Realistically it’s probably a 4⭐️ but a lot of the same praises and annoyances I had with Queen Bee were present in this one, granted reading them back to back made it stick out more so I enjoyed this one a bit less but still recommend it.

The themes of feminism and the overbearing mess of the patriarchy/society towards women are extremely explicit and sometimes a bit much. Granted this is a YA book and with such limitations of historical romance in that sphere I understand why the message is so vocal. That said Howard was much more subtle with her diversity commentary through out this story and made it almost natural in this world much like the tv series of Bridgerton does.

Now I LOVED the discussions of Frankenstein in the secret literature classes Zia and her friends take and I loved that added element of the story. Much like Queen Bee used chess discussion to weave plot points of the story Lady Knight uses Frankenstein.

Very beautiful love story. I loved the plot and how scandalous it was. I loved how Zia doesn’t want to be some standard lady, she wants to be so much more.

3.5 stars

Amalie Howard’s Lady Knight, the second installment in The Diamonds series, is a Regency-era romp that blends feminist ideals, Robin Hood-esque heists, and a slow-burn romance into a fun, if occasionally uneven, historical romance. Lady Zenobia “Zia” Osborn, a duke’s daughter with zero interest in her title as the ton’s diamond of the season. She is the kind of heroine who’d rather wield a rapier than a fan. As a member of the Lady Knights—a book club that doubles as a secret society of young rebels—Zia spends her nights robbing the rich to save organizations in need and her days fencing, playing piano, and reading banned books. She’s basically The Scarlet Pimpernel for the Regency era. But when her brother’s rakish best friend, Rafi Nasser, discovers her secret life, things get complicated.

The romance between Zia and Rafi is a classic brother’s-best-friend slow burn, full of witty banter, stolen glances, and just the right amount of tension. Rafi, a charming and deceptively roguish young lord, is the perfect foil to Zia’s fiery independence. Their chemistry is undeniable, and while the romance is sweet, it’s packed with swoon-worthy moments. Fans of the “he obsessed with her” trope will eat this up—Rafi’s admiration for Zia’s boldness and determination is endearing...

For fans of Bridgerton, The Buccaneers, or "romanclusivity" historical romance, Lady Knight is a fun, empowered read that balances romance, adventure, and social commentary. It’s not a reinvention, but it’s a lively addition to the Regency romance genre that will leave readers rooting for Zia, her man, and her rebellious girl gang.

I really enjoyed this regency romance. The lead character was a strong female fighting for a good cause. The romantic lead was absolutely swoony, and the romantic tension and angst throughout was perfect. I loved the side characters and friendships represented within the story as well. This was my first book by this author but will definitely not be my last.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

Lady Knight...

Zia is 18, a lady, and a rebel who craves education and music and most of all, adventure. She enjoyed robbing her brother's rich buddies, all wealthy rakes New Adulting their way through the ton, with girls, gambling and vice.
One of the boys she robs is a mere mister, though he is heir to a vicount, Rafi Nasser. He's a player, but he is intrigued by Lady Knight and finds out its Zia. She had a crush on him until he crushed it in the bud.

Now, though, he wants to play. A fun romp, with a Bridgerton, Netflix version, reimagined United Colors of Benneton world. These NA ton ladies are fun and adventurous.
Recommend.

Oh this was fun. Definitely on the full YA side which is great. My nieces are going to love this book and im so happy i get to recommend it. The story is fun well passed and doesn’t bored you at all. I like the references to other literature works. And how the two main characters get to know each other again even that they have known each other most of their life. Overall it was a extremely easy read , finished in one day and fun to read

Robin Hood-esque group of esteemed ladies + YA historical romance = pure delight. Lady Knight was one of my five star reads for April. Sometimes I struggle to write reviews for the books I really love, and this is why the review is a little late. I was pulled into this wonderful story of love and light vigilante-ism and didn’t want to leave.

Zia Osborn doesn’t want to live the quiet, expected life of a Duke’s daughter. With her friends in the Lady Knights, she’s able to read the books she wants, practice fencing, and work on social justice.

Rafi Nasser is a rogue - and Zia’s brother’s best friend - who learns of her secrets and reluctantly agrees to keep them in order to keep Zia safe. Neither of them expected to find safety and understanding in each other, or for the other to truly see them as no one else has so far.

Lady Knight was such a joy to read from start to end. I received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

Obsessed with Rafi and Zia and how Rafi was obsessed with Zia and how Zia was obsessed with Rafi. I’m such a sucker for brother’s best friend when the heroine has been pining for agesssss and this didn’t disappoint.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The second in Amalie Howard's The Diamonds, Lady Knight follows Lady Zia Osborn, whose escapades with her social club of rebellious girls entangle her in a web of secrets with her brother's best friend.

This was such a fun time! A relatively tame YA regency romance, Lady Knight spends more of its time far more concerned with Zia's Lady Knights than with the romance it's centered on. I think this might be a detractor for some readers, but for me, I was pleasantly surprised to get to spend so much time with the ladies posing as men in boxing matches and analyzing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. To be clear, I never felt deprived of time with Rafi -- he was an excellent leading man, and his banter and flirtations with Zia were delicious to read -- but the sections that felt far more loved, and that kept me reading, were the parts which focused on the girls, their mission to save the local orphanage, and their wholly independent spirits. This is the kind of historical romance I would have eaten up as a kid, and I am so thrilled to see such excellent emotionally light but textually rich books continuing to be written for the teen space.

In all, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Lady Knight, and I am excited to see future installments in The Diamonds series!

Zia may be a duke’s daughter, but conventional she is not. Stealing from the rich, reading forbidden literature and fighting for women’s rights are just a few ways Zia is defying her parents and societal expectations. When her brother’s friend Rafi discovers her secret, Zia discovers he may have been hiding secrets of his own as well. The two learn they are more similar than they thought and work together to help one of Zia’s teachers and a struggling orphanage.

What I loved most about this YA romance is how supportive both Rafi and Zia are of each other and their dreams, even if it goes against their parents’ expectations. Once again Amalie Howard delivers a feisty and humorous historical romance that makes reading pure joy.

Ahhh I just adore this series and Amalie Howard in general!

Lady Knight is the story of Zia and her band of Lady Knights who steal from their family and friends to help fund a church and attached orphanage. Zia’s father is putting the pressure on her to marry but Zia doesn’t want to be buckled down by society’s expectations, she wants to pursue her musical talents and read literature from women fighting the patriarchy in their own way. Things go a bit sideways when the school she attends gets accused of inciting hysteria in the ton’s most affluential daughters.

I loved Zia, she was so brave and daring, not to mention cheeky. Really stealing from her own brother under disguise I died! Rafi was of course swoon worthy. He has always been viewed as quite the rake but he lets Zia see the real him, the artist, the hero and he’s willing to do anything for Zia including going up against her father the Duke! The Lady Knights were a fun bunch as well. I loved getting to know each of them pretty thoroughly, I hope the author continues the series featuring one of them.

This is a good story on its own, but it wouldn’t be an Amalie Howard story if I didn’t learn something. So many historical accuracies are featured and the reader really learns how the aristocracy was back then and how women lived and how women authors were portrayed. But it also really resonated with me for today’s time. As women living in 2025 we have less rights than our mothers and I fear we will continue to lose more rights as the days of this patriarchal and oligarchical administration reign on. While Zia fights against narrow minded men like Viscount Heller, Amalie inspires me to continue to fight against the oppression and misogyny that is plaguing us now.

Thank you so much to Joy Revolution for gifting me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book has a really fun concept. It’s an inclusive cast in a historical setting, which is a lot of fun. The story centers around a group of girls who are looking for their voice and ways to make a difference in their community. The girls are all in a class at a special school for women in which the instructor introduces them to texts by women about female empowerment. Each chapter begins with a quote from English writer and philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft, which I enjoyed. The quotes often relate directly to issues the girls face in the chapter that follows.

The whole story is told from Zia’s perspective. I loved her enthusiasm and impulsiveness. I think we tend to expect a certain kind of heroine from historical fiction, especially novels written in a more historical voice, and I love that Howard challenged those preconceptions by writing an impulsive heroine who feels as young as she is.

Though the romance stays more in the realm of sweet than spicy, it’s super flirty and fun. There’s a good balance between the romantic elements and the plotline about Zia’s quest to save the school and orphanage.

I think readers who enjoy light historical romance will love getting swept away in Lady Knight.

Every time I pick up a regency era novel, I am so happy that I did, and this one is no exception. Reading these types of books has become my favourite way to learn history. The author does a good job of blending in history, while also weaving a unique tale - a group of lady bandits that’s steal from the rich to raise money for a school and orphanage (a gender-swapped Robin Hood). There are several quotes and references to authors of the era, such as, Mary Willstonecraft. I really enjoyed how seamlessly this was incorporated and how relevant it all was in the telling of the tale.
I had so much reading this story. Amalie’s writing had me laughing and swooning on several occasions. Zia, and her group of friends, steal from her brother’s rich friends to keep their school open. One of these friends, Raffie, happens to be the boy she has had a crush on for years, but was quickly rebuffed two years ago. Noticing that she is pooping up everywhere, he begins to take on a protective role, despite is previous lack of interest in her - and cue the swoons. I love how independent Zia is and how she stands up for what she believes in without faltering. The story includes a wide range of characters, all of which contributed significantly to the story.
I recommend this book to anyone that loves historical fiction, particularly regency-era, and is looking for a fun read with lots of swooning.
Many thanks to Random House Children’s (Joy Revolution) and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

As a disclaimer, I have not yet read Queen Bee, but I plan to after reading and thoroughly enjoying Lady Knight. I didn't feel like it was necessary to read the other book to understand what was going on, but I got some minor spoilers for Queen Bee.

In some ways, this may remind people of Bridgerton, particularly with mixed races in the upper class and the general setting. However, this is Bridgerton if Bridgerton was a lot more feminist, didn’t have all the sex scenes, had more strong female characters and used a lot more references to literatures like Frankenstein. This book is definitely in the realm of “regency-ish romance with a lot of liberties taken but still has the right feel to it.” There’s a lot of historical elements, but the changes allow for diverse characters in race, gender and ideology. Even with some changes to allow for those things, it still makes sense in the historical-ish context. The discussions of feminism and more feminist literature are interesting, but the book still has a good amount of pushback to make the setting feel “accurate.”

This book is refreshing in a lot of ways. Zia as a character is smart and driven, and even when she makes very stupid decisions, it doesn’t come across as her being a complete idiot. It’s more like she was just young and so focused that she forgot to take a step back and think of a different way to accomplish her goals. She’s not perfect. She makes some very questionable decisions, can be a little judgmental, isn’t always a perfect friend. Her family is also imperfect, and her judgements of her family and other people cause a lot of problems when she later realized that talking to them and giving them the benefit of the doubt would have been a better option. These changes happen with a natural, realistic progression.

The book is also refreshing in that the secrets are revealed quickly, so there isn’t that big end of book reveal that they have to get passed for the relationship to work. Rafi also is great at not wanting to get rid of the parts of Zia that are more outlandish for her time and culture. He supports her and her interests wholeheartedly, which is so nice to see.

I wish the romance had been slightly better paced with more time figuring out how they feel about each other, but it had some decent “swoon-worthy” moments while still keeping things fairly chaste to keep the book appropriate for even a younger YA audience.

Overall, this is an entertaining, regency Robin Hood-ish sort of story that will appeal to a lot of people.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #LadyKnight by Amalie Howard in exchange for an honest review.

This is a YA romance. Make sure you go into reading it with that in mind. I didn't and felt the FMC was very immature. It wasn't until realizing this was a YA romance that I started to enjoy watching the FMC's character arc. Watching the FMC realize her own privilege was nice and welcome in the book because I feel like we tend to overlook our own privilege and only look at the times we are oppressed and sometimes need to be pointed towards our privilege so we can see ourselves better. I also liked the set up for future books in this series and if I am in the mood for a YA romance, I may look at reading them.

Lady Knight by Amalie Howard is a captivating regency-era fiction, and there are several compelling reasons to dive into it. Here are the top five:

1. Strong, Complex Female Protagonist: The main character, Lady Zia, is a fierce, independent woman who breaks traditional gender roles. Her journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and resilience is both inspiring and refreshing. Also, her girl gang, they were awesome!

2. Rich Worldbuilding: The world Howard creates is immersive, entertaining and lively. The setting is vibrant and engaging, making it easy to get lost in the story.

3. Action-Packed Plot: With horse races, ring fight, spying, and robbing, Lady Knight keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The pacing is fast and filled with twists that keep you hooked.

4. Themes of Loyalty and Honor: Loyalty, honor, and duty are central themes throughout the book, exploring how these virtues shape the characters' choices and relationships.

5. Romantic Tension: The chemistry between Zia and Rafi builds slowly, making it all the more satisfying when it finally blooms. I loved Rafi, he was just too good.

If you love strong characters, intricate plots, and themes of self-empowerment, Lady Knight might be just what you're looking for!

Rating ~ 4.5✨

This whole book had a Robin Hood feel to it, a group of girls who steal from the rich (only the ones who could afford it) and give to the poor “saving the orphanage”

I was really excited for this book and looking forward to it and I am not sure if it was the writing style or the characters but I just couldn’t get into it.

I felt like everything was sort of rushed and that the characters themselves weren’t fully developed so I found myself constantly checking how much of the book was left in hopes of finishing it faster.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, I did not enjoy it but I do feel like it might be more popular among a younger audience.

Thank you Netgalley Random House Children's | Joy Revolution for the arc

Another great story to add to The Diamonds and I am loving this series! One thing I like in particular is the strength and independence of the females in a time when that was historically not acceptable. Howard also creates a diverse cast while making it so natural you forget that was also not common in the era this takes place.
I think I enjoyed the plot of Queen Bee more (I’m admittedly biased towards any Monte Cristo retelling) but Zia and her group of friends win for characters. Lady Knight focused more on the internal struggles for both Zia and Rafi, and definitely touched on the hardship of educated women or people who went against the mold. The villain in Lady Knight was more of a construct which occasionally takes the face of Rafi’s uncle, so it was subtle and more character and relationship driven than plot driven.
Overall I still really enjoyed it and I’m interested to see whose story we get next!

It's like Bridgerton meets Robin Hood - but make it female af. I loved the friend group and the brief romantic interactions between Zia and Rafi. It was a great, quick read. I honestly didn't even realize it was Book 2 and didn't feel very lost in the characters and plot itself. I plan to go back and read Queen Bee to see what that's all about!

I first met Amalie via The Starlight Heir (via NG actually!!) and fell in love, so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed in this one!

There are definitely a few comparisons to be drawn to Bridgerton, particularly The Duke and I, but honestly? I liked Lady Knight a lot better. I won’t go into the similarities, but I’ll talk about what I liked so much.

More varied representation. More fun scenarios (a Robin Hood gang of gently bred ladies being only one). And better discourse on societal expectations and status and grounding in actual discourse of the time. And a wonderful through line that uses Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley to examine the rights and roles of women, but also what can be achieved by an enlightened mother who encourages her daughter to be the same.

Life got in the way so I got through this ARC later than I’d have liked, but it was so good! Didn’t realize it was technically book 2 in a series when I requested, but also absolutely going back to read Queen Bee. I don’t think I missed out by not reading it first, and don’t feel like there was nuance that I was missing.

The only other Amalie Howard I’ve read was a fantasy, so I wasn’t sure going into this what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would love to see this turned into a TV show one day.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.