I really loved this sapphic historical romance, which is set during the Victorian period. The fluff and the angst are perfectly balanced, and the way the two FMCs discover their feelings for each other is pitch-perfect. You will run the gamut of emotions when you read this book, and savor every minute.

There were a few moments when this book felt a bit YA, and readers who don't love modern-sounding dialogue in historical books may not enjoy this one. However, to me, these choices felt very deliberate, and did not keep me from absolutely loving this book.

I can't wait to read what Emma R. Alban writes next!

I was excited to read this, and promptly dove in… but I was bored. I didn’t feel chemistry between the main characters (to me, it felt more sisterly… and of course they had to become step-sisters). Without chemistry, it made it difficult to figure out what I was reading (and the tone of each character doesn’t really change – there’s nothing uniquely theirs). And the plot, just didn’t go anywhere. I think my biggest issue with the story is that it was meant to be a period piece… but it didn’t read as one. Go in without any expectations, and you’ll probably enjoy it more than me!

“Bridgerton meets The Parent Trap” perfectly captures the plot and vibes of Alban’s debut in which two reluctant debutantes decide to make a match between their widowed parents instead of seeking husbands for themselves. As Gwen and Beth walk through lush gardens and avoid snobby suitors, their friendship turns into a coming of age romance. At first, I thought this read was a bit more YA romance than New Adult because the parents have such a presence on the page, but I grew to appreciate Alban’s depiction of family dynamics and generational healing.

I’ve heard absolutely amazing things about this one, and while I think it is one most people will love, it just didn’t work for me at this time. I would still recommend if you’re into historical romance!!

You might love this book, but I found it really irritating. The characters and the writing style were both kind of immature. The use of third person present tense narration seemed like a really odd choice. If you’re trying to modernize the story and you’re writing dual POV, why not just write in first person?

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the romance in this book. Unfortunately, it takes a backseat to the other plot elements. A lot of time is spent on the parent trap plot which is fun but detracts from Beth and Gwen's romance. They also spend a lot of time apart. I think the premise for the next book looks like a lot of fun.

Don't Want You Like a Best Friend is the swoon-worthy queer Victorian romance I didn't know I needed. Drawing inspiration from some of my favorite historical romance tropes, Emma R. Alban's book was an utter delight to read and a perfect debut!

I'll admit, this book broke my heart a few times before patching it up in the end, but given the time period I guess I didn't expect a queer plot to be totally smooth sailing. I really enjoyed the parallel love stories as our heroines conspire to get their widowed parents together and end up parent-trapping themselves along the way. There's also a great cast of side characters who I can't wait to see more of in the next book.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

OMG! Thank you NetGalley and Emma R. Alban for letting me read this early!
The Victorian setting and Taylor Swift references were giving Bridgerton and boy did this live up to that! It was fun, sapphic, and so swoon-worthy. Just put on a TSwift playlist when reading and you're set.

Super character-driven book but Alban does such a good job making them characters that are easy to love and become engaged with. This includes all the side characters! Beth and Gwen have my heart <3

This book was so sweet and adorable!! It was fun, lighthearted, but still had a certain level of drama that had me hooked. I loved that even though the Victorian era setting was (thankfully) not relatable, the characters absolutely were. Gwen putting off finding a husband through her mischief, and Beth balancing her own wants with the pressure she feels because of society... so heartbreaking but so real! Watching them navigate their feelings for one another while also figuring out their place in high society was my favorite kind of drama.

Would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Bridgerton, I felt like I was getting the drama, costumes, and society events of Bridgerton but I got to root for a sapphic couple which is always the absolute best. There were some spicy scenes in this book, but it wasn't majorly spicy.

4.5/5

Wow! What an absolutely delightful debut! I was having a rough day and finishing this book just turned that right around—now I'm grinning ear to ear!

Beth is anxious to secure a proposal before she and her widowed mother are driven from their home. Gwen, on the other hand, couldn't care less about securing a match for herself. The girls quickly become friends and notice a strange dynamic between their parents. Is there a past between the stoic widow and the notorious rake? And what would happen if Gwen and Beth threw them together? What would happen if Gwen and Beth were thrown together?

Full of romance, scandal, angst, and a little bit of spice, this book is a joy to read. There were a few anachronisms, but nothing a good story can't convince me to ignore. I've already downloaded the eARC for the sequel and can't wait to devour it too!

This slapped!!! It took me a while to get into this one, mostly because I was going through some sort of reading slump this month, but once I got into a romance mood, I read this all in a couple of days. This was such a fun romance! I really had no idea how this was going to deliver a happy ending for everyone, but it managed to and I'm very excited to read the sequel. I love the way Alban managed to write in a way that strikes the fine balance between modern jokes while keeping with the historical setting. This book put me in a major period romance mood--time to catch up on my historical romance tbr and watch bridgerton!

A stepsisters romance is honestly not quite what I was looking for, so in all honesty I dnf'd this book quite early on.

Don't Want You Like a Best Friend is a super fun New Adult-y sapphic historical fiction book that scratched the gay itch left behind by my many viewings of Bridgerton.

It is the story of Beth and Gwen, two debutants who meet during the season in their quest to find husbands, though neither particularly wants one. Neither has felt that pull toward men and romance like their friends have felt, but society requires a match and they must do their duty. In particular, Beth must find a husband now that her father has passed away in order to secure the future of her family.

But Beth and Gwen realize that their widowed parents would be the actual perfect match of the season, and save both of them from having to find husbands quite so soon. They hatch a series of plans to help their parents fall in love after they realize the parents originally courted a bit back in the day, only to end up marrying other people. And, of course, the two girls realize that they might have some budding feelings for each other in the process -- though neither ever realize that loving a woman was option and they aren't quite sure how that kind of love fits in with societal norms. How will they be together and make it work?

I'm not sure about the historical accuracy of any thing in this book, as I am neither a history buff nor a historical fiction reader. So, for me, it was just a fun ride filled with lots of stolen glances and lusty attempts to find bare skin under mountains of hoop skirts. There were some villain-y characters who felt a little too villain-y and some political stuff that didn't quite make sense, but I was here for the kissing and longing. I had a good time.

If you love sapphic romances, I recommend this one! It's not going to be a top read at the end of the year, but it was an enjoyable escape from reality!

**This ARC was provided by NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to both companies for this opportunity.** b del

“Forever and always?” “Forever and always and eternity and infinity.”

A sapphic story set in Victorian London? Sign me up. If you loved the movie The Parent Trap and like historical fiction then you will love this book.

I personally had a great experience reading this book. The forbidden romance and the mutual pinning was done at such great level, it was difficult not to root for them. Beth and Gwen are so cute together, and the epilogue? I cannot wait to see what happens next.

the best part of this for me were the supportive relationships had by the main characters. i loved albie, meredith, bobby, and lord havenfort, and i look forward to seeing more of them in the sequel!! the conspiring, scheming bits were also very fun, so i'm excited that the next book will feature quite a bit more of that.

I really enjoyed reading "Don't Want You Like a Best Friend", a fresh take on regency romances out there!

Beth and Gwen, two debutantes this season, strike up a quick friendship that leads their respective Mom and Dad to meet. But meet they must have previously as both give hateful glares. Set to find out the trust, the ladies plan to unite both parent and figure out the connection. Plans may be foiled when Beth is matched with an eligible suitor.. even more so when she realizes she's falling for her best friend.

I loved the relationship between both heroines and their respective parent. I'm a reader that tends not to read the synopsis and thus was pleasantly surprised by the quick twists, turns and plotlines with Emma R. Alban's debut. The banter was spot on and I felt the spice was appropriately placed throughout (not just spice to be written to be included in the story). You can tell right away the tension brewing between both Beth's mom and Gwen's dad! Don't Want You Like a Best Friend is a strong debut by Alban.

*4.25 Stars*

I had a great time reading this one. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters, the main ones and their parents and the parents together, other side characters too honestly. It was a fun time in old dresses. I liked the plot, it was fun. I saw some of it coming but I didn't mind. I really fell into the story and kept looking forward to reading more. I can't wait to read book 2 even the main characters will be men. I wanna see more of these families.
I'll definitely be looking out for more books by Emma R. Alban, even in other universes.

let’s gooooo, queer bridgerton vibes!! i loved this so much. gwen and beth’s relationship was so lovely, the way it so naturally shifted from strangers to friends to lovers, and i really enjoyed how close they were with their parents. i think the strength of the bond gwen has with her father and the bond beth has with her mother is really such a testament to the writing here. gwen and beth want their happy ending, of course, but not at the expense of their parents’. the found family aspect was so interestingly accomplished and i loved watching their parents’ relationship develop and deepen as gwen and beth continued meddling (and falling deeper in love themselves). the cousins were such a delightful addition to this, and i found myself wishing it was 50 pages longer so i could spend more time with albie and meredith, and so i could dig even deeper into both relationships. besides the length, my only real critique is that the solution was so painfully obvious from the start and i found myself getting frustrated that they weren’t seeing it, but those two complaints aren’t enough for me to take off more than a star. it’s still a nearly-perfect book that you should absolutely read immediately.

taylor swift vibe: dress (obviously)

recommended for: those of us chomping at the bit for a heartwarming queer victorian romance

(and a bit i include in my public reviews... if you’ve read it please yell with me about: the fact that we get to do this all over again soon in the sequel??? feeling so spoiled rn!)

thank you avon for the advance copy in exchange for this review!!

I do not even know where to begin. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. Gwen and Beth have a special place in my heart. With this being a historical fiction of sorts, I was nervous to see how the concept of queerness played in the book and how it was handled. And I was pleasantly surprised and loved the fact that both Gwen's father and Beth's mother were very accepting of it and wanted them to be happy.

The ending was one of my favorite parts of the book. I also loved the friendships and the lengths that Albie and Meredith went to, to allow Beth and Gwen a moment together during the season after Beth's engagement. I can't read the next book and see if the scheme that Beth and Gwen have created will work in the end.