thank you to netgalley & the publisher for this early copy!

if you have ever watched bridgerton and thought "good, but needs more lesbians" this REALLY is the book for you

we follow our main characters, beth and gwen, as they enter the 'ton for another season attempting to find a husband. neither of them really wants to be there, but for beth, finding a wealthy match is a matter of urgency before she and her mother get thrown out of their estate. for gwen, who is on her fourth season, there is less at stake, but she knows time is running out.

beth and gwen meet and immediately hit it off, finding comfort in each other as the season gets underway. that friendship soon turns into something more as both girls realise their feelings for each other, but smooth sailing it is not - this is the 1800s after all, and two women were not allowed to openly be together. enter their parents, who have some kind of romantic history...

i really enjoyed this - an easy read, but handled with grace. i actually found myself tearing up at a couple of parts! the longing and sapphic yearning between gwen and beth really came through the pages, as did their joy and discovery. i'm glad it was a dual-pov as we got to see both girls developing and realising feelings, which made the reader feel very involved and i was always rooting for the two of them!

i LOVED getting more of the secondary characters in the latter half of the book, particularly albie, meredith and bobby, and it is always a delight when the whole cast of characters is so well-rounded. i found the first half to be a little bit slow going as the scene was established and characters introduced, but once we reached the 30-40% mark i flew through. i cannot wait for the next one in this series and i hope to see lots more of beth & gwen!

read this if you enjoy:
- slow-burn sapphic romance
- the parent trap
- historical romance

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️
🤺🦪☕🚣👰‍♀️

I recommend this book to everyone. Lesbian, Bi, Gay, Straight, Male, Female, Trans, Non-Binary. EVERYONE. It's a must-read. I think girls who don't realise they're queer yet will know after this book. The way Emma has these two realise they are in love with each other is so beautiful and heartwarming that I cried a lot.

This Parent Trap crossed with Bridgerton sapphic novel is about two girls, Beth and Gwen who meet at the start of the courting season and become fast friends. They find out that Beth's mother and Gwen's father have a history and they team together to try and get them to become an item, only to find themselves falling in love with each other.

Of course, being set in the 1800s, our two girls have many hurdles to overcome. Especially Beth, whose mother is determined that she marries for status and title rather than love, despite Beth trying to get to see reason that she deserves love too. Gwen finds it hard as well, seeing as she already had a reputation with all the debutants' mothers of being a bad influence, let alone going through everything she is feeling for Beth without a mother. I'm glad she had her housemaids.

There were heartbreaking moments, laughable moments, heart-soaring moments, and moments that made you angry about the society that they lived in. I'm just glad we don't live in that era.

This book seriously is so good. I can't wait for book two.

Thank you to Netgalley, Emma R. Alban, and Avon for a copy of the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.

This was amazing. It was a super sweet, light-hearted romantic sapphic historical novel. I enjoyed it the whole way through. Gwen was a hilarious character who lit up every page she was on (even when she was ridiculous) and Beth was very sweet and the perfect match for Gwen.

The plot wasn't super heavy and parts of it were downright silly but it worked for the novel's tone and was a lot of fun. Parts of it were definitely predictable but I was okay with that, it didn't take away from the story or the writing itself. The writing style was easy to read and well-paced. There was a lot of emotion in this, making it a poignant read without it being too heavy or in your face. The cast of characters as a whole were delightful and elevated the book in my opinion.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I definitely want to read more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 40%

I was honestly just bored. The premise for this is great and I was so excited to read it but I feel like the characters are incredibly bland and one dimensional, the plot is stagnant, and the romance isn’t making me feel anything. I stopped right when the two main characters first kissed and I realised I just didn’t care in the slightest.

The writing is very easy to read and it’s not terrible in the slightest, just personally very dull for me.

I think it's a lovely book with some good relationships between Gwen and Beth and their parents, which was a significant highlight, but I will say I didn't like the whole getting their parents together and them getting together as a couple. Even more so, considering Gwen and Beth's parents had a fling many years before the story happened, meaning it's a second-chance romance for the parents, and that's a trope I do not like.

I also found the middle bit a tad boring, and the marriage to another man section was dull, as I found it primarily predictable, although entirely accurate for the period with the misogyny. I find this an issue with romance books in general, though, as I tend to get very bored with either the 2nd or 3rd act breakups, as they generally get back together by the end of the book anyway.

I immensely enjoyed the ending, though, as I found it suitable for the book but kept it open enough for the sequel books from Beth and Gwen's story to follow. I am also curious where this could go and whether Montson will return in future books.

This book is utterly perfect. Hits the mark in every way for sapphic period YA. Really well written, excellently paced, great characters & fun, engaging plotline. If I was to recommend this to someone I'd describe this as the "sapphic YA Bridgerton", but it's so much more than that. For me it's exactly what Red, White and Royal Blue was trying to be, but didn't hit. In terms of plot and characters this is quite predictable, but honestly it still gave me EXACTLY what I wanted. I really think this book could be the next big thing in LGBT YA.

Over the next few weeks my full review will be posted on my Instagram @itshardbackouthere and my tiktok @hardbackouthere .

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Penguin and, especially, Emma R. Alban for the ARC of More than a Best Friend. My reviews are entirely unbiased, and 100% my own.

Firstly, what a delightful tale! Yes, it was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions at one point but we got there in the end and I am absolutely gagged for the next book. And, secondly, can we please hear it for our supporting couples and characters, and our older characters. What a genuinely fantastic, well rounded and fleshed out bunch they are. It doesn’t feel like no one is there just to pad it out a bit. Every single character has function, story and emotion and it’s - something I’ve just realised is missing in a lot of other stories.

I am absolutely in love with Gwen and Beth. My heart broke for them and it soared for them. Having a nice little period romance that hetero’s take for granted of our own feels nice. And we’re going to get more. I just hope we get more of everyone else as well, because I’m so in love with everyone.

4.25 ⭐️

DNF at 33%

This was a book with a premise I loved, so I was really excited for it, but it fell flat for me unfortunately.

This book is advertised as Victorian historical romance, but the only thing that is Victorian about the whole book is the fact that they wear hoopskirts and petticoats. I felt that the author tried to lean too much into the Bridgerton vibes this book is compared with, but if she wanted those vibes a regency setting would have worked much better. It definitely felt as though the book was set in the Regency Era.

I also feel like the writing was much too modern for the setting as well. Both the narration style, and especially the dialogue, felt more like 21st century conversations/narration than Victorian. I found this to be incredibly jarring and it definitely took me out of the setting.

Beth and Gwen, I felt, were not developed enough as individual characters, or as friends (later to be partners). They met in Chapter 1, and their fast friendship was believable, but by the next time we saw them together they knew everything about each other and were best friends. I understand wanting their friendship, but we need to see that happen on the page for us to feel connected to them and their relationship. Both girls also felt far too young for their ages to me. Both are supposed to be in their early 20s but it felt as if they were young teenagers (especially with Gwen).

Continuing with relationships, Lady Demeroven and Lord Havenfort. For me personally, their story is much more interesting than Beth and Gwen, but it fell incredibly flat for me once again. Their story would be so much more compelling if they had their own POVs, but without that their story seems quite juvenile through the eyes of their children.

This book might work for others, but it just didn't work for me unfortunately.

A sapphic regency romance: sign me up! I loved this so much. The relationships between the characters were so well written. Getting to see the two FMCS falling in love and their relationship was lovely. I was rooting for them the whole time.

My favourite relationship was between Gwen and her father. It was so lovely to see a doting father in a period story rather than as a background character. I wish fathers in the 21st century were more like him.

I’m desperate to read to second book in the series and fingers crossed it comes up on Netgalley.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. It was a lot of fun to read. I loved the setting and I enjoyed the relationships. It was a little slow in the middle, but other than that, it was a lot of fun.

This was cute if a little long for what it is - there was one too many changes in circumstance/plot for me but I did really like the way it all tied together in the end. The epilogue really sets up a sequel which I found a bit annoying - it made the epilogue too long and I’m not super interested in the sequel so wasn’t a good way to end for me. Enjoyed the relationships between Gwen and Beth and their parents a lot, and it was all very sweet. A fun read!

I had such a great time reading this book! Though I did find the beginning a bit too slow for my liking, once the pace picked up, I couldn’t put the book down!

I loved Gwen and Beth so much 🥺 they were adorable and I was rooting for them from the very start, always trying to figure out how they would be able to get their happy ending, seeing as that wasn’t something society accepted at the time.

Seeing them grow closer and find different ways to be together was so much fun - I loved all the handholding under their skirts, the stolen moments at the balls, when they were surrounded by people they knew would not approve their relationship but couldn’t help it, the longing and even the heartbreak when Beth eventually got engaged to someone else. They were so, so good together. I loved their individual personalities and their dynamic as a couple.

Also, we need to talk about Gwen’s family, especially her dad, who is an absolute legend and did’t bat an eye at her being in love with Beth and was ready to leave everything behind and move somewhere where she could be her true self.

Speaking of their parents, I loved that we got two love stories in this book, and the way Gwen and Beth loved their parents so much and wanted them to get their happy ending and be with the person they loved most even if they couldn’t. I would love to know more about their relationship.

As for Gwen and Beth’s relationship, It seems we will see a lot more of them in the next book in this series and I seriously cannot to read it!

★ 4.5/5 stars ★

A huge thank you to Viking and Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

It’s 1857, and anxious debutante Beth has just one season to snag a wealthy husband, or she and her mother will be out on the street. Gwen, on the other hand, is on her fourth season and counting, with absolutely no intention of finding a husband, possibly ever. She has plenty of security as the only daughter of a rakish earl, from whom she’s inherited her penchant for drinking too much and dancing ‘til dawn. Beth and Gwen are enchanted with each other on sight. And it doesn’t take long for Gwen to hatch her latest scheme: rather than join the husband hunt, they should set up Gwen’s father and Beth’s newly-widowed mother.

This was AMAZING. I read it all in one sitting because I physically could not put it down. It was everything I could have wanted in a sapphic romance! The mutual pining had me screaming, giggling and kicking my feet.

I loved the intertwining story of Gwen and Beth's parents too!!

I am so excited for the next one and to see more of James and Bobby!!!
I rated this 5 stars!

i requested this for the taylor swift reference and it DELIVERED. i NEED an adaptation. NOW!!!!!

This book is an absolute delight. It completely nailed the sapphic pinning and angst. I was hanging on every word. This is what I wanted from the Bridgerton books, seriously someone deliver this to SHONDA, STAT.

The characters are so loveable. I loved the found family that came in at the end and the easy banter and friendship they all had together. The couples all had insane chemistry. The plot was full of genre-appropriate dramatics. The levels of sapphic dramatics were exactly accurate. I was never once bored. I NEED THE NEXT BOOK.

A decent amount of suspending disbelief needed but this was super sweet. If you're into queer historical romance, this is definitely a book for you. It was a slow start but once I got into it, Gwen and Beth were incredibly adorable. An ideal easy YA over the holiday season.

DNFed at 55%

Tried hard to get into it and was excited by the prospect of things but it felt like everything already happened by the mid-point. I'm guessing some wrench is thrown in later to further the action but unfortunately I won't be finishing.

It felt like there was a lot missing from this book and the characters could have used more fleshing out. A lot of work went into this debut and I do recognise that.

I LOVED THIS!!!!!
Gwen and Beth’s journey towards their happiness is gorgeous, full of tension, heartbreak, humour and is one I know I will be recommending to so many people.
I loved the dynamics between Gwen and Beth and their respective parents and how those relationships had impacted their character. I loved getting to see them being so tender with each other and navigate how they could make it a permanent thing while also striving to make their parents happy too.
I am so excited for the next one too and I can’t wait to catch up with Gwen and Beth in their lives together.

(ARC provided by NetGalley, thank you so much!!)
I really liked this!!!! I jumped at the chance to read this early since I love friends to lovers and it sure was. Thank you funny little sapphics. For a proper review:

💖-The pacing was brisk while still giving the plot/relationships time to develop, which was really nice! I wouldn't have minded if there was a Little more pining, but it felt like a largely natural progression for everyone involved.
💖-All the characters were fun, with a good sense of who everyone was to each other, even more minor roles. It's really nice seeing friends and family focused dynamics in romance books instead of solely romance!
💖-Gwen and Beth are cuuuute. It's fun seeing them get drunk or handsy or otherwise acting 20 in a believable way! They keep acting like friends while they are in love which is so important to me.
🤍- I'm really, really thankful the fashions of the time were portrayed nicely (corsets are comfy as hell and it grinds my gears when historical fiction makes the girls bitch about wearing them😭) Its fun reading about worn out stays and sitting down in eight petticoats. That said, if you took a shot every time hoop skirts came up in conversation I think you would be in serious trouble, so a little less mention would have been good!
🤍- I think a glossary of terms at the back for things like promenade or ton would be nice, especially for teens who might not have read something in this setting before! And for me, who hasn't in a very long time, lol. Granted, this is the sort of thing that might be in the book but not the ARC.
🤍- I noticed about two typos in the ARC, but nothing of huge import. I imagine these won't make it to print, anyway!

I'm so glad this has a sequel in the pipes!! I'll be back for it!! The sequel hook was really good without compromising on being a complete book, too!

I'd recommend this to basically anyone who likes wingman romances, or for people who like romance books that are good light fun while still holding their weight comfortably. Thanks again to NetGalley, and anyone interested, preorder away!!

Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for this review copy.

Camp, queer, and hilarious - more than a best friend was a ROMP to read. I had high expectations for this book, yet I was still impressed. The relationship between our main characters pulled on my heartstrings and the dual POV?! Obsessed. Can't wait to read the next in the series already!

This is a really sweet romance. Beth and Gwen meet at a ball and became friends and this develops into a romance. Beth needs to marry for security as she has not inherited from her father so needs security for her and her mum. The book looks at how Beth and Gwen can find a place for themselves together when women have so few rights.