Tell it to the Bees – Zoë Richards

Published By: Fox and Ink
Pages: 400
Released On: 07/08/2025

Pinewoods Retreat is in trouble.

With repairs to be done, rising costs, and not enough guests, owner Lorraine attempts to fix everything herself. Then, wealthy and successful businesswoman Georgie books herself in. And she isn’t there for relaxation. As everything that Lorraine has created starts to fall apart, Georgie sets out to deliver on the mission she’s been sent on by a ruthless local developer.

But when she tells her troubles to the bees in the retreat’s kitchen garden, will she get more from Pinewoods than she expects?

*****

Thanks to NetGalley and Fox and Ink for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

It’s fair to say that Zoë’s previous book, Garden of Her Heart, was one of my favourite books of 2024 and I have since bought about 12 copies to give to family and friends. I read it as an e-arc but then bought myself a copy once it was out. The same goes for this one. I’ve already pre-ordered this title but I will keep the pre-order even though I have this e-arc.

This is such a difficult book for me to review properly because this book, and the previous one, are about how the book makes you feel rather than what I liked or disliked about it.

I worried I wouldn’t like this one as much as the first one because it truly meant so much to me, but it completely enveloped me in the same way.

We’ve got all the old characters we fell in love with in the first book, and we’ve got the new ones, and they’re instantly likeable. The old characters are almost like our friends or family, and it can be jarring when new ones get added to that pack, but it completely works here. And of course we’ve got our ‘villains’ who, whilst unlikeable, are still brilliant characters.

I am so sad that Pinewoods isn’t a real place because I can promise you I’d be the first booked in.

Again, I loved the love and respect that nature is given in this book. Not in a pushy ‘tree-hugger’ type way that gets a lot of negativity, but in a natural, realistic, honest, important way.

I recommended Garden Of Her Heart as a tonic, I wanted it to on prescription to anyone who was dealing with anything bad, troubling, sad, or bad mental health, and I will do the same with this.