Synopsis (from Goodreads):

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.

Review:

This book had me on the edge of my seat!  Did Olivia's son kill his girlfriend?  A parent never wants to believe their child would harm anyone.  But Asher is his father's son, and Olivia's ex was a violent abuser.  Could Asher have inherited his father's brutal way?  There's so many layers to this novel.  

Themes:

This is a story of guilt and shame.  There's a mother's guilt that her child had to witness domestic abuse.  There is also guilt that she even considers that her son harmed his girlfriend.  But the evidence is pretty convincing.  She even feels some guilt that she has kept her son from his father.  Don't all boys need their dads?  But Olivia also feels intense shame that she ever got into an abusive relationship in the first place.  This makes it hard for her to open up to her family about what was going on.  But Olivia will need to be honest with her brother, the lawyer defending her son on the charge of murder.

Setting:

When I think of small towns, I usually only think about the upsides: people know you, and support you in times of need.  But this can also blow up in one's face.  For Olivia, her son's arrest is all anyone needs to blame her for raising a murderer.  She is shunned and loses most of her business as everyone decides Asher must be guilty.

Storytelling:

I liked the different viewpoints in each chapter.  We see the story through the eyes of Olivia, Asher, and even the deceased girlfriend, Lily.  I found Lily's chapters particularly heartbreaking.  She had been through so much and had such a bright future.  Even with the different voices, the reader doesn't know how Lily died until the very end, making for a riveting read.

Story:

The story spans over a year's time, from the arrest of Asher to the resolution of the trial. But the novel also chronicles Asher and Lily's relationship, as well as Olivia's terrible marriage.  This gives the reader lots of information, but not necessarily in any order.  It's up to the reader to piece together what happens.  

Trigger Warning for Domestic Violence

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  October 4th, 2022

Author:  Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan

Publisher:  Ballantine

Genre:  Literary Fiction

Page Length:  464 Pages

Format:  E-Book

Source:  NetGalley

Recommendation:  This is a riveting, and sometime tough to read book.  The subject matter, with it's themes of domestic abuse, had me putting the book down for a while until I was ready to jump back in.  But the payoff is an outstanding book about the secrets we keep and the consequences of those decisions.  This book made me think.  And your heart will break for the main characters.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A delight for readers of Where'd You Go, Bernadette and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, this blockbuster debut set in 1960s California features the singular voice of Elizabeth Zott, a scientist whose career takes a detour when she becomes the star of a beloved TV cooking show.


Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel-prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with--of all things--her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth's unusual approach to cooking ("combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride") proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women to cook. She's daring them to change the status quo.

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

Review:

Although I loved Lessons In Chemistry, by Bonnie Gamus, don't expect it to be  a light-hearted romp, like the novel,  Where'd You Go Bernadette,  that is referenced in the description on Goodreads.  This is a novel about a stubborn, woman who persists in her passion for science, in spite of the crushing misogyny of the 1950's & 60's.  There are very funny moments in the book, especially when she takes command of a silly cooking show meant for housewives.  She actually turns it into a show about empowerment and self-worth for women doing the thankless job of taking care of children and home.  But there are also moments of sexual violence, and degradation that are difficult to read.  This is especially true because I just love the character of Elizabeth.  Overall, this was a very worthwhile read, and I highly recommend it.

What I Liked:

Characters:

This is a highly character driven book.  What I mean by that is that the author created these wonderful (and sometimes infuriating) characters and then put them in situations to see what would happen.   

Elizabeth, having no family to speak of, makes her way in the world without the judgement, or guidance, of anyone.  So she sees no reason why she shouldn't be able to do things like be a chemistry major in college, or become a scientist.  She doesn't have the awareness to understand that what she wants is going to be nearly impossible during the 1950's, when the book begins.  Calvin, is similarly clueless.  He has grown up in a boys home for orphans, and also doesn't have a family.  Both Elizabeth and Calvin are genius-level smart, and look at problems without any social context.  But, because Calvin is a man, he is praised for his quirkiness and allowed to do whatever he wants.  But when Elizabeth acts the same way, she is told she's a troublemaker, and immediately shut down.  I was glad they found each other and had a chance at happiness.

The supporting characters fall into one of two groups:  those who perpetuate the status quo, and those who's views are changing.  Every boss in this book definitely is a chauvinist, and sees Elizabeth only in terms of her beauty and what she can do for them.  But, there are also characters who are showing the beginnings of awareness that what is happening to Elizabeth is wrong.  As they get to know her, they rally to support her, creating a kind of alternate family.  I loved this.

Themes:

The book is all about facing injustice head on, even when there is a price to pay.  Elizabeth doesn't seem aware, at first, that there are virtually no opportunities for intelligent women in the workforce, in 1952.  She has a very modern outlook on how things should be.  If she is smart enough to do the work, she should be given the opportunity to do so.  But society has put women firmly in the role of wife and/or mother.  People look at her as unnatural (or even immoral) for not wanting marriage and children.  Some of the people who give her the most trouble, are actually women.  I think these women feel like, if they had to give up on their dreams, all other women should have to as well.  As my mother was in this generation (and also majored in chemistry in college), it gave me a great appreciation for what women faced in this period.  

Story:

I can't go into the story much without giving too much away.  I will say that I loved that there were several little mysteries that we hear about that are resolved by the end of the book.  The story also shows how unpredictable life can be.  Even when we find a safe harbor, it may not last.  Sometimes life changes on a dime, and then we have to pick up the pieces.   

The Dog:

I loved, loved, loved the character of Elizabeth's dog, Six-Thirty.  He has thoughts, dreams, and an immense love of Elizabeth and those around her.  Whenever Six-Thirty was in a scene, I immediately wanted to know what he was thinking.  This is just a wonderful aspect of this book.

Trigger Warning:

This book does include scenes of sexual violence that may be triggering to some readers.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  April 5th, 2022

Author:  Bonnie Gamus

Publisher:  Doubleday

Genre: Historical Fiction

Page Length:  400 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  Once you get to know the characters you won't want to put this down.  I highly recommend it.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

We can't choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?

In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett's death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child, challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage, and themselves.

Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor's true history, and fulfill her final request to "share the black cake when the time is right"? Will their mother's revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?

Charmaine Wilkerson's debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names, can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

Review:

Much like a cake, this book from author Charmaine Wilkerson, has so many layers, it's hard to believe this is a debut novel!  The story begins as two siblings are preparing for their mother's funeral. The family lawyer tells them that their mother wants her children to listen to a recording she has made.  In it, family secrets are revealed which prompts them to reassess who they thought their parents were.  Oh, it's juicy!  

But there is so much more to this story.  Each character has a strong storyline of their own.  Why did Benny, Eleanor's daughter drop out of college?  Why is Byron try so hard to be the perfect son?  What happened in Jamaica?  And why did Eleanor and her husband want to erase their pasts?  The is a wonderful book that shows each generation's dreams and heartaches.  I highly recommend it.

What I liked:

Characters:

Bryon oldest son of Eleanor tries to be the perfect son.  His parents have transferred all their ambitions onto him, as some immigrant do, and he doesn't want to let them down.  But all this pressure to be successful has been difficult for Byron.  Yes, he has money but, as a black man in America, he still gets pulled over by the cops several times a year.  He's still looked over for promotions at work.  He is slowly finding that he craves more meaning to his life.  He wants to work on the bigger issues of racism, and provide scholarships to other people of color.

Benny is Byron's younger sister.  She seems, to her family, to be a flake, dropping out of college, and then flittering from one profession to another.  But Benny has had some trauma that she hasn't told her family about.  Considering how her parents reacted to her announcement that she liked both men and women one Thanksgiving, it's no wonder.  Benny just doesn't feel like her family has her back.

Of course Eleanor's story is at the heart of the book.  Try as she might, she sees that she holds no value to her father until he can use his daughter so settle his massive gambling debts.  She feels very alone in the world.  But she actually has a host of people supporting her in the background.  But, even with that support, Eleanor mostly has to rely on herself to get out of a series of terrible situations.  Talk about a resilient character!

Story:

There are two stories that alternate within the novel.  Part of the action takes place in Jamaica in the 1960's, where Eleanor grew up.  Her father is an irresponsible gambler who only sees her value in what she can do for him.  With her mother having fled, Eleanor is raised by Pearl, a housekeeper who teaches her how to make Black Cake, a traditional Jamaican dessert that is similar to a fruitcake.  She also finds solace in swimming with her best friend, Bunny.  Their friendship develops into a deep connection that will be put to the test later in the story. 

The other story takes place in modern day California, as Byron and Benny prepare for Eleanor's funeral.  Emotions run high as the siblings haven't spoken in years.  Their once close-knit family had become fragmented when Benny's father couldn't accept that his daughter was bisexual.  There are so many missed moments when Benny and her parents could have reconnected, but didn't.  It was truly heartbreaking.

But what I really liked about the story was understanding how each generation had a complicated life, filled with joys and sorrows.  It can be very hard to imagine that our parents had these dramas, when we only see them as a mother or a father.  

Immigrant Experience:

This book shows how displaced people find a way to create a new home wherever they go.  Eleanor does this with cooking, sharing her recipe for Black Cake with Benny.  I also loved how Eleanor noticed other Caribbean immigrants wherever she was.  Sometimes that was a comfort, hearing the sounds of other people from her home country.  Other times, it made her nervous.  What if someone recognized her and told people from Jamaica where she was?  But Eleanor, and many immigrants like her, manages to create connections with people wherever she is.  Although she does miss Jamaica, it's her connections to people that are most important to her.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  February 1st, 2022

Author:  Charmaine Wilkerson

Publisher:  Ballantine Books

Genre:  Literary Fiction

Page Length:  400 pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  If you like family sagas, this book is for you.  With many complex characters, this is a novel you will think about for a long time.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

At a boarding school in Pennsylvania, a deathbed request from the school’s dean brings three former students back to campus, where secrets and betrayals from the past are brought out into the open―secrets that could have a catastrophic effect on the dean’s eighteen-year-old son.

Told in alternating points of view and time frames, Attachments is the story of best friends Stewart (“Goody”) Goodman, Sandy (“Pick”) Piccolo, and Laura Appleby, the girl they both love. The friends meet in 1972 at a boarding school in coal-country Pennsylvania where they encounter Henry Griffin, the school dean, whose genuine fatherly interest and deep human bond with them is so strong that when he has a severe stroke almost twenty years later, he uses what could be his last words ever to call out their names.

Attachments is a puzzle―and the only one who knows how all the pieces fit is in a coma. In the process, longtime secrets are unearthed, revelations come out into the open, and Young Chip Griffin is about to learn something he may or may not be able to handle. 

Review: 

This book may be set at a boarding school, but it's really about love in all it's stages, from teenage lust, to marriage, to the strains and joys of having children, all the way to the loss of a spouse.  It really encompasses so much.  I haven't had a book make me ugly cry in a long time.  But this book was so moving, that I cried several times.  While there were many heartbreaking moments, overall this was a well written novel that I will remember for a long time.

What I Liked:

Structure:

The story begins with the dean of the boarding school having a stroke and going into a coma.  Before he loses consciousness, he says the names of two former, unforgettable students.  Everyone is confused, but the dean's wife knows her husband wants to see these two former students who were best friends.   

The book moves back and forth between the present, and the past.  We learn how the two young men became friends, their love for the same girl, and how it tears their friendship apart.  

In the present, the dean's teenage son, Chip, grapples with his breakup with his first girlfriend.  He is devastated, unable to understand what went wrong.  With his dad in a coma, he (understandably) wonders why his dad said the names of some former students, and not Chip, or his wife.  Chip tries to unravel the mystery of why the names are important.

Characters:

Pick, Goody, and Laura are such wonderful characters.  As Pick tries to deal with his dad seemingly dumping him at a boarding school, he is paired as a roommate with Goody.  Pick is angry, embarrassed by his crime-boss father, and still mourning the death of his mother.  Goody (what a descriptive name!), is super chill, but also filled with an awareness of social justice issues.  He is the type of student who will organize a student strike to protest the firing of a teacher.  And he will be able to get everyone's support, due to his popularity.  Goody's girlfriend, Laura, adores Goody, but feels an instant connection to Pick that she can't deny.  Ah, teenage love!

I also really liked the dean's wife, Mary, and Pick's mobster father, Carmine. Mary is such a rock during her husband's crisis.  This can't be easy for Mary, as she knows the reason her husband wants Pick, Goody, and Laura to come together, one last time.  But she realizes the time has come for some secrets to be revealed.  She also reaches out to Carmine, Pick's dad.  He is a very complicated character with hidden depths to him I didn't see coming.  What seems like a caricature of  an Italian crime boss, isn't.  Carmine has regrets, loss,and acutely loves his son.  It's heartbreaking because Pick can't understand his dad at all.

Themes:

The story and characters really go through all the stages of love.  Pick, Goody, and Laura (and later Chip) experience the sting of teenage lust and love.  Later in life, Laura and Pick get married (not a spoiler), and must learn to live with the specter of Goody in the background.  Anytime things get tough, both Pick and Laura wonder if Laura should have chosen to be with Goody.  It puts a strain on their marriage.  Mary and Henry (the dean) demonstrate how love mellows and grows as we get older.  As Mary prepares to say goodbye to Henry, she looks back on their marriage and the choices they made.  It's wasn't all roses and champagne in their relationship.  Mary had to make some compromises to be with Henry.  But she comes to a place of peace with her choices.  

Story:

The story was familiar, but also went in directions I wasn't expecting.  Once you know about how attracted Pick is to Laura, you know there will come a time when the teens will act on it.  But so much more happens in the story that will affect their entire lives.  Even though he is mostly in the background of the story, Goody's journey is fascinating, and heartbreaking.  I think I cried over him most of all.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  May 11th, 2021

Author:  Jeff Arch

Publisher:  SparkPress

Genre:  Literary Fiction

Page Length:  376 Pages

Source: NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  You're going to need an entire box of tissues to deal with all the emotions this book brings forth.  With characters who will move you, this novel will have you thinking about it for a long time to come. Highly recommended.

Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi's and Chicken Frannie's have spent a century vying to serve up the best fried chicken in the state--and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. No one feels the impact more than thirty-five-year-old widow Amanda Moore, who grew up working for her mom at Mimi's before scandalously marrying Frank Pogociello and changing sides to work at Frannie's. Tired of being caught in the middle, Amanda sends an SOS to Food Wars, the reality TV restaurant competition that promises $100,000 to the winner. But in doing so, she launches both families out of the frying pan and directly into the fire. . .

The last thing Brooklyn-based organizational guru Mae Moore, Amanda's sister, wants is to go home to Kansas. But when her career implodes, Food Wars becomes her chance to step back into the limelight. Mae is certain she can make the fading Mimi's look good--even if that pits her against Amanda and Frannie's. With a greedy producer stoking the flames, their friendly rivalry quickly turns into a game of chicken. Yet when family secrets become public knowledge, the sisters must choose: Will they fight with each other, or for their heritage?

Review:

I first heard about this book from my book club.  Several people loved it.  So when I was offered an advance audiobook copy from Penguin Random House Audio, I was eager to listen to it.  The book had been described to me as hilarious, full of family shenanigans, and a cutthroat food competition.  However, I found nothing funny about this book.  This was a serious family saga, with the added element of how manipulative reality television can be.  I think I would have enjoyed this book more if the book had been marketed differently.  While the narration was excellent, I had a hard time empathizing with the main characters.  I do feel this is a well-written book, but it was hardly amusing.

What I Liked:

Narration:

The narrators, Xe Sands and Cassandra Campbell, did a wonderful job of portraying the two sisters, Mae, and Amanda.  Xe Sands has just the right voice for Mae, a  career-driven New York transplant.  Cassandra Campbell, shows just how naive Amanda was.  I particularly enjoyed how Campbell voiced the presenter of Food Wars, the cynical, two-faced Sabrina.  That character could go from sweet and concerned to conniving in a heartbeat.   This illusion for television, and the breaking of it, is central to the plot of the book.

Behind The Scenes of Reality Television:

Mae's highest ambition is to become a reality show host like super organizer, Marie Kondo.  The book gives us a behind the scenes look at these type of shows.  One could tell that the author used shows such as Restaurant Impossible, Cake Wars, and Hoarders, as inspiration.  But while it seems like everything is unscripted, the book shows how the producers of these shows set up conflict, and then use video footage to create a narrative with villains and heroes.  While I would like to think that the tactics used by the producers in the book are an exaggeration, I have a feeling they're not.

Hoarding:

I did like how the book approached the topic of hoarding. Mae and Amanda's mother, Barbara, is a hoarder, an open secret in their small town, but not something they want advertised to the world on television.   I could really identify with some of the guilt and embarrassment as a child of a hoarder.  I appreciate that the book explores the psychology of why people hoard things.  Hoarding is a sign of deep problems.  Blaming the family of the hoarder isn't helpful.  And just cleaning up the mess will not solve what's wrong.  People who hoard need empathy, love, support, and counseling to get to the root of the issue.

What I Was Mixed About:

Characters:

I really had a problem with Mae and Amanda.  Yes, they both had childhood trauma that shaped their choices as adults.  But they were incredibly mean to each other.  Mae is constantly judging Amanda for staying in their small hometown.  She was all too eager to underestimate her sister's talents.  Amanda never misses up a chance to point out Amanda's shortcomings to others.  Considering how secretive they each were about their mother's issues, it was surprising that Amanda was so eager to wave around all the dirty laundry.  The author explained it away as Amanda not understanding how the producers of Food Wars would use Amanda's comments.  But I didn't find that plausible.  

Mae was also generally awful to everyone.  She constantly makes important decisions about her family without consulting her husband.  When Mae makes the decision to take her kids hundreds of miles away to hustle her way to be featured on Food Wars, she shouldn't have been surprised that her husband, Jay was upset.  She continually looked for ways to market herself (and her family) on social media in order to further her career.  I found her sudden interest in the welfare of her mother to be a giant leap.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  December 1st, 2020

Author:  K.J. Dell'Antonia

Genre:  Literary Fiction

Audio Publisher:  Penguin Random House Audio

Narrators: Xe Sands, Cassandra Campbell

Audio Length:  12 hours, 22 minutes

Print Publisher: G.P. Putman's Sons

Print Length:  352 Pages

Source:  Penguin Random House Audio

Format: Audiobook

Recommendation: