not deadly”.

Asher, with his “green eyes to make you think of June, when everything is in bloom”, is also a mass of confusing teenage behavioral contradictions, - the moody son she would die for - and one who may or may not be be following in the footsteps of his terrifying father. Chillingly proficient at wearing a mask, so charming and smooth, could it be that Asher is leaking at the seams with glimpses into a soul laced with violence? A thought no mother could bear, and yet, one that Olivia is suddenly unable to shake.

Lily’s story, told in an intriguing backwards-time format, unwinds mesmerizingly.

“Why is it necessary for me to justify the fact that I’m here upon the earth, to explain and defend the things I have know in my heart since the day I was born?”

On the run from her own patriarchal past, under the care of her National Forest Ranger Mom Ava (a sort of feminine super-hero, would that we all had moms like Ava), Lily is also hiding secrets, including the deepest of scars, some of which are only visible if you know to look for them.

With twists and turns so cleverly paced they seem to come out of nowhere, this suspenseful read is also a thoughtful one - guaranteed to awaken reflection on our own internal heroes, and the quest we each may undertake to “figure-out how to stop being sad” and reach for the reins of suddenly inescapable second-chances.

A great big thank you to Netgalley, the authors and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

My relationship with Jodi Picoult books is up and down. There are topics that she will attempt that make me skim or DNF the novel, and not bother to rate, due to my lack of interest in rehashing a topic I have read a great deal on already or in the style of writing (which can vary), but there are other times, when I am her devoted reader. This novel fits the pack of the "best of" for me. Having previously been captured by Small Great Things and The Book of Two Ways, I gave Mad Honey a try and was rewarded. The style of writing made for effortless reading, and the combination of voices well done. I commend her this time for co-writing to present information from an authentic perspective rather than having to acknowledge the various POVs in her work was reliant simply on research.

This novel had great tension and character development from the beginning. Since I only read the publisher's blurb before reviewing the novel, I was totally unprepared for the twist. This was a good thing. Well done! But what followed was even better, as the authors used the procedural well, as a platform for information.

Now for the parts that caused only four stars from me. I loved the title, and the book cover. I found it intriguing, mysterious. However, the actual meaning and story of Mad Honey, interesting as it was, did not connect as the main theme of the book. Did the authors use honey as a metaphor for love? Healing, absolutely, complexity, etc. Is this then simply a bad pun? I'll have to reread to find an answer. I thought it was perhaps just a cool sounding title, and they went with it. Additionally, I felt the ending was off, the tone too light. All the characters were suspect at some point, so no problem there, but we'd moved on to a satisfying end, then another twist. Asher's characteristics needed addressing, as well.

But I must say, it was an enjoyable and informative read, a great presentation of many important topics. Many thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! Ten stars!

This is my very favorite book by Jodi Picoult, and that's saying a lot because I am such a big fan of her writing. This book is off the scale, IMHO, ten stars! I downloaded it on Friday (while in the middle of another book), started it late Friday night and finished it at dinner time Saturday; I just couldn't put it down! I cried, I laughed, I learned things, I was riveted to the pages. And now I have another author, Ms Boylan, to read.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-limited e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Thank you to the authors, Jennifer Finney Boylan and Jodi Picoult, as well as Netgalley and the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, for the ARC copy of this book.

I have always enjoyed Jodi Picoult books. Her past few haven’t really felt like her regular style, but this one definitely brought that style back with the main plot line taking place in a court room. I enjoyed both of the storylines (the book was told in two timelines, and by two different narrators), but did lean a bit more towards Olivia’s. I didn’t see the “plot twist” coming in the middle, but did see the end plot twist come as Jodi Picoult’s novels always have that end “woah” moment in the last few chapters. It did feel a bit cheap, and I didn’t love it as much as I hoped. I feel like they could have just ended the book with Lily having the blood disorder.

I especially liked the authors’ notes at the end. I like how Boylan talked about how this book came to be, and it was cool to see how they went about writing it. I also really appreciated that Boylan is transgender herself, making Lily’s storyline seem more authentic.

Overall, this was a good read, and definitely a foray back into “original” Jodi Picoult novels.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan is a general fiction novel about a woman, Olivia McAfee, who takes her young son Asher away from an abusive marriage to start over in her hometown. Apiculture is in her blood so when upon returning to her family farm in New Hampshire, Olivia takes over running the family beekeeping business.

Years later, Asher is a young man who meets Lily Campanello, also not a stranger to fresh starts. Lily and her mother have also relocated to New Hampshire looking for a do-over. What Olivia and Asher don’t realize is that meeting Lily will forever change the course of their life.

I found this story kept my interest from start to finish. I hope these two authors collaborate again in the future and look forward to reading their novels. I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this ebook free from Random House Canada at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was so fantastic, I couldn't put it down. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy..

Reviewed: October 8, 2022. Novel Publish Date: October 4, 2022.

Asher and Lily are seniors in high school and have been dating exclusively for a few months. At the end of chapter 1, Lily is dead and Asher is accused of her murder. During the trial, it is revealed that Lily was a trans woman—she took puberty blockers and hormones, had “bottom surgery,” and as such nobody could know anymore unless she told them. The prosecution jumped on this and tried to turn it into a hate crime: Asher got furious when his girlfriend told him the truth and killed her because of it.

The story is told in alternating points of view. On one side, Olivia, a domestic violence survivor, going forward in time and telling about the trial, her love conflicting with doubts about her son. And on the other side, Lily, going back in time, talking about her relationship with Asher and, through flashbacks and memories, her transition.

At first I kind of side-eyed the story and took it with a grain of salt, since I’m not trans so I don’t know how faithful it was to transness. But then I realized Jennifer Boylan is a trans woman herself, so I could go ahead and fully trust that they knew what they were talking about! I loved the alternate points of view, the fact that they were going in different directions, and the sequence of short scenes that made it easy to read … but also hard to stop! Many nights I kept reading way past when I should have stopped because “one more bit … oh no that one was way too short, one more…”

The only part I was a bit disappointed with is that the domestic violence aspect of things ended up a bit forgotten. Not Braden’s, but we saw evidence of Asher having those traits too, and it was just never discussed.

Can’t wait for Republicans to throw a hissy fit about this one, as it has not only three trans women, but also an abortion! : D

Feels like early Jodi Picoult. Heart wrenching. An absolute rollercoaster. The twist mid-way was completely unexpected, and changed the landscape of the entire story. Also didn’t see the ending coming. Highly recommend.

Mad Honey
I am an emotional wreck! I’ve just finished this amazing book by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan.

This story follows Olivia McAfee, beekeeper, and Lily Campanello, high school student. What connects the two? Asher, Olivia’s son and Lily’s boyfriend.

Olivia left her “perfect husband” when Asher was 6, having sustained years of physical and emotional abuse. Ten years later, following Lily’s death she reflects too often on those terrible moments and wonders despairingly if her son has inherited his fathers traits.

Lily and her mother moved recently moved to Adams after a traumatic episode and a major life change. Lily excels in her new town where she continues to enjoy her cello and fencing and meets up with Asher, captain of the hockey team. Asher and Olivia were both disconnected from their fathers; but where Asher was desperate to reconnect with his, Lily wanted nothing to do with hers. Lily’s father never accepted who she really was.

Lily’s death is a mystery and Asher becomes prime suspect I usually hate court dramas but this one is so compelling and fast-paced. The back telling helps to unravel the mystery in twists and turns.

This is an emotional read with multiple triggers: suicide attempts, relational physical and emotional abuse, death, loss, bullying etc.

Book bonus: honey, bees, and recipes.

My recommendation: if you like Jodi Picoult, family drama, murder mystery, and contemporary content you’ll like this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this ARC - pub date Oct 3

Adding to Foldingthepage IG week of October 11

One thing we know about authors is that they do a lot of research when planning and writing their books. One thing I love about Jodi Picoult is she integrates that knowledge into her stories in fascinating ways. She shares her findings in ways that are genuinely interesting (I’m often left thinking “I can’t believe I’m not bored”). I always learn so much when I read Picoult’s novels, different things, and often about difficult subjects.

She writes riveting tales that are thought provoking and spot on at addressing current events and injustices.

Like her other novels, the classic plot twists that you didn’t see coming are perfectly and seamlessly embedded in this story too.

Lastly, if Picoult and Finney Boyan so beautifully wrote this book together, it makes me wonder how and why I’ve never read any of Finney Boyan’s other work.

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomca for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book in about a day, which is the good news. It's a good story, slightly reminiscent of Jay Asher with a bit of Delia Owens in the mix. Succinctly, it's a story about an outcast that may have a number of predictable elements, but also has a few good twists, though the final twist seemed to come out of nowhere instead of quietly building, planting a seed in the reader's mind that they aren't even aware of. In hindsight, it seemed a bit implausible and perhaps a scapegoating.

While not my normal type of book... I simply could not put this one down! I applied for the ARC as I kept seeing this book all over Bookstagram and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Boy am I glad for the opportunity to have read this! The twist and turns had me keeping my eyes wide open and on the edge of my seat! I already know exactly who I am going to be buying this book for when Christmas holidays roll around because it's a HIT!

Wow. Another powerful read by Jodi Picoult.

.Olivia has spent most of her adult life hiding her past and where she escaped from. Raising her son, Asher, as a a single parent, Olivia has taken over her father’s beekeeping business and seems to have found peace in her new life. Olivia’s story unfolds through chapters that take us back before She fled her husband.

Lily also knows what it means to start again. New to the town she wants to finish high school and begin her new life.

Olivia and Lily’s worlds collide when Asher falls for the. new girl. But things come to a crashing haunt for Olivia when she gets a call that Lily is dead and Asher is in the police station.

Highly recommended read! I couldn’t put it down.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Random House Canada in exchange for my honest review