I had high expectation for this book probably because of of the beautiful cover!

The story had very cute and tender moments and the found family was great. However it took some time to get into the story. Miscommunication and instalove are not my favorite tropes. The shift from not being able to stand each other to insta-lust right into love between the two MMCs was very quick. It wasn’t shown on the page how they went from hook-ing up to having deep feelings or wanting more and confusing all their departments feelings.
Having said that, I enjoyed the bickering and tension building between the characters!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

I laughed a lot, cried, kicked my lil feet, and loved this story. It was the perfect time to read a queer story where even though society isn’t accepting and everything is a bit terrifying they still find found family, queer joy, and protect each other. They still fight for the lives that they want and keep each other safe. Reading this right now was super emotional and I’m thankful for it 💖 Remembering that there have always been and will always be LGBTQ+ people building lives for themselves makes me feel like I can survive the world right now. I love love 💖

4.5 // I love this series so much! I didn't love this book quite as much as the first (what can I say, I prefer sapphics), but I still really enjoyed this book and had such a fun time with it! Both of these men ultimately want to be taken seriously, but have different routes in which they are trying to accomplish that. I really enjoyed James and Bobby finding common ground and understanding in one another, as well as seeing James find acceptance amongst Bobby and the rest of their little family. I did enjoy the romance, but I think my favorite part of this book was seeing the whole crew--Beth, Gwen, Bobby, James, Albie, and Meredith--interact and work towards a better future. I loved seeing Albie and Meredith (they were giving serious Anthony and Kate Bridgerton vibes) as well as more Gwen and Beth content. The epilogue was so sweet and I loved seeing everyone get a happy ending! Definitely a new favorite historical romance series. <3

This was cute, but I felt like the characters were really whiny and I had a hard time connecting with them. I just really felt like they had to grow up and by the end of the book I was waiting for more to happen.

I had a little bit of a challenge getting into this at first but this was a heartwarming and fun romance. It’s not my favourite book but I do plan to eventually buy myself a copy to eventually do a re-read.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC. This one didn't work for current mood and I'm sad about it because the premise seemed right up my alley. I will try more books from this author or circle back to this one later.

I ended up DNFing this book. Though the storyline was good, I just felt like the chapters were too long for my linking. Hopefully I can pick this up again in the future and edit my review.

I loved this so much! It did take me forever and ever to get into because it felt so slow at the beginning, but it was a joy to read. Emma R. Alban is my new favorite author of 2024!

This book was an absolute delight! fun, charming, and utterly captivating! From the very first chapter, I was hooked, unable to put it down. The story kept me completely engrossed from start to finish. If you love a heartwarming, swoon-worthy LGBTQ+ romance, this is a must-read!

This book was such a fun, cute and lovely read! I was immediately hooked right from the first chapter. It was incredibly hard to put down, and was incredibly transfixed throughout the whole novel. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a wholesome, swooning LGBTQ+ romance novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Avon & Penguin Publishing House for this early-access copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy of this title.

I enjoyed this book even more than the first book. Like the other one, I felt the conclusion was just realistic enough to seem possible and I appreciated that the author doesn’t make everything unrealistic to the point of ruining the story. While I do enjoy alternate universes with queer normative societies, I also really enjoy a certain level of realism than isn’t horrible either.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I’d read the first book and knew who all of the characters were — there are SO many and all of them go by 2-4 names, so confusing! But James and Bobby’s story was sweet.

I haven’t read this author prior, but I really enjoyed this book. The book was a true enemies to lovers with the best banter I’ve read in a while. I loved their story and seeing the two MCs grow throughout the book.

This was a great read. Likable characters and good tension between them. This is a companion novel to the author's previous book, Don't Want You Like a Best Friend, but you don't need to have read the first one to read this one. I didn't. Note--spicy scenes.

You know with a title like this that the romance is going to be enemies to lovers. And it was and I wasn't disappointed. And the banter between this two was on fire.

…

While I didn’t read the first book in this series does, that didn’t seem to be a problem. I was able to jump right in and enjoy this one. I think now it’s time to go back and read the first!

What a delightful historical romance!! I think I still prefer Emma's first, but I really enjoyed this followup. As soon as the pairing was set up at the end of the first book, I knew this was going to be so fun, and it did not disappoint.

The sequel to DON’T WANT YOU LIKE A BEST FRIEND, YOU’RE THE PROBLEM IT’S YOU follows Bobby and James in an enemies-to-lovers Victorian romance.

This book was so sweet, cozy, and the perfect follow up to its predecessor. The romance between Bobby and James was done so well—the hate-to-love and slow burn aspects of their relationship made it all the more satisfying when they finally got together.

I adored being reunited with the cast of characters we loved in the first book, and the new additions in this story were perfect additions to their found family dynamic.

I think the simplicity in this duology’s structure is such an asset. I had a great time following these characters in their day-to-day activities while hiding these pining feeling for each other.

My only reservation with this book, similar to my feelings with the first book, regarded its ending. Though the fake marriages to Gwen and Beth is definitely realistic for the time frame the novel is set in, I felt the story’s events wrapped up very quickly, and almost too easily and perfectly. However, I do love a queer romance with a happy ending, so I couldn’t begrudge it too much.

This duology is the perfect read for anyone seeking a cozy, queer, Victorian romance, and I would wholeheartedly recommend picking it up!
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to continue with this story after "Don't Want You Like a Best Friend" but I really struggled to get into this one. I think this may have been a case of not being in the right mindset because I do love the idea behind it and the characters, so I'd definitely give it another shot.

I’m a big fan of queer historical romance, so I had high hopes for this book– especially since I enjoyed the first book in the series. Unfortunately, the book ended up being a bit of a letdown.

First of all, the two protagonists aren’t really enemies. Despite overlapping at Oxford, they don’t officially meet until their cousins introduce them to each other. When I read enemies to lovers, I want to see YEARS of mutual loathing.

I’m not as picky as some readers when it comes to historical accuracy. In fact, I appreciated that the key political issue in this book was a medical act; this paired nicely with the Marriage Act from the first book. However, I found myself bothered by some of the dialogue and situations.

Despite all this, I did enjoy the book. I thought the abusive stepfather was an interesting element to James’ character development and I especially appreciated that he apologizes to his cousin Beth for how she and her mother were treated in the past.

I would recommend You’re the Problem, It’s You.. but with the caveat that it’s a bit light on historical accuracy and chemistry.


I received a digital ARC of this book from Avon/NetGalley.