He Should Have Told the Bees by Amanda Cox Book Review

About the Book:

Beekeeper Beckett Walsh was living her dream, until her father's death sent her world into a tailspin. She suddenly finds she must deal with a new part owner of the family apiary--one who is looking to sell the property--and she cannot fathom why her father would put her in the position to lose everything they built together.

When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she's never heard of, she's not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help, making Callie's financial situation rather . . . precarious. She's sure she has no right to someone else's farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she's always craved.

With an entangled past behind them and an uncertain future ahead, Beckett and Callie must discover why they've been thrown together before all is lost.

You can read an excerpt here and watch the book trailer here.

My Review:

This is a touching novel of secrets and dreams and healing of relationships. Cox has plotted out a seemingly impossible situation. Callie needs money and the opportunity to get it easily is placed before her. But that would also mean Beckett would lose the foundation to her well being. Wondering how Cox would work out this impossible situation kept me reading.

The pace of the novel is methodical as secrets become known and relationships develop. There is some suspense near the end but the focus of the novel is on relationships. Cox explores trauma, abandonment, building walls, addiction, and more. One issue that really stood out to me was trying to be a fixer, making others well at the expense of one's own wellness.

Cox's writing style is wonderful. Her prose is well crafted and this is a book to savor. The plot is well thought out except I thought the cause for the suspense near the end was a bit contrived. The characters are well developed. My favorite was Fern, a supposed alien from space wearing non-matching socks. This is a good novel that will tug at your heart strings.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Amanda Cox is the author of The Edge of Belonging and The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, both of which were the Christy Award Book of the Year in 2021 and 2022, respectively. She holds a bachelor's degree in Bible and theology and a master's degree in professional counseling, but her first love is communicating through story. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and their three children. Learn more at AmandaCoxWrites.com. Photo credit: Sarah Swainson Photography

Revell, 336 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)