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vick11's review against another edition
3.0
This has been a great book to have to read on the beach or by the pool. It was light and fluffy yet had a great storyline and held my attention. Susan Wiggs is so descriptive and made me feel like I was in California tasting honey.
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
The Beekeeper's Ball by Susan Wiggs is a richly developed novel that weaves past and present day events into an incredibly heartwarming story of love, family and friendship. This second installment in the Bella Vista Chronicles whisks readers back to Archangel where Isabel Johansen finds love with Cormac "Mac" O'Neill.
Old and new fans of the series are sure to enjoy this latest visit to the Johansen family apple orchard. Isabel is finally seeing her dream of opening a destination cooking school come to fruition while she and Tess put the finishing touches on Tess's upcoming wedding. Isabel is genuinely thrilled for Tess, but she cannot help but feel a little wistful about her own lackluster love life as she helps Tess plan her big day. Isabel is surprised by attraction to Mac and knowing that he is not planning on settling down, she is very reluctant to become involved with him even on a short-term basis. She finds it impossible to resist the fun-loving author but will Mac convince Isabel to give their romance a chance once his work with Magnus is complete?
Isabel is a gentle and genuinely kind-hearted woman who is haunted by an incident from her past. Despite her parents' death around the time of her birth, her childhood was happy and idyllic. Inspired by her love of cooking, she left Bella Vista to pursue her dream of becoming a chef but following a traumatic event, she returns home without her degree. When her beloved grandmother Eva falls ill, Isabel cares for her until her death, and now years later, Isabel is content to remain at the orchard. Isabel's safe world is threatened when her unresolved past collides with her present, but it is not until someone she cares about is in jeopardy that Isabel finds the courage to take action.
Mac is a little gruff and grumpy in the beginning but he is also thoughtful and quite caring. He challenges Isabel to step outside of her comfort zone, and although she tries to resist, he patiently overcomes her objections. Mac also has a tragic past that he has yet to come to terms with but his relationship with Isabel finds him contemplating the possibility of putting down roots for the first time in his life. After his assignment with Magnus is finished, Mac has a commitment that will, hopefully, allow him to finally put his demons to rest.
Isabel's grandfather Magnus takes a much larger role in The Beekeeper's Ball. Flashbacks reveal new and fascinating details about his experiences working with the Dutch Resistance during World War II. Tess and Isabel are stunned to learn of the heartbreak their biological grandmother Annaliese's endured during the Nazi's occupation of Denmark. They are also surprised to find out that she, too, worked with their grandfather with the Dutch underground. The remaining secrets surrounding Magnus, Eva and Annaliese's relationship are also divulged and the sisters discover the truth about the circumstances of their father's birth.
The Beekeeper's Ball is a beautifully written novel of love, friendship, family and healing. The relationship between Isabel and Mac is slow growing and while their romance is understated, it is incredibly sweet. While Susan Wiggs answers all of the lingering questions from The Apple Orchard (the first book in the series), a shocking revelation at the conclusion of The Beekeeper's Ball will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment of Bella Vista Chronicles.
The Beekeeper's Ball by Susan Wiggs is a richly developed novel that weaves past and present day events into an incredibly heartwarming story of love, family and friendship. This second installment in the Bella Vista Chronicles whisks readers back to Archangel where Isabel Johansen finds love with Cormac "Mac" O'Neill.
Old and new fans of the series are sure to enjoy this latest visit to the Johansen family apple orchard. Isabel is finally seeing her dream of opening a destination cooking school come to fruition while she and Tess put the finishing touches on Tess's upcoming wedding. Isabel is genuinely thrilled for Tess, but she cannot help but feel a little wistful about her own lackluster love life as she helps Tess plan her big day. Isabel is surprised by attraction to Mac and knowing that he is not planning on settling down, she is very reluctant to become involved with him even on a short-term basis. She finds it impossible to resist the fun-loving author but will Mac convince Isabel to give their romance a chance once his work with Magnus is complete?
Isabel is a gentle and genuinely kind-hearted woman who is haunted by an incident from her past. Despite her parents' death around the time of her birth, her childhood was happy and idyllic. Inspired by her love of cooking, she left Bella Vista to pursue her dream of becoming a chef but following a traumatic event, she returns home without her degree. When her beloved grandmother Eva falls ill, Isabel cares for her until her death, and now years later, Isabel is content to remain at the orchard. Isabel's safe world is threatened when her unresolved past collides with her present, but it is not until someone she cares about is in jeopardy that Isabel finds the courage to take action.
Mac is a little gruff and grumpy in the beginning but he is also thoughtful and quite caring. He challenges Isabel to step outside of her comfort zone, and although she tries to resist, he patiently overcomes her objections. Mac also has a tragic past that he has yet to come to terms with but his relationship with Isabel finds him contemplating the possibility of putting down roots for the first time in his life. After his assignment with Magnus is finished, Mac has a commitment that will, hopefully, allow him to finally put his demons to rest.
Isabel's grandfather Magnus takes a much larger role in The Beekeeper's Ball. Flashbacks reveal new and fascinating details about his experiences working with the Dutch Resistance during World War II. Tess and Isabel are stunned to learn of the heartbreak their biological grandmother Annaliese's endured during the Nazi's occupation of Denmark. They are also surprised to find out that she, too, worked with their grandfather with the Dutch underground. The remaining secrets surrounding Magnus, Eva and Annaliese's relationship are also divulged and the sisters discover the truth about the circumstances of their father's birth.
The Beekeeper's Ball is a beautifully written novel of love, friendship, family and healing. The relationship between Isabel and Mac is slow growing and while their romance is understated, it is incredibly sweet. While Susan Wiggs answers all of the lingering questions from The Apple Orchard (the first book in the series), a shocking revelation at the conclusion of The Beekeeper's Ball will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment of Bella Vista Chronicles.
andolaria's review against another edition
2.0
Unimaginative, rushed, forced. There weren't any parts of the story that surprised me in the last. The writing was poor enough to give me hope for getting my own writing published. The "love story" felt forced, like the author was smashing the characters together like a Ken and Barbie.
abarnson's review against another edition
4.0
I bought this book while on vacation since my nook was not charging. I am glad I did. This was a pretty good story intertwined with some romance and a few surprises. I will say the stories of past were a bit long and I found myself skimming only to go back and re-read to make sure I understood. I have read her books before and I will be getting the first book in the Bella Vista chronicles.
m_zler's review against another edition
4.0
Relaxing read. Light romance without the overtly graphic sex scenes. The story has several elements that could be explored further - but maybe that's what future installments of the series will be about. If you're looking for something that is light (although it does touch on some WWII issues) with a little sexy fun this is a good choice.
seaofbooks3's review against another edition
5.0
Love can find us unexpectedly, in ways we don't know. It can sneak up on us or take us by storm. But do we follow it or stay away? Dare to step out and change what we're used to, or run from it?
llkendrick's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! I was quickly captured by the storytelling, loved the setting of the book, and liked all the characters. I would love to go to Isabel's cooking school!
jkaccoman's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
finnelyslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Oh how I wanted to love this one as much as I enjoyed The Apple Orchard, but it just fell flat. For one, I couldn't root for Cormac and Isabel like I did for Tess and Dom. Mac was incredibly crude and too straight forward. Since Isabel was coming from a past relationship with a jerk I couldn't root for her falling for someone who was crass. However, I pushed through to read more about her families history. Like the first book, Wiggs did a wonderful job telling those stories. Though, she repeated some sentences that got irritating. Like she had forgotten that she had already said that a while back. (something along the lines of, 'they didn't give us to much information because then it couldn't be tortured out of us.') All in all, if a third book in the Bella Vista Chronicles came out I would read/listen to it. It's been a few years since this one was written, so I'm not sure if Wiggs plans on continuing with these books or not.
jlrasa23's review against another edition
4.0
You know a book is really good when it leaves you wanting for more. I want to know the next chapter for Isabel and Mac, Magnus and Annelise, Tess and Dominic, and Jamie.