Title: The Beekeeper’s Ball
By Susan Wiggs
The Gist:
Isabel Johansen has decided to
turn her dream into a reality, transforming a portion of her family’s estate in
the Sonoma Valley into a destination cooking school. As she is preparing for this new adventure, and planning for
her half-sister’s wedding (The Beekeeper’s Ball), she is thrown for a loop by
Cormac O’Neill, a journalist who came to Bella Vista to write about her
grandfather’s role in WWII.
As stories of the past, and promises
for the future combine with amazing food and recipes, Isabel and Cormac must
decide if they can each let down their guard, and find a way to their own happy
ending.
What I thought:
Susan Wiggs does it again! I had not read the first book, The Apple Orchard, in the
Bella Vista Series, but had no trouble sinking into the storyline of this
novel. Although this story reads a
bit heavier than what I am use to from Ms Wiggs (Lakeshore Chronicles), it was
wonderfully well written with amazing descriptions of both scenery and food.
I loved the subtlety of the character of Isabel, you
could tell that she was working towards her dream by how seamlessly everything
flowed. Even when there was stress
and trouble, you could see that she would come out with a hint of a smile, and
probably a bee sting cake (mmmmm)!
I felt that the second story in this novel was
thoroughly researched and told with the tension and seriousness that it
deserved. I found myself holding
my breath quite a few times as Isabel’s grandfather told of his participation
in the Danish resistance.
All in all, this was a wonderful story, beautifully
written, and I cannot wait to read the first installment, and any more that are
to come.
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