This was my first sapphic romance ever and it was a fun read. I really enjoyed the friendship to romance of these two characters. The 'Parent Trap' trope was so fun. I loved the sneaking around and planning by the two MCs.

Overall I enjoyed their romance and the obstacles they were faced with seemed realistic for a historical romance. I am not sure if the language was perfect for a historical romance but I had a fun time and it did not feel too modern. It ended on a bit of a cliffhanger which I assume means their story will be continuing.

I did feel like the book was a bit too long. It dragged a bit in the last half.

Another point I have for this one is that I felt like the realization that both of the main characters felt attracted to women instead of men was quite sudden. It was confusing why (at 20) this had never crossed their mind before. I also felt that because of this, there would have been more internal dialogue about their feelings. I think we got a bit of this from Gwen but not really from Beth. Additionally, I felt like at one point in Beth's POV she started to villainize her fiance in a way she didn't before she and Gwen had an intimate interaction. I felt like that was a bit unfair since we never saw any actions that would have us believe he was a villain rather than just not her type (which isn't his fault).

3.75 rating

I was so excited for this historical sapphic romance because that’s all I have ever wanted and I definitely was not disappointed. The romance was swoony and tender, and simply so lovely to read about. I don’t read any historical romances so it was great to hear about the setting and themes! My only complaint was that it was a little long, and could have been edited down. However, I still really enjoyed the book and will be checking out more from this author!

Anything "Parent Trap" will always hook me. So when I heard about this regency queer historical fiction that was "Parent Trap" meets "Bridgerton" I was flabbergasted. And it 100% delivers the vibes with perfection! If you love a story which balances regency era - balls and courting - with a queer romance story this is for you! I also love that Don't Want You Like a Best Friend explores the privilege and opportunities of marginalized and queer folks during the time. How a 'happy' ending isn't always possible for everyone.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: historical romance 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A sweet and fun Victorian sapphic romance

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Victorian setting
Sapphic romance
Bridgeton meets Parent Trap
Friends to lovers
Second chance
Third person POV

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
The cover!

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
A little receptive and slow at times
I didnt really feel the chemistry

I enjoyed this book so much! Being able to witness Beth and Gwen fall in love and continue to fight for the life they wanted and deserved was wonderful. The characters were overall so loveable and it was a joy to see it all come together for Beth and Gwen as well as for their parents. That part was interesting but since it's the Regency Era, we won't question it further.

Omg! This novel was so cute, delicious and heartfelt. I loved every single bit of it and highly recommend you check it out.

Don't Want You Like A Best Friend releases today, so happy release day @eraofemma !

"A swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance in which two debutantes distract themselves from having to seek husbands by setting up their widowed parents, and instead find their perfect match in each other—the lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap you never knew you needed!"

Thank you @netgalley for allowing me to read this.

To start, this title is PERFECT, and I am absolutely obsessed with the cover! 😍

This book is pitched as sapphic Bridgerton meets the parents trap, and the pitch so perfectly encapsulates this story! Gwen and Beth were both so entertaining, and charming, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with both of them as characters and as a couple! I also truly loved the romance between their parents!

Alban not only wove a charming historical romance, but she created such a warm loving space for queer folks in the historical romance space! The found family that Gwen and Beth have was so fun to read on the page, and I can’t WAIT for book two now!

{3.5 stars}

This is a typical regency romance with a queer twist. I liked the political discussions of the Marriage Act and what that meant for relationships between men and women. I liked the plucky girls who were trying to be together despite the conventions of the world.

I struggled with the lack of tension. I needed more banter. I wanted more information about the parent’s history.

All in all an entertaining read and important for books like this to show that queerness has always been around and that love is love.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

FIVE STARS. FIVE STARS. FIVE STARS. FIVE STARS.

WHAT A DEBUT! Alban knocked it out of the park with this quiet and sparkling sapphic Parent Trap x Bridgerton historical romance.

I refuse to give anything away but I LOVED IT AND CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! The relationship between Gwen and Beth was very sweet. The Parent-trap inspired story was fun to read. However, there is a distinct lack of pining. Gwen and Beth are close friends, but there is no indication of either girl feeling anything more than friendship until Gwen's father suggests it to her. Then, at 38%, they suddenly kiss with barely any build up. I just really wanted their feelings to be a little more developed and nuanced. The second half of the book though was much more enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy of this book.

This was probably the best book I could have selected for 2024. It was so cute, funny, and steamy. Gwen and Beth are a an absolute unit. I found myself chuckling along with their banter and emotionally invested in their entire ridiculous plotting.

Absolutely loved this one.

This was a cute read, though a little long and slow at parts. I enjoyed both Beth and Gwen and thought they were cute together.

The epilogue seems like it could have a sequel and I’d definitely be open to reading it.

Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for this advanced copy.

This book was the warm hug I didn’t know I needed. I love love loved it! Emma really captured how it feels to fall for your bestie while discovering your queerness. The entire cast of characters was so fun and I had the best time reading.

Highly recommend to any and all sapphics!

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend is a sapphic, Victorian historical romance between two twenty something ladies, Beth and Gwen, who meet during Beth’s first season and form a friendship. Soon after meeting they determine that their parents ( Beth’s mother, Gwen’s father) have a history and maybe if they focus on matchmaking the parents, they can put off their own marriages. While matchmaking for their parents the two become close and begin to fall in love themselves.

I wanted to love this book so much. The historical romance genre is lacking in sapphic romance and I absolutely adore the cover art for this book. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. First, the main romance: there are some really sweet moments of friendship between the girls- I know they are ladies but they felt very YA and immature to me- but ultimately I didn’t believe in their chemistry or that they had formed a lifelong love story. I felt more invested in the story of the parents than the main female characters. Secondly, the multiple side plots in the story and the contemporary writing in a historical were too much. I was very put off by the way the mother pushed her daughter into a loveless engagement after she herself having been in a difficult marriage for 20 years, the nonchalant attitude taken by the characters in regards to alcohol and alcohol abuse, and the epilogue has some truly bonkers plot pieces. Thirdly, the tense was a distraction and made it difficult to read.

I think this book may work better for someone new to historical romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Although I’ve read a fair number of queer contemporary romances, I have read very few historicals about queer couples—and that’s something I plan to change! I was excited to read Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend, a Victorian romance in which two young women, looking for husbands during the London season, start to develop romantic feelings for each other. How can they find happiness together in 1857? One way would be to get their respective single parents (who seem to have some history) to finally admit their love for each other. But playing matchmaker for your parents is harder than it seems, and the stakes are high as the season quickly nears its end.

At first, I loved seeing Beth and Gwen become close friends. It’s Beth’s first season, but Gwen is on her fourth by now and knows a thing or two about how to navigate it. The two become fast friends, relying on each other to get through endless balls, tea parties, and so on, all in a fruitless attempt to find a husband. But neither really wants a man in her life… and as time goes on, it starts to become clear that their friendship could be something more.

I enjoyed seeing how Gwen, in particular, comes to terms with her feelings for Beth. She never really thought about what it’s like to have romantic feelings for someone of the same gender, and she’s not sure how to go about it. Luckily, she has a couple she can learn from and a dad who is wonderfully open-minded and accepting, especially for the time. Gwen and Beth eventually must face each other and decide what to do about these romantic feelings. Things get steamy, but how can it last?

A major subplot here is Gwen and Beth’s mission to get their parents together. Gwen’s dad and Beth’s mom are both widowed, and though they seem to hate each other now, there’s definitely more to their past than their daughters realize. In a very Parent Trap fashion, Beth and Gwen do what they can to play matchmaker to their reluctant parents. If it all works out, not only will the parents get their long-overdue happily ever after, Gwen and Beth will also have a chance at being together themselves.

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend is filled with a wonderful cast of characters, a dramatic arc involving Beth’s potential (male) suitor, and so much heart. I loved getting to see Beth and Gwen become friends and fall in love, finding a path for their relationship despite the restrictions of the Victorian era. This is the first in Emma R. Alban’s Mischief & Matchmaking series, and I already look forward to reading its sequel, You’re the Problem, It’s You, due out in August 2024. And in the meantime, you can bet that I’ll be reading some more queer historical romances!

I am wanting to dip my toes into historical romance this year and this did not disappoint! This is described as a sapphic bridgerton/parent trap - although i've never watched the show, I have seen The Parent Trap and I agree with the statement!

My rating is more towards the fact that the beginning for me felt quite slow and it took me a couple sittings to really get into the story but once I did, I couldn't stop! Beth and Gwen were really put through the wringer with all the obstacles women during this era (1850's) faced and their taboo relationship. I felt their connection as the story developed and felt myself heartbroken during their most tragic scenes - was shredding tears. I'm glad they were able to get their HEA though and I cannot wait for the second book in this series!!

Wow, just wow! This book gave me all the feels. Watching Gwen and Beth's friendship grow into something more was amazing and proceeded organically. Slight spoilers may follow:

Living during that time period, sapphics did not have obvious role models or examples to follow, thus the discovery of their feelings felt very real. I enjoyed finding out that Gwen's housemaids were actually a couple. And the father orchestrating Gwen's understanding of the relationship was very clever. The initial kiss scene was so adorable! I could see the surprise on Beth's part followed by a blossoming of desire. And then the charming scenes of veiled looks and hidden handholding melted my heart. They so deserved their HEA.

The "parent trap" aspect of the storyline was equally well done. Rotating through the emotional spectrum including awkwardness, dislike, flirting, loving was fun to watch. Both parents were well-rounded and full characters of their own, even without their actual POV. And they deserved their HEA too.

All the side characters had their own flair. Some you root for, some you loathe, but all were interesting.

TL;DR: What a great way to start 2024 reading! 5 stars

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A hilarious, heart rending romp through Victorian England.

After the death of her father, Beth has just one season to find a wealthy husband or she and her mother will be homeless. On her first night, she meets Gwen - a charming woman on her fourth season who isn’t even attempting to find a husband, much to society’s chagrin.
As their friendship blooms, the two girls realise their feelings may be more than they initially thought, and hatch a plan to get their parents (back) together so they can avoid marrying for security.

I absolutely loved Beth and Gwen, their friends and hijinks. Watching them through the season was so fun, and yet heartbreaking. The reality of what women tolerated at the time for the sake of security is a stark reminder.

If you liked the Lady’s Guide to Scandal, I would highly recommend this.

I laughed, I cried, and I can’t wait for the next book.

I laughed, I adored, I screamed, I threatened to throw a Kindle, and I was besotted with these main characters, their parents, and their friends.

If you're on a high from Bridgerton and Evie Dunmore's books (A League of Extraordinary Women series) and need more, READ THIS!!! And it's Sapphic!!

Don't Want You Like a Best Friend is a historical romance full of yearning, mischievous scheming, the bending of expectations, and queer love. It managed to meet every expectation and hope I had for it, all the while bringing in the sincerity I crave in my reading.

DWYLABF follows two debutantes in Victorian London, Beth and Gwen, who quickly become close friends. Beth, whose abusive and negligent father recently passed, has only this season to marry into wealth. Without a husband, she and her widowed mother would be out on the street. Gwen, however, has done the whole presented-to-society thing; this season is her fourth and so far, she has no intention of marrying any of the eligible men. When Beth and Gwen uncover romantic tension and history between their widowed parents, the two decide to set them up, only to fall in love with each other.

I absolutely loved the characters in this story. Beth, with all her sweetness and wit and quick perception. Gwen, for all her mischief and impulsivity and the deepness of her feelings. Both, in how they came alive in each other's presence.

There was also Beth's mother, the recent widow of an abusive husband who carries with her poise and elegance, even when she's ripping up the argument of some bigoted old man. Gwen's father, the man who so clearly loves his daughter more than anything else in the world, who would do anything for her happiness and who instilled in her the righteousness and determination their society was determined to squash. I loved reading these parent-child relationships. They felt real and comforting.

Each scheme Gwen concocted amused me to no end. And the yearning in both Beth and Gwen's perspectives are unmatched. The hand-holding hidden between their skirts! The casual intimacy of their whispered conversations! The absolute yearning I felt every time they laid their eyes on each other! And the steamy scenes following their queer awakenings! Absolutely impeccable.

Even so, there were a fair amount of serious elements. The political backdrop and controversy of the Matrimonial Causes Act created the perfect setting to discuss domestic abuse and the rights of women in marriage. Without dominating the narrative, the MCA distinguished the setting from other Victorian romances and made the story tangible.

Emma R. Alban has captivated me with her debut and the beginning of the Mischief & Matchmaking series. I had a wonderful time reading about Beth and Gwen's escapades and can't want to see what is waiting for us in the next book, You're the Problem, It's You.

Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, physical and emotional abuse, alcoholism, sexism and misogyny, death of parent