It's got a lot of the vibes that make for intriguing stories: Bridgerton, revenge, and a cute boy!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book.

I hadn’t read from this author before, so I went into this with no expectations other than a vengeful, YA historical romance.

Queen Bee is a story of revenge, set in Regency era England. Ela is betrayed by her childhood best friend, who wants the Duke’s son at the cost of Ela’s entire reputation. So Ela is left penniless, orphaned, and ruined. Instead of feeling sad for herself, she decides to rise from the ashes of the ton and get even.

Ela comes back to society as Lyra Whitley, intending to humiliate her ex-best friend, Poppy, using the Duke’s son, Keston, as her pawn to win the chess game.

Without spoiling too much, this is a fun story about revenge where a young girl reinvents herself over three years to come back to London society. We get back-and-forth chapters between Lyra and Ela, showing us how Ela was betrayed and how Lyra needs to seduce Keston in order to carry out her vengeful plan, but her old feelings are rearing their ugly head, creating a hitch in her plan for revenge as she slowly falls back in love with her childhood lover.

This story flowed smoothly, and I loved the past and present chapters and how well they worked to create a plot and a timeline. The characters felt like real people, and the female side characters really shined in this! (Church and Zia namely) I enjoyed the budding romance between Ela/Lyra and Keston.

My biggest complaint is that the ending was wrapped up too quickly, and I would have liked to see some of it drawn out a bit more for my satisfaction. I also would have loved to see Poppy’s demise or see more of Ela’s plan to ruin Poppy. It seems like two small things happened and then Poppy is out to pasture. Otherwise, this was a really cute young adult historical romance!

Coming off of a Bridgerton high, I wanted to like this book so badly! I think the projection of my hopes and wishes for Queen Bee by Amalie Howard to be Bridgerton-like shaped most of my opinions about it - especially while waiting on the next season to hit Netflix in December. Unfortunately, I did not like this book and only stuck with it until 80% , before giving up.

We did decide to order a copy of the book for our library and purchase a copy for our digital collection too.

I am OBSSESSED! I felt the same compulsion to read this book as for the Bridgerton series, which I devoured the first 2 books.

Have you watched the TV show Revenge? Gosh I loved that show. A 20-something rich girl that plans her revenge against those who were bad to her father.... I devoured every episode, always wanting more. I was devastated when it ended. This book felt like the show : a rich 17 years old is planning her revenge against those who made her life a living hell 3 years before.

Chapters are alternating between past (Ela in 1814) and present (Lyra in 1817), so we can understand better why she's planning to demolish her enemies.

It's perfect, in every way.

I read Amalie Howard’s Always Be My Duchess a while back and thoroughly enjoyed that fun Pretty Woman retelling. So, when I saw Queen Bee I immediately requested it. (I also have her Clueless ARC retelling of Never Met A Duke Like You, which I’m excited to start soon!)

Queen Bee has been marketed as Bridgerton meets The Count of Monte Cristo. I can get down with that description as long as you include the chess and Machiavelli strategies.

We all know the worst thing that can happen to a woman in Regency era novels is for her reputation to be ruined. This happens to our main character Lady Ela Dalvi (turns Lyra) when her best friend, Poppy, disgraces her publicly with lies. All over a boy, Keston. 🙄

After 8 years “Lyra” enters town looking completely different (she’s thinned up and matured in her later adolescence and learned how to dye her hair) for REVENGE with plans to ruin Poppy and Keston (because how dare him believe the lies!). All this with strategies she’s devised from Machiavelli and chess moves.

I enjoyed this one a lot, very bingeable. I’ll admit that Poppy is a very one-dimensional character, which isn’t my favorite because it’s entirely unrealistic. And I feel like Keston should’ve had a bit more development/retribution, but alas…if you’re looking for a fun, quick revenge YA romance that has anti-historical non-white main characters, then this fits the bill! I look forward to reading Howard’s next book soon!

I loved the idea of a female version of the Count of Monte Cristo. It was really well done, and the dual timelines added an incredible layer of depth. The main character was my favorite kind: you love her, you hate her, you want to be more like her, and you definitely want her as a best friend. The ending was satisfying without being unrealistic or rushed. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes regency era novels, revenge tropes, and second chance romance.

“There was room for only one queen.”—Queen Bee
Amalie Howard’s newest release, Queen Bee, is Mean Girls meets Bridgerton. A whirlwind of a YA romance that combines the chess match of The Count of Monte Cristo with the affluency and shine of Regency London. Not only is Queen Bee well-crafted with a storyline that weaves between past and present timeline events, it’s also gorgeously diverse which makes diving into a world of status, lies, and reputation all even more lush.

Our heroine as we meet her is Lyra Whitley, a brand-new lady to the ton and ready to take London to its knees. It’s safe to say that if there was a song to have on repeat it would be Taylor Swift’s Vigilante Sh*t. “Lately I’ve been dressing for revenge.” You see, Lyra is a new identity for Ela Dalvi. Lyra’s goal is singular: to expose Poppy Landers as the slanderous snake she is rather than the demure lady she tries to be.

“It was time to be bold, less quiet wallflower and more fearless warrior. The kind of girl who would never let herself be used or taken advantage of. The kind of girl whom no one could touch.” —Queen Bee
Told in dual-timelines, readers quickly learn the reasons why Lyra reinvented herself. Three years prior to Lyra’s present time, Ela and Poppy are the best of friends. Ela is young and naïve to the fact that Poppy is a social climber. It’s only when her friendship with the new marquess next door threatens her friendship does Ela begin to see the real Poppy.

Queen Bee is full of chess metaphors, Machiavellian schemes, and life lessons that even most adults struggle with these days. For Lyra as she starts to lay the groundwork for her revenge, she realizes that her heart has gotten in the way of her well-thought-out plans. Taking revenge at the cost of others isn’t something she had included in her schemes.

“We were limited by many things, but rules could be bent, structures could be unbuilt, society dismantled from the inside. Women held more power than we knew.”—Queen Bee
It’s Lyra/Ela’s romance with Keston, Lord Ridley, that truly won me over, as well as her friendships that made Ela’s character shine the brightest. Between the lessons that Ela must experience in order to learn (highly relatable content if you ask me), the diversity and inclusivity of all the characters, and the lessons that are so beautifully taught Queen Bee is a phenomenal new YA Historical Romance.

Read if you like: revenge stories, Regency romance
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This book was really fun. Ela's life is ruined by her best friend, Poppy, so three years later she returns with a plan for revenge. I liked Ela and her growth in this book, and the romance was cute! If you like Regency romance stories but don't love spice, then this would be a great book for you!

Another lovely read from Amalie Howard! I throughly enjoy seeing amazing romance authors create strong works for YA readers!

This is great for fans of Bridgerton. I loved this revenge story. Fills a hole for diverse regency books.

This book is meant for fans of Bridgerton which is a show that I love.I couldn't put it down and read it in just one sitting!This was such a fun read! A likeable main character, and interesting side characters as well. In fact, the side characters are so well written that I would love to know more about them and their story.

Regency romance plus revenge plot?! Yes, please!

This book is meant for fans of Bridgerton or the old WB show, Revenge. Fans of Manda Collins and Evie Dunmore will love the intersection of the historical romance and the plot for revenge against those who ruined the main character’s reputation. Queen Bee also goes well with Reputation by Lex Croucher.

This book is a solid debut for the author. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed them. I can't wait to see more from the author.

I read the first few pages, but did not get any further. The narrator was a bit hard to follow and it was hard to tell if this book had a flowery writing style or was incomprehensible because the author tried to imitate Regency language but did so badly. I had high hopes based on the description, but could tell that the heroine was immediately going to be unlikeable, though I did not feel that way about Edmond Dantes (her inspiration).

TW: Parental death, addiction, abandonment, fat shaming, mentions of suicide

What a fun and romantic book! Queen Bee is most accurately described as a YA Bridgerton but with a bit of revenge thrown in. I couldn't put it down and read it in just one sitting!

LADY Ela Davli was betrayed three years ago by her supposed best friend Poppy. It wasn't just any little teenage betrayal, it was devastating and changed the course of her life forever. Everything was taken from her including the last days of her father's life. With the help of new friends Ela has reinvented herself and is on a mission to destroy Poppy and the boy she thought she loved who in a time of need left her without a helping hand.

I loved Ela/Lyra immediately! She was exceedingly strong, even when she was younger and naïve, she showed such courage and spunk. I also really loved her humor, she had me laughing out loud so many times! Keston was cute, but definitely kowtowed to his father at many inconvenient times...it was nice to see him grow up and stand up a bit more for himself. Their chemistry was fantastic, even as children they had that spark that peeked out in their competitive games with each other. Poppy was the ultimate villain, you could not hate another character more in all your life. She was so loathsome and foul, spitting lies upon lies about literally everyone and destroying lives! She definitely deserved what she got in the end and it was so satisfying.

The only real nitpick I have with this book is how it's supposed to believed that Poppy, Keston, nor Zia is supposed to recognize Ela after only three years. I understand people go through so much change at that age but really...not a like of tiny bit of recognition whatsoever? I was skeptical...my mind kept trying to make the break in past and present much wider than three years just to be more believable.

Also, although this book is entertaining and fun and romantic, there are some real issues here. Poppy's savior, Church goes through addiction withdrawals, Keston alludes to being depressed and having thoughts of suicide because of his father's expectations, and lets not forget this is a historical romance where classism and sexism are at the forefront. I really loved that Amalie Howard included such a diverse cast and as she explains in her Author's Notes, she deems this an "anti historical novel" because though history might've been written by the heteronormative white male (that's why we see most regencies with only white people) there were actually People of Color that made an impact in this era of history and she goes on to describe a few.

Overall this was a great book and I definitely recommend it to any Bridgerton fans (though this is YA so don't expect to be as spicy if that is a thing for you). I've read a few Amalie Howard books but this just might be my favorite so far, fantastic work! Thank you so much to Random House and Joy Revolution for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read! A likeable main character, and interesting side characters as well. In fact, the side characters are so well written that I would love to know more about them and their story.

The book isn't perfect, but overall, this is a great book and a great introduction to the author.

One girl’s jealousy and spite ruined Ela’s life and destroyed her future. Betrayed and alone, Ela had nothing left except the desire for vengeance. And who could blame her?

I liked Ela a lot, she had a sassy personality and she understood what was important. She tried to do the right thing (in her own way). But revenge is a road full of potholes, designed to drag you down and she learned that the hard way.

I liked how Ela’s compassion and integrity peeked out despite her need for vengeance. I liked the diversity of the characters a lot, especially in a historical setting. And let’s not forget the handsome boy determined to sway her resolve.

I did enjoy Ela’s scenes with Keston but he fell short of my expectations over his treatment of Ela. I wanted him to be stronger and also, the ending scenes were a tad anti-climactic. That said, this was my first book by Amalie Howard and her writing style is engaging with a smooth flow of words.

This book will definitely appeal to teens who are fans of Bridgerton. It's a diverse regency romance. However, I found the plot to be pretty basic and extremely predictable.

This book is for fans of Bridgerton and teen drama. Ela's initial motivation in the story is revenge, but that shifts as she starts prioritizing romance. The story evokes the regency period in a fresh way. It did feel a bit young to me as someone who reads a lot of books set in the regency period. However, I might not be in the core demographic age level for the story. It is well written and holds the reader's attention throughout.

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this advanced copy.

I've read a number of historials over the last year or so where the casts seem to be diverse to be diverse, something that has been gaining strength since Bridgerton premiered. Queen Bee is another one of those books and I worry that by continuing this trend (including people of color for the sake of including them but not acknowledgingly how they may be treated differently) we are doing more to "not see color" in our world.

But that's a heavy thing to put on a book. This book was fun at times (I do love a good final take down) and tiring at other parts (really, no one sees past her disguise?). Lyra is determined to get her life back but doesn't always seem to understand her own end game. Others are horrible, the hero is gorgeous but apparently a little dumb and everything is wrapped up nicely. Nothing life changing here, but a nice story to read if you love "romances" that are more about revenge.