Beth Demeroven is under a lot of pressure. If she doesn't find a successful match before the end of the season, her and her mother are going to be without a house, a future, without security. Determined to make it work, Beth attends a ball and meets Gwen Havenfort, a women in her fourth season who seemingly doesn't mind never being married if she can help it. When the two discover their parents fell in love but didn't marry because Lord Havenfort wasn't prestigious enough for Beth's grandparents, the two cracked a plan to get their parents to fall in love again. But there's a hitch: their parents seem to hate one another. Can Beth and Gwen get them back together before the end of the season? And what happens when the two women discover they fall in love with each other along the way?

What can't I say about this book? Characterization and dialog are Alban's strongpoint. 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 problem I often have with historical romance is when the main character woman character and/or their love interest feel like they are modern people plopped into the historical era, with modern ideas and the strong ability to stand up for their feminist values. Beth, Gwen, and other characters feel like real Victorians, and I really appreciate that. 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. Everyone, from the side characters to the main ones, made me not want to put this book down.

I also really loved the inclusion of the real life Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857. It's a strong plot point and made the characters feel even concrete in their setting! Lord Havenfort fighting for the Act after seeing his love Lady Demeroven falling into an abusive relationship with no escape made me want to cry. That's love, folks.

I did have a problem with some of the plot though. Beth and Gwen's scheming made no sense and towards the end, it's like the two of them completely give up their scheming and the plot point is completely dropped until the last chapter. They were SUCCEEDING! Their plan was WORKING! Their parents were falling for each other again, why stop now? I wish motivations could have been explained better. I also really didn't like the epilogue, but I logically know is a set up for a sequel (which, please know I will read if it's written!) I just didn't understand why the plot completely drops for a good few chapters. It feels like the characters realize way too late that, oh yeah, they had a plan, didn't they. It's a little hilarious, though, how bad Beth and Gwen are at scheming!

Overall, I loved this. Gwen and Beth are lovely and I fell in love with not just them, but their parents' romance, the queer side characters. I feel like Alban's strength is not only in characterization and dialogue, but in creating a realistic victorian setting as well. No, Gwen and Beth can't marry one another, and the queer side characters can't be open about their love, but there's an understanding and exploration of this pain. It made me thankful that I can be queer in present day, to express my love in the open now.

Thank you Netgalley, for easy access to Alban's "Don't Want You Like a Best Friend." It was such a fun read and I will recommend it to other readers who want to quench their Bridgerton fix!

Beth and Gwen are young women out in the marriage mart and although Gwen is in her fourth year she's in no rush to be anyone's wife. Both their parents had been friends in their youth and both of them becoming friends puts their parents back into each other's orbit once again. There is romance in the air and when they try to get their parents to fall in love with each other the love spell may be working way too well because Beth and Gwen are also also finding themselves falling as well. I loved this story. Each perspective from that of both Beth and Gwen was great and gave insight into their lives, needs and hopes throughout the story. I loved their friendship that grew into something more because it was a lovely friendship that brought them to a space of something more.

Thank you Avon for this eARC!! HISTORICAL!! SAPPHIC!!! ROMANCE!! This book was a dream from start to finish. It was a little bit Bridgerton, a little bit Parent Trap and a whole lot of sapphic wonderful ness! They simply live each-other so much and exist in a world where they have to fight to be able to keep that love and all you want to do as a reader is see them have that. I am utterly obsessed, what a wonderful read. And the end is set up for a sequel that I must have this very moment!

I literally couldn't get through the first ten pages. The formatting drove me insane instantly. Sections are labeled as a characters perspective, and then exclusively written in third person and we are bombarded with Each characters name it makes it feel like they're the kind of people refusing to say I. First person perspective is your friend. I can't say anything for the story because this drove me so batty I couldn't continue

This was a lot of fun to read! Gwen and Beth weren't the most compelling part of the story for me, but I really enjoyed almost all of the supporting characters (especially the Parent-Trap second chance romance between their parents and the sweet-but-not-dull romance between Albie and Meredith). I also appreciated the details in this book -- what does one actually do when one attends Ascot or a boat race on the Thames? Do you get to sit down? What if you have to go to the bathroom? Something that really struck me was the depiction of the physical reality of wearing Victorian-era gowns -- the layers! the undergarments! the hoop skirts! -- and how hard it was to move around (then again, great opportunities for surreptitious hand-holding). Massive kudos for also acknowledging that people, even glamorous belles of the season, do occasionally perspire. This may seem like an odd facet of the book to fixate on, but I thought it showed real skill and commitment. I'll definitely look forward to more historicals from Alban!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

A lovely, light read by Emma Alban! The story was a tad on the cheesey side, but am I already excited for a sequel, yes. So that means it's a win! :D

Great Queer romance! The interaction between Beth and Gwen is not to be missed. Sharp, witty dialogue, a complex twisty plot., and told with enough detail to give life to the historical setting.

named after a lyric from dress by taylor swift. sapphic bridgerton. parent trap. all the best things rolled into one sweet romcom. i would recommend!

After Beth's father dies, her mother can only afford one season for Beth to find a husband - and ideally a wealthy one as her father's heir is about to kick them out of their home. At her first ball, she meets Lady Gwen who promises to help her for the season. Beth and Gwen quickly become inseparable - Gwen isn't interested in having a real season as she has no desire for a husband, so the two of them set their eyes on matchmaking Beth's mom and Gwen's dad, who were young lovers until Beth's mom was made to marry a man who was to inherit.

I loved this! A Victorian, sapphic romance? Say less! I loved the transition from friends to lovers that Beth and Gwen experience and loved seeing both of their realization of their feelings. The additional side queer characters were also so sweet and it was so nice to see both Beth and Gwen have supportive families and friends. I think the stakes here are super believable and also felt accurate to the time, which is something I actually like seeing in historical romance. I also like when authors create a society in which queerness is accepted but I think how the world was built here was much more accurate to history.

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! The end of the book also got me SO excited for the next book already!

Read this for:
- Victorian setting
- Friends to Lovers
- Sapphic
- Matchmaking
- Dual POV

My only criticism is that 3rd person close present tense is often a little jarring and an interesting narrative choice. It took a couple of chapters for my brain to get used to it but ultimately I don't think the tense took anything away from the story for me, despite me needing to get used to it. I do also think that the tone in the beginning of the book made me wonder if it was going to be YA but it definitely is not and the tone gets a bit older the more you read.

Don't Want You Like a Best Friend publishes on January 9, 2024 and I highly recommend picking it up!

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Self-discovery. Sexual awakening. Victorian lesbians! This book was just so cute and a perfect spin on the Bridgerton craze. Of course, not everything can be historically accurate, but hopefully we can all suspend reality for a second to enjoy this adorable sapphic read. More of this, please!

Bridgerton but make it sapphic?! This was such a cute read! I loved the journey that Beth and Gwen went on to discover their attraction to each other. There’s so much tension between them! Think pride and prejudice level of longing. I do think this book could have used a bit more spice hence the 4 star rating. But I’m excited to read the next book and these series for more schemes!

I was lucky enough to get a digital arc of Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend by Emma R. Alban in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited when this book was announced with the short description of Victoria Sapphic Parent Trap Novel, pulled in further by the title and the gorgeous cover so despite trying to keep my expectations low I immediately failed. Despite how high they were this book very much met my expectations!

It’s exactly what I wanted from a sapphic historical romance! I loved the characters and the writing style, the humor and the tension! The plot was so strong and the side characters really made the world feel lived in.

I would highly highly recommend this book to anyone looking for Sapphic Historical Fiction (and I’m looking forward to Alban’s future novels as well!)

This book is a take on The Parent Trap in a Victorian setting, with a central sapphic romance at its heart. There are match-making antics with a serious undertone of the reality of abusive husbands in a time when wives had no recourse to the law. It was an easy read with a good supporting cast of characters. I found the descriptions of the endless social engagements a bit tedious, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Immediately sign me up for all upcoming books from Emma, please and thank you. I AM OBSESSED OMG. The title is amazing, and a queer Victorian era book?! COUNT ME IN FOREVER

This story managed to blend a beautiful sapphic romance with a compelling “parent trap”-esque subplot in a way that left me fulfilled on both fronts. Although a Victorian romanc, the writing style felt accessible to an audience who might not have experience with the subgenre while providing the charm associsted with traditional historical romances.

Was it historically accurate? Not *always*, but historical Victorian courtship was anything but romantic by our modern standards so I’m very forgiving! All the characters were so lovable and I’m glad that, in addition to a sapphic romancd, we also got a later-in-life romance that I was rooting for equally. I can’t wait for the second book!

This was an excellent historical sapphic romance. The characters were charming, and I believed their romance. I loved that there were other queer characters and that the families were supportive of their romance. The Parent Trap twist to all of it was cute and made for an excellent B-plot. Low spice, but lots of kissing. The writing leaned modern without being completely anacronistic. I'll be recommending this to readers of both Olivia Waite and Alexis Hall.

All of that said - publishers, if you can hear me. Please, my kingdom for a historical sapphic romance that doesn't include the women husband searching or angst about how to live as a queer couple, etc. Something set in a very slightly alternate universe where queerness is accepted and the angst can just be angst. I'm tired of my beautiful, charming sapphics still being so focused on men/looking for husbands. I understand this is a reality of the historical setting, but it would be nice to read something where queerness is historical and also not so marginalized.

Oh my GOODNESS what a freaking DELIGHT!!!!!! I loved every single page of this book. It's exactly what it says on the label, only better. I loved how visual this entire book felt -- the author's background as a screenplay writer shone through, in the best way possible. Even though there was a fair amount of angst (nothing too strong, don't worry!), knowing a HEA was coming at the end kept me ravenously reading -- even though I knew the HEA was going to arrive, I wasn't quite sure how it would til the very end. (& beyond that, I am sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the sequel lol.)

Highly, highly recommend. I will definitely be recommending a purchase for my library, as well as pre-ordering a copy of my own.

Third person present tense didn’t work at all for me. I was ready to give up immediately, although I pushed through the prologue. When I made it to chapter 1, I just wasn’t feeling good about it. Who is spying on the characters such that they know all the goings-on immediately? The narrator is a creep, and I couldn’t break past this mental hurdle. It’s certainly a me thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

Beth, daughter of the widowed Viscountess Demeroven, has one shot at the London Season to find a husband because after that, she and her mother will be out of funds and out of a home. She quickly makes friends with the gregarious Lady Gwen, daughter of the Earl of Havenfort, who helps Beth learn who's who in the ton and shows her the fun that can be had during the Season. Gwen doesn't want a husband, and Beth doesn't really want one, either, though she feels compelled to do so. But if they could match up their parents instead -- especially since the two apparently have a past -- maybe that would save them both to enjoy the life (and the love) they both want?

A fun romantic romp that features friendship, sexual awakening, and merry machinations to bring together the Earl and the Viscountess. My main frustration with the book is that it is told in 3rd person close, but present tense, so the beginning of every chapter feels almost voyeuristic. 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. 4 stars.

Thank you, HarperCollins and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

A queer Bridgerton/Parent Trap AND a Taylor Swift reference? Sign me up.

The story follows Beth and Gwen, two debutantes, who meet in London during the season. Neither is particularly interested in finding husbands and throughout the summer, they realize they are more interested in each other. After they realize that their widowed parents have a romantic past with each other, the girls decide to try and pair their parents up so they can avoid marriage themselves.

I love LGBT+ books as well as historical romance so I absolutely loved this book. The friends and parents in the story were way more accepting than they probably would have been in that time period, but that’s the great thing about fiction.

Overall, this story left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling even though you have to go through a little bit of angst first. I rated this a 4.75/5⭐ and rounded it up to 5⭐. If you ever wished that Bridgerton had a Sapphic storyline, then this is the book for you. Excuse me while I go play Dress by Taylor Swift on repeat.