A romantic and heartwarming conclusion to the Belvoir trilogy. Catriona and Georgiana are gothic literature authors and now rival authors. When Georgiana discovers that Catriona is her rival Lady Darling, she's shocked. Catriona was the daughter of her father's butler and a first crush. Georgiana vows to avoid her, except fate has different plans. She's convinced Catriona is copying her ideas and does not know why or how while Catriona is offended Georgiana would even think of such a thing.

The two find themselves at the same haunted manor, both working on a book set there and as hijinks, including the presence of paranormal activity, ensue, Georgiana and Catriona grow closer and the accusations of plagiarism are forgotten as the two fall in love. Their romance was delightful, and our two protagonists work through deep wounds in their quest to love each other. It was all done wonderfully, with realistic and witty character interactions on the backdrop of a brewing gothic mystery.


This book was the quirky, sapphic regency romance of my dreams. What a conclusion to the Belvoir trilogy. Alexandra Vasti is brilliant! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti!

A sapphic Regency enemies-to-lovers romp set in a haunted manor? I didn’t even need to read past “Gothic novelists” before hitting that request button. And to Vasti’s credit, Ladies in Hating delivers a delightfully quirky setup: two rival authors, one eerie setting, and a whole lot of simmering tension that veers sharply into the steamy.

Lady Georgiana Cleeve is high society’s literary darling—cool, clever, a bit self-important, and completely flummoxed by the mysterious Lady Darling, a rival with suspiciously similar plotlines and far too much talent. Enter Cat Lacey: working-class upstart, pseudonym wielder, and Georgiana’s childhood crush come back to haunt her (just like the manor they’re both trapped in). The banter is sharp, the chemistry is undeniable, and the concept? Utterly delicious.

But as much as I loved the idea of this book, I found myself wanting more polish in the execution. The pacing sometimes lagged, particularly in the middle where witty standoffs gave way to repetitive inner monologues. The Gothic vibes were more Scooby-Doo than suspenseful, which was fun but slightly undercut the stakes. And while the romance had sparks, the transition from animosity to intimacy felt a little rushed—like someone skipped a few key pages in their own manuscript.

Still, Vasti’s prose is lush, the dialogue occasionally sparkles, and there’s real heart underneath all the spectral shenanigans. If you love books about books, sapphic slow burns, and heroines who spar with quills as fiercely as swords, there’s plenty to enjoy here. Just be prepared for a few narrative tangles along the way.

In short: a Gothic rivals-to-lovers tale with charm, heat, and just a hint of chaos.

Lady Georgiana has strong reasons to believe another author, Lady Darling, is plagiarizing her work, and she decides to confront her. When Georgiana discovers that the identity of Lady Darling is actually none other than Cat Lacey, she’s left gobsmacked. Why, you ask? Oh, because she had a huge crush on Cat when they were teens, back when Cat was the butler's daughter. After some serious accusations, Cat goes to a haunted manor in hopes of finding inspiration for her next book, only to find Georgiana all ready there…


A sapphic historical rom-com that I enjoyed reading. There were also the added layers of mystery, forced proximity, a ghost, and being queer in the regency era. Georgiana and Cat got under each other’s skin and I enjoyed the banter. For me, it felt like the rivals to lovers trope shifted to lovers quickly, but it didn’t take away from the quality of the book. I just would’ve liked more of a build-up before they got there. I loved the British humor, and it definitely got some good laughs out of me. The spice was well-written and didn’t take over the book, for which I was grateful. Overall, it was a good read that I recommend, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Happy reading!


I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love rivals to lovers and enjoyed the mystery component as well as the haunted aspects. This is the perfect book for fall.

Book Review: Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti

As soon as I saw that the third installment of Alexandra Vasti's Belvoir’s Library series would center around Lady Georgiana Cleave, I immediately added it to my TBR list. A beloved and humorous character from the previous two books, Lady Cleave was a delight to revisit in this new installment set in Vasti’s clever, Regency-era world. This series continues to remind me of Evie Dunmore’s The League of Extraordinary Women—with its smart, witty women navigating societal expectations—and I truly believe fans of Dunmore will enjoy Vasti’s work as well.

Non-Spoiler Book Summary
Lady Georgiana Cleave is not quite the woman we thought she was, especially after the events of Ne’er Duke Well. Far from "simple," Georgiana is actually the accomplished author behind the pseudonym Geneva Desrosiers. While her secret career has brought success, it has also created challenges for both herself and her family. Matters grow more complicated when Georgiana discovers someone is copying her books—Lady Darling, who turns out to be none other than her former friend and old crush, Catriona Lacey. Catriona, shocked by the accusation, insists on her innocence, and what unfolds is a story of mystery, reconciliation, and familial love.

Reviewer's Overall Thoughts
• Vasti’s writing continues to impress. Her books are effortlessly readable, with vivid settings that feel immersive. For example, I appreciated the inclusion of the perfumer Floris—a lovely, grounded detail that brought the setting to life, especially for readers familiar with London.
• The “haunted house” episode was a surprising and entertaining twist. It added humor and helped set the tone for the book’s larger themes, particularly the resolution at the end.
• One of the central themes—Georgiana’s struggle with guilt and self-blame related to her family—was compelling. However, I wish her emotional journey had been more fully explored, particularly in her interactions with her mother and brothers. That thread felt a bit rushed, and more time spent here could have added even deeper emotional resonance.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this advance reader copy of the book and the opportunity to submit a review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for letting me read this book in advance!

This book has yearning, mystery, the one bed trope, and a haunted mansion, what’s not to love? I enjoyed this read so much, and all of the twists and turns it contained. There was so much patience, tension, and chemistry between the main characters! For example, “Georgiana was a column of gold, lit from behind by the sun, and—No. Georgiana was the sun. And Cat was already burning.” HELLO????? That’s art. The book itself was just art.

Absolutely adored this book! Sapphic regency romance between rival gothic writers- what more could you possibly ask for?!? A cute dog, a crumbling, haunted manor, and family trauma? It has that too!

It was so interesting to see how the coincidences between Cat and Georgiana’s books came about and I absolutely loved the epigraphs at the start of chapters, especially the excerpts of then destroyed notes.

Ladies in Hating is just genuinely the best time and a perfect read for fans of Bridgerton and gothic novels- cozy, lighthearted, and had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time. So excited to go read everything Vasti’s written!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC- all thoughts my own!

Alexandra has done it again, writing another incredible story filled with romance, humor, and of course Francis Bacon.
I absolutely adored this entire story – seeing Cat and Georgie go from rivals to lovers was so fun and the tension between them had me squealing. Cat is so gentle, caring, and in love with Georgie that I couldn’t help but grin to myself throughout the entire book!

The mystery elements added something fun & unique to the story without overshadowing the other elements and the romance.

I’m the biggest fan of all of Vasti’s work, and I really can’t recommend the Belvoir’s trilogy enough! Alexandra has written the sapphic, gothic book of my dreams with this one and I can't wait to have my own copy in my hands.

Thank you to SMP & Alexandra Vasti for the advanced copy!
Pub date: 9/23/25

First I would like to thank netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced copy!

I absolutely loved this book! I’m a big fan of historical books. The main characters kinda grew up together when one of their fathers worked as a butler for the others home (again period piece). They end up enemies due to similarities in their books and end up needing to solve a mystery at a location they were going to use for their next books. I don’t know what more someone could want in a book and the best part is this is the third book in the series!! Thank you again and I highly recommend!!

THE COVER!! Shut up, I love it. This book is so cute! I felt all of the warm tingling as I read through it. It was not overly long, but it definitely was a well-rounded story.

What a gorgeous sapphic enemies to lovers romance about two gothic novelists! The very idea of this book made me excited to read. The characters are very easy to love and there is some humor in a lot of their conversations. This felt like a warm hug.

There were definitely parts that were more serious in tone, but overall I enjoyed the story and felt like each difficult topic was handled kindly.

Spice level definitely open door and I'm here for it.

I have a soft spot for Regency romances. The restrictive elements of society, the pining, the meddlesome families... I come to Regency romances for certain tropes and themes, many of which are greatly enhanced when you make them sapphic. How do two women in a society that only values them as wives for men make a life together?

Well, Ladies in Hating answers that question immediately as both of our leading ladies are successful writers able to financially support themselves. They have no need to marry, nor any pressure to either. They do not participate in upper class society. Their families are accepting of their preference for ladies.

In other words: Why is this even set in the Regency era?

Our two ladies in hating (a title I wish was more accurate) could have lived in a number of different eras to the same result. Hell—this could have been a contemporary romance and still worked. There's nothing wrong with that exactly. I didn't dislike either lady or their romance with each other. They were fun! And steamy! And I wanted them to have a HEA. I'm just not sure how I feel about this as a historical romance. I've read other very optimistic and happy sapphic Regency romances and still felt like the time period was done justice. The Regency era definitely doesn't have to be sad and miserable for queer people. I just need a sense of the time period existing in the story beyond aesthetics.

That's just me though. If you're not actually big on Regency romances or just don't care how a story portrays it, there's a lot to love here. The pink cover suits the tone perfectly. It's very light and airy and sweet despite being about two gothic novelists who visit a creepy mansion. The ladies are just too smitten with each other (even when they're fighting) to let a spooky vibe last. I had fun reading this even if it's not quite what I want from a Regency romance.

This was a third (and final?) entry in Alexandra Vasti's Belvoir Library series, and it was another good one!

While this wasn't my favorite from Vasti, it was still a fun and cute regency (Gothic!) romcom. Cat and Georgie are both such loveable characters, although their rivals-to-lovers vibe was not really to my taste, personally. The payoff was worth it though! They grew together in a satisfying way and their relationship was well written.

The mystery plot was fun and wacky, and definitely a unique spin for a historical romance. Pacing was good, even though I tend to enjoy something with a quicker burn. Another refreshing romance that I would recommend.

really well written and swoony read of a romance with some interesting ideas. awesome characters, too. would definitely recomend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

This was one of my favorite books of the year and I think an excellent conclusion to this series, but also just a great stand-alone love story. Georgie and Cat are two characters who have been through a lot, and have a shared history that I adore in romance. There were moments of humor, and I adored their rivalry. It provided for so many great moments of misunderstanding, fun, and angst (but in the best way). I could not put this book down when I started it, and like all of Vasti's writing found it super easy to get into. The author does a great job of creating dynamic characters that feel like people you know in your life.

This book was such an emotionally powerful love story with the perfect mix of humor and lighthearted coziness. I loved the addition of the second love story from the house's original builder and how it reflected in Cat and Georgie. I cried so hard in the last few chapters with not only the love letters, but also the family love that shined through. The ending was beautiful, satisfying, and emotionally poignant. I'm so excited to read this book again, that's how amazing it was and one that I think will stick with me for some time.

I really enjoyed Ladies in Hating! It had drama and love and some spice. I think the “plot hole” would be the stockings. Georgiana never gave Cat the stockings. Everything else was answered. Nothing else stuck out to me that made me wonder what happened. I loved the happy ending. 🖤
I haven’t read any of the other Belvoir books, but this one definitely made me interested. As far as I can tell, I didn’t miss anything by reading this one first. I think they’re pretty independent of each other.
I would absolutely recommend Ladies in Hating to others, especially if you love sapphic romances with a little twist of mystery.

I love Alexandra Vasti’s writing — so clever and deeply meaningful while remaining unserious enough to be fun. This novel was a beautiful exploration of 19th century queer love, and Vasti could not have picked a better vehicle than “enemies-to-lovers gothic lesbian novelists trapped in a haunted (??) mansion.” Perfect book, no notes.

i received an arc from netgalley! please enjoy my honest review!

this was hugely delightful. seriously, i gushed about it at my book club last night and i will do so again. alexandra vasti continues to be absolutely hilarious and also so emotionally in touch with her characters at the same time. the absurdity in her novels doesn't take away at all from the beauty of her stories, and having the little moments of hilarity makes the emotional bits all the more impactful.

anyways, georgiana and cat are both brilliant characters, there was an excellent cast of side characters and found family and one silly little dog, and i don't know that i have ever read an arc so fast.

as always, alexandra vasti's characters get it on at the absolute worst of times, but i think it's growing on me. like yeah, sure, why not? life is short, have the sex.

ok but seriously, this is an excellent book from one of my favourite histrom (histromcom?) authors, and she is just as brilliant with a sapphic romance than she has been with the straight ones (this is one of the only authors that will get me to read straight books, and seeing her write a queer one is filling me with so, so much joy).

and last but not least: the title and the tagline are great, and thank you to whoever approved them at the publisher, because i will be forever grateful to you!

Ladies in Hating is Alexandra Vasti's last book in her Regency romance series, Belvoir's Library series. I've reviewed every book in this specific series, and my experiences with the first two books have colored my opinion on Ladies in Hating. Vasti has become one of my favorite up and coming authors in the Regency romance subgenre. I loved her first two books (especially Earl Crush which was one of my favorite romances last year) and so I was very excited to pick up Ladies in Hating.

This story is a sapphic romance taking place in a Gothic setting. I was excited since a Gothic setting is a nice change of pace from the typical Regency romances, which are mostly set amongst the Ton in London. This is also childhood acquaintances to lovers (not quite childhood friends to lovers). Although the characters were cute, I didn't enjoy Ladies in Hating as much as Vasti's other two books in the Belvoir series. I typically am a sucker for childhood friends to lovers but this story was missing a spark for me. I felt like there wasn't enough tension built up between the two characters throughout the book.

It's not a bad book but for me it's a little forgettable. I'm giving Ladies in Hating 3 out of 5 stars.

LOVED IT. Cat and Georgie’s story was SO good. The tension and animosity at the beginning was so entertaining. But the way they intentionally cared for each other by the end was absolutely 🤌🏻 also, Georgie’s family made me so teary-eyed!!