A review by meaganleereads
Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee

emotional hopeful lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Harriet “Harry” Lockhart has never planned to marry. She plays men on stage and prefers romantic and sexual relationships with the fairer sex - both of which make her an outcast in Regency England. When her previously unknown father comes forward and promises her an inheritance if she marries, Harry must choose between being herself - something she can barely afford to do - and a life where she wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore. Meanwhile, Emily Sergeant is refined and poised, secretly running away from a dark past and in desperate need of a suitable husband. When the two women set their sights on the same duke, they find themselves falling in love… but not with him. 

After enjoying Mackenzi Lee’s young adult series, I was excited to read her adult debut and doubly so when I learned it was sapphic. There just aren’t enough sapphic historical romances out there! Unfortunately, I didn’t end up enjoying this as much as I hoped. The book is long enough to develop and set up the romance between Harry and Emily but it barely does. While I found the scenes of them once they’re together sweet and even swoon-worthy, they didn’t feel truly earned. It was hard to believe that they were in love enough to put their lives on the line when we didn’t actually get that many scenes developing their relationship. 

I enjoyed Emily as a character and her journey to be her true self but Harry annoyed me at times. I think, again, it comes down to there not being enough time dedicated to developing her as a character and her arc. 

I would have loved to see Alexander get a true comeuppance. Tweed got his but Alexander got away scot-free - which is maybe realistic for the time period but was annoying. He was truly awful.

Mackenzi Lee's Montague Siblings trilogy was so funny but here I thought the sense of humor was lacking and even awkward at times. 

I appreciated the notes in the back. It’s clear that Lee did a lot of research into the Regency era and romantic relationships between women that took place at that time. I look forward to seeing what she writes next and I hope to enjoy it more!