A very slow moving story. The main character was quite feisty but most of them more self-centered and not fulfilling any useful purpose. Good if you are looking for a light read..

I love Jane Fallon and getting the chance to read her latest via NetGalley was pure joy for me.

This felt a little different from previous books but had the same humour, pleasure and fun all the way through. Also, what I absolutely loved is that our heroine, Laura, isn't looking for a man. She's on the road to divorce, trying to get her head around that, having to be a part-time mum for a while until she can buy a new place for her and her daughter to live in. Yes, she goes on some Tinder dates, but her heart is not in it, and those dates hardly feature in the book, we just know that she's been on a few.

Short precis of the story. Laura is living in a flat above the garage of a big house in The Close. It's not the biggest though, that house belongs to Al and Stella. Stella is a total nightmare of a woman who makes life for Laura very difficult until Laura finds out some secrets Al is keeping from Stella and they're pretty big. Suddenly, Laura is helping Stella to get her revenge before Al gets his, but will it work and is it really worth it?

Read this wonderful light but never frothy book and all will be revealed!

And yes, I will still be buying a hard copy of this book, because I can't not!

Another great book from Jane Fallon. I raced through this offering, quickly bonding with the main character Laura. The events are completely believable and I liked how the enemies actually became friends through adversity. It’s an excellent story which delivers lots of funny moments and some unexpected twists too. I rated it 4⭐️ and would highly recommend you grab a copy 👍

I really enjoyed this. I’ve never read any of Jane Fallon’s books before so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I liked the humour in the book and found the descriptions of how the other half live interesting and amusing.
I didn’t guess what was going to happen at the end and I liked that.
I would recommend this book

After reading a lot of thrillers lately I wanted a lighter read and this book totally filled the spot.

After splitting from her husband Laura finds herself living in a small flat above a garage in an exclusive Close where trophy wives live with their rich husbands and spend their days having botox and boob jobs. Laura finds herself ostracised from the community by Queen Bee Stella and her neighbours after her husband says that Laura sent him a signed book to hide his affair. Feeling hurt that they believe the lies Laura sets out to find out the truth.

I liked the writing style, the characters and the plot and would recommend it to anyone looking to escape with a light hearted read.

When Laura’s marriage breaks down she is forced into a short term rental before buying a new home for her and her daughter. The Close is a private enclave of multi-million pound houses where the men are old and rich and the women younger and plastic, Laura is not exactly welcomed as she lives in what is euphemistically the nanny flat of one house. However Laura finds out a secret about one of her neighbours and tries to help and as she does she rediscovers herself.

I have a real soft spot for Fallon’s writing, even though it sits firmly in a genre that I loathe. There is something altogether more knowing about her work, a very broad sense of sly black humour that runs through each tale and a completely realistic approach to unreal lives. Here she focuses on the super-rich trophy wives and their fantasy lifestyles, looking at what happens when lives built on insecure footings come crashing down. It is a vicarious look into an unreal world but Fallon’s moral streak adds a more sane view.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for approving my request to read on netgalley. Im a big fan of Jane’s books.
This explores the dynamics of female friendships and the complexity of them.

It felt like getting a glimpse into how the other half live …

Toxic friendships and wealthy families. Its a real eye opener for Laura who is after normality for herself and her daughter.

This is packed with wit and a real treat to read.

Janes writing is alway able to pull you in and have you hooked till the end.

Relatable and you find yourself connecting to the characters and cheering them on.

No doubt this will fly off the shelves this summer.

Published July 9th.

4.5 stars.
Having heard great things all round about Jane Fallon's books, I was really excited to read my first from her with Queen Bee. And it/she did not disappoint.
This immediately transported me to a world where luxury and lots of money is simply second nature.
It's a definite page turner, packed full of smart dialogue, well formed characters and quite a few unexpected twists.
I wasn't expecting to laugh as many times as I did when reading this and I loved how everything all came together in the end.
I'm sure that fans of Desperate Housewives and even Big Little Lies will really enjoy Queen Bee.
I also can't wait to read more from Jane Fallon in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A really good read. When Laura's marriage breaks down she has to find a new place to love for her and her daughter, but until she can find something permanent she moves into a small annex in a luxury home. She doesn't fit in with all the rich neighbours but soon discovers evidence that is going to change one couples lives forever. A story with great characters, who with their designer lifestyles and luxury wardrobes make for an enjoyable and entertaining novel, while also giving an insight into how the other half lives. A book that will brighten your day every enjoyable

Whilst I don't find myself as captivated as usual with this book I found it to be an enjoyable read. Jane's descriptions were great and that itself is probably why I found it hard to relate to the outrageous lives of the rich and how they spend their lives.

I enjoyed the book yet personally think I wanted to know more about the ending and what happened.

Although this one may not have been for me, I am still interested in reading more of Jane's work! She is a very talented writer for sure!

A big thank you to Penguin UK Micheal Joseph and Net galley for this ARC.

I fell in love with this story and adore Jane's style of writing.

After splitting from her husband Laura finds herself living in some posh rich close, unfortunately for her it's the servants flat above the garage of Gail and Ben.

Queen Bee aka Stella, turns all the ladies against her when she is accused of sending a book to her husband Al with a note inside.

Laura runs a cleaning company and coincidentally cleans Al's offices, where she discovers all Al's hidden secrets.

Can Laura and Queen Bee bring him down or does Stella have her own secrets?

Can money bring you happiness??

I hated Stella then felt sorry for her then loved her then hated her again, wow such a great character.

Laura is such a darling and would love to read a follow on.

I have read all of Jane's books and personally this is her best yet, funny and engaging a must read.

Another brilliant book. I absolutely loved the plot and although I thought I knew what was coming there were plenty of things that surprised me and proved me wrong. I adored the characters, even the ones you’re supposed to hate, I do love a good baddie! I’ve actually been looking at some of her back catalogue as I enjoyed this so much. A brilliant page turner and a great lockdown read.

When Laura’s husband decides that he wants a life without her in it, they split up and go their separate ways. For husband David, that means a new flat complete with a concierge in the reception, but for Laura it means moving to a very posh road called The Close which is full of multi million pound houses, but Laura isn’t living in the same luxury as her new neighbours, she is renting the living space over the garage of one couple Ben and Gail.

From the kitchen window, she watches the lives of the swanky residents unfold in front of her, but one in particular resident Stella is definitely the Queen Bee and she suspects that Laura has designs for her fiancé, Al.
By complete coincidence Laura stumbles across a big secret of Al’s which will bring Stella’s luxury lifestyle crashing down.

I loved this book, devouring it over a coupe of days. The writing made you feel like you were there – Jane Fallon picked me up and plonked me straight down in that Close, so much so that I felt like I was living in that garage, looking out that window watching the trappings of wealth. I found Stella to be a real bitch and initially I couldn’t understand why Laura wanted to help her, but she is obviously a nicer person than I am!!

A fantastic book, and I now want to read a lot more of Jane Fallon’s novels.

Ahhhhh Stella..... she's a character and I would love to see her in her own book..

Jane Fallon writes another snarky novel with a woman done wrong and revenge - I love them so. I only wish Laura would have had a great knock down drag out confrontation with her friend Michaela - That would have been amazing especially with Stella and Angie involved, but sometimes the best revenge is that served cold...

I loved this book!
Jane Fallon’s writing style is one of my favourites. Her books always have a mixture of every emotion and that’s what sucks me in. Queen Bee was no different.

It’s the story of Laura. She has separated from her husband and needs to find somewhere to live, in order to have her daughter Betsy living back with her. Whilst she is looking for somewhere more permanent she moves in to a tiny studio above the garage of Gail’s house on The Close.
The Close is a whole other world to Laura. Insanely rich families, giant homes, designer clothes and cosmetic surgery.......then there’s Stella. The Queen Bee of The Close who takes an immediate dislike to Laura as she thinks Laura has eyes for her fiancé Al........
Eventually Laura and Stella strike up an unlikely friendship after Laura discovers Al’s secret. Laura becomes Stella’s unexpected confidant and she sets out to try to teach Stella about the real world and how to get her revenge.

This book isn’t just about revenge (though Jane Fallon really does write excellent revenge novels) It’s about alliances, unlikely friendships, shared heartbreak and moving on.
It definitely gets a big thumbs up from me and I won’t hesitate to recommend you read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyable read. Loved the main character, and could identify with some of her traits and insecurities. Also loved her strength and determination for right and wrong. Well written

I love Jane Fallon's novel and was delighted to receive an arc of Quuen Bee. Newly separated mum Laura moves into a flat on a posh housing estate and becomes an observer of the obscenely wealthy residents. With elements of Desparate Housewives, it is an easy, warm and perceptive read.

From page one you are stucked into Stella and Lauras juicy story and left wanting more. I stayed up late into the night in my own Desperate Housewives style world whilst reading this. Loved it for an easy juicy read. Highly recommend.

This was a great read with lots of twists. I didn’t feel that the synopsis matched the story well - Laura’s business wasn’t really threatened - but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book and all the characters. That said, Laura is a complex character with a massive chip on her shoulder - she has a mean streak which is apparent to the end with her mocking her ‘friends’ with Angie, and in some of her reactions to Stella, which made her somewhat unlikeable. In the same way though it’s refreshing to have a realistic main character.

Laura the main character is struggling to accept that her marriage has ended. After her house sale falls through she has to hand her daughter to her husband and rents a small space in an exclusive London road. She is snubbed by some of the uber posh residents when Stella- the queen bee tells them Laura has made a play for her husband to be. Laura sets out to clear her name and discovers a terrible series of events relating to Stella and her cheating partner Al. Stella has to eat humble pie and subsequently becomes Laura's friend. Nothing turns out as expected but Laura is much happier with her life at the end.