Chanel Cleeton’s books tend to focus on Cuban families forced to flee the political turmoil of their homeland, and I have loved and recommended several of them.

So when I was approved by NetGalley to receive a download of her newest book, The Cuban Heiress, in exchange for an honest review, I wanted to shout out in joy! As a bookblogger, we can request early access to certain books but because I have a smaller blog, I don’t always get all the books I request.

Although this new book isn’t my favorite of her books (and I will note my favorites below), it was a solid, entertaining read, and I recommend it!

Last week I posted my fall reading list and I’m back to review the first book, which I had early access to thanks to NetGalley. The book is now available to all:

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

Picoult was the author of a book I truly enjoyed last year – Wish You Were Here – so that’s why it first attracted my attention.

In Mad Honey, two moms are starting over; their kids fall in love. One ends up tragically dead and the other is accused of murder. What follows is a family and courtroom drama as well as a murder mystery and a love story told from two points of view (the mom of the accused and the girl who died). Without giving more plot details away, here’s why I liked the book: