Take a photo of a barcode or cover
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
5.0 stars
Highly recommend
This quirky, cute book was a change from the heavy books I have recently read. It did cover some intense topics, as it is set in 1963 NYC during a period of great changes.
The writing, plot, and characters were all done well. I liked Bernadette - she was a hoot and fun to root for vicariously!
A great book with a powerful message. Not much has changed in over 60 years - we have a lot of work to do in this country.
For a more detailed review, check out my blog - booksbydorothea:
https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-confessions-of-grammar-queen.html
Highly recommend
This quirky, cute book was a change from the heavy books I have recently read. It did cover some intense topics, as it is set in 1963 NYC during a period of great changes.
The writing, plot, and characters were all done well. I liked Bernadette - she was a hoot and fun to root for vicariously!
A great book with a powerful message. Not much has changed in over 60 years - we have a lot of work to do in this country.
For a more detailed review, check out my blog - booksbydorothea:
https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-confessions-of-grammar-queen.html
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cursing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
NGL, it read like an AU fanfic of Lessons in Chemistry.
I wanted to love this. 1960s publishing industry? Feminist rebellion? A secret book club? YES PLEASE. But what I got felt more like someone built a checklist for a BookTok-ready bestseller and forgot to make it feel, well, genuine.
š Love interest? So perfect he barely had a personality. Heās there to cheer her on and then remind us at the end that she did it all on her own.
š¾ POV from a dog? Yep. Because Lessons in Chemistry had that, right? Letās do it again! But, this is different. This is first-person POV. And it it serves nothing on on either plotline or emotional impact levels.
š¶ Dog narrator voice? Nearly made me DNF.
š Title & cover? Gave rom-com diary vibes. Book? Not that.
š«¢ Plotlines? All over the placeāfeminism, war, office drama, activism, family drama, romance, dog monologuesā¦ pick a lane.
š And letās talk about the historical inaccuracies. There were multiple phrases that didnāt belong in the 1960sāespecially glaring since the FMC is supposed to be obsessed with etymology and grammar.
š¬ And I swear one scene was literally from Legally Blonde.
Iām not going into full rant-review mode here because I want to keep this spoiler-free.
Itās a shame, because the bones of this story had potential. But instead of giving me the satisfying feminist publishing saga I craved, it gave me tonal whiplash, a talking dog, and some very copy-paste-feeling āinspirationalā moments.
Still, judging by other reviews, this book has an audienceāit just wasnāt me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual harassment