This one was such fun! As our MCs keep getting put together by those around them, we see the inevitable disasters ensue! This was funny, romantic, and so much fun to read.

you're the problem, it's you | emma r. alban

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥

▫️ let's talk about it

I have mixed feings about this book!

Positives:
- m/m regency romance!
- Bobby! He's a sweetie and I loved him
- Supporting cast: loved the friends and family dynamics in this one
- The writing was great!

Negatives
- basically, James! I appreciated his journey with feeling comfortable in his own skin, but he was SO hot and cold! One or two conflicts would have been fine, but the entire book was him not being able to be in a relationship without worrying he'd be ruined. And then believing he could. And then changing his mind. Over and over! Bobby deserved better.

The book had GREAT potential... It just needed some conflict editing!

I wouldn't NOT recommend this book. I just wasn't over the moon about it!

✰✰✰✰✰ / 5

This queer regency romance is delightfully sweet, sexy, and joyous all around. A sequel to Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend , this mlm romance provides a whole new couple while also finishing Gwen and Beth’s story.

The dual POV was brilliantly done, and I really enjoyed both James and Bobby’s stories. While the romance was sweeping, I also really cared for their personal journeys of acceptance and belonging in the world they live in. I’m glad this book handled the actual duties and responsibilities these gentlemen would have — being in Parliament, having heirs, estates, etc (Bridgerton could never). It’s not all parties and romance!

The romance between James and Bobby was really sweet. I loved the pining and the lust and the cutesy moments. Yes it went a bit quickly, but they always do in these types of books. These two did fit together, and I really loved their dynamic together and with the whole Mischief and Matchmaking group.

Absolutely loved both of these books!!

I really liked this historical gay romance by Emma R. Alban! The sequel/companion to Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend, which is a sapphic friends to lovers, this book continues the story but it follows Bobby and James, who are the respective cousins of the girls in the first book.

When James Demeroven comes to London for the first time in a long time, he and Bobby Mason immediately get off on the wrong foot. And then they keep getting into arguments every time they end up in the same room together. But they both can’t deny that the other is very attractive… but that doesn’t mean anything. And they can’t be sure the other one shares their preference. Then one night they run into each other at London’s only gay establishment and realize that they might actually be able to relate to each other after all. And maybe this intense tension between them is actually chemistry and mutual attraction and not anger after all.

“That man is, without a doubt, the absolute most obnoxious… insufferable… hottest man to ever walk the ton.”

This is a classic enemies-to-lovers (but with a few good twists) set in the fantastic world that Alban created in Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend. The characters have such good chemistry and are so well-written. I think I enjoyed this one more than the first and can’t wait to see what else Alban comes up with!

You’re the Problem, It’s You is the follow-up to Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend.

Bobby Mason is used to being second best and yearns to contribute something that matters to the world. Which is why he can’t stand James Demeroven, who squanders his political power.

James Demeroven, who just recently became a viscount, harbored a secret crush on Bobby during their Oxford days. Since then, James has discovered that Bobby is foolishly brash and has an annoying habit of rubbing James’s failures in his face.

Yet the two men can’t deny their attraction to each other and when an extortionist threatens them and their families, they must work together.

While the first book was a fun regency romp, the sequel plods along with thinly sketched characters. While the book insists that Bobby and James hate each other, I couldn’t really figure out why. It spells it out in the summary but not in the book itself.

I ultimately had to put down You’re the Problem, It’s You without finishing it because it was becoming a chore to pick up. I wish I had enjoyed it as much as the first book in the series and I hope that any future books in this series are more like the first!

I think I loved this even more than the first book which is really saying something because I rated that highly too. The initial tension between Bobby and James, Bobby not understand James' disinterest was really anxiety, James thinking Bobby was a second son who floated around without a care.

I loved James so much. I'm also an anxious little bean and heavily related not only to his panic attacks, but his general anxiety day to day. I loved the way he grew as the story went on and that his anxiety never left, but that he would remind himself he's no longer alone and there are people who love him dearly who want to be there for him.

I do wish we got a bit more of Bobby openly expressing his insecurities with James, but I loved how he actively turned to his family when he was feeling down.

While this story had real stakes, it never felt like too much and it was so easy to root for James and Bobby, but also for the family.

That epilogue really got me. I'm never a crier with books, but it got a couple happy tears from me 🥲

i tried really hard to like this one. i love regency romances and alban hit it out of the park with don't want you like a best friend. this one felt really slow in the beginning and i lost interest. i would still recommend alban's books to those wanting a regency romance with LGBTQ+ representation and with a modern twist.

I was completely charmed by this queer historical duet by Emma R. Alban. You're the Problem, It's You is the follow-up to Don't Want You Like a Best Friend, and ultimately, both should be read together and in order.

This book follows the unlikely romance between Bobby Mason and the newly minted Viscount Demeroven. It's very much enemies-to-lovers (my fave), and I thoroughly enjoyed how this story unraveled in a surprising but refreshingly realistic way. There's meddling from friends and family, competitive yard games, and a rather involved blackmail plot. The ending is lovely and puts a nice bow on the plots of both books.

I can't recommend this book and its predecessor enough!

Although I thought this book was good overall, I found the beginning of the book to be a little slow, so it took me longer than I thought to really get into it. The novel didn't really gain up speed until we reached the main conflict, which was regrettably not until halfway through.

Regarding the storyline and locations, it was wonderful to see a Victorian-era tale that managed to depict the story of queer love while yet acknowledging the contrasting social norms of the day.

Though I was more involved in Bobby and James' romance, I do believe that Gwen and Beth had a greater initial attraction in the first book. Reading about their misunderstandings for the most part of the book was probably annoying for me. But still I could understand why James acted the way he did. Even though there were moments when I wanted to yell at them, I still loved both of these characters.

I have to say that with her second book, Alban did, in my opinion, write a better and more developed book. She writes about intimacy and emotions in this book in a way that is both humorous and heartwarming.

If you're a fan of Bridgerton or the Victorian era and want to read a book that celebrates queer love, I strongly suggest you pick up this one.

3 Stars I was so excited for You're the Problem, It's You after loving Don't Want You Like a Best Friend, but sadly, it fell flat for me. I'm hoping that, as the title states, it's me, I'm the problem, and that others love this story.

I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope, which immediately put me off of James and Bobby's story. There's not only miscommunication, but a frustratingly complete lack of communication between the two for a good chunk of the novel. So much of the conflict could've been avoided if they had simply talked to each other for once. The three stars are for the ending. I loved the lavender marriage and the epilogue was perfect.

3 Stars I was so excited for You're the Problem, It's You after loving Don't Want You Like a Best Friend, but sadly, it fell flat for me. I'm hoping that, as the title states, it's me, I'm the problem, and that others love this story.

I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope, which immediately put me off of James and Bobby's story. There's not only miscommunication, but a frustratingly complete lack of communication between the two for a good chunk of the novel. So much of the conflict could've been avoided if they had simply talked to each other for once. The three stars are for the ending. I loved the lavender marriage and the epilogue was perfect.

Tin-eared, historically inaccurate, unreadable.

"James nods and looks back down at his plate, the crumbs of his scone too closely resembling the shambles of his life." Bathos always bodes ill. (And if the line was meant to be funny, that also bodes ill.)

"In and among the greenery, everywhere he looks, there’s a nice young lady sitting artfully on a bench, or daintily splayed on a picnic blanket ..."

A young (Victorian! I checked the ad copy repeatedly; the setting is supposed to be 19th-century England) lady daintily. splayed. on a picnic blanket. Even nowadays, it would be a challenge to splay oneself daintily.

"... it's a shame Aunt Cordelia is so heavy with child and won't be attending most of these events. She's a right laugh."

Yes, that's definitely how a member of the Victorian upper classes would have characterized a witty person.

" ... Gwen, who's practically doing calisthenics to warm up."

Female member of the Victorian upper classes. At a garden party. Practically doing calisthenics. I ... don't think so?

"He needs to really suss the man out first."

Google Ngram viewer records no published instance of "suss out" before the 1940s. Granted, the usage may have been in oral use before then, but it doesn't appear in "Passing English of the Victorian Era," so.

A viscount is addressed as "Viscount." All you have to do is Google to discover that the proper form is "My lord" or "Your lordship." (I'm not sure the commoner in this exchange would be the one to offer a handshake, by the way, but let it pass.)

"Let's go out, get some air, yeah?" Again, upper-class Victorian person, yeah?

I've read any number of fanfics whose authors are more attentive to historical and social accuracy, and let it be noted that fanfic writers aren't getting paid for their work.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

Alban has crafted a truly enjoyable romp through the Victorian Era with this MM Loving delight! The previous novel set this one up very well, and it was even more enjoyable than Don't Want You Like A Best Friend! James and Bobby (and their crew of meddlesome friends and family) are an absolute delight!

I enjoyed this book even more than the first book in the series (Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend), but it did contain heavier themes than I was expecting.

Bobby is a second son who wants to matter and contribute, while James expects to be a disappointment as the new viscount. Despite James and Bobby’s cousins being best friends and trying to encourage friendship between the two men, James and Bobby clash during all their interactions. However, when Bobby and James are both targeted by extortion and blackmail from the same person, they realize they must work together to protect themselves and their families.

I loved seeing Beth and Gwen (the protagonists of the first book in the series) being happy and in love! This book is arguably an inter-connected stand-alone, but it also felt like a continuation of the first novel in certain ways. I would recommend reading that book before starting this one, since there are a lot of side characters. I thought the characters felt well-rounded and loved the inclusion of side characters with stories of their own.

I thought the author did a great job of conveying the social and political world James and Bobby are a part of. Part of that social and political context is the fact that men can be imprisoned for same-sex physical intimacy. This becomes relevant to the extortion/blackmail portion of the plot in a way I found stressful to read about at times. (This is just personal preference; I often like my romance novels more escapist.) The extortion/blackmail is one of the heavier themes I wasn’t expecting based on reading the blurb on the back cover. The other heavier topic involved to the dangers associated with pregnancy, including child and maternal mortality. I wish there had been a content note at the beginning of the book, because I imagine this content could be difficult for some readers.

Highlights:
-antagonists to lovers
-supportive friends & family members
-Achillean Romance

I think I was just not the audience for this particular book at this particular time.

The enemies to lovers trope came off too strong for me. I get uncomfortable when the love interests have a really strong vitriol for one another. And in this particular story one of the love interests just kept doubling down on his hurtful treatment of the other and that is a deal breaker for me. I can forgive an incident where someone says or does something hurtful because they were flustered or upset or didn't know something. But the repeated cruelty was too much for me. Life is too short to read books that make you unhappy.

I think this book would be great for people that love a strong enemies to lovers dynamic, appreciate really flawed and damaged characters, love the historical London setting with gentleman's clubs and Parliament. It had a great setting and good atmosphere, and I was interested to see what would happen.

You're the Problem, it's You is a captivating story of dueling personalities set in an aristocratic society. Ever the underdog, Bobby Mason burns with the desire to prove himself, while James Demeroven, burdened by the weight of expectations, prefers to stay in the shadows.

Their fiery interactions, filled with tension and unspoken attraction, kept me glued to my seat, and I read this in one sitting. The beginning was a bit messy, especially with the miscommunication, but it made up for it in the end. I loved the passion throughout the book - the level of emotion was just intense. Each kiss, each touch, each brush was just magnified. I was such a sucker for this couple. This story is a rollercoaster of emotions that will pull readers into a world where love and rivalry are two sides of the same coin.

You're the problem, It's you by Emma R. Alban was such a wonderful historical romance. I am not even a huge historical romance person but this was such a delightful read. Such loving characters and a fun plot line!

You're the Problem, It's You is a delightful historical romance following Bobby and James very soon after the events of Don't Want You Like a Best Friend. You get to see a lot of Gwen and Beth from the first installment throughout this book, and I loved the way that both couples were able to find a HEA! I wasn't a huge fan of the villain arc, as spoiler blackmail spoiler isn't my thing, but overall I greatly enjoyed this story and recommend it! Plus - the cover is just absolutely adorable. Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

I have not read the first book in the Mischief & Matchmaking duology (which I will be correcting immediately), but I didn't find it at all difficult to read this book on its own. I picked this on a whim from NetGalley, and I am so very glad I did. I absolutely DEVOURED it. I love regency novels with a twist or new take on complicated situations. This novel absolutely delivered! It was funny, touching, spicy, and hopeful all at the same time. Everything that I look for in a romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC!

I struggled getting into You’re the Problem, It’s You, but flew through the last half. Bobby and James were incredibly antagonistic to each other throughout the first part of the book, and it made it really hard to root for them. And the villain was really hard to read because of how terrible he was (in a non-fun way).

I felt like this book struggled to find the charm and heart that made the first book so delightful. I loved the ending (and was thrilled when I was correct about where it was all headed), so I’m definitely glad I read it.

A huge thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own. 3.75/5