Sapphic period piece!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!

3.25 (?) stars bc it was cute and sweet but I felt like it was lacking something. I also have been on more of a literary fiction kick so I think the romantic happily ever afters that happen so wildly unrealistically can be frustrating to read after reading 100+ pages of somewhat irresolvable conflict between characters.

I wish we had gotten to see Freyas relationship with her father change a bit more and get some resolution on that end. One of my favorite parts of the book was Lord Tallon grappling with the love he has for his daughters versus his traditional views and I feel like it could’ve been expanded upon. It feels like that part of the story was built up only for it to be abandoned at the end??

I also think the world building in this left something to be desired—we as readers know it’s a slightly reimagined world but only a slight part of the world is reimagined.

Overall, I enjoyed reading it but parts of it felt rushed and forced.

For what it was, I really enjoyed this novel—It offered a refreshing take on the regency-era drama by placing it in an alternate universe that was both imaginative and engaging. One of the standout aspects for me was how it managed to deliver all the charm and intrigue of the period without the usual undercurrent of homophobia, well, for the most part. It was a welcome and much-needed variation in the genre.
The writing was strong, and while not every character was fully fleshed out, most were well developed and genuinely enjoyable to follow. The romance, which was central to the book, was one I wanted to root for.

This is not a slow burn by any means, in fact, it’s basically love at first sight. Their relationship felt like it was speeding along quite quickly, but when you think about that time period, I can definitely see how those feelings would come along faster. I didn’t mind. It was heartwarming, Ivy and Freya were a good couple and their connection was sweet and satisfying.

That being said, it wasn’t perfect. I agree with others when they mention that the ending felt rushed. I also think that if the book hadn’t been written in a duel POV, it would have been stronger. I wish Hayley would have just focused on one of the FMC, particularly Freya Tallon. I wanted to see more of her journey. I wanted to see more of Freya’s personal growth, away from her family. I wanted her to get involved in politics and maybe see her relationship with her father evolve. I wanted her to talk to her previous suitor and let him down gently instead of never hearing from him again.

The book was enjoyable, but it left me wanting.

This was also my first Hayley Kiyoko, and I guess her sophomore novel? Just based on that, I’m definitely excited to see how much she’ll improve in her next venture.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Always enjoy an alternative history book! In this one, in Victorian England, it’s legal for people in the LGBTQIAP+ community to get married. However women still have little rights. Including not being able to inherit a title. In Freya’s family the are all girls. One is married to a woman and another could be with a man or woman. Freya is one of two sisters that are interested in me. There’s pressure for her to find a man to settle down with so they can inherit. Ivy is an American who’s brother inherited a title. They now live in England and are trying to learn the ways. When the two meet there is an instant connection. But with Freya needing to marry a man can she give her heart to Ivy? A beautifully told sapphic romance! Hayley Kiyoko tells a story of love and excepting yourself! Heartwarming and heartbreaking! A sweet and charming story that I couldn’t put down!

This was a very sweet, light hearted read that didn’t give off the YA energy like Kiyoko’s first book did. I didn’t think I would enjoy a period piece but this was a pleasant surprise.

Rated 3.5 stars on storygraph. Where There's Room For Us is a dual-POV YA alternative history sapphic romance. In this Victorian England past, gay marriage is allowed, but women still have little rights, leading to sapphic marriages facing great oppression due to the misogyny they both face. Even if a sapphic couple has a son, he cannot inherit a title (and women cannot inherit titles at all). Freya is the second oldest of four sisters; her oldest sister is married to a woman, another sister is pregnant with her second child her first being a girl, and the youngest sister is a wild child who may end up with either a man or a woman. Being one of the two daughters who only "favor men" Freya feels great pressure to make a good match and pass on her family's title. This is her third season being out and a duke is courting her; her life is on track until she meets Ivy. Ivy is a brash American and a scandalous poet. When her brother inherits a title, the two of them make their way to England and try to learn the ways of British upper-class life. Freya and Ivy have an instant connection and truly see each other, but there is a lot standing in their way.
I instantly wanted to give up on this book and thought reading the whole thing would be painful, however the more I read the more I liked it. I think the writing did get better, but I also just got used to the not great writing. I have two main issues with the book, which are connected. The first is, I found the world building very clunky. It was heavy handed and clumsy, I felt like I was being force fed information but at the same time it was a lot more confusing and unclear than it needed to be. The second issue I had was that it wasn't rooted in real history enough. I love alternative histories and I think exploring the intersection of queerness and misogyny, specifically the lesbophobia that would create is highly interesting. However, alternative histories have to be done with a lot of research that I felt was missing here. A good alternative history understands and accurately portrays the history they keep and has a good understanding of what they've changed and how that would impact things. If an alternative history is not rooted enough in real history, the book is better off being set in a fictional world. There were thigs I liked about the book, I really loved the characters and I found the romanced between the two main characters very compelling. Overall, this book isn't that bad, but it isn't that good either.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This Is Where There’s Room for Us, is a heartfelt and empowering story that beautifully captures the complexities of identity, love, and self-acceptance. Drawing from her own experiences as a queer woman navigating fame and vulnerability, Kiyoko crafts a narrative that feels both intimate and universal.

This was such a cute read!! I love the premise of taking a historical event but normalizing LGBTQ+ relationships in a historical setting. Really appreciated that in this historical world, the relationships were allowed to exist without the secrecy or power dynamic issues that typically exist in historical romances.

The characters felt real and well-developed, although the dialogue between the leads sometimes felt a bit too youthful for their presumed ages. It didn’t ruin the dynamic, but it occasionally made moments that should have felt more mature come across a little flat.

Also, the pacing was inconsistent. The beginning was a slow build, and the ending felt so rushed. Also, I'm not taking a star away because I still really enjoyed this book, but I hate the third act break up/miscommuncation.

Overall, I really liked this book. It's romantic, whimsical, fun, and fresh. If you're interested, you should definitely read it!

God this was amazing and I had a fantastic time with this! It hit in all the right places and in all the right emotions!

the story of Ivy and Freya is sweet, romantic and very enjoyable. And the Bridge is definitely a place I'd want to visit! While reading, I almost wished it wasn't set in a real time and place -- since it was divorced enough from reality to be believable, but not so far as to become fantasy -- it just disconnected in that middle ground for me. I almost wished it was set in a place I knew /less/ about. Others might not feel the same way tho and I very much enjoyed the story!

**Book Review: *Where There's Room for Us* by Hayley Kiyoko**
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

If you’ve ever watched *Bridgerton* and wished it were queer—and just a little more emotionally grounded—Hayley Kiyoko’s *Where There’s Room for Us* delivers exactly that, and more. Set in a beautifully imagined, queer-norm Regency-era England, this sapphic romance is both heartwarming and deeply resonant, weaving love, identity, and societal pressure into a story that feels simultaneously timeless and fresh.

At the heart of the novel is Freya, a young woman in her third season of matchmaking whose future seems all but decided—until Ivy, the unapologetically bold and American sister of a newly arrived viscount, upends everything she thought she wanted. What begins as an unlikely friendship quickly blossoms into something more, and as the bond between Freya and Ivy deepens, so does Freya’s understanding of herself, her desires, and the life she truly wants to live.

The romance is tender and earnest—sometimes veering into "instalove," but in a way that feels forgivable thanks to the novel’s emotional honesty. There are moments of delightful tension, quiet longing, and mutual discovery that will resonate with anyone who’s ever fallen in love for the first time. Kiyoko skillfully balances romance with deeper themes of self-acceptance, familial duty, and the intersection of queerness and womanhood in a society that values neither.

Yes, the prose occasionally skews a bit youthful, and some readers may find certain scenes between the main characters to feel more like teenage crushes than early adulthood love—but that simplicity is also part of its charm. It feels real. These are young women still figuring themselves out, and their sometimes awkward, sometimes poetic dialogue reflects that beautifully.

Freya’s sisters, Ivy’s brother Prescott, and the surrounding queer community add depth and richness to the world. The novel celebrates found family and chosen support systems while still grappling with the limits imposed by tradition. And one particular scene—Angelica and Freya, three-quarters in—absolutely breaks and remakes your heart in the best way.

There are pacing issues, especially toward the end, where things wrap up a little too quickly and conveniently. But even those rushed moments don’t undercut the emotional impact of the story. The book manages to be hopeful without feeling saccharine, affirming without being preachy, and romantic without needing to be graphic.

**Bottom line:** *Where There’s Room for Us* is a touching, smart, and emotionally rich story about love, identity, and the freedom to be who you are—wrapped in the elegance and drama of Regency England, reimagined through a queer lens. Not just a romance, but a quiet revolution in how we tell historical love stories. A full-hearted 5/5 stars.

I was so excited to receive this arc because I love Hayley and Becca. I did have a good time and I liked the universe that it was somewhat acceptable for queer marriages. I struggled a little bit with the pacing some parts were too slow and then the ending was super rushed. I was really hoping to not have a miscommunication/3rd act breakup since I just hate those tropes. I'll still read whatever Hayley puts out next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

thank you to netgalley for providing this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

i really enjoyed the essence of this book, the storyline, the characters, and the setting. however, i do think the word/sentence choice during certain scenes and/or dialogue between the two main characters seemed a bit toned down for young adults. sometimes it seemed like the two main characters were in a middle school relationship, which is off quite a bit considering we can assume freya is around 19-21.

i did enjoy this story though, and i will always support hayley kiyoko because she is Super Cool™.

A great read! I am always looking for sapphic stories with well-developed characters and realistic love stories and this was actually so well done! Kind of like an Edenbrooke, but queer! I related to and loved these characters and enjoyed this romantic and hopeful story. The end felt a little rushed to me, but maybe that’s just cause I was rushing through it, enjoying the story so much haha. I liked that the ending was happy, but not perfectly tied up—felt like life.

I would like to re-read this novel after it has officially been published to see if it has been cleaned up. I really wanted to like it (LGBTQ Victorian England Historical Romance = heck yeah), but I constantly had to stop and scroll back and reread sections. The overall premise is great, but the inconsistencies made the story difficult to enjoy. If you aren’t a historian this novel would probably be easier to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for the digital ARC.

Did you watch Bridgerton and think “this is great but it’d be better if it was gay?” If so, Where There’s Room for Us is for you.

Freya is on her third season and expected to marry by the end of it, with her father’s sights on a duke. But when Ivy moves with her brother Prescott, the new and very American Viscount next door, all of Freya’s life plans are thrown into chaos. Ivy and Freya bring out the best in one another as they become fast friends (and more 👀) but can Freya truly step out of the life that’s been planned for her?

Though I was at first hesitating given the present tense writing, I quickly fell head over heels for Freya, Ivy, and the unique queer-norm regency England Kiyoko has written. I was intrigued when I heard about the novel and how it would be a queer norm world, wondering what that would do to the structures of upper class regency life. Kiyoko manages to preserve the intricate politics of regency life while also creating space for queer couples to exist, something I found incredibly delightful.

I loved the characters in this story. Of course Freya and Ivy are darling, but each of Freya’s sisters has their own unique personality that makes them stand out, similarly with Prescott. The sisterhood depicted in this novel is so wholesome and even had a couple twists I didn’t expect that really brought nuance to the idea of family and community, especially when that intersects with queer family and community. The scene with Angelica and Freya 3/4 of the way through?? I was in TEARS!

I deeply appreciated that this was such a queer norm and wholesome story but still managed to convey a lot of depth around important topics, from the time period relevant—such a women’s rights—to the more modern day relatable—the ideas of self and how that may conflict with family.

All in all, a really lovely book perfect for the queer Bridgeton fans that really wanted Eloise and Penelope to kiss.

They didnt just fall in love with each other in this book, but they fell in love with themselves.
I want to say first and foremost, I loved this book so much. As somewhat of an anthropology/sociology nerd I spent a lot of this book admiring how it highlighted the juxtaposition of being a woman and being queer. I will put my little rant on how much I loved that at the end of this review, cause I know it probably isnt what most other readers are here for.

So, for other readers who are here for the romance, for the journey, for the drama, or for the era we all seem to love in English history... this book has all of that and it's sapphic! Therefore, ten times better in my opinion (but I am always happy for any sapphic content). I do think that this is not just a story about falling in love with someone, but a story about falling in love with yourself and realizing that there are people who make it easier to be that person.

I could literally give a 30 minute Ted talk on how appreciative I am that in a world where homosexual relationships are allowed but women are still treated as lesser members of society, Hayley wrote about queer women being treated terribly. And yes I know how awful that sounds, but it's a real issue. If you are a person who has two different 'identities' that are discriminated against, and we were to erase one of those discriminations from history, you would still be treated as a person with two different discriminated against identities.

OMG LOVE IT

I'm not a fan of romance books, but I admit this book was adorable! I read her first book and enjoyed it. Her second is even better!

If you're looking for a good romance, full of twists and turns, go for it.

Where There’s Room for Us was an enjoyable read with a fresh plot.

What I really enjoyed about this book were the characters and their relationships. Although it felt in the beginning like I would never be able to differentiate between Freya’s sisters, by the end of the book they, and their relationships with Freya, had been really well fleshed out. Each of the three lent something to the story and to Freya’s character, and they were just plain enjoyable to read.

Freya and Ivy’s relationship was absolutely perfect as well. They had such a compelling romance, and I felt that the pacing of their relationship was perfect. They had great chemistry and I loved both of them, together and separate. This book is worth reading for their relationship, and I feel it had exactly what I am always looking for in a romance.

What fell flat for me was the world building. The book was set in an alternate regency England, where same-sex marriage is legal and common. However, only men can inherit. I had a really difficult time wrapping my head around the combination of laws/social attitudes and the actuality of the time period. I love the idea of an idealized regency England, but I wish it had been an all or nothing situation, instead of picking which aspects of this time would fuel conflict and which would further the romance. I don’t think this is a deal breaker though, as I did really enjoy the book. It wasn’t necessarily poorly done either, just not to my preference.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you get the chance and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is such an interesting concept for a historical romance book: that everyone in society is free to marry who they choose but that society still restricts women's rights. Overall, it was a decent book with an interesting plot. I thought the book ended a little quickly and that all the issues that had been building up over the book were resolved in a chapter, but otherwise it was nice.

I liked this, I thought it was cute and sweet but a little bit slow in places. I loved all of the side characters and would love to see more from them in the future.

I think there was a lot of character growth from Freya, finding yourself can be scary and I think she did a lovely job. As for our other man character I found that she didn't learn as much but maybe to think more about how she affects the people around her.