The Queen Gene

Lucy Klein #2

by Jennifer Coburn

While dealing with her mother's constant need for attention, Lucy, the owner of a haunted Berkshires artists' colony, tries to rejunvenate her marriage, deny her attraction to a hot, young newcomer, and live life on her own terms. Original.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Humor, Contemporary, Romance, Ebooks, Paranormal

308 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Jennifer Coburn is the author of the upcoming THE ALMOST WIFE (spring 2027) as well as the USA Today bestseller THE GIRLS OF THE GLIMMER FACTORY and CRADLES OF THE REICH.

Additionally she has written a travel memoir, six contemporary novel, and contributed to five literary anthologies.

Follow on Facebook and Instagram at @JenniferCoburnBooks

Reviews

[Sarah "Pippy" · Rating 2 out of 5]

1 star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was OK, 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

This was recommended to me as a hilarious read. I also checked out the reviews and the majority also seemed to think this was hilarious. Clearly I have a different definition of hilarious. Ok so there was a moment of where a small snort escaped my lips, this was the pubic regrowth moment but other than that nothing.

I didn't warm to any of the characters I found them to be incredibly shallow and irritating, actually that is a lie, I liked Bernice the most even if it did take me a while to get my head around her accent. But then by the end I was past caring.

I felt sorry for the dog Paz/Spot/Mancha/J-Lo no wonder it was chewing it's paws having a flaky owner alike Anjoli. As for Lucy, well simply dull. I have nothing more to add about her. Ghosts thrown in to the mix. *Pulling my best Spock impression*

This book I am sorry to say the epitome of why I dislike Chick-lit.

[Theresa Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is consistently funny and fun throughout. It deals with common themes of having a crazy mother, and the challenges of motherhood and marriage in an original and amusing way. I loved that Lucy’s mother Anjoli always began every phone conversation talking about herself and Lucy would interject something to the effect of, “I’m doing well, thank you for asking,” which her self-absorbed mother would ignore. Those were the phone calls that Lucy’s mother made. Lucy’s mother’s dog, a psychiatrically disturbed Chihuahua toted around in Anjoli’s purse, would often call Lucy himself. This is a super fun, fast read. The main character doesn’t harbor any resentment toward her mom as Lucy clearly has learned to accept Anjoli for who she is and simply find the humor in it.

[Nospin · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it does have some humorous characters and situations, the book generally reads more like a collection of newspaper columns than a cohesive novel or memoir

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a laugh out loud chick lit book. Seriously, I was reading at lunch at work and almost spewed soda out my nose. There's a bit of vulgarity but it isn't gratuitous and it adds to the hilarity.

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

[Wanda Hartzenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a riot! I laughed so hard at the overdone superficial satire that I was afraid of what the rest of the household would think.
The overdone superficiality was colored in with some real plot although the plot itself was used as a prop for some seriously side splitting conversations.

The dog. Paz or spot or something or the other may very well be the main protagonist although in this family where even the "normal" members is extremely weird it was hard to tell. The thing is, you need not worry. Everybody gets a chance to shine and boy do they shine. Glitter. Bling and go to their weddings in the nude.

Loved this. Truly.

WaAr

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reasonably entertaining light read, and I won't remember it at all.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh...

Just not for me. Reads like a memoir and at times is so ridiculous that you can't believe someone actually made all this up and wrote it down much less published it.

[Alice M Witek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Funny n funnier

I loved this book, will read again. I don't usually visualize what I'm reading but did this one. Truly hilarious. Could be a movie.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cover/Title: This cover is cute but the version with the dog on the cover is so adorable!!! I have never read anything by this author before (including book 1) but the synopsis made me want to give it a try.

Characters: I absolutely loved this wacky family. You've got the crazy mother, the crazy aunt, the crazy cousin and a couple crazy ghosts as well.

Plot: Lucy and her husband opened an Artist's retreat. Basically, they invite artists to come live there for a season to work on their art. At the end of the season, they have an art show. Awesome, right? Well add in some crazy family members, some ghosts and hilarity ensues.

Overall: This book made me laugh at some of the antics. There is almost always something crazy silly happening. I am only sorry that I didn't read book 1 yet (but I will).

[Danna Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here I am, back to a 3 with this author. I loved “tales from the crib” So Much! This one was just such a disappointment. It never had any cohesion. There were parts that were funny, but not enough believability to pull that rating up. They just kept talking and talking about nothing. It was of the author would have a thought and say”Huh, I think I’ll write that down, it doesn’t mean anything in context to this book I’m writing, but what the hell” I kept wanting her to stop rehashing the same things over and over.
Can we have a do-over? As the second in the series, it should have been great. It needs to have Lucy wake up and say it was all a dream and let’s write this book again! Take your time and get it right! I want my second “Tales from the Crib” book!
(God, I feel like such a bitch for writing this.)

[Patti Fischetti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too weird!

I thought this could have been a laugh out loud book but the weird characters got in the way. From the mother and her dog to the daughter and her husband. Even her other relatives, living and dead; to her friends and the artist that populate this story. The only one I found funny was her aunt who lived in Florida. At first she was very funny and I couldn't stop laughing but then some time during the story she got weird too. In the end though everything and everybody got together for an Arts Day (except the aunt from Florida) and attended a crazy wedding. If you like reading about weird people then you'll like this book.

[Jilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't quite decide if I liked this book or not, hence the 3 star rating. It is about a couple who move to The Berkshires to set up an art community. It goes horribly wrong from the beginiing as the house is haunted but they don't know that. All the artist's are unable to produce any work.

Meanwhile Lucy's high maintenance mother and her Chihuahua cause havoc wherever they go. The book is funny in places and I liked the parts about the dog but overall it isn't the laugh out loud book I was expecting.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pros :: So fun to be back with Lucy Klein and her mom, Anjoli. Interesting combinations with the art colony (the artists Maxine, Jacquie, Chantrell, and Randy) Nice friendship with Renee, too. So happy to read about Kimmy and her antics.

Cons :: None

Cover Art :: 3 out of 5. Love the characterization of the mom and daughter, however it should not be a small child — it should be a true representation of the adult Lucy.

[Mary Stockwell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Silly and ridiculous

Honesty, I could not get even half way through this book. The repetitiveness of a dog that keeps calling the daughter who hears the mother's conversations got ridiculous. Mom couldn't figure out the phone after all that time? Taking the dog to human doctors? Not my cup of tea.

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy decides to open an arts commune in the mountains. But it soon turns to disaster, when the artists who join, are completely devoid of creative talents. Add into the fray her mother - high maintenance would be an understatement and her bonkers cousin Kimmy and her Octogenarian Aunt Bernice and carnage ensues. Quite entertaining

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I don't have time to read but stayed up until after 2 a.m. a couple of nights just to read a few more chapters. I enjoyed this book so much I will have to get some more books by this author.

[Pat Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most hilarious book I've ever.

The story was always changing and the characters were so unique. Just when you thought you knew what was happening, the plot took a turn. Really enjoyed this funny and enjoyable book

[Pamela · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars. Definitely fluff piece. Amusing at times. Lucy and her husband open an artists colony and encounter very interesting characters. Throw in a haunted house and a truly unbelievably wacko mother, and life is never dull.

[Julia Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As terrible as this may sound, especially because overall I did enjoy the story and look forward to more, I feel like a much better human being after reading this lol

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Tammy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super funny!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not a work of literary genius but it was a fun story with very colorful characters.

[Cathy Board · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughed till I cried!

This awesome book kept me so entertained that I stayed up far too late in order to finish it! It's witty, crazy, and so well written! I love this new author I've found!

[Samantha March · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of The Queen Gene in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
After selling her home in the suburbs, Lucy Klein decides to pursue her lifelong dream of starting an arts community in the Berkshire Mountains. She envisions a creative oasis where struggling painters, sculptors and musicians visit from around the world. But the dream soon becomes a nightmare when the artists arrive and not a single one can create anything -- except trouble, that is.

To make matters worse, Lucy's ultra-high-maintenance mother, Anjoli is singularly focused on finding a holistic cure for her teacup Chihuahua's obsessive compulsive, hair-pulling disorder. Rebirthing, acupuncture and white light therapy just aren't helping poor little Paz. But Anjoli soon has new problems to contend with, like the NYU sorority house going up across the street from her.

Then there's Lucy's gorgeous cousin Kimmy who recently married herself in a dress made of disco ball mirrors, and now wants to get pregnant with Ivy League sperm. Deciding sperm banks have too many rules, she decides to go about things the old fashion way -- with a roundtrip train ticket to Princeton and a change of panties in her designer purse.

Lest we forget about Lucy's 84-year-old Aunt Bernice who is grieving the loss of her sister who recently died at Red Lobster. Though she misses her Floridian counterpart, Bernice is not going to let anything stand in her way of exploring brave new worlds --and Brazilian bikini waxes.

Enjoy a wild ride through the world of way over-the-top kiddie birthday parties, puppy psychotherapy and "performance art" weddings with a family so nutty, it will make you appreciate your own!

Between Lucy's relatives and the artists from hell, it's a wonder she can focus on her own life.
My Review:
Ah, Coburn’s books have been cracking me up! The Queen Gene is no different, and I laughed my way through this novel. I literally got the hiccups from laughing so hard when it came to Anjoli and her dog! The artist community that Lucy and husband Jack create turn out to be nothing but trouble – but hilarious ones for the readers. If you are looking for some comedic relief mixed in with an engaging plot and lovely MC, pick up The Queen Gene–– ¬and check out more of Jennifer Coburn’s books for that matter!
**4.5 stars**

[Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Story!!

I laughed from start to finish. LOVE the characters and the idea of an artist colony.

Need a uplifting story? Ms. Coburn has you covered.

[Elizabeth Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars! This sequel to Tales From the Crib was hilarious! Lucy and her husband, Jack, are fulfilling their dream of an artist colony. They have three guest houses in the back of their home for visiting artists. There is Chantrell, who plays the cello to encourage plants to grow. Maxime is a "pinprick" artist who moves in with his wife, Jacuqe. Randy is a very attractive glass blowing artist. Soon after the guests move in, their personalities seem to change and the place becomes a black hole, sucking everyone's creativity. The house starts repairing itself and multiple women get injured from tripping and falling. Lucy doesn't think much of it until someone suggests they may have ghosts. In addition, Lucy's family visits Aunt Bernice in Florida, Lucy's mom buys an anxious dog, Jack buys an old VW he parks on the front lawn to decorate for each season, and there is a wedding with a body painted bride. Just another day in the crazy life of Lucy and her family!

This book had less of an overall plot than the last book did. The possibility of a ghost was not brought up until late in the book. I did wish the book had a little more of a major plot to tie all of those crazy events together. However, this only detracted a little bit from the story.

Again, the story was hilarious. Lucy and Jack are calm, even-tempered main characters in the midst of some crazy events. I enjoyed reading about Aunt Bernice, Anjoli, and Kimmy and continuing their lives from the last book. I also liked some new characters we met, especially Renee. If you're looking for a funny, laugh out loud story with a good heart, check this series out!

[Krisz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see why several people didn't like the book. It doesn't have a plot, yes, it's true. A couple of insane characters are thrown together and that makes the wheel turn, that's all.
But I didn't mind. The book is fun, I enjoyed the new age mum with her self-centered attitude, though I felt sorry for the little dog. All characters were well drawn (or almost all), and for me, that really moves the book along. JC has imagination!!! The book was full of surprises, in a good way, and I was glad to finally read a self-published book which is actually good. There's too much crap out there, with no plot, one-dimensional characters, no descriptions, no nothing except for grammatically correct sentences...
Okay, so what didn't I like?
There were some strange turns in the story, I think an other revision could have righted these points. For example I was confused about Lucy's marriage: it would have been better to know more about it earlier, or when she tells the story to Renée, it could have been fuller. This way it was pretty flat. (Later I learnt that there is a previous book solely about this, but hey, I haven't read it.) Also the arts community idea wasn't well built up: I just suddenly read about it on a page. Or the travel to the aunt: they decided to go and went, within a few pages. It was too random.
So this book is for you if you like reading about funny, quirky, eccentric characters. This book isn't for you if you want the story to really go somewhere!

[MoHurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A witty and creative romp that will have you laughing out loud

A delightful story about a kooky New York family escaped from the suburbs, to open an arts colony in the Berkshires where everthing goes wrong. it's a story replete with dysfunctional artist tenants, cranky ghosts, pretentious neighbors who thrive on one-up-man-ship style parties, and even more dysfunctional relatives.

The story's witty and well written, the author weaves divergent shorelines well. Memorable characters include protagonist Lucy's New Age mother, narcissistic Anjoli, and her neurotic butt-dialing chihuahua, and other meddling relatives. Despite having perfect health, Anjoli has explored the gamut in alternative healing practices, from spun chakras to eye analysis, offers sage advice.

She invests in gay theater and there are some queens in the story—but it doesn't help explain the title, other that everyone's flamboyant. There's Lucy's cousin model Kimmy who takes after Anjoli, Lucy's eternally upbeat aunt Bernice stuck in retirement party mode Florida, and there's more than a nodding reference to Lucy's party-crashing dead relatives, Bernice's sister cranky Rita, and husband George the handyman.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, I am reading so many books I enjoy! Here is one of them!

This one is about a woman with a kid and a happy marriage! Without a single marriage- or family-endangering plotline! Amazing, right? This book has almost no narrative arc, though it has a lot of fascinating characters and dramas. The woman and her husband run an artist colony that is just, you know, haunted. (Like you do.) And the woman's mother is remarkably like my own, in that she is very attuned to her own personal drama and not so much to what other people might be experiencing (or that people might be experiencing things that have nothing whatever to do with her.) And, that character is nuanced and believable and actually, sympathetic.

This is another one that I just wanted to keep reading and keep reading. I wanted to hang out with these characters. So, ++, there! Also, it was so funny that I laughed out loud and then read passages to my partner, who had already read the book, like, "Honey, here, listen to this thing that you just read!" That good.