A really delightful Sapphic regency romance with some spooky Gothic elements!

Ladies in Hating is a regency era FF romance told in limited third-person POV. The main characters are ladies from different social classes who have become quite successful authors of Gothic novels. The main characters' personalities and feelings were very endearing and I loved both of them. As with the other books in this series, there is a fun cast of supporting characters. I enjoyed seeing some familiar names (especially Bacon the dog!) but you certainly do not need to read the previous novels to appreciate these characters or this story. The romance here was honestly one of the best Sapphic relationships I've read. There's a genuine connection, a dash of rivalry, and a lovely, steamy romance. There is personal growth from the leading ladies through the story and, most importantly, a realistic but positive ending (which is not always handled well in queer historical romances).

I really enjoy this author's writing style, and, like with the other novels in this series, I devoured this quickly. The prose fits nicely in a Regency narrative without being too dense to traverse. The author's knowledge and research into Gothic novels of the time period is obvious and I was cheered by the homages to the women-written Gothics and other novels of the time. Northanger Abbey (one of my favorite Austens) was not specifically mentioned, but I felt the spirit. The author's note made these recognizable elements all the more appreciated, as the author incorporated details of real queer women and people of the time. It's a difficult balancing act to write queer stories in this time period that are believable and not overly modern while also allowing the queer joy to shine through, and Vasti did a fantastic job.

I enjoyed the first two novels in this series, Ne'er Duke Well and Earl Crush, and gave both of those 4 stars, but this one is my favorite! Crucially, this one does not have a third-act breakup. This will be a really fun Halloween read! It seems like Iris is the next in line for the series and I will certainly read her story (and others by the author!)

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for the arc!

This book is for the sapphic yearners in research of a pure love story but also of an adventure. Not only I was living in this book’s world the whole time I was reading it but I was also bringing it with me because it did not leave my mind. I really liked the characters relationships with their families and their passion for their craft. This was a delight!

This book checked a lot of boxes for me! Vasti did an excellent job of weaving in real history without making the book feel bogged down by it. There is humor and heartache and happiness, and it's a real love letter to queer people through time. Cat & Georgie have immediate chemistry, AND they communicate. I love to see it!

I am admittedly a sucker for a supernatural element, and Ladies in Hating delivered. Renwick House felt like its own character, and I was just as eager to discover it as the main characters.

I did not realize this was part of a series until after I'd picked up the book, and it reads very well as a standalone!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a bit of a it's not you it's me 3 star. I'm not a big romance reader, but I do occasionally enjoy a historical romance especially when it's queer. This one unfortunately didn't do much for me. I didn't really feel much chemistry between the two main characters, despite the amount of time they spent staring at each other's mouths. And I struggled to stay interested in the plot that popped up in between the romance. One thing I didn't realize before I started the book is that it is part of a series, and while I think this definitely could be read as a standalone, having the background on all the characters might have helped me feel more invested. .

4.5 stars

This series just never disappoints! I loved Georgiana and Cat’s friendship turned rivalry and the absolute loathing they had for each other (but mixed with sexual tension… obviously). All their run ins were so funny with the way they could not get away from each other fast enough.
The creepy gothic manor was such a fun setting and I loved that all the weird things that happened kept pushing Georgiana and Carly together. The progression of their relationship was so sweet and I loved that they were both so forgiving and soft with each other. Georgiana had a lot of issues trusting and being open to love because of her past but Cat was so patient and understanding with her. I absolutely loved them together.
As with the previous books, you get a little bit of a mystery element which was a lot of fun and I loved that this one involved their families and created the opportunity for some really sweet moments there.
This book was so fun and had such great gothic novel, historical romcom vibes!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC!

I liked this, but didn’t love. I really enjoyed the ending but it started off slow for me. Overall, a good ending to this series, but I was a little disappointed.

This book was incredibly well written- the dialogue is perfect and it was incredibly well researched.

Really liked this book. It was funny and engaging well most of AV’s books are hard to put down once you get started. I liked the additional depth added to Georgina’s character it made her more relatable and you felt invested in her finally being able to get her reconciliations. I know this the last book of the series but I hope there is another for Iris. Thanks for the early read - this was a treat :)

Lady Georgiana Cleeve is determined to uncover the identity of the author writing under the pseudonym ‘Lady Darling’ as many of their works share similarities that Georgiana is convinced are more than coincidence. Little does she know, this discovery will lead her on a journey of adventure, desire, suspense, and ultimately culminate with falling in love.

I loved everything about this novel! The writing style, the plot, the side characters, the pup Bacon, little strife once past the enemies-to-lovers hurdle, and the love and acceptance shining throughout. There were virtually no grammatical errors, the story was very well written, and I enjoyed the slow burn aspect.

While there was some spice in the novel, I would have enjoyed a bit more, but that is the only thing I would change! Amazing novel!

Lady Georgiana has achieved fame and fortune in her writing career but she’s also gained an energy. Lady Darling who’s manuscripts are eerily similar to her own. She’s determined to unmask her rival until she finds out it’s her old childhood crush hiding behind the pseudonym. The plot thickens when the two get stuck in a spooky manor together. Cat has overcome a lot and won’t back down from a challenge and neither is Georgiana.

I’m really enjoying this series! Vastis historical novels are a good mix between romance and mystery and they can be read as stand-alone too.

Cat and Georgiana are strong characters with a lot of depth and drive. All things I love to see in my fmcs. I love them together, couple goals!

It took me awhile to get into this one but the back half is very strong. The haunted manor and drama really kicked up the pace.

Read this if you like
🩷Historical romance
🌹Rivals to lovers
🫶🏼Sapphic romance
✨Found family

I loved this book. I always felt like regency romances were intriguing but also just ever so slightly lacking. I was glad I read them, but I was also never fully satisfied afterwards.

...it was bc it wasn't about WOMEN pining over each other (cue the bisexual national anthem). This romance was absolutely delicious.

I also have mad respect for the author describing a panic attack so well. My girl Georgiana has TRAUMA and I thought it was depicted beautifully. Especially when it connected the love interest.

Spicy, romantic, and heart-filling--I plan to be a MENACE when this book releases on September 23 this year!

DNF
I'll start out by saying I don't think this book was for me. I made it about 40% through before I decided I just really didn't care for the story. I didn't mesh with the writing style which was written like an older novel which drew me out of the story trying to understand what was going on. There was also far too much internal monologue going on for me and not a ton of character interactions. I did love how it had lesbian representation. But also. How were their books EXACTLY the same when they hadn't even read each other's stories. That's a fishy coincidence. Overall, it just wasn't for me and I wasn't connected to the story at all unfortunately.

Ladies In Hating is pitched as rival gothic novelists stuck in a mansion but I would have loved to see more rivalry. That said, I really Georgiana and Cat, both individually and together. My main issue with this book was the pacing— the beginning was a little slow but picked up momentum when I reached 60%. Overall, I found the story enjoyable and would recommend this to lovers of historical fiction.

Thank you so much SMP for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so cute and exactly what I needed. I loved the enemies to lovers ARC, the mystery, and the banter. The tension between Cat and Georgiana simmered on the page. This was perfect for fans of Olivia Atwater and Emma Alban. I need more victorian sapphics, please!

Ladies in Hating is the third in an adorably, romantic regency series but can standalone. Our two MCs are unknowingly rivals that happen upon similar if not the same plot points and plot twists and upon a chance meeting, realize they are childhood friends. The not-super-slow build to lovers is absolutely worth the wait. I’m going to be thinking about and recommending this book for a long time.
My sole complaint is the overuse of the word ‘erotic’. It was EVERYWHERE or at least it felt like it. It didn’t always take me out of the story except for the one time I believe it was on the page more than once.
Other than that, I can’t tell you enough how eager I am to physically own this book. Truly A TREASURE.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandra Vasti, and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I just had to request this one for three reasons: the beautiful cover, it's sapphic, and it’s about gothic authors. I’m glad I was accepted to read this book early. I adored both of the characters Georgiana and Cat. I can’t forget Bacon, the Georgiana's dog. I think a few things were missing. I wanted more information on what their books were going to be about. Also, just seeing them spend more time together. Specifically, when they were in the Gothic manor. I wanted a bit more of the Gothic vibes. I look forward to reading another book by Alexandra Vasti. I highly recommend it!

Ladies in Hating was a fun and witty read! The characters were bold, and the story had just the right mix of humor and sharp commentary. It kept me entertained the whole way through, with some unexpected twists along the way. A clever, enjoyable book that I’d definitely recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Ladies in Hating is set in Regency Era Britain where Georgiana is a Gothic author who is set on finding out the identity of her rival author. They then get stuck in a haunted house together and have to find away to work together while also trying to keep their feelings to each other.

I LOVED this book way more than I thought I was going too as I don’t read a lot of contemporary romance but this is the second contemporary romance I’ve read this month that’s set in the regency era and I really enjoyed both of them but I liked this one more because of the lesbians 😂

<spoiler>This book made my laugh, it made me frustrated and it made me cry. The yearning from both Georgie and Cat was great. I really loved seeing how Georgie had always been infatuated with cat and her trying to not be infatuated with her in preset was so cute. I will say Georgie’s insecurity about getting the people who are close to her hurt was frustrating cause as the reader I can see that that’s not true, but having Cat be the one to get her to believe in herself was really fantastic. And I am beyond happy that these two lesbians get the happy ending that they deserve and I was sobbing at the end . <\spoiler>


Thank you to St. Martins Press via NetGalley for the advanced digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

Alexandra Vasti does it again!

I loved the first two books in this series so naturally I jumped at the opportunity to read this ARC as well. The author has this incredible voice when she writes that brings the characters to life and has you really rooting for them. Which is why I didn’t even care what the book was even about when I signed up, but to find out it was a sapphic love story between two gothic fiction writers? Sign me up all over again!!

Georgiana and Cat’s (and Bacon’s - sorry he’s the star of the show for me) story was so wonderful to read. A rivals to lovers story will always be one of my favourites, but the element of the story that stood out the most for me was the familial element. As much as I enjoyed seeing the love story bloom, the parts with Georgiana and her mother as well as Cat and her brother Jem were my favourites to read. It goes to show that devotion is a beautiful thing regardless if it’s romantic, familial, or platonic.

I highly recommend this series as well as anything else Vasti writes - past, present, or future!

This was fun, delightful and heartwarming! A pleasure to read--I really enjoyed the developing relationship and how swoonworthy it was !!