4.5⭐
PG-13🌶️

queer historical romance are my catnip. I was utterly obsessed with these two independent, clever Gothic novelists falling in love and overcoming their own issues while also exploring a haunted house and trying to solve a conspiracy theory. this is the perfect fall romance and if you're not reading this series, you're missing out!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
This was surprisingly a fun read! I honestly requested it because i LOVED the cover!! But oh wow! I love yearning in romances, and sapphic yearning is one of my favorites.
I will say, I feel the last 30% kinda fell flat for me? I don't know the end of the plot felt a little forgettable to me.

What could’ve been a great story left me feeling bored. The first 40% of the book was entertaining but flat. The final 60% was just forgettable.
It left plots unanswered, the characters are bland and not relatable . It wasn’t my cup of tea

Thank you NetGalley for this digital ARC, I am voluntarily leaving an honest review!

Sapphic gothic novelists, regency era, rivals to lovers, a spooky mansion and a dog named Bacon. Truly, what else could you ask for?

This is my first time reading this author’s work and I was pleasantly surprised. I liked both the FMCs Cat and Georgiana, with both have consistent characterization and good development throughout the story. I love the haunted mansion element of this book and even the little side mystery quest. The middle did seem to drag a bit but overall I had a good time. I gave this book 4 stars and I am definitely interested in reading some of this author's other books!

Side note: the cover of this book is so cute, and I love the color scheme so much!

With courage come light and breath.

"You saw the future you wanted," her mother went on, "and you brought it into being. Despite your fear. Despite the risk. I only followed your light."

This book is beautiful. I have never seen such beautiful smutty scenes. The idea that family is what you make it really hit hard towards the end. I love the realistic portrayal of someone who was battling their anxiety through building walls to the transition of understanding the courage to let your walls down. I did enjoy the rivalry at the beginning to the suspense from the middle to end. I am so glad that Georgie has Cat, someone who ardently chooses to love and forgive her.

Content warning up front is a great choice. Accessibility is never the wrong thing to do. People who need it have it, and the people who don't can just skip it.

The cover is adorable. Love the style of it.

Some bits felt rather repetitive. It felt as if we were just not trusted enough as readers to understand the character worries without being told over and over again. We had to be reminded every couple pages about brothers and mothers and the past and the fathers.

I like how colour plays a part in the story. Specific colours are mentioned quite often; carmine, crimson, lavender, and ivory all come to mind. So it's a little jarring that a plain name (pink) would be used twice in quick succession, only a page or so apart. Everything else felt like we were getting such a particular description that when a plain colour name is used, it feels out of place. But pink is just pink? And so often.

"There are things worse than poverty," feels very out of touch coming from the character raised with money, to a child of "the help". Sure, the statement on its own isn't entirely wrong, but in context it feels, for lack of a better term, icky.

The title would have you thinking the "hate" part of the relationship would last a bit longer. It doesn't. Less than 40% in and they're already smooching in the moonlight. That can work for some, but as I said, the title does lead you to believe you're in for something else.

A couple times I forgot which perspective we were reading. Neither woman's point of view feels unique from the other. They're very similar. We're told one is wittier than the other, but it's not shown off well. Other than the being raised rich/poor, they're overly similar.

Furthermore, I feel both woman come across as very immature. I get that they've got baggage, but they're both quite childish at times. It left me feeling uncomfortable with the more desire driven scenes. I realize they're ~25, but the way they behave doesn't sell that for me.

Right until the end Georgiana needed constant reassurance. I get it, the trauma. But other people were going through the motions and she continuously made their tragedies about her.

I'm glad everything was wrapped up with a pretty bow in the end. I don't mind the tidiness. Could have done without the gay tragedy of a dead lesbian in a side plot.

This has all the best aspects of a romance anyone could ask for, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, Victorian gothic authors.

My first Alexandra Vasti book and you best believe I’m immediately getting all her other ones!! Amazing storytelling, fully flushed out character development (including from side characters), and, of course, not knowing what was going to happen next! I absolutely adored Georgiana + Cat but do wish more time was spent of building up the plot surrounding the (supposed??) haunted house and the circumstances that lead to the ending. It felt a little rushed imo especially after the pace the beginning of the book had. Overall, I really enjoyed this one though and would recommend it!

I was really excited to get an #AdvancedReadersCopy of this one - I love whenever I come across a new take on a period romance. Queer? Haunted? Frenemies? Sign me up!

Our main character started out as interesting and three dimensional, both bringing a unique personality and history to the table. At the beginning, their individual goals and baggage remained grounded in the plot. But, as soon the romance plotlike picked up, all of this felt like it was pushed to the side and that’s all that mattered. (Even in the face of almost being murdered.)

Unfortunately, as with most books, it lost the plot near the end. There was too much going on, and it was going on too suddenly so many little things just felt rushed.

Shocking absolutely no one, Alexandra Vasti continues to be amazing. She balances humor, romance, and intrigue beautifully. While not a true series, this continues to focus on the same friend group as her two most recent novels (Ne'er Duke Well and Earl Crush). I loved Cat and Georgina, and the ridiculous premise that brought them together.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

This was my first Vasti book, and I was thoroughly charmed by her writing style. Ladies in Hating is a regency romance that reads like a modern take on Austen. I am not typically a romance reader, but Vasti’s mix of character development and plot kept me engaged beyond the fluff and spice.

I found Georgiana and Catriona to be well-rounded characters with clear defining characteristics that made them memorable. Their relationship was both realistic but also slightly idealistic. I found the immediate acceptance by their families—particularly Georgiana’s—to be a bit too convenient.

I would have liked to see a bit more of Edith earlier on in the book to really illustrate her and Georgiana’s relationship. It felt as though we had a more complex relationship between Georgiana and Bacon than between her and her mother. However, the overall development of Georgiana and Catriona’s relationship was quite cute and the spicy scenes used a whopping zero of my “cringe words”. A+ there.

Overall, if you’re looking for a lighthearted, fun sapphic romance, this will do it! Thank you again to St. Martin’s and NetGalley and happy pride!

My girl has done it again! I so love to live in this world she's created. Add in sapphic romance and a (maybe possibly potentially) haunted house, and this book is just a dream.

The banter is witty, we love some bada** b-words secretly writing novels, and again - SAPPHIC LOVE AND SPOOKINESS. These characters are so fun and easy to fall in love with (if you weren't already in love with Georgiana!). I guarantee you won't be able to put this book down if a Regency Romp is your thing. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This was so interesting and not at all what I expected, but I’m not so excited to read their other 2 books prior to this one. I didn’t immediately know where this was going but the enchanted Gothic setting and vibe absolutely countered the cover.

🌈💰Authors going head-to-head and stuck together with a ghost? I think I prefer this trope to the one bed. Yearning, banter, atmosphere, and… did I mention yearning? It plays a huge role.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I’ve been waiting for this one since Georgiana was introduced in the previous books! She has to be my favorite character, and I thoroughly enjoyed her story.

For those who may not have read the previous two books in the Belvoir series, Georgiana is a gothic novelist who supports herself and her mother after leaving her abusive father and life in the ton. She is strong-willed and doesn’t let others see her true self, putting up a snobby front to keep people at a distance.
In this book, she encounters her rival novelist, who turns out to be her childhood crush, Cat Lacey. The two are racing against each other to put out their latest book and find inspiration from haunted settings across the country. After being trapped in a haunted manor, they become entangled in a mysterious plot and must work together to discover the truth and stay safe.

I adored Cat and Georgiana’s relationship, and their POVs showcased their strong personalities. They are a perfect match when they started working together, but their bantering was top-notch too!

I would have liked a bit longer at the creepy manor, but I still really loved the story! The atmosphere created throughout the book was enthralling, and it would be perfect for rainy, cozy days!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

<b>3.75🌹</b>
This historical romance between two gothic romance novelists was so cute and surprisingly <i>steamy</i>!

Thank you NetGalley and <b>Alexandra Vasti</b> for providing me with this ARC in return for my full and honest opinion!

Georgiana and Cat’s story was so compact and beautiful. They are literally each others childhood crush turned rival turned first loves and I <i>swoon</i>.

Reading Georgie’s insecurity’s when it comes to love and fear of caring due to her father and having to work through them in order to have Kitty have and her family back was such a beautiful thing and very well written.

Also knowing how affected Cat is about her sexuality with women in the past and being lied to; how Georgie’s insecurity brought those troubles upon her again was so heart clenching!

This story felt like a big ole domino effect! So many of their lives were altered due to certain events and it makes you wonder how different our own lives would be if certain things didn’t take place.

Though I enjoyed this story with its banters and lovely confessions and well done character dynamics. I do wish we got more of them and their books. I say this because after while, we were going through way too many added plot twists and plot lines that it became dizzying and a take away kind of from our mains.

I think I would’ve felt more satisfied if Georgie and Cat was at the mansion longer and we got more of them by themselves working out the mystery and working through their books. Even in the epilogue, we got more of everyone else’s story instead of theirs.

<b><u>SWOON</b></u>
<b><i>“I will keep to north and south, as proximity seems to wreak havoc upon my brain. It has been nine years, and I find myself once again obsessed by your mouth.”</b></i>

<b><i>“It’s enough,” Car said. “This. Us, together this way. You are enough”</b></i>

I can always count on an Alexandra Vasti book to restore my serotonin levels! This is the final book in the Belvoir’s Library series and it’s a delightful regency sapphic romance about rival gothic novelists. I’ve been intrigued by Georgiana ever since her iconic appearances in the past two books. Her and Cat’s story certainly did not disappoint! They were hilarious, swoony, and so perfect for each other.

I love how Vasti wrote each of their characters and their respective traumas because I truly felt for the both Georgiana and Cat. The tension, banter, and progression of the rivals to lovers trope was everything! There were so many soft moments between Georgiana and Cat, and their long history certainly added to the buildup. I really liked the research done to explore how queer relationships were viewed/treated in the regency era.

I also enjoyed the underlying mystery plot with the small paranormal touch of ghosts. The other chatacters were lovable and hilarious, including Georgiana’s brothers. The pacing felt rushed rushed for me with how the conflict was resolved but that epilogue was so GOOD and had me by the heartstrings. It also would’ve been interesting to see more of the duo’s writing process and them actually working together.

It was also so good to see Selina again! I know it’s not a connected series but I would’ve loved for more cameos too. I am very intrigued by Will and Iris, though and wonder if there will be any bonus content about that…

If you’re looking for a good historical romance, go start this series ASAP! Vasti is one of my favorite authors and all her love interests are the greenest flags ever!

This isn’t usually my go-to genre—historical with a gothic twist—but I have to say, Ladies in Hating is a total gem and perfect for anyone new to this kind of story! I absolutely adored this sapphic Regency romance about rival gothic writers. What’s not to love? A cute dog, a crumbling haunted manor, and some deep family trauma all wrapped up in witty banter and simmering tension.

I was totally fascinated by the way the coincidences between Cat and Georgiana’s novels unfolded. The epigraphs at the start of each chapter, especially the excerpts from the destroyed notes, were such a clever touch that really drew me in.

This book is exactly the cozy, lighthearted read I needed—think Bridgerton meets classic gothic mystery. I found myself giggling and literally kicking my feet in delight the whole time. Now I’m beyond excited to dive into everything else Alexandra Vasti has written!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC. All thoughts here are my own!

Alexandra Vasti, you are officially my queen of historical romance. Earl Crush is one of my all time favourite hisroms and Ladies in Hating had big shoes to fill! I love a rivals to lovers trope and this one was so sweet- the love and acceptance shown to Cat and Georgie was so heartwarming and what I needed to read about with the state of the world what it is. The author’s note was also a beautiful tribute to the queer love stories of the regency era and I loved reading about the real life inspiration. At this point, I’ll read anything Vasti writes.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the review copy!

Two rival gothic novelists in Regency England? I was so in. I loved the enemies to lovers set -up of Lady Georgiana and her enemy Lady Darling. The intrigue that brings them together is page turning and the twist of the reveal is swoony.

The chemistry between Cat and Georgiana is sparky, and I loved the backdrop of the eerie manor and the plotting of writing their next books. The extra bonus is the forced proximity. No spoilers. Rich and vibrant characters with smooth writing, a vivid Gothic backdrop, and a steamy sapphic romance? Yes, this is a must-read. Delightful.

Thanks to @netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced reading copy.

A very fun read with emotional moments. If you're looking for a book with lesbians living during the regency era, a bit of a supernatural element, and steamy moments READ THIS!