I have to say I picked this book up despite not being a royalist and being someone who could not quite get his head around the idea of The Queue.

Yet, this book really appealed to me. Three stories told through joining and moving through the titular queue.

This is exactly what it says it is. It won't necessarily surprise you but it was a nice, bittersweet at time, telling of a lovely story

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but was pleasantly surprised. Apart from Tom pointlessly going on about slavery ( glad that stopped or it would of been a dnf) The characters were sweet and you wanted the best for them. It was such strange times and the book brought it alive. Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

Thank you for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed it, an easy read with some really likeable characters. The actual Queue gripped people up and down the country just like the reasons for joining the queue in this book. .

Recommended

A good story about a group of like minded people who have gone to see the queen lying in state. It shows us all the stories of the people in the book and what brings them together, what makes them special and what made them want to go and see the queen lying in state.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I loved it.
It focuses on a group of likeable characters all with their own back stories and reasons for queuing to see the Queen lying in state.
It was a gentle read with emotion and also humour while we get to know them all.
I loved the fact at the end they had become a group and they hopefully will keep in touch
Thanks to Netgalley, Orion Books and Alexandra Heminsley

The Queue follows three strangers who meet in the famous London queue, in September 2022, for the late Queen's lying in state.

Suzie, approaching seventy, carrying a secret she's never been able to share with anyone and which has tarnished her life. Fashion student Abbie, trying to find her feet - and her people - in the city. And Tim, who's never quite been able to live a life that fulfils him.

The time these three people spend together in the queue, sharing their sandwiches and their stories, will change all of them in some way.

This is a pleasant, low-key story in which nothing overly dramatic happened. There's a good flavour of the "queue" experience, though I couldn't quite shake the idea - every time something happened or the queue passed a landmark - of Alexandra Heminsley standing in the queue jotting down notes for her novel. I mean, there's no reason why she shouldn't.

I'd perhaps have liked a little more colour in terms of the other queuers, but it was an enjoyable read. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy!

This was a gentle read with both moments of humour and more emotional moments as three strangers meet whilst queueing to see the Queen prior to her funeral. They each represent three different generations and each are struggling with parts of their lives, the emotion and tiredness of their time in the queue brings them to the fore and they find how simple it can be to be honest to strangers. This had some great characters with good backstories but nothing complicated, the simplicity of which worked well and was told alternately throughout one day. It left me hoping that they’d all keep in contact and maintain the tentative friendships beyond the day.

A gentle and uplifting story about reconnecting. Like Tim’s Mum, mine wishes that she’d been able to take part in the Lying in State queue. With this book she’ll be able to experience it along with the characters who are believable and likeable. The descriptions of the route and landmarks along the way really brought the journey to life. The story left me wanting to know what happens to the characters afterwards.

Thank you Netgalley, Orion and Alexandra Heminsley for this ARC.