Review Detail

Queen Bee is a fun YA regency romance focused on love and revenge. Lady Elya Dalvi grew up best friends with Poppy until Marquess Keston moved in next door. Elya was too young and naïve to match how far Poppy was willing to go to earn a title, and it ruins her life…for a time. She reemerges into the high society ton as Ms. Lyra Whitley, and her sights are on revenge for how Poppy and Keston treated her.
Told in alternating timelines between Elya and Lyra, we slowly see why she wants revenge and how she gathered the knowledge and financial means to accomplish her goals. As a reader, you may have questions that feel like plot holes at first until the story unfolds and you find out how Elya/Lyra carried out her plan. This back-and-forth format makes the book one you can’t put down, as you want to uncover the mystery at the same time you enjoy seeing her make Poppy squirm.
I enjoyed how Lyra bantered with Keston. He was head over heels, and while she felt the same way, she made him work hard for her to acknowledge her feelings. I enjoyed the pranks and deceptions that led to Poppy’s fall from grace. Honestly, who doesn’t love a good comeuppance story?
Does Keston forgive a little too easily, yes. Is the story plausible? Not really. Is it so much fun to read? Absolutely! I used an audiobook for this story and found the narrator to be engaging. I definitely finished more chores around the house to give me a reason to keep listening, and I definitely stayed up till 2 AM to find out the ending, so those are both indicators I use to judge this book as a highly engaging romance and revenge regency book. I’m excited that there are two more books set in this world already out!