MAD HONEY

And now, I’m lost in the pages of Mad Honey. This time we follow Olivia McAfee, a single mom and beekeeper trying to rebuild her life — until her teenage son is accused of killing his girlfriend, Lily. What starts as a courtroom drama unfolds into something far deeper: a powerful story about identity, acceptance, and how far a parent will go to protect their child. And yes, there’s a massive twist — one I won’t spoil, but trust me, it lingers. If you love stories that creep up on you and leave you breathless — stories with heart, heat, and a whole lot of humanity — pick up a Jodi Picoult novel. But be warned: once you start,

"This has always been my favorite fact about bees: in their world, destiny is fluid. You might start life as a worker, and end up a queen." Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son Asher was six. Now, impossibly, her baby is six feet tall and in his last year of high school, a kind, good-looking, popular ice hockey star with a tiny sprite of a new girlfriend. Lily also knows what it feels like to start over – when she and her mother relocated to New Hampshire it was all about a fresh start. She and Asher couldn’t help falling for each other, and Lily feels happy for the first time. But can she trust him completely? Then Olivia gets a phone call – Lily is dead, and Asher is arrested on a charge of murder. As the case against him unfolds, she realises he has hidden more than he’s shared with her. And Olivia knows firsthand that the secrets we keep reflect the past we want to leave behind ­­- and that we rarely know the people we love as well as we think we do. There is no doubt I Iove this book and all the socially relevant, thought-provoking questions it asks. The mystery of Lily’s murder with the court-room drama has edge-of-the-seat suspense. At the same time, I felt a tad disappointed, dare I say-cheated, with how it wrapped up in the end. The pulsating energy with which the book gained momentum dropped with a sharp thud, the fervour dissipating in the air. An emotional but powerful tale of secrets and strength, Mad Honey is about discovering who you want to be, finding your path, and living the life that makes you happy. This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton. For complete review, visit aquamarineflavours.wordpress.com

A gripping book with bold twists and content.

Originally purchased for my daughter, definitely not my typical novel but I needed some holiday reading. To my surprise I finished the book, and got educated along the way.

Another wonder from Jodi. Love them all. This was so informative.

Excelente

Echt spannende und dramatische Story

This must have been a challenging book to write considering the scope of topics and combining the work of the two authors. The story is told from the perspective of two of the characters Olivia, a beekeeper and Lily, a high school student. Their paths cross when Olivia's son Asher becomes Lily's first love and the lives of the two students and their families become intricately intertwined. The characters were very well written and provide a lot of insight into the troubled family dynamics. There were endless surprises, a lot of details about bee keeping (more that I ever wanted to know!) and a complex plot that book clubs would have an interesting time discussing.