SHORT & SWEET REVIEW: THE BEEKEEPER’S DAUGHTER BY SANTA MONTEFIORE

Note, the format of my Short and Sweet reviews differs in that they simply comprise the book blurb and a short response (hence, the short and sweet). 

Earlier this year I read and enjoyed Santa Montefiore’s Secrets of the Lighthouse, so I was quite looking forward to reading The Beekeeper’s Daughter. The quote from Jojo Moyes on the front cover describes it as “epic romance”, which sums up the book quite well, but isn’t quite what I expected after Secrets. Here’s the blurb:

A family rocked by tragedy, a love that lives through time, a story that will stay in your heart…

Dorset, 1932: Grace Hamblin is growing up on a beautiful rural estate. The only child of the beekeeper, she knows her place and her future – until her father dies unexpectedly and leaves her bereft and alone. Alone, that is, except for the man she loves, whom she knows she can never have.
Massachusetts, 1973: Grace’s beautiful, impetuous daughter Trixie Valentine is in love. Jasper is wild and romantic, a singer in a band on the brink of stardom. Then tragedy strikes and he must return to his home in England, promising to come back to Trixie one day, if only she will wait for him…
Weighed down by memories, unaware of the secrets that bind them, both mother and daughter are searching for lost love. To find what they are longing for they must confront the past, and unravel the lies told long ago…

A story of love lost, longing and secrets, The Beekeeper’s Daughter is a light, warm and fuzzy read just right for those times when you want a little escape. As free-spirited Trixie falls in love, only to be disappointed, her mother Grace is reminded of the man she loved and lost. Sadly, that lost love has impacted on Grace’s life more than she realises, and her memories prove a catalyst for reevaluating her marriage. While the book is well-written and hits the romance spot, it’s very light with a predictable outcome. Nice to read but not overly memorable (at least for me), The Beekeeper’s Daughter will most appeal to those who love a good romance or want something that’s not too taxing.

Available from good bookstores (RRP $29.99). My copy was courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

Bookish treat: My mouth tangoed with a Spanish hot chocolate while I read this.