A gentle easy read book. The relationship between a mother and daughter is explored within the backdrop of the queue to see the Queen lying in state. The daughter Tania is more open and emotional about her feelings from the start of the book but the joy of this read is the slow burn that is Rani and how her life experiences have shaped her emotions.
Their time in the queue is engagingly described along with the various characters they meet but the flashbacks to Rani's life really developed an understanding of her and her feelings. I appreciated that these flashbacks were in chronological order and not all over the place like some books I've read recently. The reader is able to see how events affected Rani and made her the person she is now.
I've recommended this book to my daughter as not only will she enjoy the storyline but as she lives in London the references to London landmarks etc will add another dimension.

Oh my, I wasn't expecting this to be quite such an emotional read but it had me sobbing and laughing throughout.
The story tells of Rani and Tania's journey over 24hours queueing to pay respects to the Queen lying in state after her passing. While this mother and daughter pairing are the main focal point, they meet various people from all walks of life along the journey, and we see how their lives, experiences and sweet nature's can impact on the Kapadia-Nichols ladies.
Young Owen was such a sweetheart, and Harold such a gent.
I'd have quite liked an epilogue to know that all these characters got on fine after the part they played in the healing relationship of mother and daughter.
A lovely read, I'd definitely read more by this author.

👥👥👭👥Lovely story of reconciliation, with a bit of help from strangers😌

I am really glad I heard about this title and picked it up.

I went into this story with an open mind, not knowing where it would take me. But I knew about the long wait thousands endured to pay their respects to Elizabeth II's coffin at Westminster and the opportunity it might make for new encounters and friendships to form. I was impressed by the author's ability to capture the atmosphere of that significant real event and meld it with an emotional mother-daughter tale.

The gradual glimpses of Rani the mother's past worked really well. Though they were brief, they gave context for Rani's behavior. Tania, her daughter, has no idea why her mother clams up and acts the way she does. The wall Rani's built finally tumbles down thanks to the queue wait with a few strangers who become friends and confidants.

I thought it was really helpful that though she could have included an almost limitless cast of others in the queue the author focused on just a handful in key secondary roles. My favorites were young Welsh Owen and elderly Harold.

Thanks to publishers Aria & Aries and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I did not know anything about this book when I started reading. Of course, from the title, I knew it was about people queuing in line to see Queen Elizabeth II lying-in-state. I never would have thought that now, once I have finished reading, I would be sitting still, sobbing. The fact that I am showing so much emotion is totally appropriate, which you will understand after reading.

For an author’s first published book to do this to me, I cannot imagine what she has in store for readers in the future. I am so grateful that she wrote this book because it touched me so much.

It was a bit difficult for me to get into the story to begin with. I believe that is on me. Every book has to lay the groundwork and introduce characters, and after that was done, the plot unfolded at a good pace. I did feel like I was standing in line for hours with these wonderful people the author created. Each one unique and needed for the path of the story.

While the story centers around the queue, it is so much more than that. It is about relationships, especially the very delicate one between mothers and daughters, that can be so strong and so fragile at the same time.

A huge thank you Aria & Aries and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

This story revolves around a mother and daughter. Each have their own reasons for standing in line to pay their respects to the Queen. They share the queue with some interesting people.
There were some parts that made me laugh and others that were a bit sad. It seems like it was the appropriate book to read so close to the Coronation
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Who would have thought a book about standing in line would be so entertaining? Well, it's about more than standing in line - it's about family, both the blood one and the one we make. And the one we are all a part of. This is a surprisingly entertaining novel (especially given that not much really happens) that tells not only moves back and forth in time to tell the story of how Rani and her daughter became estranged but also the stories of the people they meet in the queue. thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This is my first book by Sweta Rana which is an excellent light read for the summer months. A good story line which kept the pages turning quickly. Looking forward to reading more of Sweta's works.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

The book was a great read that followed something that’s happened recently.

I loved reading about the stories those who joined "The Queue" told.

Each character of the book was different to the other, which was perfect for the world we live in now.

I recommend this book.

What a beautiful book and one to keep to show to future generations, telling the story of the passing of our wonderful Queen Elizabeth 11 back in September 2022. What a special lady she was and will be loved and missed by so many people who have grown up within her reign. I can just remember her coming to the throne back in 1953, I was just 4 years of age at the time.
The Queens passing was a great shock even with her being 96 years of age. The fact that she was very ill was kept from us. It brought tears to many peoples eyes when the news was broken.
This book follows a mother and daughter when they went to pay their respects as the Queen lay in state. People queued for hours and some for days. This is their story.
I highly recommend this book and it is one to treasure. Well worth far more than 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC

This is such a touching story about mothers and daughters. The setting of The Queue is unique and adds to the sentimentality of the tale. The characters they meet form a small world for those 24 hours and it's all so terribly heart-warming. I miss some of the characters already. This book will stay with me for a while.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

I was really excited for this because as soon as I hear about the queue for the Queen I knew “someone should write a story about meeting other people while waiting in the queue.” However I’m not loving it and I’m finally calling it quits. The writing is a bit overly descriptive for my taste, I don’t need every minute detail spelled out for me. the mystery behind the strained mother daughter relationship and why her mom doesn’t like her fiancé had me intrigued enough to read as far as 30% but not even that plot line held my interest enough for me to finish.

Based on the synopsis you’d think we’d get alternating stories from the people mentioned but it’s only from Tania’s (the British Indian daughter) POV. Simply not my cup of tea but others may enjoy it more! I personally would’ve preferred a short story/anthology type book where we get POVs from all kinds of people standing in the queue

Oh everyone is going to love this book! What a great read, especially reliving such a recent experience, now I never joined "The Queue" but the stories that came out of it were enjoyable.

I enjoyed the characters, all very diverse and fitting for the world we are in and I enjoyed the layout of the book, an easy Sunday afternoon read for sure.

My first ever wish on Netgalley and it was granted! Thank you Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Queuing for the Queen is Sweta Rana’s debut novel, set during Queen Elizabeth II’s lying in state. Being a big fan of the Queen, and being deeply affected by her death last year, I knew I had to read this novel without knowing anything else about the story. It follows estranged mother and daughter, Rani and Tania, as they wait 24 hours in the public queue to view the Queen’s coffin and focuses primarily on their relationship. Throughout their wait, the novel dips back in time to Rani’s past in India and then her move to England with her family, getting closer and closer to the present day as we see snippets of her life interspersed with the present day queue.

The novel deals with multi-cultural issues and what it feels like to grow up in a country away from your place of birth. It also deals with interracial relationships and how falling in love can happen regardless of race and culture, and how that can have positive and negative effects on the relationship. Most of all it deals with the relationship between a mother and a child and how that relationship is important and should be fostered and cared for while the mother is still alive.

Despite the fact this novel isn’t action-packed, it is still an interesting read with a whole host of characters that wait alongside Rani and Tania. There are various twists and turns in the story that kept me intrigued throughout. I would highly recommend it.

A choral book about the people who queued to pay homage to Queen Elizabeth. There's a lot story and it's a compelling novel.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Oh I absolutely adored this. Sweet, thought provoking, and sentimental. A strange time that's captured so wonderfully in this read with vivid, warm characters that have a story to tell in their own right.

Amazed at this debut, and love how this interweaves with the underrepresented too.

So lovely.

Inspired by the massive queues the public formed to pay respects to the late Queen in Westminster Hall. A 24 hour account following Tania and her mother Rani in the queue intertwined with significant personal life events leading up to the day. Touching the sheer discomfort of such a long wait and the impact not only physically but mentally of those around them. Issues of love, loss, cultural differences, highs and lows along the way as hour by hour the queue shuffles along.

I wasn't really sure what I would feel about this book, being set in such recent history, very vivid in many people's minds. However, as soon as I started reading, I was swept up into the story of British Indian mother and daughter Rani and Tania, and all of the other people they met in the queue.

Rani is estranged from daughter Tania, and she is keen to correct their relationship. To do so, she has to open up - will she be able to do this before their time in the queue ends?

I loved the additional characters, little Owen was gorgeous, and Colin was fantastic! Their stories made me laugh and cry, and I really enjoyed the sense of flow in the story and the queue.

I knew someone would write a book about this subject .So I was excited to read it and it did not disappoint at all. A clever story following a mother and daughter . Loved the characters you met. The Queen would have loved it. The race element made you sad and happy if that makes sense. You have to read it to understand my comment. Love and parents are strange . A very good read. One for my book club

What a lovely book this was. It’s the first book I’ve seen, or read, about the passing of our dear old Queen, and what better way to remember her than to write a book based on the queue that formed to view her lying in state. Focussing on a mother and her daughter who have decided to join the queue at Southwark Park without realising it would take them well over 24 hours!), we follow their journey.

The book is a heart-warming read, although be aware it is a little slow in parts. Obviously, there wasn’t an awful lot to do in the queue, and this reflects in the storyline. It does however introduce us to some wonderful characters that are encountered whilst they wait, and I loved the David Beckham look-a-likes that popped up (obviously remembering that he was in the actual queue!). I personally would love to have joined the queue to pay my respects, but it wasn’t to be. This book gave me a glimpse into what it must have been like to have been part of it.

The storyline wasn’t all just about the queue though. We are treated to a heart-warming story of the relationship between an Indian mother, Rani and her mixed-race daughter, Tania. Their relationship is strained, for reasons which are revealed as the story continues, and I enjoyed the flashbacks to Rani’s earlier life. Her story was quite emotional and tugged at the heartstrings.

This was an enjoyable and easy to read book. It brought back memories of that time also of the emotions that ran through so many people. Would recommend.