This is the second book in a series (maybe?) by Emma R. Alban. I did not realize that when I started reading it. I have not read the first book (Don't Want You Like A Best Friend) yet - though oddly enough, it is on my TBR. I guess that's moving up on my list now!
I really liked the setting and the premise. I'm honestly not usually a HUGE fan of historical romances, but this one caught my eye as it was a MM romance, and there just aren't a lot of those out. I thought the intimacy and relationship growth was decent and the spicy stuff was suitably spicy.

4.5 ★
"You're the Problem, It's You" is a super cute queer historical romance with a incredible found family.

The plot follows Bobby Mason and James Demeroven. Two messy and flawed characters, with a lot of heart and good intentions. Their relationship begins as rivalry, but a common enemy makes them realize they have more in common than they imagined.

The characters are the stronger point of this book. Everyone has a distict personality, and motivations. Gwen and Beth are incredible as side characters. All the family dynamics are fun and compelling.
I loved how the story emphasize the importance to have an accepting family to support you (even if you are not your blood family).

That being said, the idea that there was something at stake was more due to the social context and the time period than to the villain, who ends up being quite forgettable and boring.

Overall, a very enjoyable read with wonderful characters. The ending is really rewarding which makes up for the slow start and the overuse of misscommunication trope of the first half.
It might not be for everyone, but if you love found family, historical romance and low stakes, this book is perfcet for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest revie

I absolutely loved the first book in this series so I couldn’t wait to read this one (and hoped my prediction coming true!).
Hate to love is a fan favourite and this one delivered!
James is so awkward and stressed, I fell for him immediately because he was so relatable. Constantly saying the worst things with the best intentions, trying to fix their whole families problems on his own while being completely overwhelmed. I loved him.
I also loved Bobby, such a sweetheart who just wants to be loved and have a happy life with the people he loves most.
I was so glad when it finally clicked between those two and everything that came after was so sweet (and frankly also very steamy!!)!
It was the most perfect ending and I loved how super queer this book was. I was kicking my feet, giggling!
The only thing I really minded and is just a pet peeve of my own: I don’t like reading about the MCs in a romance book being with other people. Please just don’t tell me? It took so long for these two to get it together anyway and at this point I really wanted to scream. But it all went well right after so I was soothed.

I wanted to love this one so bad! But at least the cover is stunning.

A few thoughts I had while reading this book:
- boring
- wayyyyy too slow
- is there actually going to be a romance or...?
- am i supposed to like both of these men? because I don't
- are you sure this is a romance? did you pick up the wrong book?


Needless to say, this book wasn't for me. It appears I may be in the minority here, but that's okay. I'll take the L on this one.

I loved Bobby and James! I did find myself lost at times with the characters since I hadn't read the first in the duology, but I enjoyed it anyways!

I love the found family trope, so I loved seeing James be accepted and getting away from his stepfather. I haven't read a lot of queer historical romances before, so the idea of clubs and lavender marriages was very new to me. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the constant miscommunication, other than that I loved this!

I had so much fun reading the first book in this duology and this companion novel did not disappoint! Emma R. Alban did a wonderful job incorporating the time period and being realistic in terms of how the standards of that time impacted the relationship but also the individual. The joyous ending was so wonderful and I wanted to revel in it forever!

I was such a big fan of Emma R. Alban's first book in this duology that was I was slightly dreading reading this book. But all my fears were unfounded. Alban has such a wonderful voice and gives life to these characters who are held back by their time and place in history. Bobby, James, Beth, and Gwen show such resilience amid a very possible scandal. I was utterly overwhelmed with joy at the ending. Give this a read now!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I absolutely adore this book! Probably more than the first one. The found family was *chef's kiss*. <spoiler>The way that James was accepted by the group was absolutely lovely! I'm so glad he was finally able to stand up to his abusive stepfather and get him out of his and his mom's life.</spoiler>

James is an anxious mess. He's had a title thrust upon him he never wanted and on top of that is a gay man in the mid 1800s—a crime punishable by jail time or even death. He's scared of anyone finding out, but finds himself being blackmailed by an old classmate that has it out for him.

Bobby is a second son and doesn't have many expectations of him. Which makes him seem like he doesn't care. His brother is in charge of their estate after their father died and that leaves Bobby a little adrift.

But the way these two come together, reluctantly at first, just warmed my heart! Especially because James had a huge crush on Bobby at school.

You're the Problem, It's You had me kicking my feet with glee! It deserves all the stars!

This was ok. Historical romance isn't supposed to be period accurate and would be significantly less fun if it were, but this is SO inaccurate that there really isn't any benefit to it being a period novel. The conflicts don't really matter and could easily have been swapped out with something modern and improved the book dramatically. The romance was extremely trope-y in a way that was less fun and more relying-on-tropes so that was also a disappointment. The characters are all so interchangeable I regularly forgot who was who. I would switch to contemporary romance if I was the author and work on characterization.

A delightful return to the world of Emma R. Alban’s Mischief & Matchmaking series! The second book follows Bobby Mason—the second son of a fortune that he will never inherit—and James Demerovan—the new heir of a fortune he never wanted in the first place and has little real control over while still under the thumb of his odious stepfather. This enemies-to-lovers story follows their journeys toward love and one another, but also toward finding their places in a world that doesn’t want them for who they truly are.
❤️ What I loved: Alban has created a great cast of characters in the Mischief & Matchmaking series, and it is great to see Bobby and Mason come to life in their story while also continuing to see the rest of the characters from book one develop. The plot is exciting, with many twists and stakes that feel quite real, but the writing adds a level of amusement and fun that keeps things from feeling too heavy. This is a wonderful story of queer love and joy in a time when it wasn’t possible for many, giving us all a reminder of the power of being true to oneself, and how being ourselves can make a difference.
💔 What I didn’t love: As always in enemies-to-lovers, mileage will vary on whether or not you buy the “enemies” part. For me, this mostly worked here but others may not buy their journey in the same way.

I highly recommend You’re the Problem, It’s You to lovers of historical romance and stories of queer love. This is a great follow-up to the first Mischief & Matchmaking book, and even if Alban is done with this world I look forward to reading more from her in the future!

Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4.5-5)

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Emma R. Alban, and Avon and Harper Voyager, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

Despite being set more than 150 years in the past, this book is still so relevant today. James and Bobby mirror exactly what I see people still going through today as they navigate their own desires and the expectations society has for them.

I never thought I'd love a sequel more than the first book in the duology, but You're the Problem, It's You proved me WRONG! I'm a sucker for any stories with the enemies to lovers troupe, and this one didn't disappoint.

James and Bobby's hatred for one another left me giggling and wanting more. I was WAITING for one of them to act on their feels, and it was so wonderful to read when it finally happened. I love a good queer historical romance, especially when it ends the way this book did (which I won't spoil here). I have no idea if this is where the Masons and Demeroven's story ends, but I'm so happy to have been apart of it over the last year.

I so wish I liked this book more because I am IN LOVE with the cover. I don't think there's anything wrong with the book so much as I don't think I'm the target audience for it. Historical romance really is a hit or miss for me, and unfortunately this just wasn't for me. I wish I would have read the first book first, to maybe get a better understanding of the set and pace. I think I'll do that, and come back and re-read this one to see if it changes anything for me. But as of right now, I didn't really vibe with this one, which I'm very sad about.

The author really, truly is a great writer, though so I will definitely check out their future work :)

this book was good overall but the beginning of the book was a little slow, so it took me longer than I thought to really get into it. Though the queer romance with taylor swift had me from the beginning.

This book did not disappoint!

As soon as I finished "Don't Want You Like a Best Friend," I was on the edge of my seat waiting to read this book and it was everything I could have wanted and more! It had all the elements I loved about Alban's debut novel and continued to just make them even better. The witty banter, humor, tension, and regency are just to name a few.

Often I find that some regency set novels use more modern language, but Alban stays true to the regency language and as an avid classics reader, I LOVE IT! Nothing makes me enjoy a book more than its language. Alban is so good at creating a strong vocabulary for her books that keeps the reader engaged.

I highly recommend this book and her debut novel for anyone who loves Bridgerton, but wishes that Eloise would just date a girl already!

I enjoyed the first book in this series and this one was fun, but nothing super special. I liked the setting and the romance between them was fun, but felt a little tame for me.

I loved this book! A gay Bridgerton romance with a fun historical setting and a good cast of characters. Book one was a little more my style romance wise but I still loved Bobby and James characters and growth. The insta love and communication knocked it down a star for me but Alban’s writing kept me going. Found family, friendships and Regebcy era await all readers!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is my honest review.

The first book in this series was Don't Want You Like a Best Friend, and was featured in the Queer Joy Book Club as our August book. I absolutely adored the first book and the second was just icing on top of the cake.

All the beloved characters of book one make an appearance, some more than others. Instead of Cordelia being the overall "parent" of the book, the second one features more of Dashel. Although I did miss hearing all of what was going on with Gwen and Beth, they were still present to create chaos.

Bobby is such a precious golden retriever character, I love him. James is a traumatized, anxiety ridden, broken man and his character arc is so beautifully written.

I adore the way Emma tells historical romance, I think she maintains elements of the time period (some of the best use of 1850s hoops I've read) but also makes it fun and injects a bit of moderness to it.

If you are a die-hard historical reader you might have some trouble with this. However if you don't mind some silliness and a lot of queer found family, you will love this series.

If you like historical romances with queer characters, then this book will be a lovely addition to your TBR!

I enjoyed the characters (although for the constant miscommunication, not so much). The constant tension made for some swoony and spicy scenes and I found that I really enjoyed all of the side characters as well. It did take a while for the story to get going as it does start slow, but the chaos among the Mason family was delightful and I loved how they all worked together to protect their own. There were quite a few historical inaccuracies throughout the book, but since I was reading for the romance, they didn't bother me much. I can see how fans of the genre might would have found them more profound and appreciated a more historically accurate approach. I did think that Beth and Gwen had a lot more chemistry than Bobby and James, but I still enjoyed both couples and their shenanigans.

Overall, this was a fun queer read with lots of tension and spice perfect for any romance reader!

Bobby Mason, the second born of his family, hungry to contribute to society in a meaningful way can't stand the new Viscount Demeroven, James. Turns out the feeling is mutual, despite James' initial crush on Bobby. He thinks Mason is brash and reckless, which can only lead to problems for James. They can barely get through a single conversation without tensions boiling over. Neither Bobby nor James has ever met a more intriguing, infuriating, infatuating man. They hope to avoid each other at all costs......until they find themselves blackmailed by a peer. Now they have no choice but to work together to eliminate the threat to their positions and lifestyles.

I loved this. I don't have much else to say other than I loved it. The characters are complex, layered, vulnerable, and sickeningly well-matched. Our side characters are fun and entertaining, as well. The sense of community in the story is heart-warming and uplifting. The plot is well-paced. The conflicts are realistic enough. I can't recommend this enough for fans of period dramas and romances.