I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was not for me but give it s try! The eritijg wasn't my style.

This was the first queer live book. I like how it was about a girl who came from wealth and made someone down to earth . This book was a great representation of love

I absolutely adored this book once it got going! It took me a couple chapters to get into it, but once I was I was hooked.

I love Georgie & Cat so much! This is the first in the Belvoir’s Library trilogy I have read, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not reading the others (and I now have both books sitting on my kindle). The description drew me in, and it did not disappoint! I don’t know if this is truly enemies to lovers or just slightly confused women who don’t know how to communicate effectively and are a little scared to lovers, but I guess that doesn’t flow as well.

The epilogue was probably my favorite part and I wanted it to never end, I just want more of Georgie & Cat and their families!

Highly recommend this to anyone who loves sapphic romance with a regency vibe. But also add in gothic writers, a maybe haunted country home, mysterious lawyers, and family misunderstandings and reconciliation.

Alexandra Vasti does it again. 🥲👏🏻

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Alexandra Vasti for the ARC of Ladies in Hating - I loved it!

We’ve got lesbians, we’ve got ghosts, we’ve got a mystery; we’ve got it all, really! The relationship between Cat and Georgie was beautiful, and Georgie’s pining over Cat for years in secret made me so sad. I am so happy for both of them, and love that they get to do life together.

This was really just so much fun, I can’t get over it. My only complaint is that a lot seemed to happen in the last 20% that could’ve been spaced out to earlier in the book. Nonetheless, still a great read.

Lady Georgiana has been writing Gothic novels since she was a teenager, and is quite an established author now. So she finds herself rather frustrated when "Lady Darling" hits the scene with manuscripts nearly identical to her own. Determined to unmask her rival and set the record straight, Georgiana stakes out Belvoirs Library - only to discover her nemesis is a crush from ages past. Cat Lacey was her family's butler's daughter, but Georgiana has since cut ties with much of that life. When the two rival writers find themselves doing research at the same haunted Gothic manor, they come to an agreement of sorts, but their chemistry and feelings that stem from their pasts keep them coming back to each other.

I loved both of these FMCs so much. There was so much more to them than meets the eye. Their motivations, their actions and interactions, their way of expressing emotions - so well written! Georgiana, for example, was perceived as cold and standoffish. But the glimpses we see into her thoughts and actions tell us much more about who she really is; I found her much more relatable. Cat, of course, had a way of bringing out the best in her and understands her (eventually). I loved the little mystery and suspense component to this one, and themes of family loyalty and being true to yourself. The female friendships in this series are some of my favorite! I also loved the author's note - giving insight into some of the events and people and places she drew inspiration from.

3.75 stars
for the sake of transparency, i will say i did not know this was the third book of a series when i requested it, and got the e-ARC.
with that, i do think this does work well as a solo book. sure, the references might get lost over the pages, but you don’t really feel like you’re missing something. it did, though, made me want to read the other two (already in line for the first on libby!)
don’t let the rating fool you, i enjoyed reading this, for the most part, i think, but there were a few parts where i was rolling my eyes, and otherwise not enjoying myself. i thought, since i’m a lesbian (and a writer), i would have the time of my life. i was not entirely wrong, since the beginning and the end were some of my favorite moments in the entire book.
i’m famously not a fan of third-act breakups, and even though this lasted about one chapter and a half, it still made me feel icky. i understand the reasoning behind it, communication is free, tho, even when it’s uncomfortable.
overall, this was mostly good. they grew up on me pretty quickly---despite many things, and those last chapters were absolutely everything.
i did feel like we got lost at some point (the haunted house and writing together and whatnot), but!!! it “resolved” quite nicely in the end, i wish we would’ve had more of their banter, but they are disgustingly cute together.

My review is below- but let me just say first- OMG I loved this book. Original, fast moving, and lovely in every way. I don't usually like regencies but this book was so enjoyable- I'm definitely going to read the first 2 in the series.

Ok here's the formal review:

Lady Georgiana, once a wealthy and privileged daughter of an earl, now makes her living through her marginal earnings as a writer. So when she suspects another writer, using the pseudonym Lady Darling, of scooping her books right before she publishes them, rendering them unoriginal, and threatening her livelihood, she makes it her mission to find out her real identity.

Nothing prepares Georgiana to discover that Lady Darling is none other than Catriona, the woman whose father used to work for her own father when they were both children. Now they can’t seem to stop running into each other, including booking a stay in the same place- Renwick House- a creepy ruined manor house they each hope to write their next novels on.

When both supernatural and real-life threats start to occur ,they’re forced to work together to figure out what’s going on, leading their nascent desire to manifest into a lush and all-encompassing love affair.

Told in alternating viewpoints, with a fun literary storyline, joyous queer representation, and more than one mystery to unfurl, this steamy gothic regency will appeal to fans of historical fiction romances featuring social justice plotlines, like Evie Dunmore and Liana De La Rosa’s works.

This book tells the story of Lady Georgiana Cleeve, a celebrated authoress, and her enigmatic enemy, Lady Darling. The plot thickens when Georgiana discovers that Lady Darling is actually Cat Lacey, the butler’s daughter, and someone from Georgiana's past.

The story explores the complex relationship between Georgiana and Cat, filled with rivalry, past infatuation, and unexpected passion. When the two find themselves trapped together in an eerie manor, the narrative takes a turn, combining elements of mystery, romance, and suspense. The author weaves a tale of uncovering hidden identities, facing real danger, and confronting long-simmering desires.

This beautifully written story follows two competing Gothic novelists during the Regency era, evolving into a captivating love story. The writing is rich in description, and it's clear that the author conducted thorough research. While I initially found the language challenging to grasp, I came to appreciate its authenticity, as it reflects the way people spoke during that time.

I loved the slow build-up of tension between Georgiana and Cat, who start as adversaries, with an undeniable spark between them. The author's skillful character development allowed me to understand their motivations and actions, making them relatable.

It was particularly touching to witness a love story unfold in a period when openly expressing LGBTQ+ identities was not accepted. This made me reflect on what it might have been like to be in the characters' shoes during that time.

The writing is so vivid that I could easily visualize the scenes as I read. Ultimately, the story explores themes of love, acceptance, and finding a sense of belonging within a community. The yearning, desire, and back-and-forth dynamics between the two characters create a beautiful buildup to their romantic relationship. The novel thoughtfully addresses the challenges of being lesbian in that era, enhancing its emotional depth. 5/5!!I

The banter! The rivalry! I loved this book. It had enough funny little quips here and there for me to stay engaged even when the plot wasn't super thick. I was invested in the characters, they all felt pretty fleshed out to me. I would love to see more in this universe, specifically with Iris and that guy that was mentioned that I forgot his name.

This was so cute! 4/5 stars. I don’t usually gravitate to regency type romances, but this one just had an engaging description that I couldn’t pass up! This book was a delight to read! The chemistry between the characters was so good! And the cute dog! Ah! I love that this had a haunted mansion with spooky elements without being scary. The character development was also top notch! I’ll definitely be recommending!

I LOVED this book! Our two FMCs had such a charming chemistry and tension between them, and the situations they found themselves in were compelling and refreshing. It felt like every interaction was meaningful and paid off particularly well eventually. Vasti does an incredible job with this queer historical relationship, and even provided well researched and documented real life context for characters, events, and settings.

I particularly appreciated the level of tension regarding a sapphic relationship in the regency era kept relatively accurate but not painful, Vasti makes it clear that the FMCs world is not particularly accepting but they are not in a dangerous position.

Our "Haunted Mansion" setting is also enthralling - it's the perfectly level of spooky and dark while still cozy and warm. I highly recommend this book for lovers of Regency romance, mystery, found family, and adventure romance.

4.5/5


yearning lesbians, ghosts, old manors, little white dogs… what doesn’t this book have, truly.

I loved loved loved this book!! the imagery was amazing, and often the settings felt like characters of their own, which I always love to see.

and I have to say… some scenes between Cat and Georgiana were so gorgeous and intimate I felt like I had to look away because I was intruding. like woah.

I love historical fiction, but something that occasionally took me out of it was the use of 19th century vocab that felt a little out of place, like it’d been forced. at the same time it was important to the setting so that might just be a me thing.

overall, if you’re into historical romances, I highly recommend this one 🙂‍↕️


*arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I'm honestly not sure I could even imagine a more perfect rom-com. It has everything -- yearning, cute dog companion, creepy haunted mansions, feuding Gothic writers, more yearning... Swoon.

In all seriousness, the character development is delightful, the setting is magical in more ways than one, and the romance is sizzling. I will be recommending this one to pretty much everyone!

Definitely recommend for fans of writing-rivals-to-lovers, spooky-but-not-scary paranormal activity, and obviously any of Vasti's previous books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the ARC!

Cute & deeply romantic!

I as highly anticipating Ladies in Hating, I mean look at that cover?! A gothic inspired romance but make it sapphic and a bit of enemies to lovers too? This was certainly my cup of tea. I found this book (which sadly seems like the last in the series) to be very enjoyable. Devoured it in a few days because I couldn't put it down.

Cat and Georgiana were incredible, not only as a couple but individual characters too. I liked that they had similar passions and were complex heroines. They grow throughout the book and the pacing of that growth was believable. The chemistry they had too was great. Their banter was one of the best parts of this book. I was laughing and highlighting quotes like crazy. The romance is a delicious slow burn that will have readers foaming at the mouth for these two to finally admit their feelings. But man, what a beautiful journey we go on to get to that point. It was lovely seeing Cat & Georgiana bond and trust each other. The pacing of the romance is perfect.

Plus the steamier scenes are so hot and well written (but this is Vasti so what else is there to expect lol). The tension between these two was palpable and make the steamier scenes even better.

The mystery plot was fun and kept me entertained.

A wonderful, fun and romantic story. Would recommend!

first of all i'm going to thank netgalley,the publisher and the author for allowing me to read the book as arc in exchange of an honest review.

i only have good things to say about this book. t made me sympathize with the characters and cry and laugh with them, and some twists surprised me, too!
was it a bit over the top sometimes and the love relationship felt a bit rushed on one side? maybe, but it reminded me of other pairings that i love that work with the same dynamic, especially their banter, so i couldn't not fall in love with these ladies as well.
as a non-native english speaker some older words the author used made the reading experience difficult at times, but nothing a quick search couldn't solve - and i enjoy learning new things, so that's actually a plus on my book.

this was a thoroughly enjoyable read, lighthearted in the best way!

Great dialogue, love the historical elements. This author is one of the best new historical romance writers to come on the scene! Excited for her future books!

this book celebrated Gothic novelist Lady Georgiana Cleeve sets out to unmask her mysterious rival, Lady Darling, only to discover that Lady Darling is actually Cat Lacey, the butler's daughter—and Georgiana’s long-hidden crush. Trapped together in an eerie manor, the two women must navigate a web of rivalry, danger, and undeniable passion as their once bitter rivalry transforms into something far more fiery. A steamy, sapphic Regency romance full of suspense and romance.

This was an engaging read with well developed characters. The story was mostly fun to follow along with, although it did seem to drag a bit at times.

This book is Alexandra’s best writing yet - well plotted, and well balanced between fun hi-jinx and more profound topics - I zipped through this book and was so sad to find myself at the end. The plot twists were twisting, the ghosts were ghostly, and our FMCs were delightful. Will reread!