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casehouse's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. I've unwittingly read yet another WWII novel. This one has 2 storylines - present day in California and WWII-era in Denmark. A friend had given it to me, so I read it without knowing much about the book. For what it is (a light, easy read), it wasn't bad. The development of the main character's relationship seemed uneven and silly. The book is obviously part of a series, and there were loose ends left open for the next book.
impalalove's review against another edition
4.0
Spoiler
Cliffhanger!
+ I thought Jamie's baby was also Calvin's -- echo of Isabel's past, but didn't actually happen in the book;
+ The dad might actually be alive?! CAN WE HAVE BOOK THREE?!
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
1.0
I feel like I'm in a reading slump. I'm just not enjoying anything.
shanniberry's review against another edition
3.0
My least favorite of the 3 books in the series but still enjoyed it.
suzannefine's review against another edition
5.0
I fell in love with the characters in The Apple Orchard, and it's just taken me a bit of time to get to The Beekeeper's Ball, sorry I waited so long though.
I think I liked this more than the first in the series (and I would highly suggest reading The Apple Orchard first). I loved the story line between Isabel and Mac, but would have loved to have read more about Dominic and Tess...
The end is another cliffhanger, but I just read an article saying the next book (if any) won't be for quite a while since Ms. Wiggs current contract does not include the Bella Vista books. That just made me sad b/c I want to read more!!!
I would definitely suggest The Beekeeper's Ball, and especially loved the history thrown in there.
I think I liked this more than the first in the series (and I would highly suggest reading The Apple Orchard first). I loved the story line between Isabel and Mac, but would have loved to have read more about Dominic and Tess...
The end is another cliffhanger, but I just read an article saying the next book (if any) won't be for quite a while since Ms. Wiggs current contract does not include the Bella Vista books. That just made me sad b/c I want to read more!!!
I would definitely suggest The Beekeeper's Ball, and especially loved the history thrown in there.
denam1's review against another edition
2.0
Very, very slow start. The best part was about 4 chapters in the end.
magure1526's review against another edition
2.0
This book was OK... the author tries to mask your typical chick flick with some WWII background that makes it a little more interesting. It´s OK as a "beach" romance, but it definitely lacks depth.
bookwyrm_lark's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
I loved The Beekeeper's Ball. From its unique first encounter between the hero and heroine in the first pages, to its lovely and satisfying ending (which nonetheless manages to leave some threads unresolved), it's a wonderful and often moving book.
Like The Apple Orchard, the first book in the series, The Beekeeper's Ball moves between present-day events at and around Bella Vista, the Johansen estate and apple orchard, and the adolescent experiences of Magnus Johansen, his deceased wife Eva, and their Resistance friend Annelise in Nazi-occupied Denmark. The older segments, told both in dialog and in flashback, enrich the novel in several ways. They give depth and background to help the main character Isabel and her half-sister Tess understand their grandparents and the complex relationships in their own family. They also explore themes of courage and fear, suffering and emotional strength which find echos in several of the present-day characters.
Wiggs's writing is rich and sensual in the best meaning of the term. Her vivid descriptions of food, of scents and flavors, of sunshine and breezes and the hum of bees, make Bella Vista a living, vibrant place, and one I would dearly love to visit. But it's in her deep understanding of the human spirit that Wiggs really soars. From Magnus and Annelise to Isabel and Cormac, Wiggs's characters are completely authentic in their strengths, their flaws, their myriad emotions. Through her writing we get to know them as well as we might anyone in our own family... though one of the book's themes is that even our nearest and dearest may have secrets. We rarely know anyone well as we think we do - even ourselves.
The Beekeeper's Ball is a romance, yes -- or rather, there is a romance in it, between the home-loving Isabel and Cormac the wanderer. And it's a delightful romance, sometimes humorous, sometimes reluctant, often unpredictable, and totally irresistible. But like The Apple Orchard before it, The Beekeeper's Ball is so much more: it's a family saga, an exploration of the human spirit, even a hint of a mystery. (The story arc which stretches over the whole series involves three generations and events with their roots in Magnus, Eva, and Annalise's pasts. And the death of Isabel and Tess's father is murkier than it appears on the surface; it will probably be explored in a future book.)
I think you could probably read The Beekeeper's Ball without reading The Apple Orchard first, but why on earth would you? The war-time sections in particular will be easier to understand and follow if you've read the first book, and both books are definitely worth your time!
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.
I loved The Beekeeper's Ball. From its unique first encounter between the hero and heroine in the first pages, to its lovely and satisfying ending (which nonetheless manages to leave some threads unresolved), it's a wonderful and often moving book.
Like The Apple Orchard, the first book in the series, The Beekeeper's Ball moves between present-day events at and around Bella Vista, the Johansen estate and apple orchard, and the adolescent experiences of Magnus Johansen, his deceased wife Eva, and their Resistance friend Annelise in Nazi-occupied Denmark. The older segments, told both in dialog and in flashback, enrich the novel in several ways. They give depth and background to help the main character Isabel and her half-sister Tess understand their grandparents and the complex relationships in their own family. They also explore themes of courage and fear, suffering and emotional strength which find echos in several of the present-day characters.
Wiggs's writing is rich and sensual in the best meaning of the term. Her vivid descriptions of food, of scents and flavors, of sunshine and breezes and the hum of bees, make Bella Vista a living, vibrant place, and one I would dearly love to visit. But it's in her deep understanding of the human spirit that Wiggs really soars. From Magnus and Annelise to Isabel and Cormac, Wiggs's characters are completely authentic in their strengths, their flaws, their myriad emotions. Through her writing we get to know them as well as we might anyone in our own family... though one of the book's themes is that even our nearest and dearest may have secrets. We rarely know anyone well as we think we do - even ourselves.
The Beekeeper's Ball is a romance, yes -- or rather, there is a romance in it, between the home-loving Isabel and Cormac the wanderer. And it's a delightful romance, sometimes humorous, sometimes reluctant, often unpredictable, and totally irresistible. But like The Apple Orchard before it, The Beekeeper's Ball is so much more: it's a family saga, an exploration of the human spirit, even a hint of a mystery. (The story arc which stretches over the whole series involves three generations and events with their roots in Magnus, Eva, and Annalise's pasts. And the death of Isabel and Tess's father is murkier than it appears on the surface; it will probably be explored in a future book.)
I think you could probably read The Beekeeper's Ball without reading The Apple Orchard first, but why on earth would you? The war-time sections in particular will be easier to understand and follow if you've read the first book, and both books are definitely worth your time!
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.
nbranca628's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn’t aware this was the second book in the series when I bought it. I feel I did need to read the first to understand things here. The ending was also left unfinished, but it doesn’t seem the next book in the series continues with it. I didn’t really find the relationship between Isabel and Jamie believable, and there was no wrap-up to that either. This was just okay. I probably won’t remember it.