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The Wedding Bees
Sugar Wallace did not believe in love at first sight, but her bees did. . . .
Every spring Sugar Wallace coaxes her sleepy honeybee queen—presently the sixth in a long line of Queen Elizabeths—out of the hive and lets her crawl around a treasured old map. Wherever the queen stops is their next destination, and this year it's New York City.
Sugar sets up her honeybees on the balcony of an East Village walk-up and then––as she's done everywhere since leaving South Carolina––she gets to know her neighbors. She is, after all, a former debutante who believes that manners make the world a better place even if they seem currently lacking in the big city.
Plus, she has a knack for helping people. There's Ruby with her scrapbook of wedding announcements; single mom Lola; reclusive chef Nate; and George, a courtly ex-doorman. They may not know what to make of her bees and her politeness, but they can't deny the magic in her honey.
And then there's Theo, a delightfully kind Scotsman who crosses Sugar's path as soon as she gets into town and is quickly besotted. But love is not on the menu for Sugar. She likes the strong independent woman she's become since leaving the South and there's nothing a charmer like Theo can do to change her mind . . . only her bees can do that.
The Wedding Bees is a novel about finding sweetness where you least expect it and learning to love your way home.
Every spring Sugar Wallace coaxes her sleepy honeybee queen—presently the sixth in a long line of Queen Elizabeths—out of the hive and lets her crawl around a treasured old map. Wherever the queen stops is their next destination, and this year it's New York City.
Sugar sets up her honeybees on the balcony of an East Village walk-up and then––as she's done everywhere since leaving South Carolina––she gets to know her neighbors. She is, after all, a former debutante who believes that manners make the world a better place even if they seem currently lacking in the big city.
Plus, she has a knack for helping people. There's Ruby with her scrapbook of wedding announcements; single mom Lola; reclusive chef Nate; and George, a courtly ex-doorman. They may not know what to make of her bees and her politeness, but they can't deny the magic in her honey.
And then there's Theo, a delightfully kind Scotsman who crosses Sugar's path as soon as she gets into town and is quickly besotted. But love is not on the menu for Sugar. She likes the strong independent woman she's become since leaving the South and there's nothing a charmer like Theo can do to change her mind . . . only her bees can do that.
The Wedding Bees is a novel about finding sweetness where you least expect it and learning to love your way home.
340 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
About the author
Sarah-Kate Lynch
16 books280 followersSarah-Kate Lynch is quite a cranky journalist of several decades who prefers making things up to recording them accurately. This is not very good if you are a journalist, which may explain (a) the crankiness and (b) why she now writes novels.
She also writes two columns in the New Zealand Woman's Day, New Zealand's best-selling weekly magazine. One is about nothing and the other is about travel.
Sarah-Kate lives in a cliff top house on the wild west coast of New Zealand's North Island with a lovely dog called Ginger and a husband called Ted. Oh, hang on, no, that's not right. The dog is called Ted and the husband is Ginger.
She also writes two columns in the New Zealand Woman's Day, New Zealand's best-selling weekly magazine. One is about nothing and the other is about travel.
Sarah-Kate lives in a cliff top house on the wild west coast of New Zealand's North Island with a lovely dog called Ginger and a husband called Ted. Oh, hang on, no, that's not right. The dog is called Ted and the husband is Ginger.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 568 reviews
February 22, 2015
Loved this sweet story of Sugar, her bees, and the quirky occupants of the apartment building she moved into. A light, fun read, I didn't want to end. Loved the characters. Fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Barbara ONeal will enjoy this story with a bit of magical realism.
September 3, 2014
THE WEDDING BEES was a wonderful Sunday afternoon read along with a glass or two of New Zealand Pinot Noir – author Sarah-Kate Lynch is from NZ after all.
I really related to the subject of bee keeping because we had a hive in our back yard – not ours we were just minding it as we had a particular flowering tree in our yard. I asked the bee keeper if there was anything I needed to do (other than let them run free in my trees) and he said all I had to do was go down to the hive and chat to them every day. Which I did – felt stupid the first couple of times but by the time they left six months later I missed our chats.
THE WEDDING BEES is a sweet old fashioned feel good romance, one that the bees are determined to make happen. Sugar resists the growing attraction to Theo because of an traumatic event in the past, which she gradually reveals and is the reason she has been moving every year for years. Sugar is very good at helping others, just not so good at taking advice herself, so her bees have to take drastic action! It is not all sweetness and happiness in the book – there are mental issues, bad tempers, hopelessness and a very nasty man. Watching how it all pans out and people’s needs are met was very satisfying. Sarah-Kate Lynch doesn’t fall into the trap of giving everyone in the story a happy ending either, although everyone is in a much better position at the end of the book than the start – it is just that some of the characters are still working through issues as the story ends, but the reader is left in no doubt that things will turn out just fine. The writing was really good with the author transporting me to a New York apartment balcony teeming with flowers, busy with bees and the smells from the chef cooking next door with his balcony full of herbs and vegetable. I really loved the story, and under the easy read there was depth and drama. Oh, and I also really liked the occasional Point of View from Queen Bee Elizabeth the 6th, it was just so different and fitted the magic of the story.
I really related to the subject of bee keeping because we had a hive in our back yard – not ours we were just minding it as we had a particular flowering tree in our yard. I asked the bee keeper if there was anything I needed to do (other than let them run free in my trees) and he said all I had to do was go down to the hive and chat to them every day. Which I did – felt stupid the first couple of times but by the time they left six months later I missed our chats.
THE WEDDING BEES is a sweet old fashioned feel good romance, one that the bees are determined to make happen. Sugar resists the growing attraction to Theo because of an traumatic event in the past, which she gradually reveals and is the reason she has been moving every year for years. Sugar is very good at helping others, just not so good at taking advice herself, so her bees have to take drastic action! It is not all sweetness and happiness in the book – there are mental issues, bad tempers, hopelessness and a very nasty man. Watching how it all pans out and people’s needs are met was very satisfying. Sarah-Kate Lynch doesn’t fall into the trap of giving everyone in the story a happy ending either, although everyone is in a much better position at the end of the book than the start – it is just that some of the characters are still working through issues as the story ends, but the reader is left in no doubt that things will turn out just fine. The writing was really good with the author transporting me to a New York apartment balcony teeming with flowers, busy with bees and the smells from the chef cooking next door with his balcony full of herbs and vegetable. I really loved the story, and under the easy read there was depth and drama. Oh, and I also really liked the occasional Point of View from Queen Bee Elizabeth the 6th, it was just so different and fitted the magic of the story.
April 23, 2017
I could pun myself through this review...but that would be in bad taste. Ouch! It's difficult not to have a little fun with a novel so imbued with honey, the power of the substance and its by-products and the bees themselves - Oh - and a main character called "Sugar".
Where I came upon this title I cannot recall - likely when I was in my "cooking in the books" phase- and I guess I long ago requested it from the library and forgot about it. Well, the copy I have is brand new, so I guess the library is restocking and I felt obliged to give this gorgeous cover "a go".
Sugar has been wandering annually with her bees for fifteen years. Now she is in New York, in an apartment block with disgruntled and emotionally broken neighbours. Predictably, Sugar sweetens everyone up and meets a nice fellow who she herself is resisting. She sells honey at the farmer's market, and tends to her bees on her terrace. The Queen Bee is gifted with knowing things, and she and her hive influence the plot.
It is a kind of corny story, and the best description of the characters would be "folksy". Light, bright but not really impressive.
Where I came upon this title I cannot recall - likely when I was in my "cooking in the books" phase- and I guess I long ago requested it from the library and forgot about it. Well, the copy I have is brand new, so I guess the library is restocking and I felt obliged to give this gorgeous cover "a go".
Sugar has been wandering annually with her bees for fifteen years. Now she is in New York, in an apartment block with disgruntled and emotionally broken neighbours. Predictably, Sugar sweetens everyone up and meets a nice fellow who she herself is resisting. She sells honey at the farmer's market, and tends to her bees on her terrace. The Queen Bee is gifted with knowing things, and she and her hive influence the plot.
It is a kind of corny story, and the best description of the characters would be "folksy". Light, bright but not really impressive.
June 29, 2014
As Leah at Books Speak Volumes once described a book, starting The Wedding Bees was like sinking into a warm bath. The writing is just so beautiful! It’s lovely, warm, vivid, charming – perfect for the story of a Southern girl like Sugar. When I first read a post by Kayla at The Thousand Lives, I didn’t get what she meant about wanting authors to write with more color. Since then, I’ve read several books, including this one, where the author describes things using more color. And I love it! The addition of more colors to the descriptions gave the places she described a vibrancy that brought them to life. I also loved the dialogue, which was cute and funny, but not unbelievable. Sugar is almost unbelievably sweet and positive, but I couldn’t help falling in love with her right away.
While the other characters the author created weren’t as sweet as Sugar, they were easy to fall in love with too. They’re very real and they all have their flaws, but the author puts you right into their heads and into their lives. By sharing the bits of their past that got them where they are, she makes you understand each and every character she introduces. Even though all of the characters have their flaws, this is not a book that makes you wonder if everything is going to work out. The saddest of back stories still seems optimistic in this book, because you just know that everything is going to work out. For the most part, everything does. I would like to mention though that one of the characters is anorexic, and while things get going in the right direction for her, they don’t just magically work out. While this isn’t a topic I know much about, I thought this was a far better way to end her story than with an unrealistic instantaneous cure.
I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by my blog this week so this sweet, beautiful, happy little confection of a book was just what I needed. If you love Southern lit or NYC or sweet romances or are just looking for a book that will put a smile on your face, I highly recommend you pick this one up.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
While the other characters the author created weren’t as sweet as Sugar, they were easy to fall in love with too. They’re very real and they all have their flaws, but the author puts you right into their heads and into their lives. By sharing the bits of their past that got them where they are, she makes you understand each and every character she introduces. Even though all of the characters have their flaws, this is not a book that makes you wonder if everything is going to work out. The saddest of back stories still seems optimistic in this book, because you just know that everything is going to work out. For the most part, everything does. I would like to mention though that one of the characters is anorexic, and while things get going in the right direction for her, they don’t just magically work out. While this isn’t a topic I know much about, I thought this was a far better way to end her story than with an unrealistic instantaneous cure.
I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by my blog this week so this sweet, beautiful, happy little confection of a book was just what I needed. If you love Southern lit or NYC or sweet romances or are just looking for a book that will put a smile on your face, I highly recommend you pick this one up.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
March 26, 2019
Very sweet. I loved the secondary character development.
January 13, 2015
Adorable! Made the reader feel good inside and wrapped up everything in a pretty box which is exactly the way I like it.
February 22, 2014
Going to have to put this one in the category of 'all-time-favourites' because the author strikes an incredible balance between too quirky and just quirky enough. The bees in this story are actual bees as the main character makes her living by being a bee keeper and selling the things she makes from honey and pollen. That should attract all of the slow food folks, I hope.. because this book is the kind of vacation from everyday that all people deserve.
I always like a book where the author is able to successfully bring together 3 or 4 overlapping storylines and I was gobsmacked that she could write a few very different stories and bring them into one. The main character is a beautiful bee keeper from the southern U.S. but she becomes friends with a large variety of people who share the same apartment in New York city - crotchety old people, a agoraphobic pastry chef, a young mother who seems like a prostitute, an elderly man she first thinks is homeless because of his eccentric dress and a few others. How Sarah-Kate Lynch makes this all weave together and still seem like it could ever possibly happen simply astounds me. I am usually frustrated by books like this but found myself flipping the pages with as much happiness as I had when I was a kid. It was such a great feeling.
I'm now hunting down a previous book by the same author to see if I can get the same, or close to the same feeling again. She reminded me a bit of Maeve Binchy but there were so many strange things going on in the characters lives that it was more odd than Maeve ever was. Maybe Julia Stuart?
One final comment. In this book, the bees - particularly the Queen Bee - play a part and have a voice. So, if you can get past that this book will woo you.
I always like a book where the author is able to successfully bring together 3 or 4 overlapping storylines and I was gobsmacked that she could write a few very different stories and bring them into one. The main character is a beautiful bee keeper from the southern U.S. but she becomes friends with a large variety of people who share the same apartment in New York city - crotchety old people, a agoraphobic pastry chef, a young mother who seems like a prostitute, an elderly man she first thinks is homeless because of his eccentric dress and a few others. How Sarah-Kate Lynch makes this all weave together and still seem like it could ever possibly happen simply astounds me. I am usually frustrated by books like this but found myself flipping the pages with as much happiness as I had when I was a kid. It was such a great feeling.
I'm now hunting down a previous book by the same author to see if I can get the same, or close to the same feeling again. She reminded me a bit of Maeve Binchy but there were so many strange things going on in the characters lives that it was more odd than Maeve ever was. Maybe Julia Stuart?
One final comment. In this book, the bees - particularly the Queen Bee - play a part and have a voice. So, if you can get past that this book will woo you.
September 28, 2019
2019/
И книгата и авторката заемат много специално място в сърцето ми. С интелигентния си почерк и чувството си за хумор, да не забравя въображението й, Сара Кейт Линч ни води в една приказка за пораснали.
Ако можех , бих подарила на всеки такава книга.
А ако имах вълшебна пръчка, бих превърнала света в подобно място , в каквото героинята в тази история, превръща всяко кътче до което достига.
Истинска наслада за душата.
2015/
Изпълнена с вълшебства , сладка като мед приказка :) Много приятно попадение. Наподобява стила на Сара Адисън Алън.
И книгата и авторката заемат много специално място в сърцето ми. С интелигентния си почерк и чувството си за хумор, да не забравя въображението й, Сара Кейт Линч ни води в една приказка за пораснали.
Ако можех , бих подарила на всеки такава книга.
А ако имах вълшебна пръчка, бих превърнала света в подобно място , в каквото героинята в тази история, превръща всяко кътче до което достига.
Истинска наслада за душата.
2015/
Изпълнена с вълшебства , сладка като мед приказка :) Много приятно попадение. Наподобява стила на Сара Адисън Алън.
September 17, 2015
Such a cute book! It's about kindness, what it means to be a neighbor and friend and enjoying life. Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I finished it;)
May 7, 2014
As women, I feel that too often we care for and nurture others, but hide the places within ourselves that need soothed. That describes Cheri-Lynn "Sugar" Wallace. Following her departure from Charleston, SC, she and her bees have followed the whim of the queen bee and moved to somewhere new each year. Her latest address is in "Alphabet City", a diverse cultural section of New York City. Filled with personalities, Sugar befriends and guides her neighbors. She blesses them with fellowship and balms. When she comes to the aid of George, a retired doorman, sparks fly between her and handsome lawyer Theo. But Sugar is reluctant to share her heart and does her best to avoid Theo. With a little magic and help from George, her neighbors and the queen be, Sarah is able to open her heart to the possibilities of love and a place to call home.
February 14, 2017
This book is a light, fun, easy read. I needed that after finishing "The Sellout!" It is about bad love, lost family, good friends, bees, honey, self-esteem, strength, manners, compassion, & really good love. I think it deserves a 3.5 but not really a 4.
April 24, 2014
I loved this book. Started at 7am and stayed in bed reading till I finished at 1pm, which is pretty much unheard of for me. Such loveable characters, I laughed and I cried. And I am left wanting more.
September 3, 2018
A Sweet Read
I really enjoyed this novel about a beekeeper. The perfect bedtime reading, guaranteed to give sweet dreams. It has a lot of heart with quirky, well-drawn characters and a satisfying ending.
I really enjoyed this novel about a beekeeper. The perfect bedtime reading, guaranteed to give sweet dreams. It has a lot of heart with quirky, well-drawn characters and a satisfying ending.
May 25, 2014
I Have never read a book before by Sarah-Kate-Lynch.
I must say i adore this charming and very different story by Sarah-Kate-Lynch.
What I liked about it was how Sarah introduces bees as her theme which I think is very different.
The story is about Sugar Wallace who has amazing honey produced by her faithful hive of bees. It seem that sugar has been running away from her past but why I can not tell you readers will have to read this story to find out why.. Every spring Sugar moves somewhere new. When Sugar arrives in New York Manhattan tragedy happens when Sugar's Queen bee goes on strike with all her bees not producing any honey.
This is a wonderful story about new love and learning how to be happy again.
I hope many readers will enjoy reading The Wedding Bees as much as I have. As for me I will certainly read another story from Sarah-Kate-Lynch.
The Wedding Bees is published by William Morrow.
I must say i adore this charming and very different story by Sarah-Kate-Lynch.
What I liked about it was how Sarah introduces bees as her theme which I think is very different.
The story is about Sugar Wallace who has amazing honey produced by her faithful hive of bees. It seem that sugar has been running away from her past but why I can not tell you readers will have to read this story to find out why.. Every spring Sugar moves somewhere new. When Sugar arrives in New York Manhattan tragedy happens when Sugar's Queen bee goes on strike with all her bees not producing any honey.
This is a wonderful story about new love and learning how to be happy again.
I hope many readers will enjoy reading The Wedding Bees as much as I have. As for me I will certainly read another story from Sarah-Kate-Lynch.
The Wedding Bees is published by William Morrow.
July 28, 2016
Such a fun read. A little bit of magic with the bees along with friendship and love. A light read perfect for hot summer days.
February 23, 2016
This was a fun and quick read. It had a lot of fun and quirky characters, which added a lot of interest and variety. Sadly though, I have to admit that the main love interest was a bit infuriating for a good one to two thirds of the novel. Our main character, Sugar, is great at doling out advice, but she is absolutely awful at managing her own love life and I basically wanted to wring her neck for being such an idiot for so long. During these moments though there were lots of other things going on to keep me interested so even though it was irritating, it didn’t totally ruin the book for me.
I also really liked the magical element of the bees – it made it fun and silly, perfect for a quick read. The resolutions in the end are nice and wrap things up well. The atmosphere felt very comfortable and homey, despite being in NYC. It had a cozy vibe throughout the novel which was nice. Overall a fun book, but not as good as others that I’ve read by this author (‘House of Daughters’ comes to mind as having much stronger characters, flawed but not infuriating).
I also really liked the magical element of the bees – it made it fun and silly, perfect for a quick read. The resolutions in the end are nice and wrap things up well. The atmosphere felt very comfortable and homey, despite being in NYC. It had a cozy vibe throughout the novel which was nice. Overall a fun book, but not as good as others that I’ve read by this author (‘House of Daughters’ comes to mind as having much stronger characters, flawed but not infuriating).
August 31, 2016
What a delightful book! I picked this up at a time when I needed something sweet and uplifting to read―this turned out to be the perfect thing, The characters are wonderfully drawn, quirky though still realistic enough to make you feel they could be people you might know and the writing is witty but wise, a difficult combination to achieve in my opinion. Ms. Lynch also has a true gift for atmosphere, I felt as though I were there in Manhattan's bohemian Alphabet City or in Charleston, breathing in the warm jasmine-scented breeze. Well-written and a joy to read. Definitely a keeper.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
September 12, 2015
Honingzoete dagen vond ik een heel erg leuk en verrassend boek! Geen typische chicklit, maar een fijn verhaal dat je soms het gevoel van een sprookje geeft. Kan niet anders dan dat je hoofdpersoon Sugar en haar bijen in je hart sluit na het lezen van dit boek.
February 7, 2014
This is a delightful book filled with terrific characters. One of the stars of the book is the honey! I look forward to more lovely stories from Ms. Lynch.
September 3, 2019
Perfect blend of enchanting & magical - now I'm filling my shelves with the rest of her books, I'm delighted to see she's written LOTS more, I'm sure they'll all be lovely.
May 26, 2016
Ik moest even in het verhaal komen in het begin maar het einde van het boek maakt dat meer dan goed!
February 6, 2017
Beautifully written story of love, all kinds. Sweet with characters you adore.
April 24, 2018
There are days that I crave re-reading a solidly uplifting and sweetly captivating book, and The Wedding Bees is one of those. It's still as charming and full of wit as I remember it. There's a stylized quality to it, like watching Amélie Poulain. The wonderful Sugar Wallace, who fled Charleston fifteen years ago, is arriving in New York City's Alphabet City, with her beehive and bees, and is determined to work her magic on soothing the aches of the soul, the mind and the body, and all that with her honey and other honey related products. Sugar is not your typical character, she holds friendship and manners as the highest values in her life, but when love's comes a-knocking in the form of dashing Scotsman Theo Fitzgerald, she's too scared to respond or do anything about it.
How many times I may re-read this book, it will always put a smile on my face and lighten my heart. It has a wonderful cast of quirky characters and it appeals to our good nature. I love that.
How many times I may re-read this book, it will always put a smile on my face and lighten my heart. It has a wonderful cast of quirky characters and it appeals to our good nature. I love that.
December 3, 2019
I liked the idea of this book since I've also enjoyed Sarah Addison Allen, an author whose style I'd say is one we can compare this author's work with.
I just think the execution was not as seductive and mysteriously romantic as I tend to think of Allen's books I've read. In this Wedding Bees I think I'd have liked a bit more complexity to everything because in one moment or two the characters bordered on silly and I couldn't feel much empathy with them all the time.
I just think the execution was not as seductive and mysteriously romantic as I tend to think of Allen's books I've read. In this Wedding Bees I think I'd have liked a bit more complexity to everything because in one moment or two the characters bordered on silly and I couldn't feel much empathy with them all the time.
March 22, 2019
This book got rave reviews, so I expected more. Sugar (aka Cherie Lynn) Wallace is a beekeeper who moves every year to a different location in the U.S. This year, she's living in Manhattan. On moving-in day, she sees what she thinks is a homeless man stumble across the street and nearly is hit by several cars. When he makes it to the other side of the street, he stumbles into a man in a bright Hawaiian shirt talking on his cell phone. Sugar, born and bred in Charleston, SC, and who prides herself on her manners, rushes across the street to see if the homeless man needs help. The guy on the phone helps her help the man to his feet and in a very brief moment when their hands touch, she feels electricity. So does the young man, because he spends days trying to track her down. When he finally does and tells her he sees them as old married people in 40 years, Sugar balks and tells him she never wants to see him again.
We meet the "homeless" man again (he's not really homeless), along with the various other denizens of her apartment building: anorexic Ruby; shy, overweight Nate; cranky Mrs. Keschl; angry and mean Mr. McNally, and Lola and her son, Ethan. Sugar believes everything can be solved by honey and she sets out to help her neighbors.
Here were my issues: I really dislike novels where the heroine spends most of her time explaining why she can't get involved with the hero and, in this case, that took up two-thirds of the book. And the reason may have made sense to Sugar, but it seemed silly and flimsy to me. Also, I'm not a beekeeper, but it seems improbable to me that one would pack up his/her bees every year and relocate them just because they hate putting down roots.
We meet the "homeless" man again (he's not really homeless), along with the various other denizens of her apartment building: anorexic Ruby; shy, overweight Nate; cranky Mrs. Keschl; angry and mean Mr. McNally, and Lola and her son, Ethan. Sugar believes everything can be solved by honey and she sets out to help her neighbors.
Here were my issues: I really dislike novels where the heroine spends most of her time explaining why she can't get involved with the hero and, in this case, that took up two-thirds of the book. And the reason may have made sense to Sugar, but it seemed silly and flimsy to me. Also, I'm not a beekeeper, but it seems improbable to me that one would pack up his/her bees every year and relocate them just because they hate putting down roots.
February 3, 2014
This is such a charming book that I was sad to see it end. Sugar Wallace has landed in NYC and moves into a fifth floor apartment in a marginal area of the city. While moving in, she helps an elderly man who falls in the park and meets the handsome man standing next to him named Theo Fitzgerald. Sugar had a bad experience with romance years before and even though she feels a spark when she meets Theo, she rebuffs his attempts to develop a relationship.
Sugar's bees are sort of her guardian angels and she has traveled with them since her grandfather left them to her when he died. Sugar is a good-hearted person who finds herself getting involved in her neighbor's lives and helping them change for the better. When Theo makes a clumsy attempt to reconnect and Sugar shuts him down, the bees take control of the situation in their own special way.
I loved the characters and the interactions in this book and the way that the bees were woven through the story. The apartment residents and their life stories add to the flow of the book. Sugar has an almost mystical quality about her and her bees off set by her poor relationship with her family and romantic fears. Theo is a nice guy who finds himself in over his head while trying to get the girl of his dreams. Being highly allergic to bees adds another barrier to his courtship of Sugar.
Overall, this is a lovely romance and very enjoyable to read.
Sugar's bees are sort of her guardian angels and she has traveled with them since her grandfather left them to her when he died. Sugar is a good-hearted person who finds herself getting involved in her neighbor's lives and helping them change for the better. When Theo makes a clumsy attempt to reconnect and Sugar shuts him down, the bees take control of the situation in their own special way.
I loved the characters and the interactions in this book and the way that the bees were woven through the story. The apartment residents and their life stories add to the flow of the book. Sugar has an almost mystical quality about her and her bees off set by her poor relationship with her family and romantic fears. Theo is a nice guy who finds himself in over his head while trying to get the girl of his dreams. Being highly allergic to bees adds another barrier to his courtship of Sugar.
Overall, this is a lovely romance and very enjoyable to read.
March 21, 2014
Well this book was...quirky. And entirely charming.
In short, it wasn't at all what I expected, it was better.
Honestly, I went in thinking fun little chick lit, and it is. It so very much reads like a modern day fairy tale. The love story, how it plays out, how the bees play into it all, it's like a Disney movie for grown ups.
But with so much more depth than I ever imagined. The characters that make up this story are all so vivid and complex and fun to get to know. They all have so much baggage and issues and good sides and funny bits that I could just...see them, all living in this apartment, trying to get by and figure out life and everything else. I was cheering for every single one of them to get around the clear hurt they were all feeling. They were just...really great characters.
And Sugar, god I loved her. She was equal parts strong, kick ass female in charge of her own life and damsel in distress running from everything.
Also Theo was Scottish and I have a soft spot for the Scottish.
Honestly, really enjoyed every second of this book. It was ripe with a combination of Southern charm and magic, and a little bit of real life darkness thrown in. Highly recommend it. I'll be checking out more books by Sarah-Kate Lynch.
In short, it wasn't at all what I expected, it was better.
Honestly, I went in thinking fun little chick lit, and it is. It so very much reads like a modern day fairy tale. The love story, how it plays out, how the bees play into it all, it's like a Disney movie for grown ups.
But with so much more depth than I ever imagined. The characters that make up this story are all so vivid and complex and fun to get to know. They all have so much baggage and issues and good sides and funny bits that I could just...see them, all living in this apartment, trying to get by and figure out life and everything else. I was cheering for every single one of them to get around the clear hurt they were all feeling. They were just...really great characters.
And Sugar, god I loved her. She was equal parts strong, kick ass female in charge of her own life and damsel in distress running from everything.
Also Theo was Scottish and I have a soft spot for the Scottish.
Honestly, really enjoyed every second of this book. It was ripe with a combination of Southern charm and magic, and a little bit of real life darkness thrown in. Highly recommend it. I'll be checking out more books by Sarah-Kate Lynch.
April 9, 2023
Haven’t read such a delightful book in a long time. Right from the very start this feel-good story had a most unique atmosphere to it. A thirty-ish well-mannered Southern woman named Sugar arrives in New York with her bees - as she does every year for the past fifteen - moving to a new place to live, to keep her bees and to make honey. There’s a reason Sugar hasn’t returned to her native Charleston in fifteen years, and thanks to her bunch of quirky and endearing New York neighbors, and to a gorgeous Scotsman named Theo, Sugar will finally accept her past and move on to find her own happiness.
My little synopsis & review can't do this work justice, nor can it describe what a little jewel this book is. I can’t remember the last time I laughed out loud while reading. I loved the authenticity of the dialogues. Truly, the whole thing is incredibly beautifully written. It was my first encounter with this author, Sarah-Kate Lynch, and she turned out to be an absolutely lovely surprise.
Of course, The Wedding Bees is foremost a light feel-good-book, but those are just the hardest to write because there’s so many out there and they all sound the same. This one was different. It was excellent.
My little synopsis & review can't do this work justice, nor can it describe what a little jewel this book is. I can’t remember the last time I laughed out loud while reading. I loved the authenticity of the dialogues. Truly, the whole thing is incredibly beautifully written. It was my first encounter with this author, Sarah-Kate Lynch, and she turned out to be an absolutely lovely surprise.
Of course, The Wedding Bees is foremost a light feel-good-book, but those are just the hardest to write because there’s so many out there and they all sound the same. This one was different. It was excellent.
June 29, 2016
I don’t know what it is about honey bees but I love stories with honey bees as characters. This one was no different. I liked how the queen bee is given a name and a personality but found the few passages from her point of view a little disappointing. I would have liked to have been left to intuit her thoughts for myself and only seen her actions as she led the bees. It would have added more to the conflict. As it was I wasn’t overly concerned about Sugar’s bee dilemma because Elizabeth the Sixth told me how it was going to work out.
That being said it was still a sweet and lighthearted summer read and I did enjoy it. The neighbors are quirky and fun. I would have liked to see them develop more and less of the past with Grady which could have been summarized a little more succinctly. I laughed several times as I read about “the Crankles” and their antics. I also liked how the ending was not the overdone fairy tale happily ever after. The anorexic still struggles but is slowly getting better with help rather than being miraculously cured overnight. The shy baker is still shy and the balloons are still not selling like hotcakes but everyone is moving forward and happier for it. It feels like real life which makes it more appealing.
That being said it was still a sweet and lighthearted summer read and I did enjoy it. The neighbors are quirky and fun. I would have liked to see them develop more and less of the past with Grady which could have been summarized a little more succinctly. I laughed several times as I read about “the Crankles” and their antics. I also liked how the ending was not the overdone fairy tale happily ever after. The anorexic still struggles but is slowly getting better with help rather than being miraculously cured overnight. The shy baker is still shy and the balloons are still not selling like hotcakes but everyone is moving forward and happier for it. It feels like real life which makes it more appealing.
February 18, 2014
What a honey of a book. I was originally enticed into this book by the US edition with its warm tones, however as I read the book I came to love this cover too. Sugar is a treasure and the amazing 'family' of people she gathered around her was endearing and satisfying. As it says on the cover - a novel of honey, love and manners. So this book if read would probably up the sales of many honey places, I know I have googled it and may yet spend some serious money on some items.
So The Wedding Bees - awesome. Loved Queen Elizabeth 1 and 6. Witty, warm and charming is one way to describe this book. It does explore some important issues in a very gentle way. Well done Sarah-Kate Lynch. Raising my glass to The Wedding Bees and the Buzz-off Bride!
So The Wedding Bees - awesome. Loved Queen Elizabeth 1 and 6. Witty, warm and charming is one way to describe this book. It does explore some important issues in a very gentle way. Well done Sarah-Kate Lynch. Raising my glass to The Wedding Bees and the Buzz-off Bride!
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