As always an absolutely amazing read by an amazing author, a perfect story from beginning to end.
I loved The Butler series and loved Queenie as a character, this book tells her storyfrom her life as a young girl during World War II up to the 60's.
I absolutely loved reading Queenie and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. Kimberley Chambers certainly has another winner of a book on her hands. I can’t wait to read what comes next from this fantastic author.

I profoundly enjoyed every single second of this book, and was once again thoroughly blown away by the brilliance of Kimberly Chambers. 

Having immensely enjoyed the Butler series in the past, I was overjoyed to spend time with Queenie once again as KC expertly guided us through the trials and tribulations of a childhood during WW II, to raising a family of her own.

After looking forward to this book for so long, I now can’t help but feel a sense of bereavement, and after the tear jerking ending of Queenie I find myself wanting to re read the Butler series!


Thank you Kimberly Chambers!

I’ve been lucky enough to read all the books in this series and have heard fantastic reviews about this latest instalment. It does not disappoint.

The story follows Queenie and Viv as young girls, through their teens and respective marriages and subsequent children. The reader gets a good insight as to the events that shaped the personalities and spirit of these 2 women. There are many funny moments and equally many sad moments making this definitely a book to read this year for old and new fans of this author.

Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hooked from start to finish.

I loved getting to know how Queenie became who she was, a main character and the matriarch of the Butler family. If you are a fan of Kimberley Chambers, then this is a must read... the child hood of a Vinny, Roy, Michael, Brenda and of course Champ aka Lenny!

Oh Queenie... what can I say? Sooo many questions have been answered and things make sense!
I also LOVE how Kim managed to wangle in her unwanted but much-loved real-life ‘stray’ white cat who has his cake and eats it - she named him Vinnie because he has a touch of the devil in him, then found out he belongs to a neighbour and he is actually a she called Sparkle! Excellent!

I’m now going back to re-read the entire series

Thanks for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review and shares

Another absolute diamond of a book! I have read all of the Butler series so to then read Queenies story is really special. The book covers from WW2 up through the 1960s and captures each era perfectly. This book is well worth a read.

Another brilliant book by Kimberley. I loved the Butler series and this prequel about Queenies hard early life and how it made her into the person she is today is just brilliant. It had me gripped from page 1 and the way she portrays her characters, love them one minute, few pages later hate them is just amazing. Bring on the next book!!

I absolutely loved this book. I have read all of Kimberley's other books and they are always smashing. I buy them without reading the blurb as I know they will be brilliant and this one didn't disappoint. The Butler's series was so good and it was great to read this book based around their mother Queenie's upbringing and their early childhood. Would definitely recommend this book in fact would recommend all of her books.

5 Stars ….……

You are my sunshine my only sunshine
you make me happy when skies are grey, your never know dear how much I love you so don't take my sunshine away ....

The Butlers ….. it was the first series I read from this author. I was gripped from start to finish.
So when Kimberley Chambers decided to give us Queenie's story I just knew it was going to be a blinder of a read.
Set just before the Second World War it follows Queenie as a young girl growing up in the East End London.
It takes us up to the start of The Trap in the early Sixties
I absolutely loved it.

The special thing that this author creates is the characters and this along with her other books she certainly knows how to bring them to life.
At times it was hilarious, heart-rending but most of all a real page turner with lots of shocks along the way.
I just didn't want it to end.
It can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the Butler series.
Also on a plus the Butlers are being made for TV for which I'm really excited about.

I find it particularly difficult to write a review for a book and an author that I absolutely love - there’s always the nagging doubt that I won’t be able to do it justice - but here goes anyway.

For fans of Kimberly Chambers Butler family, we discover how Queenie became the woman she is today - the experiences that moulded her thoughts and actions, and most importantly, how she ended up being matriarch of this much feared (though respected) gangland family.

We join 12 year old Queenie in 1939, just as WW11 is about to bring terror to the inhabitants of the East End, when London was bombed every day and night bar one, for 11 weeks, but far from breaking this community, it brought them closer together, and they were determined to show Hitler just where he could stick his bombs!

The story follows Queenie up to the 1960’s, and tells us how she ends up marrying Albie, and her determination, when her kids come along, to instil within them the belief that they can be anything they want to be, but her first born Vinnie takes it quite literally - he wants to be king of the East End, and nothing will interfere with his plans - this is one dodgy and violent character, and even though Queenie acknowledges his faults, she loves him regardless.

I won’t give anything away as it’s such a terrific read (and can actually be read as a stand-alone), but there are plenty of shocks in store, and if you want an East End stripped of its onion skins, meet its villains, and its high and low life, then I can’t recommend Queenie enough! The characters are so well drawn, and the storyline is gritty and gripping.

I saw Kimberly Chambers being interviewed just this week on the BBC, and she’s so down to earth, not to mention amusing, and this certainly transfers to her books, along with an incredible gift for writing. If you haven’t read any of her books, then you’re really missing a treat!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this Arc.
I absolutely loved loved loved this book!
I have been dying to read Queenie since Kimberley announced she was bringing out a prequel to the Butler series. And my goodness Kimberley you've done it in style!
If you haven't read any of her books before then I would definitely advise you to do so. Especially the Butler series.
In Queenie we learn about Queenie's background and what made her into the hardened, matriarch of a mother she became! We also meet her younger sister Viv and her son's and daughter!
This is definitely the best book I've read in a long long time!! Go get it folks. You're in for a treat!! Deserves way more than 5 stars!!

Kimberley Chambers isn't known as the "Queen of Gangland Crime Fiction" for nothing and here we have yet another masterpiece of story-telling ... the saga that is "Queenie".

This book tells the story of Queenie from her life as a young girl during World War II right up to the early 60's and what a life she leads! She is one heck of a character; one minute you absolutely adore her, the next she disappoints you, then she'll surprise you and then shock ... I felt like I was on a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish and I still don't know how I feel about her even now!

Queenie is not the only character however, this book is absolutely brimmed to the rim with fantastic personalities from the bit players to the main stars; some you'll love and some ... not so much. The setting in the east end of London felt perfect but it could equally have worked in any inner-city borough. For those of us who weren't around during the time span of this book, I felt it captured them well and it felt authentic and believable to me.

"Queenie" is a gritty, engrossing and thoroughly entertaining read and one I would definitely recommend even if you haven't read any of the other books in the "Butler" series; this can easily be read as a standalone as it is the prequel to the first book in the series "The Trap."

Thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I’d like to thank HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Queenie’ written by Kimberley Chambers in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This is the story of Queenie who’s lived in Whitechapel all her life and has experienced the damage to the East End caused by the Blitz in WWII and the death of her much-loved Aunt Edna. She falls in love with her friend Mary O’Leary’s son Daniel but has to accept second-best by marrying Albie Butler with whom she has three sons, the oldest Vinnie the apple of her eye, and one daughter. Queenie has always taught her sons to be tough and win their battles and they’re fast making the name of Butler a legend in the East End.

‘Queenie’ is a gritty and powerful novel. I thought Queenie selfish, domineering and inconsiderate of Albie who’s weak and allows himself to be put down at every opportunity. The three boys are spoilt, encouraged to hate their father and literally get away with murder, hoping to one day emulate their heroes the Krays. Although highly readable, the only reason I haven’t given it five stars is that I felt it was over-long and could have been a few pages shorter without detracting from the story. I’ve read a lot of Kimberley Chambers’ novels, although none so far of the Butlers, so I didn’t realise this one is part of a series. I have therefore read it as a standalone and don’t feel I’ve missed any essential parts of the story but will now look for the others in the series.

Brilliant. I have read all the books in the Butler series and this book is a great prequel. It was interesting finding out about Queenie’s early life and the events that defined her.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I've read all of Kimberley Chambers books and enjoyed them all. Was great finding out about Queenie's early life and how hard it was at times. And the ending......
A great idea for another book in the Butler series

Wow where do I start with Queenie. This is the prequel of the Butler series and you can read it as a standalone. As I have not read the Butler series yet, but I will make sure I will do after reading this. This is another brilliant book from Kimberley Chambers.
Queenie Wade and her sister Vivian live in the East End with their parents. When the war starts, they are both evacuated but, something happens to Queenie that changes her life forever. When she returns home, she is a more a grown-up person and vows to better herself. So, when she meets Albie and marries him, she wants her future children to have a better life than she had. But her life with Albie is not all rosy and her 3 sons are hard to handle especially Vinnie.
I don’t want to give too much away, but if you love gritty dramas about the East end. With lots of ducking and diving and gangsters this is the book for you. I loved this book from the very first page, that I didn’t want to put down. Her stories transport you to the times of 40’s to 60’s you feel like you are there. I feel a bit lost now it’s ended. I will have to read the other books I have not read until a new one comes out. 5 stars from me.

I really loved Queenie's story ,a prequel to the Queenie series .It starts just before WW2 and takes us up to the early sixties .Queenie , Viv and her Family live in the East End of London where there was a real sense of community and looking out for each other ,sadly I don't think this is true today .Queenie had a shocking start to life but I liked how she grew up and tried to make a life for herself and her children ,though she wasn't always the nicest of people .It was interesting to read about a young Vinny Butler and to learn some of the reasons that he grew up to be the man he was.The descriptions of the characters are so real I almost felt I knew them .a fabulous read ! .Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and Netgalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

Queenie and her sister Viv, live in the East End with their loving mother and their Father. Before the Blitz all was good but once evacuated Queenie has to grow up. Determined to have a better life for herself she aims high and wants her future family to aim even higher.

I haven’t read any of The author’s previous books but she has come highly recommended to me and I did enjoy it but it lacked the grit I hoped it would have had. It won’t stop me reading more by her in future though.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

What an amazing book Queenie was, one minute I really liked her and the next I didn't!! I was utterly hooked from Chapter one, and a highly recommended read.

I've read each and every book by Kimberley, and once again I was not disappointed. I love the way this book introduces the reader to the "beginning" of the Butler series, and how Vinnie as a young boy, then teenager is portrayed.
The reader finds out why Queenie is the way she is, and the decisions she had to make to get there. Her children will always come first, no matter what they did.
This was a brilliantly written book, and my only complaint is.... when is the next one??

Highly recommended!