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Honeysuckle Season
An Amazon Charts bestseller.
From bestselling author Mary Ellen Taylor comes a story about profound loss, hard truths, and an overgrown greenhouse full of old secrets.
Adrift in the wake of her father’s death, a failed marriage, and multiple miscarriages, Libby McKenzie feels truly alone. Though her new life as a wedding photographer provides a semblance of purpose, it’s also a distraction from her profound pain.
When asked to photograph a wedding at the historic Woodmont estate, Libby meets the owner, Elaine Grant. Hoping to open Woodmont to the public, Elaine has employed young widower Colton Reese to help restore the grounds and asks Libby to photograph the process. Libby is immediately drawn to the old greenhouse shrouded in honeysuckle vines.
As Libby forms relationships and explores the overgrown—yet hauntingly beautiful—Woodmont estate, she finds the emotional courage to sort through her father’s office. There she discovers a letter that changes everything she knows about her parents, herself, and the estate. Beneath the vines of the old greenhouse lie generations of secrets, and it’s up to Libby to tend to the fruits born of long-buried seeds.
From bestselling author Mary Ellen Taylor comes a story about profound loss, hard truths, and an overgrown greenhouse full of old secrets.
Adrift in the wake of her father’s death, a failed marriage, and multiple miscarriages, Libby McKenzie feels truly alone. Though her new life as a wedding photographer provides a semblance of purpose, it’s also a distraction from her profound pain.
When asked to photograph a wedding at the historic Woodmont estate, Libby meets the owner, Elaine Grant. Hoping to open Woodmont to the public, Elaine has employed young widower Colton Reese to help restore the grounds and asks Libby to photograph the process. Libby is immediately drawn to the old greenhouse shrouded in honeysuckle vines.
As Libby forms relationships and explores the overgrown—yet hauntingly beautiful—Woodmont estate, she finds the emotional courage to sort through her father’s office. There she discovers a letter that changes everything she knows about her parents, herself, and the estate. Beneath the vines of the old greenhouse lie generations of secrets, and it’s up to Libby to tend to the fruits born of long-buried seeds.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2020
14989 people are currently reading
19404 people want to read
About the author
Mary Ellen Taylor
16 books1,869 followersA southerner by birth, Mary Ellen Taylor’s love of her home state of Virginia and its past is evident in her contemporary women's fiction novels, from her first THE UNION STREET BAKERY to her latest, THE WORDS WE WHISPER, which debuts July 20, 2021. Her novels explore issues of family, home and belonging and entwine the past and present.
Richmond born, Mary Ellen has lived there most of her life. Alongside writing, cooking and baking are important creative outlets for Mary Ellen, who's been known to name recipes in honor of her characters. Just a few years ago, she earned her Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond's Culinary Arts Program. "In some ways, I liken baking to my efforts as a writer. You need to learn the basic tools of the trade before you can push the limits and create a distinctive sweet dessert or savory novel.”
Mary Ellen is also known nationally as New York Times and USA Today bestselling suspense novelist Mary Burton. Together, they have published forty-five novels, with Mary Burton’s latest, NEAR YOU, debuting April 13, 2021.
When not traveling or holed up writing, she and her husband spend time alternately enjoying their empty nest and spoiling their miniature dachshunds, Buddy, Bella and Tiki.
Richmond born, Mary Ellen has lived there most of her life. Alongside writing, cooking and baking are important creative outlets for Mary Ellen, who's been known to name recipes in honor of her characters. Just a few years ago, she earned her Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond's Culinary Arts Program. "In some ways, I liken baking to my efforts as a writer. You need to learn the basic tools of the trade before you can push the limits and create a distinctive sweet dessert or savory novel.”
Mary Ellen is also known nationally as New York Times and USA Today bestselling suspense novelist Mary Burton. Together, they have published forty-five novels, with Mary Burton’s latest, NEAR YOU, debuting April 13, 2021.
When not traveling or holed up writing, she and her husband spend time alternately enjoying their empty nest and spoiling their miniature dachshunds, Buddy, Bella and Tiki.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,663 reviews
September 13, 2020
In the present day, this is the story of Libby McKenzie, a single wedding photographer coming off three miscarriages and a divorce and hired by Elaine Carter Grant, the owner of the generations-old Woodmont estate to record the estate's renovation. In the 1940's wartime past, this is primarily the story of Olivia Carter, Elaine's grandmother, and Sadie Thompson, a young, spirited teenage girl hired by Olivia's husband Edward to drive his wife where she needs to go. Thrown into the mix are the Reese family: Margaret, who cooks and cares for the house, her widowed son, Colton, who lives on the estate and cares for the grounds and buildings, and a healthy dose of other characters who keep things interesting. It's the story of how all these people interconnect that makes this book such an enjoyable read.
My best advice for this book? Pull out a notebook and start writing down the character names and who they are early on, because it's a puzzle of inter-connectedness that you're going to be putting together to the very end. Personally, I loved every second of it, and unpeeling the layers was delightful. I don't think all the family connections were terribly difficult to figure out, but I don't know that the reveals were meant to be those shocking "a-ha!" moments. Rather than playing like a mystery, it was a gently unfolding story with charm and intrigue, full of (mostly) likeable characters and back-and-forth story lines that wove past and present together seamlessly to reveal the whole picture. They're different stories, but it reminded me so much of the feeling I had when I watched Fried Green Tomatoes for the first time, as the story played between the past and present. If you've ever read that book or seen the movie, my mind thought of Olivia Carter and Sadie Thompson a lot like I though of Ruth and Idgie, and the special friendship they had.
This book has a little bit of everything: humor, drama, intrigue, mystery, romance, power dynamics, historical references, sad moments, feel good moments, and adventure. It also has some grim reminders of 1940's misogynistic viewpoints towards women/wives and societal views and behaviors towards the poor. That's not an area of history that's particularly enjoyable to revisit, but it does play some role in the events of the story. If you enjoy historical fiction and an overall warm-hearted family/friendship drama, this really is a wonderful little book.
★★★★★ Stars ❤️
My best advice for this book? Pull out a notebook and start writing down the character names and who they are early on, because it's a puzzle of inter-connectedness that you're going to be putting together to the very end. Personally, I loved every second of it, and unpeeling the layers was delightful. I don't think all the family connections were terribly difficult to figure out, but I don't know that the reveals were meant to be those shocking "a-ha!" moments. Rather than playing like a mystery, it was a gently unfolding story with charm and intrigue, full of (mostly) likeable characters and back-and-forth story lines that wove past and present together seamlessly to reveal the whole picture. They're different stories, but it reminded me so much of the feeling I had when I watched Fried Green Tomatoes for the first time, as the story played between the past and present. If you've ever read that book or seen the movie, my mind thought of Olivia Carter and Sadie Thompson a lot like I though of Ruth and Idgie, and the special friendship they had.
This book has a little bit of everything: humor, drama, intrigue, mystery, romance, power dynamics, historical references, sad moments, feel good moments, and adventure. It also has some grim reminders of 1940's misogynistic viewpoints towards women/wives and societal views and behaviors towards the poor. That's not an area of history that's particularly enjoyable to revisit, but it does play some role in the events of the story. If you enjoy historical fiction and an overall warm-hearted family/friendship drama, this really is a wonderful little book.
★★★★★ Stars ❤️
September 8, 2021
The cover made me do it
Okay, lets be honest. It was the cover that got my attention.The turquoise blue against the pale pink. It was beautiful.I needed to know what was inside.
Although, it was unlike anything I have ever read.
In the end It just feels incomplete to me.
Don't get me wrong, the loose ends of the past tied up.
I'm just left needing to know more.
Okay, lets be honest. It was the cover that got my attention.The turquoise blue against the pale pink. It was beautiful.I needed to know what was inside.
Although, it was unlike anything I have ever read.
In the end It just feels incomplete to me.
Don't get me wrong, the loose ends of the past tied up.
I'm just left needing to know more.
August 2, 2020
Ooh this was a lovely book to read, I loved it from the first page to the last even though some of it was a little predictable I still enjoyed it . I hadn’t read this author before and this one came from Prime First Reads so I thought I’d try it, I’m so glad I did and I’m sure I’ll read more of hers in the future.
Here’s hoping there is a second book in this series.
Here’s hoping there is a second book in this series.
September 26, 2020
A southern tale of secrets, family, and friendship. This is told thru alternating time lines of the 1940s and present day, which the author detailed well. It is an engaging and interesting read, it grabbed my attention right from the start, and held me captive throughout. The details of how women and wives were treated in the 40s was at times shocking, and made me thankful to be a woman of the present day.
September 19, 2020
Relaxing read
I selected this book because I need a nice, relaxing read. I loved the premise of the book, where history reveals past secrets and where the past aligns with the current times. Enjoyable characters, strong, female characters with depth. I’m grateful the author didn’t dwell on romance, as I don’t like that genre. Definitely recommended.
I selected this book because I need a nice, relaxing read. I loved the premise of the book, where history reveals past secrets and where the past aligns with the current times. Enjoyable characters, strong, female characters with depth. I’m grateful the author didn’t dwell on romance, as I don’t like that genre. Definitely recommended.
August 17, 2020
Another in a long line of free duds from Amazon Kindle First Reads. This was my Aug choice, and in keeping with my rotten streak of luck with this program, yet again I did not choose wisely.
I had a lot of problems with this book:
Pregnancy was heavily emphasized throughout - so many pregnancies, miscarriages, and one-night stands! Olivia and Libby had repeated miscarriages, although after 3 miscarriages Libby gets pregnant in a potentially one-night-only fluke, with what turns out to be a distant cousin (ok with the author, but gross to me). Elaine gets pregnant in a one night stand with a married man. Sadie gets pregnant after a rape. Even a random 19 yr old waitress at a pizza place was pregnant.
Olivia’s husband, Dr. Carter, was involved in eugenics, a practice in the 40’s where simple-minded (mentally disabled) and ‘troublesome’ (needed to be punished or controlled by a husband or family) women were sterilized. Of course, on the surface this sounds like a terrible cruelty, and certainly as a punishment or means to control a woman I would agree it is horrible idea, but do not be so quick to judge. As the mother of a mentally disabled grown (male) child, I don’t think I should be ruled out automatically. Because if a mentally disabled individual gets pregnant or becomes a father, who is likely to become responsible for the child if the parents are incapable of taking care of themselves, let alone raising that child? The grandparents, of which I would be one, and so I feel it would be in my best interest to do all I can to prevent such a thing from happening. Raising my own has taken all I’ve got, and I do not want to be forced or feel compelled to take on raising someone else’s baby, even a grandchild.
I find it hard to believe that a 22 yr old college grad single mother in the late 80’s was so horrifying that she had to be sent away to have the baby in secret shame! Inconvenient and life changing, yes, but scandalous? It was absurd for her grandparents to so severely over-react.
I did not care for Libby, and found it hard to believe that she grew up in a very small town, with the local pediatrician as her father, yet knew absolutely nothing about the townspeople or it’s history/lore. She seemed to continuously be meeting old timers and learning old stories and local history like she had just moved in.
Also another book with incredibly stupid soap opera names, like Colton, Tanner, Lofton. Autocorrect doesn’t even like Lofton. And the stilted, awkward dialogue read like a soap opera, as well. Sometimes it felt rather juvenile. This is apparently a popular author, but I will not be seeking out more of her books. Happy to put this one behind me.
I had a lot of problems with this book:
Pregnancy was heavily emphasized throughout - so many pregnancies, miscarriages, and one-night stands! Olivia and Libby had repeated miscarriages, although after 3 miscarriages Libby gets pregnant in a potentially one-night-only fluke, with what turns out to be a distant cousin (ok with the author, but gross to me). Elaine gets pregnant in a one night stand with a married man. Sadie gets pregnant after a rape. Even a random 19 yr old waitress at a pizza place was pregnant.
Olivia’s husband, Dr. Carter, was involved in eugenics, a practice in the 40’s where simple-minded (mentally disabled) and ‘troublesome’ (needed to be punished or controlled by a husband or family) women were sterilized. Of course, on the surface this sounds like a terrible cruelty, and certainly as a punishment or means to control a woman I would agree it is horrible idea, but do not be so quick to judge. As the mother of a mentally disabled grown (male) child, I don’t think I should be ruled out automatically. Because if a mentally disabled individual gets pregnant or becomes a father, who is likely to become responsible for the child if the parents are incapable of taking care of themselves, let alone raising that child? The grandparents, of which I would be one, and so I feel it would be in my best interest to do all I can to prevent such a thing from happening. Raising my own has taken all I’ve got, and I do not want to be forced or feel compelled to take on raising someone else’s baby, even a grandchild.
I find it hard to believe that a 22 yr old college grad single mother in the late 80’s was so horrifying that she had to be sent away to have the baby in secret shame! Inconvenient and life changing, yes, but scandalous? It was absurd for her grandparents to so severely over-react.
I did not care for Libby, and found it hard to believe that she grew up in a very small town, with the local pediatrician as her father, yet knew absolutely nothing about the townspeople or it’s history/lore. She seemed to continuously be meeting old timers and learning old stories and local history like she had just moved in.
Also another book with incredibly stupid soap opera names, like Colton, Tanner, Lofton. Autocorrect doesn’t even like Lofton. And the stilted, awkward dialogue read like a soap opera, as well. Sometimes it felt rather juvenile. This is apparently a popular author, but I will not be seeking out more of her books. Happy to put this one behind me.
August 18, 2020
An Experience Generations of Family Struggles
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I am not a fan of multiple time frames and multiple characters combined in one story. To be honest, it often confuses me early — that’s the case here.
However, the ending was powerful yet,emotionally draining. It touched me deeply.
I recommend this book
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I am not a fan of multiple time frames and multiple characters combined in one story. To be honest, it often confuses me early — that’s the case here.
However, the ending was powerful yet,emotionally draining. It touched me deeply.
I recommend this book
August 9, 2020
Alas, all good things must come to an end. And that is exactly what happened to my good-luck streak related to reading fluffy and "free" Kindle reads/Prime books from Amazon, all because I read Honeysuckle Season.
I can't get too detailed or there will be spoilers, and I know that lots and lots and LOTS of people enjoy Ms Taylor's writing and want to read this book. So, on the off-chance they read this reaction to it, they should have no worries.
On characters: Two seemed totally superfluous, one seemed a caricature of a certain type, many were supremely forgettable.
On connections: In many cases, tenuous, at best.
On structure: I always enjoy when a story alternates between time periods. In this one category, the book did _not_ prove the exception to the rule. I just wished our author had not tried to put such drama and mystery in places where they really were not necessary. Instead, she should have fleshed out characters and some minor storylines that had potential at the outset, but went nowhere. Very slowly.
Overall: Forgettable, for the most part. My mother should not waste her time on it, and instead should be patting herself on the back that she did not select this book as her August freebie.
I can't get too detailed or there will be spoilers, and I know that lots and lots and LOTS of people enjoy Ms Taylor's writing and want to read this book. So, on the off-chance they read this reaction to it, they should have no worries.
On characters: Two seemed totally superfluous, one seemed a caricature of a certain type, many were supremely forgettable.
On connections: In many cases, tenuous, at best.
On structure: I always enjoy when a story alternates between time periods. In this one category, the book did _not_ prove the exception to the rule. I just wished our author had not tried to put such drama and mystery in places where they really were not necessary. Instead, she should have fleshed out characters and some minor storylines that had potential at the outset, but went nowhere. Very slowly.
Overall: Forgettable, for the most part. My mother should not waste her time on it, and instead should be patting herself on the back that she did not select this book as her August freebie.
April 30, 2020
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope there will be another book or two in the series, there are definitely more stories to be told. Like the other books I've read by Mary Ellen Taylor, this book has a current setting with a link to a backstory in the past. This one's backstory was in the 1940s.
Rather than being an overly "sweet" romance where all of the characters are pretty and a broken fingernail is the biggest problem anyone faces, these folks have some challenges going on in their lives and they are working through them the best way they know how.
My only complaint about this book was that it wasn't longer and that I'll have to wait a while to find out if there is going to be a follow up book in the series.
Rather than being an overly "sweet" romance where all of the characters are pretty and a broken fingernail is the biggest problem anyone faces, these folks have some challenges going on in their lives and they are working through them the best way they know how.
My only complaint about this book was that it wasn't longer and that I'll have to wait a while to find out if there is going to be a follow up book in the series.
August 16, 2020
I was pretty bored throughout this whole book. The twists were pretty easy to see coming. The ending tied up everything in a rush but none of it felt really...wonderful?
August 13, 2020
An interesting story of secrets and generations. Flashbacks aren’t my favorite type of novels to read; however, I was able to keep up with the past characters and the current characters and the author wrapped it all up well at the end. It’s a good, solid story, and I do recommend it to those who enjoy women’s fiction.
September 19, 2020
I’m on a bad streak of books I guess. I feel like this is the fourth of fifth book in a row that I can describe as having so much potential, yet being a letdown. I felt like the blurb was fairly misleading too; I wouldn’t describe this as a romance at all, which is what is to be expected when it mentions a male character in the synopsis of a book like this.
Let’s start with that. Honestly, despite the fact that it ends with Libby’s marriage, she and Colton barely interact. There’s one entire scene, right before they admit they’re into each other, where their dialogue consists of a myriad of trite phrases, like “Not your first rodeo”, or “Never a dull moment.” There’s no depth there, and very little chemistry evident. It’s almost like the author realized it too, and didn’t bother to waste much time on them. And then, of course, Libby’s knocked up and he’s proposing. Nope, not rushed at all 🙄. You don’t even have to be a teenager in a YA novel to have instalove. The funny thing is, she won’t agree to marry him at first, not because she doesn’t love him, or because they’ve known each other for five seconds, and have had little to no meaningful conversation (other than her unloading a crap ton of her personal life on him all in one fell swoop in the last thirty or so pages), but because she doesn’t want to bind him to her because she’ll probably lose the baby. Give me a freaking break. And lastly, her cousin?! I don’t care how distant, YUCK.
I didn’t feel like Sadie and Olivia spent enough time together to really warrant the supposed lifelong connection. Or at least the time they did spend didn’t feel meaningful enough. It was painfully easy to guess what would happen to Sadie, and Olivia both, and I just wasn’t invested enough in them to care. Elaine was not really all that interesting to me. Overall, too many perspectives, not enough individual character development.
Then there was the writing. I’ve read a few other books by this author and liked them, so I know what she’s capable of. This book had some lazy writing. Repeated words in sentences, rather than finding a different word. Lots of telling rather than showing. Confusing passages where you weren’t sure what was happening. Too many people introduced too quickly whose names were too similar. And honestly, not a lot of likable characters. I’m all for a flawed protagonist, but I just couldn’t relate to Libby, or Elaine, or Sadie, or Olivia, or... anyone. Colton might as well be a handsome blank slate. Edward Carter is an A-hole. There wasn’t really someone here to love, though I think you were supposed to. And the conclusion felt really rushed and tied all to neatly. Meh. Solid meh, and that’s it.
Let’s start with that. Honestly, despite the fact that it ends with Libby’s marriage, she and Colton barely interact. There’s one entire scene, right before they admit they’re into each other, where their dialogue consists of a myriad of trite phrases, like “Not your first rodeo”, or “Never a dull moment.” There’s no depth there, and very little chemistry evident. It’s almost like the author realized it too, and didn’t bother to waste much time on them. And then, of course, Libby’s knocked up and he’s proposing. Nope, not rushed at all 🙄. You don’t even have to be a teenager in a YA novel to have instalove. The funny thing is, she won’t agree to marry him at first, not because she doesn’t love him, or because they’ve known each other for five seconds, and have had little to no meaningful conversation (other than her unloading a crap ton of her personal life on him all in one fell swoop in the last thirty or so pages), but because she doesn’t want to bind him to her because she’ll probably lose the baby. Give me a freaking break. And lastly, her cousin?! I don’t care how distant, YUCK.
I didn’t feel like Sadie and Olivia spent enough time together to really warrant the supposed lifelong connection. Or at least the time they did spend didn’t feel meaningful enough. It was painfully easy to guess what would happen to Sadie, and Olivia both, and I just wasn’t invested enough in them to care. Elaine was not really all that interesting to me. Overall, too many perspectives, not enough individual character development.
Then there was the writing. I’ve read a few other books by this author and liked them, so I know what she’s capable of. This book had some lazy writing. Repeated words in sentences, rather than finding a different word. Lots of telling rather than showing. Confusing passages where you weren’t sure what was happening. Too many people introduced too quickly whose names were too similar. And honestly, not a lot of likable characters. I’m all for a flawed protagonist, but I just couldn’t relate to Libby, or Elaine, or Sadie, or Olivia, or... anyone. Colton might as well be a handsome blank slate. Edward Carter is an A-hole. There wasn’t really someone here to love, though I think you were supposed to. And the conclusion felt really rushed and tied all to neatly. Meh. Solid meh, and that’s it.
August 9, 2020
Every single time I pick up a book by Mary Ellen Taylor, I am always blown away. And, here we go. This book grabbed me from the very first page. A complex mystery is presented from the beginning. Startling family secrets come into view. Locations are described with clarity. Complex, intriguing, life like, flawed characters appear. You are not only glued to the pages as they fly, you are immediately invested in each character and the story line itself. Emotions are engaged. And, when the whole story comes full circle, you are amazed. Geez, she is a good writer and story teller. Yep, another winner!!!
August 4, 2020
I devoured this book. Mary Ellen Taylor has a magnificent talent for weaving the secrets of the past into the present.
This was such a wonderful story of five women, their friendships, their familiar ties, their strengths, weakness, and their love. I enjoyed each and every character equally. When I was in Libby’s point of view, I was lost in her life, yet I couldn’t wait to get back to Sadie. The same for when I was reading Sadie’s chapters, and wanting to know what was going on with Olivia, and so on.
My heart broke for each of these women over the blows that life as dealt them. Sadie and Olivia have such a wonderful, unexpected friendship. While their story clutched at my heartstrings, I couldn’t help cheering on their resolve to succeed and their devotion to each other. Libby’s story is equally touching with the trials and tribulations she’s suffered. I just wanted to hug her and tell her it was going to be okay. And it was fun watching her come back “to life” as sweet sparks flew between her and Colton. While Margaret and Elaine are more secondary characters, by the end of the book, I felt like they were old friends.
Overall, this was a fabulous tale of how women can and do endure, how we are not the weaker sex, and most importantly, that love, whether it is the romantic kind or more often that of friends, can and does win in the end.
I highly recommend any book by Mary Ellen Taylor.
This was such a wonderful story of five women, their friendships, their familiar ties, their strengths, weakness, and their love. I enjoyed each and every character equally. When I was in Libby’s point of view, I was lost in her life, yet I couldn’t wait to get back to Sadie. The same for when I was reading Sadie’s chapters, and wanting to know what was going on with Olivia, and so on.
My heart broke for each of these women over the blows that life as dealt them. Sadie and Olivia have such a wonderful, unexpected friendship. While their story clutched at my heartstrings, I couldn’t help cheering on their resolve to succeed and their devotion to each other. Libby’s story is equally touching with the trials and tribulations she’s suffered. I just wanted to hug her and tell her it was going to be okay. And it was fun watching her come back “to life” as sweet sparks flew between her and Colton. While Margaret and Elaine are more secondary characters, by the end of the book, I felt like they were old friends.
Overall, this was a fabulous tale of how women can and do endure, how we are not the weaker sex, and most importantly, that love, whether it is the romantic kind or more often that of friends, can and does win in the end.
I highly recommend any book by Mary Ellen Taylor.
August 15, 2021
I have mixed thoughts about this one.
Honeysuckle season is exactly what you'd expect it to be. It's about generations of family drama, bonds between women, and decades long secrets kept. Pregnancy is given a BIG spotlight in this one - there's miscarriages, secret pregnancies, one night stand pregnancies, and more. This makes it a bit tricky to keep track of the family tree sometimes; because at one point it's like who is related to who else now?
The story is told in alternating POVs, with recurring flashbacks. Personally, I felt Sadie's character carried the entire plot for the most part. You sympathize with her, you root for her, and you also wish she was the main character in the book instead of Libby.
The book has mentions of rape and assault, as well as another casually forgiven infidelity which made that particular part of the book less enjoyable for me.
After a slow start, I was compelled just enough to read through to the end just to wrap up a few unanswered questions. I wish I'd liked the book more, but it just didn't have much wow factor that I needed.
Honeysuckle season is exactly what you'd expect it to be. It's about generations of family drama, bonds between women, and decades long secrets kept. Pregnancy is given a BIG spotlight in this one - there's miscarriages, secret pregnancies, one night stand pregnancies, and more. This makes it a bit tricky to keep track of the family tree sometimes; because at one point it's like who is related to who else now?
The story is told in alternating POVs, with recurring flashbacks. Personally, I felt Sadie's character carried the entire plot for the most part. You sympathize with her, you root for her, and you also wish she was the main character in the book instead of Libby.
The book has mentions of rape and assault, as well as another casually forgiven infidelity which made that particular part of the book less enjoyable for me.
After a slow start, I was compelled just enough to read through to the end just to wrap up a few unanswered questions. I wish I'd liked the book more, but it just didn't have much wow factor that I needed.
December 28, 2023
Trebuie să recunosc că primul lucru care m-a atras a fost coperta și nu îmi pare rău. Cartea aceasta este un amalgam de trăiri, sentimente, decepții și luptă pentru viață, pentru a merge mai departe, împotriva tuturor și a toate. Cartea cuprinde două povești de viață minunate care se întrepătrund și te fac să îți pui multe întrebări și să vrei să descoperi cât mai multe într-un timp cât mai scurt.
📖Este o carte perfectă pentru vară,dar de ce nu și pentru toamnă? Îmbină perfect genul romance,mistery și ficțiune istorică.
Scriitura autoarei este una plăcută, lină, iar povestea celor două familii te îmbie să aflii tot mai multe.
📖Titlul original al cărții este Honeysuckle season(Sezonul cu caprifoi) și este inspirat de la rețeta băuturii spirtoase cu aromă de caprifoi pe care o fabricau și distribuiau familia Thompson în vremea de glorie a comerțului clandestin cu băutură spirtoasă.
📖Parfumul dulce al verii este o carte pe care o recomand cu tot dragul! Este o poveste caldă și emoționantă despre decizii, alegeri și urmările lor.
📖Este o carte perfectă pentru vară,dar de ce nu și pentru toamnă? Îmbină perfect genul romance,mistery și ficțiune istorică.
Scriitura autoarei este una plăcută, lină, iar povestea celor două familii te îmbie să aflii tot mai multe.
📖Titlul original al cărții este Honeysuckle season(Sezonul cu caprifoi) și este inspirat de la rețeta băuturii spirtoase cu aromă de caprifoi pe care o fabricau și distribuiau familia Thompson în vremea de glorie a comerțului clandestin cu băutură spirtoasă.
📖Parfumul dulce al verii este o carte pe care o recomand cu tot dragul! Este o poveste caldă și emoționantă despre decizii, alegeri și urmările lor.
May 14, 2020
Another book by Mary Ellen Taylor that just draws you in and teases you along as storyline is enticingly revealed. Similar to her books Winter Cottage and Spring House, this story weaves together characters from two time eras: this time, present day and the 40s. Great character development, heart-tugging storylines, and locations beautifully described.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
September 14, 2020
I enjoyed the flashbacks and forward in time to set the stage for the characters’ histories. The book had an element of mystery so I wanted to keep reading. But the reveal of past secrets was a bit anticlimactic. And the drama surrounding the families in the book was a little overdone. The end felt rushed after such a buildup.
August 21, 2020
Family, loss, and secrets
Honeysuckle Season is an emotionally compelling book about family, loss, and long-buried secrets. Told in a dual timeline format, with both timelines equally enthralling and poignant. There were moments that had my heart racing, other moments that were moving and tender.
Honeysuckle Season is an emotionally compelling book about family, loss, and long-buried secrets. Told in a dual timeline format, with both timelines equally enthralling and poignant. There were moments that had my heart racing, other moments that were moving and tender.
July 22, 2020
Secrets are the focus of Honeysuckle Season. That becomes clear in the book’s Prologue which is set at the meeting point between the book’s two story threads. Sadie Thompson’s story begins in 1942 as the youngest child of a poor family dependant on their moonshine business to survive. Sadie is a self-assured, strong young teenager who is not afraid to stand up for herself. Those are the characteristics she would need when her two brothers head off to fight in World War 2. Alone as the only support for a struggling single mother, Sadie continues to run the successful—though illegal--moonshine business. That leads Sadie to as chauffeur to Dr. Edward Carter’s young wife, Olivia. The two women become close friends and their stories become inseparably linked with the mystery of the past.
Libby McKenzie’s story is set in 2020. Though Libby dearly loves her parents, she knows that she was adopted and has always been curious about her birth parents. As a successful wedding photographer, Libby becomes acquainted with Elaine Grant, the owner of the historic Woodmont Estate. As the granddaughter of Dr. Edward and Olivia Carter, Elaine wants to restore the eighteenth century estate to its original glory. After watching Libby photograph the wedding at the Estate, Elaine immediately hires Libby to photograph the restoration work she has undertaken. That brings Libby to Margaret Reese and her son Colton. These four are inseparably linked with the mystery of the present.
After being raped by Dr. Carter’s cousin Malcolm, Sadie becomes pregnant. The overarching mystery of the two time periods focuses on two questions: What happened to Sadie and her baby? And who were Libby’s birth parents? The fascinating story weaves its way through the years between the 1940’s and the present day leaving clues along the way for the reader to follow.
Mary Ellen Taylor has crafted a wonderfully engaging novel that spans over eight decades of the lives of several families. The clues dropped along the way lead the reader along a sometimes troubling path toward a surprising ending. I loved this mixture of mystery, romance, and drama and highly recommend it.
Libby McKenzie’s story is set in 2020. Though Libby dearly loves her parents, she knows that she was adopted and has always been curious about her birth parents. As a successful wedding photographer, Libby becomes acquainted with Elaine Grant, the owner of the historic Woodmont Estate. As the granddaughter of Dr. Edward and Olivia Carter, Elaine wants to restore the eighteenth century estate to its original glory. After watching Libby photograph the wedding at the Estate, Elaine immediately hires Libby to photograph the restoration work she has undertaken. That brings Libby to Margaret Reese and her son Colton. These four are inseparably linked with the mystery of the present.
After being raped by Dr. Carter’s cousin Malcolm, Sadie becomes pregnant. The overarching mystery of the two time periods focuses on two questions: What happened to Sadie and her baby? And who were Libby’s birth parents? The fascinating story weaves its way through the years between the 1940’s and the present day leaving clues along the way for the reader to follow.
Mary Ellen Taylor has crafted a wonderfully engaging novel that spans over eight decades of the lives of several families. The clues dropped along the way lead the reader along a sometimes troubling path toward a surprising ending. I loved this mixture of mystery, romance, and drama and highly recommend it.
August 4, 2020
The prologue on this story drew me right in. A young woman on the run, a dirty sheriff, a mystery, all the key ingredients for a great read.
Then chapter one happened and I was confused as to what was happening. A different young woman, in a different generation, divorced and recovering from the recent death of her father. Libby is a photographer and meets the owner of a generations old estate while shooting a wedding. She is invited to photograph the renovations on the estate and soon discovers several long buried secrets that could change everything she knows about her family.
While I enjoyed the author’s writing style, I found the book slow going and easy to set aside. That said, if you enjoy family dramas, this is a solid read worth four stars from me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”
Then chapter one happened and I was confused as to what was happening. A different young woman, in a different generation, divorced and recovering from the recent death of her father. Libby is a photographer and meets the owner of a generations old estate while shooting a wedding. She is invited to photograph the renovations on the estate and soon discovers several long buried secrets that could change everything she knows about her family.
While I enjoyed the author’s writing style, I found the book slow going and easy to set aside. That said, if you enjoy family dramas, this is a solid read worth four stars from me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”
September 10, 2024
life twists
Libby McKenzie is asked to do photograph shot of a wedding at the historic Woodmont estate. Libby meets the owner, Elaine Grant. Woodmont has always been well known to her and she hope to convince Elaine to open the estate as a advent venue.
Colton Reese is helping to restore the grounds. Libby decides to photograph the process.
Libby is also still dealing with lost of her well known father who was a Dr in the community. She final after putting it off, sort through her father’s office. There she discovers a letter that changes everything she knows about her parents, herself, and the estate.
I felt the ending was rushed .
Libby McKenzie is asked to do photograph shot of a wedding at the historic Woodmont estate. Libby meets the owner, Elaine Grant. Woodmont has always been well known to her and she hope to convince Elaine to open the estate as a advent venue.
Colton Reese is helping to restore the grounds. Libby decides to photograph the process.
Libby is also still dealing with lost of her well known father who was a Dr in the community. She final after putting it off, sort through her father’s office. There she discovers a letter that changes everything she knows about her parents, herself, and the estate.
I felt the ending was rushed .
May 31, 2021
Charming. That’s the word that comes to mind as I just turned the last page. If you enjoy family dramas that span generations, this is a good one. The family trees were a bit hard to follow but as the book went along, it all pulled together. The plot wasn’t anything new, and the twists weren’t really twists, but it was just the type of book to give me all of the feels for a 5 star rating.
October 25, 2021
I'm not exactly sure what initially prompted me to add this book to my TBR shelf at this point. It's been long enough that I might have been suckered in by the cover and/or the title, or I might have been less superficial and actually read the description. Who's to say more than a year after the fact? The only thing I'm certain of is that I didn't read the reviews first, because I might have fallen for the ones that disparaged the book, rather than deciding for myself, and I am glad I didn't take that particular path. (I did glance through them when I was midway through the book to see if anyone complained of the thing that was bugging me at the time.)
What I liked about Honeysuckle Season:
Once it sucked me in, I was in - It happened in a flash. I was plugging along for the first third of the book and then BAM! (Sorry, accidentally channeled my inner Emeril there for a second.) But for real. I was suddenly invested 100% and had to see how this played out.
The connections - I maybe should have seen them coming but I really just didn't. Not because they were so far out in left field or anything. I just felt oblivious. (See also: my first point in the next section.) But, hoo boy, once the revelations started rolling in, it was like those big snowballs you see in cartoons, gathering size and gaining momentum. Were they plausible? Mmmm...maybe. But I enjoyed them and that's really the only point that matters to me.
What I didn't care for:
The handling of the two timelines - For a good while, I was struggling to figure out how the prologue factored into the main content, and how the present connected to the past. There were a lot of characters mentioned in both storylines, but it was often a bit unclear how they related, without flipping back to refresh my memory. I felt like I needed better introduction to each character earlier so I could retain the names and understand the connections.
A couple notes
This book stayed very clean with its language (maybe only one or two exceptions that I can think of?), but there are some references to intimacy (if that's not your thing), and if you are sensitive to miscarriage, assault, or medical practices that would have taken place in the 1940s, you might want to take a pass on this one.
Ultimately, I struggled for a time to gain footing in this book and felt some degree of disconnected and confused...until I didn't. And then I was all in. The characters are interesting. The story was unique, at least for me. It's a love story and a friendship story and a coming-to-terms-with-yourself story. It's the mess that is personal history and familial history and in not letting either break you irreparably. Sometimes, it tried to be a deeper story than it really was, but it wasn't fluff either. It was just a story that reeled me in to a time and place that I've never experienced and I felt like I was right there alongside the characters. Moral of the story: sometimes you need to be swayed by a pretty cover or an appealing title or a book description that just sounds good and not worry so much if anyone else liked it; there's something to be said for deciding for yourself.
What I liked about Honeysuckle Season:
Once it sucked me in, I was in - It happened in a flash. I was plugging along for the first third of the book and then BAM! (Sorry, accidentally channeled my inner Emeril there for a second.) But for real. I was suddenly invested 100% and had to see how this played out.
The connections - I maybe should have seen them coming but I really just didn't. Not because they were so far out in left field or anything. I just felt oblivious. (See also: my first point in the next section.) But, hoo boy, once the revelations started rolling in, it was like those big snowballs you see in cartoons, gathering size and gaining momentum. Were they plausible? Mmmm...maybe. But I enjoyed them and that's really the only point that matters to me.
What I didn't care for:
The handling of the two timelines - For a good while, I was struggling to figure out how the prologue factored into the main content, and how the present connected to the past. There were a lot of characters mentioned in both storylines, but it was often a bit unclear how they related, without flipping back to refresh my memory. I felt like I needed better introduction to each character earlier so I could retain the names and understand the connections.
A couple notes
This book stayed very clean with its language (maybe only one or two exceptions that I can think of?), but there are some references to intimacy (if that's not your thing), and if you are sensitive to miscarriage, assault, or medical practices that would have taken place in the 1940s, you might want to take a pass on this one.
Ultimately, I struggled for a time to gain footing in this book and felt some degree of disconnected and confused...until I didn't. And then I was all in. The characters are interesting. The story was unique, at least for me. It's a love story and a friendship story and a coming-to-terms-with-yourself story. It's the mess that is personal history and familial history and in not letting either break you irreparably. Sometimes, it tried to be a deeper story than it really was, but it wasn't fluff either. It was just a story that reeled me in to a time and place that I've never experienced and I felt like I was right there alongside the characters. Moral of the story: sometimes you need to be swayed by a pretty cover or an appealing title or a book description that just sounds good and not worry so much if anyone else liked it; there's something to be said for deciding for yourself.
August 10, 2020
I was given an ARC of this book to review. It was the first book by Mary Ellen Taylor that I have read and it will not be my last. I am in for some more good reading.
This book was a wonderful read. It took us from the present to the past of the 1940’s, during war time and where she friendships begin but never end and they come to light in the next generation to come. Libby McKenzie is the daughter of the town Pediatrician and she comes back to Bluestone, VA to settle his estate and moves back into the house she grew up in. She has had a failed marriage and three miscarriages to deal with, but the big change in her life was one she did not see in her present. She always knew that she was adopted, but little did she know what she was going to find out about her biological parents when she was offered the chance to photograph a wedding at the Woodmont Estate. How Elaine Grant, the present owner of the estate and Colton Reese, who manages the estate grounds would come to mean so much to her past and into her future. Libbey reaches back in the past to come to terms with her present and to be able to see that there is a future for her and give her the one thing she dearly wants... family.
This was a book that moves you from the first page to the last. Mary Ellen Taylor weaves as story that tugs at your heartstrings for the two women of different social class, who despite the men who try to control them in the 1940’s, become lasting friends and a young women that has gone through a failed marriage and the heartbreak of miscarriages, and another young woman in the 1970’s,who has to do the hardest thing imaginable, to become the strong women they were all meant to be.
Thank you for the opportunity to the author and Netgally for giving me the chance to read this wonderful moving story.
This book was a wonderful read. It took us from the present to the past of the 1940’s, during war time and where she friendships begin but never end and they come to light in the next generation to come. Libby McKenzie is the daughter of the town Pediatrician and she comes back to Bluestone, VA to settle his estate and moves back into the house she grew up in. She has had a failed marriage and three miscarriages to deal with, but the big change in her life was one she did not see in her present. She always knew that she was adopted, but little did she know what she was going to find out about her biological parents when she was offered the chance to photograph a wedding at the Woodmont Estate. How Elaine Grant, the present owner of the estate and Colton Reese, who manages the estate grounds would come to mean so much to her past and into her future. Libbey reaches back in the past to come to terms with her present and to be able to see that there is a future for her and give her the one thing she dearly wants... family.
This was a book that moves you from the first page to the last. Mary Ellen Taylor weaves as story that tugs at your heartstrings for the two women of different social class, who despite the men who try to control them in the 1940’s, become lasting friends and a young women that has gone through a failed marriage and the heartbreak of miscarriages, and another young woman in the 1970’s,who has to do the hardest thing imaginable, to become the strong women they were all meant to be.
Thank you for the opportunity to the author and Netgally for giving me the chance to read this wonderful moving story.
August 2, 2020
Author Mary Ellen Taylor is a very special storyteller with a unique way of weaving women's fiction with romance, history,and mystery--it's a compelling mix. "Honeysuckle Season" is a time-spanning tale which takes readers back and forth on a journey from the WWII Era to present day in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Libby McKenzie is at a crossroads in her life--divorced--no husband, no children, and now she has lost her father. Returning to Bluestone, Virginia is a step back in time, but hopefully, it will also be a step forward. Starting life anew as a wedding photographer gives her focus, and she accepts the assignment of covering a wedding at Woodmont, a historic estate dating back to the early 1700's. The owner of the estate, Elaine Grant has restoration of the home and property in mind so that it can be reopened to the public, and she asks Libby to record the process on film. She has also hired Colton Reese as an overseer and repairman for the revitalization of Woodmont. Colton is a widower with two young sons, and, like Libby, he has personal issues to overcome. Layers of the past are uncovered as many years of overgrowth, age, and neglect are cleared away. In particular, the greenhouse has been a keeper of secrets, and now its generations of truths are about to be revealed. Readers will be sure to enjoy learning the "honeysuckle secret", and as a special treat, the author has included delicious recipes for scrumptious sweets. I was born and raised in the beautiful mountains of Virginia, and I wouldn't live anywhere else. There truly is "Mountain Magic". "Honeysuckle Season" is rich in emotion and atmosphere. A highly recommended read from author Mary Ellen Taylor.
Book Copy Gratis Author
Book Copy Gratis Author
January 27, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️//Mystery, Romance, Historical Fiction, WWII.
This is a novel for those who like dual timelines and stories about family secrets.
I enjoyed the book and getting to know the characters throughout. I liked that this wasn’t a ‘normal’ dual time / WWII novel, but a look at what happened while the men were away during this time.
This is a novel for those who like dual timelines and stories about family secrets.
I enjoyed the book and getting to know the characters throughout. I liked that this wasn’t a ‘normal’ dual time / WWII novel, but a look at what happened while the men were away during this time.
August 15, 2020
I bought this book through "Amazon First Reads". I really wasn't sure if it would be worth my time. It was and then some!!! I wish I could have given it MORE than 5 stars!! From the first page, I was pulled into the world of four very strong women, tho, they didn't know just how strong they were until all the cards were on the table. This a was a feel-good, heart-wrenching tale that I highly recommend!! I have already placed it on my TBR Again list for a later date!!!
February 14, 2021
This beautiful over sold me. Then, I curled up with this book and didn’t look back. This was an true pleasure read! Duel timeline from 1942 and 2020. Family drama at its best. New author to me but I’ll definitely pick be looking forward to reading her again! Timelines are switched and the story flows well between the two. Characters are well written, and situations are realistic for the 1940’s. The end happens quickly, but it could be it felt that way because I became so invested in the story.
Thanks to Ms. Taylor, Montlake Romance and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
Thanks to Ms. Taylor, Montlake Romance and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
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