Review: The Enlightenment of Bees

Title: The Enlightenment of Bees

Author: Rachel Linden

Release Date: July 9, 2019

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Synopsis from Goodreads: At 26, idealistic baker Mia West has her entire life planned out: a Craftsman cottage in Seattle, baking at The Butter Emporium, and the love of her life, her boyfriend Ethan, by her side. But when Ethan breaks up with her instead of proposing on their sixth dating anniversary (with the Tiffany blue box in his pocket), Mia’s carefully planned future crumbles. Adrift and devastated, she determines to find new meaning in her life by helping those in need. Guided by recurring dreams about honeybees that seem to be leading her toward this new path in life, Mia joins her vivacious housemate Rosie on an around-the-world humanitarian trip funded by the reclusive billionaire, Lars Lindstrom. Along with a famous grunge rock star, an Ethiopian immigrant, and an unsettlingly attractive Hawaiian urban farmer named Kai, Mia and Rosie embark on the trip of a lifetime. From the slums of Mumbai to a Hungarian border camp during the refugee crisis, Mia’s eyes are opened and her idealistic vision is challenged as she experiences the euphoria, disillusionment, and heartbreaking reality of humanitarian work abroad. As Mia grapples with how to make a difference in an overwhelmingly difficult world, circumstances force her to choose between the life she thought she wanted and the unexpected life she has built.

My Review: While this was a nice light romantic story it just didn’t really work for me. I had a hard believing some of the plot points and I didn’t like the main character for most of the book. There was some good character development that was redeeming but not fully. The writing was good, the cast of characters interesting and the settings all well done. Even with all of that I was bored throughout much it. A lot of people really loved it though so its still worth giving a shot if it sounds like a good fit for you.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All opinions are my own.*