Today I am reviewing Welcome to Honey B&B by Melody Carlson releasing on March 4.
Book Description
When life feels like it’s closing in around you, sometimes the solution is to open the doors wide and invite others in . . .
Jewel McKerry is on the brink of unraveling as she heads home to Oregon to help care for her father who has early-onset dementia. Her thirteen-year-old daughter is upset about the move. Her beekeeper dad is a humorous handful. Her mom is overworked and overwhelmed. Finances are stretched tight. And, according to her father, the neighbors are nothing but trouble.
Despite all of these challenges, Jewel takes on one more when she convinces her parents to turn their decrepit farmhouse into a B&B in order to make some needed money. Her old high school flame turned contractor steps in to help, but Jewel isn’t sure she can really trust him. And those “troublesome” neighbors? The handsome widower and his teenage daughter just might be the key to making all this work.
Get ready for a summer filled with family, good humor, and new beginnings!
My Review.
Thanks to Netgalley for my review copy.
I really enjoyed this book. It deals with a serious subject early-onset dementia. We meet Honey and CT who is suffering from early-onset dementia at the beginning of the story. They live on a farm and one of CT’s favourite things is honey from his bees. We can see Honey’s struggles with CT’s memory. Their daughter Jewel and granddaughter Cooper live in California and make the choice to move back to Oregon to help.
Cooper is 13 and having teenage issues which the city isn’t helping. Jewels needs a change of scenery and Honey needs the help. CT thinks their neighbour is trouble which causes some interesting encounters. Jewel has the idea to turn the house into a B&B to generate some income.
This book shows how early-onset dementia affects everyone in a family not just the affected person. While this is a story it highlights what it is like caring for someone with dementia. There are times I can feel the frustrations of the characters. Seeing how the characters learn coping skills as the book goes one mirrors real-life. Personally, my dad suffered a stroke that affected his ability to make decisions. Reading this story I could see my mother in how Honey handles many situations.
This would be a great book for a book club wanting to talk about a serious issue and how it affects us in different ways. This book can help educate people as to how it is to live with someone with dementia. How there are no easy answers, and everyone has a different response.
You can read Narelle Atkin’s review here.
Hi Jenny, I agree, Melody’s novel sensitively handles the impact of CT’s diagnosis (FTD) on everyone in his life. An eye opening read and it would be a great choice for a book club who likes discussing issues. Thanks for sharing your review. 😊
I agree with a book club. I think it helps explain what its like living with someone with dementia and even different forms. As in Dad he had a stroke and while he didn’t get lost and could still drive he didn’t remember things and mum learnt how to tactfully handle the situation without nagging thanks to a dr explaining it. I could really see mum in Honey in many situtations.