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A review by battyaboutbooks
Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
π¦ Don't Want You Like a Best Friend Book Review π¦
Rating: βββ
β She thinks about her a lot, of course. And the days are better when they get to be together. And when she's dressing for balls now she thinks more of what Beth might think of her gown than what any of the young men might. And holding Beth's hand today made her feel more than she's ever felt dancing with anyone...They're friends. Shouldn't she love her friend? β
β #QOTD What's your favorite Bridgerton pairing? β
π¦ Anxious debutante Beth has just one season to snag a wealthy husband, while Gwen is on her fourth season with no intention of finding a husband. Unknown to them both, their single parents seem to have a history. Getting them married could save all their problems. Only one hitch: they seem to hate each other. Can Beth and Gwen bring their parents together...all while ignoring the budding feelings they seem to have for each other?
π I'll admit it: the tagline "a swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance" and promise of a "lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap" caught my eye. Gwen is a firecracker from her introduction, while Beth is everything you would expect from a demure debut searching for a husband. There's an instant spark from the moment they meet; a subtle yet undeniable chemistry many of us have experienced after meeting our (platonic or romantic) soulmates. Every scene between them is full of energy. They're each other's ideal halves: Gwen is bold, energetic, and as charming as her father, while Beth is sweet, amiable, and reserved. They get into Parent-Trap-style shenanigans with one another while simultaneously bringing out the best in each other. We see Beth's character growth through her time with Gwen as much as we see Gwen grow after meeting Beth.
π¦ It's funny but before reading the plot, both the title and cover reminded me of The Fiancee Farce, which led me to expect something more modern. Despite the story's setting in the Regency period, the writing (everything from the prose and exposition to jokes and attitudes) seems more modern than expected. The only aspect that reminded me of any classic story (like Jane Austen) or recent Regency novel (like Bridgerton) was the pacing. The first 30% of the story drags without the type of messy antics or conflicts that would have driven the story forward. It felt like a modern story dressed up as a Regency period tale. The overlapping plots (the sapphic relationship, Beth searching for a husband, and the Parent-Trapping) aren't weaved together with cohesion that would have helped the pacing. Because of the uneven pacing, the transition from friends to more comes off as sudden instead of a natural progression. The dual third-person limited, present-tense POV was also a strange choice, which made the prose awkward at times.
π¦ Recommended for fans of Bridgerton, Parent Trap, and Victorian romances. There are also a few Swiftie references (for those of you who feel compelled to read a book for that sort of thing).
β¨ The Vibes β¨
π©· Victorian Era Romance
π©· Sapphic Romance
π©· Forbidden Romance
π©· Friends to Lovers
π©· Dual POV
β οΈ Content Warnings: Domestic, Emotional, and Physical Abuse; Sexual Content; Sexism; Death of a Parent
π¦ Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. π₯° This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Rating: βββ
β She thinks about her a lot, of course. And the days are better when they get to be together. And when she's dressing for balls now she thinks more of what Beth might think of her gown than what any of the young men might. And holding Beth's hand today made her feel more than she's ever felt dancing with anyone...They're friends. Shouldn't she love her friend? β
β #QOTD What's your favorite Bridgerton pairing? β
π¦ Anxious debutante Beth has just one season to snag a wealthy husband, while Gwen is on her fourth season with no intention of finding a husband. Unknown to them both, their single parents seem to have a history. Getting them married could save all their problems. Only one hitch: they seem to hate each other. Can Beth and Gwen bring their parents together...all while ignoring the budding feelings they seem to have for each other?
π I'll admit it: the tagline "a swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance" and promise of a "lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap" caught my eye. Gwen is a firecracker from her introduction, while Beth is everything you would expect from a demure debut searching for a husband. There's an instant spark from the moment they meet; a subtle yet undeniable chemistry many of us have experienced after meeting our (platonic or romantic) soulmates. Every scene between them is full of energy. They're each other's ideal halves: Gwen is bold, energetic, and as charming as her father, while Beth is sweet, amiable, and reserved. They get into Parent-Trap-style shenanigans with one another while simultaneously bringing out the best in each other. We see Beth's character growth through her time with Gwen as much as we see Gwen grow after meeting Beth.
π¦ It's funny but before reading the plot, both the title and cover reminded me of The Fiancee Farce, which led me to expect something more modern. Despite the story's setting in the Regency period, the writing (everything from the prose and exposition to jokes and attitudes) seems more modern than expected. The only aspect that reminded me of any classic story (like Jane Austen) or recent Regency novel (like Bridgerton) was the pacing. The first 30% of the story drags without the type of messy antics or conflicts that would have driven the story forward. It felt like a modern story dressed up as a Regency period tale. The overlapping plots (the sapphic relationship, Beth searching for a husband, and the Parent-Trapping) aren't weaved together with cohesion that would have helped the pacing. Because of the uneven pacing, the transition from friends to more comes off as sudden instead of a natural progression. The dual third-person limited, present-tense POV was also a strange choice, which made the prose awkward at times.
π¦ Recommended for fans of Bridgerton, Parent Trap, and Victorian romances. There are also a few Swiftie references (for those of you who feel compelled to read a book for that sort of thing).
β¨ The Vibes β¨
π©· Victorian Era Romance
π©· Sapphic Romance
π©· Forbidden Romance
π©· Friends to Lovers
π©· Dual POV
β οΈ Content Warnings: Domestic, Emotional, and Physical Abuse; Sexual Content; Sexism; Death of a Parent
π¦ Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. π₯° This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, and Death of parent