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    The Beekeeper's Ball
    The Beekeeper's Ball
    The Beekeeper's Ball
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    The Beekeeper's Ball

    Written by Susan Wiggs

    Narrated by Amy Rubinate

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs returns to sun-drenched Bella Vista, where the land's bounty yields a rich harvest…and family secrets that have long been buried.

    Isabel Johansen, a celebrated chef who grew up in the sleepy Sonoma town of Archangel, is transforming her childhood home into a destination cooking school—a unique place for other dreamers to come and learn the culinary arts. Bella Vista's rambling mission-style hacienda, with its working apple orchards, bountiful gardens and beehives, is the idyllic venue for Isabel's project…and the perfect place for her to forget the past.

    But Isabel's carefully ordered plans begin to go awry when swaggering, war-torn journalist Cormac O'Neill arrives to dig up old history. He's always been better at exposing the lives of others than showing his own closely guarded heart, but the pleasures of small-town life and the searing sensuality of Isabel's kitchen coax him into revealing a few truths of his own.

    The dreamy sweetness of summer is the perfect time of year for a grand family wedding and the enchanting Beekeeper's Ball, bringing emotions to a head in a story where the past and present collide to create an unexpected new future.

    From "one of the best observers of stories of the heart" (Salem Statesman-Journal), The Beekeeper's Ball is an exquisite and richly imagined novel of the secrets that keep us from finding our way, the ties binding us to family and home, and the indelible imprint love can make on the human heart.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJun 24, 2014
    ISBN9781455837243
    The Beekeeper's Ball
    Author

    Susan Wiggs

    Susan Wiggs is the author of more than fifty novels, including the beloved Lakeshore Chronicles series and the recent New York Times bestsellers The Lost and Found Bookshop, The Oysterville Sewing Circle, and Family Tree. Her award-winning books have been translated into two dozen languages. She lives with her husband on an island in Washington State’s Puget Sound.

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    Reviews for The Beekeeper's Ball

    4/5

    147 ratings19 reviews

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    • 5/5
      The second in the Bella Vista Chronicles, The Beekeeper's Ball focuses on Isabel Johansen in stunning Sonoma Co, CA, as she converts her family home to a destination cooking school, and flashbacks telling her grandfather Mangus's story as part of the Danish resistance during WW2 Nazi occupation. Family truths long untold unfold, and we watch as observers things people do in times of extreme duress that are later judged by history, family members, in the context of peacetime and safety. Susan Wiggs does a very good job threading this needle. I am however very anxious for her to return to this series to see where it goes next. She never disappoints.
    • 4/5
      Great "summer read"... a little too much romance - all too pat, but I still enjoyed it. A little WWII background made it interesting.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      The Beekeeper's Ball by Susan Wiggs is a richly developed novel that weaves past and present day events into an incredibly heartwarming story of love, family and friendship. This second installment in the Bella Vista Chronicles whisks readers back to Archangel where Isabel Johansen finds love with Cormac "Mac" O'Neill.

      Old and new fans of the series are sure to enjoy this latest visit to the Johansen family apple orchard. Isabel is finally seeing her dream of opening a destination cooking school come to fruition while she and Tess put the finishing touches on Tess's upcoming wedding. Isabel is genuinely thrilled for Tess, but she cannot help but feel a little wistful about her own lackluster love life as she helps Tess plan her big day. Isabel is surprised by attraction to Mac and knowing that he is not planning on settling down, she is very reluctant to become involved with him even on a short-term basis. She finds it impossible to resist the fun-loving author but will Mac convince Isabel to give their romance a chance once his work with Magnus is complete?

      Isabel is a gentle and genuinely kind-hearted woman who is haunted by an incident from her past. Despite her parents' death around the time of her birth, her childhood was happy and idyllic. Inspired by her love of cooking, she left Bella Vista to pursue her dream of becoming a chef but following a traumatic event, she returns home without her degree. When her beloved grandmother Eva falls ill, Isabel cares for her until her death, and now years later, Isabel is content to remain at the orchard. Isabel's safe world is threatened when her unresolved past collides with her present, but it is not until someone she cares about is in jeopardy that Isabel finds the courage to take action.

      Mac is a little gruff and grumpy in the beginning but he is also thoughtful and quite caring. He challenges Isabel to step outside of her comfort zone, and although she tries to resist, he patiently overcomes her objections. Mac also has a tragic past that he has yet to come to terms with but his relationship with Isabel finds him contemplating the possibility of putting down roots for the first time in his life. After his assignment with Magnus is finished, Mac has a commitment that will, hopefully, allow him to finally put his demons to rest.

      Isabel's grandfather Magnus takes a much larger role in The Beekeeper's Ball. Flashbacks reveal new and fascinating details about his experiences working with the Dutch Resistance during World War II. Tess and Isabel are stunned to learn of the heartbreak their biological grandmother Annaliese's endured during the Nazi's occupation of Denmark. They are also surprised to find out that she, too, worked with their grandfather with the Dutch underground. The remaining secrets surrounding Magnus, Eva and Annaliese's relationship are also divulged and the sisters discover the truth about the circumstances of their father's birth.

      The Beekeeper's Ball is a beautifully written novel of love, friendship, family and healing. The relationship between Isabel and Mac is slow growing and while their romance is understated, it is incredibly sweet. While Susan Wiggs answers all of the lingering questions from The Apple Orchard (the first book in the series), a shocking revelation at the conclusion of The Beekeeper's Ball will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment of Bella Vista Chronicles.
    • 5/5
      This novel has many carefully developed storylines touching on historical and contemporary issues and delicately reveals how relationships of the past have long-term effects as they contribute to future decisions.

      Particularly in this time of #MeToo one of the storylines is very relevant, gently handled, and gives hope as only a romance novel can. But "The Beekeeper's Ball" is so much more revealing historical events during WWII which brings the understanding of generational relationships and ends with an amazing and intriguing possibility.

      No review of this novel would be complete without mention of Susan Wiggs deftly and comprehensive handling of facts as to why everyone should be concerned about the global decline of bees and what this could mean in human continuity, food supplies, and maintaining a balanced eco-system.

      To share Susan Wiggs name as an author does not reveal her artistry with words in combining multiple subjects that readers might not have an interest in separately and that could lead to a dry and/or boring presentation but instead incorporates them into an engaging, entertaining, and extraordinary novel.

      This novel should not be missed!
    • 3/5
      Nice book, with a lot of honey in it - honey recipes, honey for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The author could have cut down on the honey and maybe beefed up the characters more. Back and forth about the grandfather's life in Denmark during the war & present day. Twist at the end with Isabel's father...not sure if that will spin out into another book. Off to another BC'r as a RABCK.
    • 5/5
      Wirklich gut verwoben: die Vergangenheit Gegenwart der Hauptfigur Isabel auf dem herrlichen Obstbau-Landsitz Bella Vista in Californien, die Vergangenheit der Großeltern im besetzten Kopenhagen des zweiten Weltkriegs und eine Lovestory zwischen zwei vom Leben geprägten Charakteren.
    • 5/5
      The second in the Bella Vista Chronicles, The Beekeeper's Ball focuses on Isabel Johansen in stunning Sonoma Co, CA, as she converts her family home to a destination cooking school, and flashbacks telling her grandfather Mangus's story as part of the Danish resistance during WW2 Nazi occupation. Family truths long untold unfold, and we watch as observers things people do in times of extreme duress that are later judged by history, family members, in the context of peacetime and safety. Susan Wiggs does a very good job threading this needle. I am however very anxious for her to return to this series to see where it goes next. She never disappoints.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book. The story line was simple and easy to follow; a good book to read as a form of escape. Susan Wiggs has a way with words that appeals to me. Although it is a romance novel, it still had a . historical slant through the back story of Isabel and Tess's grandparents. I also liked the cooking aspect of the story; Isabel's passion for food and cooking resonated in me. I'd love to visit her vision of a cooking school, if one really existed!

      A little more information; I did not read the first one, and there were some noticeable holes in my knowledge, but I could catch up on the missing information as the story progressed. The ending is a cliffhanger, and know that I know there is a series of these books, it makes perfect sense what the next book will be about.
    • 4/5
      It's wonderful to visit Archangel again! I fell in love with the charming fictional town in the first book, THE APPLE ORCHARD. Susan Wiggs' gorgeous descriptions of Sonoma County make me want to jump inside her books.THE BEEKEEPER'S BALL picks up where the first book left off. Sisters Tess and Isabel are planning Tess' wedding at the family estate called Bella Vista. Isabel is also living out her dream of opening a cooking school in their home. Isabel is a workaholic and a bit of a hermit. She's been hiding out at Bella Vista for years because of a painful experience in her past. Along comes Cormac (Mac) O'Neill, a battered journalist hired to write her grandfather's life story, and he challenges her to shed her protective cocoon.The story alternates between present-day Archangel and World War II Denmark. More family secrets are revealed as Magnus shares his past as part of the Danish resistance movement. I liked how we got some answers to questions from the first book, though the author leaves us with a major unresolved twist at the end!! I can only hope this means there's a 3rd book in the works.The romance in this book was okay - not the greatest. Maybe the chemistry between Mac and Isabel was lacking, or maybe their story was overshadowed by the World War II parts. This book didn't flow as smoothly or have as strong a focus as the first. Still, I thought it was a good read, and like I said before, I'm hopeful there will be another book to tie up the surprise loose ends.Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      An excellent follow up to The Apple Orchard. The author did a great job getting to the heart of the main character, Isabel.
    • 4/5
      A good book where I found the secondary story set during WWII, far more compelling than the current day storyline. The H/H didn't speak in consistent "voices," and I found them a bit wishy-washy.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed Susan’s “The Apple Orchard” (Bella Vista Chronicles, #1), and was delighted to receive an advanced reading copy of “The Beekeeper's Ball” (Bella Vista Chronicles #2), as a continuation of thirty year old Isabel, as she transforms her childhood home (Bella Vista), a gathering place for friends and family, for reunions and celebrations. In addition her dreams, the Bella Vista Cooking School—a unique place for other dreamers to come, and learn the culinary arts—all while she leaves her past behind with controlling Calvin.

      As a chef, she is turning the magical Bella Vista's rambling mission-style hacienda, apple orchards, bountiful gardens and beehives, into an idyllic venue, while she forgets the past. All sorts of fun things: magazine covers, gourmet cooking, literary agents, wedding plans, photo shoots, stylist, vintage items, delightful cuisine, local gourmet markets, antiques, wine, honey, figs, plus more in this blooming Sonoma setting (I want to be there-like now)!

      Everything is going as planned until delicious and sexy Cormac (Mac) comes into the picture (EpiPen included), to dig up old history of Magnus Johansen (Isabel’s grandfather-a key player in the Danish Resistance) sent by Tess. He has traveled to many places in his life from war-torn places of the world, airports and grimy cities, and long barren stretches of scorched earth in the foreign lands; however, none compare to the lush and seductive Bella Vista.

      His goal was simple after his injury--- heal, gather the information about Magnus the war hero turned orchardist, then settle in and write his story, as after all this is what he does well. As this hunk slowly lets down his rough outer guard to soften and enjoy the pleasures of this sleepy small town, along with Isabell’s charm in the kitchen- a man worth getting to know.

      From the 1940s in Copenhagen to the present time, Susan seamlessly blends the old with the new with an incredible, magical, and inspiring story-- keeping you reading well into the night.

      Would definitely recommend reading both books in the series; however, they could serve as a standalone; hoping for a third to come!

      As a longtime fan of Susan, her books and writing style, she has a way of drawing her readers into the setting, with strong family historical dynamics and romance. A delicious read, well-written, with family secrets, adventure, summer days and nights, a family wedding (Tess/Dominic), a Beekeeper’s Ball, and unexpected love.

      A special thank you to Harlequin MIRA and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
    • 5/5
      I truly loved reading this book, just buzzed right thru it and I'm happy to think there will likely be another? The only parts I skimmed a bit were the flash backs to the war, no reflection on the writing, I had just finished ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, and the movie MONUMENT MEN, so I was all done with the war for now. Other then that there were recipes I will try and honey is my all time favorite thing to have daily and read about.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed this long family saga which continues where the Apple Orchard left off. Well done "story of the heart," although I kept feeling I'd read some of it before. Too much overlap with the first in the series? Don't know
    • 4/5
      Isabel is creating a perfect life on her family home in Sonoma, California. Bella Vista is a Spanish style hacienda surrounded by Orchards, farm land and Bee Hives. It is the land where her grandparents raised her after her parents died. When her grandmother Bubbie passed away she started turning the home into a cooking school and a destination to hold weddings; like the one she is planning for her sister Tess. Isabel’s life hasn’t always been good, she has suffered her share of tragedies and she is carrying around a secret that still haunts her and has caused her to keep a guard around her feelings. Her defenses are put to the test when Cormac (Mac) O’Neill arrives to write about her grandparents’ childhoods during WWII, when the Nazi’s took over Copenhagen in 1940. As Mac uncovers long hidden secrets about them, Isabel wonders if she should tell him hers.I haven’t read Susan Wiggs’ other book, The Apple Orchard, which introduces Isabel’s family, but it didn’t matter, because this delightfully written novel can stand on its own merit. Annelise, Grandpa Magnus, Tess and Jamie the beekeeper are very appealing characters. Every chapter begins with a Honey recipe that Isabel is making for Tess’s wedding…yummy. My only warning is that this romance novel is definitely an adult read where sensuality seeps through the story like honey through a comb. My one complaint for the author is “What happens to the beekeeper Jamie?” There is a lead into the next book in the series, hopefully I’ll find out then. A 4 star summer read.
    • 4/5
      This is the second book in the Bella Vista Chronicles series. You could read this as a stand alone but the book makes more sense if you read the first book in the series THE APPLE ORCHARD before you read this one. THE BEEKEEPER'S BALL is the story of Isabel, one of the two grandaughters of Magnus. Isabel has never been far away from the apple orchard owned by her grandfather and is busy planning her sister's wedding and setting up a cooking school when Cormac arrives to write her grandfather's biography. The novel is about the present day and the grandfather's life in Denmark during WWII. It's a very good book and keeps you interested, especially the parts about WWII. I didn't like the way that the author brought up something right at the end that will lead into another book. I thought that it was handled very abruptly and seemed very fake. Other than that minor problem, I really enjoyed the book and have enjoyed all of Susan's books in the past.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely loved this book. If you read Susan's first in this series The Apple Orchard you will love this one. 5stars
    • 4/5
      This story is a romance, light-hearted at times, but with a side story of horrific WWII events in Denmark. Basically a young woman chef, Isabel, is starting a cooking school at her home in Sonoma valley when a renowned journalist, Mac, comes to spend time with her grandfather, Magnus. Mac is writing a book about the history of the grandfather's interesting life. Everyone in the story had life altering events in their past which color their present lives. Isabel had a traumatic romantic past, so is reluctant to open up to the prospect of a new romance with Mac. Mac likewise had a sad experience in his past. Magnus survived the loss of his parents in the Holocaust and his subsequent time in the Danish resistance before coming to America and becoming the owner of the Bella Vista estate where he, Isabel and her sister live, tend orchards, and keep bees. I always find war stories interesting, particularly those about WWII, so was very interested in the recounting of events in Denmark told in this book. The way people who were so horribly persecuted survived and went on with their lives is fascinating. And it's always interesting to read the stories from personal viewpoints, even when the characters are fictional. I was not previously aware that this book is the 2nd in a 'Bella Vista' series. Now I want to read the 1st, though I wonder if the story will be somewhat spoiled by knowing 'future' events already. I'll just have to read it and find out.
    • 4/5
      4 STARS I enjoyed The Beekeeper's ball. It was really two stories in one. Cormac O'Neill has come to write the story of Magnus Johansen. So it tell a little bit of Magnus life fighting Germans in Denmark. It switches back to life on the apple farm. The story about fighting the Nazis in the resistance was just a little taste of what it was like over in Denmark and how it affected their lives today. I learned a lot that I never realized. It was sad and horror but not like if you would read a book on the subject and get into it deeply. I thought it was done just right. This opens with a drama and humor at the same time. Isabel Johansen is trying to capture a swarm of bees. Cormac O'Neill shows up and Isabel mistakes him for a beekeeper and asks him for help thinking he is Jamie. The characters were human and I wanted to get to know more about them. I thought it was really interesting to learn a little about their grandparents life in Denmark. Isabel Johansen is getting ready to open up a cooking school at the apple orchard Bella Vista. They are remodeling so they can stay in the farmhouse while being taught cooking. Isabel was raised by her grandparents. Her parents died both around her birth. She loves cooking, She is helping her sister Tess plan her wedding. Cormac O'Neill is a writer & journalist. He never stays in one place for long. He comes from a big family that always moved around to different third world countries. He is a widower. Magnus Johansen was born in Denmark. When he was young the Germans took his parents and they disappeared. He had one son Eric that died two days before Isabel's birth and also Tess's birth. Isabel birth helped Magnus and his wife cope with losing their son and then two days later is daughter-in-laws life. He owns the apple orchard. Tess was born on same day as Isabel but only found each other last year. She has helped save the apple orchard from ruin. Now she is getting married to Dominic next door. The setting for the story goes back and forth between Denmark 1940's to today in California on the apple orchard. I see some real low ratings on goodreads right now and wonder if they read the same book as I did. Their are a few things I did not like but overall I was happy to read it. I also did not like the sex scenes in the story and skipped over them. I did not like the cliffhanger at the end. I want to know more right now. Another thing I was disappointed in is we never got to see Tess's future stepchildren that were so cute in The Apple Orchard. I was given this ebook to read and asked in return to give honest review of it by Netgalley and Harlequin.