Queen Bee by Amelie Howard (Review)

Title: Queen Bee
Author: Amalie Howard
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Romance
Publisher: Joy Revolution (Penguin Random House Canada)
Date published: April 4, 2023

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the Penguin Reads program bu Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.

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?

⤖ My Review ⬻

As someone who has read an adult romance by Amelie Howard, Always Be My Duchess, not too long ago, I was curious to see how she would transition into the young adult genre with Queen Bee… And I’m happy to share I was not disappointed.

If you’re looking for historical fiction with a lot of detail, both in terms of the story and the setting, then Queen Bee is the book for you. The author’s attention to detail is impressive, and it really transports the reader to another time and place. The dialogue was great, and the writing was both well-crafted and historically accurate (based on what I know about the period at the very least…I’m no expert)—I was happy to see this in young adult literature.

One of the things that stood out to me about this book was the interesting storyline. It kept me engaged from beginning to end, and I found myself rooting for the main character throughout. I’m a sucker for a revenge plot that’s well executed, hehe.

Overall, I highly recommend Queen Bee to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a dash of revenge and romance. The author’s writing style was engaging and descriptive, and the characters are well-develope. Queen Bee is definitely a book worth checking out.

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Amalie Howard is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author, most notably of The Beast of Beswick, “a smart, sexy, deliciously feminist romance,” and one of O-The Oprah Magazine’s Top 24 Best Historicals to Read. She is the co-author of the #1 bestsellers in regency romance and Scottish historical romance, My Rogue, My Ruin and What A Scot Wants, and has also penned several young adult novels, critically acclaimed by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, School Library Journal, and Booklist, including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha Goddess, a Kid’s INDIE NEXT selection. Of Indo-Caribbean descent, she has written articles on multicultural fiction for The Portland Book Review and Ravishly magazine. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three children. Visit her at amaliehoward.com