I just love Jane Fallon's books! I've read every one and have never been let down. She's one of my go-to authors for a guaranteed fab read.

The tried and tested formula of female friendships and revenge never gets old as Jane always finds new angles to explore.

This wasn't my favourite of hers, but a gripping read nonetheless. Highly recommended for a blissful bit of escapism.

It is always a treat to get my hands on a Jane Fallon book and this didn't disappoint. There is a sharp wit and slightly dark humour that always runs through her books and in this case it's the relationship between Stella, the titular Queen Bee of the small community of the super-rich, and Laura, the lodger. At times I found myself laughing out loud at the banter between these characters and their actions, at others I found myself cheering them on as women supporting women.
Stella initially thinks that Laura has designs on her husband Al. Laura just wants to keep her head down, find her own house and keep Al on as a client of her cleaning business. However, she comes across some information that she thinks Stella needs to know, and the two women are soon joining forces to give Al the comeuppance that he deserves. It's not all plain sailing though, and there are a few twists and turns that kept me on my feet. It's a witty feel-good book that I loved every page of. Please don't ever stop writing Ms Fallon.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

What a wonderful commentary on the lives of very very nouveaux rich women. It's all about image. Designer clothes, huge SUVs , range cookers, Botox filled faces, gold taps in bathrooms. So vulgar!
Laura moves into the close as a renter of a garage flat while trying to find a permanent home for herself and her daughter Betsy. She's not 'one of them', and in fact runs a cleaning business so definitely beyond the pale.
However, the interaction between her and Stella, the Queen Bee, is fascinating. Betsy was rather sweet too, unlike to two MiniMes belonging to Stella.
I couldnt put the book down and really enjoyed wondering what was going tohappen next.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

When divorcee Laura moves into a granny flat in luxury housing estate the close, she soon discovers secrets about other people's husbands. Unfortunately Queen Bee wife, doesn't have time for her. How can Jane persuade her to listen that her marriage and lifestyle are in danger.

I'm a big fan of Jane Fallon's books but sadly for me this one didn't quite meet the mark. Her usual acerbic wit and characters on the darker shade of grey came across as a little bit cliched sadly. I still enjoyed this read and the "girls together" elements, and it's a good holiday read.

I am giving this book all the stars in the sky. Jane Fallon is the queen of Revenge. And I am not talking about deadly, criminal revenge here, I am talking about real life, shitty situations, bad behaviors, and positions we could all find ourselves into kind of revenges. And more. On the highest level, I would even go so far as to say Queen Bee is a revenge on life itself! No matter how bad things go, you can bounce back. This is the lesson here.

I trust the author to always make me laugh while taking me on a wonderful life ride. She did it again. I couldn't stop chuckling at Lisa's remarks on her new neighborhood, which reminded me of a version of hell! Who wants Barbie as their neighbour?? But Lisa needs the place to find her feet after her separation from her husband, and her daughter needs a place to sleep when she spends time with her. So Lisa tries. Thankfully, her landlords are as normal as can be around there, and offered a nice balance to the Botox filling the area. Nannies, gardeners, everyone is invisible, but all houses and laws are pristine. At least in appearance. But no amount of money or boob surgeries can protect you from marital issues, fake friendships, bad days, and the usual we, the rest of the world, have to deal with. Yes, it is awful to have to drive your kids to school yourself, why do you think I don't have any??? Oh, Lisa was a breeze of fresh air and her down-to-earth approach turned her into my best friend.

I truly felt for her, as being the newbie and from another world isn't an easy way to break the ice with Perfect Couples, so when Stella, the ultra queen of the place, turned everyone against Lisa, I was outraged! Especially because, as usual, it came from a lie from Stella's husband! Not every woman wants to steal your hubby, darling! Now I must admit I found Lisa more courageous than I would have been. Not ready to let those people treat her badly for something she hasn't done (they already look down on her for owning her small cleaning business!) she goes on quest for the truth. Why did Stella's husband lie and involved her? What she discovers is both heartbreaking and... déjà vu. So what to do with the truth?

I didn't see the Lisa/Stella team coming! Those were probably my favourite parts. Stella is so out of this world it was hilarious to read about her attempt at being anything else than a trophy wife. The gap between the two women couldn't have been wider, and yet, friendship created a magic bridge. The bridge has holes in it, though, and unpredictable bumps make this read more addictive than sweets, and more effective than any wine to relax!

Life struggles, belly laughs, hard truths, and cold showers are to be found at The Close, and at the heart of it, friendships and women who love each other despite their differences (not just in boob size)

A great holiday read, Jane Fallon has done well with this book! Loved the main character Laura moving into a new estate after the dissolve of her marriage! Loved the rest of the characters and the story too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a hard one for me to review, I really liked it because it wasn't as revenge driven as previous novels, but it also didn't make me laugh as much. However, it did keep me reading knowing there's some other secret going on that hasn't come out yet... and I like how the ending is nicely wrapped up with a bow.
I would definitely recommend for fans of chick lit.

A good escape from reality read on a stormy afternoon. Laura ends up living in a small flat in a well to do area and discovers a secret about one of her new neighbours.

A Great Book, with some twists lots of laughs and we'll if I say it all it would ruin the surprises.
Laura's has to find a new home after her husband Dad to her amazing daughter Betsi announced he didn't love her and ends the marriages. She finds a temporary place on The Close, a very rich close where most of the the wives are a great deal younge than the partners, there faces, chest all redesigned every few years so even younger looking causing their eyes to look like they're popping out and their servants have their own rooms you get the gist.
Now Stella the "Queen 🐝 Bee" of The Close finds a book with a message to her husband Al who he says is from Laura whom he says has a crush on him, it isn't from her and you are correct he is a right...... This is were the story launches of and the fun excels is self, don't get me wrong the few pages prior are great as well this just launched the plot once you've met the characters.
Lots of authors can bore you with setting the plot Jane is not one of those. Laura is such a real life character that you may fall in love with her in a book literal sense so if she knew that then she wouldn't need tinder. Gail the landlady is wonderful Stella is well Stella has lots of money and that's probably what replaced the brain cells yes you can imagine her and may have met somebody like this all "bee" it on TV if not real life. The story is something that many may unfortunately have witnesses hopefully more from Gale or Laura's side rather than Ferne or Estella's.
You will probably laugh a lot cringe a bit and definitely escape from reality which is were all green books should do.
Definitely worth getting it & I highly recommend you do if your like me (you may wish you weren't but as we don't know each other we may never find out) PS I'm not on Tinder, but we'll I loved it enjoyed every page how you do as well.

Queen Bee is a light, entertaining read and I enjoyed it very much. It’s easy to relate to Laura who finds herself living in a tiny studio flat in The Close, after her husband announces that their marriage is over. The other residents are not from her world and there are some entertaining observations, nicely contrasted with the down to earth, loyal people who work with Laura at her cleaning company. It’s a feel good story. Laura is a kind-hearted mother who just wants to have her young daughter Betsy living with her again. She finds it hard to fit into The Close at first because Queen Bee Stella turns her neighbours against her, but Laura discovers a secret about Stella’s ‘perfect’ life and then everything changes. There are lots of amusing moments in this novel, some poignant ones too, and it’s a page turner as the relaxed writing style and lifelike characters draw you in. A lovely weekend read!

Another winner from Jane Fallon! After her marriage break up Laura moves into a well to do estate full of yummy mummies and second wives, where the undoubted Queen Bee is Stella - a rich bitch with an attitude! An unlikely friendship develops when Laura sets out to help Stella when her husband does the dirty on her. Well rounded characters, some likeable, some not but all interesting! The story skips along at the perfect pace to while away an evening or even a whole day, a big thumbs up from me!

This would be a great read on the beach or a wet afternoon and I read it really quickly. Yet I didn't really understand why Laura would get so involved and risk her livelihood to do so. Also I was expecting more from the big reveal. The characters are great, the writing is good and it gives great escapism but I was left a bit deflated at the end.

After the breakup of her marriage, Laura, owner of a small cleaning company, temporarily rents a studio flat in an enclave mainly of the super-rich, known as The Close. Her landlady Gail seems to be the only other woman there with an actual job; the rest, mainly trophy wives of some variety, appear to spend their days having various cosmetic procedures and socialising. And of these, Stella – who takes an instant dislike to Laura – is the undisputed Queen Bee. When Stella suspects Laura of having designs on her husband Al, things get rather messy rather quickly. But then Laura finds out something devastating about Stella’s husband, and things start to change.

It’s a promising setup for a juicy story, and so it proves to be.  

The fun is largely in the observation of the inhabitants of the Close - I had to laugh at Laura’s description of Stella’s limited skills as “swanning about, bitching and spending money”, which did seem to sum things up nicely. While the characters are to a certain extent stereotypes, there’s just enough depth to make it, if not exactly believable, at least not entirely unbelievable. And there really are women out there not that dissimilar to the inhabitants of the Close...

All in all a really fun, enjoyable read.

Queen Bee of the close where houses cost up to £9 million is Stella, living the perfect life, rich, idle with no conception of the real world. Enter our main character Laura who has had to rent an attached garage apartment on the close from a solicitor and her husband.
Her marriage ending after her husband deciding he didn’t want to be married anymore. Having a 7 year old daughter Laura is desperate to find a suitable house to move into so her daughter can live with her, until then she is staying with her father.
Although she runs her own cleaning business she is amazed at the wealth and shallowness of all the the other woman in the close, particularly when Stella takes offence at something that Laura was supposed to have done so everyone turns their back on her.
When Laura discovers a secret that will ruin Stella’s life rather than ignore it after the way she’s been treated she goes out of her way to help.
There is humour and pathos in this story, with good depth to the characters who are well rounded and interesting, even if you want to slap a few!
Although it took me a little while to get into the story it had a good plot line and satisfying finale. An enjoyable read
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

I have read a handful of Jane Fallon books and this was my favourite by far. Yes it’s another of her ‘revenge books’ but this time women are helping other women which is nice to read. I cared about the women in the novel and I wanted to see them succeed. I really enjoyed this light easy read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.

I'm a huge fan of Jane Fallon's books so I was really excited to get an advanced copy of her new book, Queen Bee...

It didn't disappoint. After her marriage break up, Laura finds herself renting accommodation on 'The close' think neighbours, but less friendly, more money and completely botoxed up.

Laura knows she doesn't fit in here but when she discovers some potentially life changing news for one of the residents, she knows she must act, despite this resident being the instigator of Laura being black balled from social events in the close. Laura's conscience gets the better of her and she decides to help...

A great read, my favourite thing about Jane Fallon's books are that you can just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion

Jane Fallon’s writing just gets better and better! Queen Bee is set in a very wealthy area in London where the super-rich lead very privileged lives. The central players in this book are the women, who on the whole don’t go out to work and have maids and nannies to do everything, leaving them time to get hair extensions, Botox or whatever else they need to get done to retain their looks and their youth. Their lives are full of drinks parties and other social events, mainly taking place in this very exclusive close. Into this world and from a very different type of lifestyle comes Laura, who is renting a flat above the garage in one of the houses in this idyllic location. Laura’s own life is in freefall with the unexpected end of her marriage and the difficulty she faces in finding somewhere permanent to live which can accommodate her and her daughter, Betsy, on her limited budget. Laura owns a firm of cleaners who mainly ‘do’ office blocks in the evenings when the workers have gone home. The book centres around Laura and her protagonist, Stella, who thinks Laura is after her husband, Al. Stella tries to make life difficult for Laura and turns the other residents of the close from her, leaving Laura rather isolated at times.
There are some wonderful characters in the book. The employees who work for her are all dependable and very supportive of Laura and her situation. The ladies from the close are interesting, especially Stella who behaves outrageously most of the time. There are some interesting scenes between Betsy and Stella’s daughters, known as the minimes, who are terribly precocious but Betsy adores them because of their sophistication. The couple that Laura rents the flat from are also engaging, particularly Gail, who Laura becomes quite close to. Jane is great at inventing these great strong characters and bringing them to life. She also knows how to tell a good story with a few twists and turns along the way. I had been looking out for this for some time as I tend to do with all Jane Fallon’s books and was very happy that NetGalley allowed me to read and review this book. Can’t wait for the next Jane Fallon!

Pitch Perfect Characterisation, A Rollicking Good Plot....
Hugely enjoyable- the latest from Jane Fallon and she is true to form and better than ever. Will it be a sweet revenge for the hapless, down to earth Laura and the designer clad Stella? The unsuspecting Laura has been unwillingly and unwittingly thrust into the mansion set with their glitzy facades - both the mansions and their owners - when she rents a small flat following a marriage breakdown. There are plenty of secrets and lies here and Laura is soon bearing the brunt of scapegoat for the ridiculous Al, husband of Stella - the Queen Bee of the street. When Laura is shunned by the residents as a result of Al’s misdemeanours and the wrath of Stella she is determined to beat Al at his game - but how?. When Laura and Stella join forces, however, sparks begin to fly. Pitch perfect characterisation, a rollicking good plot and an altogether fabulously entertaining read.

Jane Fallon is one of my all time favourite authors which meant I was super excited to be approved for this book.
It certainly didn’t disappoint and I loved it. Laura, the main character is warm and engaging and the plot is very relatable.
This is an easy read that is hugely enjoyable. Jane Fallon has once again written a fab 5 star read!

This was yet another really entertaining read by Jane Fallon . After her marriage breaks down Laura , rents a small apartment in a really exclusive road . Although her landlords Gail and Ben are friendly the rest of the close after a misunderstanding are cold and unwelcoming , especially Stella who mistakenly thinks Laura has designs on her fiancé . When Laura discovers something huge about Al , Stella's fiance , her and Stella put away their dislike for each other and work together to find out more . I really love how in Jane's books the men are very much in the background , her books are all about the women and love them or hate them they are fantastic characters , even those that are part of the supporting cast . brilliant 5 stars