A review by bzliz
Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban

funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

If you combined the Parent Trap and super historically inaccurate Bridgerton, then made it Queer, you’d have this book. I had fun listening to it but if you’re the type of reader who needs true historical settings, this won’t satisfy you. It’s also written in the present tense which isn’t my favorite style. 

Beth and Gwen meet at a society event and become fast friends, though it takes them both quite a while to realize it’s more than simple friendship. They embark on a scheme to get their parents together, discovering that they had previously been somewhat involved and it ended badly when Beth’s mother needed to marry for security rather than love, which meant not marrying Gwen’s father. Beth catches the eye of a real white bread kind of guy- nice but bland, and no substance- and finds herself falling into the same path her mother took. There’s a subplot about an act that allows women to seek divorce in the court system rather than through the church, which Beth’s future father in law fights against strongly, leaving her facing an impossible future without Gwen and stuck with a truly odious man as her family if she is to live a secure life. 

All in all, it was a sweet but forgettable sapphic romance with just a few nods to the Swifties. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings