Queen Bee (Joy Revolution)

Product Description

A teen girl seeking retribution against her backstabbing former best friend finds her plans slightly derailed once she catches the eye of a familiar, handsome marquess. Bestselling author Amalie Howard delivers a delightful, anti-historical Regency-era romp that’s Bridgerton meets The Count of Monte Cristo!

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?

About the Author

AMALIE HOWARD is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of historical romance, including The Beast of Beswick, The Rakehell of Roth, and Always Be My Duchess, and has penned several critically acclaimed young adult novels. She is an AAPI, Caribbean-born writer whose work has been featured in publications such as Entertainment Weekly and Oprah Daily. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found reading; being the president of her one-woman Harley Davidson motorcycle club, #WriteOrDie; or power-napping. She lives in Colorado with her family.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

Lyra

Everyone sees what you appear to be, few feel what you are, and those few do not dare to oppose themselves to the opinion of the many.

--Niccolo Machiavelli

London, March 1817

Wincing at the ache in my ribs--I could have sworn I’d heard one of them creak--I sucked in a shallow breath, my fingers white-knuckling the chair as Sally, my lady’s maid and friend, pulled the laces of my stays. Traditional long stays weren’t ever truly laced tight, just enough to underscore the lines of the gown, but I could barely breathe as the stiffly woven twill fabric pinched my upper torso. The pressure in my chest was most likely due to nerves.

I was about to take down the reigning queen and king of this year’s social season, which meant the evening had to be perfect . . . everything had to be perfect. First impressions were a valuable tool, and a person usually had only one chance at them.

“A bit looser, Sally,” I said through my teeth.

She met my gaze in the mirror, her green eyes calm. “Breathe in, count to five, and then release.”

Listening to her sage counsel, I inhaled and exhaled. Panic prickled beneath my skin, but with each gentle tug, I felt it start to ease. Stays were a lady’s battle armor--after all, I was going to war, the glittering ballrooms of London my battlefield.

Tonight wasn’t about finding a match from the marriage mart. Tonight was about claiming what was mine--position, influence, power. Those things had been taken from me without my consent . . . things that were my right as the daughter of a peer.

A splendid come-out. A glittering social season. An impressive suitor.

All stolen.

And I intended to take them back.

It was my very first season . . . my ticket into the ton, the crème de la crème of British high society. From February to midsummer, the elite left their grand country estates and flocked to town for countless balls, dinner parties, and entertainments while parliament was in session. Arguably it was the best time to launch a son or daughter of marriageable age into society and make an excellent match.

Nostalgia gripped me. It would have been nice to come out under the name my parents had given me, but that chance was lost forev