This is another little gem of a novel from Ciara. Agatha is in her 50s and going through the menopaus.e . Agatha journals her experirnce of this and her daily family life, which makes for a fun read. Perfect for the beach!

A tale of midlife crisis and self-discovery. Agatha Doyle is a fifty-year-old woman who loves her empty nest but finds herself grappling with hot flushes, a pair of killer heels, and an overbearing man who won't stop talking. In a moment of madness, she unwittingly becomes a heroine to women everywhere. The novel is a delightful blend of humour and heart, with well-developed characters and a plot that keeps readers engaged until the very end. Fans of women's fiction and stories of self-discovery will find much to enjoy in this charming and witty novel

Queen Bee is the ninth novel by best-selling Irish author, Ciara Geraghty. At nearly fifty, and with both her twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and the deadline for the first draft of her sixteenth novel fast approaching, Agatha Doyle wonders if she wouldn’t rather an empty nest than the one she’s got: her elder son, Colm is trying to heal his broken heart by hiding under the duvet; his younger brother, Aidan has dropped out of Uni to keep bees and grow organic vegetables in Agatha’s backyard (a chicken coop also threatens); her husband, Luke is stressing over his failing café with its leaky roof and his twin brother’s demand for his half share.

Meanwhile, Agatha’s widowed-ten-months Dad is in the spare room while his house is being renovated; and his new girlfriend Leonora’s dog, LuLaBelle is in a fancy kennel in the backyard while her mistress is in the hospital getting a new pair of hips: a temporary dog-sitting that may extend when the couple goes salsa dancing in Cuba. Agatha lacks anyone to moan to as her best friend since school has moved to LA to work.

And maybe Agatha can use those distractions as excuses for the fact that she hasn’t written a word of her historical novel featuring a pair of witches (the advance for which would really help with that leaky roof), but the truth is that, unbeknown to her agent and editor, she has writers’ block, and the constellation of menopausal symptoms she’s been trying to ignore aren’t helping. She’s not telling anyone about the menopause, sure “I’ll be treated differently. I’ll be othered. I’ll be diminished. Over the hill. That’s what people will say. Over the hill and far, far away.”

Is it any wonder she has a meltdown at a writers’ festival? Her diatribe about being menopausal is posted on TikTok under “Menopause: the movie”. Agatha becomes an instant internet sensation: “Invitations to speak on panels, radio and TV interviews, articles you’ve been asked to write. Everybody wants a piece of pin-up girl for menopausal women everywhere.” The fact that they’re paying gigs (not many of those around for a menopausal writer with writer’s block) can’t hurt, and the presenter on her first interview remarks about the listeners’ responses “You seem to have touched a national nerve there, Agatha”

An unexpected side effect of this fame is the half-her-age radio producer who “found me attractive and interesting and funny in no particular order.” Does that help with the feeling that Luke is neglecting her in favour of his new, young, attractive waitress, Fernanda from Brazil?

Her agent wants her to come up with “a pithy soundbite solution for menopause and we’re golden. Simples! Oh, and if you could put a bit more of yourself in your content: a map of your emotional landscape”, all a bit too personal for Agatha, but messages from other menopausal women assure her that she is not alone. It’s heartening to hear “Agatha’s taken the sting of stigma out of the equation. We should have done that a long time ago. In fact, it never should have been stigmatised in the first place.”

Geraghty tells Agatha’s tale as a series of entries in a menopause diary (as recommended by Dr Lennon-call-me-‘Susie’), and the dialogue, which includes exchanges with her dead Mam, is presented in the format of a movie script. While her protagonist does jump to a somewhat predictable conclusion, we might attribute that to her hormonal state. As well as being topical and thought-provoking, Geraghty’s latest is very entertaining.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins UK.

This is a book that I found to be a slow burner but once I got into it I couldn't leave! It is the story of Agatha - a menopausal middle aged woman who is describing all of the side effects of the menopause - and suddenly finds herself as a superstar, but how does she cope with it all? A funny, heartfelt read, I would recommend this to others.

well this book certainly struck a chord with this 49 year old!
this is like reading a diary of my life and i really want enjoyed it. oh to be a woman!!
it’s a laugh out loud fun book full of sarcasm
a great read

A very funny novel, and for me, the first story I’ve ever read where the menopause plays such a vital role. It was eye opening for me in learning about some of the symptoms and made me realise how little I know, and yet it was all done as part of the story and with great humour. A very funny read.

I liked Agatha’s clever, sarcastic voice as she wrote this book. The diary entries were a clever way to tell her story,
Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I've f****** loved this novel! Brilliant, honest, bitter - sweat and hilarious - I truly didn't expect it, so even better for me!
Actually, it felt like reading Alexandra Potter's "Confessions..." - written in a form of a diary where our main character Agatha Doyle is writing down her menopause symptoms. Now I know what to expect when this time comes. And even though I may not identify with Agatha yet (YET), I simply felt her and adored her baseball bat attitude.

I loved how well this novel mixed so many issues: menopause with its hot flushes, insomnia, moodiness and other symptoms, you name them, with healthy sarcasm, not taking yourself too seriously, grief, friendship, family. It was filled with colourful and eclectic characters.

Sure, it was also filled with stereotypes, but, you know - sarcasm. Don't take things SO seriously.

Agatha Doyle, I stand with you.

Maybe I’m just not the right audience for this being a single childless woman, (albeit staring at the menopause!) but I couldn’t really get invested in this book.

The diary style didn’t really work for me and the symptom tracker felt like unnecessary noise and the whole tone is just generally not really my humour.

I do think it’s important that these stories are told, and I’m sure many will enjoy the style of book and writing here. Just not for me.

Although I liked the author’s writing style, I found this one hard to get into and it was a bit too ‘light’ for me. Thank you so much for the arc though and I will look out for other novels by the author

Agatha is an author, she is also menopausal, she is trying to ignore it, but at a panel one day she rants about how she is feeling, how she is treated etc and she goes Viral.
Struggling with writers block and now an online sensation, she gets asked on to talk shows all whilst her marriage is hitting a tough spot.
This is a diary of her life after that point, it's funny in places, poignant in others. I would expect most women would be able to relate in some way to Agatha as a character.
It is great that menopause is appearing more in contemporary literature and being talked about more, I am all for it. This book doesn't offer any advice, but does make you feel that you aren't alone in the experience.

God I loved this book! So beyond relatable as a woman & very Bridget jones-esque, lots of laughs & a great narrative.

Tremendously funny and entertaining this book had me hooked from the outset. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

A really great book that we can all especially us ladies easily relate to. Well written, whitty, funny and relatable. A great read

I really enjoyed this book & it is one that I will certainly recommend to others. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review it.

Keenly Observed..
The life of Agatha Doyle, queen of her nest, is spiralling out of her own control. Through absolutely no fault of hers. She is a slave to her hormones, her body, and it is frustrating the heck out of her. Moreover, she seems to have lost control over her own domain and those in it. Wait, she’s a successful novelist isn’t she? She holds the nest together, right? Things are about to change - or, at least, implode. Slyly witty, emotionally astute and keenly observed this is rather a joy. Agatha’s musings and journal extracts are humorous and relatable and Agatha herself a terrific creation.