Amalie Howard

Queen Bee

Remmi Ahmed

"What is the meaning of this?" a displeased voice said into the silence. The question wasn't shouted, but we heard it all the same, and when I felt Keston go rigid at my side, I knew. Zia let out a squeak of distress and tried to squeeze behind her brother, but it was too late to hide. The Duke of Harbridge stood there, a scowl on his face. I wanted to hold on to Keston, to let him know that I was there for him, no matter what, but he pulled away before I could. AIl of his earlier joy bled from his expression, replaced by cold indifference. He could have been cut from granite, and I shivered at the severe resemblance to his father.

His eyes had lit with intrigue, and I remember thinking that l'd loved seeing that boyish spark of excitement inside him. None of us aristocratic offspring ever got to be chil- dren. Once we hit a certain age, we were expected to per- form and conform, to become miniature versions of our parents. To sit just so..to talk just so. To never yell and run and fight. To be perfect little lords and ladies.

I’ve been missing Bridgerton S2 so much recently, and this is erring on the edge of being exactly the same (in terms of character and historical romance). However, I deeply wanted to feel so many more emotions. Unfortunately, Howard’s writing is very much surface level. 

Lady Ela Dalvi doesn't suffer the usual betrayal from her childhood best friend. Those betrayals are usually petty, blown up beyond recognition. You can look back and laugh at how stupid you were. Poppy does far more than that. She sets out to ruin Ela's reputation and, through that, her life. Years later, Ela is back for revenge on everyone involved. She has the money, the looks, the charm, and a plan. But sometimes love and friends can get in the way.

Queen Bee is a fun read; I left it with 3.5 stars! It's a super fun Count of Monte Christo retelling; honestly, we need more of those around! Amalie Howard is a good writer, and the book is fast-paced, with fun petty stuff being done to Poppy and enough drama at the end.

However, many things could have been cleaned up a bit more. This book is billed as YA Historical Romance, which generally falls under Regency Romance. The regency world tended to have a lot of rules, so I don't know if Ela, or even Poppy, could have gotten away with any of this. I understand that it's meant to be anti-historical. Still, even if it is anti-historical, the rules make things a bit more interesting. In addition, the representation, like that of Bridgerton, felt slightly token. There is more to Indian culture that could have been included, that wasn't just a longing for a sari.

Seher Mohsin

Lady Ela Dalvi doesn't suffer the usual betrayal from her childhood best friend. Those betrayals are usually petty, blown up beyond recognition. You can look back and laugh at how stupid you were. Poppy does far more than that. She sets out to ruin Ela's reputation and, through that, her life. Years later, Ela is back for revenge on everyone involved. She has the money, the looks, the charm, and a plan. But sometimes love and friends can get in the way.

Queen Bee is a fun read; I left it with 3.5 stars! It's a super fun Count of Monte Christo retelling; honestly, we need more of those around! Amalie Howard is a good writer, and the book is fast-paced, with fun petty stuff being done to Poppy and enough drama at the end.

However, many things could have been cleaned up a bit more. This book is billed as YA Historical Romance, which generally falls under Regency Romance. The regency world tended to have a lot of rules, so I don't know if Ela, or even Poppy, could have gotten away with any of this. I understand that it's meant to be anti-historical. Still, even if it is anti-historical, the rules make things a bit more interesting. In addition, the representation, like that of Bridgerton, felt slightly token. There is more to Indian culture that could have been included, that wasn't just a longing for a sari.

Queen Bee

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