DNF @26%

The miscommunication in this book was too much for me to handle. They could have just had one conversation and fixed everything.

Super cute Victorian Queer Romance! I am on a personal mission to read every sport in romance form and this one checked off croquet off of my list! If you love enemies to lovers, this one is for you!

I hadn’t read “Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend” so this was my first book by Emma and I really enjoyed it! There were a few moments where I was a little confused by the characters and the names; at times they would use first names and other times last names and sometimes nicknames and I understand certain dynamics between characters call for that but I found myself focusing a lot on trying to figure out who was who and who had what relationship with whom. Also (and this might be a me thing) I had to concentrate on characters having the same names, like fathers and the sons, but that’s probably me just not reading a lot of historical romances

Overall I really enjoyed the found family, the enemies to lovers, the banter and the themes throughout this book!

Full disclosure, I received this as an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was really drawn in by the synopsis, cover, and title, but regrettably this was a DNF for me. I normally LOVE enemies-to-lovers, but I just did NOT care for James. It's hard to read a book when half of the time it's from the POV of a character I don't really care about. Also, I don't mind a well-done 'miscommunication' trope, but all their interactions just seemed forced without anything between them. Ymmv as I don't normally read period romances, but this just wasn't for me.

3.5 Rounded up!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the story overall and following James and Bobby as they navigated society and getting to know one another. I loved their angry kisses and their banter and the dynamic with them and Gwen and Beth. Unfortunately I felt like this story and characters were slightly less developed than the first book and that the ending felt predictable/not scary because of the way this book was set up in book one.

I was so excited to go into this sequel. I will say it dragged a little in the middle for me but I still think it was a beautiful queer romance.

E-ARC generously provided by Avon in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!

Compelling, frothy, and containing a Bridgerton-esque queer romance that’s impossible to not root for, You’re the Problem, It’s You is an excellent bookend to this delightful duology inspired by the music of Taylor Swift.

I haven't flown through a book like I did with this in a while!

James Demeroven has recently come into a title and power despite his feelings of powerlessness and lack of interest in politics. Meanwhile, Bobby Mason longs to make a difference in the world but lacks any authority or influence. Neither can stand each other, yet both are searching for companionship and love in an era that won't allow them to love who they'd like.

I loved this book! The family ties might be uncomfortably close for a romance but I really appreciated how ride or die this family is for each other. the family relationship also allowed this story not to become a total gay tragedy. As much as the homophobic societal pressure and criminalization is needed in historical queer romances to create believability, angst, and conflict, it is so refreshing to see these characters be given a safe space in the Victorian era.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic worked out well because both men had a real reason to dislike the other but the sexual tension and personal similarities were still obvious from the start so the switch to friends didn't feel forced.

The resolution with the main antagonist was probably the weakest element and a little cartoony, but if I imagine it like a rom-com movie scene it's forgivable. Perhaps I am just bad with names (especially when Victorian titles and customs are involved in how characters address each other) but a relationship chart with characters' names and how they're related to each other would've been so helpful for me.

It also took me a little while into reading to realize that Beth and Gwen clearly had gone through their own story before the events of this one. I will definitely be going back and reading more about their romance. Gwen especially was an absolute delight to read about and I need to know more!

This is such a fun follow-up to Don't Want You Like a Best Friend, and I was glad that Beth and Gwen are still characters throughout. It did make me want a book about their parents even more than before, though.

First of all the cover is absolutely beautiful! That being said this was just not a book I found myself wanting to pick up and when I did I could not get more than 5% into the book. I'm sure it's a great read for some, but for me I could not get into it because of the 3rd person point of view writing style. I much prefer first person and was genuinely excited to read this book at first but the 3rd person POV was just not it for me at this moment. I am a mood reader though so maybe this could be a book that I would revisit at some other time just not now.

It ran a bit too long but I really liked all the characters and seeing all of their happy endings made my heart so warm

I loved this fun follow up to Alban's Don't Want You Like a Best Friend. You're the Problem, It's You takes on one of my favorite romance tropes: enemies to lovers. Bobby and James (who we were introduced to in Alban's first book) knew each other in school, and although they each thought the other was a hottie, they also found each other infuriating. Bobby is much more adventurous, while James, a viscount, is just trying to stay out of everyone's way. I loved the scenes where Bobby and James allow themselves to be together while out in the country -- very steamy.
This series doesn't need to be read in order, but I appreciated the way this second in the series involved Gwen and Beth (our heroines from the first book), along with cousin Albie and his wife Meredith. The family dynamics and plotting and scheming are a natural continuation from the first book, and the HEA at the end of this book wraps up Gwen and Beth's story along with Bobby and James'.
Definitely recommend for fans of the Bridgerton series or other 19th century romances, and obviously for fans of queer romance -- enjoy!

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the early copy, it was much appreciated!

I absolutely loved the cover and thought the premise of You're the Problem, It's You would right up my alley, but unfortunately I didn't really end up liking this one. The pacing of the romance was glacial and was not a fan of the enemies to lovers thing over a miscommunication that could have easily been cleared up. Overall was cute just not my jam

I started this book almost immediately after finishing Bridgerton and I think that was the wrong choice for me. I was looking for the same swooning that the show has, but with queer representation. I also haven't read the first book, and I think I would have understood better where this story picks up.

Unfortunately I didn't really enjoy this one. I felt that the romance was so slow and not that enjoyable. Again, it could be that I started with this book without having read the first one, or that I just wasn't in the right head space for it. The writing style wasn't my favorite either. I am not really sure what about it I didn't like, just didn't vibe with it. I'll probably try to read the first book first and then come back to this one.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!

"You're the Problem, It's You" by Emma R. Alban is a charming enemies-to-lovers queer Victorian romance that left me feeling happy, though not quite as ecstatic as her previous work, "Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend." Bobby and James have an undeniable chemistry that made their constant clashes entertaining, but at times, the tension felt a bit forced. Still, the meddling cousins and the unexpected extortion plot added a fun twist to the story. I enjoyed the witty banter and the gradual development of their relationship, but it didn’t quite hit the same emotional highs for me as her earlier book. Overall, it’s a delightful read that made me smile, perfect for fans of slow-burn romances and historical settings. 💕🏰📖

I might have enjoyed this slightly more had I read the first book first but regardless, this was an absolutely adorable, super sweet, cheerful and romantic little romp, just exactly what it says on the tin. The couple was believable, romance was well developed, and it was just all around a lovely little book. Highly recommend for lovers of historical queer romance.

While I did get very much into the relationship between Bobby and James and truly enjoyed their ending, I wouldn’t say that I enjoyed the book as a whole. In the one hand, I saw a lot of the major plot points coming a hundred pages away, but on the other hand, there was so much that was just…filler or superfluous about the other characters that I kept getting bored with it. In addition, I somehow felt that we didn’t have enough background on the beginnings of some of this conflict. It seems like it wants to be a standalone companion novel and yet I felt like I was missing a step every other page throughout the first half of the book.

First, I love this title. It caught my attention right away and the summary peaked my interest as well. There were parts of this book that I really enjoy. The couple dynamics were interesting, there was some character growth, and I honestly just enjoyed the main cast of characters. I would definitely say this is purely a romance book, there was a small plot outside of the couple getting together, but one that seemed to solve itself a bit to easily for my general taste. I honestly would have preferred that plot just either not be there or that is was given a bit more attention. I also struggled with whole "we're in the past and only heteronormative relationships are okay" portion. I know that it's what happened, but it's just generally not my cup of tea and I found myself skimming through certain sections to avoid it.

Overall, enjoyable characters and a decent read.

This was a lovely follow up to the first book of the series. I enjoyed seeing queer love celebrated even in times where it was hard to do so. Bobby and James stole my heart just like Gwen and Beth did in the first book, their love was so beautifully written. I loved loved loved the family they created, can’t recommend this book enough.

I really enjoyed Don't Want You Like a Best Friend, and this was a great follow-up. I think that this excelled in all the same ways. The characters felt realistic, even if that meant that their flaws felt realistic as well. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and I would read another book in the series if a third book came out.
I do think that there are plot points of this that rely on information from Don't Want You Like a Best Friend. While it would be possible to read and enjoy it as a standalone, there would definitely be parts that were confusing without the knowledge from the first book. I always like seeing characters again from earlier books in romance series, like Beth and Gwen, but they had a larger role than I expected in this book.
Rating: 4.5/5, rounded to 4 on Goodreads