BETWEEN YOU, ME, AND THE HONEYBEES

As a fourth-generation beekeeper, high school senior Josie Hazeldine has honey-making in her past—but she’s very stressed about her future.

One major cause of anxiety is her mother’s insistence on her going to college. Although Josie applied and was accepted, she secretly turned down the offer, preferring to remain in her comfortable, ramshackle Northern California home and support her young single mother in the family beekeeping business which she hopes to inherit. When Mom goes to visit Gran, who relocated to Florida, in order to check on her health, Josie’s relationship with hunky 18-year-old Ezra blossoms. But things get complicated when Ezra turns out to be a member of the Blumstein clan, rival beekeepers with whom the Hazeldines have had a long-standing feud. The stress of keeping their relationship from her mother and hiding the fact that she turned down a college offer while also trying to earn respect for her beekeeping skills causes Josie’s anxieties to increase. Faced with complicated choices, Josie learns to acknowledge her true strengths and, ultimately, to follow her heart. The authentic descriptions of beekeeping, gleaned from the author’s personal experiences, and the sensitive depiction of teen anxiety elevate this story. Josie’s sympathetic personality and determination to overcome her challenges make for a satisfying read. Main characters present White.

A sweet romance with deep undercurrents.