Call me a snob if you will but I think, if I’m reading a historical romance, the one thing I want it to do above all else is, well, feel historical. If I wanted a contemporary romance I would pick up just that. Alas, this was where this book hit a serious snag. This didn’t feel like a Regency(ish) historical romance; this felt like an American contemporary romance in funny clothing.

(An aside here to say, of course, your mileage may vary on this. My mileage was pretty damn short.)

I grant, first, that it was an inauspicious start to the book when I realised it’s in present tense. In and of itself, not necessarily a bad thing, but I do feel that present tense is more difficult to get right than past tense somehow. Or maybe, put it this way, it’s more obvious when it’s wrong for the book. I read two books after this one in present tense and I didn’t feel in any way as annoyed by it there as I did here. It was, very likely, a combination of the writing, the modern feel and the present tense, all of them compounding one another to produce this. A one-star review.

Now there were other aspects that I disliked too, although I’m not sure how much of an impact they’d have had alone without the whole thing of it feeling like I’m reading a contemporary romance (in what world, for instance, would you expect someone in the Regency to use “pissy” in the sense of annoyed? And did you know that the verb “party” didn’t come to mean “having a good time” until the early 20th century? Well now you do!). Probably I’d have simply ended up bored rather than quite as pissed off as I came to be.

These issues were namely the pacing, the characterisation, and the sheer lack of pining for a book that purports to be “friends to lovers”. I mean, sure it is, in the most basic sense of the trope! They become friends and then they become lovers!

But anyway, back to the pacing. Let’s start there. I actually don’t have a whole lot concrete to say about this one, but in my notes I wrote “what the hell kind of pacing is this” so something must have gone wrong somewhere. Joking aside, I think, for me, they got together too early (44%), so the rest of the book was more a case of how can they be together rather than will they get together. From a personal perspective alone, I prefer the latter to the former.

It probably didn’t help that the characterisation was so incredibly bland, it’s hard to overstate it. Nothing about any of the characters stood out in the slightest. I can just about remember their names (Gwen and Beth!), but if you asked me anything beyond that? Well. Gwen is non-conformist? She doesn’t want to marry? She and her father gallivant around getting drunk at one point— oh and look we’re back to my issue of modernity in a historical romance. Rather, in this particular historical romance, because I’m sure there were people who did have what we might consider as more modern sensibilities, but they didn’t sound as anachronistic as this. Beth, on the other hand, was the prototypical “not pretty”, obedient, and willing to marry for money to save her family. Side characters, too, fell into stereotypes such that not one of the cast could I describe as memorable.

Because they were bland, so was their romance. I didn’t feel anything about their friendship, let alone its development into a romance. And then there was the lack of pining. Maybe this is prescriptive of me, but I prefer when there’s a longer period of friendship and plenty of pining, like how can they get together would it ruin their friendship kind of pining. There’s very little tension between them, very little sense of their actually having a relationship really. Not least because you just keep getting told everything they were feeling.

And then came the real travesty: the “cricket” match. I don’t know what sport they were playing but it was not cricket. I’m trying to think of a sport I know jackshit about to make a comparison here, so let’s choose golf. I know nothing about golf. I even did a presentation at university that was (by force) about golf and none of it stuck (thank god). So, let’s just say I wrote something and I put a scene featuring golf in it and I entirely bastardised the description of the sport. Such that it was no longer remotely recognisable as being golf. That was what this cricket scene was. Like I don’t mean to overly push the point here, but imagine something you know so much about gets chewed up and mangled by an author who knows nothing about it. Wouldn’t you be pissed off? And not least because a. cricket has genuinely not changed that much since the late 18th century so cricket as I know it now is basically cricket as it was then (and guess what! Entirely googleable!), and b. because this has gone through a round of edits in the UK as well. Where, you know, cricket is a bit bigger than in the USA. (Admittedly, you can still have no idea of what cricket involves, but why wouldn’t you check?) The cricket scene therefore was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

But then, given that the entire book seemed to have taken its worldbuilding from “research” consisting of just reading other historical romances, perhaps I shouldn’t have been too surprised.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'More Than a Best Friend' by Emma R. Alban.

'More Than a Best Friend' - The UK title - is one of those queer historical romances that is perfect for readers who don't really read this type of genre. But for someone who adores this type of thing and it is quietly my kryptonite, this book didn't really have any reason for me to love it. The characters didn't exactly have any pizzazz in comparison to books I've loved prior and I just couldn't root for them. In the experiences I specifically have with women x women historical romances, this doesn't make a dent on the other books so sadly, this wasn't a fave for me.

Im sorry to say i had to give up with this book. I couldn't really get into it. Thanks for the opportunity to try something new.

I loved this book so much! Both the main love story and the parent’s one were really compelling and felt very genuine and well developed. It was so refreshing reading an LGBT period piece without any characters being homophobic! It was really such a fun read and I can’t wait to read more books by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

thank you to netgalley for the arc.

I’m very picky about my romances and this one hit the spot for me, the tropes were done very well and I found myself giggling aloud. I’m very intrigued by the sequel and can’t wait to see what this author does next.

Unfortunately I can’t get past the writing style of this one. It’s third person present tense but in such an informal voice and with such close perspective that we constantly get characters’ thoughts in the narration - this would have been much better suited to first person as it just reads very childishly. DNF after chapter one.

Thankyou so much Netgalley for the ARC of this book! I have super mixed feelings about this book, the love story was really well done especially regarding the era it had a really heart wrenching undertone of just wanting the two main characters to be able to be together and be happy. The only thing that felt odd to me was their solution being getting their parents to marry so they could be together, it was a different time and a lot seemed more acceptable but I just couldn’t shake the odd feeling of them being step sisters? Other than that I really did enjoy this story which I don’t say about a lot of period pieces but this spicy sapphic bridgerton was really well executed in a way that kept me interested throughout!

I was lucky enough to get a chance to read this lovely debut, and I really enjoyed it.

Gwen is fantastic, she’s got a sheen of bravado, and has that’s been largely protected from the world by her father (although it takes a while for both you and Gwen to realise that). Beth, on the other hand, has been shielded as best her mother could, but her mother is only a woman and in Victorian England there was only so much a woman could legally do.

One of the central themes of the book is gender inequality in Victorian England. A large part of the conflict revolves around the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857, and is used to highlight the issues women of the era face, along with a lot of discussion of big petticoats and awkward dress hoops (it's hard to make out with two dress hoops in the way, who knew!).

Both of the characters felt distinct and charming, although at times their short-sightedness was horribly frustrating! The supporting characters were more than just props, and the parent trap scheming was a cute element running throughout. Beth and Gwen were adorable together and I would definitely recommend reading this book.

"Slurping oysters, and exchanging kisses, and going on walks, and reading quietly in the library. Just— living with her."

Could it be tighter? Yes. Could it be a little shorter? Definitely. But, for a first book it’s a fantastic release, and I can’t wait to see Emma R Alban continue to develop as an author and eagerly await her future books!


3.75 rounded up.

This book was well written, but I have a massive problem with the fact that their parents end up together and so do they, and they even make a comment about the "charade" of being step sisters when they would actually be step sisters???? Thats just so icky to me

Note: As per Penguin General UK's approval preferences on NetGalley, I am planning on posting this review to Goodreads on 04/01/2024 (one week before publication). If this can be changed, feel free to email me and I can post it right away.

I rarely know quite what I expect when I go into a romance book, but this one delivered on all fronts. A sapphic historical fiction with a parent trap-esque twist (and a Taylor Swift reference), More Than a Best Friend is filled with fun hijinks, gay yearning, and sweet moments from the very first page to the very last.

Beth is thrown into the social circle during her first season as a debutante, but she has little choice besides working to secure herself a wealthy husband before the season is out, otherwise she and her mother will have nowhere to live and nowhere to go. Gwen is something of a pro, with this being her fourth season, but she is not looking for a husband. For her, the season is an opportunity to have fun and cause harmless trouble, and her father is more than happy for her to do just that.

But when Beth and Gwen meet and become fast friends (and nothing more, of course), they soon realise that there’s some sort of history between Beth’s mother and Gwen’s father. And naturally, the only thing for them to do is spend as much time together setting their parents up. Because Beth and Gwen are just best friends…

Beth and Gwen both feel like fully-fledged characters, and their relationships with their respective families and friends feel as real as their relationship with one another. The supporting cast members were lovable (where they were supposed to be), and there wasn’t a single moment that I felt removed from the story in any way. Moreover, this book thoughtfully touched on topics of a more serious nature, several of which are as applicable and important in our current time as they were in the 1800s.

All in all, this was a sweet, fun read, and I know that I’ll be thinking about Beth and Gwen for a long time. I cannot wait for Emma R Alban’s next.

What a debut! This book is absolutely joyous and it’s definitely in my top five reads of this years. It’s a Sapphic Bridgeton, but with more depth, and sprinkles of matchmaking and mischief throughout.

It’s 1857 and the social season is about the commence. After the death of her father, Beth’s mother is desperate for her to marry to save them from financial ruin. With only enough fortune to see them through one season the pressure is on. Beth finds a friend in Gwen who is entering her fourth season. When formally introducing each other to their parents they discover there’s clear history and animosity. Beth and Gwen are determined to uncover their parent’s history and play matchmaker. As they grow closer through scheming, they soon realise that they are more than just friends.

It’s a double love story with lots of longing and many Taylor Swift references. I can’t wait to continue the series with James and Bobby, and of course return to Beth and Gwen’s story. Emma R. Alban is definitely on my list of authors to watch now after this outstanding debut.

Please, someone turn this into a tv series I need more Beth, Gwen, Lord Havenfort, Lady Demeroven , Mrs Gilpe and Mrs Stelm content.

Read if you enjoy:
Sapphic Historical Romance
Bridgeton
The Parent strap
Slow burn

A sweet and emotional historical romance, with lovely characters at the forefront. While the writing style didn't quite work for me, I still enjoyed the stories and relationships. This will definitely be a favourite for many.

A very enjoyable story. It was a light hearted comedic F/F romance with a bit of sadness and angst thrown in. It showed how little say women had in their own lives at that time. They were dependent on men for everything and these men could treat their wives/women any way they wanted. Even if the woman had her own money she could not do anything in her own right. If she was married her husband controlled it and if unmarried the closest male relative did so.
Things have obviously improved since then but still not everywhere.

4⭑

Tropes;
- friends to lovers
- historical romance
- wlw romance
- third person
- dual POV

This book proves why friends to lovers is the best trope. This was so cute I can’t cope!!

We follow Beth and Gwen, who meet on the first night of the season, and instantly strike up a friendship. They find out that both their respective single parents were once in love twenty years ago and make it their mission to “parent trap” them throughout the entire book in the hopes that they rekindle their romance.

Through the many parent traps they set up, their friendship grows stronger and they develop feelings for each other. The relationship development between them was so natural and written incredibly well.

They had a lot of hurdles to work through given the book is set in the regency era but they manage to make it work. Their romance was so adorable and it had me giggling and kicking my feet. They were so cute!!!

The epilogue was a lovely end to the book and it maybe had a hint to a new book with a new queer couple? At least I hope so!

Thank you NetGalley & Viking Books for sending me an early copy of More Than A Best Friend in exchange for my honest review.

Five-amazing-stars for the cover alone! It is beautiful and perfect. I can tell that the author is a Taylor Swift fan based on the number of references I have come across. I loveee when authors geek out like this. It reminds me they are just like me!

Finding out that this is the author’s debut novel took me by surprise because it did not read like one. I thought it was written by a seasoned writer so I am thoroughly impressed and amazed.

At first sight, one might think this book is a cute queer romance book, but it is more than meets the eye. It was thought-provoking, evocative, and emotional as well. For a YA book, the subject matter was handled with great care and nuance.

Our main characters Beth and Gwen were a bit messy, but lovely and completely obsessed with each other. I absolutely adored them! This book was so “Dress” coded (a song by Taylor Swift). IYKYK. There is a good amount of longing and yearning.

All in all, if you want a sapphic, historical romance consisting of stolen gazes and moments that remind you of Taylor Swift love songs, this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business (wow that was a mouthful) for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was so much fun! I'm a bit disappointed that it looks like the uk is changing the title to 'more than a best friend' as my e-arc says. This is so Taylor Swift coded that it's a shame to change the reference in the title. Especially since I spotted some TSwift references!

I really enjoyed this! It was definitely fun, but it had more than that. It was an insight into the hardships facing LGBTQ+ people in the past, albeit from a YA lens. But it had a nice balance, it still managed to be a cute story.

I liked the romance a lot - I did feel it was a teeeeensie bit underdeveloped for me. For example at one point Gwen mentions Beth often ranting about a certain topic - We have never even heard of this topic before. So I enjoyed their friendship in the beginning as a starter for romance, but after the halfway point it was just the romance and a lot more plot driven rather than exploring their general interactions.

I really enjoyed the parents evolving relationship too! In fact I would read even more about them - I wanted even more parent trap shenanigans as well because I enjoyed their relationship. Sometimes there was a lot more tell rather than show.

It sounds like I'm being negative but I actually really enjoyed this. It was great for a debut, and I can tell the author will get better and better. I liked the relationships and I especially liked the discussions around women's rights and the struggles of lgbtq people. And I also love to see queer joy and older queer characters. I will certainly read the sequel when it comes out too!