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Bella Vista Chronicles #2
The Beekeeper's Ball
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs returns to sun-drenched Bella Vista, where the land's bounty yields a rich harvest...and family secrets that have long been buried
Isabel Johansen, a celebrated chef who grew up in the enchanting Sonoma town of Archangel, is transforming her childhood home into a destination cooking school--a unique place for other dreamers to come and learn the culinary arts. Bella Vista's rambling mission-style hacienda, with its working apple orchards, bountiful gardens and beehives, is the idyllic venue for Isabel's project...and the perfect place for her to forget the past.
But Isabel's carefully ordered plans begin to go awry when swaggering, war-torn journalist Cormac O'Neill arrives to dig up old history. He's always been better at exposing the lives of others than showing his own closely guarded heart, but the pleasures of small-town life and the searing sensuality of Isabel's kitchen coax him into revealing a few truths of his own.
Isabel Johansen, a celebrated chef who grew up in the enchanting Sonoma town of Archangel, is transforming her childhood home into a destination cooking school--a unique place for other dreamers to come and learn the culinary arts. Bella Vista's rambling mission-style hacienda, with its working apple orchards, bountiful gardens and beehives, is the idyllic venue for Isabel's project...and the perfect place for her to forget the past.
But Isabel's carefully ordered plans begin to go awry when swaggering, war-torn journalist Cormac O'Neill arrives to dig up old history. He's always been better at exposing the lives of others than showing his own closely guarded heart, but the pleasures of small-town life and the searing sensuality of Isabel's kitchen coax him into revealing a few truths of his own.
429 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
759 people are currently reading
9617 people want to read
About the author
Susan Wiggs
169 books7,422 followersSusan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She serves as author liaison for Field's End, a literary community on Bainbridge Island, Washington, bringing inspiration and instruction from the world's top authors to her seaside community. (See www.fieldsend.org) She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.
According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.
The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.
According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.
The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,169 reviews
May 1, 2014
Well, I thought this was pretty terrible. I have read Susan Wiggs before, and was mildly entertained, but this one kind of read like she wrote it in her sleep. I don't read a lot of romance novels, but when I do, I pick them not for the rugged handsomeness of their heroes, but usually for the professions of the heroines (examples: antique dealers, home renovators, cooks, farmers, booksellers - you get the idea), so when I read the blurb on this one I thought, "Jackpot! She's starting a cooking school and raises bees!". Sadly, these details were not enough to make up for the way the story kind of only lightly touched down on any of the plot-lines. There was promise there: WW11 Danish Resistance adventures in flashback, a smarmy and abusive ex (who shows up threateningly at the beginning and just kind of lurks around on the edges until he gets his comeuppance off-stage), a hero whose career hints of war-torn journalistic excitement (which is barely gone into). None of these things ever really got beyond the kernel-of-an-idea stage. And the romantic interludes just annoyed me. Any kiss that is described as "sexy" just makes me roll my eyes.
June 11, 2014
I just finished this book after starting it yesterday. I had a hard time putting it down so I could get some sleep last night. I loved this book. It was a tender, gentle love story about an interesting family. Isobel and Mac are the main characters. She's a homebody, close to her grandfather and living in the family fruit farm in California that is in the process of being renovated into a bed and breakfast/cooking school (Isobel's passion). Mac is a well known author, there to write her grandfather's story. There are secrets. Some old, some new. All affect who and what the characters are and will be. Isobel and Mac start out strangers, become friends, and as they begin to share their secrets, become lovers. I finished it with such a good feeling about it. There is history involved, that made the book even more interesting. Please, read this book.You won't be disappointed. I received this book as an ARC but would have been happy to have bought it.
June 21, 2017
3.5/5; 4 stars; B+
Susan Wiggs is a talented writer and I enjoyed this slow paced study of a family through several decades. I thought the back story of the elder people during the war was as interesting or even more so than the present day story. I can see this won't be everyone but for me it met that need to read about family, friends, community and all the best things about being human.
The narrator, Christina Traister, did an excellent job.
Susan Wiggs is a talented writer and I enjoyed this slow paced study of a family through several decades. I thought the back story of the elder people during the war was as interesting or even more so than the present day story. I can see this won't be everyone but for me it met that need to read about family, friends, community and all the best things about being human.
The narrator, Christina Traister, did an excellent job.
June 15, 2014
Susan Wiggs has brought us back to the delightful Bella Vista in her newest novel The Beekeeper’s Ball. It is another book that highlights the love of unconventional families and the love that can be found. This time the story is focused on Isabel and her dream of starting a kitchen school. However her dreams are added to the list of things to do while preparing for her sister’s wedding, finding a beekeeper, saving a famous writer Cormac O'Neill from dying from bee stings, and hearing the story about her grandfather’s past during WWII in Denmark. If that isn’t enough, Isabel is falling for the famous writer – not that she knows he is famous - while he is falling for her.
Susan Wiggs manages to bring us to the land of apples and honey, while exposing the lengths that many people went through in WWII. She exposes us to understanding farm to table cooking while whetting our appetite with lots of yummy foods made with honey. This is a wonderful follow up to The Apple Orchard as it exposes us to more and more of the family and people that inhabit and love Bella Vista.
The Beekeeper's Ball will be out in July.
September 6, 2014
Two-haiku review:
He's to write bio
Of her grandfather's war tales
Can she let him in?
Best read first book first
More history than romance
Book felt unfinished
He's to write bio
Of her grandfather's war tales
Can she let him in?
Best read first book first
More history than romance
Book felt unfinished
March 18, 2014
I enjoyed Susan’s “The Apple Orchard” (Bella Vista Chronicles, #1), and was delighted to receive an advanced reading copy of “The Beekeeper's Ball” (Bella Vista Chronicles #2), as a continuation of thirty year old Isabel, as she transforms her childhood home (Bella Vista), a gathering place for friends and family, for reunions and celebrations. In addition her dreams, the Bella Vista Cooking School—a unique place for other dreamers to come, and learn the culinary arts—all while she leaves her past behind with controlling Calvin.
As a chef, she is turning the magical Bella Vista's rambling mission-style hacienda, apple orchards, bountiful gardens and beehives, into an idyllic venue, while she forgets the past. All sorts of fun things: magazine covers, gourmet cooking, literary agents, wedding plans, photo shoots, stylist, vintage items, delightful cuisine, local gourmet markets, antiques, wine, honey, figs, plus more in this blooming Sonoma setting (I want to be there-like now)!
Everything is going as planned until delicious and sexy Cormac (Mac) comes into the picture (EpiPen included), to dig up old history of Magnus Johansen (Isabel’s grandfather-a key player in the Danish Resistance) sent by Tess. He has traveled to many places in his life from war-torn places of the world, airports and grimy cities, and long barren stretches of scorched earth in the foreign lands; however, none compare to the lush and seductive Bella Vista.
His goal was simple after his injury--- heal, gather the information about Magnus the war hero turned orchardist, then settle in and write his story, as after all this is what he does well. As this hunk slowly lets down his rough outer guard to soften and enjoy the pleasures of this sleepy small town, along with Isabell’s charm in the kitchen- a man worth getting to know.
From the 1940s in Copenhagen to the present time, Susan seamlessly blends the old with the new with an incredible, magical, and inspiring story-- keeping you reading well into the night.
Would definitely recommend reading both books in the series; however, they could serve as a standalone; hoping for a third to come!
As a longtime fan of Susan, her books and writing style, she has a way of drawing her readers into the setting, with strong family historical dynamics and romance. A delicious read, well-written, with family secrets, adventure, summer days and nights, a family wedding (Tess/Dominic), a Beekeeper’s Ball, and unexpected love.
A special thank you to Harlequin MIRA and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
As a chef, she is turning the magical Bella Vista's rambling mission-style hacienda, apple orchards, bountiful gardens and beehives, into an idyllic venue, while she forgets the past. All sorts of fun things: magazine covers, gourmet cooking, literary agents, wedding plans, photo shoots, stylist, vintage items, delightful cuisine, local gourmet markets, antiques, wine, honey, figs, plus more in this blooming Sonoma setting (I want to be there-like now)!
Everything is going as planned until delicious and sexy Cormac (Mac) comes into the picture (EpiPen included), to dig up old history of Magnus Johansen (Isabel’s grandfather-a key player in the Danish Resistance) sent by Tess. He has traveled to many places in his life from war-torn places of the world, airports and grimy cities, and long barren stretches of scorched earth in the foreign lands; however, none compare to the lush and seductive Bella Vista.
His goal was simple after his injury--- heal, gather the information about Magnus the war hero turned orchardist, then settle in and write his story, as after all this is what he does well. As this hunk slowly lets down his rough outer guard to soften and enjoy the pleasures of this sleepy small town, along with Isabell’s charm in the kitchen- a man worth getting to know.
From the 1940s in Copenhagen to the present time, Susan seamlessly blends the old with the new with an incredible, magical, and inspiring story-- keeping you reading well into the night.
Would definitely recommend reading both books in the series; however, they could serve as a standalone; hoping for a third to come!
As a longtime fan of Susan, her books and writing style, she has a way of drawing her readers into the setting, with strong family historical dynamics and romance. A delicious read, well-written, with family secrets, adventure, summer days and nights, a family wedding (Tess/Dominic), a Beekeeper’s Ball, and unexpected love.
A special thank you to Harlequin MIRA and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
February 6, 2015
Having read the Apple Orchard, which I suggest you read first, this novel brings us back to Bella Vista and some of the same characters. This time the main character is Isabel who was my favourite character in the Apple Orchard. So I was interested to read more about her and she did not disappoint. She is not only setting up a cooking school at Bella Vista and organising the wedding of her half sister Tess, but she is also involved with bee keeping and producing honey. Into Bella Vista comes Cormac O’Neill, a friend of Tess and also a famous journalist who is writing the story of Tess and Isabel’s grandfather Magnus.
For those of us who had read The Apple Orchard there was a little bit of overlap of some parts of the back story concerning Magnus and World War 2, but also plenty that was new. I liked the character of Annelise and also Jamie. I thought it was a shame we didn’t get to hear more of Jamie and the birth of her baby but perhaps that is for the next book in this series. I thought Cormac, (Mac) was a little stereotypical and just a bit too much of the hunky male. The scene early in the book with the bees had me chuckling.Probably because I liked Isabel more than I did Tess, I found this more enjoyable than The Apple Orchard.
For those into cooking there are recipes included using honey and lavender. Since neither are things I ever would use, I ignored those. But if you’re into cooking you might enjoy them as well as this love and family story with its interesting historical information.
For those of us who had read The Apple Orchard there was a little bit of overlap of some parts of the back story concerning Magnus and World War 2, but also plenty that was new. I liked the character of Annelise and also Jamie. I thought it was a shame we didn’t get to hear more of Jamie and the birth of her baby but perhaps that is for the next book in this series. I thought Cormac, (Mac) was a little stereotypical and just a bit too much of the hunky male. The scene early in the book with the bees had me chuckling.Probably because I liked Isabel more than I did Tess, I found this more enjoyable than The Apple Orchard.
For those into cooking there are recipes included using honey and lavender. Since neither are things I ever would use, I ignored those. But if you’re into cooking you might enjoy them as well as this love and family story with its interesting historical information.
October 13, 2014
I love this series. Although I do have a few tiffs with this book, I still gave it 5 stars. It is a wonderful story that weaves back between the grandfather's experience in occupied Denmark and Isabella's struggle to find love.
My tiffs with the book
1. Dominic is completely missing from this book. I think he has about 4 conversation lines right before the bridal shower. Other than that, he is mentioned in name, and in passing.
2. His children are also absent, which shocked me since they did spend time at Bella Vista in the last book.
3. I liked Jamie, but she seemed forced in the beginning of the book. Then I started to like her and wanted to know more. But her role seemed to taper of at the end. After she decides what she wants to do with her baby her storyline seems to platu.
4. There are a few stories that are just not told. Eva's, Romanoe's, Isabella's mother. Will they be in future books? I don't know.
5. The ending. Holy crap.... WHAT!
My tiffs with the book
1. Dominic is completely missing from this book. I think he has about 4 conversation lines right before the bridal shower. Other than that, he is mentioned in name, and in passing.
2. His children are also absent, which shocked me since they did spend time at Bella Vista in the last book.
3. I liked Jamie, but she seemed forced in the beginning of the book. Then I started to like her and wanted to know more. But her role seemed to taper of at the end. After she decides what she wants to do with her baby her storyline seems to platu.
4. There are a few stories that are just not told. Eva's, Romanoe's, Isabella's mother. Will they be in future books? I don't know.
5. The ending. Holy crap.... WHAT!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2014
Chick Lite at its lightest. There are snippets of the Danish war resistance seen in The Apple Orchard but mostly we follow Isabella's story. She is opening a culinary school at Bella Vista, hiring a new beekeeper to manage her growing honey industry, planning the food for her sister Tess's upcoming wedding and doing her best to avoid Cormac O'Neil, a feature writing journalist hired to write her grandfather's life story.
If you love all things honey related and recipes in your novels this is the book for you. If you are all about heroines hiding deep dark secrets but unwilling to face them even when true love is staring her in the face , unable to move forward then this will be a fun.
The story came off as lightweight when it could have been so much more.
A pleasant read which could have been so much more.
If you love all things honey related and recipes in your novels this is the book for you. If you are all about heroines hiding deep dark secrets but unwilling to face them even when true love is staring her in the face , unable to move forward then this will be a fun.
The story came off as lightweight when it could have been so much more.
A pleasant read which could have been so much more.
June 10, 2015
I actually liked this one a lot more than the first book--though I disagree with some of the trope-y additions Wiggs included (particularly ) and I wasn't that impressed with the main love interest.
I think Isabel is a much more pleasant narrator than Tess was, and I found it easier to relate to her background than Tess's jet-setting world-traveler past. I also appreciated the inclusion of Jamie Westfall as (while somewhat of a plot device) another way for Isabel to express her feelings to the audience rather than what I originally expected (which was a second love interest to create a love triangle). The last main problem I had was the lackluster finish to her issues with Calvin Sharpe: .
I think Isabel is a much more pleasant narrator than Tess was, and I found it easier to relate to her background than Tess's jet-setting world-traveler past. I also appreciated the inclusion of Jamie Westfall as (while somewhat of a plot device) another way for Isabel to express her feelings to the audience rather than what I originally expected (which was a second love interest to create a love triangle). The last main problem I had was the lackluster finish to her issues with Calvin Sharpe: .
August 29, 2024
Book two of a 2 book set, THE BEEKEEPER’S BALL, is a thoroughly enjoyable, well researched, historical fiction novel. Author, Susan Wiggs, uses the dual timeline technique to provide both the historical information and character development.
One area of WW2 that I don’t find much information about is what happened in Denmark/Copenhagen. This is the setting for the historical timeline. Wiggs draws a fine line between the horrors of Nazi occupation and the natural beauty of Denmark’s Nordic Archipelago scapes.
All of the older characters were part of the Danish resistance. They knew each other, worked together, in various degrees, plus had their own complicated stories that are painstakingly revealed over the course of the story, as the younger generation characters seek answers to family mysteries.
Wiggs created a cast of memorable characters; the kind that will be remembered for a long time. They’re deep, honest, real; not quirky and fleeting. How did all these people end up in Sonoma Valley, California after the war? Did Isabel’s Grandfather really cheat on Bubbie? Who really gave birth to her dad? What’s the real story behind Grandfather and the Maldonado’s? All the land for Belle Vista? Family relationships? What about Cal Sharp and his new restaurant here at the exact same time Isabel is opening the new cooking school; a coincidence, or not? How about Mac? World famous reporter, photojournalist, author - here at Belle Vista to interview Grandfather, write his life story? So. Many. Questions.
If it weren’t for the fact that I feel like Wiggs left unanswered questions and should have written one more book to finish this family saga, I would have given this book 5 stars. You can read this book without reading the first book; no problem. There’s plenty of backstory to make a solid foundation altho’ I’m sure the first book is satisfying in its own right. I was pleased with the author using great restraint as far as language and sexual scenes.
Good historical information delivered via the storyline, dual POV’s that flow seamlessly and family mysteries that are complicated enough to keep you guessing for almost 400 pages📚
One area of WW2 that I don’t find much information about is what happened in Denmark/Copenhagen. This is the setting for the historical timeline. Wiggs draws a fine line between the horrors of Nazi occupation and the natural beauty of Denmark’s Nordic Archipelago scapes.
All of the older characters were part of the Danish resistance. They knew each other, worked together, in various degrees, plus had their own complicated stories that are painstakingly revealed over the course of the story, as the younger generation characters seek answers to family mysteries.
Wiggs created a cast of memorable characters; the kind that will be remembered for a long time. They’re deep, honest, real; not quirky and fleeting. How did all these people end up in Sonoma Valley, California after the war? Did Isabel’s Grandfather really cheat on Bubbie? Who really gave birth to her dad? What’s the real story behind Grandfather and the Maldonado’s? All the land for Belle Vista? Family relationships? What about Cal Sharp and his new restaurant here at the exact same time Isabel is opening the new cooking school; a coincidence, or not? How about Mac? World famous reporter, photojournalist, author - here at Belle Vista to interview Grandfather, write his life story? So. Many. Questions.
If it weren’t for the fact that I feel like Wiggs left unanswered questions and should have written one more book to finish this family saga, I would have given this book 5 stars. You can read this book without reading the first book; no problem. There’s plenty of backstory to make a solid foundation altho’ I’m sure the first book is satisfying in its own right. I was pleased with the author using great restraint as far as language and sexual scenes.
Good historical information delivered via the storyline, dual POV’s that flow seamlessly and family mysteries that are complicated enough to keep you guessing for almost 400 pages📚
February 18, 2016
It’s wonderful to visit Archangel again! I fell in love with the charming fictional town in the first book, THE APPLE ORCHARD. Susan Wiggs’ gorgeous descriptions of Sonoma County make me want to jump inside her books.
THE BEEKEEPER’S BALL picks up where the first book left off. Sisters Tess and Isabel are planning Tess’ wedding at the family estate called Bella Vista. Isabel is also living out her dream of opening a cooking school in their home. Isabel is a workaholic and a bit of a hermit. She’s been hiding out at Bella Vista for years because of a painful experience in her past. Along comes Cormac (Mac) O’Neill, a battered journalist hired to write her grandfather’s life story, and he challenges her to shed her protective cocoon.
The story alternates between present-day Archangel and World War II Denmark. More family secrets are revealed as Magnus shares his past as part of the Danish resistance movement. I liked how we got some answers to questions from the first book, though the author leaves us with a major unresolved twist at the end!! I can only hope this means there’s a 3rd book in the works.
The romance in this book was okay – not the greatest. Maybe the chemistry between Mac and Isabel was lacking, or maybe their story was overshadowed by the World War II parts. This book didn’t flow as smoothly or have as strong a focus as the first. Still, I thought it was a good read, and like I said before, I’m hopeful there will be another book to tie up the surprise loose ends. 3.5 stars.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
THE BEEKEEPER’S BALL picks up where the first book left off. Sisters Tess and Isabel are planning Tess’ wedding at the family estate called Bella Vista. Isabel is also living out her dream of opening a cooking school in their home. Isabel is a workaholic and a bit of a hermit. She’s been hiding out at Bella Vista for years because of a painful experience in her past. Along comes Cormac (Mac) O’Neill, a battered journalist hired to write her grandfather’s life story, and he challenges her to shed her protective cocoon.
The story alternates between present-day Archangel and World War II Denmark. More family secrets are revealed as Magnus shares his past as part of the Danish resistance movement. I liked how we got some answers to questions from the first book, though the author leaves us with a major unresolved twist at the end!! I can only hope this means there’s a 3rd book in the works.
The romance in this book was okay – not the greatest. Maybe the chemistry between Mac and Isabel was lacking, or maybe their story was overshadowed by the World War II parts. This book didn’t flow as smoothly or have as strong a focus as the first. Still, I thought it was a good read, and like I said before, I’m hopeful there will be another book to tie up the surprise loose ends. 3.5 stars.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2021
The second of a series in The Bella Vista Chronicles.
Both are about half sisters who have the same father. The first book is mostly about Tess. This book is about Isabel.
Isabel was brought up by her paternal grandparents after her mother, Francesca, died giving birth to her. She is helping to plan Tess's wedding to Dominic Rossi. She is also renovating Bella Vista to house a cooking school with on-site accomodations.
A writer, Mac, has arrived to interview and write the memoir of Grandpa Magnus. He has quite a story to tell, mostly centered on his WWII experiences.
This is a wonderful book that alternates between present day and WWII. There are 6-7 recipes included all of whose main ingredient is honey (go figure!!).
This is my second time to read the book and looking forward to book club discussion on Nov 1.
4 stars
Both are about half sisters who have the same father. The first book is mostly about Tess. This book is about Isabel.
Isabel was brought up by her paternal grandparents after her mother, Francesca, died giving birth to her. She is helping to plan Tess's wedding to Dominic Rossi. She is also renovating Bella Vista to house a cooking school with on-site accomodations.
A writer, Mac, has arrived to interview and write the memoir of Grandpa Magnus. He has quite a story to tell, mostly centered on his WWII experiences.
This is a wonderful book that alternates between present day and WWII. There are 6-7 recipes included all of whose main ingredient is honey (go figure!!).
This is my second time to read the book and looking forward to book club discussion on Nov 1.
4 stars
January 25, 2015
I liked The Apple Orchard. It read much smoother than this one and the love story was sweet, plus I flt as if I were getting my money's worth in that story. This love story felt so silly, and Mac's character was more girly than manly. I had issues with the other characters, too. On the whole, Beekeeper's Ball felt very choppy, as if scenes were missing. The writing was very young, like I was reading my 10 year old's book report. Lots of errors and things that didn't make sense after book one. I wonder who edited the book. Felt phoned in. Will consider skipping hardcover prices in the future. Too inconsistent to spend the extra dollars. Sad, but true.(less)
October 7, 2024
הספר הוא המשך ישיר לספר שדרת עצי התפוח ומתחיל מהנקודה שבה הסתיים הספר הקודם.
בעקבות האוצר המשפחתי שטס מצאה בספר הקודם, אחוזת בלה ויסטה נחלצה מקשייה הכלכליים, וכעת איזבל - אחותה למחצה של טס - יכולה להגשים חלום ולהקים בבלה ויסטה בית ספר לבישול עם בית הארחה.
איזבל מחכה למומחה לגידול דבורים שיעזור לה לטפל בכוורות האחוזה, אבל נתקלת במק, עיתונאי וסופר שבא לכתוב את סיפור חייו של סבה. איזבל לא ממש מתחברת לרעיון של חיטוט בזכרונות העבר, לא של סבה ולא שלה. אבל לאט לאט היא לומדת להשלים עם נוכחותו של מק ואפילו מתאהבת בו.
יש בספר הזה שתי בעיות עיקריות שהקשו עלי להתחבר אליו:
1. סיפור העבר של הסבא נחשף כבר בספר הקודם בסדרה. נכון שבספר הזה הרחיבו ופירטו יותר, אבל עדיין הסיפור היה מוכר והרגיש חזרה על משהו שכבר קראתי.
2. הכימייה בין מק לאיזבל הייתה אפסית. הדיאלוג ביניהם היה אמור לשקף משיכה פלוס עקיצות הדדיות, אבל בפועל זה היה דיאלוג מאוד מתוסרט ויבשושי שלא הצליח להעביר שום מתח מיני או רומנטי. מעבר לידידות כלשהי, לא הצלחתי להרגיש שום חיבור בין איזבל למק.
הספר אמנם נותן פתרון לכמה מהשאלות שנשארו לי בסוף קריאת הספר הקודם, אבל בעיני זה לא הצדיק כתיבת ספר נוסף. אפשר היה להגיע לאותה תוצאה אם היו מוסיפים עוד 200-300 עמודים לספר הקודם (מה שהיה הופך אותו ליותר מעניין ורחב).
בכללי, ההרגשה היא שהיה לסופרת סיפור טוב לספר, אבל משיקולים כלכליים היא החליטה לפצל את הסיפור ל-2 ספרים שונים שחלקים גדולים מהעלילה שלהם חופפים זה לזה. מבאס, כי אני מאוד מחבבת את הסופרת הזאת.
בכל מקרה, ספר בינוני אבל מעולה לקריאה קלילה בטיסה או בין ארוחות חג מעייפות.
ציון לשבח לכריכה הישראלית של הספר. אחת הכריכות היותר יפות שיצא לי לראות. זה כאילו ההוצאה לאור הישראלית ידעה שיש לה ספר חלש ביד שרק כריכה מדהימה תגרום לו להימכר כמו צנצנות דבש בראש השנה. שיחקתם אותה!
בעקבות האוצר המשפחתי שטס מצאה בספר הקודם, אחוזת בלה ויסטה נחלצה מקשייה הכלכליים, וכעת איזבל - אחותה למחצה של טס - יכולה להגשים חלום ולהקים בבלה ויסטה בית ספר לבישול עם בית הארחה.
איזבל מחכה למומחה לגידול דבורים שיעזור לה לטפל בכוורות האחוזה, אבל נתקלת במק, עיתונאי וסופר שבא לכתוב את סיפור חייו של סבה. איזבל לא ממש מתחברת לרעיון של חיטוט בזכרונות העבר, לא של סבה ולא שלה. אבל לאט לאט היא לומדת להשלים עם נוכחותו של מק ואפילו מתאהבת בו.
יש בספר הזה שתי בעיות עיקריות שהקשו עלי להתחבר אליו:
1. סיפור העבר של הסבא נחשף כבר בספר הקודם בסדרה. נכון שבספר הזה הרחיבו ופירטו יותר, אבל עדיין הסיפור היה מוכר והרגיש חזרה על משהו שכבר קראתי.
2. הכימייה בין מק לאיזבל הייתה אפסית. הדיאלוג ביניהם היה אמור לשקף משיכה פלוס עקיצות הדדיות, אבל בפועל זה היה דיאלוג מאוד מתוסרט ויבשושי שלא הצליח להעביר שום מתח מיני או רומנטי. מעבר לידידות כלשהי, לא הצלחתי להרגיש שום חיבור בין איזבל למק.
הספר אמנם נותן פתרון לכמה מהשאלות שנשארו לי בסוף קריאת הספר הקודם, אבל בעיני זה לא הצדיק כתיבת ספר נוסף. אפשר היה להגיע לאותה תוצאה אם היו מוסיפים עוד 200-300 עמודים לספר הקודם (מה שהיה הופך אותו ליותר מעניין ורחב).
בכללי, ההרגשה היא שהיה לסופרת סיפור טוב לספר, אבל משיקולים כלכליים היא החליטה לפצל את הסיפור ל-2 ספרים שונים שחלקים גדולים מהעלילה שלהם חופפים זה לזה. מבאס, כי אני מאוד מחבבת את הסופרת הזאת.
בכל מקרה, ספר בינוני אבל מעולה לקריאה קלילה בטיסה או בין ארוחות חג מעייפות.
ציון לשבח לכריכה הישראלית של הספר. אחת הכריכות היותר יפות שיצא לי לראות. זה כאילו ההוצאה לאור הישראלית ידעה שיש לה ספר חלש ביד שרק כריכה מדהימה תגרום לו להימכר כמו צנצנות דבש בראש השנה. שיחקתם אותה!
August 8, 2023
I didn’t take too keenly to this book. It had some good sections but overall I really didn’t care for it.
June 19, 2017
I love Bella Vista! I wish that it was a real place so I could learn to cook as well as Isobel. I want to meet Mangus, Annelise, Isobel, Mac, Tess, Dominic, and Shannon too. Susan Wiggs has created a wonderful place in the Sonoma Valley and truly unforgettable characters! It's been awhile since I really felt immersed into a story and it's characters.
Saved by Tess' talent in ferreting out hidden treasures, Bella Vista has been saved and is being transformed into Isobel Johansen's dream - a Destination Cooking School. The old home has plenty of rooms to accommodate the future enterprise. And Isobel is feverishly working on the details and on Tess's wedding. Tess wants a celebration, rather than the traditional wedding. She's throwing The Beekeeper's Ball. Also, the sister's grandfather is ready to tell his story.
Enter the handsome internationally acclaimed writer, Cormac O'Neill. Oh dear! Poor Isobel. They don't start on the right foot, shall we say. Bee stings and an allergic reaction don't make for a great welcome or a first impression.
The sisters are very surprised that Annelise Winther plays an important role into their grandfather's story. But it shouldn't. As the book blurb says:
The dreamy sweetness of summer is the perfect time of year for a grand family wedding and the enchanting Beekeeper's Ball, bringing emotions to a head in a story where the past and present collide to create an unexpected new future.
Ms. Wiggs gives a slight twist at the end and the hope that she will return to Bella Vista and these amazing characters in the future. Isobel and Mac just might have another adventure.
Saved by Tess' talent in ferreting out hidden treasures, Bella Vista has been saved and is being transformed into Isobel Johansen's dream - a Destination Cooking School. The old home has plenty of rooms to accommodate the future enterprise. And Isobel is feverishly working on the details and on Tess's wedding. Tess wants a celebration, rather than the traditional wedding. She's throwing The Beekeeper's Ball. Also, the sister's grandfather is ready to tell his story.
Enter the handsome internationally acclaimed writer, Cormac O'Neill. Oh dear! Poor Isobel. They don't start on the right foot, shall we say. Bee stings and an allergic reaction don't make for a great welcome or a first impression.
The sisters are very surprised that Annelise Winther plays an important role into their grandfather's story. But it shouldn't. As the book blurb says:
The dreamy sweetness of summer is the perfect time of year for a grand family wedding and the enchanting Beekeeper's Ball, bringing emotions to a head in a story where the past and present collide to create an unexpected new future.
Ms. Wiggs gives a slight twist at the end and the hope that she will return to Bella Vista and these amazing characters in the future. Isobel and Mac just might have another adventure.
August 17, 2014
This is a lovely book. So relaxing. A wonderful choice for someone about to go on an airplane ride they don't want to take because just dipping into the pages is enough to transport you to another world. Turbulence? Don't feel it. Ice on the wings? Not noticing any of that creepy chemical smell as they remove it. Such a world in this book. A beautiful villa with honey bees, a busy construction site, an upcoming wedding, a few family secrets, many delicious recipes discussed and eaten and a very handsome man who may or may not be falling for the main character. It's all there in one sweet little story.
This book was passed on to me by a library patron who said it was the second in a series but didn't have to be read in order because each of this author's books could be read as a stand alone novel. She was right. I enjoyed this little trip into the world of Susan Wiggs so much that I am going to keep her on reserve. I'll just dash back in there any time I need a boost. It's enough of a story to keep you turning the pages but nothing so dark to make you worry as you turn them. There is a little bit of heat in this romance - just enough - but the balance of the book is just about a family that you are happy to get to know. Like a long weekend in a pleasant B&B. Maybe, if you are planning a long weekend at a B&B, you can take this Susan Wiggs book along with you.
This book was passed on to me by a library patron who said it was the second in a series but didn't have to be read in order because each of this author's books could be read as a stand alone novel. She was right. I enjoyed this little trip into the world of Susan Wiggs so much that I am going to keep her on reserve. I'll just dash back in there any time I need a boost. It's enough of a story to keep you turning the pages but nothing so dark to make you worry as you turn them. There is a little bit of heat in this romance - just enough - but the balance of the book is just about a family that you are happy to get to know. Like a long weekend in a pleasant B&B. Maybe, if you are planning a long weekend at a B&B, you can take this Susan Wiggs book along with you.
February 4, 2017
I picked this up because I really liked The Apple Orchard and wanted to know how Isabel fared. Unfortunately this wasn't as good as the first book as it wasn't a straight romance. Well I guess it was just not of the main characters (or who you think is the main character). It turned out to be more Magnus' story than Isabel's. While I liked Magnus' story, I felt that it completely overshadowed Isabel's budding romance with Cormac O'Neill.
I thought the chemistry was scorching hot between Isabel and Mac and I was really glad that they compromised enough to make their happily ever after happen.
I was disappointed in how the whole Calvin Sharpe situation was handled (or not handled). I liked that Annalise and Magnus recalling such horrific memories finally allowed Isabel to open up about what happened to her at chef school. Turns out her solution was the perfect end-all of Calvin Sharpe.
Things weren't really finished though the book was and since this was published in 2014, I'll keep hoping a third book pops up to tidy up all those loose ends especially Jamie because that poor girl needs her HEA in a bad way.
I thought the chemistry was scorching hot between Isabel and Mac and I was really glad that they compromised enough to make their happily ever after happen.
I was disappointed in how the whole Calvin Sharpe situation was handled (or not handled). I liked that Annalise and Magnus recalling such horrific memories finally allowed Isabel to open up about what happened to her at chef school. Turns out her solution was the perfect end-all of Calvin Sharpe.
Things weren't really finished though the book was and since this was published in 2014, I'll keep hoping a third book pops up to tidy up all those loose ends especially Jamie because that poor girl needs her HEA in a bad way.
Read
January 13, 2017The second novel in Wiggs’s Bella Vista series offers the same strong sense of place that characterized the first book. The scenes and the scents and the textures of life at Bella Vista give the reader the sense of having visited this idyllic spot. Both Isabel and Mac are likeable characters, and watching them fall in love is a delight. They have enough in common to enable the reader to believe that more than their desire for one another unites them, and yet the difference between Mac, a diplomat’s son who has spent his entire life wandering the globe, and Isabel, whose heart and memories are inextricably entangled with Bella Vista, is great enough to cast doubt on a happy resolution.
Magnus’s story is compelling and poignant on many levels, and it contributes to the richly developed theme of the intrusion of the past on the present. Readers who enjoyed The Apple Orchard will be happy to see more of Tess and Dominic. Some threads are resolved, and others are left tantalizingly unresolved. One particular twist Wiggs tosses in left me beyond eager for the next Bella Vista book.
See full review at Just Janga:
http://justjanga.blogspot.com/2014/07...
Magnus’s story is compelling and poignant on many levels, and it contributes to the richly developed theme of the intrusion of the past on the present. Readers who enjoyed The Apple Orchard will be happy to see more of Tess and Dominic. Some threads are resolved, and others are left tantalizingly unresolved. One particular twist Wiggs tosses in left me beyond eager for the next Bella Vista book.
See full review at Just Janga:
http://justjanga.blogspot.com/2014/07...
August 6, 2020
These two books were a very pleasant diversion. While a tad more 'chest heaving' romance than I typically enjoy, they also included two items of particular interest: a bit of history about what the German war machine perpetrated on their victims--information that I had not heard before, in spite of quite a few WWII books that I've read--and some lovely sounding recipes (which I will be trying soon). The stories switched back and forth from the history of WWII to the current lives of the families, which was a nice balance between darkness and light.
The first book in this series focuses on one main character and included most of the people in this second book, which focused on a different main character (both likable) while integrating the people from the first book. They both included lovely imagery as shown in the excerpt below.
Excerpt:
There was a lively play of light and shadow in the space as the sun filtered through the plank siding and the high windows, limning all three women in a diffusing glow. They resembled an Old Masters painting, gathered around the table, arranging the fabric, flowers and candles.
The first book in this series focuses on one main character and included most of the people in this second book, which focused on a different main character (both likable) while integrating the people from the first book. They both included lovely imagery as shown in the excerpt below.
Excerpt:
There was a lively play of light and shadow in the space as the sun filtered through the plank siding and the high windows, limning all three women in a diffusing glow. They resembled an Old Masters painting, gathered around the table, arranging the fabric, flowers and candles.
May 5, 2021
The Beekeeper's Ball, by Susan Wiggs, will take readers on a suspenseful heart-warming journey. Isabel Johansen, a gifted chef, has returned to the sheltering embrace of her childhood home and her loving grandfather. Bella Vista's rambling hacienda, with working apple orchards, lush gardens, and active beehives offers the ideal venue for Isabel's ambitious dream of a destination cooking school. As she prepares Bella Vista for its first major event, war-torn journalist Cormac O'Neill arrives to write her grandfather's biography, including his role in the Danish Resistance during the second world war. As Isabel learns of deep family secrets, sacrifices, daring acts of bravery, and the enduring bonds of family, will she risk confronting her own buried pain and open her heart to love? Susan Wiggs transports us seamlessly back and forth between recent times and Copenhagen of the 1940's. If you attend the Beekeeper's Ball, it just may stretch your heart and mind as it has mine. Gwendolyn Broadmore, author, Life Came to a Standstill.
March 18, 2016
An excellent follow up to The Apple Orchard, yet written so deftly, that although it is better if you read the first book, enough of the plot was covered so that it was not necessary. The contemporary characters were again interwoven with the history. I never knew much about the Danish Underground during the Nazi occupation, but the stories of the heroic efforts of ordinary people moved me. Because we care about the well written fictional characters affected by the historic events, it made the horrors of the Nazi regime more terribly compelling than reading a history book or biography. The author has clearly done her research but the historical events were shared without preaching. I eagerly anticipate the next book in this series.
March 10, 2019
The second in the Bella Vista series, this one goes a bit deeper into Magnus and Annelise and Ramon and Eva's time in wartime Copenhagen, the first three in the Danish resistance, Eva, a captured Jew. Some of it was pretty horrendous and a lot of it illuminating and all of it in the past. Isabelle is the current focus along with her past in an abusive relationship, Tess and Dominic's wedding, and the soon-to-be opened cooking school. There is a lot about beekeeping and recipes using honey. Altogether a delightful book. I felt that Jamie, the pregnant beekeeper, was more interesting than Isabelle's love interest, Mac. For some reason he struck me wrong. I guess he was a bit too flippant in the face of serious issues, but that's the way some people deal with them.
August 3, 2014
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first book in the series. I felt it was repetitive at times and the descriptions weren't as great as I had expected. I have never heard of a kiss described as "sexy" and it continued to bother me throughout the book. The WWII history in the novel was a nice addition again and I enjoyed learning more about Magnus' past. But I feel the plot and writing fell flat. Isabel was the character I felt I could relate to most when reading The Apple Orchard, so I had high hopes for this book. But I didn't find her as appealing. I hope the next book in the series is as good as the first, because this was a little disappointing.
May 12, 2020
Resembling a romance novel in some ways, we have a story built on the classic plot "a stranger comes to town." The hero/stranger is famous and impossibly handsome, the heroine beautiful but reluctant to trust the stranger. Their relationship unfolds slowly, sweetly and predictably, yet the theme of overcoming past trauma, along with the introduction of characters who barely survived in Europe during WWII, gives more than enough depth to prevent the story being mere fluff. My interest was maintained throughout, due to likable characters and because the "reveals" about how things happened in the past are well-paced and often surprising.
January 15, 2021
3’5/5🌟
Ήταν γλυκό και ο,τι ήθελα να διαβασω για να ξεχαστώ. Απλο αλλά με ζωντανή περιγραφή και πολύ συμπαθητικούς χαρακτήρες. Η πρωταγωνίστρια ήταν ένας χαρακτήρας με τον οποίο μπορούμε να ταυτιστούμε πολλοί, φοβισμένη από τις εμπειριες το παρελθόντος να αφεθεί ολοκληρωτικά στην πραγματική αγάπη, να ανοίξει ξανά την καρδιά της.
Cute βιβλίο και με πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα δευτερεύουσα πλοκή, με αφηγήσεις του παππού της υπόθεσης από την γερμανική κατοχή στην Δανία και την δύναμη της ανθρώπινης φύσης να αντέχει πολλά και να προσπαθεί να χτίσει ξανά από την αρχή.
Ήταν γλυκό και ο,τι ήθελα να διαβασω για να ξεχαστώ. Απλο αλλά με ζωντανή περιγραφή και πολύ συμπαθητικούς χαρακτήρες. Η πρωταγωνίστρια ήταν ένας χαρακτήρας με τον οποίο μπορούμε να ταυτιστούμε πολλοί, φοβισμένη από τις εμπειριες το παρελθόντος να αφεθεί ολοκληρωτικά στην πραγματική αγάπη, να ανοίξει ξανά την καρδιά της.
Cute βιβλίο και με πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα δευτερεύουσα πλοκή, με αφηγήσεις του παππού της υπόθεσης από την γερμανική κατοχή στην Δανία και την δύναμη της ανθρώπινης φύσης να αντέχει πολλά και να προσπαθεί να χτίσει ξανά από την αρχή.
May 30, 2015
This didn't really hold my interest. I bought the book, so I kept going with it. If it were a library book, I would've ditched it. I liked her 1st book in the series, The Apple Orchard much better. The main character, Isabelle was too whiny, and I got tired of her playing hard to get, and of all the reasons she shouldn't fall in love with Mac. I was very happy to finish!!
December 5, 2014
I had been looking forward to listening to this book ever since I heard it was coming out - and it didn't disappoint! I loved the character, Isabel, and Mac was such an interesting character. It helped that I loved the setting. The background story from WWII Denmark was an important part and it brought everything about the family together.
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