"If anything ever happens to me, tell the bees . . . They need to know or they'll die too."
- He Should Have Told the Bees by Amanda Cox
Happy Pub Day to He Should Have Told the Bees! I love its cover, its title, and most importantly its story. Amanda Cox is an auto buy author, and her novels earn (rare) five star ratings from me, so having her third book in the world is a gift for readers.
Beckett Walsh has a pleasant solitary life on a farm with her father, keeping hives of bees. When he suddenly dies, she's devastated, even more so when she learns that she's inherited the farm along with Callie Peterson, someone she doesn't know. Who is this person? Why did her father include her in his will? Will Beck be able to continue living in the only place she feels safe?
I was completely drawn into this story from the first chapter. The author's professional background as a counselor uniquely equips her to create characters that are nuanced and complex. Telling the story in alternating chapters from Beck and Callie's points of view allows readers to know their thoughts, struggles, and motivations, all of which felt very realistic. And the secondary characters, especially Fern, Annette, and Beck's aunt, added humor, context, and depth to the plot.
This is Christian women's fiction at its finest. I especially appreciated the theme of mental health, elements of faith, and the character growth arcs. The facts about bees and beekeeping were very interesting and supported the theme; Ms. Cox's first-hand knowledge was evident without feeling like a seminar or information dump.
Thank you to the author and Revell Publishing for the review copy of this excellent novel.
- He Should Have Told the Bees by Amanda Cox
Happy Pub Day to He Should Have Told the Bees! I love its cover, its title, and most importantly its story. Amanda Cox is an auto buy author, and her novels earn (rare) five star ratings from me, so having her third book in the world is a gift for readers.
Beckett Walsh has a pleasant solitary life on a farm with her father, keeping hives of bees. When he suddenly dies, she's devastated, even more so when she learns that she's inherited the farm along with Callie Peterson, someone she doesn't know. Who is this person? Why did her father include her in his will? Will Beck be able to continue living in the only place she feels safe?
I was completely drawn into this story from the first chapter. The author's professional background as a counselor uniquely equips her to create characters that are nuanced and complex. Telling the story in alternating chapters from Beck and Callie's points of view allows readers to know their thoughts, struggles, and motivations, all of which felt very realistic. And the secondary characters, especially Fern, Annette, and Beck's aunt, added humor, context, and depth to the plot.
This is Christian women's fiction at its finest. I especially appreciated the theme of mental health, elements of faith, and the character growth arcs. The facts about bees and beekeeping were very interesting and supported the theme; Ms. Cox's first-hand knowledge was evident without feeling like a seminar or information dump.
Thank you to the author and Revell Publishing for the review copy of this excellent novel.
