Another series of books – this is a New Year miracle, and we are only a few days into the year.
I was introduced to this series by Dawn O’Porter last year and very quickly read both ‘Paper Aeroplanes‘ and ‘Goose‘, so when I had the chance to read ‘Honeybee’, too, thanks to a fellow Dawn O’Porter fan, I jumped at the chance.
It was a delight to be reunited with Renee and Flo and find out how their lives were panning out in their early twenties. And, as we can imagine if we have read about their teenage years, things are not going quite as smoothly as they could be. There has been a slight pause in their friendship but they have both returned to Guernsey; Flo from London, where life seems to be going as well as her relationship with her mum, and Renee is returning from Spain, where bonding with her father and sister have not been quite as successful as she has hoped. This throws them back together – they are not just back on the same island but they are also living together and working together – and this brings all sorts of drama, mishaps and moments of true friendship.
I have to be honest that I do not think that this is my favourite of the trilogy, but it was an enjoyable read. However, interestingly, I have heard a few people recently talk about how difficult our twenties probably are (even if we do not realise it) and that maybe we are not our best versions of ourselves in that decade, and I think that is true of both Flo and Renee. This is certainly a coming of age tale and both of the women take some time to identify who they are and what they truly want to be, to be the best versions of themselves and that path is certainly not smooth and tests them both, sometimes to the limit.
Yet, this book is again a great representation of female friendship and a study of relationships. I did like the recognition of the importance of talking for all of our wellbeings. And Aunty Jo, as a slightly older character (not at all old, just more senior than our two central characters), bringing to attention the menopause, and the lack of understanding and openess that has often come with this life stage – although hopefully this is improving. Plus, of course, the life lesson that comes from the elderly neighbour: we should never disregard the wisdom of our elders, or disregard them at all just because of their age.
So, if you have enjoyed the adventures with Flo and Renee before, you will continue to enjoy their adventures in this book, and it is definitely a fitting conclusion to the trilogy of books.