4.5 starts rounded up for Queen Bee! This book was described as a cross between The Count of Monte Cristo (one of my all time favorites) and the Bridgerton series, and it did not disappoint!

I love seeing diversity in regency era novels and shows now. There are also queer characters, though they did feel thrown in using supporting characters with no real exploration. I was still happy to see them though!

The story follows Ela/Lady Whitley, seeking revenge for wrongs that were done to her by her ex best friend Poppy a few years before and the boy who was supposedly her best friend, Lord Kesson. All does not go according to plan as she makes friends and begins to fall in love while she’s there.


The plot and characters were exciting and well thought out, and the book kept me on my toes. I got through it in two days, wanting to know more. I did feel a few characters like Poppy and Church could have been expanded upon, but I still enjoyed what they brought to the story. The scene where all was revealed (trying not to give spoilers), also left me wanting more. Dialogue to drive home Ela’s growth as a person or understanding Poppy better would have been great. But these are small details to a phenomenal book with good pacing, an interesting plot, and a bit of romance. I can’t wait to read some of the author’s other works!

I received an ARC for this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun regency romance. I love that the main characters had a long history before the start of this book, and we get to see glimpses of that history in flashbacks. No insta-love here, a trope that I am not a fan of at all. I'm not sure how much of a YA audience there is for regency romances, but I hope this book finds its audience because it was an enjoyable read.

Have you paid attention to the new imprint @joyrevbooks led by @nicolayoon and @davidoftheyoon?

If you haven't, you are missing out.
It is committed to publishing YA romance novels starring people of color and written by people of color. I, for one, plan on reading each book.

Their first release, out in April 2023, is this swoon-worthy regency romp that had me hooked from the first page.
Thank you @penguinrandomhouse for the preview ARC.

With a fresh new take on the revenge romance plot, shifting between two different ages, a gutsy main character, and a fully fleshed-out romance, this is what every YA romance book should read like.
Page-turning, heart-gathering, epic fun.

While April is far away, you can pre-order it now. I would not wait, you are going to want to read this one right away. Nothing too salacious so good for all ages of romance lovers.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I loved this book! It was a teen girl version of the Count of Monte Cristo in the London area. Lady Ela was a great protagonist and the author did an amazing job making me feel for her and her need for revenge against her childhood friends. The story alternates between two timelines: the timeline leading up to and the actual incident that resulted in Lady Ela being ruined, and when she returns to society under an assumed name to take the London season by storm and destroy Poppy!

What was refreshing about the twists and turns is that the things that occur are in fact intentional. There was no misunderstandings or miscommunications. The people in the book made the active choice to go the path they did with relatively the all the information. That's pretty rare and that their are real consequences and repercussions for a variety of people involved (in the past as well as in the present timeline). It was great and I highly recommend it; I will definitely read more of Ms. Howard in the future!

I enjoyed the diversity of characters in this Regency Era YA romance, and the little added mystery kept me turning the pages. A fun read. This will be a great book to recommend to readers who love Bridgerton or other Regency/period drama. No language or mature scenes, for those librarians who might be wondering.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!! Queen Bee was good across the board. I found myself suffering from secondhand embarrassment often, though. I think I give a good deal of grace when it comes to reading YA because I lower my cringe alarm but this book... it was setting it off for sure. There are a lot of cringeworthy moments. It's very Bridgerton-esque of the diversity present in the regency era but more teenage-friendly than the Netflix show is, so it scratches that itch while altering itself to cater to a teenage audience. For that, I have to give Queen Bee props.

I loved this book so much. It gave exactly how it was supposed to give and I'm so here for the Regency romance it's not even funny. I was so invested in the main couple and the side characters also gave in the best way. It felt so Bridgerton but also in a league of its own. The diverse cast of characters was so amazing and all of them were so well developed. One of the most powerful parts for me is the way that all of the characters, especially Ela and Keston, fought these difficult inner battles that only made them stronger and better. I adored the themes of standing up for yourself and advocating for yourself. And the lessons about forgiveness? Oh my goodness absolutely slayed. Please please read this book when it comes out!

This book is definitely Mean Girls meets Bridgerton and it’s fun, but it’s also a bit cringe too.

I liked most of the characters but the plot was very predictable and there were too many flashback chapters for my taste. (Those flashbacks actually drove me a bit insane lol)

I really enjoyed this book! I think the idea of a protagonist actively choosing to be the villain is something you don't see it often, and Howard explored it well. The plot was fast paced, but still connected well. The one thing that I really appreciated about this book was the Indian influence. You often hear about British influence on Indian society, but never the other way around, and this was a fun way to do this. Overall, I really liked it! it was a fun read and I read it in one sitting. If you like mean girls and Bridgerton, this is right up your alley!

✨Sorry, the old Ela can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, cuz she’s dead.✨

I HAD SO MUCH FUN. Amalie Howard is one of my favorite historical romance authors, and I was so excited to see her venture into YA! I got into historical romance in part by another YA title—Dangerous Alliance—so I’m happy to see another one! If you loved (or wanted to love) Reputation by Alex Croucher, I definitely recommend Queen Bee.

I simply blew through this book and didn’t want it to be over!! It was as charming and sharp as I could have hoped for, especially the second chance romance aspect. I’m not generally a fan of alternating timelines, but this one used them quite effectively. The momentum never faltered and I’ve never rooted for a main character more.

I’m obsessed with a character intent on revenge, truly revenging the SHIT out of the villain. Sure she had some qualms towards the end but she took back what was hers. A lot of times when a character wants revenge, other characters try to be massive party poopers with “be the bigger person” bullshit.

NO. This is 2022 and for the love of god I’m so tired. I need revenge. I crave it. I was pleased that most of her friends just helped Ela achieve her goals and the big reveal was actually very refreshing.

The relationship was very cute and Keston was such a swoon. I think he understood his errors in the past and handled everything very well at the end (YAY). Second chance isn’t always my cup of tea, but I loved it here. Ela’s glowup was fun to witness, but obviously Kes saw beyond that.

Upon publication, I will immediately be purchasing the audiobook and shouting from the rooftops that a movie NEEDS to be adapted. If you always get mad at your mother for being the devil’s advocate whenever you just want to vent, this is the book you need in your life. There’s nothing I like better than revenge.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The summary says Bridgerton meets The Count of Monte Cristo, but I also detected a distinct Mean Girls influence. Bridgerton is comped because at this point it just means anything historical romance. Amalie had a wonderful author’s note detailing why this is called an “anti-historical” novel.

I hadn’t encountered the term before, so if like me you were confused, Amalie defines anti-historical as a historical novel with a fully diverse cast. While history did include characters such as those found in this book, most historical romances do not.

Queen Bee is a funny, smart, and enchanting anti-regency filled with diverse characters. The story alternates between past and present throughout most of the book, some plot points where points were overly predictable.

This was enjoyable, but there where times i had a hard time getting into it as it seemed TOO much Bridgerton. But that may be more of a personal prefrance. I would still reccomend this if you want a diverce anti-historical romance.

Interesting YA regency novel! Loved the racial diversity. The origin story for the main character was sad and touching. The male lead was kind of annoying for allowing such a fate to fall upon the heroine. I loved the ending and how the antagonist got what was coming for her. I’d recommend this for anyone looking for a quick read!

After being betrayed by her best friend, Ela sets about the ultimate revenge. She plans to change her identity, infiltrate regency era upper class society, and bring down her former friend (and the boy she was crushing on as a kid for good measure). Of course things don't quite go according to plan; maybe because revenge doesn't pay. Ela soon finds that she's falling in love with Keston again, but will she be able to find her happily ever after with all the lies she's told?

I thought this was a fun, light regency romance. I loved the added diversity along with the author's note at the end about actual diverse people in high society. It's a story that is not often told, and I enjoyed learning it. I think the story has positive morals about being yourself, forgiveness, and more. Solid romance with slightly more substance than whipped cream.

I absolutely LOVED the diversity of the characters in this book, and who doesn't love a little revenge? While I've never watched Bridgerton, I can see how fans of the series, especially teenage fans, would really love and resonate with this novel.

If revenge is a chess match, what happens when the queen falls for the king?

Lady Ela Dalvi, daughter of the Earl of Marwick, grew up lacking wealth and self-confidence, and she often hid in the shadow of her best friend, Miss Poppy Landers. But at the age of 15, their friendship fractured over the arrival of a duke's family in the neighborhood -- and the introduction of the handsome young Marquess of Ridley, Keston Osborn, into their lives. Betrayal forced Ela into a bleak boarding school in the north of England for years, where she nursed her heartbreak and plotted her revenge.

Three years later, Ela dons the disguise of a young heiress, Miss Lyra Whitley, and enters London society, determined to play out her strategy of befriending the leading debutante (Poppy) and making the most eligible bachelor (Keston) fall in love with her -- before destroying them both. But what happens when you start to see the pawns in your game as having more worth than you expected?

I've enjoyed some of Howard's previous romance novels, but this first venture into YA books really captured my attention. Billed as "an anti-historical Regency romp" for its many diverse characters and feminist vibe (I love how Ela/Lyra repeatedly ponders smashing the patriarchy), the book combines the revenge theme of The Count of Monte Cristo with some serious Mean Girls scenes. Generally speaking, I don't care for books where girls fight over boys and denigrate each other while they do it, but that theme is (sadly) still realistic for a teen romance, and Howard deftly gives Ela/Lyra the character growth needed to overcome that petty nonsense.

Most of the characters are skillfully written with care and humor, and they get the space to grow through the plot. Poppy, while being the sort of mean girl it's easy to hate, might have benefited from having at least one sympathetic characteristic to make the otherwise excellent ending more believable. (Or not. That might be Howard's point.) I loved all the details used to create more vivid mental pictures of the characters in the reader's mind, such as Ela/Lyra's chaperone's chai and saris, the physical symptoms of Church's illness, and the contrasts between Ela's younger and less confident self and Lyra's captivating presence.

The story alternates between past and present throughout most of the book, building the tension behind Ela/Lyra's motives for revenge and planting the seeds for the eventual showdown at the end of the book. I really liked how Howard used the chess theme throughout the story, both as a way to connect characters as well as to highlight the conflict.

As mentioned by other reviewers, this book will definitely appeal to fans of Bridgerton -- and anyone else who, like me, really loves the recent growth of historical romances featuring people of color as lead characters., And that makes it a perfect fit for the new Joy Revolution imprint at Random House. More of this, please!

Thank you, Joy Revolution/Random House Children's and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

This was a spectacular anti-historical (I believe that’s what they’re calling it) regency romance! So many POC were seamlessly represented, the revenge story was told through fantastic flashbacks, and the found-family was giving homey vibes. 10/10 would recommend.

*Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC*

This was a super sweet YA read for fans of Bridgerton. The appropriate age group for a book like this is somewhere in the High School realm, although certainly it can be enjoyed by older readers as well, as long as they know what to expect in terms of lexile level and content, etc.

This was just a fun take on the Regency Era with all of the markings of an incredible lead protagonist. I loved so many aspects of this story and I was sad when it ended (very happy with the ending though!)

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Since Bridgerton came out a few years ago, there's been a surge in Regency-era romances with diverse characters. While Jane Austen purists would be upset at the liberties authors have taken with romances from this time period (not just with the diversity in cultures, races, sexual identities, etc., but also with the language, since the language used is not true to the time period and cursing would not have been written so freely into books of the time period), a new generation of reader is finding themselves reading these romances and, perhaps, exploring some of Austen's work afterward. Anytime an author can pull in a reader, as a librarian, I'm all for it! Queen Bee focuses not so much on finding a husband, but on hooking one particular man into thoughts of matrimony, then dropping him like a dead fish once he's been reeled in. The main character, Lady Ela, has been betrayed by a scheming "best friend" and the boy who was used in the scheme, unwittingly, turned his back on her. Now Ella is determined to seek revenge on both of them for ruining her reputation and, thus, ruining her chance at a happy future. Without a fortune and forced to go to an ultra conservative boarding school in the countryside, Ela feels she has little hope for a place in the London Elite. With a little luck in meeting the right benefactress, however, Ela now has the opportunity to be back in her former social circle and have some payback with Poppy (her betrayer) and Lord Keston (her former love interest). Let the games begin! This is definitely written with teen readers in mind, but it has a good message about forgiveness in it. Parts of it are a little predictable, but there are enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. Also, the intertwining of various cultures gave this book more appeal as I read it. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the chance to preview Queen Bee!

The cover copy for this book describes how Lady Ela Dalvi was betrayed by her former best friend, but as the storyline veers back and forth between the past and the present, it's very clear that this was not just a straightforward betrayal of confidence but rather a malicious plot to destroy her.

Ela plots revenge and reinvents herself in order to destroy her former best friend as well as all the people who failed to protect or believe her. But Ela's plotting only lasts a couple of chapters into her reunion with a former friend and love interest, at which point it starts to unravel into a more convention YA Regency (anti-historical) romance a la Bridgerton. Luckily, the alternating backstory keeps the revenge plotline alive and well, fleshing Ela out as a character and showing us how she's grown over time, adding tension to the plot. The ending is never really in doubt, but the final confrontation and denouement is both surprising and entertaining, well worth the journey to get there.

Overall this was a fun romp - more Bridgerton than Count of Monte Cristo, but either way very engaging.