Queen Bee" by Dorothea Benton Frank

Dorothea Benton Frank

   
   Dorothea Benton Frank has written 20 novels- all set in South Carolina, where she was born.
   I picked up her latest book for a quick, summer read.  And it suited perfectly!

    The title, Queen Bee", refers to the mother of two daughters in their twenties, Holly and Leslie. The mother is a hypochondriac, who is demanding and cranky. Holly and Leslie call her the "Queen Bee".
   Holly is the daughter who has put her life on hold to cater to her mother as well as look after the needs of two motherless neighbour boys- Tyler, 7 and Hunter, 5.  They are adorable and the interaction with Holly and the boys is lovely to read!  And, by the way, Holly thinks she is in love with their father.
   There is lots of information about bees in this book and Holly has a fascinating connection with them as she tends three hives.
  There are lots of twists and turns in the lives of the mother as well as the daughters.  
  The setting is also lovely - Sullivan Island, South Carolina- the food, the flowers, the iced tea.  Lots and lots of iced tea!
Fun, summer read.