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.

Another historical romance hit from fav author Amalie Howard. This one has the daughter of a Duke becoming a part of a group of rebellious girls who call themselves the 'Lady Knights' where they read 'banned books', fight to save their favorite teacher and conduct undercover heists to steal from the rich and give to the needy. It was fun, feminist, full of great diverse characters and a swoony romance involving her brother's best friend. Excellent on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Erica Ridley. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first. I love Zia as a character and I love that the secrets come out early and we don't have a dumb third act break up or anything. The issues the girls were dealing with were timely both then and now and I loved the insight into other representations we got. It just felt like overall this one was more developed on its theme and message and is a series I would rather see on netflix than Bridgerton (even though I quite enjoy the show this just hits better in a lot of other ways)

Thank you to Netgalley and Joy Revolution for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

Lady Zenobia "Zia" Osborn and several of her female friends have started a secret society, calling themselves Lady Knights, and at night, they dress up as highwaymen and rob the carriages of Lady Zia's brother's rich friends. They need to collect enough money to ensure the survival of their boarding school, not to mention the orphanage next door to the school. The rents keep being raised, and if the nuns who run the orphanage can't pay, they and all the helpless children will be evicted.

One of Lady Zia's teachers is a progressive young woman who allows her charges to read controversial literature, like Mary Wollstonecraft or Frankenstein. She also encourages the young women's intelligence and critical thinking and encourages Zia's interest in music. Despite their best efforts to disguise themselves, someone recognises Zia, and can't for the life of him figure out why the daughter of a duke would risk her life at night, robbing noblemen.

Mr. Rafi Nasser, nephew to the unscrupulous nobleman who wants to evict the orphans, also happens to be the best friend of Zia's older brother. As such, he's had plenty of opportunities to observe Zia, and he can recognise her distinctive perfume and her voice, even when she's dressed up and robbing him at gunpoint. Even when he finds out why Zia and her friends (none of them from families as rich and influential as herself) are doing their dangerous nighttime raids, he encourages her to stop, before anyone gets hurt.

Even Zia's daytime pursuits are enough to make her father upset with her, wanting her to settle down and find a suitable husband. Rafi has a vested interest in keeping an eye on Zia, Zia needs someone her parents like as a suitor, so they agree to a fake courtship to get Zia's parents to calm down. As is always the case with fake courtships, it doesn't take very long before the feelings are all too real.

I know Amalie Howard has written a number of historical romances for adults, and this is her second one for a YA audience. While I own several of her books, including <i>Queen Bee</i>, the companion novel to this one (featuring Zia's brother and the woman he eventually ends up engaged to, in a YA Regency twist on <I>The Count of Monte Cristo</i>, if the description is to be believed), I have never actually sat down to read one of her books. So getting this ARC was a good thing because it forced me to actually commit to reading one of her books. I'm now really glad that I have a large back catalogue of her books to dive into, because this book was delightful.

While it may seem like Zia and her friends get up to all sorts of anachronistic lady shenanigans, it seems like Howard has actually done her research pretty well, although as with the Bridgerton TV series, the English nobility of Howard's fictional universe is certainly a lot more diverse than I suspect was the case in real life. Zia's formidable duchess mother is from India, and Rafi's mother is Persian. One of Zia's best friends is Asian, and there is also some very nicely done queer representation in the book, including Zia's asexual best friend, who's known her intended (also ace) husband since childhood. Representation matters, people, especially in YA books.

Since this is a YA novel, it is a rather chaste affair. I think there was some kissing between Zia and Rafi, but nothing beyond that. Their romance was very sweet, though, and I can't wait to go back to read the story of Zia's brother and future sister-in-law.

Ugh this book was just ok and I’m so bummed!!

I was really excited to finally get Lady Zia’s book but I wasn’t into the story as I wanted to be. The main conflict came off a little underwhelming and slow and took away from the momentum the book had in the beginning.

I really enjoyed Zia’s romance with Rafi, he was so head over heels obsessed with her and I looooved that so very much. However they had so few scenes!!! I wanted more banter and more interaction - they kinda felt like a secondary plot in the book.

I did love the friend group as always and it was fun to see the characters from the first book appear in this one as week! Excited to read whatever comes next!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Cute book I enjoyed reading this I will definitely be recommending it to my audience honestly cannot wait for the next book

I’m convinced at this point that it’s impossible for Amalie Howard to write anything I won’t love. I adored the first book in this series, Queen Bee, and I can happily say that I loved this second book in the series just as much.

This series is all about young women defying expectations and societal standards, and this book delivers that and so much more. A Robin Hood-esque tale where a group of young women turned thieves are trying to save their school, stealing from high-society and skirting danger at every turn. There’s a delightfully diverse cast of characters, a wonderful group of female friends, and a bit of romance to round everything off.

All told, this is a fantastic second installment in the fantastic Regency-era Diamonds series. I adore this series so much and will definitely be picking up book 3 when it’s available. Add this series to your tbr if you enjoy:

➸ Robin Hood inspired stories
➸ Diverse cast of characters
➸ Fun historical fiction/Regency romance
➸ Feminist fiction/girl power/defying societal standards
➸ Female friendships
➸ Equal parts sweet and angsty romance
➸ Witty banter

Zia Osborn is a member of the Lady Knights. She and her fellow members are rebellious to Polite Society rules. Within their social club they have freedom to read and talk about whatever they want and pursue their own personal creativity. These Lady Knights are also thieves. First and foremost is to find justice for those less fortunate, including women. A young adult clean romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Book review: 4/5 ⭐️
Genre: YA regency romance
Themes: feminism, artistic endeavours, rebellions
📖 Read if you like: A Lady’s Guide to Scandal, Bridgeton

While I repeatedly say I don’t read a lot of romance, there is a niche in this genre that I very much enjoy and will always gravitate towards. A quality Regency romp littered with feminist ideas that makes me grin will always hold a place in my heart. I blame Jane Austen for this affliction. My teenage obsession with her novels has garnered a certain romanticism towards this era, but as a woman of colour and not an aristocrat, I have always had to reign in my imaginings. So these new anti-historical constructs of fiction where representation and differences are at the forefront of characterization are a breath of fresh air. And that leads me to this gem.

Lady Knight may outwardly be about a bunch of young privileged women rebelling against society by donning disguises in an attempt to be Robin Hood and gain access to places otherwise forbidden to women. Yet at its core it is about having agency over your own life in a world that may be pitted against you. About young women holding onto their need for knowledge and purpose, even when society expects them to simply be ornamental breeders. About dreams and compassion driving decisions and breaking the so called glass ceiling of their times.

It was clever to use Mary Wollstonecraft’s edicts on feminism to guide the story and I very much enjoyed the incorporation of music, books and art as passion projects. While set in a different time, I think much of this story can still be relatable to struggles young women face. Even the use of hysteria as a means of control is still used every time behaviour or heated arguments are ignored and attributed to PMS. Besides all the serious stuff, this was a genuinely adorable story of the rebel heiress and a notorious rake. Both are misunderstood and not quite what they seem, unhappy to stay within the confines of their delineated roles.

There are in fact several Lady Knights and the friendship between the girls is perhaps the cutest part of the story. Like minded women finding each other and seeking an education on more than just embroidery. All the different cultures and faces made this an equal opportunity setting, which I personally must laud. It is a very PG romance, so don’t expect spice, but the banter was decent and there was a wider plot at play. It was eventful and exciting with the undercurrent of how women are viewed and educated in society. Their privilege in the upper echelons of society is noted, especially in the frame of criminal activities. This is an awareness I needed to have to root this story back to relatability. It also nipped critiques I may have had in the bud.

Overall, I really liked this light-hearted yet thoughtful regency romance. I now want to read more from this author. Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel.