A humiliated teenage heiress concocts a witty revenge plan in this Regency romance with The Count of Monte Cristo vibes. After 15-year-old Ela's best friend Poppy spreads a salacious rumor involving Ela and a vicar's nephew, Ela is sent by her father to the Hinley Seminary for Girls in Cumbria, England, where she is subjected to rigid rules and harsh punishments. Graduated and now 18, Ela devises a plot to infiltrate London's elite. Disguising herself as an enigmatic heiress named Lyra, Ela befriends Poppy and endeavors to do everything she can to destroy the teen's social standing, which includes seducing Lord Keston Osborn, Ela's first crush. As Ela's ploy unfolds, she must reckon with the lengths to which she'll go--and the people she could lose--for revenge. Employing alternating chapters from before Ela's disgrace and after her reemergence as Lyra, Howard (the Daring Dukes series) cultivates a lively, romantic jaunt that examines themes of forgiveness and morality while highlighting women's lack of autonomy in a restrictive society. A cathartic and enjoyable read for fans of high-society intrigue and drama. Characters are of African, East Asian, and South Asian descent. Ages 12--up. (Apr.)

Lady Ela Dalvi knows all about betrayal. As the daughter of a destitute earl, Ela is a lady in name only. She doesn't care for dresses and other high society baubles, but her best friend Poppy does. When a duke moves in next door to Ela, she instantly forms a friendship with the young Marquess of Ridley, Keston Osborn. Ela's world falls apart when a jealous Poppy tells a lie that ruins Ela's reputation and gets her banished from society, leaving only one thing left for her to do: get revenge on her conniving ex--best friend and the boy who broke her heart. Howard's historical teen romance has the perfect balance of subterfuge and sweetness. Both this Regency-era romance's protagonist and love interest are culturally diverse, allowing for fresh takes on some tried-and-true tropes. Fast-paced, engaging, and a lot of fun, Howard's novel is a true diamond of the first water.

A Regency romp refreshingly centering a multiracial cast of characters of South Asian, East Asian, and African descent. Three years ago, Lady Ela Dalvi was devastatingly betrayed by her best friend, Poppy Landers, and left hanging by her budding paramour, Lord Keston Osborn, the Marquess of Ridley. Fueled by a desire for retribution for a reputation ruined and relationships cast aside, Ela returns to the London social scene in 1817 as mysterious heiress Miss Lyra Whitley with one Machiavellian goal in mind: taking Poppy down. Disguised by hair dye, a new name courtesy of her benefactor, Lady Felicity Whitley, and the fuller figure of an 18-year-old, Ela schemes to infiltrate and dismantle Poppy's inner circle, sway her suitors, and tarnish her reputation. It's mostly easy to stay the course since Poppy's become even more unapologetically slanderous, but meeting a kindred spirit who'll become a casualty to her ruse leads to guilt that's hard to swallow. Ela thought she had steeled her heart, but it's all too easy to fall back into banter with dashingly distracting Keston. Will Ela's scheme ultimately satisfy? Dare she set her eyes on long-term happiness? Howard crafts an entertaining exploration of themes of forgiveness and choice as well as power and agency in a society with restrictive rules for women. Alternating chapters switch between the present and the events of three years prior, teasing and unraveling Ela's motivations and development. A satisfyingly delightful tale of deception, retribution, and romance. (author's note) (Historical romance. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 8 Up--What was Jane Austen missing amongst her tales of slow-burning love and social satire? Active vengeance, of course (also, people who weren't white). This novel tells the story of disgraced Lady Ela Dalvi and her quest for revenge, delivering on both fronts. This Count of Monte Cristo--influenced tale has scheming and twists a-plenty. It also fills London ballrooms with regal folks influenced by England's colonial history, daring to ask, what if these conquered countries were granted fair status by jolly old England? The result is drenched in African and Asian influence, filling out Regency frills with a richer tapestry of food and fashion. Howard deftly intercuts the story of current Ela against flashbacks to her as a naive, spritely young lady. Delicious morsels of why she is seeking revenge are tantalizingly released one by one. Each bread crumb raises the stakes whenever Ela slips in her plan, most notably in her simmering romance with erstwhile neighbor Lord Keston. She pushes against the boundaries--with help from allies like mysterious mentor Church and spunky banished classmates--while still operating within them. It's a tightrope, but it works. VERDICT A gossipy, vengeance-drenched romance with enough feminist touches to make girl, pardon me, lady-power abound.--Cat McCarrey