Candice Carty-Williams serves up a scorching sequel that gets straight to the heart of what matters: Queenie's quest for self-discovery. Eight years on from her debut, we're back with the same lovable, laughable, and occasionally infuriating Queenie Jenkins. And this time, she's facing down the biggest question of all – can she have a baby?
The stakes are high as Queenie hits 33, a milestone birthday that signals the start of a countdown to motherhood. Or does it? As she undergoes a fertility check-up, memories come flooding back – particularly her disastrous stint at the magazine where she first met Vin. Their on-again, off-again romance is still a tangled mess, and Queenie's not sure if she's ready for the commitment that comes with IVF.
But life has other plans. A new job at a Black-owned social media platform thrusts her into the spotlight, where she uncovers some hard truths about reproductive education in Britain. Why do so many women – especially those from Black communities – feel left behind when it comes to learning about their bodies and making informed choices about their fertility? Queenie's investigation exposes a gap that's as much about class and privilege as it is about biology.
As always, Carty-Williams nails the complexities of female friendships. Queenie's crew are the perfect blend of supportive, sassy, and straight-talking – they keep her feet on the ground even when she's soaring off into romantic fantasyland. But beneath the banter and laughter lies a deeper truth: these women know that having it all is a myth, and that sometimes you have to fight for what you want.
Carty-Williams' sharp observations cut deep – whether she's skewering the myths of reproductive education or laying bare the realities of sex and intimacy in relationships. And yet, there's no bitterness here; just a clear-eyed understanding that life is messy, and sometimes it feels like the odds are stacked against you.