Fans of the Regency era and shows like Bridgerton will find much to love in these romantic takes on the genre that range from swoony London to anti-historical vengeance to modern teens at a Regency-themed summer camp.

DasGupta, Sayantani. Rosewood: A Midsummer Meet Cute. 320p. Scholastic. Mar. 2023. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781338797725.
Gr 8 Up–Loosely based on Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility, this novel follows Desi American sisters Eila and Mallika Das as they head to Regency camp for the summer. They will spend two weeks at Norland Manor, where they will wear only Regency fashion, take lessons on various Regency activities, and even eat and speak based on the Regency era, all the while hoping to catch the eye of the producers of the hit Regency detective show, Rosewood. When a rumor spreads that one of the newly cast leads is among the attendees of camp, where his chemistry with the female campers will be tested, and casting prospects go from a walk-on role or murder victim to a leading lady, things get dramatic. With Austen and Shakespeare references galore, DasGupta’s novel has just the right amount of old-fashioned charm mixed with modern sensibilities, like stowing away a cell phone rather than giving it up for the duration of camp. Eila’s burgeoning romance with fellow camper Rahul is sweet and has the perfect amount of tension for a summer fling. The overly dramatic acting of the campers makes for plenty of silly moments to offset some of the heavier aspects of the story, and the sisters have just the right amount of development, bettering themselves and their relationship with one another, over the course of the camp. Included among the racially diverse cast are several queer characters including Mallika, who identifies as bisexual. VERDICT A not-to-be-missed, ­lighthearted romantic comedy with great representation.–Mariah Smitala

Eves, Rosalyn. An Improbable Season. 352p. Farrar. Apr. 2023. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780374390181.
Gr 7 Up–This Regency romance exemplifies the thrills of the genre while being true to the historical period. When Charis and her cousins Thalia and Kalliope head to London for their season, they aren’t just looking for husbands. Though Kalli wants her own Mr. Bingley, Charis is more interested in infiltrating the scientific Royal ­Society and publishing her research in its journal, while Thalia searches for freethinkers against whom to test her poetry. But soon, Kalli is accidentally compromised by her sister’s best friend, Adam, and finds herself engaged to a boy she has not kissed. Thalia finds her boundaries challenged by a radical rake who subtly undermines her artistic voice. Charis finds the emotional safety of her bluestocking persona challenged by an Anglo-Indian dandy who just may be her intellectual equal. Eves develops her three heroines’ intellectual and emotional journey with great respect, incorporating extracts of their reading from historical sources and writing. Thalia’s writerly ambition and Charis’s scientific passion are neither more nor less worthy than Kalli’s more traditional desire for marriage and family work. Equally, the girls must save themselves in their own way: Thalia reclaims her voice during an elopement gone wrong; Kalli articulates her desires; Charis publishes a scholarly critique that challenges the theories of the man she loves. VERDICT This must-read for Regency fans combines the true friendship of Lisa Kleypas’s “The Wallflower” series, the emotional thrills of Bridgerton, and just the right number of first kisses.–Katherine Magyarody

Howard, Amalie. Queen Bee. 368p. Random/Joy Revolution. Apr. 2023. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780593483503.
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