This was exactly what I was hoping for based on the two earlier Belvoir’s Library novels — witty, fun, full of yearning, and the vibes were perfect. I tried to take my time with this book but I kept thinking about Georgiana and Cat every time I put down the book. I appreciate how this series shows the heroines in their mid-20s, and how they are figuring out their lives through the story. I’ve found a new auto-buy author in Alexandra Vasti and cannot wait to read what she cooks up next! I will be publishing a review on my socials closer to the publishing date.

Oh no! Two rivals in a haunted manor!
This was my first sapphic romance novel and Alexandra absolutely sent me down a rabbit hole. This was such a fun read, and just in time for summerween.
I adore novels that our main characters are both writers, I don’t know why but it’s an automatic yes for me. This had that and PERFECTED the trope.
The yearning in this?! Absolutely breath taking.
Thank you to netgalley and St Martins press for this ARC!!

Sadly this was a DNF for me. I found the premise very charming, and tend to like historical fiction/romance. I think that as the story progressed I found it difficult to differentiate from the two main characters’ voices.

Alexandra Vasti's Ladies in Hating is a tour de force. She ups the ante for all future regency romances. The spice, the love, the family, the mystery. I couldn't put this book down. This is my new favorite. Can't wait to read what Vasti comes up with next. Overwhelmingly enjoyed!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I finally finished Ladies in Hating. I am not sure why it took me so long to finish this book because I love Alexandra Vasti. She is one of my favorite active authors and I am excited every time I receive an email with a new book announcement. Ladies in Hating has the detailed storyline that I have come to expect with Caterina and Georgiana healing through bonding. There was something about the book that didn't grab me from the start. The entire story was wonderful and I was interested in seeing where it went, but when I put down the book I didn't find myself drawn back to reading it. I do wish there was a longer epilogue.

Enimes to livers trope is one of my favorites and this book delivers just that. All in all I will be suggesting this to the book club.

This was the sweetest read ever, I loved our characters so much! It was the perfect length and the perfect mix of happy and angsty at times and I just LOVED this read so much I gobbled it up in one sitting!

an absolutely lovely sapphic regency novel about two rival gothic romance novelists - the banter left me giggling and kicking my feet, but there were definitely heavy topics addressed!! familial alienation and the possibility of ruination as a queer person in this period add to this book's depth. all the side characters were delightful and multi-faceted, and in general this was a wonderful wonderful book. I will be recommending this to everyone I know who is queer and/or has any interest in Gothic novels!

Ladies in Hating has all the tropes I crave in a romance. Rivals to lovers, delicious slow-burn longing, and clever women who’d rather trade barbed banter than admit their feelings.

Set in the lush world of Regency England, Alexandra Vasti serves up a gorgeously written tale of two rival gothic novelists who absolutely loathe each other - until they don’t.

The prose is rich and reflective of the time period, but the tension between the characters? That’s timeless. This book simmers with unresolved desire before boiling over into some truly hot and spicy scenes.

This book is clever, emotional, and so beautifully crafted. If you love rivals-to-lovers, sapphic tension, and Regency vibes with heat and heart, Ladies in Hating absolutely delivers!

Ladies in Hating surprised me in a good way. It’s a fun mix of Regency romance and Gothic vibes with a sapphic twist. The story between Georgiana and Cat kept me hooked, and the haunted house setting added some nice spooky atmosphere. The characters felt real and their relationship grew in a natural way. If you enjoy historical romance with a bit of mystery and slow-building chemistry, this one’s definitely worth a read. Thanks, NetGalley! This was fun!

I did not leave a public review of this book because I did not finish it. That was a me problem. I did not vibe with the characters and plot. I wanted to, but after 100 pages, I was dreading picking it up and knew it wasn't fair the the author for me to continue and then rate it. I think enemies to lovers and historical readers will adore this book.

Lately I have been requesting less romance books on NetGalley since even if I finish them, I don’t know how great I am at reviewing them. I feel like my opinions are “meh” or “it’s cute!”. But when I read the description for Alexandra Vasti’s “Ladies in Hating”, I knew I had to be in. Lady Georgiana Cleeve has found success as a gothic author, but also an enemy in Cat Lacey, a similar gothic author but also her complicated teenage infatuation. Gothic lesbian enemy-to-lovers!? Yes please!
First the good, Georgiana and Cat are incredibly likable characters. It is quite a spicy book, but wouldn’t shock devout romance readers. There are some genuinely funny moments, the banter between the leads have particularly witty moments. The setting is great, and in fact I would’ve have liked to see MUCH more of the story take place in the creepy gothic home.
This is the first book I’ve read in the Belvoir's Library Trilogy and while it seems that some characters from previous books make an appearance, I didn’t even know this book was a part of a series. So safe to say you are not required to the other titles. I’m not sure if the b-plot pertaining to Cat's brother is important in the overall series, but in this book it felt out of place and like the gothic elements of the story would’ve been better suited being adjusted for the main characters.
Spoilers:
I was also very excited for the lovers-to-enemies aspect, but Cat and Georgie get over their differences quite quickly. In most books I appreciate this, miscommunication is a tiresome trope. But for a book titled “Ladies in Hating” I was hoping for more simmering anger.

Overall a very solid romance, I was disappointed in the gothic and enemies-to-lovers aspects but if you’re looking for a steamy sapphic regency, this book will check that box.

If Alexandra Vasti writes it, I'll read it! What a fun sapphic historical romance in a world with characters that I have adored since the first book!

Cat and Georgie's story of rivals-to-lovers with a touch of a gothic mystery, family drama, and of course the steamy spice that Alexandra always nails, this was such an enjoyable read. I always love the attention to historical details and love that the history her stories take inspiration from are detailed at the end of the book as well as the creative liberties. I was so excited to read a sapphic historical romance and I found both MCs healing journeys well done as they overcame their pain and family dynamics to finally find their place in the world. While I did hope that the mystery and creepy haunted estate aspect was fleshed out a little more to feed into the gothic mystery vibes, I still found myself enjoying the story and all the big reveals.

I can't wait to read Alexandra's next project and I can't recommend this series enough, especially to fans of spicy historical romances that are based on real historical events and people!

Ahggggg I wanted to love this one but I keep starting it and can’t get into it. It’s me. I didn’t realize I wasn’t a huge historical fiction fan and the content warnings are making me nervous as there are a few I need to avoid.

This being said, I’m totally going to buy this to add to my shelf in the future. The cover alone is way too cute and I need more pink books.

Historical fiction and romance lovers will eat this one up! I’m excited to enjoy this one at a later time.

I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily. Thank you for the ARC!

Ladies In Hating was a fun sapphic historical romance. Two rival gothic novelists who each secretly love each other. Oh so good!

Catriona (Cat) and Georgiana (Georgie) are rival gothic novelists in a time where women writers were few and lesbians, which was completely unacceptable. This book was like a love letter to the women writers of the 19th century.

This novel uses tropes such as enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and sapphic love. All of it blends perfectly in this book with a result of a beautiful romance.

Both of the female main characters were so much fun and I loved them both. Their banter was perfection!

I really enjoyed this novel and think it's a super fun romance not to be missed!

Expected Publication Date: September 23rd 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and the author for the chance to read this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins for giving me a copy of this book, and this will be a hit for all the Bridgerton girlies who love something a little gothic. Two rival authors, both end up at a haunted manor to work on their respective books… This is ultimately lighthearted, whimsical and had me laughing out loud. Overall, a wonderful sapphic regency romance and although this was my first time reading Alexandra Vasti, it won’t be the last – her wit, humor and prose are all very much what I enjoy!

A huge huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC!

Upon the discovery of overlapping details between Georgiana Cleeve's latest novel and that of the elusive Lady Darling, Georgiana is intent on confronting the author for their plagiarism. But, to Georgiana's surprise, Lady Darling is none other than Catriona Lacey, the daughter of the Cleeves's former butler whom she hasn't seen in years. After their much less than wonderful reunion. The two authors begin writing their next manuscripts – with both staying at the same decrepit gothic mansion for inspiration, unbeknowst to each other until their shocking arrival. But despite the large manor and plenty of rooms to separate them, they find themselves getting quite close, exploring old feelings and reigniting passions that they were forced to keep hidden.

The premise already had me with this one. Two gothic novelists, only one castle, many years of yearning, and a cute little dog to top it off? Absolutely! And it did not disappoint. Georgiana struggles with wanting love and her family in spite of her own thought that she only brings hurt to both. Cat is concerned for her family and desperately wants the person she loves to stay. I found them both so compelling, and I was rooting for them the whole way through. I enjoyed how the story not only focused on the dangers of being queer in the regency era, but also the personal struggles of not knowing whether the people you care about most would accept you. It's a story about learning to accept love, and openly giving without a care about what anyone else thinks.

The little epitaphs at the beginning of each chapter were fun, funny, and heartfelt. They made sense for each chapter, and I enjoyed the references to other gothic novels throughout. While the mystery of the treasure inside was intriguing, I'm glad that was more of a side plot to explore the past and present of the two leads. This is the first Belvoir's Library book I've read, so it seems I will have to go back and read the others!!

What a fun, joyful, smart, sexy series this is, and book 3 beautifully rounds out the world with the love story of rival gothic novelists who find uncanny resemblances between their novels, get locked into a crumbling abbey-inspired manor house together, discover a secret history to investigate, dodge bats and other things that go bump in the night, wrestle with the complications of estranged family and societal ostracism, and find no shortage of giddy opportunities to press one another up against a clerestory wall or steam up the lancet windows. Vasti’s lead characters are both ambitious, creative, talented women, but with very different backgrounds. One upper class, one lower. One from a loving and accepting family, one with an abusive father who embeds enduring cycles of guilt and shame. One more forthright about what she wants, the other more prone to question, retreat, and keep to herself. These differences create realistic, ongoing tensions between the two, but ultimately become the strength of the relationship, and Vasti does a beautiful job arcing the changes as love blooms. We also get more time with Sir Francis Bacon, Georgiana’s irrepressible dog (I’m always a sucker for a dog in a story), and some fun cameos of characters from books 1 & 2. While the story is thoughtfully constructed to stand alone, I recommend starting at the beginning, partly to enjoy the continuation of Georgiana’s development from its origins in book 1, but also because all 3 books are a delight, and why not spend more time with Belvoir’s Library and the charming cast of characters who step inside its doors and find themselves falling in love?

This was SO fun, SO swoon worthy, and SO full of drama in all of the best ways. It's gothic but not too heavy, sapphic (hell to the yeah) with the right amount of yearning, and gave me that cozy, haunted estate vibe I absolutely ADORE! Two rival authors stuck in a creepy house together, pretending to hate each other while clearly being obsessed?! Yes, please!!!

Georgiana and Cat were such. great combo- snarky, sharp and soft underneath it all. Their dynamic had the perfect amount of tension and slow burn buildup. Also the dog (Sir Francis Bacon!!!) was an absolute scene stealer!!!!

The plot was fun, and felt like it could've had a little more there with the ghost but honestly I was so into the romance I didn't mind much. If you like clever women, haunted houses, and enemies to lovers with a historical twist- definitely add this one to your list!! It was cozy but a little unhinged in the BEST way.

What a wonderful and fun romance! This entire series by Alexandra Vasti was great. Easy, fun and romanc filled. We finally got to Georgiana’s story - only complaint I had was that I didn’t feel I knew her character much by this story. Once the story started though we really got to see and understand how she got where she is in life. The struggles with her father truly are what has guided her along and hindered her. She’s spent her life being a gothic writer to support her and her mother and now she feels it’s being threatened by another writer. Another female gothic writer who happens to be publishing before her and their stories are fairly similar. So off Georgiana goes to figure out who is behind the pen name and to write her next novel first.
Great chemistry between Georgiana and Cat! But the scene stealer is Sir bacon. Loved the setting and the homage to sapphic gothic novelists. Highly recommend