Regency period. Romance. Revenge. What could be more enticing that these three combined?
Queen Bee by Amalie Howard is a story that centers on Lady Ela Dalvi returning to high society three years after she was sent away in disgrace, with her reputation ruined, after her bestfriend betrayed her. With a plan to get even, she disguises herself as a mysterious heiress and infiltrates London's elite and her bestfriend's circle. But, when she reunites with the only man she's ever loved, she begins to feel conflicted whether her next move would be to stay in her vengeful path or capture the heart of the man she loves.
In this multicultural setting imbued with a modern essence of a high school romance mashed in the style of Netflix's Bridgerton, Queen Bee is a fun vengeful romcom that features characters of South Asian, East Asian, and African descent. In this Regency romp, Amalie Howard refreshingly explores themes on retribution, accountability, power, forgiveness, and a woman's agency on herself in a restrictive society.
Queen Bee satisfyingly sits at 3.75 stars in a tale spun with deception, romance, and revenge.
Content Warning: loss of a parent, drug addiction
Thank you to PHR and TBR and Beyond Tours for sending me an e-galley of this delightful book in exchange for a review as a part of this blog tour.
For more reviews and promotional blog posts on Queen Bee, check out my co-bloggers and their review posts here.
BOOK INFORMATION
Title: Queen Bee
Author: Amalie Howard
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction
Publishing Date: April 3, 2023
Synopsis:
“A divine dip into Regency waters for the YA set! What happens when you have to choose between revenge and love? Set within a multicultural, LGBTQ-positive society, QUEEN BEE takes flight.“ – Jodi Picoult, #1 NYT bestselling author of WISH YOU WERE HERE
Lady Ela Dalvi knows the exact moment her life was forever changed—when her best friend, Poppy, betrayed her without qualm over a boy, the son of a duke. She was sent away in disgrace, her reputation ruined.
Nearly three years later, eighteen-year-old Ela is consumed with bitterness and a desire for . . . revenge. Her enemy is quickly joining the crème de la crème of high society while she withers away in the English countryside.
With an audacious plan to get even, Ela disguises herself as a mysterious heiress and infiltrates London’s elite. But when Ela reunites with the only boy she’s ever loved, she begins to question whether vengeance is still her greatest desire.
In this complicated game of real-life chess, Ela must choose her next move: Finally bring down the queen or capture the king’s heart?
Content Warning: loss of a parent, drug addiction
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
ABOUT
AMALIE HOWARD is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling novelist. Always Be My Duchess was one of Cosmopolitan’s 30 Best Romance Books of 2022 and The Beast of Beswick was one of Oprah Daily’s 24 Best Historical Romance Novels to Read. She is also the author of several award-winning young adult novels. A Caribbean-born AAPI writer, her books have been featured in The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, and Seventeen Magazine. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found reading, being the president of her one-woman Harley Davidson motorcycle club, or power-napping. She lives in Colorado with her family.
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