This was an entertaining YA regency read, with great characters! Overall, I would definitely recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

If you're a fan of the beloved Bridgerton series, then this book is an absolute must-read! It beautifully captures the essence of regency romance with its captivating blend of drama and heartfelt romance.

As a devoted enthusiast of regency romance novels, I found myself completely engrossed in the intricate web of emotions and captivating plotlines woven throughout this book. The author skillfully transports readers to a bygone era, where societal expectations, scandals, and forbidden love reign supreme.

A great story of friendship, betrayal and revenge - I loved the build up of the story as Ela created the perfect plan. The perfect romcom YA book for any older teens who want a fun summer read and to learn how to plot the perfect revenge.

If you like Bridgerton, I feel like it's impossible not to like this! I very much enjoy Bridgerton, so I adored this, but I could see where it may not be everyone's favorite! I think the regency romance space is quickly becoming filled with a lot of books, but I do think this one is special in its own right. It very much feels like a sweet YA romance, but it still has a lot of heart in its pages. It's a retelling of one of my favorite classics, but I like the modern kinda twist on it! Overall, I highly recommend!

I genuinely enjoyed this book. I read it while away on vacation and it was so easy to get through. And not because it was poorly written but Lyra's character was one that truly caught my interest. Her plot for revenge on her ex best friend Poppy made for a great storyline. Navigating through a new season in London, being put on display so that one may catch the eye of an important man from an important family.

From beginning to end I was captivated and would most definitely read a sequel as well as recommend this book to other readers who like a cute taste of romance in their YA,

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

If you like Bridgerton, read this! I loved the drama and the romance, a must read for regency romance lovers!

After her best friend Poppy betrays her over a boy, Lady Ela is shipped to away with her reputation ruined. Now, years later she is all grown up... and angry. She decides to go under cover back to London society under the new name of Lyra to get revenge.

I did not think I was going to enjoy this as much as I did as I'm not the biggest fan of historical romances, but I ate this up. It was so much fun and I flew through it so quickly! I thought the alternating timeline between the past and the present was really interesting, and definitely helped the reader understand the WHY of Lyra's need for revenge. I loved the main character, Ela/Lyra she was both fierce, honest and loving. I think she went through a lot of character development as the story went on, which was explored well. I think the love interest, Keston, was annoying at times, but he definitely grew on me as I read more. I loved the banter between Kes and Lyra, especially when they were younger. I also really loved the side characters of Church and Zia! I think they brought so much light to the story and I want a spin off for Zia and a backstory for Church QUICK.

I will definitely be checking out more from this author!

This was a great and easy read. I am a sucker for a historical romance and loved the vibes throughout Queen Bee. While super predictable it was fun and entertaining throughout. Plenty of character growth and great regency tidbits that kept me enchanted!

When everything was stolen from you: your dignity, your friendship, your reputation, your first love, disgraced one's reputation - all from a singular person, what does a girl have to do? Take down that person, of course! At least, that’s what Ela Dalvi has to do and her target is none other than her former BFF, Poppy Landers!

Let us begin with stating it is a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. The plot and characters draw you in and you can’t help but get lost in the tons and that time period. A must read if you love witty quips, cliques, the Regency period in the early years of the 19th century, hidden agendas, betrayal, and let’s call it out, high school social dynamics. All of it was deliciously compelling! My favorite character was the Lady Zenobia.

What I love best is the author taking an old classic, revising and rebirthing with an inclusion of characters of color and LGBTQ characters, making it more relatable to the modern readers.

I read this one in two days which is almost unheard of for me in the past couple of years.

Queen Bee is what the author describes as an "anti-historical novel, mostly because it features an entirely diverse cast." The author describes herself as "biracial AAPI/ Caribbean -born woman who grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, went to college in Maine and Paris, France and has lived all over US" and she seems to draw from all of these experiences when crafting her story and characters.

This was really a fun one and I highly recommend it if you love historical romances like I do!

I don’t usually read YA but love Amalie Howard, and anything that can be described as “Machiavellian,” so I decided to give this book a try. So glad I did! While I thought it was a little unbelievable that a little hair dye and some confidence would make it so that someone’s past best friend and childhood playmates wouldn’t recognize them, I suspended disbelief and ended up really enjoying Ela’s story. I especially loved the inclusion of characters of color and LGBTQ characters. I finished this book quickly, as I was so engrossed!

I didn’t really enjoy the story wasn’t really holding my attention found it kind of boring actually!!! DNF’d at 48% special thanks to the author, joy revolution publishing, & netgalley for my advanced copy.

This was a super fun read. Ela has a thirst for revenge - before she was able to make her debut in London, she was ruined by her supposed best friend - to such an extent that she lost everything and was shipped off to a school for ruined girls in Cumbria. She spends her time there stewing in her hatred of Poppy and Lord Ridley - the man whom Poppy betrayed her for. But her time at the school is not for naught - she is able to plot the perfect revenge on the both of them.

Told in alternating chapters, current and at the before leading up to the current - we learn how Poppy utterly destroyed Ela and how Ela plans to get her back. But we also see how Poppy is still wreaking havoc on those around her because she is an AWFUL HUMAN BEING. This was a quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of queen bee. this was an interesting reading, historical fiction and romance. The little fight between two young women who were once friends fighting over being the best up and coming woman in the season and fight for a man they both have interest in.

Queen Bee is the embodiment of a quintessential high school teen drama. Amalie Howard delightfully embraces a teen rom-com, full of diversity and modernizations that feel relatable and brings this period drama to life. I adored this novel now and I would have adored and delighted in this in my teen years! So I would highly recommend sharing this with any young readers you might know! Howard's writing is accessible, well paced, and knowledgeable. Howard really beautifully weaves together a tale of revenge, teenage heartbreak and backstabbing in the delicious regency backdrop of a historical romance. This novel is told in first person and interestingly lays out the story bouncing back and forth between the past/incident and present/revenge plot.

I love the way that Howard choses to tell this tale, by being in the heroine's point of view we have a deeper understanding of who she is, the heart ache and betrayal she goes through, and the friendships she is building, and the trust and romantic awakening she is going through. The heroine is such a relatable character and the heart break and backstabbing that affect her are relatable to any teenage girl. This novel explores what it means to be a young woman who is learning to trust others, be independent, learn how to advocate for oneself, and learn what true forgiveness is. This is a young adult romance so the heroine's friendships and romantic interest are both balanced, and the overall plot focus of the story is in our heroine's growth and understanding of herself and the world around her. I love the true friendships she builds and I found the romance to have the softness and sweetness of first love and infatuation.

Amalie Howard is a beautiful writer and I have loved her adult historical romances and was really taken with this young adult historical romance. If you love Howard's works, I think you will find this delightful. If you love a teenage romcom and historical romance, then this novel beautiful intertwines both. If you have a young reader who loves romance, then this is a perfect novel for them.

Perfect for teens who can't get enough of Bridgerton or fans of romance/friend drama! It has a back-stabbing rivalry, a soap opera feel which makes for a quick paced read with just a dash of Cinderella.

This was a fun regency romp with a side of revenge! A little predictable, but I did enjoy the romance between the two main characters.

This is a delightfuk and well written why a historical romance. I love the story between the protagonists. It’s such a sweet and delightful romance that keeps you interested from start to end. The plot was well written, and all of the characters had me intrigued, wanting to know more more about them.

I really enjoyed this book!!! I think my favourite was the chemistry between the mfc and the mmc. It was literally perfection. The yearning, the slow burn, everything about it! I also liked seeing how it starts with revenge but so much more is revealed. Overall great read.

This one is MADE for the regency lovers looking for something dramatic and YA and uniquely diverse! It's so much fun seeing characters of color in a regency story, especially in YA!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's / Joy Revolution for the e-arc!