This book wasn't at all what I was expecting. It was hard for me to finish but, I'm glad I did.
However, it was well written with characters developing throughout the book. I know that things like arranged marriages were a big thing ba k in the 1800's. I thoroughly enjoyed the fire that Emily, Violet and Harry portrayed to become who they are in the book.

overall I give it 3.5 stars
This was rather silly and fun to read but I did find myself thinking the writing was just okay most of the time. As always in a regency romance we have the trials and tribulations of being a woman in a man’s world, This one is no different and had all the usual plot points one would come to expect and were quite predictable.

We get two fairly well fleshed out MC's in a short amount of time as not to bog down the story with needless details. I can't say that any of the characters were entirely meaningless to the story but I nearly got whiplash the way most of the characters' personalities seems to flop from one end of the spectrum to another and back again.

It felt like the two MC's went from vague animosity to the best of friends in such a short amount of time. It was this part that I took slight exception to. It just seemed to happen from one sentence to the next and didn't seem organic at all. And then predictably they fall in love. The romance between Harry and Emily... It wasn't instalove. Thank goodness!! Nor would I really classify it as a slow burn. There was plenty of time spent together as friends for them to forge a deep sort of believable love. If not believable at least a fun little journey. Harry and Emily flirt, banter, argue, and brood their way through this book, all the way to their again VERY predictable happy ending. Not that you didn't always know that is where the book was heading, it is a romance after all. It's just that the specific ending which I won't divulge for spoiler reasons was SO very predictable. That probably contributed to the whole book feeling just a bit flat for me.

Lady Like is completely enchanting! I read this book almost all in one sitting. I fell immediately for the clever voice and amusing sentences, and I stayed for the beautiful story and breathtaking romance. As a once-avid Regency reader who has begun to feel like I've read them all, this book's twists and surprises truly set it apart for me. Yes, there's a visit to Almack's, but since our romance is Sapphic, it can't exactly follow the usual script! I really fell for Emily and Harry, and the way each character had to grow in order to preserve their love. Also, great animal friends and names in Havoc, and Matthew Mark Luke and John!

This was my first Mackenzi Lee book, and I definitely want to go back and visit the author's other titles now.

“Lady Like” was an enjoyable and amusing novel. Emily tries to be as ladylike as possible, letting her life be controlled by an unfortunate event that has left her, and her family, scandalized. However, there is considerable spirit, wit, and passion hidden inside. Harry is most definitely not ladylike and has no desire to be so. However, circumstances will pressure her to try to present at least a somewhat more “appropriate” public appearance and be more circumspect about her interests and desires. A difficult task considering she is a member of a sapphist Shakespearean theatre troupe, prefers to dress in trousers, and otherwise behaves in a manner not suited to "respectable" society, but which fits the unconventional nature of her parentage and upbringing. Emily and Harry will start out as unexpected rivals, then tenuous allies of a sort, then much more, and then much less, before their situations resolve in a most unexpected manner.

I appreciated that the author ends the book by talking about real life lesbians in 18th and 19th century England, as well as resources to learn more about these women and others like them.

Not what I was expecting but interesting and enjoyable none-the-less. Women’s struggle for rights of ownership - of property and of their own destiny in regency times paved the way for the rights (such as they are) of women today. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7710083703

I cannot say enough good things about this book! It was wild and fun and gender bendy! Harriet finds out she’s the daughter of the soon to be king who says she must marry and Emily is trying to escape a terrible marriage in her home town. The cover says it all “In need of a husband, in want of a wife.” Recommend you picking it up on 9/9!

unfortunately i couldn’t get into the book. what i did read seemed fun and cute but it just wasn’t for me. the story moved kind of slow in my opinion but other than that was pretty decent!

this was the first romance novel ive read that i really enjoyed. i love that its a historical story, but there are allies within harry and emilys lives that care for them regardless. homophobia was in the story, but it wasnt an all consuming part of it. i loved the banter between the two leads. there were even a few moments where i laughed at loud at some quip harry made. i was worried they would get married to men at the end, and was pleasantly surprised at how the author tied up all the loose ends. although it wasnt an entirely realistic story set in the time period, i liked that it was a fun story about two women falling in love when it seems like everything is against them.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee.

I will preface this review by saying that Lee's previous books have all been HUGE winners for me. In fact, I wept so much as the last Montague siblings book I thought something was really wrong with me - until I met others who were just as emotional about those three as I was! Lee has a talent for creating characters you just love, and ones you of really, really hate in the pettiest and best of ways, and Lady Like is not lacking in any of these characters. While I found I wanted MORE character development with most of the heroes/heroines of this story (Collin especially -- I think he needed a bigger side story), each one was still developed with just the right touch of humor, sophistication, flaws, and yearning, of course, to make them lovable.

I will say that this book really smacked of Alexis Hall for me, as I find his books written during this time period to be similar (if not a bit naughtier). I am saying this as a complement, as I tend to eat up anything Alexis Hall writes!

I am pleased to see Lee back in her writing game -- while she can take a while between books, I find they are always worth waiting for.

Absolutely loved this! This was so much fun and I couldn’t put it down

Thank you for the early copy for review!

Definitely a modern telling have a friends turned lovers story. Both Harry and Emily need respectable marriages and set their sites on the same duke only to find that their true interests are somewhere else. The story has some very interesting plots, including the surprise twist at the end. Enjoyable r read if Regency fancy is what you’re looking for.

3.5/5

Lady Like isn’t just a love story — it’s a slow-burn symphony of banter, flaws, and quiet revelations. While it starts with a spark of enemies-to-lovers tension, what really unfolds is a friends-to-lovers romance that earns every beat. Harry and Emily don’t fall fast — they fall honestly, over time, through sharp dialogue, layered vulnerability, and moments that feel like secrets whispered in the dark.

What I loved most? No one in this book is perfect. Everyone’s messy. Everyone’s human. Siblings fight, lovers falter, people change — sometimes for the better, sometimes not. That messiness makes it feel real.

Lady Like offers a powerful: a love story that’s tender, complex, and defiantly hopeful. This book made me laugh, ache, and feel seen. I finished it and immediately wanted to start over.

For anyone craving a historical romance with teeth, heart, and heat — this is the one. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

Fighting over a man is so not worth it. Better instead to team up, and then fall in love with each other.

That is what should have happened with Samatha H. and me when we fought over Spencer A. in second grade.

Alas, we did not get our HEA but Harriet and Emily do!

Overall this was a fun romp, but I was let down a bit in terms of expectations vs. reality. I went into this one thinking it would be a fun rivals to lovers situation but this reads a lot closer to friends to lovers, imho. An excellent time, but not quite what I expected.

What’s to love…
- opposites attract
- rivals to fast friends to lovers
- well developed and complex characters
- solid tension and banter
- laugh out loud funny
- a touch of trauma and emotion
- well researched and fleshed out!

What’s not to love…
- while the banter and tension is great I expected just a bit more of both and felt let down. For a book who’s synopsis reads like we should expect rivals it was a bit lacking, but for a friends to lovers book it isn’t so bad.
- lower angst that I would have liked.
- pacing - I’m not sure I needed this one to be quite as long as it was and I felt myself a little bored as sections. but I think if you love very well developed characters, you may not be bothered by the length or slower pace surrounding character development.

🌶️- Only one spicy scene (Ch 36), however there is another scene, but it’s not between the two MCs and I’m not sure if I would really call it spicy. It is explicit though (Ch 17). Either way this book is rather mild on the spice.

Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee is a sharp, witty, and delightfully subversive romp through Regency-era London, following two women with wildly different pasts—and surprisingly similar futures. Harriet “Harry” Lockhart, a fiercely independent actress known for scandal and swagger, finds herself cornered into respectability by an ultimatum tied to her inheritance. Meanwhile, the prim and proper Emily Sergeant, disgraced by a youthful indiscretion, is desperate to escape an unwanted engagement. Their paths crash spectacularly when both set their sights on the same duke, believing marriage to him is their best chance at salvation.

What follows is a brilliant, slow-burn queer love story wrapped in layers of social satire, mistaken identity, and feminist flair. Lee’s prose is rich with humor and heart, expertly balancing the absurdities of high society with the inner complexities of two women who slowly learn that what they truly want is each other. This is a fun witty novel with depth that gives it layers for an entertaining read.

Not only is the book funny and flirty, but also deeply romantic. It's described as somewhat of an enemies to lovers trope, however I found it to be much more friends to lovers. While Emily and Harry hold a lot of animosity at the beginning, they quickly find things to admire in each other. They were both complex characters with their own selfish motivations, yet that didn't stop them from falling in love.

I also found the complexity extended to many other characters in the book as well. They all made bad choices, said cruel things, had done bad things in their pasts, etc. Their relationships with each other were far from perfect. They were flawed.

There was no intensely close brother/sister relationship for Harry and Collin where they never spoke ill of each other, nor was Alexander a perfect dashing hero for them to marry, or Mariah only an evil scheming lover, etc. I loved that people were allowed to change in this story, both for the better and for the worse.

As far as the romance between Harry and Emily, I loved it. It wasn't instaneous, but a slow-burn that creeped up on both characters as they began to let each other in. There was plenty of time spent together as friends for them to forge a deep believable love, which is something I've found lacking in other romance novels. There are books where the characters will "fall in love" over the course of a week, and after hardly having more than a few scenes together. This is not the case here at all. Harry and Emily flirt, banter, argue, and pine their way through this book, all the way to their happy ending.

Overall, I would definitely reccomend giving this book a read. It's smart, sweet, comedic, and the plot and its turns will keep you invested in Emily and Harry's fate. 5/5 stars!

I was a fan of the author's Montague Siblings series as well as historical fiction, so I was looking forward to giving this book a try. Unfortunately, after a couple of pages in, I found that I just wasn't as into the story as I had hoped. I'm not entirely sure if it was the story itself or if I'm in the midst of an oncoming reading slump. So, for now I think I'll set this book aside and maybe one day in the future, I'll pick it up again and give it a try. I would still suggest this book to anyone looking for something new to read.

A sapphic romance inspired by the delightful Anne Lister. Immersive in the time and enjoyable, though a little of the misunderstandings are hard to believe.

DNF at 70%
a better person def would have finished this book, but I just dont care
im actually deadly series when i tell you i am sick
SICK
SICK!!!!
SIIIIIIICKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!
!!!!!SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!
of third act breakups
like if i actually read another one, all of my braincells are going to turn against me and have a full coup
IM OVER IT
find a new plot!
kill someone off!
start an epidemic!
elope!
anything!!!!!
please good god ANYTHING!!!
THAT
IS
NOT
A
THIRD
ACT
BREAK
UP
like actually bro
what is the point of writing a book
and coming up with unique plots
and characters
and settings
and RELATIONSHIPS???
to just say fiwb and have a third act break
therefore making everything you have written in this book
BASIC
!!!!! BASIC !!!!!!!
WHY???
i need something new
please!
i can't do it anymore!
yes!
this book was fine!
probably a three star read, until i got to 70%
and they decided to lean into the miscomunication trope!
bc guess what???????
I ALREADY KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!!
LET ME TELL YOU
THEY BOTH GO HOME
AND THEY SULKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
AND THEY WHINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND THEY WAIT FOR ALL THE READERS TO SAY "OH MY POOR POOKIE BABY"
AND THEN THEY PINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND WE KEEP READING THROUGH THE PAIN
AND THEN THEY PINE MOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND THE PAIN!!!!!
OH THE PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OF A THIRD ACT BREAKUP!
ITS TERRIBLE!
BUT DONT WORRY!
BECAUSE THE SIDE CHARACTER!!
FFS THE SIDE CHARACTER IS HERE!!!!!!
AS THEY MEND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MC, WHO ABANDONED THEM WHEN TH EMC FELL IN LOVE!!!!!
THEY TELL THE MC , "OH DEARY ME, IVE NEVER SEEN YOU SMILE SO MUCH! STARS IN YOUR EYES WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEM! YOU SPARKLE WITH UNICORN SHIT HAPPINESS!! THAT LOVE INTEREST HELPED YOU RECOVER FROM [insert trauma her], AND YOU SHOULD GO GET THEM!"
OH AND JOY TO THE WORLDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
BECAUSE AT NINETY FIVE PERCENT!!!!
THE MC AND LOVE INTEREST
MEET EACH OTHER AT THE LAST SECOND
AND FOR A MOMENT THEY
PINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND THEN THEY ARE IN LOVE AGAIN--- BECAUSE THEY WHAT???
THAT'S RIGHT!
COMMUNICATED!!!
ITS ALMOST LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT FROM THE BEGINNING?????
ITS ALMOST LIKE THEY BOTH SPEAK THE EXACTY SAME LANGUAGE!!!!
THAT THEY COULD USE TO I DONT KNOW????
SPEAK TO EACH OTHER WITH?????????
WHOA!!
SHOCK!!!
INSANITY????
COMMUNICATION???
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!
BROTHER WHJAT IS THAT???
lokey not even sorry for ranting because im actually annoyed i invested a couple hours into a book with a third act break up.
anyways babes.
thanks netgalley for the arc.
love y'all <3

Two ladies in Regency high society fighting for the same man as they get to know one another? Absolutely.

I am absolutely in love with this book. The writing is good, the plot intriguing, and it features fantastic characters. I especially appreciated the notes at the end about queer women during the 18th and 19th centuries. I’m excited to add it to my physical collection when it comes out!

Two women, one refined and one ribald, set their sights on marrying the same duke, but instead of becoming natural enemies, they find themselves falling in love—though not with him.