“Queenie” by Candice Carty- Williams introduces us to 25-year-old Queenie Jenkins. She’s having trouble at work, her white boyfriend of the last few years has dumped her and she’s really just trying to find herself through it all.
I have heard so much praise for this book, but it fell flat to me. I was confused by the obvious dislike Queenie had for black men almost with no real explanation. I believe in loving who you love but you don’t have to step on anyone else in order to do so. The entire breakup with her boyfriend was very cringe-worthy and the after-effects even more so. The book was full of stereotypes and Queenie was not a strong female lead, in my opinion. I was very disappointed. It tried to discuss issues such as Black Lives Matters and police brutality but even that was not well developed.

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams discusses so many relevant, important, and difficult obstacles through humor and blazing candor.
That being said, I still feel conflicted about this book. Within the first chapter I fell in love with Queenie's sharp wit and her self-deprecating tendencies. The story began to drag about a third of the way through though, to the point where I had to make myself get through the chapters. I'm not sure if it was a disjointed tone or the narrator who began to feel lost in her life, but her turmoil translated into a meandering plot for a few chapters. About two-thirds of the way through it picked up again, with Queenie still trying to hide her struggles. Her grasping at straws and small moments of sparked joy were very engaging and real, and offered moments of clarity after the lack-luster middle portion of the story.
I really appreciated the opportunity this book offers for talks of racism, both blatant and subversive, in both in-laws and the work place. I think this story has a lot to offer, but it somehow lost it's point in the middle for me. Thankfully I kept reading, and Queenie's story is one that I really engaged with.
I can definitely see how they got the tagline of "Bridget Jones's Diary meets Americanah", but I think Queenie's story is truly bolder and more complex than Bridget Jones's Diary.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

I would just like to say thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review Queenie. I thought she was very smart and very funny. I loved her relationship with her friends. I felt sorry for her sexual relationships and sorry that she even had to go through this. I am glad that her family came around to support her in her journey through therapy because this is something that Black families don’t seek out and I feel like her grandfather said, let her go it may relieve some of the burden she has been carrying and may help us.

I thank Candice Carty-Williams for writing this book because who knows who may need this book. There are so many women out there who lack the self-esteem to love themselves first and therefore settle for the garbage that some men put them through. I also feel on a personal note as a black woman I sometime have to ask myself am I good enough because of the stereotypes and everyday racism that I deal with that my white female friends don’t face. When she ranted in therapy about being a black woman and how we are stared at and looked at differently I could relate to her. I just hate that she kept falling and dating guys that were obviously racist due to some of their comments and most of all the way they treated her. I am glad that with therapy she learned to cope, she finally deleted the no good dating apps and the men including deleting Tom’s number. I am finally proud that she realized that even in a bad spot she realized she had family and friends that loved her.

Based on the blurb and sample, I thought I'd enjoy this. However, when I actually received a copy of the book, I found that it contained unexpected material, so that turned me off a bit. In addition to that, I had a really hard time connecting with the main character. In fact, I didn't even really like her. Things were a bit better by the end, but by then, it was just too late. I did like the fact that it wasn't just narrative, but it also included text messages and emails, which did break things up and make it seem a bit more realistic. I'm not sure if I'd recommend this to others. I'd likely suggest they check it out from their local library first. I'm also not sure if I'd check out other books by this author in the future.

This book didn't feel like a Bridget Jones-ish book at all. Queenie Jenkins was one hot mess of a twenty five year old daughter of a Jamaican mother and a British father. It took me almost a week to get through this book as well as a couple of bottles of moscato.

From the beginning of the book, Queenie started off in crisis. Queenie's longtime boyfriend asked her for some space as he wasn't sure about their relationship, htat caused Queenie to feel lost. She expressed that she didn't know who she was without him. Right on the heels of the breakup, Queenie learned that she recently suffered a miscarriage and she just felt apart. In her loneliness and despair, Queenie began making desperate decisions like hook ups with random strangers from dating apps. Queenie had a group of girlfriends "The Corgies" that she shared what was going on with her. The girls partied together, had lunch together and had a group chat with amusing banter. Each girlfriend tried in their own way to get Queenie to face her demons. While they all had issues, there was affection for each other.

I have to be honest. This book was difficult for me to enjoy. It dealt with racism, identity crisis, depression, anxiety, dubious consent, sexual promiscuity, work place harrassment and the black culture's dismissal of mental health professionals. Most of this book was just disheartening as Queenie just walked around in a fog of self destructive behavior. I felt bad for her grandmother who was at a lost as to how to help Queenie with the mental health issues and I spent most of the book expecting some really terrible to happen to Queenie. I never understood why she was so obsessed with Tom whose family made racist comments and frankly didn't care for her.

One of the biggest issues with Queenie, admiration for white men coupled with her disdain for black man and wasn't really explored. It's part of her self-loathing behavior and why she let those men treat her so deplorably. But at the same time she is so outraged by the treatment of the black people in who were racially profiled and killed. There were good things about this novel, the cover, the friendships, family relationships and eventual steps to get to the root of her issues. I disliked a lot of things as well. I would recommend it as it was a realistic view of a person in crisis and that there is light at the end of the tunnel when dealing with mental health issues.

SO GOOD! Super entertaining read with so many issues that I think everyone can relate to at least something in this book. Some cringe worthy moments and exchanges, but all so real. The writing style was so fluid and the story never felt slow so I constantly wanted to keep reading!

What a book!! Queenie is a strong, brave and fierce; she is also black. She also has some baggage at 26 that is now hampering her relationship. In fact, she’s starting to fall apart having panic attacks and making terrible choices. Here’s the thing, she decides to get help and deal with those things.

It is quite the book that takes on many issues including self-esteem, mental illness and what it means to be black. At times it felt like it was reaching to cover all of those things.

Queenie is a heroine that I won’t soon forget. I actually hope the author does a sequel. I’d like to know she’s ok.

The marketing tagline "Bridget Jones’s Diary meets Americanah" definitely piqued my interest but this is no easygoing novel. There are a lot of humorous moments with Queenie and her friends and also some of her family members which are highly entertaining. But Queenie is a very complex character. The book was hard to put down yet at times I was so frustrated with Queenie and some of the self-destructive decisions she made. Evaluating one's self-worth and finding meaning in one's life is certainly a struggle that we can all relate to, but some of her choices, regarding men especially, were even cringe-worthy. This novel is a bit of an emotional roller-coaster like the title character Queenie--but it is definitely worth the read.

“Queenie” by Candice Carty-Williams is a novel centering around Queenie Jenkins, a twenty something living in London and her attempt to navigate the relationships in her life. Queenie is a funny and extremely lovable character and this book was well written and insightful.
I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this! I definitely see the Bridget Jones comps but thought that Queenie was a bit more complex. Loved her character and the growth she shows, loved the dynamic between her and her friends. Recommend!

Queenie is a story about a black twenty something living in London who goes through a life changing year. I completely understand why people would love this book but it was just ok for me. The story ends up being an empowering one but I found myself being more and more disgusted (for lack of a better term) with Queenie as the book progressed.

I found myself not being able to relate with her at all. She is a character who is so self destructive that you just want to yell at them. However Queenie has a few of those people in her life and she just refuses to listen to them.

I do like that she grows as a character and has a great set of friends and family that love her. I you do like the personal growth novels then give this one a try.

Charming story filled with intriguing well thought out characters. Doesn’t take itself too seriously. Fun read.

This book is being described as, “Bridget Jone’s Diary meets Americanah” and I think that’s a stretch, to say the least. Bridget Jone’s Diary, although somewhat entertaining, has NOTHING on this novel. Queenie takes it’s readers on a much deeper journey full of frank self-discovery, relationship issues, mental health and emotional struggles, interracial dating, commentary on today’s world, family history, and so much more. I guess the comparison may come when I think of the humor in Queenie, but the difference is, Carty-Williams takes the rom-com plot and turns it into something with some major depth to it. Oh and she’s also British :/ Then to compare it to Americanah seems off to me too. This book is truly on a level of it’s own. I think if you go into it with that thinking instead, you’ll be much happier.

Second, I could relate to Queenie in so many ways. When you read this story, it’s easy to think, wow…Queenie is a wild one who makes poor life decisions. If you come at it from a different perspective though, (without judgement) I think you’ll see her in a different light-and probably see yourself in Queenie-just like I did. She is a strong, independent, honest woman who is political, set in her beliefs and paving her way in this world. Yes, just like all of us, she has some personal flaws and has to navigate some bumps along the way. She makes some questionable choices (who hasn’t?), she can be a bit self-destructive (also…who hasn’t been in their lifetime?). She is prone to anxiety (raises hand) and we catch her while in a personal spiral (again-my friends and I talk about our spiraling allll the time), but through these flaws-she is defining and taking charge of her life, finding herself and paving her own way as a Black woman in today’s society. She is a strong, independent and honest woman on a road to INTENTIONAL self-discovery and I found myself rooting hard for her (and sometimes myself if I’m being perfectly honest), the entire time. I think you will too! Give this one a read, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

At 25, Queenie Jenkins has just broken up with her white boyfriend. She's not taking it well and has decided to make one bad decision after another. And it really is one bad decision after another. She's realistic but it does get a little wearing..

Three stars
This book came out March 19
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

I know according to all the hype, I was supposed to love this book but sorry - I didn't. I couldn't relate to Queenie at all and found most of her actions deplorable. The writing style was hard to follow sometimes with the constant back and forth between past and present - without any warning.

I'm sure this book will have plenty of fans. It doesn't need me.

I've seen that people are comparing Queenie to Bridget Jones, but I have to say - I think Queenie is one of a kind. I really liked her, and though she made some questionable sexual decisions, it felt like she was a friend that I cared about and not a book character. She is relatable and down to earth, and I love seeing a strong black female take the lead in a novel. I think Candice Carty-Williams nailed this one!

Absolutely lives up to the hype! Queenie is so real, and the reader roots for her so hard. So we’ll done.

I wanted to love this book more than I did and found I needed to move on to something else.. I learned from her perspective and chuckled at her humor, but the circumstances and the struggle became too much for me. I suspect I will be in the minority and would never disparage this book for a different reader. It is well-written but just hard for me to identify with.

I went into this book interested in getting a better understanding of how it feels to be a Jamaican woman living in London. I wanted to love it, but I don’t think I am the right audience for this book. I am 47, I’ve been married for 23 years and I could not relate to Queenie at all.


Queenie and her longtime boyfriend, Tom, are on a break (I would have just kicked Tom to the curb—either you are in or you are out). Queenie puts herself in damaging situations with different men to try to make herself feel better, but it only makes her feel worse. Queenie seems to have a good head on her shoulders in terms of knowing how to act in certain situations, but she struggles to find her place both in her career and in her personal life. I definitely was rooting for her and invested in her story, but I found myself wanting to give her a hug and invite her to my house so I could make her soup and help her sort her shit out.


I watched one episode of HBO’s Girls with Lena Dunham and this book reminded me of that. So many people loved that show and thought it was funny and I just felt really bad for these young women who kept putting themselves in situations that seemed to me to be so damaging to their sense of self.

This is marketed as "Bridget-Jones-eque" but it's so, so much more than that. Carty-Williams writes with a distinct, but fresh voice about a young woman of color trying to navigate love, loss, race, culture, misogyny, and at the end, hope. Queenie is a beautifully raw and compelling character. The story is brutally honest and heres hoping we get a Queenie movie.