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Lowcountry Tales #13
Queen Bee: A Heartwarming Southern Tale of Family, Friendship, and Beekeeping Drama in the Lowcountry
“If I could only read one writer from now until the end of my life, it would be Dorothea Benton Frank." —Elin Hilderbrand, the New York Times bestselling author
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank’s Carolina Lowcountry in this evocative tale that returns at long last to her beloved Sullivans Island.
Beekeeper Holly McNee Jensen quietly lives in a world of her own on Sullivans Island, tending her hives and working at the local island library. Holly calls her mother The Queen Bee because she’s a demanding hulk of a woman. Her mother, a devoted hypochondriac, might be unaware that she’s quite ill but that doesn’t stop her from tormenting Holly. To escape the drama, Holly’s sister Leslie married and moved away, wanting little to do with island life. Holly’s escape is to submerge herself in the lives of the two young boys next door and their widowed father, Archie.
Her world is upended when the more flamboyant Leslie returns and both sisters, polar opposites, fixate on what’s happening in their neighbor’s home. Is Archie really in love with that awful ice queen of a woman? If Archie marries her, what will become of his little boys? Restless Leslie is desperate for validation after her imploded marriage, squandering her favors on any and all takers. Their mother ups her game in an uproarious and theatrical downward spiral. Scandalized Holly is talking to her honey bees a mile a minute, as though they’ll give her a solution to all the chaos. Maybe they will.
Queen Bee is a classic Lowcountry Tale—warm, wise and hilarious, it roars with humanity and a dropperful of whodunit added for good measure by an unseen hand. In her twentieth novel, Dorothea Benton Frank brings us back to her beloved island with an unforgettable story where the Lowcountry magic of the natural world collides with the beat of the human heart.
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank’s Carolina Lowcountry in this evocative tale that returns at long last to her beloved Sullivans Island.
Beekeeper Holly McNee Jensen quietly lives in a world of her own on Sullivans Island, tending her hives and working at the local island library. Holly calls her mother The Queen Bee because she’s a demanding hulk of a woman. Her mother, a devoted hypochondriac, might be unaware that she’s quite ill but that doesn’t stop her from tormenting Holly. To escape the drama, Holly’s sister Leslie married and moved away, wanting little to do with island life. Holly’s escape is to submerge herself in the lives of the two young boys next door and their widowed father, Archie.
Her world is upended when the more flamboyant Leslie returns and both sisters, polar opposites, fixate on what’s happening in their neighbor’s home. Is Archie really in love with that awful ice queen of a woman? If Archie marries her, what will become of his little boys? Restless Leslie is desperate for validation after her imploded marriage, squandering her favors on any and all takers. Their mother ups her game in an uproarious and theatrical downward spiral. Scandalized Holly is talking to her honey bees a mile a minute, as though they’ll give her a solution to all the chaos. Maybe they will.
Queen Bee is a classic Lowcountry Tale—warm, wise and hilarious, it roars with humanity and a dropperful of whodunit added for good measure by an unseen hand. In her twentieth novel, Dorothea Benton Frank brings us back to her beloved island with an unforgettable story where the Lowcountry magic of the natural world collides with the beat of the human heart.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 14, 2019
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About the author
Dorothea Benton Frank
64 books5,202 followersDorothea Benton Frank was a New York Times best-selling American novelist of Southern fiction. She worked in the apparel industry from 1972 until 1985 and then organized fundraisers as a volunteer, before becoming a novelist.
She is best known as the author of twenty novels placed in and around the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
She is best known as the author of twenty novels placed in and around the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,203 reviews
May 30, 2019
I was very disappointed with this book. I thought the characters were shallow, the plot was underdeveloped, and the dialogue was beyond silly and cliched. This book felt like Ms. Frank tossed it off to fulfill a contractual obligation, without putting forth much more than minimal effort. She had so many random story lines going on, and not one of them was particularly plausible or given any depth. It was more like a writing smorgasbord that a fine literary meal. I found myself being annoyed, and resorting to skimming just to get through it.
June 10, 2019
Kicking off my summer reads with a Lowcountry story. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I always kick off the summer months with a Dorothea Benton Frank novel, and I have since she first came on the scene as an author, and I was living in South Carolina. She has her own special, fun style, and I couldn’t wait to read her latest effort.
As always, set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, we have a couple kinds of queen bees in this novel! The first is the matriarch of the family, Katherine, known as QB; she is mom to Holly and Leslie. She is a diva, but she also grows during this novel and becomes a champion of a main character.
Holly is a beekeeper (more bees!), and now that’s she’s over thirty and unmarried, she’s feeling extreme pressure to find “the one.”
Leslie has recently left her husband and has quite the story to tell.
Sullivan’s Island is described in lush and accurate detail. The characters are charming, quirky, and heartwarming. The storytelling is the kind you relax into. I love how the bees enriched the story. Everyone grows and changes, and there’s an honesty in that growth.
I don’t want to risk spoilers, but DBF is back with another classic novel, a story of family, heartbreak, as well as healing and hope. I loved every ounce of it and hope this bodes well for the rest of my summer reading because of it! We southerners are superstitious, after all! 😉
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
I always kick off the summer months with a Dorothea Benton Frank novel, and I have since she first came on the scene as an author, and I was living in South Carolina. She has her own special, fun style, and I couldn’t wait to read her latest effort.
As always, set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, we have a couple kinds of queen bees in this novel! The first is the matriarch of the family, Katherine, known as QB; she is mom to Holly and Leslie. She is a diva, but she also grows during this novel and becomes a champion of a main character.
Holly is a beekeeper (more bees!), and now that’s she’s over thirty and unmarried, she’s feeling extreme pressure to find “the one.”
Leslie has recently left her husband and has quite the story to tell.
Sullivan’s Island is described in lush and accurate detail. The characters are charming, quirky, and heartwarming. The storytelling is the kind you relax into. I love how the bees enriched the story. Everyone grows and changes, and there’s an honesty in that growth.
I don’t want to risk spoilers, but DBF is back with another classic novel, a story of family, heartbreak, as well as healing and hope. I loved every ounce of it and hope this bodes well for the rest of my summer reading because of it! We southerners are superstitious, after all! 😉
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
June 5, 2019
🐝ᴄʜᴀʀᴍ. ᴡɪᴛ. ᴡᴀʀᴍᴛʜ.🐝
Dorothea Benton Frank has crafted a delightful story bursting with the perfect amount of heart, quirk, and southern charm. Holly is 30 and she still lives at home caring for her unappreciative mother who is a bit of a hypochondriac. Holly is certain she will eventually land her dream job as a teacher at Sullivan’s Island elementary school. She is also certain that she plays an important part in the lives of the two little boys that live next-door, and a little less certain that she will ever capture their fathers heart. Not only is Holly busy taking care of others, but she is also a beekeeper. Holly not only cares for the bees, but she also has a special bond with them. Holly’s sister Leslie left the island as soon as she could needing to escape their demanding mother the “queen bee“. But there have been big changes in Leslie‘s life and she finds herself returning home. What follows is a Beautiful story about two sisters and their mother who reconnect, regroup and grow together.
Loved this book! The setting of Sullivan’s Island was so lovely. The author grew up on the island and her love and knowledge of this charming place really shown through. The characters in this book were so wonderful, so colorful, and so well-developed. I felt as though I would know them if I were to run across them walking down the street. Not only that I’d want to spend the day with them, shoot I’d even love to see those bees. And the food, can’t forget that. I’d love for Holly to invite me over for dinner and feed me some of that good old southern cuisine. Holly was a fantastic character and I loved her growth throughout the story. She was so good with Hunter and Tyler and I really adored those kids! Loved all the little bee fax that she told them at the beginning of each chapter. I really actually learned a lot about bees that I did not know. Holly‘s mom “the queen“ was a very colorful character and I really loved the direction that her character took throughout the story. Leslie oh Leslie I am still not certain about some of your choices.
This really is the perfect book to kick off your summer with! A beautiful setting, amazing characters, and a fun storyline with a lot of heart. There were several laugh out loud moments. This book certainly took a turn I was not expecting. A wonderful uplifting feel-good story that will put a smile on your face.
🎧🎧🎧 Shannon McManus is the perfect narrator for southern fiction. She does such a good job with all the voices I really love her male voice and her little kid voices as well. There is something so warm and friendly about Shannon’s voice that really adds a little something something to these heartwarming books!
*** Big thanks to William Morrow and Harper Audio for my copy of this book *** 🐝
Dorothea Benton Frank has crafted a delightful story bursting with the perfect amount of heart, quirk, and southern charm. Holly is 30 and she still lives at home caring for her unappreciative mother who is a bit of a hypochondriac. Holly is certain she will eventually land her dream job as a teacher at Sullivan’s Island elementary school. She is also certain that she plays an important part in the lives of the two little boys that live next-door, and a little less certain that she will ever capture their fathers heart. Not only is Holly busy taking care of others, but she is also a beekeeper. Holly not only cares for the bees, but she also has a special bond with them. Holly’s sister Leslie left the island as soon as she could needing to escape their demanding mother the “queen bee“. But there have been big changes in Leslie‘s life and she finds herself returning home. What follows is a Beautiful story about two sisters and their mother who reconnect, regroup and grow together.
Loved this book! The setting of Sullivan’s Island was so lovely. The author grew up on the island and her love and knowledge of this charming place really shown through. The characters in this book were so wonderful, so colorful, and so well-developed. I felt as though I would know them if I were to run across them walking down the street. Not only that I’d want to spend the day with them, shoot I’d even love to see those bees. And the food, can’t forget that. I’d love for Holly to invite me over for dinner and feed me some of that good old southern cuisine. Holly was a fantastic character and I loved her growth throughout the story. She was so good with Hunter and Tyler and I really adored those kids! Loved all the little bee fax that she told them at the beginning of each chapter. I really actually learned a lot about bees that I did not know. Holly‘s mom “the queen“ was a very colorful character and I really loved the direction that her character took throughout the story. Leslie oh Leslie I am still not certain about some of your choices.
This really is the perfect book to kick off your summer with! A beautiful setting, amazing characters, and a fun storyline with a lot of heart. There were several laugh out loud moments. This book certainly took a turn I was not expecting. A wonderful uplifting feel-good story that will put a smile on your face.
🎧🎧🎧 Shannon McManus is the perfect narrator for southern fiction. She does such a good job with all the voices I really love her male voice and her little kid voices as well. There is something so warm and friendly about Shannon’s voice that really adds a little something something to these heartwarming books!
*** Big thanks to William Morrow and Harper Audio for my copy of this book *** 🐝
June 19, 2019
Favorite Quotes:
My mother sighed so hard then that the National Weather Service issued small craft warnings.
Cleopatra could not have put any more intention and effort into the seduction of Mark Antony. The only things I didn’t have were a CD of Barry White’s and a scented candle.
There are no more big choices at our age. You’ve made them. Now you have to wait for a promotion to do just what you’re doing, except more of it, for some stupid incremental raise. It’s a big fat snore.
Leslie stayed home the night before Archie and Sharon were to be married, probably to give her liver a rest. I was pretty sure the Gentlemen of the Tap were holding a candlelight vigil at Dunleavy’s Pub, praying for her swift return.
The gates of hell opened wide when she croaked… I smell sulfur.
In the Lowcountry, we believed bad things happened in threes. Becoming the third wife of a man twice widowed was a terrifying prospect.
My Review:
I smirked and wore a near constant grin as I gleefully perused this delightfully engaging book. It was a treasure chest overflowing with wry wit and slyly deployed levity. I adore Dorothea Benton Frank’s amusing and captivating Lowcountry stories, this is the sixth one I’ve read and I have cherished each and every one of them. Her writing style is comfortable and engaging, yet deceptively insightful and cleverly observant. But it is her unforgettable, uniquely drawn, and deliciously peculiar characters that seal the deal for me. I will eagerly await her next offering.
My mother sighed so hard then that the National Weather Service issued small craft warnings.
Cleopatra could not have put any more intention and effort into the seduction of Mark Antony. The only things I didn’t have were a CD of Barry White’s and a scented candle.
There are no more big choices at our age. You’ve made them. Now you have to wait for a promotion to do just what you’re doing, except more of it, for some stupid incremental raise. It’s a big fat snore.
Leslie stayed home the night before Archie and Sharon were to be married, probably to give her liver a rest. I was pretty sure the Gentlemen of the Tap were holding a candlelight vigil at Dunleavy’s Pub, praying for her swift return.
The gates of hell opened wide when she croaked… I smell sulfur.
In the Lowcountry, we believed bad things happened in threes. Becoming the third wife of a man twice widowed was a terrifying prospect.
My Review:
I smirked and wore a near constant grin as I gleefully perused this delightfully engaging book. It was a treasure chest overflowing with wry wit and slyly deployed levity. I adore Dorothea Benton Frank’s amusing and captivating Lowcountry stories, this is the sixth one I’ve read and I have cherished each and every one of them. Her writing style is comfortable and engaging, yet deceptively insightful and cleverly observant. But it is her unforgettable, uniquely drawn, and deliciously peculiar characters that seal the deal for me. I will eagerly await her next offering.
July 26, 2019
Quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever read in my entire life.
June 26, 2019
A longtime fan of Franks who eagerly awaits her new release each summer. Prepared to be entertained with a fun read, this was a great disappointment. It focused heavily on the social/political issues of the day which bombard us in every form of communication from news to commercials, printed ads and commentaries. There is no escaping it and a summer read should be exactly that, an escape from the depressing, negative drudgery that consumes our culture!
June 4, 2019
I miss her early books.
September 11, 2019
What an absolutely enjoyable story! Set in the Lowcountry (y’all know where that is, right)? Southern charm and hospitality; constant pitchers of iced tea in the fridge or on the kitchen table. Shrimp ‘n grits. This is Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina.
There’s the QB (Queen Bee), the matriarch.
There’s Leslie, fun loving daughter of QB who married up a guy and went off island. Holly, her sister, calls him “the wallet.” Holly also thinks her sister is self absorbed. She is. Or was. And then she comes crying home - back to the island after a stunning revelation.
And then there is Holly. Our main character. She’s a real sweetheart, taking care of her Momma (QB) who has had a rough life, is bitter and lacks true happiness. Holly has a love of life, nature and is a beekeeper in her own backyard. Holly is trying to find her own place in her life (and a love life) on the island, but she struggles with finding the confidence, making the right decisions. She certainly is level headed, compassionate and smart. And, she talks to her bees and if I didn’t know better, I think they understand her. Why else do some of these things happen? Why are her garden flowers so prolific and smell so sweetly? It’s because of the bees; those little pollinators!
This book is overflowing of Southern country charm and stories and as outlandish as you may think some of the stories are, they work! Absolutely! They just work and flow so well between all the characters and location. I learned more about bees and beekeeping, which is always fascinating to me and important to our future. I roller coasted along with the family’s transformations, the precious 2 neighbor boys across the street who lost their mother and then got a mean dentist stepmother too soon after. I smiled and laughed and was rooting for everyone in the book to have a happy ever after at the end - Because they all deserved it. To say more would be to reveal too much and spoil the read for you. 🤫
I’m highly recommending this enchanting book. It sure hit all the high notes for me and I hope it does for you too.
I enjoyed reading the Acknowledgements at the back of the book and would encourage you to do the same. The author had to get up to speed on bees if she was going to write about them and has indicated books she’s read, people and projects she’s worked with, such as the Bee Project which brings bees into the classrooms all over the country to teach children the critical
Importance of honey bees in our lives and in the environment.
Kudos to the author for her creative “down home” fine storytelling / writing and all her philanthropic good works.
There’s the QB (Queen Bee), the matriarch.
There’s Leslie, fun loving daughter of QB who married up a guy and went off island. Holly, her sister, calls him “the wallet.” Holly also thinks her sister is self absorbed. She is. Or was. And then she comes crying home - back to the island after a stunning revelation.
And then there is Holly. Our main character. She’s a real sweetheart, taking care of her Momma (QB) who has had a rough life, is bitter and lacks true happiness. Holly has a love of life, nature and is a beekeeper in her own backyard. Holly is trying to find her own place in her life (and a love life) on the island, but she struggles with finding the confidence, making the right decisions. She certainly is level headed, compassionate and smart. And, she talks to her bees and if I didn’t know better, I think they understand her. Why else do some of these things happen? Why are her garden flowers so prolific and smell so sweetly? It’s because of the bees; those little pollinators!
This book is overflowing of Southern country charm and stories and as outlandish as you may think some of the stories are, they work! Absolutely! They just work and flow so well between all the characters and location. I learned more about bees and beekeeping, which is always fascinating to me and important to our future. I roller coasted along with the family’s transformations, the precious 2 neighbor boys across the street who lost their mother and then got a mean dentist stepmother too soon after. I smiled and laughed and was rooting for everyone in the book to have a happy ever after at the end - Because they all deserved it. To say more would be to reveal too much and spoil the read for you. 🤫
I’m highly recommending this enchanting book. It sure hit all the high notes for me and I hope it does for you too.
I enjoyed reading the Acknowledgements at the back of the book and would encourage you to do the same. The author had to get up to speed on bees if she was going to write about them and has indicated books she’s read, people and projects she’s worked with, such as the Bee Project which brings bees into the classrooms all over the country to teach children the critical
Importance of honey bees in our lives and in the environment.
Kudos to the author for her creative “down home” fine storytelling / writing and all her philanthropic good works.
September 26, 2023
Set in the lowcountry of South Carolina, Queen Bee is a story about Holly, her honeybees, her family, and dating life. Holly hasn’t felt close to her mom, the QB, in years. Holly stayed in town to help care for her mom but also wants to build her own life by becoming a teacher and starting a family. When Holly’s sister Leslie returns home after big news in her marriage, the Jensen women have a chance to reconnect.
This was a predictable yet easy read. The references to iced tea became frequent, and the story began to feel long, but I still wanted to see it through. Though definitely light, there are character arcs and it was nice to see some growth from the Jensen women. There is also some humor in the dialogue in Queen Bee, a domestic, southern fiction story.
This was a predictable yet easy read. The references to iced tea became frequent, and the story began to feel long, but I still wanted to see it through. Though definitely light, there are character arcs and it was nice to see some growth from the Jensen women. There is also some humor in the dialogue in Queen Bee, a domestic, southern fiction story.
November 12, 2025
Meh. This was a book club book. The writing was basic, the characters all stereotypes, and the plot predictable. The only redemption was the info about the honey bees.
May 23, 2019
Is it really summer without a new Dorothea Benton Frank novel to read?
I love returning to the Lowcountry and the quirky families that live there every summer with Frank's novels and Queen Bee is no exception. Queen Bee brings us an actual Queen Bee (in the form of a grouchy old mother) as well as the Queen Bee of the Honeybee variety - and 3,000 others in the hive! Sisters Holly (she of the beekeeper fame) and Leslie are both struggling to find themselves, Holly with her widower neighbor and his young sons and Leslie, coming to terms with the fact that her husband Charlie wants to perform as a Drag Queen in Vegas.
At the heart of the story, like many of Frank's other novels, is family and identity. With our cast of quirky characters that somehow shouldn't fit so seamlessly in one story, yet do, you will feel at home and find yourself with a smile on your face and not quite ready to say goodbye to this crew.
Thank you to William Morrow for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
I love returning to the Lowcountry and the quirky families that live there every summer with Frank's novels and Queen Bee is no exception. Queen Bee brings us an actual Queen Bee (in the form of a grouchy old mother) as well as the Queen Bee of the Honeybee variety - and 3,000 others in the hive! Sisters Holly (she of the beekeeper fame) and Leslie are both struggling to find themselves, Holly with her widower neighbor and his young sons and Leslie, coming to terms with the fact that her husband Charlie wants to perform as a Drag Queen in Vegas.
At the heart of the story, like many of Frank's other novels, is family and identity. With our cast of quirky characters that somehow shouldn't fit so seamlessly in one story, yet do, you will feel at home and find yourself with a smile on your face and not quite ready to say goodbye to this crew.
Thank you to William Morrow for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
July 11, 2019
This is my first book by this author, and I was taken aback by how tremendously meanspirited the main character was, particularly in the first 100 pages. From the way she's written, I can tell I was supposed to find her sweet and confiding, but her gossip is tremendously mean, and she's ruthless about her mom and her mom's weight.
And the dialogue is cringe-worthy.
And the dialogue is cringe-worthy.
May 31, 2019
Originally published at Reading Reality
This book is a fun read and a hot mess at the same time. I would have thought those two things would be mutually exclusive, but after reading Queen Bee, they definitely are not.
Let me explain…
But first, I’d like to perform a bit of public service. The blurb for this book bears virtually no resemblance to the actual book. The book the blurb represents might be a very good book, but it certainly isn’t this book. At all.
To begin with, Holly Jensen doesn’t come to Sullivan’s Island, she already lives there. In fact, she grew up there and hasn’t left except for college. Nor does just just “take up” beekeeping. She IS a beekeeper and she has been one for several years. In fact, she’s an established beekeeper who has well-maintained hives full of happy bees who give her plenty of honey to sell – as well as giving her a sympathetic ear – or a thousand ears – when life starts closing in..
That new friend isn’t new, either. They went to school together. They just seem to have lost touch with each other over the years. As happens, even in small towns.
It happens especially easily in this case because Holly has found herself shackled to Sullivan’s Island, taking care of her cantankerous mother, the actual Queen Bee of the title. That “friend” of hers is in the nearby town, a member of the local police.
The person who does come back to town, because she’s been wounded by her present, not her past, is Holly’s sister Leslie. Leslie married Charlie, a man Holly refers to as “the wallet”, and blithely moved to Charleston. It seemed like Leslie’s marriage was perfect – at least self-absorbed Leslie made it seem that way.
Then again, everything Leslie does is perfect, at least in the eyes of the Queen Bee. Holly resents her sister’s freedom, resents being stuck on Sullivan’s Island taking care of their mother, and resents her mother’s resentment that Holly isn’t “perfect” Leslie. Because it seems to Holly that Leslie can do no wrong and she, Holly, can do no right.
When Leslie comes home, the three lives of the three women get forcibly kicked out of the ruts they’ve all been stagnating in – in more ways than one.
Leslie’s back because her husband, Charlie the wallet, wants to make a new identity for himself as a female impersonator, and is off to a contest in Atlantic City to see if he has a chance. He expects Leslie to be enthusiastically supportive of his decision, even as Charlie begins changing their entire lives to live as Charlene rather than Charlie.
(And that’s the last time I’ll refer to Charlie as either Charlie or as “him”, because from this point forward a gender-neutral pronoun is required.)
Leslie is more than a bit confused by the changes, and both she and the Queen Bee are at the “not just no but hell no” stage of, let’s call it, non-acceptance.
Then things change. A lot. Charlene wins a prize in the contest, and decides to stretch their wings by moving to Las Vegas to participate in even more contests. Charlene want to make a career out of this, and really, seriously want to become a star.
Leslie, hesitatingly, reluctantly, moves from “hell no” to being more open-minded, and ultimately more supportive. Holly, completely open-minded about Charlene, is just plain grateful that Charlene’s need for a support team and especially a costume designer gets the Queen Bee out of the depressive, self-destructive funk she’s been living in for years and temporarily moves her from Sullivan’s Island to Vegas to help Charlene take the first steps into this new world.
Meanwhile, back home, Holly is on her own and feeling relieved and miserable at the same time. On the one hand, she has the freedom to do what she wants when she wants without her mother’s constant negativity and harping.
On that other hand, what Holly wants is to finally get close to the widower next door. She’s been helping him out with his two young sons ever since his wife died, and she’s hoping there might be something more there. She fancies herself in love with him.
He fancies himself using her as an unpaid babysitting service while he marries a woman who makes the Wicked Witch of the West seem like a saint. That the original Wicked Witch is killed by a house falling on her head makes this resemblance surprisingly more relevant.
The bees fix everything for their queen. It’s up to Holly to take it from there.
Escape Rating B+: I have mixed feelings about this one. Lots of them. All of them.
First things first, this is a terrifically fast and fun read. It goes really quick, at least in part because there’s so much happening – and because so much of it is unexpectedly off the wall. And not in a bad way, either.
I will say that Holly is a doormat for way too long. She doesn’t grow a spine until 2/3rds of the way through the book, and listening to her internal dialog about Arch-next-door gets really old, really fast.
Admittedly, from the way that Holly’s mother treats her at the beginning, Holly’s spine has been pretty much surgically removed every single day of her life. It’s a bit of a miracle that she manages to grow one at all. But doormats do not compelling protagonists make – at least not for moi.
However, this is really a three-pronged story. Holly has a third, Leslie has a third and the Queen Bee has a third. And that’s where things get interesting. And also completely off the script of that blurb.
Leslie’s story moves from negativity to acceptance and resolution. It’s a reasonable progression and also a positive one. In the end, Leslie supports Char and the changes in their life while coming to the conclusion that as much as she loves the person, she is no longer sexually attracted to them as a spouse.
The resolution of Leslie and Char’s story takes as much “book time” as Holly’s, and is more interesting to follow.
Then there’s the Queen Bee’s story. The QB gets a new lease on life by going to Vegas. She also finds love with the genderqueer Suzanne Velour, an older female impersonator who has taken Char under their rather capacious wing.
That romance is sweet and surprising for all concerned, including the QB and Suz themselves. Unfortunately for the story, that romance feels a bit “shot out of a cannon” and proceeds too quickly. What we see of it is terrific, but it just happens too damn fast.
There’s a bit of “woo-woo” type magic between Holly and her bees – not enough to tip this into paranormal, but enough to make it feel like things happen on Sullivan’s Island, and in the Lowcountry, that just don’t happen anywhere else.
In the end, I liked the book, and had a good time reading it. I’ll admit to some serious questions about why two thirds of the story, featuring two genderqueer characters, were completely erased from the blurb. Anyone picking this book up based on the blurb is going to be surprised. Hopefully as pleasantly as I was, but surprised nonetheless.
Holly is the one who sums up this story, and all the relationships, best, when she says that “love comes in every color, shape, and size”, and that every life needs a little bit of sweetness. And she’s right.
This book is a fun read and a hot mess at the same time. I would have thought those two things would be mutually exclusive, but after reading Queen Bee, they definitely are not.
Let me explain…
But first, I’d like to perform a bit of public service. The blurb for this book bears virtually no resemblance to the actual book. The book the blurb represents might be a very good book, but it certainly isn’t this book. At all.
To begin with, Holly Jensen doesn’t come to Sullivan’s Island, she already lives there. In fact, she grew up there and hasn’t left except for college. Nor does just just “take up” beekeeping. She IS a beekeeper and she has been one for several years. In fact, she’s an established beekeeper who has well-maintained hives full of happy bees who give her plenty of honey to sell – as well as giving her a sympathetic ear – or a thousand ears – when life starts closing in..
That new friend isn’t new, either. They went to school together. They just seem to have lost touch with each other over the years. As happens, even in small towns.
It happens especially easily in this case because Holly has found herself shackled to Sullivan’s Island, taking care of her cantankerous mother, the actual Queen Bee of the title. That “friend” of hers is in the nearby town, a member of the local police.
The person who does come back to town, because she’s been wounded by her present, not her past, is Holly’s sister Leslie. Leslie married Charlie, a man Holly refers to as “the wallet”, and blithely moved to Charleston. It seemed like Leslie’s marriage was perfect – at least self-absorbed Leslie made it seem that way.
Then again, everything Leslie does is perfect, at least in the eyes of the Queen Bee. Holly resents her sister’s freedom, resents being stuck on Sullivan’s Island taking care of their mother, and resents her mother’s resentment that Holly isn’t “perfect” Leslie. Because it seems to Holly that Leslie can do no wrong and she, Holly, can do no right.
When Leslie comes home, the three lives of the three women get forcibly kicked out of the ruts they’ve all been stagnating in – in more ways than one.
Leslie’s back because her husband, Charlie the wallet, wants to make a new identity for himself as a female impersonator, and is off to a contest in Atlantic City to see if he has a chance. He expects Leslie to be enthusiastically supportive of his decision, even as Charlie begins changing their entire lives to live as Charlene rather than Charlie.
(And that’s the last time I’ll refer to Charlie as either Charlie or as “him”, because from this point forward a gender-neutral pronoun is required.)
Leslie is more than a bit confused by the changes, and both she and the Queen Bee are at the “not just no but hell no” stage of, let’s call it, non-acceptance.
Then things change. A lot. Charlene wins a prize in the contest, and decides to stretch their wings by moving to Las Vegas to participate in even more contests. Charlene want to make a career out of this, and really, seriously want to become a star.
Leslie, hesitatingly, reluctantly, moves from “hell no” to being more open-minded, and ultimately more supportive. Holly, completely open-minded about Charlene, is just plain grateful that Charlene’s need for a support team and especially a costume designer gets the Queen Bee out of the depressive, self-destructive funk she’s been living in for years and temporarily moves her from Sullivan’s Island to Vegas to help Charlene take the first steps into this new world.
Meanwhile, back home, Holly is on her own and feeling relieved and miserable at the same time. On the one hand, she has the freedom to do what she wants when she wants without her mother’s constant negativity and harping.
On that other hand, what Holly wants is to finally get close to the widower next door. She’s been helping him out with his two young sons ever since his wife died, and she’s hoping there might be something more there. She fancies herself in love with him.
He fancies himself using her as an unpaid babysitting service while he marries a woman who makes the Wicked Witch of the West seem like a saint. That the original Wicked Witch is killed by a house falling on her head makes this resemblance surprisingly more relevant.
The bees fix everything for their queen. It’s up to Holly to take it from there.
Escape Rating B+: I have mixed feelings about this one. Lots of them. All of them.
First things first, this is a terrifically fast and fun read. It goes really quick, at least in part because there’s so much happening – and because so much of it is unexpectedly off the wall. And not in a bad way, either.
I will say that Holly is a doormat for way too long. She doesn’t grow a spine until 2/3rds of the way through the book, and listening to her internal dialog about Arch-next-door gets really old, really fast.
Admittedly, from the way that Holly’s mother treats her at the beginning, Holly’s spine has been pretty much surgically removed every single day of her life. It’s a bit of a miracle that she manages to grow one at all. But doormats do not compelling protagonists make – at least not for moi.
However, this is really a three-pronged story. Holly has a third, Leslie has a third and the Queen Bee has a third. And that’s where things get interesting. And also completely off the script of that blurb.
Leslie’s story moves from negativity to acceptance and resolution. It’s a reasonable progression and also a positive one. In the end, Leslie supports Char and the changes in their life while coming to the conclusion that as much as she loves the person, she is no longer sexually attracted to them as a spouse.
The resolution of Leslie and Char’s story takes as much “book time” as Holly’s, and is more interesting to follow.
Then there’s the Queen Bee’s story. The QB gets a new lease on life by going to Vegas. She also finds love with the genderqueer Suzanne Velour, an older female impersonator who has taken Char under their rather capacious wing.
That romance is sweet and surprising for all concerned, including the QB and Suz themselves. Unfortunately for the story, that romance feels a bit “shot out of a cannon” and proceeds too quickly. What we see of it is terrific, but it just happens too damn fast.
There’s a bit of “woo-woo” type magic between Holly and her bees – not enough to tip this into paranormal, but enough to make it feel like things happen on Sullivan’s Island, and in the Lowcountry, that just don’t happen anywhere else.
In the end, I liked the book, and had a good time reading it. I’ll admit to some serious questions about why two thirds of the story, featuring two genderqueer characters, were completely erased from the blurb. Anyone picking this book up based on the blurb is going to be surprised. Hopefully as pleasantly as I was, but surprised nonetheless.
Holly is the one who sums up this story, and all the relationships, best, when she says that “love comes in every color, shape, and size”, and that every life needs a little bit of sweetness. And she’s right.
July 27, 2019
One of the most ridiculous books I’ve ever read, yet somehow compelling like a truck that’s turned over on the highway, spilling rubber ducks all over the road. The main character is such a Mary Sue that even her own sister is annoyed by her. No sense of logic to anyone’s decisions. There’s enough drama to keep me listening, but by the end I was more than ready for it to be over. Positive- the narrator does a good job, even with the SC accent.
June 15, 2019
(Free review copy) I’m a diehard DBF fan but this one just wasn’t my favorite of hers 😢 so much happening without a lot of depth. I’m excited for her next one being up to her usual standards though!
July 23, 2019
A fun lowcountry tale that’s delightful to read. Not only was it a good story taking place on Sullivan’s Island, I loved the information on bees. From sweet Holly and her love for her neighbor's children, to her crazy sister and cranky mother, I loved how their story flowed and kept me intrigued.
If you need a quick and easy summer read, this is it. 🐝
If you need a quick and easy summer read, this is it. 🐝
July 7, 2024
From the very first word, I was completely entranced by the saucy voice of Holly. She is a beekeeper, living with her mother who IS the Queen Bee. Her mother is fat, a hypochondriac, and a complainer. Holly can do no right. Not in comparison to Holly's younger sister, Leslie. Mom thinks Leslie can do no wrong. But Leslie is living in Ohio with her weird husband, Charlie. Nowhere near Sullivan Island (smart girl).
Holly has never been married. Her neighbor, Archie, is a widower, with two young boys. Holly adores the boys and looks after them for free. Holly dreams she might marry Archie and become a mother without giving birth. Archie has no such intention.
Leslie has a story of her own. Charlie is not all he seems. He eventually leaves to become a female impersonator named Char. What is to become of Leslie and Charlie's marriage? Stay tuned.
Lots of love and unusual 'relationships'. This is Dorothea Benton Frank at her finest.
4 stars
Holly has never been married. Her neighbor, Archie, is a widower, with two young boys. Holly adores the boys and looks after them for free. Holly dreams she might marry Archie and become a mother without giving birth. Archie has no such intention.
Leslie has a story of her own. Charlie is not all he seems. He eventually leaves to become a female impersonator named Char. What is to become of Leslie and Charlie's marriage? Stay tuned.
Lots of love and unusual 'relationships'. This is Dorothea Benton Frank at her finest.
4 stars
May 10, 2019
Wow! What a blend of characters and tales.
I had a tiny bit of difficulty getting into this book, but once in it, I could not put it down. The author managed to blend three separate stories and lives into one complete book without me being annoyed or feeling as if the book was more of a series of novellas. This is something other authors have a lot of trouble with.
We have Holly who considers herself as a spinster at the age of thirty who is in love with her across the street neighbor. He is just soooo wrong for her, but as their story-line unfolds you will enjoy, be unhappy, be angry and then be relieved with how this all plays out.
We have Leslie whose life is becoming more and more bizarre and has just left her husband, but I can't tell you why because this was not discussed in the synopsis and I don't want to spoil it for you. Let's just say it all works out. And that this was one of the most unusual and intriguing parts of this book and teaches us great lessons in learning to live with those we may find a tad 'different'.
Then we have the Queen Bee also known as QB (which I kept mistaking for Quarter Back!) -this is Holly and Leslie's mom. She starts out as the typical Southern Diva, but her character grows tremendously and she becomes one of the funniest and wise characters in this book.
Then there are the bee's - the honey bee's to be specific -I learned a lot about them and I found the relationship between them and Holly (the beekeeper of these hives) to be a remarkable one.
I loved this book and even though I have read this via an ARC, I will be buying my own copy AND I will also be reading more by this author.
HEA's abound and that makes me a happy camper -not much angst, (a little bit at the start) not enough to make me want to stop reading; self-reflection...well Holly does a lot of that but she finally grows to accept herself for who and what she is.
Great summer read. Happy reading!
*ARC supplied by the publisher.
I had a tiny bit of difficulty getting into this book, but once in it, I could not put it down. The author managed to blend three separate stories and lives into one complete book without me being annoyed or feeling as if the book was more of a series of novellas. This is something other authors have a lot of trouble with.
We have Holly who considers herself as a spinster at the age of thirty who is in love with her across the street neighbor. He is just soooo wrong for her, but as their story-line unfolds you will enjoy, be unhappy, be angry and then be relieved with how this all plays out.
We have Leslie whose life is becoming more and more bizarre and has just left her husband, but I can't tell you why because this was not discussed in the synopsis and I don't want to spoil it for you. Let's just say it all works out. And that this was one of the most unusual and intriguing parts of this book and teaches us great lessons in learning to live with those we may find a tad 'different'.
Then we have the Queen Bee also known as QB (which I kept mistaking for Quarter Back!) -this is Holly and Leslie's mom. She starts out as the typical Southern Diva, but her character grows tremendously and she becomes one of the funniest and wise characters in this book.
Then there are the bee's - the honey bee's to be specific -I learned a lot about them and I found the relationship between them and Holly (the beekeeper of these hives) to be a remarkable one.
I loved this book and even though I have read this via an ARC, I will be buying my own copy AND I will also be reading more by this author.
HEA's abound and that makes me a happy camper -not much angst, (a little bit at the start) not enough to make me want to stop reading; self-reflection...well Holly does a lot of that but she finally grows to accept herself for who and what she is.
Great summer read. Happy reading!
*ARC supplied by the publisher.
July 1, 2021
Queen Bee was a sweet story. I enjoyed the characters; their dreams and flaws made them relatable; however, some of the characters, Char and Suzanne, were hilarious and added unexpected humor to what I thought would be a standard beach read.
July 24, 2024
Holly is a young woman who lives with her mother on Sullivan’s island SC. Her world is small she helps care for her demanding mother, keeps bees and is hoping to land a job at the local elementary school as a teacher. She also helps care for her neighbor’s motherless boys and has a crush on the widowed father. Her life is turned chaotic when her sister Leslie returns home(her mother’s favorite) and her widowed neighbor gets himself a girlfriend.
This story has family drama and unexpected turns which kept my interest.
This is a light, easy read with the humor and enjoyable ending I expected from this author. Sometimes I just need something light and easy, the wonderful low country setting is a bonus.
This story has family drama and unexpected turns which kept my interest.
This is a light, easy read with the humor and enjoyable ending I expected from this author. Sometimes I just need something light and easy, the wonderful low country setting is a bonus.
January 22, 2020
Fun read!
August 31, 2019
Loved the witty & funny remarks in this story. I laughed a lot throughout this read. The characters were funny and colorful . I found it interesting how both sisters were able to see people for who they really were & did not hesitate to speak their minds. They were insightful, open minded and accepting.
Another fun book by Dorothea Benton Frank- she does not disappoint.
Another fun book by Dorothea Benton Frank- she does not disappoint.
July 13, 2020
I don’t do this very often but Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank is going on my DNF list. It was going nowhere and it was torture to read. I got about a quarter the way through the book and just had to put it down. It just was not for me. I won the kindle version of this book in a goodreads give away. It just wasn’t for me. 2.5 stars rounded up.
October 1, 2019
started off great but the story ran a little long, was far fetched and the dialogue was too kitschy for me. Bummer
May 17, 2019
This was the second book I have read by Dorothea Benton Frank. One of the things that should be noted is that she has the ability to develop characters in such detail that you feel like you've known them for years. Another plus for me when I read one of her books is the fact that they are set in the Charleston/Low Country part of the South Carolina coast. Since I grew up vacationing in this area, I love to read her books and feel like I'm back there again.
Queen Bee was a lovely story about realizing what is important in life and going after it. The evolution of the main character, Holly, over the course of this book was the most notable. Next to her, her mother's transformation was most impressive. What they each had to go through to get to their newer and happier selves was trying at times but well worth the effort and difficulties. Even though Holly's sister, Leslie, also makes some life-changing adjustments, she still has a long way to go in some of her newer choices...in my opinion. I enjoyed how the author wrapped the events together in such a way that it impacted all of them - - the two sisters and their mother. In other words, it was almost a "one for all, all for one" type of mentality after a while in the story. It was rewarding to see that because they were very disjointed in the earlier portion of the book.
I found this book quite enjoyable and highly recommend it to others. It was a light and easy read and would be great going into summer for poolside or beach reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Queen Bee was a lovely story about realizing what is important in life and going after it. The evolution of the main character, Holly, over the course of this book was the most notable. Next to her, her mother's transformation was most impressive. What they each had to go through to get to their newer and happier selves was trying at times but well worth the effort and difficulties. Even though Holly's sister, Leslie, also makes some life-changing adjustments, she still has a long way to go in some of her newer choices...in my opinion. I enjoyed how the author wrapped the events together in such a way that it impacted all of them - - the two sisters and their mother. In other words, it was almost a "one for all, all for one" type of mentality after a while in the story. It was rewarding to see that because they were very disjointed in the earlier portion of the book.
I found this book quite enjoyable and highly recommend it to others. It was a light and easy read and would be great going into summer for poolside or beach reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 6, 2019
Wow, I hate writing bad reviews, particularly of an author's work I have enjoyed enormously in the past. I have been such a fan of Dorothea Benton Frank's other books, but this one was a huge disappointment to me. I found the story lines disjointed and the dialog not at all believable to the characters. A found myself shaking my head through much of the book, not liking the way Holly, Lindsay, the Queen Bee, Archie, or Charlie/Char reacted to situations; most seemed very forced and just way off kilter. Other characters, like Sharon, were flat as a flitter caricatures, and really the main characters didn't have much depth that I could see either. In fact, I wasn't rooting for any of them, and I am an easy mark for an author to get me pulling for the main character, especially in low country or any eccentric southern tales. The beekeeping stuff was interesting but that's about it. I'm so sad to say all this! I just don't want any similar readers to think this book is on par with her other works; to me, that is an emphatic no.
June 12, 2019
This was better than the last book but still very superficial. I never felt like I knew any of the characters. I keep hoping Dorothea will go back to her earlier writing style, those books were so good. These recent books are like reading a long People magazine.
August 13, 2019
A fun story full of family, family drama, love, and humor. Benton pulled me into to the story and I felt like I really got to know her quirky, flawed, lovable, and well imagined characters.
I listened to this book on audio and enjoyed the narrator's voice.
I listened to this book on audio and enjoyed the narrator's voice.
February 19, 2020
Finally Dottie Frank is back in the game. She comes out with a new beach read every year and the last few have been shaky. So I am glad to announce she is once again a master of her craft with this story of a beekeeper and her Queen Bee mother who lives on, where else, Sullivan’s Island.
April 2, 2019
Holly Jensen, a 30 year old young woman, lived a very placid life with her mother on Sullivan’s Island. Holly had a teaching degree and hoped to get employed as a teacher at Sullivan Island Elementary school one day. In the mean time she substitute taught at the school when needed. Holly also took care of her Mom, Katherine aka Queen Bee. Katherine had taken to her bed 11 years earlier after Holly’s father left home and then divorced her. Holly also was a beekeeper and kept a bee hive in her yard. She sold the honey locally.
Holly had an older sexier sister, Leslie, who was her Mom’s favorite. After Leslie married her wealthy husband Charlie, she moved away to Ohio with him.
The house next door was owned by the MacLeans. Carin MacLean had died tragically in a car accident months before the story began. Carin left her 2 young sons, Hunter and Tyler, in the care of her hapless but highly educated husband Archie. Holly was in love with Archie and hoped that by helping with the sons, she persuade him to marry her. Unfortunately Archie was not interested in Holly as anything but a helpful neighbor.
Then Archie met Sharon and fell madly in love. Sharon was a self absorbed woman who was not interested in being a mother to Archie’s sons or children of her own. However Archie quickly proposed and married Sharon.
Around the same time, Leslie came back home and confessed that her husband, Charlie, had exposed a dark secret. Leslie was not sure she wanted to stay married to Charlie.
The bees played important roles in the story after Holly expressed her dissatisfaction with Sharon to them.
This was an interesting story as the author shared many facts about bees and beekeeping. However I had a hard time with the character of Holly. Her lack of ambition and her slavish devotion to a man who continually used her to care for his kids without any compensation or gratitude, were annoying. I was surprised that Holly’s highly opinionated mother didn’t point this out to her but then her mother was also need Holly to be her servant as well.
I have read other books by this author but enjoyed them more than this one.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Holly had an older sexier sister, Leslie, who was her Mom’s favorite. After Leslie married her wealthy husband Charlie, she moved away to Ohio with him.
The house next door was owned by the MacLeans. Carin MacLean had died tragically in a car accident months before the story began. Carin left her 2 young sons, Hunter and Tyler, in the care of her hapless but highly educated husband Archie. Holly was in love with Archie and hoped that by helping with the sons, she persuade him to marry her. Unfortunately Archie was not interested in Holly as anything but a helpful neighbor.
Then Archie met Sharon and fell madly in love. Sharon was a self absorbed woman who was not interested in being a mother to Archie’s sons or children of her own. However Archie quickly proposed and married Sharon.
Around the same time, Leslie came back home and confessed that her husband, Charlie, had exposed a dark secret. Leslie was not sure she wanted to stay married to Charlie.
The bees played important roles in the story after Holly expressed her dissatisfaction with Sharon to them.
This was an interesting story as the author shared many facts about bees and beekeeping. However I had a hard time with the character of Holly. Her lack of ambition and her slavish devotion to a man who continually used her to care for his kids without any compensation or gratitude, were annoying. I was surprised that Holly’s highly opinionated mother didn’t point this out to her but then her mother was also need Holly to be her servant as well.
I have read other books by this author but enjoyed them more than this one.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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