This novel was spectacular. The storytelling of the this family from three perspectives was masterful. Doing this the reader was able to get to know each character on a more personal level. Callie, a debutante with a secret and a controlling mother whom wanted everything to be seen as perfect. Harper, a young carefree, real-estate agent who was making a name for herself, but not sure about how to handle home stress of becoming a mother. Raina, a stay at home mom with many side projects to keep her busy, but all she wants is to be a mom. This novel is scattered pieces of a puzzle that ultimately fit together perfectly as the story unfolds. It brought me to tears in so many places. I highly recommend this novel!! 5 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Red Adept Publishing, and Donna Norman-Carbone for the chance to read, "Of Lies and Honey," a wonderful novel about love, lies, deceit, and the continued bond of a broken family.

This book had me hooked right from the start. It was about three women who all shared a secret that would change their lives in ways they never could have imagined. The author, Donna Norman-Carbone, did an amazing job of purposefully tying the lives of three women together in such a tender and loving manner.

Harper was a woman who had difficulty carrying a baby to full term and it put a huge strain on her marriage. Harper suffered from severe depression after the loss of her two babies and it left her wondering if having children was even what she wanted out of life. She and her husband ended up looking into using a surrogate to carry their baby. This decision brought about other complications that neither of them could have ever envisioned.

Callie, Harper's mom, was also holding secrets about her life before her marriage. She grew up with an extremely demanding and self righteous mother who kept her from living a normal childhood. Eventually, Callie's rebellious side came through and her mother sent her away to a house for wayward girls, so she would not be able to embarrass their family with her teenage actions. This decision ruined any chance of a good mother-daughter relationship between them, and in turn, it irrevocably changed their lives forever.

Raina was a woman who grew up as an only child in a very poor family. She fell in love with a farmer and had three children. They struggled financially, so Raina started a business using her honey to make products she could sell to the public. Even with her help they continued to struggle and she decided to become a surrogate mother in order to help make more money. However, Raina would soon find out things about her past that she never dreamed could have happened.

All three women end up uncovering long hidden secrets about their individual families that eventually tie them all together. It was heart wrenching and heart warming all at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story about family and the ties that bind them together forever. #NetGalley #OfLiesandHoney

Really captivating family saga that sweeps you along and a great pace - incredible escapism. The characters feel very real and believable.

OH MY ACHEY BREAKY HEART!!!!!! Of Lies and Honey written by Donna Norman-Carbone shredded my heart to pieces, but by the end my heart was bursting with so much joy. This book was filled with rawness, pureness, authenticity, and heart shredding moments. I have never read a book by Donna Norman-Carbone before, but when I saw that gorgeous cover, I knew I had to get my hands on it immediately, but while reading this book, I realized that Donna is such a talented author that LOVES to break my heart into a million pieces. The relationships Of Lies and Honey between parents and children, husbands and wives, and even friendships along the way are layered and so authentic in their own way. Of Lies and Honey was NOT an easy read in any way, at times it was very difficult to read because of the topics at hand. The snot bubbles were bubbling tremendously. I can't recommend this book enough, it was so beautiful, gut wrenching, raw, and so powerful. If I could give this book an infinity rating, I totally would with my whole heart because it deserves all the justice it can get. If you do decide to read this beautiful book, Please check the trigger warnings.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND RED ADEPT PUBLISHING FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

TRIGGER WARNINGS
-Mentions of abortions
-Miscarriages

Of Lies and Honey centers around three women, Raina, Harper, and Callie. All of these women's lives weave together in some sort of way and a long the way connections and bonds are made. Each of their stories are very compelling and they are all centered around their own complicated feelings about being a mother. Callie, Harper, and Raina, y'all are the strongest group of women I have ever met, y'all are beyond brave and deserve the world, I love you all with my whole heart. While I was reading Donna's words, it felt like I was right there in that moment going through life with these three women as they went through the complications of being a mom, I just wanted to reach into my kindle and hug each of them dearly and hold them close to my heart. The amount of tears that my kindle absorbed was insane, with every turning pages I was shedding tears and even at times giggling because these women shared some funny words while trying to navigate their daily lives. I don't really know how to describe my emotions, in all honesty, they were all over the place, one minute I was sobbing, and then the next minute I was giggling, and then the next minute I was clutching my heart in pain. If any of you have the chance to read this book, please please do so because it opens your eyes to what some mothers actually struggle with.

Now, let's introduce these lovely strong women. Harper Alexander is devastated by two miscarriages even though she thought she never wanted to be a mother. Even though Harper never wanted to be a mother, she saw all these loving families with bubbly smiling children and her husband Gabe wanted nothing more than to be a dad. Because of Gabe's determination to create a family and Harper's inability to a carry a child to term, they consider alternative options between adoption and a surrogate. As Harper was talking about her pain after having two miscarriages, my heart absolutely broke for her. Callie Sebastian has a secret love affair with a coach at her school, as a result of this secret love affair, Callie becomes pregnant. When Callie's mom, Evelyn finds out Callie is pregnant, she sends Callie to a wayward school for pregnant girls. Evelyn didn't want to ruin their families reputation, so she tried to get Callie to get an abortion, but my girl Callie put up a good fight, because what if Callie can't get pregnant again after going through with the abortion her socialite mother wanted her to get. Raina Edwin is a mama to three bubbly beautiful children. When Raina's third child starts school, leaving her with an empty house, Raina begins to long for another baby to keep her busy. But their family farm is low on income and won't support another addition to the family.

Wow…..this was one of those books where work and life got in the way because I didn’t want to put it down! ‘Of Lies and Honey’ is a story of exactly that (perfectly titled)…..lies, secrets and a lot of heartache, but also love, family and forgiveness.

This story is a beautiful reflection of motherhood in various ways, portrayed through the compelling characters of Harper, Raina and Callie. For me, Callie’s story was the one that pulled at the heartstrings the most and by the end of the book, her acceptance and radiance shines through, alongside Harper’s strength and Raina’s happiness.

The author, Donna Norman-Carbone, skilfully leaves the reader on a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter, making you want to continue turning those pages. The plot and the way in which the lives of the three main characters collide and intertwine is written with emotion and sensitivity. I highly recommend this book which had me hooked from beginning to end.

Finally, I love the way the author has portrayed bees as a symbol of motherhood (perhaps because I have a bee tattoo for similar reasons!). The Queen Bee is a perfect example of perseverance, multi-tasking and caring for the family - all of which is seen in ‘Of Lies and Honey.’ This is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to the publisher, Red Adept Publishing, for an advanced digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh how I adored this wonderful book! Three completely different women struggling with motherhood.

Harper doesn’t want children, but then a surprise pregnancy throws her a curve ball.

Callie is 17, in love and pregnant, but her child will bring disgrace on her family.

Rhona has three children, but being a mother is all she knows and she is desperate for another baby.

When the women’s lives collide, an unbreakable connection is formed between them and a journey of discovery begins.

I loved all of the characters and the descriptions of the bees were utterly fascinating. Every possible emotion within me was invoked as some point throughout the book and I just didn’t want it to end.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Donna Norman-Carbone and Red Adept for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Of Lies and Honey is such a gorgeous book about motherhood, female friendship, the choices women must make and the paths to forgiveness and hope. I could not help but read the entire thing in one day--I simply had to know what would happen next with each of the three main characters! Harper, Raina, and Callie are so clearly drawn and I could see each of their struggles throughout the book.

Norman-Carbone writes such beautiful prose that I found myself constantly wanting to highlight phrases and passages. The imagery she includes bring the main time timelines so clearly into focus, as well as the gorgeous imagery of bee and flower gardens which are woven so seamlessly into the novel.

While the subject matter will be difficult for some to read, especially if you have gone through pregnancy loss or infertility, this book shows these struggles in such a realistic and sensitive way. If you love stories of deep friendships, of the complexities of knowing when or how to explore becoming a mother, of the surprising ways our lives can influence one another, you'll love this book.

Parenthood, and motherhood especially, is an extremely complex subject, and this book, Of Lies and Honey, handles it with the utmost care and honesty. This compelling novel weaves together the lives of three women—Callie, Harper, and Raina. Each of their stories are compelling, all of them centered around their own complicated feelings about being a mother. The relationships in this book—parents and children, husbands and wives, friendships—are layered and authentic. There was such intimacy in the writing that I felt I was in the room with them as the women navigated their way to find fulfillment and comfort, not just as a mother, but as a daughter, a wife, a friend, a partner, a woman. Women of all ages will find this book relatable and riveting, and book clubs will have much to discuss. Congratulations to author Donna Norman-Carbone for writing a novel with characters and stories that give us so much to think about; I love books that make me look at life from different angles and points of view.

This is a wonderful story of three women's lives entwined in ways they never could have imagined. I especially loved Callie's story, maybe because I knew several women in that era in a similar situation. I like that the author doesn't take the easy way out with her characters. All three women have personal struggles, and things don't always turn out how you think they will.

I couldn't wait to see how things would all play out for Callie, Harper, and Raina, and I loved each woman's strength and perseverance to follow their dreams and heart. It's a story of hope and challenges, secrets and trust, friendship and love... a story that encourages the reader to open their heart to the possibilities of life. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book.

Wow, where do I start? This book was hard to put down. The story lines of the three main characters, Harper, Callie, and Raina were masterfully written. Each woman has her own story in itself. They are strong, well defined characters with their own unique situation but what I love about this book, is the way each story is folded into the others. The tale of each woman, the life she is living, the life she wants to live and the circumstances surrounding her are unique to each of them, but when put together as a whole picture, they are so intertwined and they connect is such a beautiful way, it's brilliant! I loved how each husband and immediate family was so different from the others, they were all uniquely their own, but yet at the end, you see just how much they shared. I would love to see a sequel to this story. I found myself not wanting this story to end. This book has happiness, heartbreak, suspense and surprise all rolled into one story! Wonderfully written. I truly enjoyed this book!

If I had to say anything negative, I would have liked to see more of Harper's husband, Gabe's personality get developed. His interactions with Harper were minimal and he really didn't seem to add anything to the story, he could have been absent all together and it wouldn't have changed the overall picture. We were able to see the inside of Wayne and Raina's life and the relationship they had was so wonderful, in contrast to Gabe and Harper, it just felt like something was missing, but maybe that was the whole point?

I absolutely loved this book! You never know what life has in store for you. After many life altering circumstances happen in Callie, Harper, and Raina's lives, they find that miracles really do happen. A must read!

I loved this book! Mother-daughter relationships come in all shapes and sizes, and Of Lies and Honey covers several of them. I felt this book from beginning to end, though every twist and turn, and I got choked up during a few scenes. Excellent read! Thank you!

This book is about 3 women and their experiences and feelings about motherhood. It also looks at how each of their own mothers influenced their own view on motherhood. These women experience loss, hard choices, the limitation of choices and the many struggles related to pregnancy and being a mother. In addition, the choice to not be a mother, when society assumes all women desire to become one. This book is very well written and filled with emotion.

I really enjoyed this book, I read the entire thing in one sitting!

A wonderful book with insights of the emotional depths of motherhood. Three women ,Callie, Harper and Raina, lives that are intertwined and a story that will leave you mesmerised and shocked.

Told over different time zones , an amazing story that will leave you reaching for the tissues more than once. Can’t wait to read more of this author’s work. Loved it.

This was a great book. I could not put it down. The writing was very well down and the plot was amazing. I would highly recommend this book!

I loved this book …the generational span made me lose the plot at times but I especially like Callie . Callie’s mom was so mean …I would never deny my child the right to play.
I was sad for Harper as she lost her baby but blamed herself .
I cant wait for all the world to read this book!!
Thank you #netgalley for the arc and the publisher for granting me access