Title: Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank’s Carolina Lowcountry in this evocative tale that returns at long last to her beloved Sullivan’s Island.
Beekeeper Holly McNee Kensen quietly lives in a world of her own on Sullivan’s Island, tending her hives and working at the local island library. Holly calls her mother The Queen Bee because she’s a demanding hulk of a woman. Her mother, a devoted hypochondriac, might be unaware that she’s quite ill but that doesn’t stop her from tormenting Holly. To escape the drama, Holly’s sister Leslie married and moved away, wanting little to do with island life. Holly’s escape is to submerge herself in the lives of the two young boys next door and their widowed father, Archie.
Her world is upended when the more flamboyant Leslie returns and both sisters, polar opposites, fixate on what’s happening in their neighbor’s home. Is Archie really in love with that awful ice queen of a woman? If Archie marries her, what will become of his little boys? Restless Leslie is desperate for validation after her imploded marriage, squandering her favors on any and all takers. Their mother ups her game in an uproarious and theatrical downward spiral. Scandalized Holly is talking to her honey bees a mile a minute, as though they’ll give her a solution to all the chaos. Maybe they will.
Queen Bee is a classic Lowcountry Tale—warm, wise and hilarious, it roars with humanity and a dropperful of whodunit added for good measure by an unseen hand. In her twentieth novel, Dorothea Benton Frank brings us back to her beloved island with an unforgettable story where the Lowcountry magic of the natural world collides with the beat of the human heart.
Review:
Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank is an entertaining novel set in the South Carolina Low Country.
Holly McNee Jensen is a dutiful daughter to her demanding and insulting mother whom she and her sister, Leslie, refer to as the “Queen Bee”. Holly is thirty years old, single and crushing on their widower neighbor, Archie MacLean. She is devoted to his young sons, Tyler and Hunter, a precocious pair who manage to steal every scene they appear in. Holly is patiently waiting for a teaching position to open up at the local elementary school but she keeps busy tending her bees and volunteering. Tired of always playing second fiddle to Leslie, she has decidedly mixed feelings about her sister’s unexpected return when her marriage to Charlie hits a rough patch. Holly is further disappointed when Archie makes a shocking and unexpected decision. When Leslie and the Queen Bee head to Las Vegas to support Charlie’s unanticipated career change, will Holly finally find her path to happiness?
Holly is a delightfully charming young woman with a big heart. She is a bit shy and lets life happen to her instead of forging her own path. She dearly loves Tyler and Hunter and she would like nothing better to be in a relationship with Archie. She is content to sit back and wait on him to ask her out when life hands her an unexpected blow. Despite her unhappiness with the situation, Holly is committed to protecting Tyler and Hunter but will Archie believe her concerns for his son?
Leslie is the complete opposite of Holly and she lives life out loud. She is a force to be reckoned with as she tries to come to terms with Charlie’s shocking revelation. With the future of her marriage hanging in the balance, Leslie returns home and tries to figure out what comes next for her and her husband. Unexpectedly supportive of his unusual career, can Leslie and Charlie salvage their marriage?
Before Leslie’s return, the Queen Bee aka QB whiles away her days languishing in bed and ordering Holly around. She treats Holly horribly while singing Leslie’s praises. As soon as Leslie returns home, QB finds the wherewithal to rejoin life which is of course, quite hurtful to Holly. But since Holly is the forgiving kind, she welcomes the changes in QB and she is somewhat surprised when her mom becomes a little softer, kinder and more compassionate. Even more stunning is how quickly QB embraces helping Charlie as he embarks on a new career path. The QB is swept off her feet by a new man in her life but what will happen to their unanticipated relationship when she returns to Sullivan’s Island?
Queen Bee is a truly captivating novel that is wickedly funny and stars an outrageously quirky but (mostly) likeable cast of colorful characters. The dialogue is pitch perfect with thought-provoking discussions and laugh out loud one-liners. Peppered with interesting honeybee facts, the storyline is absolutely compelling with heartfelt interactions. Sullivan’s Island is the perfect setting for this marvelous novel and as always, Dorothea Benton Frank brings the Low Country vibrantly to life. This engaging story comes to a heartwarming conclusion that readers are sure to love.
