Don't Want You Like a Best Friend

 Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban, 400 pages.

At twenty, Beth is debuting slightly later than the average debutante. Her late father refused to "waste" the money on her when he was alive, but then he went and died and left nothing to her and her mother, so if Beth doesn't find a suitable husband by the end of the season they'll be out on the street. Gwen, on the other hand, is in her fourth season, and honestly not expecting to come out of this one with a husband either. Luckily her rake of a very wealthy father is in no real hurry to get her married off. As the girls start getting closer they come up with a bright idea, why not scheme to get their parents together instead? It would solve every problem, and surely the fact that they seem to sort of hate each other won't be any obstacle. As the season goes on they grow even closer, to close, in fact, to be allowable by law in 1857. Suddenly, between the quickly approaching end of the season and a very advantageous but completely loveless match for Beth, getting their parents together seems like the only way forward without breaking everyone's hearts.

This book was marketed as lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap, and honestly that seems pretty accurate. This book was really enjoyable. I genuinely believed in Beth and Gwen's relationship, and could also really sense the love the author had for the time period in the little details she included. I will say this book was a little bit less fun than I was expecting, as there's a lot of heartbreak and angst by volume compared to the expected hijinks. That being said the hijinks are in fact delightful, and I am happy to report that everything does eventually turn out alright. There was a teaser in the back for the next book in the series (whose premise seems to involve acquiring a gay couple to fake marry) and I will almost certainly pick that one up when it comes out.