This was a wonderful story. The rivals to lovers trope was done amazingly. The characters were fun and relatable. The plot was fun and kept you on your toes.

Like in Love With You by Emma R. Alban is the sapphic Regency romance I didn’t know I needed but I’m so happy I found! Think Bridgerton meets Mean Girls, but gayer and infinitely more charming.

From the very beginning, I was completely swept away by Rosalie and Catherine’s story. Their rivals-to-lovers arc is filled with tension, banter, and a slow-burn chemistry that had me absolutely giggling and kicking my feet. I fell hard for both leading ladies and the supporting cast of friends and family, who added so much richness to the world that I didn’t want it to end!

This book had me emotionally invested and I genuinely felt a little heartache turning the last page because I wasn’t ready for it to be over. This is hands down one of my top reads of the year, and one I know I’ll be revisiting again and again.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Avon Publishing, and Harper Voyager for the ARC opportunity. I adored every moment.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC. 

I'm not usually that into historical romance, but this sounded really cute so I wanted to give it a shot. 

The romance was very slow burn, but very cute. The beginning was a little boring for me because I didn't really care about the regency era activities, but I think people who are into this era of romance will enjoy it a lot.

I really couldn't get into this book. The writing was good which is important. But in all honesty it was a bunch of petty girl drama

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. From the beginning, I was swept up in the social dynamics and the regency era charm, the hijinks, and the messy web of longstanding family feuds and secrets. Emma R. Alban has crafted another world I didn’t want to leave.

The dynamic between the group of friends was so warm and fun, and watching the relationship between Catherine and Rosalie grow closer was so sweet. Their rivals to romance story was so fun to read. I loved that their rivalry and heated banter turned into tension filled yearning. They even had me blushing and kicking my feet!

I loved all the characters and felt like I lived in Bath right along side them, witnessing the story unfold. I could absolutely see this being adapted into a movie just so I can relive it all again in a new way. My only regret is that it’s over, I would love more.

This was such a joy to read, and I’m so grateful to NetGalley for the chance to experience it early. If you love sapphic romance, period drama, and a little bit of chaos wrapped in a lot of heart, this one’s for you. Yet another hit from Emma R. Alban, I look forward to reading anything she writes in the future too.

I’m glad I gave this one a chance. I’ve really loved this author’s m/m novel but no so much the w/w debut. I’m glad I gave it a shot, though. I’d place this one squarely in the middle: enjoyable, with standout moments, but not my favorite of the three I’ve read by this author.

Right away, I noticed more anachronisms in this one than the previous two. Characters used language and referenced culture that felt very modern for the historical setting. That didn’t bother me much at first, especially since the Mean Girls-inspired setup was actually really fun.
The early chapters had a sharp, gossipy vibe with clique drama that worked. Then the second half took a turn toward blow up our lives then lets spend the rest of our lives together that wasn’t very earned by the tone of the first half. I get that this was partly a commentary on the intensity of the eras matchmaking. It increased emotional stakes very fast.


Overall, I did enjoy it, and I’d recommend it, especially to someone who doesn’t usually reach for historical romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNF @ 27%

I was excited to read this book because I loved Emma R. Alban’s first of this series, and I’ve enjoyed regency romances recently. I’m very disappointed that this didn’t work out for me. I did not connect with any of the characters, I think this may be due to what feels like a large amount of characters with no solid personalities. The men in the story are very dull (this may be on purpose, but I’m not sure), which makes the stakes extremely low for me. There’s not enough insight into the FMCs mothers’ pasts and I feel at this point in the novel should’ve already had more elaboration, and this also contributes to the feeling of low stakes in this book. I would like to read more from this author, and I hate that this book fell flat for me. I would still recommend this book to friends who enjoy sapphic regency romances, but I think this book just wasn’t for me.

Masterpiece. Think of a sapphic rival-to-lovers version of Regina George and Cady Heron in the regency era.  


Rosalie is an expert matchmaker for her friends and the gorgeous popular girl. Unfortunately, with all her looks and matchmaking skills, she has yet to find a love to call her own. Well, she has Mr. Dean, who has been courting her for a year or so, but she’s not all that interested in him. Or men.


Catherine Pine and her family have relocated from the countryside to Bath, where her parents are originally from. No time to rest though, because her mother is hell-bent on finding her a match. Catherine’s beauty and kindness have garnered quite the attention, like from Mr. Dean, for instance. Yes, the same man who’s already courting the gorgeous popular girl Rosalie. So the claws come out and some sabotaging happens before they realize that maybe they don’t want Mr. Dean after all. Maybe what they truly want is each other…


"Like In Love With You” is officially one of the best books I’ve read this year! This was my first time reading Alban’s work and I loved the writing style so much. Rosalie and Catherine’s chemistry was off the charts and I just adored them. There was some spice that was pearl clutching good! My goodness. This one’s a must-read and I highly recommend it. I guess you could even say that it was…fetching. Oh, look. You can make fetch happen!

This was a new genre for me and I was pleasantly surprised. I really don't read regency romance so I wasn't really sure that I was getting into. The blurb is spot on when it describes this story as a regency mean girls situation. This was definitely a slow build as most of the first book was nothing more than stealing glances at each other, but once they confronted their feelings, I was fully invested. I really loved the "found family" aspect of the story, with their friend group and even their helpers conspiring with them to arrange more time together. I feel like the author really captured the time period and how she portrayed the relationship felt very genuine. This was my first Emma Alban book and I look forward to reading more from them in the future.

4.5

Finally, an 1800s lesbian romance that doesn't use the lavender marriage male savior trope! This was a cute and thoroughly enjoyable read that I recommend to readers of romance, Bridgerton, Jane Austen, sapphic stories, and enemies to lovers.

When Catherine Pine and her family relocate to Bath, she learns her mother has bad blood with another lady, who was once her best friend, whose daughter Rosalie is also out in society. So, when her mother suggests that Catherine gains the attention and affection of Rosalie's suitor, Mr. Dean, Catherine agrees to go along with it. But while Mr. Dean is more boring than watching paint dry, Rosalie is beautiful, witty, and Catherine cannot stop thinking about her. Told in dual POV from Catherine and Rosalie, you get answers to questions such as 'How can two women be together in the Regency Era?', 'What in the world is a painting competition?' and 'What to do when this boring man won't stop pursuing me?'

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

Like in Love with You follows Catherine and Rosalie, two young women in Bath whose mothers have encouraged them to be in completion to marry the same man, but they instead fall for each other.

This book was so fun! The banter between the characters was very enjoyable and I loved the slow burn and the yearning that the relationship had on both sides. I also loved how involved Rosalie’s friends and brother were in the story and how invested they were in seeing both Rosalie and Catherine happy. Aunt Genevieve was also a delightful character and I enjoyed how she ended up being a part of Catherine and Rosalie’s story as well as the mothers’ reconciliation.

I also thought the story of the scandal and the fall out between Catherine and Rosalie’s mothers worked really well as a foil to their love, as well as the pressure from both sides to marry the same man. It could’ve been too much but I felt like there was just the right balance between Catherine and Rosalie’s love and the obstacles keeping them apart.

Overall, the story was very fun and I cried when everything was revealed on all accounts at the end.

Thank you again to Avon and NetGalley for the chance to read this early.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.

Ngl I was going to say No notes perioddd but I realized I actually got this as an eARC to give an actuuuual review. So, YES 💖
But seriously, I’ll never get tired of reading regency from this author. It’s what I dreamt of as a growing Sappho 😭 the vibes, the truuuuth to it, the steam, oh yes.
Cannot wait to have in print!

Another beautiful regency romance! I could never tire of reading something like this.

Perfect for lovers of:
- Regency romance
- Sapphic romance
- Enemies to lovers
- Jane Austen Retelling
- Mean girls

“Like in Love with You”, follows two women- Rosalie and Catherine.
Rosalie has been courted by Mr. Dean for quite some time and is expecting a proposal soon.
This is suddenly threatened by the arrival of a new, beautiful woman- Catherine.
Their mothers have a past rivalry, and now they begin to develop one of their own.
Each woman works with her mother to sabotage the other, in hopes of winning the affections of Mr. Dean.
Throughout their pranks and shenanigans, Rosalie and Catherine discover that neither of them really wishes to marry him. Instead, they have become quite fond of each other.

This is so good!
It took me a while to get into it, but once I did- I was invested!

I LOVE Rosalie and Catherine.
Each of their characters is written so well, and their romance is dreamy.
The rivalry? The forbidden love? The yearning? Perfect. I could die happy.
I adored their dedication to each other. Them publicly humiliating themselves to ward off their suitor, was quite adorable.

I like the writing style here. It is written in the third person, but still feels quite personal.
Each chapter alternates to discuss one of the women- so it kind of feels like dual point of view.

Lastly, I just want to say that I LOVE the cover of this! I think it is so pretty and so cute! It is such an eye-catcher.

Fantastic story overall! I really enjoyed this.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and author Emma R. Alban, for providing me with the eARC of “Like in Love with You”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: January 13th, 2026
Reviewed on Goodreads: July 24th, 2025

Rather more like Emma than Northanger Abbey, Alban's Like in Love with You rather disappoints. While hopeful and romantic, while the love interests do have romantic chemistry (and are not, thankfully, stepsisters,) this book leaves you wanting. I couldn't tell half of the characters apart (don't ask with a gun to my head,) and the ending rather dragged on. I started skipping descriptions to read the dialog towards the end, liking the book but knowing I would forget about it soon after. This isn't a bad book by any means, just a slightly boring and forgettable one. Thank you, Netgalley, for the arc. I'll still read anything Alban writes in the future-- mostly because there are so few lesbian novels set in the regency and victorian era.

This was another darling and delightfully sinful addition to Emma’s collection. I loved the characters and their shenanigans as they navigated through their growing attraction to each other. I especially loved the brother and how caring and wonderful he was! My only criticism is there were a few modern phrases that took me out of the story momentarily. I have no idea if they are time period accurate (the Tiffany problem) but they were current enough where it bugged me.

Regardless 5 stars!

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley for accepting my request and for providing me with the ARC. Like in love with you, was my most anticipated book and I am so happy and honored that I was able to read it before it released. I had so much fun with it. I loved both of the characters. I found the story really unique and fun and light, and if you are a fan of historical Romance, I 100% recommend this one to you. You will not regret It.

I really enjoyed this! I’ve read Alban’s other works and this follows them very well. The characters were interesting and so was the plot, though the pacing was a little slow at times. I don’t think it necessarily needs to be as long as it is, but I still had fun reading it!

Ahhh!! I am always so in awe of Emma and this queer period novels! I'm so grateful to have been able to read this book early and fall in love with Rosalie and Catherine. It was such an incredible story and I never quite knew how they were going to solve all of their problems until a solution was proposed and all of a sudden it was obvious! Queer period stories are truly one of my favorite things to read and this feels so beautiful. I love the support these two get throughout the story from those around them!

I did enjoy this but neither of the leads felt like three dimensional characters and the pacing threw me off.

Reading this felt like watching a early 2000's romcom set in the 1810s (complimentary). I wish some aspects of the romance had been developed a little better, but it was still an incredibly fun time!