A soul-stirring novel about what we choose to keep from our past, and what we choose to leave behind.
Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, 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.
And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for …
A soul-stirring novel about what we choose to keep from our past, and what we choose to leave behind.
Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, 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.
And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can she trust him completely . . .
Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in him, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.
Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.
This book was a collaboration between Jodi Picoult and Jenny Finney but you wouldn't know it based on the Goodreads entry... makes it sound like it's all Picoult. It's a shame, because it's one of the more effective collaborations I've read, and I appreciated the authors' notes at the end that explained their process.
I'm deliberately not sharing details about the plot or any of its twists (which anyone who has read a Picoult book knows to expect) because I don't want to spoil the surprises, but I appreciated this book and the issues it took on. I hope it lands in many small town libraries and cultivates a bit of empathy and compassion among those who read it.
I was fortunate enough to receive an advance review copy of Mad Honey from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What a fantastic and thought-provoking read. There's a very good criminal trial plot, in addition to a rather raw and honest examination of gender and domestic abuse issues.
The plot kept me guessing and riveted. These characters wormed their way into my heart. I highly recommend Mad Honey. Wish I could tell you why, but so much of what appealed to me about this book would be blurting out spoilers.
