I absolutely adored Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend so when I saw that we were getting a continuation of the series, I was unbelievably excited. I am forever hunting for queer historical romances because it’s a joy to see queer people existing in eras that have been scrubbed clean of our colorful presence, even if it is fictional. This book was just that, a joyful celebration of queer love. There were moments at the beginning where the miscommunication made me want to strangle the MCs but that’s par for the course when I read that particular pet peeve of a trope. The characters themselves were worth pushing through however, and once they ironed out how to actually talk to one another, it was pure delight. Both of our MMCs are broken little things and it was incredibly sweet to see them find someone who could recognize the places they were chipped and handle those parts with tenderness. If you’re getting bogged down in the weeds of their idiocy, just give it a bit and I promise you’ll root for them.

I don’t know how the author would continue this series, but if she writes another installment, I will request it on Netgalley as soon as it becomes available and purchase it once it’s published. I have no doubt it will be just as great as the first two have been.

I found this book pretty entertaining! Having missed the first in the series, I did jump into the characters and their relationships with a bit of a delay, but thankfully was brought up to speed pretty quickly. I thought that without having read the first book, the author did a good job of setting a clear timeframe for the characters. I felt that the book read smoothly, and while I didn't necessarily relate to the characters, I could understand their logic and where they were coming from. I think it took maybe a little bit longer for the characters to "get it" figured out, but I am happy with how it wrapped up.

This book was just as sweet as the first one. Both Bobby and James were very lovable even if James was an absolute jerk to Bobby for the first half of the book haven’t we all been there when we’re trying to conceal a crush. The romance at the core of these books has always felt extremely heartfelt and I always appreciate that the stakes for romance are so much higher in historical romance than in contemporary romance because there’s truly something at stake. I did admittedly got a bit bogged down by all of the side plots and side characters and I did wish that not every single father figure (besides our father figure from the first book) was a drunk verbally abusive asshole. If all dads/stepdads act the same way in the book it was kind of hard to keep ahold of who was who. But other than that I loved Bobby and James’ story.

A fun follow-up to Don't Want You Like a Best Friend and conclusion to the duology, I all but devoured this, especially once it started to pick up about a third of the way in. There was less meddling from Gwen and Beth than I was expecting, and the depth of feelings seemed very quick, but that does all go hand-in-hand with the lighthearted tone of the duology overall.

I think my favorite thing about this book (and the duology overall) is that it both doesn't shy away from the fact that queer relationships were persecuted and had to be hidden, but also shows that these relationships existed, did find ways to be long-lasting, and could be supported. That there could be moments of queer joy and support and love. There's some that stretches the imagination, like the epilogue, but by that point it's all just so sweet that you don't mind.

I wasn't as fully on board with Bobby and James' relationship as I was with Gwen and Beth, mostly because their relationship is just a huge, huge pile of misunderstandings from the very beginning that never really get cleared up. As a dual PoV book, we as a reader get to see where the misunderstandings come from and get a sense of how they're cleared, but neither Bobby nor James actually ever get the words out to each other for why they were both so abrasive to each other at the beginning, which makes how quickly they fall into "I could see forever with him" feelings feel a little like whiplash and make the brief third-act separation feel like something that could keep happening. A lot of this could probably have been helped by tighter plotting, which makes me excited to see what Alban does next.

This book was very funny- if you like the miscommunication trope. I do not- and so the first half was almost unbearable to me. This also felt very modern- not what I want in a historical homance.

This is going to fill the void while we wait for more Bridgerton!!

I loved the progression of the relationship with Bobby and James

We get more schemes and we get more of Gwen and Beth!!

The ending of this was SO good

Queer Victorian MM romance
Meddling cousins
Enemies to lovers
One bed
Found family

Total rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️

Sweet snark and a gorgeous historical setting are the perfect pairing for this romance of clashing rivals to lovers.

THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!!

I was so in the mood for a feel-good, exciting, fresh, historical, page-turner romance. This is that x100.

I have never read this author before but I will absolutely be picking up her sapphic book in the same series. The humor is just modern enough that you’re laughing out loud and the romance is so touching and earnest that you’re almost in tears.

Read it. You won’t regret it.

This was a really fun follow up to Don't Want You Like a Best Friend. I very much enjoyed the characters of Bobby and James, and I liked their dynamic. Gwen and Beth were not nearly as meddling as I was expecting them to be, especially after getting to know them in the first book, but they were still very present which was a good time, and I'm glad it worked out for them all in the end. I don't know that I was super into the blackmailing plot, when it was actively happening it was definitely intriguing, but otherwise I forgot it existed. Overall, a very entertaining historical fiction, and I do love a taylor swift reference.

Truth be told, I really struggled with this novel. The general plot and story really appealed to me as a reader, but once I began, I struggled to finish it. The story felt very slow and not very engaging. I love the LGBTQ+ rep in an era that it did not exist and I want more stories like this to continue coming. At the end of the day, I think that the idea and story have so much promise, but I was not the right audience.

I have been dying to read YTPIY since I read Alban’s debut, DWYLABF, and it did not disappoint. YTPIY is described as an “enemies-to-lovers queer Victorian romance…in which a young lord and a second son clash, but find themselves thrust together again and again by their meddling cousins.”

This book, while providing a cozy and sappy HEA worthy of a fairy tale, also broke my heart and put it back together again. Alban delves into topics like toxic masculinity, sexuality and queer relationships in the Victorian era, abusive fathers, and found family. The internal conflict within each of the main characters, along with the difference in their lived experiences and world views based on their own realities, felt real and poignant, and Alban’s portrayal of found family left me delighted and utterly satisfied. Beth and Gwen are back and better than ever, and it was so gratifying to see all four of them get their happy ending.

Overall, this book is slightly slower to get started than DWYLABF, and it has plenty of syrupy sweet moments that might be a turn off for some readers, but it captivated me in the best possible way.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Once I figured out all the characters and their various forms of address it was easier to read. Perhaps reading the first in the series would have helped, but I’m not sure it was necessary. I enjoyed the story, although I did wonder why it took them so long to figure out a convenient way to solve their problems.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one. I liked Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend-enough that I was eager to find out what happened with everyone in this sequel- but I found the pacing quite slow at some places. Given some of my hesitations with the first book, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed You’re the Problem.

I will start off with my only critique- there is a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding in the beginning, the nature of which did make the story drag a little for me at first. But around 35% it picked up and kept me fully engaged and interested for the remainder of the time!

I love these characters! They are so well developed, and you really feel their highs and lows alongside them. The progression of the romance in this book is so lovely as the two main characters go from antagonists to begrudging allies to friends to lovers. Their insecurities and doubts pulled at my heart and their eventual joy was contagious.

The found family aspect, the unconditional love and acceptance this group of people has for one another was everything and more. Every relationship in this book was so well done- from the main romance, to the friendships, to Bobby and his brother, and so on. The side characters are delightful and Meredith Mason should be in charge of everything, always.

Overall a super cute read! Would definitely recommend for lovers of historical romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the arc!

I must admit it took me a bit longer to get into this one compared to the first one, but I ended up loving it just as much. Bobby and James' story was full of funny, tense, heartfelt, sensual, and sad moments. I also loved how much their cousins, Beth and Gwen, were featured in this story. This book also made me even more of a Meredith fan. She's awesome.

While I think the plot of the Medical Act discussed some important topics, I must admit it went into too much detail. The pace of the story was affected by the politics of it all.

Apart from that, I really enjoyed the banter, the pining, and (understandably) the anxieties surrounding a relationship like theirs in that period. It was so much fun to read, especially the second half. I was giggling and kicking my feet because they were so damn cute, but also tearing up because of how much I felt for them. If you liked the first one, you will love spending more time with this crew.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing a review copy. This book comes out exactly one month from today, August 27th! I already pre-ordered my physical copy and can't wait to add it to my collection.

This review is also posted on Goodreads! Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this ARC for free!

I really teetered on the DNF line for a good 40% of the book, I’m not gonna lie. I’m very glad I’m extremely stubborn though because I did very much like the rest of it! I can’t stand the miscommunication trope to begin with, but I feel like in this case it was dragged out immensely and I had a very hard time getting through it. That being said- I loved the little spicy moments, I loved the found family aspect, I love Bobby that sweet little cinnamon roll, I love the girls, and I loved the ending. I do recommend this to anyone who likes the miscommunication trope and the rivals to lovers trope. The cover art is absolutely gorgeous and I feel like I would for sure purchase this to have the duology physically.

Overall, I’d say it’s a good 3.5 stars for me.

I loved the first book in this duology so I was pleasantly surprised how much of a page turner this one was, too. I loved how the characters from the first book weren’t just background for the new couple but continued to develop through this book as well.
The family situation was a bit…odd to get over but understandable given the situation and the time period.
Both books do a tremendous job of handling some really complex family issues, like parental abuse and recovering from it, that I admired as well.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon for allowing me to read this early!
I was not a huge fan of the first book but really wanted to give the second book a try. Unfortunately, I did not find it any better. The writing itself is pretty solid but the story felt repetitive and unnecessary at points. I was really hoping this would be another queer romance series I could fall in love with, but sadly have to pass.

You're the Problem, It's You was a highly anticipated read on my TBR list this year, so I was very excited to get my hands on an ARC. I enjoyed the first book a lot more, but that’s usually the case with most duologies. I give the book 3.5 stars overall.

If you enjoy reading about found family and queer historical romances, definitely give this book a shot!

Bobby and James’ story was filled with moments of tenderness and vulnerability (even amongst their miscommunication). I also loved seeing their dynamics with the other supporting characters. Even though I wish we had seen more meddling, mischief, & matchmaking by Beth and Gwen, their romance from the first book in the series carried over nicely and it was really satisfying to get to see how their love story had progressed since the last social season. I also loved the lavender marriage solution. (I had been rooting for this since the previous epilogue.) Personality-wise the "husband/wife pairs match up really well and they have amazing friendships. I thought it was so cute that after Beth got seasick while sailing that she and Bobby collectively decided that “the Masons don’t sail.” I just love queer friendships!

While I liked the story overall, I didn't rate it higher for a few reasons. I felt like the plot was a little wishy-washy or clumsy at times. The pacing just felt off. The switch from enemies to lovers happened too fast. Also, the main antagonist of the book was almost unnecessary in my opinion. He disappeared for a good portion of the book and mostly remained in the background not really impacting much.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the arc!
I absolutely adored the first book in the series, and I am really bad to say that the second book was thoroughly enjoyable.

Would I say this enemies to lovers? No I would not, but the romance is still spectacular. The tension between Bobby and James is just so good. It is definitely less enemies delivers and more just miscommunication and misunderstandings between them that lead them just to not like each other. Every single romance in these books, whether there would be the main characters or the side characters is so perfect!
Now one of my only complaints about this book is that I do think some of the characters had moments and scenes where they were acting really out of character or their character switched how they were acting at a certain point kinda randomly.
I would definitely say there are some differences between the books generally, I would say in the vibes. The first book definitely focuses more on this beautiful and sweet romance between Gwen and Beth with a little bit less outside plot stuff happening. This book while it does have an absolutely spectacular romance, incorporates a bit more of the world outside of the romance and a more realistic view of the romantic possibilities. I actually think that was a real bonus for the book as it makes it a bittersweet and beautiful romance while still representing that this was a reality for many people in history.

"You're the Problem, It's You' is the lovely conclusion to this queer historical romance duology, one that ramps up the drama, the heartache, and the deep emotions of finding a soulmate even when the whole world is against you.

It's another fiery enemies-to-lovers dynamic, but unlike the heroines from book one, Bobby and James have to be infinitely more careful of their inclinations. Once it's clear they can't keep their hands off each other--since it's less believable in their society for men to be that close--there is no hiding from the 'ton' (as the women do going out as 'companions') especially when a past paramour blackmails them. Love how their relationship being riskier is highlighted a couple of times. If Beth/Gwen were found out, the worse that would've happened is they'd be cast out of society. But for men to be found out, would've meant jail or worse. So even though at certain points Bobby feels like he's not being supported as much as Beth/Gwen, it's more that his loved ones are afraid of the severe consequences if he is discovered. The high risk is also the main cause for James's panic attacks. It's beautiful to see them both grow and deal with this inevitable fact in their own ways.

Another interesting point is Bobby and James are both from respectable families, but still from different "levels". While James is a viscount and the head of family, Bobby is only a second son, a spare and untied to any sort of important responsibility. Think Benedict Bridgerton *wink wink*. This detail never becomes an issue between them, but it was an interesting part of both men's inner conflicts. Bobby doesn't just feel cast aside for being a queer man, but also cast aside for being the spare, the one no one expects to be responsible or even interested in helping out with family affairs. Nothing is further from the truth, and I loved the nice resolution Bobby gets after speaking with his brother. James can't deal with the pressure of leading on his own, especially while his stepfather keeps putting him down at every turn. It takes a breaking point to show him that no matter the risks, together is better than apart.

I saw the solution/ending coming from a mile away--It's not that hard to put two and two together (quite literally) when they all want the same. But it didn't detract from the surprises that cropped up during the ending chapters and all the way through the epilogue. If you like stories about queer found families who fight and carve their own space in a world that is against them because there's no way they're giving up on their HEA, then this duology will charm and delight you.