Welcome to the Honey B&B by Melody Carlson

Welcome to the Honey B&B 

Book Summary

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!

My Thoughts

Welcome to the Honey B&B by Melody Carlson is a heartwarming story. I felt for the family who is caring for CT who has frontotemporal dementia (FTP—Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with this disease).  They need to keep an eye on him constantly (he is wily and can disappear in an instant).  I cannot imagine what it would be like to have your father (or grandfather, mother, etc.) not recognize you (heartbreaking).  I was surprised that the family did not utilize items with modern technology that would help them keep better track of CT (baby monitor, tracking device, security cameras around the farm, sensor alarms).  I felt for Jewel who was discovering the severity of her father’s condition.  I thought it was wonderful how she worked to find ways to help her parents.  

I like the fact that the characters were realistic with flaws.  I liked all but one side character (I wanted to toss this guy off a cliff).    The romance was the slow burn type which suited the story (it did not need to be rushed).  I was not a fan of a certain man causing problems though (same guy that I want to toss off a cliff).  My favorite character was Jewel’s daughter, Cooper.  It was great how she cared for her grandfather and learned to care for the bees.  I appreciated the author’s note at the end in which she explains why she wrote the novel and her experiences with a loved one who has frontotemporal dementia.  Welcome to the Honey B&B is a touching tale with a father with FTD, a green haired granddaughter, picking paint colors, buzzing bees, a pesky contractor, fun at the fair, friendly neighbors, and a loving family. 

Welcome to the Honey B&B is available from Amazon.  Melody Carlson has Once Upon a Christmas Carol coming out September 2.  I look forward to reading her Christmas story each year. You can find Melody Carlson's other novels here.  Thank you for stopping by today.  I will return tomorrow with Secrets, Lies, and Fireflies by Angie Fox. It is the 14th book in The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries.  I hope that you have peaceful day (I could use one of those).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.