The Enlightenment of Bees – Review Tour & Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Enlightenment of Bees by Rachel Linden, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Enlightenment of Bees
Author: Rachel Linden
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: July 9, 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction

Sometimes a shattered dream leads to an amazing journey.

At twenty-six, apprentice baker Mia West has her entire life planned out: a Craftsman cottage in Seattle, a job baking at The Butter Emporium, and her first love—her boyfriend, Ethan—by her side. But when Ethan declares he “needs some space,” Mia’s carefully planned future crumbles.

Feeling adrift, Mia joins her vivacious housemate Rosie on a humanitarian trip around the world funded by a reclusive billionaire. Along with a famous grunge rock star, a Rwandan immigrant, and an unsettlingly attractive Hawaiian urban farmer named Kai, Mia and Rosie embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

From the slums of Mumbai to a Hungarian border camp during the refugee crisis, Mia’s heart is challenged and changed in astonishing ways—ways she never could have imagined. As she grapples with how to make a difference in a complicated world, Mia realizes she must choose between the life she thought she wanted and the life unfolding before her.

In a romantic adventure across the globe, The Enlightenment of Bees beautifully explores what it means to find the sweet spot in life where our greatest passions meet the world’s greatest need.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook

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MY REVIEW

As soon as I read the premise for this book I was instantly anxious to give it a read. It looked like it was going to be a shocking, life-altering trip for the characters. I’m really sad to say that I didn’t love it as much as  I was hoping or expecting, but I know that there are others who fully enjoyed it so I recommend checking out their reviews as well.

I was surprised to see it written in the present tense. I didn’t think it would bother me that much but I couldn’t seem to get sucked in. I also struggled with the fact that I didn’t seem to like or connect with any of the characters. It felt more like a group of spoiled millenials on a (PAID) spring break trip with a little community service thrown in instead of a true humanitarian effort. The source of their funding made it more of a vacation than an eye-opening experience to how the other half of the world lives. I didn’t really see anyone taking their trip very seriously. I expected what the characters saw and experienced to hit them at the deepest level of their beings and cause a radical change in how they saw the world. I was hoping that missions would be a part of the book as well but instead I only seemed to witness Mia referring to herself as “Saint Mia” after idolizing Mother Theresa in her youth. It just felt like there were too many missed opportunities in this read and it only seemed to frustrate me more the further I got into it. The characters were too self-serving from cover to cover, and I was expecting a much stronger faith element. I really, truly hate sharing negative reviews but this one wasn’t really for me. Not everyone will love every book they read because we all have our personal tastes, so I recommend checking out some other reviews before making your decision.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher through JustRead Tours. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Linden is a novelist and international aid worker whose adventures in over fifty countries around the world provide excellent grist for her writing. She is the author of Ascension of Larks, Becoming the Talbot Sisters, and The Enlightenment of Bees. Currently, Rachel lives with her family in Seattle, Washington, where she enjoys creating stories about hope, courage, and connection with a hint of romance and a touch of whimsy.

CONNECT WITH RACHEL: Website | Facebook | Instagram

 

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