Description

A swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance in which two debutantes distract themselves from having to seek husbands by setting up their widowed parents, and instead find their perfect match in each other—the lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap you never knew you needed!

Gwen has a brilliant beyond brilliant idea.

It’s 1857, and anxious debutante Beth has just one season to snag a wealthy husband, or she and her mother will be out on the street. But playing the blushing ingenue makes Beth’s skin crawl and she’d rather be anywhere but here.

Gwen, on the other hand, is on her fourth season and counting, with absolutely no intention of finding a husband, possibly ever. She figures she has plenty of security as the only daughter of a rakish earl, from whom she’s gotten all her flair, fun, and less-than-proper party games.

“Let’s get them together,” she says.

It doesn’t take long for Gwen to hatch her latest scheme: rather than surrender Beth to courtship, they should set up Gwen’s father and Beth’s newly widowed mother. Let them get married instead.

“It’ll be easy” she says.

There’s just…one, teeny, tiny problem. Their parents kind of seem to hate each other.

But no worries. Beth and Gwen are more than up to the challenge of a little twenty-year-old heartbreak. How hard can parent-trapping widowed ex-lovers be?

Of course, just as their plan begins to unfold, a handsome, wealthy viscount starts calling on Beth, offering up the perfect, secure marriage.

Beth’s not mature enough for this…

Now Gwen must face the prospect of sharing Beth with someone else, forever. And Beth must reckon with the fact that she’s caught feelings, hard, and they’re definitely not for her potential fiancé.

That’s the trouble with matchmaking: sometimes you accidentally fall in love with your best friend in the process.

About the Author

Emma R. Alban is an author and screenwriter. Raised in the Hudson Valley, she now lives in Los Angeles, enjoying the eternal sunshine, ocean, and mountains. When she isn’t writing books or screenplays, she can usually be found stress baking with the AC on full blast, skiing late into the spring, singing showtunes at the top of her lungs on the freeway, and reading anywhere there’s somewhere to lean. She is the author of Don't Want You Like a Best Friend and You’re the Problem, It’s You.

Praise For…

“Emma R. Alban is a fresh, distinct new voice in the genre and her debut gives us all the top tier wit, spice, and swoons we love in a historical romance. One to watch!” — Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author of Bringing Down the Duke

“Sweet, angsty, and ingeniously subversive, Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend will have you turning the pages and rooting for Beth and Gwen to finally get the happy-ever-after they both deserve. A delightfully refreshing historical romance!” — Amalie Howard, USA Today bestselling author

“Equal parts swoony, nail-bitingly emotional, and sizzling, Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend sweeps readers off their feet in a wholly new and exhilarating dance. With beautifully rendered setting, whip-smart banter, and a cast of characters that are so easy to love, Alban cements herself as an instant voice to watch in queer romance.” — Carlyn Greenwald, author of Sizzle Reel

“[A] witty, complex slow burn…. [that is] lightly spicy and remarkably intense…. A stunning Sapphic Victorian romance from an author to watch.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“With an engaging plot that offers a deft nod to The Parent Trap, Alban’s gracefully written and keenly witty romance debut perfectly encapsulates all the hunger, heartbreak, and hope involved in falling in love for the first time. The start to the Mischief & Matchmaking series is an absolute delight.” — Booklist (starred review)

"For readers who want tenderness, not trauma, in their queer period fiction, this will hit the spot." — Publishers Weekly

“Alban’s debut is a disarmingly sweet and well-written story that promises two romances for the price of one. This has wide appeal and is recommended for readers who enjoy sapphic stories, new-adult fiction, or historical romance.” — Library Journal