Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher and Alexandra Vasti for this ARC!!! I was so excited to get an early look at the next book in the Belvoir series which is fast becoming one of my favorite historical romance series of all time. Seriously I’m obsessed with these characters and this world and Vasti’s brilliant writing. Inject anything she creates straight into my veins. And a FF love story? New heights reached with this installment, read it as soon as you can get your hands on it!

I loved this book more than I expected - I always adore Vasti's novels, but this one made me cry three times. It's soft? It's tough? It's sapphic? It's spooky? It's everything???

Alexandra Vasti’s upcoming release — Ladies in Hating — is the final book in her delightful Belvoir’s Lending Library series. And much like its predecessors (Ne’er Duke Well and Earl Crush), it is pure joy.

Ladies follows Georgiana and Catriona, unrequited teenage crushes who discover they are now unwitting literary rivals — both gothic novelists whose books continue to bear one uncanny resemblance after another. As they try to get to the bottom of this mystery, their bitterness towards one another turns into something more. Throw in a haunted estate, their messy history and some hilarious scheming and you’ve got this sweet, spicy sapphic romance.

Alexandra’s writing somehow makes every one of her historical romances feel equally modern — the comedy, the female friendships and the A+ love interests never fail to bridge that gap between wholly unique and comfortingly familiar. This book is the perfect finale to an adorably fun series and I miss Georgie and Cat already.

Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti comes out 9/23
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Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love a historical romance and I also love sapphic books so this one really hit the spot! There was angst and tension and some real sweet moments too! I have really been enjoying this series and I am so excited for the next one!

The way I dropped my current reads when this much anticipated ARC landed in my inbox! I've read all of the Belvoir's Library series (and everything Vasti has published), but you can absolutely jump into this this highly entertaining gothic sapphic historical romance as a standalone.

This book grabbed me from the start. If you're in the romancelandia community on any platform you will get all the absolutely period-appropriate nods to the shenanigans we see going on today (two authors with the same idea, one must be a copycat!). It was SO FUN! And you can feel how much Vasti just loves the genre.

The romance was charming. Georgiana is a starchy virgin and Cat is delightful.
The setting was fantastically gothic, and came with some great twists.
My only quibble is that I am not a fan of MCs who hold on tight the weight of their parents wrongs for the bulk of a book, and Georgiana really had that down solid.

Overall an entertaining and swoony read!

OK! So, I really wanted to love this one. When we were actually *at* the haunted estate, I was gobbling it up... But we move on from this setting way too quickly, which I found to be unfortunate...

And I felt like the enemies turn into lovers way too quickly for the relationship to be fully developed in any meaningful way. They somehow went from mutual dislike and wariness to sweetly exchanged words within a matter of just a few pages.

Wish this had been a slower burn, and that we spent more time at the eerie mansion.

Adorable book. Love the enemies-lovers trope with the addition of Gothic elements. Provided representation for a sapphic romance without fetishisizing or stereotyping. 10/10, Will read anything this author writes.

Before reading, I was unaware that “Ladies in Hating” by Alexandra Vasti is part of a series until I added it on Goodreads. I’m glad I didn’t notice because the book is incredible! It’s likely “series” overstates the relationship of the books, and they may just be in the same world or Regency era. From a quick glance, it appears this one is the only sapphic one, too (sorry if I’m wrong about that). I can safely say this book is a standalone novel regardless of the others, as it made total sense and didn’t rely on any previous knowledge.

I loved, loved, loved this book! The novel features Georgiana and Cat, two authors who came from different but intertwined backgrounds (one of high status and the other in a servant family) who end up crossing paths years later. At this point, both are highly successful but controversial authors. Enveloped in a sort of feud because of their writing similarities, they both end up researching at a (possibly haunted) dilapidating mansion.

The relationship between the two women changes the course of both of their lives in a collision course of passion and intrigue and it is absolutely delicious and delightful to partake in. The Regency era gives a hint of scandal to their relationship while their colliding careers give stakes and drama.

If you’re interested in sapphic romance, this is definitely not one to miss! Especially if you like Regency romance. Also, a hint of supernatural and murder mystery spice up the novel (in addition to the actual spice). Highly recommend!!

Alexandra Vasti’s writing is lush and immersive, with just the right amount of gothic atmosphere to set the mood. The haunted manor setting? Chef’s kiss. The romance? As swoony as it is steamy. This book is a love letter to ambition, to desire, and to two women who find themselves (and each other) in the most unexpected of places. Absolutely enchanting.

Ladies in Hating is the loveliest possible conclusion to Vasti's delightful Ladies in Hating trilogy. It's wonderful to read as a continuation of the first two Belvoir's novels, but rest assured that if you're mostly into sapphic romance, you can jump right into Ladies and be just fine. In this book, Georgiana returns as a successful gothic author, but another author seems to be stealing character and plot elements from her books before she publishes them! Hilarity and longing and beautiful romance ensue.

This book has all the elements we've come to know and love from Vasti, including a couple with profound love and respect for one another, beautifully written sibling relationships, a truly clever mystery to unravel, and a delightful animal. The settings in Ladies in Hating are even more spectacular than in Ne'er Duke Well and Earl Crush, and it's taking all my willpower right now to keep myself from running to the florist to fill my home with dozens of roses (and if I had any outdoor space whatsoever, I might be planning a rose garden). This book is an absolute 10/10!

Alexandra Vasti got me back into the historical romance genre… but this book felt a bit zany and bit of a divergence for me. I’m kind of shocked this book closes out the Belvoir’s Trilogy. I guess I needed something to feel big and bring the trilogy to a memorable close. It’s definitely quirky, sapphic, and embracing mystique . But Catriona and Georgiana’s story initially starts with accusations of plagiarism but evolves into more. The gothic aspects gave me Nosferatu vibes, and the tradition of having a hilarious scene from the book as a the book cover remains! Personally, for me this felt a bit flat when I really wanted a sweeping ending to close out the series.. I know so many readers will adore this book, however, I’m going to quietly share that it wasn’t my favourite. Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press for the digital arc.

this is one of the best historical romances ive read recently. the gothic aspects, sapphic rep, and emotional turmoil made this so enthralling!! the last third lost me a tad because i didn’t necessarily care about cat’s brothers plot line, but aside from that i stayed up many a night reading past my bedtime 🤭 also she was steamyyy and the mirror scene WILL be living in my mind rent free!

Alexandra Vasti’s "Ladies in Hating" is a steamy sapphic romance with just enough mystery to keep you guessing. This quick, fun read pulls you into Regency England and is the third and final stand-alone story in the Belvoir Library series (the first two being hetero romances). The mystery elements, while mostly plausible, add intrigue without overshadowing the story’s primary focus—a heartfelt romance between two compelling leads.

While not without minor imperfections, "Ladies in Hating" is an engaging read that entertains. If you’re a fan of historical romance with modern sensibilities and values, give this one a try and check out the other books in the Belvoir series.

I've never read Alexandra Vasti before but DAMN this caught my attention. Historical fiction isn't my main jam but sapphic yearning??? 1000% is. Idk I was just tickled by the idea of two Gothic novelists falling in love!!

One thing I love about this book is it doesn't waste your time. The leads see each other VERY early on. They are flawed but not awful people. For me, I understood why they made the choices they did even if I couldn't see myself behaving the same way. And OH lemme tell you I went from cackling at the rivalry to being absolutely devastated at one point when the POV switched.

Georgiana's relationship with her mom made me feel warm and soft. It was a welcome change of pace reading about a character with a supportive parent. Similarly, I adored Jem. Both of these side characters led to scenes that made me quite emotional. I didn't expect to tear up about a book that's so funny!!! But I did.

Now, a slight nitpick. There's an AGGRESSIVE number of em dashes. At times it was quite distracting for me. It gave the writing style a repetitive quality. I just wanted sentence lengths that were a bit more varied, I think? This is hardly a dealbreaker, though! I doubt most readers would care if they noticed at all.

Alright. Time for a bigger nitpick. On one hand, I'm glad we got multiple sex scenes. The buildup, the TENSION before it started?? Fantastic. Imo, the sex scenes themselves were a bit rushed, though. Personal preference, I guess, but I wanted them to work a little harder for those orgasms! I'd have preferred one much longer sex scene that was better paced and really took its time than multiple small ones with fast orgasms. But I seem to be alone in this feeling so maybe it's just a me problem!

My biggest criticism? The third act is underwhelming. Solving the mystery... it turned a bit too "let the men handle this" for my taste. Which is perhaps silly of me given this is historical fiction. But idk. The hiding and being quiet while the men talked wasn't for me.

For all these reasons I can't give Ladies in Hating 5 stars. So a generous 4 it is!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Seeing this book become available on NetGalley made my week! I was beyond excited when Alexandra Vasti announced the third book in this series would be a sapphic romance, and I have been waiting for what feels like forever to get my hands on it.

It took everything in me not to devour this in a single sitting, and now I’m so tempted to immediately reread it. Cat and Georgiana’s story absolutely lived up to my expectations and then some!

This book is sexy, mysterious, funny and heartwarming. I teared up several times while reading. As with all Vasti books, the love (familial, romantic, and platonic) is felt so deeply in this story. It is a rare thing to feel so safe in an author’s hands while still knowing that difficult themes, trauma, and heartache will be explored. She did a beautiful job balancing the emotional through-line.

As always, I deeply appreciate that Vasti’s characters, settings, and plots are so often based in historical reality (even some of the wildest bits). Can’t wait to explore some of the real life texts mentioned in this book. And I can’t wait for whatever she decides to write next!

4.5*

the sapphic historical romcom of my dreams!!

The story follows Georgiana & Cat, WHO ARE RIVAL GOTHIC NOVELISTS!! I was sold just from that alone, but this book delivers in so much ways.

There is so much to love about this book:

THE SETTING
There were multiple locations throughout the story, but the old manor that was essentially falling down brick by brick was my favourite. It was the perfect backdrop to force Georgiana and Cat into close proximity.

THE WRITING
I can say that at this point, I've fallen in love with Alexandra's writing style. She easily weaves such a beautiful balance between emotion, humor and intimacy (both physical and emotional). She writes tension so damn well, and it had me giddy!

THE CHARACTERS
I loved Georgiana from the first moment we meet her in Ne'er Duke Well. I had a feeling about her! Having her front and centre in her own story was even better than I anticipated. She had a lot of walls up and tried her best to protect herself and others from perceived harm.. and watching her slowly dismantle those walls in order to let herself be loved by Cat was everything.

Cat was such a kind-hearted and open person. She was the perfect counterpart to Georgiana and I felt that they brought out the best in each other.

Sir Francis Bacon. I love him.

The side characters were also all amazing. I want an Iris book so much!!!

THE ROMANCE & SPICE
Wowza. The spice in this series, and very much in this book, is so damn hot. The tension is off the charts and is palpable!! Had me blushing so much. The mirror scene!!! *bites fist*

The romance had me kicking my feet! Twirling my hair!! Full on GIDDY! I ate up every single interaction between these two. THE YEARNING!!

Ladies In Hating by @alexandravasti

A pair of Gothic novelists trade rivalry for love in this swoony, steamy, sapphic Regency by USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Vasti.

Celebrated authoress Lady Georgiana Cleeve has achieved fame and fortune. Unfortunately, she’s also acquired an enemy: the enigmatic Lady Darling, whose spine-tingling plots appear to be pulled straight from Georgiana’s own manuscripts. What’s a stubborn, steely writer to do? Unmask her rival, of course.

But unmasking doesn’t go according to plan—because Lady Darling is actually Cat Lacey, the butler’s daughter and object of Georgiana’s very secret, very embarrassing teenage infatuation.

Cat Lacey has spent a decade clawing her family out of poverty. The last thing she needs is to be distracted by the stunning(ly pretentious) Lady Georgiana Cleeve. But Cat can’t seem to escape her infuriatingly beautiful rival—including at the eerie manor where they both plan to set their next books. The plot unexpectedly thickens, however, when the novelists find themselves trapped in the manor together. In between ghostly moans and spectral staff, Cat and Georgiana come face-to-face with real danger: the scorching passion that’s been haunting their rivalry all along.

Wow, this story was incredibly FUN! Such a unique spin on a regency romance. First, we have a beautiful lesbian love story. Second, we have ghosts! A haunted mansion! Mysterious things happening! It could not have been more fun and cool and it absolutely sucked me in. Get this one on your radar friends! Georgiana and Cat will steal your heart. 💕

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc!
Pub date: 9/24/25

I am, historically (no pun intended), not a fan of period pieces - but this book exceeded my expectations. Truly some of the most beautiful and romantic words I’ve seen in a while, and some really lovely characters with an excellent story all wrapped up in a British bow. I loved every page of this book, and I was really intrigued by the Author’s Note at the end which really dived into her inspiration and gave a bit of queer history. Truly a 5 star read!

I just finished the E-arc of this fun read and I gave it 4/5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I stumbled upon this book by happenstance and the cover and synopsis really intrigued me. I have been in a bit of a reading slump for the past few weeks, and this just sounded like the perfect read to get me out of it. By the time I finished chapter one, I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down. The immediate tension between our two main characters, Cat and Georgiana, was all I needed to keep reading. I am such a sucker for mutual pining in which both parties are in denial of their feelings, and this relationship is FULL of that. Cat and Georgiana’s relationship going from enemies, to friends, to lovers was such a fun ride to be on.
If you’re looking for a fun sapphic read with supernatural elements that’s set in the regency era, look no further. The main characters are both gothic mystery novel authors, and until recently they did not know each other’s true identity (they both use fake author names). Once Georgiana and Catriona discover the truth, we then learn about their previous shared past and we get to go on a journey of them rediscovering each other and falling in love.
I didn’t realize before going into this book, that it’s actually the third in a series, however I do think to stands up as it’s own and I had no issues understanding anything despite not reading the previous books. This book releases in September, so I highly recommend adding it to your TBR this fall. 💕

This book! This book! It was phenomenal. I could not stop turning the pages. The romance mixed with classic gothic suspense was perfect. I’m a sucker for a sapphic regency romance. The pining and tension plays so well on the page. I need several more in this series please!!