Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising their beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined that 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 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 Ash, 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.
My Review:
I’ve been reading Jodi Picoult books the minute they are published (or before in this case) since I can remember. Picoult has a rare gift of being able to create unique but totally believable people and gives the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of their brain while they go through hard situations. Mad Honey is a brilliant book.
Like all of Picoult’s books, the narrator changes and we get see the POV of all the major players in the book. Olivia is a mother who fiercely protects her son, Asher. Lily is a girl who is new at Asher’s school who has already conquered a lifetime worth of personal and family struggles. When Asher is arrested for Lily’s murder, it’s more than the community and their families can bear.
I’d recommend Mad Honey to Picoult’s fans, it’s definitely in line with her other blockbuster bestsellers. I’d also recommend it to fans of literary fiction and suspense. Special thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advanced copy of Jodi’s book. It releases today!
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