Queenie is Working on It: The most anticipated hot summer read for 2026 that everyone will be talking about

Queenie

by Candice Carty-Williams

How is it possible for one woman to hold it together when she'

Confronted with a racing biological clock when she doesn't even know if she wants kids.
Trying to act normal when her heart is smashed into a million pieces.
Ten times smarter than the people she's working for.
Priced out of the housing market in the place she grew up.
Stuck in a situationship when all she wants is the love of her life back . . .

Bigger. Not better. Older. Not wiser. Queenie Jenkins is working on it.

Award-winning author Candice Carty-Williams returns with a scalpel-sharp, poignant and hilarious new book that shines a dazzling light on the realities of modern womanhood.

Genres: Contemporary, Fiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 8, 2026

About the author

Candice Carty-Williams was born in 1989, the result of an affair between a Jamaican cab driver who barely speaks and a Jamaican-Indian dyslexic receptionist who speaks more than anyone else in the world. She studied Media at Sussex because her sixth form teachers said that she wasn’t clever enough to do English, but she showed them all by first working at the Guardian Guide and then moving into publishing at 23.

Carty-Williams has worked on marketing literary fiction, non-fiction and graphic novels ever since; her first highlight was interviewing David Cronenberg and telling him that if she were a white man she’d like to look like him. In response he called her a ‘delightful person’. In 2016, she created and launched the Guardian and 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize, a prize that aims to find, champion and celebrate black, Asian and minority ethnic writers. She also contributes regularly to Refinery29 and i-D.

Reviews

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queenie is back! Covering some very current issues, Queenie has grown up somewhat in both her personal and work life, both intertwined with each other. Where the first book was laugh out loud in many places, this book is more emotional. Great read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

[Vix S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oof, I can’t believe the first Queenie book is 6 years old! This felt like a brilliant follow-up, written with exactly the same charm and cultural importance of Queenie and her community. I love her family ties and the dramas with her friends and colleagues as well as the email/text exchanges we’re party to. The whole sideline storyline about her work event/project felt a little bit too BIG and as though it had been squashed in to the rest of the story - I don’t know if maybe the book being a bit longer would have given this storyline more room to breathe? I really enjoyed it as a whole though!

[bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember loving "Queenie" but this follow-up lacks the charm of the first book. The comparisons to "Bridget Jones's Diary" feel extra appropriate here, which is to say, the fatphobia and lack of communication was on full display in a way that felt really exhausting. Queenie goes on a weight loss journey in an attempt to qualify for medical care, but the book never pushes back on that despite the fact that Queenie gets that advice researching a piece about how the medical industry treats Black women, and fatphobia is famously rooted in anti-Black racism and misogynoir. She just accepts that she must lose weight, magically and rapidly does so, and tries to trick readers into thinking she is on a journey of self-love in the process. Exercising and eating healthfully are obviously positive changes that might result in weight loss, but she complains about "only" losing 1.5 stone in two months, which is over 20 pounds!!!! That's over TEN POUNDS A MONTH. That's crazy.

The writing also felt a little clunky in this book. It was very inner monologue/dialogue-heavy, and it felt distracting when the author tried to break it up (like, pausing a stream of conversation with someone reaching for their water bottle or adjusting their hair or whatever). Some parts of the story felt like they took way to long to finally come to a head and then get resolved while others felt like they didn't get enough time on the page. I would have loved to see more of Queenie working on her work projects, for example, and about half as many ruminations over a past relationship we barely see on page. Finally, most side characters felt like one-dimensional caricatures. They all had exactly one, possibly two, attributes that told readers exactly how to feel about them. They felt a little silly, especially when compared to the complex character that is Queenie Jenkins.

All in all, this was a shocking disappointment since I have loved the previous two novels published by this writer. I still look forward to her next release, and will hope for a better experience. I'm giving this an extra star because of a line from Queenie's therapist that really struck me (and since you shouldn't quote from ARCs, I'll paraphrase a bit)--rehearsing for misery and/or preparing for sadness won't make it hurt less if your worst fears come true. Oof. Such a good reminder for us anxiety-ridden girlies.

I read a digital ARC from NetGalley and Gallery Books.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was lovely to be back in the company of Queenie. Life has not really panned out as expected, what men and a career being more complicated than they should be. Queenie is still a mix of loveable and infuriating, I was unsure as to whether she needed a hug or some strong words. Either way the book is an enjoyable read.

[Dysha Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. I had read Queenie when it first came out and although I found her to be insufferable, I decided to give the sequel a chance since she had aged since then. She is still insufferable and difficult to connect with. The writing was cool but I just don’t like this character or any of the supporting characters.