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Embassy Academy #2
Lethal Queen Bee
Who says politics, murder, and a fake boyfriend don’t mix?
I’ve spent the past three years watching my step father groom my brother for the position I crave. Heir apparent to his political legacy. So can you blame me for breaking my own rules and getting a little buzzed at yet another campaign dinner?
I’m fine. Really.
Until the “animal” I ran over on my way back to school turns out to be my Calculus teacher. A guy with whom I might have a shady history. No comment.
If the police pin his murder on me, all my political aspirations will go up in smoke. And what’s worse, I need the help of the school’s resident playboy, a guy I can’t stand, to prove my innocence. So what if he tricks me into fake dating? It’s nothing I can’t handle.
Embassy Academy: Lethal Queen Bee is a young adult hate to love romantic thriller, and the second in the trilogy.
I’ve spent the past three years watching my step father groom my brother for the position I crave. Heir apparent to his political legacy. So can you blame me for breaking my own rules and getting a little buzzed at yet another campaign dinner?
I’m fine. Really.
Until the “animal” I ran over on my way back to school turns out to be my Calculus teacher. A guy with whom I might have a shady history. No comment.
If the police pin his murder on me, all my political aspirations will go up in smoke. And what’s worse, I need the help of the school’s resident playboy, a guy I can’t stand, to prove my innocence. So what if he tricks me into fake dating? It’s nothing I can’t handle.
Embassy Academy: Lethal Queen Bee is a young adult hate to love romantic thriller, and the second in the trilogy.
- GenresMysteryYoung Adult
284 pages, Paperback
Published April 27, 2020
49 people are currently reading
1050 people want to read
About the author
Emily Kazmierski
24 books98 followersEmily lives in sunny Southern California with her husband and two daughters. When she's not in her book dragon form devouring books, she can be found in the kitchen making homemade ice cream or baking something delicious. In addition to reading and writing, Emily loves watching police procedurals, playing with makeup, and cuddling with her two long-haired dachshunds Nestlé and Kiefer.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 7, 2020
4.5 stars
Even though I was kind of disappointed at first that this book would be told from Charlotte's POV (I got really attached to Adrienne after Deadly First Day), Lethal Queen Bee pulled me in from the start and I loved learning about Charlotte. This book had a lot of things I love: mystery, romance, friendship, humor and a cast of characters I've really come to love.
A professor that we know wasn't the best influence is murdered at the beginning of the book and the big question is, who did it? While reading Deadly First Day, I figured out who was behind everything before the big reveal. That was not the case with Lethal Queen Bee! I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure it out and the author had me anxiously trying to figure it out. Every time I thought I knew, there would be some twist or event that would make me rethink everything. I love when books keep me guessing!
Charlotte is an interesting character. In the previous book it was already clear that she was more than just a popular student. She was really trying to catch her father's attention, because she really wants a career in politics and he doesn't seem to realize this. I have to say that Charlotte did annoy me at times by hiding things or not accepting the help her close friends and family were offering, but I understand that she felt the need to solve it on her own. I do feel like she really grew in this book though. Charlotte is a strong and independent person who fights for what she wants. I loved seeing her let her walls down during this book and opening up!
Also, don't get me started about Ricardo. The fake relationship trope is one of my favorites and I loved Ricardo in Deadly First Day. He has a big mouth and flirts like his life depends on it, but in this book we learn more about him and I could definitely understand why he acts the way he does. To me he's just a big teddy bear that wants to protect the people he cares for. I have to say that's my favorite.
Charlotte and Ricardo are a very interesting combination and they definitely made me smile. I loved how it wasn't love from the start, but we really saw their feelings grow! That's my favorite to read about. On top of the mystery and relationship, we got to see the characters we met in the previous book. After getting attached to Adrienne, that made me very happy! All in all, this was such a fun book and I can't wait for the third one!!
Even though I was kind of disappointed at first that this book would be told from Charlotte's POV (I got really attached to Adrienne after Deadly First Day), Lethal Queen Bee pulled me in from the start and I loved learning about Charlotte. This book had a lot of things I love: mystery, romance, friendship, humor and a cast of characters I've really come to love.
A professor that we know wasn't the best influence is murdered at the beginning of the book and the big question is, who did it? While reading Deadly First Day, I figured out who was behind everything before the big reveal. That was not the case with Lethal Queen Bee! I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure it out and the author had me anxiously trying to figure it out. Every time I thought I knew, there would be some twist or event that would make me rethink everything. I love when books keep me guessing!
Charlotte is an interesting character. In the previous book it was already clear that she was more than just a popular student. She was really trying to catch her father's attention, because she really wants a career in politics and he doesn't seem to realize this. I have to say that Charlotte did annoy me at times by hiding things or not accepting the help her close friends and family were offering, but I understand that she felt the need to solve it on her own. I do feel like she really grew in this book though. Charlotte is a strong and independent person who fights for what she wants. I loved seeing her let her walls down during this book and opening up!
Also, don't get me started about Ricardo. The fake relationship trope is one of my favorites and I loved Ricardo in Deadly First Day. He has a big mouth and flirts like his life depends on it, but in this book we learn more about him and I could definitely understand why he acts the way he does. To me he's just a big teddy bear that wants to protect the people he cares for. I have to say that's my favorite.
Charlotte and Ricardo are a very interesting combination and they definitely made me smile. I loved how it wasn't love from the start, but we really saw their feelings grow! That's my favorite to read about. On top of the mystery and relationship, we got to see the characters we met in the previous book. After getting attached to Adrienne, that made me very happy! All in all, this was such a fun book and I can't wait for the third one!!
March 9, 2022
I loved writing this book and am so excited to release it to the wild! Happy reading, my friends. :)
April 30, 2020
I want Charlotte’s confidence. I want her drive. Anytime she talked about how great she felt, I didn’t see it as vain. I saw it as her being comfortable in her own skin. She is, no pun intended, a flipping QUEEN!
What I loved the most about Lethal Queen Bee was the character arcs of Charlotte and Richardo. I also loved it wasn’t that they were changing each other’s personalities. Charlotte isn’t Charlotte without her being and thinking like a realist, and Richardo isn’t Richardo without his laid back nature. All they changed was their difficulties to open their hearts. I think I might like Charlotte and Richardo a TEENSY bit more than Adrienne and Mikhail, but maybe that’s because I love Richardo (and I’m THRILLED he’s getting a perspective in Killer Final Exams)!
I don’t want to say a lot for spoiler reasons, so I won’t talk too much about the murder mystery. I will say that I definitely felt terrified for Charlotte, Richardo, and all the characters who feared they would be the murderer’s next victim. The murderer’s presence felt like it was lurking rather than hiding in this book, which will make readers wonder who they could be.
I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a quick murder mystery. It’s perfect if you need one that isn’t too graphic, and if you want a romantic subplot in the midst of everything.
What I loved the most about Lethal Queen Bee was the character arcs of Charlotte and Richardo. I also loved it wasn’t that they were changing each other’s personalities. Charlotte isn’t Charlotte without her being and thinking like a realist, and Richardo isn’t Richardo without his laid back nature. All they changed was their difficulties to open their hearts. I think I might like Charlotte and Richardo a TEENSY bit more than Adrienne and Mikhail, but maybe that’s because I love Richardo (and I’m THRILLED he’s getting a perspective in Killer Final Exams)!
I don’t want to say a lot for spoiler reasons, so I won’t talk too much about the murder mystery. I will say that I definitely felt terrified for Charlotte, Richardo, and all the characters who feared they would be the murderer’s next victim. The murderer’s presence felt like it was lurking rather than hiding in this book, which will make readers wonder who they could be.
I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a quick murder mystery. It’s perfect if you need one that isn’t too graphic, and if you want a romantic subplot in the midst of everything.
August 16, 2022
I read the description for this book after finishing the first one and thought no way does she actually hit the teacher with her car... and then I read the first couple chapters and was shocked.
I started this book immediately after finishing the first one. I personally liked the first one a little bit more because this one had a very similar pacing and structure so it felt repetitive from the first one. The characters get more development, but a lot of the motivations and feelings are explicitly stated instead of demonstrated to let the readers put it together. But since it's a murder mystery, I don't totally mind the explicitness because it makes it easier to read and I can focus more on solving the murder (which I am proud to say I have figured it out for both books before the reveal... stay tuned if I'll be able to get the third one as well).
As for the murderer's identity, there is enough foreshadowing and hints to put it together on your own without it smacking you in the face the entire time.
Once again, I would recommend this book, especially if you have KU! I will be reading the next novel in the series as soon as I post this.
I started this book immediately after finishing the first one. I personally liked the first one a little bit more because this one had a very similar pacing and structure so it felt repetitive from the first one. The characters get more development, but a lot of the motivations and feelings are explicitly stated instead of demonstrated to let the readers put it together. But since it's a murder mystery, I don't totally mind the explicitness because it makes it easier to read and I can focus more on solving the murder (which I am proud to say I have figured it out for both books before the reveal... stay tuned if I'll be able to get the third one as well).
As for the murderer's identity, there is enough foreshadowing and hints to put it together on your own without it smacking you in the face the entire time.
Once again, I would recommend this book, especially if you have KU! I will be reading the next novel in the series as soon as I post this.
June 9, 2020
Mystery, murder and romance fuel the excitement in the next book in the “Embassy Academy” trilogy “Lethal Queen Bee" when an inebriated Charlotte Cavendish-Holt, returning to boarding school from the senator’s fundraising social event runs over the body of her calculus teacher in her brother’s car. Afraid she will be charged with murder she uses her fake boyfriend Ricardo Laguerre not only to help her fix the damage on Cal’s car, but to help her to investigate a murder she’s sure she didn’t commit.
Set in an Embassy Academy in Washington, D.C. the plot revolves around Adrienne Lewis’s stepsister Charlotte who’s afraid that any political career she craves will be swept away when she becomes implicated in the hit and run of her drug -dealing teacher Alan Rook. Intensity and suspense escalate when not only local gossip Gul Adifi, daughter of a Pakistani Ambassador is threatened, but Ricardo’s attacked while on duty in the school’s surveillance room. Skillfully the writer breaks the growing tension as events unfold with humor as romantic sparks fly between Charlotte and the flirtatious Ricardo.
Central to the plot is Charlotte Cavendish-Holt a self-absorbed and aloof social climber whose only friends are her sweet and gutsy stepsister Adrienne Lewis and her loyal and supportive best friend Gennieve. Yet in this story you glimpse another side of Charlotte as an insecure young woman with political aspirations who feels she’s undervalued by her politically astute stepfather. Among the host of interesting personalities is the smug but chivalrous Ricardo, a teen Charlotte says she doesn’t like because of the pain he caused her best friend. But with her fear of being implicated in her teacher’s murder she makes a deal with the flirtatious Ricardo to be his fake girlfriend discovering not only not only his mother issues, but that he makes her heart throb even when she’s trying to reject his advances.
“Lethal Queen Bee” an enthralling young adult romantic thriller is difficult to put down until you reach the surprising climax. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the third book in this trilogy when it's released.
Set in an Embassy Academy in Washington, D.C. the plot revolves around Adrienne Lewis’s stepsister Charlotte who’s afraid that any political career she craves will be swept away when she becomes implicated in the hit and run of her drug -dealing teacher Alan Rook. Intensity and suspense escalate when not only local gossip Gul Adifi, daughter of a Pakistani Ambassador is threatened, but Ricardo’s attacked while on duty in the school’s surveillance room. Skillfully the writer breaks the growing tension as events unfold with humor as romantic sparks fly between Charlotte and the flirtatious Ricardo.
Central to the plot is Charlotte Cavendish-Holt a self-absorbed and aloof social climber whose only friends are her sweet and gutsy stepsister Adrienne Lewis and her loyal and supportive best friend Gennieve. Yet in this story you glimpse another side of Charlotte as an insecure young woman with political aspirations who feels she’s undervalued by her politically astute stepfather. Among the host of interesting personalities is the smug but chivalrous Ricardo, a teen Charlotte says she doesn’t like because of the pain he caused her best friend. But with her fear of being implicated in her teacher’s murder she makes a deal with the flirtatious Ricardo to be his fake girlfriend discovering not only not only his mother issues, but that he makes her heart throb even when she’s trying to reject his advances.
“Lethal Queen Bee” an enthralling young adult romantic thriller is difficult to put down until you reach the surprising climax. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the third book in this trilogy when it's released.
April 9, 2020
This is a wonderful second book in a series about an elite school where there are secrets surrounding students and faculty and why some of them are found dead!
The protagonist is a young woman called Charlotte who was an important side character in the last book. At first I was disappointed because I had grown attached to the first protagonist, Adrienne, but I really loved her development through the story and her relationship with Ricardo is so fun and sassy and witty and sweet!
There’s definitely plot twists that I don’t want to spoil, but I will say that it starts off with us finding out that Charlotte has been foolish and is unsure if she is involved with the death of a drug-dealing teacher from her school.
It’s a lot of fun and I recommend it as a continuation of this series!
The protagonist is a young woman called Charlotte who was an important side character in the last book. At first I was disappointed because I had grown attached to the first protagonist, Adrienne, but I really loved her development through the story and her relationship with Ricardo is so fun and sassy and witty and sweet!
There’s definitely plot twists that I don’t want to spoil, but I will say that it starts off with us finding out that Charlotte has been foolish and is unsure if she is involved with the death of a drug-dealing teacher from her school.
It’s a lot of fun and I recommend it as a continuation of this series!
April 17, 2020
I didn’t read the first book in these series, but I am going to! Oh I love mysteries! There are a few word typos, but thats no biggie to me. But, at the end of the book, I could not believe certain things that Charlotte did. Anyways, I digress, the plot thickens when a professor is killed while running at night. We have our young sleuth/potential political candidate attending High School and trying to figure this out.
So a young Sherlock Holmes?? Possible. Definite intgrie on who done it? Yes! Never could have guessed the killer. Nope. But, there are some twists and turns I never saw coming. I was entertained and you all should give the murder mystery a try. Anyways, I would recommend this book. I can’t wait to find out what happens next for these characters!
So a young Sherlock Holmes?? Possible. Definite intgrie on who done it? Yes! Never could have guessed the killer. Nope. But, there are some twists and turns I never saw coming. I was entertained and you all should give the murder mystery a try. Anyways, I would recommend this book. I can’t wait to find out what happens next for these characters!
April 27, 2020
I love when a good start to a series doesn't disappoint when the next book comes out. Book 2 of Embassy Academy continues the same great feel as the first book did. The mystery is just as intense as the first one. This leads to being unable to put it down until you know what happens. I really enjoyed the setting of the book and the time the author takes to build that world and invest the reader in the characters. She does a great job of walking that thin line of to much detail that slows the story and not enough detail so you don't feel like a part of the adventure. The pace of this book was great and the reader won't see where it's heading. This is definitely a series worth starting.
May 4, 2020
Yet another amazing book by Emily Kazmierski. The first book was really good and book two did not disappoint. The story moved smoothly and leaving you wanting more.
April 27, 2020
I love that Charlotte is the lead in this book and we can see thigs from her perspective. The mystery aspect in book 2 is enjoyable and I found it hard to put down because I needed answers. I really enjoy the world the author has created in this series and look forward to more.
April 29, 2020
Back at Brat academy and a new murder has been committed.
This time we follow Charlotte as she tries to work out who really killed Professor Rook.
This time we follow Charlotte as she tries to work out who really killed Professor Rook.
November 19, 2020
Embassy Academy: Lethal Queen Bee by Emily Kazmierski is an awesome story to read. This is book number two in this awesome series and I can not wait to read the rest. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about romance and thrillers.
I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review
I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review
February 1, 2022
Great book!
Tw:murder, drug use, drug overdose
Already the same format of the previous book. We’re immediately hit with a girl dying from a drug overdose and then murder right off the bat. Our main characters sister from the last book ends up running over one of the teachers. She plans to keep everything under wraps in the name of her possibly doing the country some sort of good in the future which I think is kind of a dumbass excuse for hiding that she murdered someone. The book has much of the same setup as the first just switched who the main characters are. I love the budding romance between Charlotte and Ricardo. I actually didn’t figure out who done it in this book.
Tw:murder, drug use, drug overdose
Already the same format of the previous book. We’re immediately hit with a girl dying from a drug overdose and then murder right off the bat. Our main characters sister from the last book ends up running over one of the teachers. She plans to keep everything under wraps in the name of her possibly doing the country some sort of good in the future which I think is kind of a dumbass excuse for hiding that she murdered someone. The book has much of the same setup as the first just switched who the main characters are. I love the budding romance between Charlotte and Ricardo. I actually didn’t figure out who done it in this book.
December 24, 2020
Another amazing murder mystery academy novel, this time told from Charlotte's perspective. Charlotte is a very unique and interesting character in the first book, and I really enjoyed her character development in this story. As the previous, the murder element is impeccably laid our and flows perfectly, keeping you in suspense the entire time and is not predictable. Truly an exciting read, looking forward to seeing how the series continues
August 27, 2021
Teenage police procedural
Charlotte’s story. I was here mainly for Adrienne cameos but it was a good mystery. Looking forward to Cal’s story.
Charlotte’s story. I was here mainly for Adrienne cameos but it was a good mystery. Looking forward to Cal’s story.
April 11, 2022
I realize this might not bother most people, but in DC no one calls it the “subway”. It’s the Metro.
March 16, 2023
3/5 stars
This books is a definite upgrade to the first one. This time the main character we follow is Charlotte, step-sister to Adrienne, the first book's MC. She is ambitious, smart and clever. These qualities make her much more fun to follow than Adrienne. We also get some insight into Charlotte's character motivations; these add a lot to the series and help me understand the character dynamics more. At its core, we are dealing with a simple enemies-to-lovers romance story with a murder subplot. The former is executed fairly well; the latter is a tad predictable.
However, not everything is good. The most annoying part of the book to me was the ending, where once again huge potential confrontations between characters is resolved as a simple case of poor communication. Charlotte's struggles to gain her stepfather's respect is important. It deserves to be treated seriously. I would have very much liked to see some reckoning between Charlotte and her parents.
Ricardo is better in this book. However, I somewhat failed to see why he was around in the first place. I understand Charlotte needed him; but why did he need her? Genevieve and Adrienne are reduced to passive cheerleaders for the main characters. Indeed, some of the descriptions of Adrienne by Charlotte are downright weird. I had no idea that's how Charlotte thought of her sister. The detectives, thankfully, have a marginal role and no speaking lines. This is VERY much an improvement as they were very annoying in the previous book.
I wish the author allowed her characters to challenge each other's biases more. This would make for a more interesting story. Ricardo does not need to apologize for being a skirt-chaser. The father does not need to change his mindset about his daughter and train her to enter politics. The principal is back to being the scary out-of-touch character again. The book would be much more memorable if these characters would be allowed to face their character defects and mature.
This books is a definite upgrade to the first one. This time the main character we follow is Charlotte, step-sister to Adrienne, the first book's MC. She is ambitious, smart and clever. These qualities make her much more fun to follow than Adrienne. We also get some insight into Charlotte's character motivations; these add a lot to the series and help me understand the character dynamics more. At its core, we are dealing with a simple enemies-to-lovers romance story with a murder subplot. The former is executed fairly well; the latter is a tad predictable.
However, not everything is good. The most annoying part of the book to me was the ending, where once again huge potential confrontations between characters is resolved as a simple case of poor communication. Charlotte's struggles to gain her stepfather's respect is important. It deserves to be treated seriously. I would have very much liked to see some reckoning between Charlotte and her parents.
Ricardo is better in this book. However, I somewhat failed to see why he was around in the first place. I understand Charlotte needed him; but why did he need her? Genevieve and Adrienne are reduced to passive cheerleaders for the main characters. Indeed, some of the descriptions of Adrienne by Charlotte are downright weird. I had no idea that's how Charlotte thought of her sister. The detectives, thankfully, have a marginal role and no speaking lines. This is VERY much an improvement as they were very annoying in the previous book.
I wish the author allowed her characters to challenge each other's biases more. This would make for a more interesting story. Ricardo does not need to apologize for being a skirt-chaser. The father does not need to change his mindset about his daughter and train her to enter politics. The principal is back to being the scary out-of-touch character again. The book would be much more memorable if these characters would be allowed to face their character defects and mature.
May 8, 2020
I had read book 1 and while I had a few issues with it, I was looking forward to book 2 and borrowed it as soon as it released. But I just can’t with this series. I can look past the few inconsistencies, that wasn’t a huge issue. But then we get to Bodyguard Steve, who apparently can’t go by any other name than exactly Bodyguard Steve. We hear his full title 4 times in 4 consecutive paragraphs and a total of 10 times in chapter 24 alone. That’s where I bailed on this book and this series because surely there can be a better way to convey a person who we already know is her damned bodyguard in a book that clearly needs a line editor.
September 3, 2022
This time the protagonist of the story is Charlotte, Adrienne's stepsister who is involved in the murder of her teacher and also her drug dealer.
With the help of Ricardo, she will try to find the culprit, but the murderer will do everything to avoid being discovered, including killing again.
It is curious to see the evolution of the relationship between Charlotte and Ricardo, since in the first book she did everything to keep Adrienne away from Ricardo, but now what started as a false courtship becomes a real relationship.
With the help of Ricardo, she will try to find the culprit, but the murderer will do everything to avoid being discovered, including killing again.
It is curious to see the evolution of the relationship between Charlotte and Ricardo, since in the first book she did everything to keep Adrienne away from Ricardo, but now what started as a false courtship becomes a real relationship.
December 29, 2021
A bit more language than the first one.
February 16, 2022
Tw:murder, drug use, drug overdose
Already the same format of the previous book. We’re immediately hit with a girl dying from a drug overdose and then murder right off the bat. Our main characters sister from the last book ends up running over one of the teachers. She plans to keep everything under wraps in the name of her possibly doing the country some sort of good in the future which I think is kind of a dumbass excuse for hiding that she murdered someone. The book has much of the same setup as the first just switched who the main characters are. I love the budding romance between Charlotte and Ricardo. I actually didn’t figure out who done it in this book.
Already the same format of the previous book. We’re immediately hit with a girl dying from a drug overdose and then murder right off the bat. Our main characters sister from the last book ends up running over one of the teachers. She plans to keep everything under wraps in the name of her possibly doing the country some sort of good in the future which I think is kind of a dumbass excuse for hiding that she murdered someone. The book has much of the same setup as the first just switched who the main characters are. I love the budding romance between Charlotte and Ricardo. I actually didn’t figure out who done it in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews