 Author: Melody Carlson Genre: Contemporary Romance Pages: 304 Release Date: March 4, 2025 Publisher: Revell When life feels like it's closing in around you, sometimes the solution is to open the doors wide and invite others in . . . Jewel McKerry is on the brink of unraveling as she heads home to Oregon to help care for her father who has early-onset dementia. Her thirteen-year-old daughter is upset about the move. Her beekeeper dad is a humorous handful. Her mom is overworked and overwhelmed. Finances are stretched tight. And, according to her father, the neighbors are nothing but trouble. Despite all of these challenges, Jewel takes on one more when she convinces her parents to turn their decrepit farmhouse into a B&B in order to make some needed money. Her old high school flame turned contractor steps in to help, but Jewel isn't sure she can really trust him. And those "troublesome" neighbors? The handsome widower and his teenage daughter just might be the key to making all this work. Get ready for a summer filled with family, good humor, and new beginnings!
 Reviewer: Kimberlee Sams Welcome to the Honey B&B is yet another lovely, realistic story by Melody Carlson. Ms. Carlson is fast becoming one of my favorite authors! This book shares the story of Jewell and her teenage daughter Cooper, who move back home to help Jewell’s parents when her father is diagnosed with dementia. Having personal experience with a family member suffering from this illness, I found the depictions of the condition to be realistic, and therefore heartbreaking. The author keeps the story from becoming depressing by interspersing the truth about dementia, with beautiful scenes of love within the family and even some humorous moments. (And truly... not much is sadder than trying to explain to your elderly father that he doesn’t need to leave his own home right away to get “home” by curfew.) I appreciated both the accuracy of the depictions and the beauty of the love and compassion Jewell and Cooper show in this situation. The story itself focuses on Jewell’s decision to move her parents into a safer (i.e. one-story) home on the same property, and turn the old family house into a B&B. During this process, she meets and works with a neighbor (who has an old feud with her father) and her ex-boyfriend, who also happens to be the local renovator helping with the property. I enjoyed Jewell’s resourcefulness as she tries to keep her family afloat, both financially and emotionally. She is an inspirational character who words hard and loves genuinely. There’s a bit of a slow-burn romance as well. This moves at the perfect gradual pace and fits well with the overall family story. I loved all the character interactions, but some of the sweetest ones were between teenage Cooper and her grandfather. Honestly, all the characters and dialog were spot-on. I enjoyed everything about this book, and would love to read a sequel about future events at the Honey B&B. 5 stars! I received a review copy courtesy of Revell, through Interviews & Reviews, for my honest opinion. Reviewer: Paula Shreckhise Heartfelt story told from three perspectives: Honey McKerry, her husband CT, who has dementia, and their daughter Jewel, who has come home to the farm with her daughter, Cooper. Told in an informative and sensitive way, this story deals with FTD, a form of dementia. CT does some outrageous things but his loving wife, Honey, and daughter Jewel, are determined to keep him home as long as possible. This story became more interesting when I learned that the author had a personal connection with this brain dysfunction. The story had humor, danger, a budding romance, relationship concerns, and showed a struggle with faith and family dynamics. Very well written from all angles of a difficult situation, even from the one who was directly impacted. This story encompassed so many feelings, and dealt with them admirably. Certainly a worthy read. A complementary copy of this title was provided by Revell through Interviews & Reviews via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone. Reviewer: Jeanette Durkin This is an exceptional book! I laughed, and I cried. I appreciate Melody Carlson’s transparency as her husband passed away from the illness one of the characters has. The characters are relatable and easy to like! I can honestly say that I loved all of them. I was deeply invested in each of their lives as the family dealt with difficult issues. If I had to choose a favorite, it would be Miguel. He’s so calm and compassionate, even when he’s being blamed for things he didn’t do. His willingness to help out with any project is exemplary. Honey is the one who touched my heart the most. I can’t imagine the pain of watching a loved one suffer with dementia. She’s so patient and loving. My favorite quote is at the very end. Honey asks CT if he can make it. He says, “With my Honey...I can. I can make it.” I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Revell via NetGalley through Interviews & Reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Reviewer: Adriann Harris Melody Carlson wrote an inspiring heartfelt story based on her own experiences with the early onset dementia of her husband in her new book, Welcome to the Honey B&B. In this very special tribute, Carlson shares the ups and downs of dementia and the life-changing impact on loved ones with her readers. Filled with love, compassion, humor, and faith, Carlson, with her exquisite prose, draws her readers into the world of caregivers, in this unforgettable story. Set in a small Oregon town on a little bee farm in the country we join three generations as they come together working toward common goals with the help of God as they care for CT. Honey, the loving wife of CT, is overwhelmed as his dementia worsens affecting her own health. Jewel, his artist daughter, and his rebellious granddaughter Cooper, move back to the farm to help their mother with caring for him. I was so drawn to this family and felt all of their heartfelt moments as they each interacted with CT constantly with respect. Carlson reminded us throughout this story that we all need help in our lives sometimes, and that it is okay to ask for assistance when we need it, as sometimes it takes a village to care for those we love. I highly recommend Welcome to the Honey B&B, a touching story of romance, laughter, and redemption, by Melody Carlson, who teaches life's lessons with sweetness with her Christian romance stories. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell Publishers via NetGalley through Interviews & Reviews. I was not obligated to write a favorable review, and all opinions are my own.  Reviewer: Marta Aldrighetti “He used to call his hives his peaceful place.” Honey and CT are an old couple with a big farm to tend. Their only daughter lives in another State. Life can change so fast and become upside down, especially when an illness is involved. One topic of the book that my mother agrees about is, “But she’d recently read a good rule. If you keep it out of sight and rarely use it, get rid of it.” It’s a good rule, but I used to keep and then my house is full of stuff, LOL. I’m a creative person and love to learn different craft techniques, reuse and recycle. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House Publishers, through Interviews & Reviews and NetGalley, for my honest opinion. Reviewer: Linda Klager When I chose this book to read, I did not realize the impact it would have on my life. I only wanted to read a novel about a B&B centered around bees. I also did not know how the author (new to me) had a personal history with the main topic of the book. I have a little bit of knowledge about the topic of dementia. My husband suffered from dementia for 5 years and passed away because of the extreme effects of this disease. I was sad to see all that CT suffered, and it reminded me of my journey. I like the play on the words of CT’s wife being named Honey and the bees making honey. Then, the B&B became known as the Honey B&B. How wonderful that the author could include that. Honey needed help in taking care of CT and their daughter, Jewel, and granddaughter, Cooper, came back to Oregon to help. Cooper was very reluctant to leave her friends and school. In the end, Cooper enjoyed her new home. Each family member learned so much in dealing with assisting Honey and CT. This was a very strong family. No one realizes the strain that the fragile health of a loved one can have on a person’s well-being. Honey needed to take care of her health and ask friends and family to assist her. I encourage others to use the resources that the author mentioned to be educated on how to move on, even though a horrible disease can change you and your loved one’s lives. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion. Reviewer: Katie Slocum As I flew through the pages of Welcome to the Honey B&B, I found much more than I ever expected. Beyond an entertaining story, it is filled with faith, family, loss, hope, and even second chances. CT’s dementia drives everything the family does as they learn to care for him while keeping their own lives moving forward at the same time. The author’s experience with this makes the entire story very believable with a realistic progression. While the bees and their honey are central to the story, the farm, neighbors, and even art also play important roles. I loved the idea of three generations coming together to work to help each other toward common goals with God’s help. Even though it was clear what would happen, I did feel the ending was too abrupt, and I was not ready to say goodbye yet. I greatly enjoyed these characters and would welcome a sequel. I enjoyed this book even more than expected. It’s a great story, while also giving a rare glimpse into the world of caring for someone with memory issues. Thank you to the author for sharing a bit of her world with us. If you like Christian fiction that handles deep topics well without being too heavy, do not miss a visit to the Honey B&B. I received a complimentary copy of this e-book courtesy of Revell Publishing and NetGalley through Interviews & Reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Reviewer: Elizabeth Eckmeyer
This is the second story I have ready by Melody Carlson and I was just as pleased! This story was very real. It not only had family drama and romance, but it also touched on deep subjects. The story flowed so beautifully and had so much emotion. CT is a farmer who has been diagnosed with frontal lobe dementia. It’s an early onset. Honey, his wife, is taking care of him at home. Jewel and her daughter Cooper are struggling in San Jose and Jewel decides it’s time to pack up and come home. When she arrives after an incident with her mother, she realizes things are not as risky as her mother made her believe. Next door is their neighbor Miguel, who lost his wife to cancer before leaving the service. Miguel receives the brunt of accusations from CT since he bought part of their land. Sometimes in life, we are given less than ideal situations. This story is woven to see all the characters and the effects CT’s dementia has on them, but also how their lives are blessed as they keep living their lives. This was a funny, emotional read. I definitely suggest reading it! A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell Publishers through Interviews & Reviews via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone. Leave a Reply. |
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