strike that

Bernadette Swift is a word nerd. As a kid, she would read the dictionary. Now she’s a college graduate and working as a copyeditor for Lenox & Park Publishing. She has the skills and the determination to make it to the top of her profession. There is just one problem. It’s the 1960s in America, and women are treated like second-class citizens in much of daily life. So her boss and her coworkers, all men, expect her to make them coffee and take their shirts to the dry cleaners after they spill that coffee on themselves. All while doing her editing work.

But she’s not alone in New York City. She has friends and good neighbors, and her roommate Frank looks out for her. Frank is a Great Dane, from her brother Ben. Ben is serving in the military, and is currently in Vietnam, so Bernadette worries about him and send him treats once in a while. But while he is gone, Frank takes good care of Bernadette, making sure she gets walks and laughs.

But the world is harsh for a working woman. She is paid significantly less than her male coworkers, she is given more work, and she is not invited out when the rest of the boys spend the evening out drinking. Bernadette is okay with that. She has Frank, of course, and her feminist book club. And she finds herself bumping into another editor, Graham Reynolds But Graham isn’t like the other men in the office. He doesn’t expect her to run random errands for him and objects when her boss does. He respects her work and appreciates her as a person.

Bernadette understands that she has to work harder than the men in the office, but she does, and she’s offered a promotion. A temporary promotion. But when her boss propositions her to make the promotion permanent, Bernadette takes a stand. Or she tries to. She reports him to Personnel, but the man there she reported him to refuses to do anything. So she does the next best thing and tries to bring together the working women in New York City to make a stand.

Confessions of a Grammar Queen brings together the feminist movement of the 1960s and the New York publishing industry of that time to create a story that is humorous and resonant at the same time. Bernadette is a strong character who is making her way in a difficult time, but she does it with the support of friends and family and a scene-stealing dog.

I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the insider publishing knowledge, and having historic events from the ‘60s woven into the narrative brought the time to life. But it was Frank who is the best part of the book. Not only does he steal every scene he’s in, especially when he has the zoomies, but he steals all the hearts as well. And some of the chapters are told from his perspective, adding an unexpected voice to the story. And the romance is sweet, making this a hit on every level.

Egalleys for Confessions of a Grammar Queen were provided by Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.