I have heard of Crossman for her YA stories so I wanted to try her first foray into Adult fiction. Wow she has such a skill for creating the most relatable and likeable characters I think I have ever read. The story follows Ana a solicitor having an affair, when Connor dies Ana is left to deal with her invisible grief. This story stayed with me and I still feel such an emotional attachment to it. Well done Crossman. Beautiful.

This book was very different for me, both in the style it was written and the content. It took me a little while to get used to the style - at times I felt like I was reading a poem.

This is the story of Ana and Connor, who are having a secret love affair. I liked the description of the book as I felt it could be a really interesting insight into the taboo subject of extra-marital relationships.

I spent a lot of this book waiting for something to happen - I felt the twist happened right at the beginning and we were taken on a series of flashbacks mixed with Ana’s present situation. For an intelligent woman, I did feel that she was acting totally out of character, but maybe you would in that situation.

I wouldn’t say I didn’t enjoy the book, but it won’t be going in my favourite pile either..

I have read and loved all of Sarah Crossan's other books. This was no exception. The storytelling is innovative, honest and raw.
Here is the beehive is a look at grief, guilt and adultery shown through the prism of Sarah's powerful free verse format.

*Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

<b>2.5 stars</b>

I wanted to read "<b>Here is the Beehive</b>" because the subject is not something I would typically read about or would be of interest me, but I wanted to give it a shot because I enjoyed Crossan's "<b>Moonrise</b>" and I thought because it's written in verse it would make it more interesting for me, which it did - if it was written normally I definitely wouldn't have tried to read it. I'm glad I got to read something different, but unfortunately, it just didn't work for me. One thing I can say I liked is that it didn't at all condone affairs/cheating. I wouldn't have been able to finish it if it did. It simply depicts the psychological toll it has on the people involved. And I didn't have a slick of sympathy for them. I expected to dislike Ana and Connor, but Ana was just <i>awful</i>. Seriosuly awful. I couldn't stand following her story. I'm glad it's over.

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy.

I found the style of writing difficult to get to grips with. and I admit it was unusual.

The story about Ana moves back and forth on its timelines. I did not find her an engaging character. It was a struggle to finish the book.

I have previously read and adored all of Sarah Crossan’s books for young adults and this first novel for adults does not disappoint.

Beautifully written in verse, like all of her other books it reads as smoothly as a ‘traditional’ novel.

Here is the Beehive details Ana’s grief when she discovers her lover has died suddenly. As ever, Sarah Crossan details the raw emotions of her characters and leaves you feeling every emotion with them. Fantastic.

I had to remind myself this was an adult book - but I enjoyed it being in prose format and an adult read

After reading Toffee by Sarah Crossan with my children/teen I was excited to see what her first novel for adults had in store, believe me when I say I was not disappointed.
First of all let’s start with the writing style, if you have never read a book written in poetic prose you are in for a treat. You can read this book fast (which helps when you absolutely cannot put it down) but it does not lack in detail and feeling.
The poetic prose gives everything to the tone of the story. I was heartbroken for Ana, there is no feeling like a loss and grief you are not socially entitled to. I felt every sticky, awkward moment of Ana’s affair. I felt every piece of hope she had that her relationship with Connor was the real deal, that they would leave their spouses and families and live happily ever after. I felt every disappointment Ana had, every let down, every moment of true anger and annoyance.
To say this book is something special is an understatement. It is unique, clever, passionate and simply heartbreaking in places.
Here Is The Beehive is a book we will definitely all be talking about this year

Ana and Connor’s affair envelops both of them in a deep, delicious secret. When events take a tragic turn, there’s nobody to talk to, nobody to understand the grief, solitude and unending loss. This is an unflinching account of a love affair, the obsession, the deceit and the heartbreak. I was hooked from the opening paragraph and read the book in one day. There are lines of monologue that are poignant, poetic and almost hypnotic. Sharp observations of the pain and discomfort of being married, being in love and being left. Crossan has been a highly successful author of the young adult genre for years, but I feel sure this adult novel will eclipse her prior success and launch her into the forefront an entirely new audience.

As a fan of Sarah Crossan’s teen novels I have been excitedly waiting for her first book intended for adults for months. I was not disappointed! Here is the Beehive follows the destructive path of Ana and Connor, two people drawn into an intense affair making Ana obsessive and selfish. Crossan cleverly reveals Ana’s character in snapshots throughout the novel, at times making her seem hopelessly lost in love while at other moments she is downright unlikeable. This raw and honest portrayal of Ana makes her character seem all the more real. We feel her grief and isolation, her frustration of being “the mistress” that does not allow her to be seen by others. There is no space for her, in fact she “had to flee” from her lover’s funeral. She desperately searches for closure throughout the book to the detriment of her own family where perhaps she might have found some acceptance. I love Crossan’s poetic prose and I could not put this book down. You feel that there isn’t a single wasted word or intent and I found myself lingering over delicious lines of emotive prose. Fabulous.

This was my first Sarah Crossan book and I was surprised to find that it is actually a novel in verse! I found it so easy to read, the story slipped away at such a fast pace, I was really shocked to find it was over. Certainly a sign of an enjoyable read.

The thing that I liked most about this story was that the protagonist, Ana, is absolutely remorseless about embarking on an affair with her client, Connor. While Connor struggles with his responsibilities at home and the constant web of lies he is weaving, Ana is assured in her decisions. Connor's manipulation of Ana is clear, but I think it's even clear to Ana herself. She is waiting for Connor to leave his wife, while surely knowing that day will never come. She was frustrating at times, due to this, however I really liked that she was relentless in pursuit of her goal (which she ultimately failed to achieve) and the self reflection she engages in after Connor's death was fascinating. Ana is certainly a very sinister character and I found myself feeling sorry for Connor's wife, Rebecca, her name surely a nod to Du Maurier's first Mrs DeWinter,) who Ana so desperately wanted to hate, but ultimately, like her affair partner, found that she could not.

Thank you for providing the galley!

I really loved this latest offering from Sarah Crossan. Having read Toffee, I was hoping that this book was going to be equally brilliant and it was. Each word and each sentence is carefully chosen and constructed. Not one word is wasted. I wasn't sure about this book initially as the story revolves around cheating and affairs, however, the story certainly made me consider the situation from all character perspectives and highlights how, in the end, there are no winners. It's an emotional read and one that can be read in one sitting. I loved it. Another sure winner for Sarah Crossan

My thanks to NetGalley

I found Here is the Beehive rather bland overall. Although it lends a little poetry to the novel in some places, I didn't really see the point in using verses. The plot is unexceptional. The book is rather depressing, sometimes to the point of cynicism, and none of the characters are very likeable. It was a quick read, and will probably be as quickly forgotten.

Sarah Crossan has a beautiful spare style that I have really enjoyed in her YA books, and she uses the same style in this, her first book for an adult audience. Her writing works really well for me, I love how she says as much with the words she doesn't use as with the ones she carefully does.

The book examines the destructive force of love in an extramarital affair. Told from Ana's point of view, Crossan slowly and purposefully reveals more of the affair, deliberately shocking with the hurtful details of an affair Ana has had with a man who dies, leaving her to grieve alone and unrecognised.

The book is a raw picture of how devastating an affair can be, to those involved and to those on the sidelines, and as Ana's actions become increasingly bizarre, although it's hard to have sympathy with her you can see the extremes she is facing and can't help but follow her through the stages of her grief.

Told in Sarah Crossan's distinctive style, Here Is The Beehive is a story about two intertwined marriages. Ana and Connor have been having an affair for years but when the unthinkable happens Ana finds herself alone and mourning a loss that she can't talk about. It's a quick read as the book is written in verse and I think its Crossan's first adult novel. I didn't find it hugely gripping but it makes for a pleasant enough read.

Really interesting concept that felt realistic and believable. Lyrical exploration of grief created by Crossan’s signature poetic style which fits so naturally to her storytelling and it never seems forced or odd. Enjoyable and engaging read.

Crossan's "Here is the Beehive" is intriguing, especially the stylistic choise of a verse novel is absolutely to my liking and is excecuted exceptionally well, yet the novel itself falls flat and, overall, feels, unfortunately, really bland.

God, this book is awful. In the sense that I had a really powerful reaction to it... so I guess it's good?

I requested Here is the Beehive from Netgalley because I have read and enjoyed a couple of Sarah Crossan books in the past. However, I wasn't totally sure about it. I read the blurb and thought it sounded like maybe it was condoning cheating. It's about a married woman grieving the loss of her lover. For a long time, Connor kept promising that they would leave their spouses for one another, but he died before that ever happened, and now Ana is left with nothing but a painful secret and grief she can't express. So she seeks out the wife she has heard so much about.

This little verse novel has a lot to say, but it isn't condoning cheating. If anything, it shows how truly destructive an affair can be, not just to the cheated on partners, but, ultimately, to the participants themselves. The relationship in this book is not healthy; it is toxic. It consumes and destroys everything it touches.

While I know Ana was in the wrong, it is hard not to feel for her. She is in such a dark mental place, full of self-doubt and in need of psychiatric help. As the reader, it was deeply discomfiting to witness her destructive behaviour, both outside and within her own mind. The situation she and Connor have created with their secret is not a sexy affair; it is a nightmare. Now she wonders: Was it ever real? Did he ever have any intention of being with her? If nobody else knows about them, did it ever really happen at all?

The ending felt very sudden and I can't decide if it was too abrupt or just perfect. I definitely wanted more closure, wanted to know what happened with Paul and with Rebecca, but maybe this way, this lack of neatness, is more true to life.

A horrible little book that can be read in one sitting.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for allowing me to read this for an honest review.

So to start things of, I decided to give Here is the Beehive 4 stars. After reading two of Sarah Crossan's work before (which both I rated highly), I went into this with fairly high expectations. And to be honest I wasn't feeling it initially. Though, once I hit about a quarter of the way through, I found that I actually was gripped and it was hard to put it down.

Here is the Beehive is about Ana who has been having an affair for the last three years with Connor who are both married with children. However, while at work, Ana receives a call from his wife Rebecca saying that her husband has passed away. Ana initially things it's just a ploy because she'd found out about the affair, but quickly realises she's not joking. As the story goes on, we see flashbacks to when Connor and Ana were together as well as he journey with Rebecca in the present.

At first, I was confused with all the jumping around but quickly got the hang of it. I found that the writing in second person added to the story and it felt like a final letter to Connor after he passes. It was interesting to follow along with her personal life with Paul her husband and her two children, Ruth and Jon and I enjoyed understanding her relationships with every other character. I loved that we got to know Rebecca who Ana previously despised and often wished dead. There were certain aspects of this that I weren't expecting along the way and I was constantly pleasantly surprised. I most certainly wasn't disappointed by Sarah Crossan's on this occasion and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a deeper contemporary fiction read that shares a lot of emotion.

Here is the Beehive is a beautifully written verse novel exploring grief and loss from an interesting perspective. I really enjoyed Sarah Crossan's writing and would possibly read some of her other works.

However, I struggled to finish the novel purely because Ana is such an unlikeable character. Selfish, obsessive, narcissistic and downright spiteful. I found it hard to relate to the choices she makes and despised the way she treated those around her.

Despite the story appearing to be emotionally driven, I didn't feel any strong emotions towards any characters besides Ana as they are barely mentioned and certainly not explored to an extent where they could become interesting. Even Connor - whom Ana is having an affair with - is a shell of a character and I couldn't find any connection between the two that would lead to any form of relationship. Perhaps this is intentional in order to focus on Ana's obsession. Despite the lack of exploration into the characters, the story is very repetitive and would have benefitted from less repetition and more character evolution.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and NetGalley for the ARC.