I loved this book sooo much. I think everyone will be able to relate to it and it's super hilarious. The heroine is honest and sincere and makes no apologies. I felt like I was reading a different version of Bridget Jones so if you liked that then you will love this. Funny, raw honesty and emphatic. Just beautiful.

This is such a witty, smart and funny story, and I literally laughed out loud at times. I throughly enjoyed (and identified with) Agatha’s character. She is sarcastic, has got a wicked sense of humour, and a cynical way of assessing her world. It is also highly insightful, candid and a true menopausal myth buster.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. My first time reading this author and this book was my everything from start to finish. Being Perimenopausal myself, it was all very relatable and had me laughing along and nodding in agreement throughout it. I enjoyed that it was written in diary update format, I found it caught my attention from the start and has me chuckling to myself even when I wasn't reading it. Take this example:

“I am a menopausal woman, standing here before you all in a lather of sweat, terrified that I might forget a word in the middle of a sentence with the threat of brain fog that looms over me on a daily basis as I sit at my desk and attempt to write to a deadline. I have insomnia, none of my clothes fit me, and there’s a chance I’m more irritable than I used to be.”.......as I sit here writing this review on a coolish day with a personal fan hung around my neck trying to cool down from another hot flush...I couldn't of found a more relatable read right now.
Accepting an invitation to join a panel at the Flights of Fancy Writers Festival feels like a gamble for Agatha Doyle who is supposed to be writing her next bestseller, but is instead documenting her menopause symptoms in a diary which her GP insists will be helpful in reducing her stress. Agatha has her doubts. Still, despite brain fog, hot flushes, resentment, and blistered, bloodied stumps, Agatha is holding it all together until a Beardy Man from the author asks the wrong question and Agatha’s ensuing rant goes viral, making her an icon for menopausal women everywhere.
The more I read, the more Agatha became my hero too! I enjoyed her sense of humour, which is quite heavy on the sarcasm, and her blunt assessments of everything. Agatha’s ‘conversations’ with her late mother add a layer of poignancy to the story, and her struggle to maintain her equilibrium attracts sympathy. A witty, engaging read. #netgalley #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #litsy #thestorygraph #amazonaustralia #kindle #bookqueen #bookstagram #chicklit

“I am a menopausal woman, standing here before you all in a lather of sweat, terrified that I might forget a word in the middle of a sentence with the threat of brain fog that looms over me on a daily basis as I sit at my desk and attempt to write to a deadline. I have insomnia, none of my clothes fit me, and there’s a chance I’m more irritable than I used to be.”

Accepting an invitation to join a panel at the Flights of Fancy Writers Festival feels like a gamble for Agatha Doyle who is supposed to be writing her next bestseller, but is instead documenting her menopause symptoms in a diary which her GP insists will be helpful in reducing her stress. Agatha has her doubts. Still, despite brain fog, hot flushes, resentment, and blistered, bloodied stumps, Agatha is holding it all together until a Beardy Man from the author asks the wrong question and Agatha’s ensuing rant goes viral, making her an icon for menopausal women everywhere.

As a woman experiencing the vagaries of the onset of menopause myself, I really enjoyed Queen Bee. Written in the form of a diary, entries often begin a list of symptoms that are all too familiar to me.

Those symptoms, which include (but are not limited to) insomnia, resentment, rage, brain fog, hot flushes and anxiety are bad enough, but add a full house that includes Agatha’s recently widowed father, her father’s girlfriend’s dog, LulaBelle; her heartbroken son Colm; her college drop out son Aiden, who is building a beehive in the backyard; and her husband Luke, plus financial concerns regarding their family business, and it’s new gorgeous waitress, it’s no wonder Agatha is overwhelmed, and stymied by writers block. She is rather bewildered by her new ‘heroine’ status, particularly since she feels like she’s not handling things well at all.

I couldn’t help but empathise with Agatha and found her to be a very appealing character. I enjoyed her sense of humour, which is quite heavy on the sarcasm, and her blunt assessments of everything. Agatha’s ‘conversations’ with her late mother add a layer of poignancy to the story, and her struggle to maintain her equilibrium attracts sympathy.

Witty, smart and ingenuous, Queen Bee is an entertaining, easy read.

The writing is good but I had not realised its written as a diary. That threw me off somewhat. The story is about a woman navigating getting older and learning to live with menopause and the dating world. I just couldn't get into it. Her doctor was a whitty character and I actually enjoyed their conversations more than the main character. Thought it sat a bit too heavily on the standard middle age woman trope. I would have liked it to be a bit faster paced.

‘I hate the word ‘menopause’. Something battered and forlorn about it, like a pulpy, dog-eared paperback in a charity shop.’

Queen Bee is a hilarious yet perceptive read as Ciara takes her readers on a wonderful menopausal journey. If that ‘m’ word resonates with you then you are sure to completely identify with the lead character, Agatha. This is the book to read, not only for the humour, but for the absolute truths provided as Ciara rips away all the myths surrounding this time of life for women.

‘I am a menopausal woman, standing here before you all in a lather of sweat, terrified that I might forget a word in the middle of a sentence with the threat of brain fog that looms over me on a daily basis … I have insomnia, none of my clothes fit me, and there’s a chance I’m more irritable than I used to be. Although my husband may have a different view on that.’

This is a story that speaks to women and it is sure to capture attention as it makes women feel no longer alone on this often silent journey. Yes, on the surface it's about a woman coming to terms with the changes taking place in her body, however, it is that and so much more. Always open to reads about menopause, this was the book I needed to read as it provided a healthy tonic to this condition many of us experience at varying levels of discomfort. It’s full of laughter and sarcasm but there are real moments that hit home and will cause readers to pause and ponder. Ultimately, the message is that you are not alone in this life changing period.

‘ME: What is happening?
AIDAN: I think you’ve touched a collective nerve?
ME: I didn’t mean to.
AIDAN: It’s a good thing.
ME: How is it a good thing?
AIDAN: From the comments, it looks like there’s a lot of
people out there who are glad you’ve come out as
menopausal.’

Agatha is a wonderful character who captures all the many and varying aspects of experiencing menopause - not only on a personal level but also to those nearest and dearest. I loved the style of writing and the way the narrative was laid out, my only complaint being that it might be a tad too long in places.

‘… there must be a reason it contains the word ‘pause’. Normal service will resume presently. I thought I could just wait it out. Wait for normal service to resume.
But no.’

If the main theme of this book speaks to you or women you may know, then I cannot but highly recommend you read it. I am so very happy to see more and more books being written about this topic in both non/fiction. It is well overdue to deliver credence for these women and debunking any myths or misconceptions about this critical time in a woman’s life.

‘Just because you’re middle-aged and menopausal, it doesn’t mean that it’s all over.
There are still things to learn. Relationships to tend.
Dances to perfect.
So that’s what we did.
We danced.
We kept on dancing.’







This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.