i read this one ages ago but surprisingly i still remember it quite well since i liked it so much hihi.
don't want you like a best friend is a historical romance set in 1857 following two debutantes called beth and gwen who aren't really interested in finding themselves husband (as they should honestly cause ew) and try to set up their widowed parents, who seem to have a past neither of them is willing to disclose, together. as the two girls start falling in love, a viscount starts showing interest in beth, and beth and her mother can't dney that they need the wealth and security he'll offer them. but gwen can't let beth go, and no matter how well beth knows that marrying the viscount would be in her best interests, she can't help but catch feelings for gwen as well.
i read this after the release date (oops) so i ended up listening to the audiobook instead, and idk whether it was the difference in narrators or the writing itself but the two girls were so distinct from each other that i could literally tell whose chapter i was on from a single sentence. it was so well written in that aspect. i loved their relationship, and them setting up their parents was fun, though idk how to feel about them being step-sisters... the ending left me wanting to start the sequel right away, which... admittedly i still haven't done, but i'm still excited to! i don't really have much to say, but i'd recommend this to anyone looking for a fun little queer historical romance!
thank you to the publisher avon and netgalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 10%

I am a big fan of historical romance, but so far this is reading like a YA novel. The characters feel very young, especially with the book starting with Beth worrying over a blemish. I think I generally like my historicals a little less rom-comy, so this one wasn’t for me.

If you are a fan of contemporary romance and want to try a historical romance with a similar tone, this might be for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for this ARC!

- I really struggled with this one! I love sapphic historical romance, but there were parts of this book that really didn’t fit!
- I loved the idea of the Parent Trap references, but the execution felt off. Having the girls also trying to get their parent’s together does make sense as a way to get around societal constraints, having the main couple in the story also trying to become step sisters just did not work for me.
- I can love a historical with modern sensibilities, this one felt like it stepped too far away from the genre. This may work for people who haven’t read many historicals!
- I struggled with the pacing at the beginning. I wasn’t as hooked as I’d like to be, and I put this down for a bit before getting an audio to help push through!
- I did love seeing how both the girl’s relationships with their parents developed so much. Those dynamics felt like one of the stronger parts of this book, and it was wrapped up so well!

This book was very enjoyable! There were times when it felt very YA. Even though the key characters were all.in their twenties, a lot do how they acted and the conversations they had felt more like teens than adults.

I liked the dynamic between the main couple as well as the side relationships. The story dragged a little in the middle but otherwise has good flow and pacing. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Content Warnings: Binge Drinking (including vomiting); References to spousal abuse, alcoholism, and death during childbirth

For the sex averse, there is one semi-graphic sex scene that is well telegraphed and skippable.

Alban's book is a fun romance with big Parent Trap vibes. Chapters switch between focusing on Beth, who seeks a husband to ensure financial security for herself and her mother after her father left them with no inheritance, and Gwen, who does not really care about a husband either way due to the security her father provides. The two of them become friends at various social events; when they learn their parents once had a romantic relationship, they develop a plan to rekindle their love and get married. Along the way, they fall in love with each other, too.

I liked Beth and Gwen well enough, and I appreciated the relationship building over a series of months than immediately falling in love. I also thought that their struggles over identity, the role of marriage, and the status of women were done well overall. The various social gatherings were all unique enough to be interesting without feeling out of place.

All that said, I think opinions on this will be split because of its categorization as a "historical romance." While it takes place in the late 1850s in England, it is more a soft version of historical fiction, in the same way one would distinguish soft sci-fi and hard sci-fi or low fantasy and high fantasy. If you want historically accurate speech, references, and so forth, then this book is not for you. If you want Victorian vibes and fashion, though, this is fine.

Additionally, I think many reviewers are overemphasizing the fact that Beth and Gwen remain romantically involved once they become legally stepsisters. They don't become stepsisters until the Epilogue of the book. For the rest of the book, they consistently treat each other as friends, then lovers, and their romantic relationship is in place before their parents become married. It's clear that they've adopted "stepsisters" as one of likely a life time of screens/justifications to hide their identities as lesbians.

This was such a cute read! I can’t wait for book two. The slow burn romance really got me. The fact they were trying to set up their parents lol

Emma Alban's debut novel has just enough history to add taste without distracting from the plot. The romance is swoony, and the side characters are engaging on their own merits. Setting, character, and pacing all come together to create a memorable read. I'll be watching for more of her books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

While it’s not the story’s fault but I have a really hard time getting into regency romances, I was really hoping this one would help me break into them but unfortunately it did not do that. I found the plot a little weak and confusing? I didn’t feel attached to their relationship, there was no real swoonworthy parts & I feel like that’s the whole point of Regency love stories. I don’t love the insta love trope either. I want pining!!!

3.5 stars A cute sapphic romance set in Victorian era with a dash of Parent Trap hijinks.

But I won't lie, at times I was more invested in the parental reconciliation romance than Beth and Gwen's romance--it had the pining and tension from enemies to lovers that I lap up, plus a believable back story and forced proximity.

For friends to enemies to lovers, Beth and Gwen's relationship lacked the deep pining I would have expected to see. The setup of the plot didn't give enough time for them together with Beth being engaged a large portion of the first half and them fighting in the middle.

The historical setting could have been beefed up, it read almost like a contemporary romance with bodice ripping.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

This is a fun femme/femme historical romance, filled with all of the fiery love (lesbian and heterosexual), balls, and descriptions of hairstyles and dresses that one could want. Also brimming with drama, tears, and joy. Be sure to also catch the sequel You're the Problem, It's You.

I was pleasantly surprised by this story. I was wondering how they'd give it a happy ending the entire time because traditionally this wasn't going to work, but Alban made this work in a way that makes sense. I cannot explain how much I appreciate that aspect because I want the happy ending, but I don't pick up historical romance to completely ignore the time period. I am very excited to read the next book!

A friends to lovers sapphic historical!? Yes please. I was loving this when it started, watching Gwen and Beth meet and love hanging out at balls together. They quickly realize their parents had a past and they team up to get them together. They realize they're having feelings for each other, but Emma really needs to marry in order for her family to be taken care of. I thought their connection was so cute, but the parent storyline did overshadow their romance at times. By the second half, I was losing interest in the plot and romance and didn't have that giddy feeling over them that I had in the beginning. Overall it was still a really cute romance, it just lost some steam by the end.

Absolutely adored this historical queer romance!

Historical romances are not always my thing but they are having such a resurgence due to Bridgerton and this book gave me all of those fun feelings of being at the ton but made it more realistic by having two eligible women fall for each other instead of fighting for husbands!

This was such a cute and a little bit angsty read. The plot was giving The Parent Trap, which I loved. I was incredibly invested in not only the main characters love story but also the side characters.

Beth and Gwen had a very sweet connection. I love that everything worked out for them. I was very curious how the story would wrap up. Their plan was actually pretty genius for the times and I loved how much support they seemed to have.

My only real con was the pacing was pretty slow for most of the book, then really fast right at the end, leaving some plot points feeling rushed. I still enjoyed it and will definitely read the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon for this ARC to read! :)

This cover drew me in from the get-go and I stayed for the story. I needed a historical romance fix and this was such a fun read! I loved the friendship and the banter between the two MCs and loved the opportunity to read more queer historical fiction romance. :)

There were definitely some parts where I wish we had more of an opportunity to have more tension-filled moments which is something I always love in a historical romance, but I'm eager to read more from this author. :)

This is exactly the historical funny but angsty mutual pining romance I wanted. Perfect thing to pick up after/while binging Bridgerton.
This book made me cry? Like, over the romance, not some really sad subplot. What the hell lol.
One star off just because it got a bit repetitive, and all the drinking was a bit much (clearly intentionally, I think?). But overall highly recommend — I loved it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the earc! It’s out now, and I will absolutely be immediately reading the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been drawn to historical romances lately and was excited to read Don't Want You Like a Best Friend. While it was a fun read it left me wanting more. It took about 20% into the book for it to fully capture my attention but then it felt my attention cutting in and out several times after that. This was partly because it read a bit too contemporary for a historical romance. And I think when Beth and Gwen realized they liked each other romantically, it automatically went to “I love you” and I wish that transition was more fleshed out than that.

I will say that I loved the cast of supporting characters and honestly wish we got a full story about the parents and their history and more of Meredith, she was a real scene stealer for me!

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban is a sweet and steamy sapphic romance set in the Victorian era.

As a queer woman who is a huge fan of regency romance novels, I was head-over-heels excited to read Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend. But, I was also a little apprehensive. I like my romances to feature a HEA (see: happily ever after). I was a little nervous about how that was going to happen for two young women out in society during that time…

And – not to spoil anything! – but I think the way this was handled in Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend was perfect. The romance between Gwen and Beth gave me everything I could have hoped for and more. The move from ‘close confidants’ to ‘wanting something more but knowing they can’t have it’ to ‘going for it anyways’ was done so well. 😍 The Victorian setting created a fitting backdrop for such juicy pinning and angst. (Look, every romance needs a little angst.)

While this book was a little slow to start, once the romance and the rest of the cast of characters were introduced, it really picked up speed. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the second-chance romance between their parents. The way the ending of this book set up its sequel, You’re the Problem, It’s You, fit well and made me quite excited to check it out.

Thank you to the publisher, Avon and Harper Voyager/HarperCollins Canada, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

a sweet sweet book, genuinely one of the best sapphic historical romances i've ever read. i am emotionally wrecked, so naturally i found it to be an absolute delight! very excited to continue this series.

Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse