A queer Bridgerton-esque romance with a Taylor Swift lyric as a title? Say less.

Beth is in a precarious situation after the passing of her father. She has just one season to secure a husband, and therefore stability and security, before her and her mother lose their home and livelihood.
Gwen is no stranger to the season, this being her fourth. She has no plans to find a husband, and as the only daughter of her rakish father, she's just here for a good time.
Early on in the season, Beth and Gwen become fast friends and instantly catch on to the fact that their parents have a history. The two hatch a plan to get their parents together, and soon find that maybe they love each other more than friends.

This book was so well written, and I had so much fun reading it! I love that we got both Gwen and Beth's POV. It was a little slow paced for me, but I still enjoyed the story overall. It's also perfectly set up for the sequel, which I will definitely be reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'Our secret moments in your crowded room,
They got no idea about me and you'

all i could listen in my head while reading this book was dress by taylor swift.

it's absolutely perfection, the writing was simple yet so emotional and meaningful, the angst and pain throughout the story made my chest hurt, but then the beautiful moments between them and their parents and friends and family that knew and supported them, it just made my heart swell with love.

for a victorian lesbian romance it has exactly what i was hoping for, the ending makes so much sense, i think i've seen that solution somewhere else *wink, wink* in one of my favorite sapphic books and i'm excited to read the second one and see how it works out in these two stories together.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange of an honest review.

This was more of a 3.5-3.75 rating for me. It was rather slow paced, and I still didn't really feel the chemistry between Beth and Gwen. Also, I did think it was weird and a little gross that the only way they could be together was to be stepsiblings. I would have rather enjoyed the epilogue plot as the main plot of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Emma R. Alban, and Avon for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I quite possibly will NEVER be over this book!!!!!! LESBIAN BRIDGERTON VIBES ARE EVERYTHING I'VE EVER WANTED!!!!!! This was absolutely incredible, and I don't think I have any notes. The drama??? Gowns and balls and teas and society gossip??? DOUBLE ROMANCE???? Absolute perfection all of it!! Now was it super historically accurate? No lol but that's not the POINT. It's romantic and juicy and literally the perfect story. There's so much going on at all times that I was immediately hooked and couldn't put it down. I loved seeing not only Gwen and Beth's relationship develop but also seeing their parents' together. Alban is a fabulous writer and knows how to beautifully construct both plot and characters. I knew going in that there already was a sequel, and the ending set up book 2 perfectly, which was such a pleasant surprise. I already can't wait to read it, and I hope more than anything else that Alban keeps writing a million more books like this one because it was a pure delight!!

This was a really cute book!
It's my first time reading a parent trap-esque book set in the Victorian era at that and i really enjoyed it. I do think it kind of dragged a little around the 50% mark but it wasn't too much. I do wish we saw more of Beth and Gwen getting to know each other better and I kind of wanted to see more of their parents. At times everything felt rushed, but by the end it was really engaging and I'm definitely interested in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper voyager for the Arc

I loved every single page of “Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend”. I’m a total Swiftie, so I LOVED the title of the book! It's exactly what it says on the label, a fun romantic romp that features friendship, sexual awakening and machinations to bring together the Earl and the Viscountess. It’s “The Parent Trap” in Victorian England. There's a good bit of angst to get through but the payoff of the HEA is totally worth it! There are moments towards the end that you truly wonder how this is all going to work out and how Beth and Gwen are going to get their HEA but be assured that they do! Beth and Gwen are fantastic and their banter more so. They feel like believable early twenty something women in the Victorian era, and I loved their banter and their feelings for one another. The slow process of their feelings felt believable, as well, and the relationships with each other and other characters felt genuine. I could pinpoint everyone's motivations and could see why everyone got along. I wanted the parents to get together just as much as I wanted Beth and Gwen to get together. I loved that this is a dual POV book. I think that all romances should be dual POV. The POV switches regularly between Gwen and Beth, so the reader gets to experience the yearning and frustrations they both feel. And it's wonderful that this same-sex couple has a great deal of support from family, friends, and even staff. I love that Gwen and Beth are kind of bad at overcoming obstacles, because it allows their delightful wider circle of friends and family members to get in on the action and help out. I highly, highly recommend this book. I will definitely be purchasing for my library, as well as pre-ordering a copy of my own. I think that this would make a great series for TV or streaming and would love to see it somewhere. I can’t wait to continue the series with James and Bobby, and of course return to Beth and Gwen’s story. The teaser we got in the epilogue was delicious and just what I was hoping for! Thank you, Emma R. Alban, Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my thoughts.

Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban was such a sweet and beautiful read. I'm so glad I got to read about Gwen and Beth. Alban does a great job of creating characters that you want to read more about and just wish for the best for them. I'm so glad that there are more queer historical romances coming out and this one is such a great example of how they can be done so well. The writing was so good and I cannot wait to read more from Emma Alban. I will be recommending this book to everyone especially people who already love historical romances.

I love them, and I want them to only have happiness for always. Watching Gwen and Beth slowly fall in love, and then realize they were in love, as a side effect of trying to hook up their parents was the silly sweetness that I was absolutely looking for. I want more in this version of Regency London. The characters are so good hearted, even the never-going-to-marry-him guy isn't a jerk, just kinda spineless. An absolutely hug of a book.

[arc review]
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend releases January 9, 2024

London 1857 courting season: Beth and her mother only have one chance at debuting before their financials and housing are critically at stake.

As a seasoned debutante, Gwen quickly befriends Beth when they meet at the first ball. Soon, they come to realize that their widowed parents shared a slice of history of their own during their season all those years ago.
None too eager to wed, Gwen and Beth co-conspire to set up their parents instead (a little Parent Trap situation if you will).

Being that I’m someone who basically grew up in a single parent household, I loved the close mother-daughter and father-daughter dynamics that were shown with Beth and Gwen, respectively.

As for the relationship between Beth and Gwen, I loved their unexpected queer awakenings. From unassuming hand holding and little touches, to the exploration of each other for the first time and this frenetic curiosity that comes with it. But also, the absolute gut-wrenching agony of wondering if your first time is also the last, and if they should even be allowed this quiet hope for anything more.
Why settle for companionships with men that are ‘just pleasant enough’ and leave you feeling hollow, when you’ve found someone that makes every moment feel full and lively?

I felt their love, I felt their angst, and this probably comes as an unpopular opinion, but I loved how there were multiple romances at play!

Alban created such a warm cast of characters in her debut and I can’t wait to dive into the next book in this series.

This was the book that I absolutely didn’t know I needed. When I saw it was a queer, histrom mashup of Bridgerton and The Parent Trap, I knew I had to read it, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. This book was a fun and frothy read, and I devoured it in an afternoon. I had a couple issues with the pacing but not enough to slow me down. I enjoyed the secondary romances almost as much as the two main characters. I really enjoyed this book, and I’m really looking forward to reading the next in the series.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Very much filing this one in the 'not for me but my goodness will it have an audience' category. If you love Bridgerton, and, of course, love Taylor Swift this is going to be the book for you. As far as Regency Romances go it was okay, albeit very surface level. It had all the trappings, but it felt more like a costume. The book itself also has pacing issues--the middle is very bogged down, and the beginning is slow to kick into gear. I found the parents and their relationship to be the most interesting part of the book, and wanted more focus on them, as opposed to the main couple. But that is more of a personal preference, and the main couple themselves are very sweet--I'm a sucker for friends to lovers, and although their relationship developed at lightning speed, it was still an enjoyable part of the book.

Overall, this book was either sluggish or rushing through things, and I was not totally invested in the characters. But, that is not to say it was unenjoyable--I curled up with a cup or two of tea, and enjoyed the afternoons I spent reading this. So put on the Bridgerton soundtrack, or an instrumental Taylor Swift playlist, and enjoy.

After her father’s death, Beth is entering her first Season on the Marriage Mart and looking for a suitable husband to provide for herself and her widowed mother. At her first ball, she meets Gwen, and outspoken and charming daughter of an earl, who is basically her new best friend. Neither of these women are interested in finding a husband this year and when they notice the sparks between their respective widowed parents, they try to pair them up instead. It goes about as awkwardly as you’d think it would go, and all the while, Beth and Gwen are drawn more and more to each other. It’s takes some nudging for them to realize that they’re actually in love (and lust) with each other, but it’s all complicated by societal obligations and Beth’s pending engagement to a viscount who has been courting her. This was a fun take on the Victorian-era marriage mart and I was definitely rooting for our heroines to find a way to be together (as well as their parents).

This starts off fun, then veers close to excellent territory with the very real assessment of the “marriage mart” and a very sweet and steamy romance. The ordeal of trying to make yourself attracted to the mediocre boy you’re supposed to marry is real, lol.

The pacing was a little uneven with the multiple storylines, and at times it teetered back and forth over when to be fluffy and anachronistic and when to grapple with the starker reality of misogyny, homophobia, etc, especially re: the real life Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857. But for the most part I like where it landed.

A fun, fluffy rom-com with the occasional sobering dose of reality—I’ll take it. Solid debut.

4.5 stars. This was so great! It does a great job of depicting how terrible “the season” could be for young girls during the Victorian era, while also remaining lighthearted overall. I was invested in both relationships (the MCs and their parents), and I will 100% be reading the second book in the series. And probably buying physical copies of both.

I’m a sucker for a Taylor Swift reference and friends-to-lovers trope and this book did not disappoint. Beth and Gwen’s relationship was sweet. And the cast of side characters and subplots were nicely integrated. This book gives you a bit of everything - angst, romance, and humor which made for a compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I really wanted to love this book for so many reasons... the Bridgerton vibes, the hype I'd seen online, and the Taylor Swift reference in the book's title. However, I am DNFing this book at 20%. I'm so sad with how much I was anticipating to enjoy this, but I find the book really dry. I do not connect with any of the characters - I think this would work better either *only* as a parent trap story, or *only* as a queer romance, but not both. It felt very repetitive and incredibly YA. I didn't feel any romantic tension between the 2 main girls.

Thanks anyway for the ARC. I hope others love this one!

I enjoyed this queer historical fiction novel. The characters were likeable and had me rooting for them

Overall somewhere between 3-3.5 stars for me. This book is a lovely debut, and Gwen and Beth were fun characters to read about. But unfortunately for me, it didn't feel like much was happening plot-wise to move the story along and keep me interested.

I could definitely see myself picking up more books by this author! However, this book just wasn't for me.

🦇 Don't Want You Like a Best Friend Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ She thinks about her a lot, of course. And the days are better when they get to be together. And when she's dressing for balls now she thinks more of what Beth might think of her gown than what any of the young men might. And holding Beth's hand today made her feel more than she's ever felt dancing with anyone...They're friends. Shouldn't she love her friend? ❞

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite Bridgerton pairing? ❓

🦇 Anxious debutante Beth has just one season to snag a wealthy husband, while Gwen is on her fourth season with no intention of finding a husband. Unknown to them both, their single parents seem to have a history. Getting them married could save all their problems. Only one hitch: they seem to hate each other. Can Beth and Gwen bring their parents together...all while ignoring the budding feelings they seem to have for each other?

💜 I'll admit it: the tagline "a swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance" and promise of a "lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap" caught my eye. Gwen is a firecracker from her introduction, while Beth is everything you would expect from a demure debut searching for a husband. There's an instant spark from the moment they meet; a subtle yet undeniable chemistry many of us have experienced after meeting our (platonic or romantic) soulmates. Every scene between them is full of energy. They're each other's ideal halves: Gwen is bold, energetic, and as charming as her father, while Beth is sweet, amiable, and reserved. They get into Parent-Trap-style shenanigans with one another while simultaneously bringing out the best in each other. We see Beth's character growth through her time with Gwen as much as we see Gwen grow after meeting Beth.

🦇 It's funny but before reading the plot, both the title and cover reminded me of The Fiancee Farce, which led me to expect something more modern. Despite the story's setting in the Regency period, the writing (everything from the prose and exposition to jokes and attitudes) seems more modern than expected. The only aspect that reminded me of any classic story (like Jane Austen) or recent Regency novel (like Bridgerton) was the pacing. The first 30% of the story drags without the type of messy antics or conflicts that would have driven the story forward. It felt like a modern story dressed up as a Regency period tale. The overlapping plots (the sapphic relationship, Beth searching for a husband, and the Parent-Trapping) aren't weaved together with cohesion that would have helped the pacing. Because of the uneven pacing, the transition from friends to more comes off as sudden instead of a natural progression. The dual third-person limited, present-tense POV was also a strange choice, which made the prose awkward at times.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Bridgerton, Parent Trap, and Victorian romances. There are also a few Swiftie references (for those of you who feel compelled to read a book for that sort of thing).

✨ The Vibes ✨
🩷 Victorian Era Romance
🩷 Sapphic Romance
🩷 Forbidden Romance
🩷 Friends to Lovers
🩷 Dual POV

⚠️ Content Warnings: Domestic, Emotional, and Physical Abuse; Sexual Content; Sexism; Death of a Parent

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Set in the Victorian times of debutante balls and corsets, this book is a mesh of Bridgerton and the Parent Trap! Beth has only one season to find a husband, to save her and her mother from financial ruin. Gwen is in her fourth season and is adamantly avoiding finding her forever guy. When the two meet up at the season’s first ball, they decide to do something unexpected: set up their widowed parents instead! But as the season continues, the relationships become more complicated as the women navigate rising feelings and unknown history that may ruin everything.

The aspect I loved the most of this book was the depth of the characters. Beth and Gwen had such a natural dynamic between them and their friends to lovers moment flowed really well. In all honesty, I WAS more invested in their parents relationship and would LOVE a spin-off set in their scandalous first season.

However, this was a difficult book to really immerse myself into. There were so many Lords and Ladies to keep track of that even in the final chapters I had to stop and ponder who each person was. The third person narrative didn’t really help in this. I think the book would have shined with a first person narrative to fit in with the dual POV that made the book shine.

I also couldn’t look past the fact that Gwen and Beth would become stepsisters if their plan succeeded given the nature of their relationship. Especially after seeing the family dynamics we see in the epilogue, this aspect made me slightly uncomfortable if I thought on it too hard.

That being said you will like this book if you are looking for:

- Victorian Era Romance
- Dual POVs
- Friends to Lovers
- Forbidden Romance

Definitely worth checking it out when it releases in January! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!