This book was such a good read, I could not put it down! If you enjoyed content like Bridgerton, Gossip Girl, and a mix of Mean Girls then this YA Historical Romance should be on your tbr!

The book takes place during the Regency Era in England. We don't stay within dialect of it which goes for a much smoother reader in the YA category. The story alternates between past and present throughout the chapters which helps the reader understand why Ela is so bent on revenge and gives us some great insight into the story. You have a diverse set of characters WHICH WE LOVE! There is also talks of sexual preferences which deter from the norm which is so refreshing to see written especially in a historical romance. I love that we get to read as our main character changes and grows and shows us that even though we have our hearts set on one path, it's always okay to change if it doesn't feel right or no longer fits the future we see for ourselves.

Our main character, Ela is sent off to a boarding school when a girl whom she thought to be her best friend put forth false allegations that tarnished Ela's reputation. Ela makes new friends and comes into money after losing everything. Despite others trying to steer her into a different path she chooses revenge. There are definitely so many good messages written within this book. There's drama, there's intrigue. It's so good!

Thank you Netgalley, Random House for the ARC! And of course thank you Amalia Howard for this gripping novel you wrote for us!

I thought this was a fun read. I really loved seeing historical romances by YA authors cause i think the self discovery plot lines def take center stage. I also like the struture of this both and both time lines. I grew to love the main character but she could be unlikable. This book had a alot of diverse elements that have me brigerton vibes. I sometimes struggle with revenge based stories but this story was jsut fun. I also like how howard felshed out some of the characters so much so that they could get a futue book!! Def a fun ad quick read!!

Amalie Howard has created a delightful mashup of Regency England and a modern high school romance. Her diverse cast is endearing and empowering. Their clothes might be so 1817, but their speech is very modern. One can’t help but root for Ela as she extracts her revenge on the mean girl, “Queen Bee.” Set in the 1810s, the stakes are much higher. Lady Ela loses everything because of Poppy’s lies. Her good name/title. Her home. Her father. She comes to London under a new name and means to make everyone who betrayed her pay—Machiavellian style. Including the marquess who broke her heart. Themes of accountability and forgiveness and weaves seamlessly through the story. This charming historical romcom is the perfect Bridgerton for teens (and adults)!

Will post on my socials (Instagram, fb, and Twitter) on April 4, 2023.

If you don't have this book in your possession at the moment, I genuinely feel grief for you. Bridgerton but make it young adult and include a revenge plot. A recipe for success, I'd say.

Our main character, Ela, was wronged in her youth and her reputation was the cost. Three years and a puberty transformation later, Ela changes her name and heads to London for the season to take back what was stolen from her: her future.

The quotes before every chapter were perfection. This is dual POV between Ela when she was younger (to reveal what happened to her back then) and present Ela under her fake identity (following her revenge plot). Switching between the two timelines worked so well and kept me reading.

The chess references and metaphors were everything. The name dropping of famous figures and places of the time was so fun. The end became a bit ridiculous very quick, but it was so much fun that I didn't care.

I can't wait until this book physically comes out so I can get my greedy hands on a copy. It was amazing and I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED this book!! It was regency but still read like a current romance book. I loved the revenge plot by Ela/Lyra and how she talked through her plan throughout the book. My favorite part of the whole book was the banter and relationship between Keston and Ela and then the more mature and flirty relationship whenever Ela comes back for revenge. Ends with an HEA!

The elaborate revenge plan in Queen Bee, complete with quotes from Italian diplomate Niccolò Machiavelli and allusions to chess moves, consumes Lady Ela Dalvi, as she plots to ruin her former best friend Poppy who slandered Ela with an allegation that destroyed her reputation. Ela is sent to a boarding school in Cumbria where she is a penniless nobody, abandoned even by her father. With the help of Church, a wealthy school benefactor whom Ela befriends and nurses back to health, she disguises herself a Lyra Whitley and returns to infiltrate London society. Not only does she want to take down Poppy, but also Lord Keston Osborn, the Marques of Ridley, her childhood friend and first love, who did not support her during Poppy's sabotage. She must seduce him to accomplish her revenge plan, but unresolved feelings get in the way. Church warns her that revenge is complicated, and Ela/Lyra must decide what is more important - happiness or destruction of those who harmed her.

A great retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo. Overall, I loved the main character and I totally bought in to her plan for revenge. However, after a great start it did lag a little in the middle but picked up with a good ending. I struggled a bit when she lost the drive for her revenge and she started thinking about how she was using people, partially because it felt a little expected. However, the ending of how she was found out and came to terms with how revenge doesn't actually make you happy was still enjoyable. I would have liked a bit more of a twist to the expected plot but overall it was still a fun ride. I particularly enjoyed her various friends because they were unique, well-rounded, and supportive and the romance was delicious and believable. Overall, I would recommend it!

This book was adorable! Totally didnt realize it was going to be YA Bridgerton but I enjoyed this book nonetheless!

Okay ahh this was such fun to read, seeing Ela's revenge schemes work out step by step were amazing. I had a hard time reading the "past" chapters because it was so sad to see a sweet, younger Ela being taken advantage of and then betrayed by her own friends and family, BUT the "present" chapters more than made me happy. I particularly loved the falling in love plotlines (the first and the second times!), and the plotlines of Ela making friends. The ending was really wholesome as well, so overall I'd say this was a perfect angsty, second-chance romance + "girl who evolves to take no shit" book.

--- ty to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I can't say enough about how much I love Amalie Howard's writing style. Her books always hit the spot for me, even when there is something I don't like about them. This one was no different. My only complaint is that I'm getting too old for Teen books to be all that fun anymore. And that is a me problem, not a book problem. I thought the characters were well written, the story was engaging, and things play out both how I expect but also differently enough to keep things interesting (which is exactly the way I like it). Definitely recommend.

Read it for the:
-count of Monte cristo vibes
-diverse character cast
-romance and revenge

A true YA, with themes of revenge, forgiveness, friendship, and a stunning cover, this book had potential but unfortunately missed the mark for me.

While the theme was there, plot-wise, it did not keep me entertained or invested in the characters. I found myself skipping pages. This is a regency, and even though it is a YA with a modern feel, I felt the dialogue was misplaced and unrealistic at many parts. I liked Ela/Lyra and her overall character arc but the rest of the characters did not really add anything.

I think book might better appeal to middle grade/younger teens but, for me, this story just didn’t work.

This was a highly enjoyable read. I loved the flashback chapters, which gave the book a great structure and really showed the contrast and similarities between Ela and Lyra. The growth of the characters was clear over the course of the book, and the romance was sweet, especially in their younger years. Great book!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! I really struggled with this one. While it was interesting to see her old life and new life in pieces, I felt like it was dragging out information leaks at times. Like, I feel like I needed to know who Church was sooner. I also found the love interest annoying and felt like what he did was forgiven too quickly just because he was attractive. I also found it hard to believe that someone could go back and not be recognized by anyone. I felt like Lyra's story was the YA version of the Bridgertons but did not suck a reader in as much (and I am not saying the Bridgerton stories are great-they are a guilty pleasure). Overall, I had to force myself to finish it. I was mildly curious what happened to her enemy, so that and the fact that I was writing a review for the ARC kept me going. Had I picked this one up on my own, I doubt I would have finished it.

This Count of Monte Cristo inspired tale is full of revenge and plotting and the subtle demise of mean girls all over. Lady Ela Dalvi is such an interesting character and the story structure of the past and present alternating POVs was interesting and so well done to parse out the information we needed to know with the parts that will whet our appetites for more morsels going forward.

Before this book, I'd never read or heard of an anti-historical novel, but as I started to read I noticed the parts of the story and characters that didn't fit with my ultra white washed version of regency era England. While Howard tells of the ways in which that is amplified in this book, it was so interesting and unique to see these characters interact without the strict adherance to the racial and social delusions of the day in Regency times.

The characters are (obviously) the best part of the book, but to see our heroine plan and plot her revenge and then continue to ask herseld if it was worth it felt so real and relatable that it could be taking place in modern day just as well as two hundred years ago.

Synopsis:
A teen girl seeking retribution against her backstabbing former best friend finds her plans slightly derailed once she catches the eye of a familiar, handsome marquess. Bestselling author Amalie Howard delivers a delightful, anti-historical Regency-era romp that’s Bridgerton meets The Count of Monte Cristo!
Lady Ela Dalvi knows the exact moment her life was forever changed—when her best friend, Poppy, betrayed her without qualm over a boy, the son of a duke. She was sent away in disgrace, her reputation ruined.
Nearly three years later, eighteen-year-old Ela is consumed with bitterness and a desire for . . . revenge. Her enemy is quickly joining the crème de la crème of high society while she withers away in the English countryside.
With an audacious plan to get even, Ela disguises herself as a mysterious heiress and infiltrates London’s elite. But when Ela reunites with the only boy she’s ever loved, she begins to question whether vengeance is still her greatest desire.

What a delightful story. I loved the banter, description and the author's note at the end was a nice touch. The comps were perfect and I was rooting along with Ela the whole time.

Lady Ela Dalvi is childhood friends with Lord Keston Ridley. Her wealthy, but not noble, frenemy Poppy Landers becomes jealous of their friendship and the fact that Ela is titled. Poppy destroys Ela’s reputation, Keston and her father do not defend her and Ela is sent away to a boarding school. There she is befriended by a wealthy, mysterious woman called Church. She becomes her heir and uses her money to get revenge on Poppy. As noble heiress Lyra Whitley, with a few trusted allies by her side, she infiltrates Poppy’s inner circle and the ton to slowly destroy her reputation and get her revenge. The one complication is Lord Keston himself, as he falls for Lady Lyra and she feels their connection once again. This is a fun take on The Count of Monte Cristo with a diverse cast of characters.

This was SUCH a fun, joyful anti-historical novel. The character development was excellent, and the intrigue was worthy of Bridgerton! Would read way more in this series!

This was a darling little book. It very much reminded me of the Bridgeton series. The characters are smart and have depth. I was intrigued by the premise. I would definitely recommend it.

This book was an absolute delight! I devoured this Recency era revenge/love story.

Lyra has come to London for the 1817 social season and is ready to get revenge. Three years before power and influence had been stolen from her and she is ready to get it back and also win the love of the Marquess of Ridley, Lord Keston Osborn, who she has no intention of staying with, or so she thinks. The girl that she used to be, Ela, was no more.

Three years before, Ela had been backstabbed by her best friend Poppy. Poppy, a beautiful girl with blond curls and an angelic face was loved by all, including Ela’s family. When Poppy heard of a new family (a Duke and his wife/children) moving into the house next door to Ela’s she was determined to make acquaintances and steal the heart of the Duke’s son. Unbeknownst to Poppy, Ela had already met him and his sister and was actually getting rather close to Keston. They spent a lot of time playing chess and acting out imaginary stories in the woods. This was however, not proper behavior at the time for a boy and girl to be alone together. Poppy found out about their friendship. Through her jealously, she lied about Ela being alone with another man and finding her clothes outside. Ela was banned from town and forced to go to a boarding type religious school.

Lyra is the same person as Ela, just more mature and grown up. She has come to London to ruin Poppy’s reputation just as Poppy did to her three years before. Everything she does during the social season is to deliberately throw Poppy off her game. She does start falling for the Marquess, even though she strongly did not want to.

Is she able to get revenge on Poppy? Does society find out who she really is? Will she become Queen Bee?

I absolutely loved this book and plan on reading others by Amalie Howard. This is a YA novel and I thought the dual timeline and pacing was perfect. The build up of Lyra’s romance with Lord Keston was SO GOOD.

Despite being the daughter of an earl, Ela is a wallflower utterly under the thumb of her only friend, Poppy. Then a duke moves in next door, and Ela befriends his children Keston and Zia. Poppy's wrath over this perceived betrayal leads to Ela's complete disgrace. Three years later, Ela has blossomed into a beauty, acquired a fortune, and disguised herself as enchanting heiress Lyra Whitley. Her meticulous plan to ruin Poppy is complicated by her lingering feelings for Keston. Both revenge and romance are fully fleshed-out and believable in this charming anti-historical novel.