A fun romantic read!

I picked this one up purely for the title but I stayed for the wholesome romance. Loved the themes of found family in this, definitely the strength of the book.

It was the cover that drew me to this book but sadly it just wasn’t for me. I felt like I couldn’t connect to the characters. The love story o felt was cute but trying to connect to the characters as individuals was something I just couldn’t do

Compelling, frothy, and containing a Bridgerton-esque queer romance that's impossible to not root for, You're the Problem, It's You is an excellent bookend to this delightful duology inspired by the music of Taylor Swift. Although I enjoyed the premise, I struggled with the pacing of the romance. The shift from enemies to lovers felt abrupt, with the characters going from intense animosity to being in love without much of a transition. However, it was wonderful to see a Victorian-era tale that managed to depict the story of queer love while yet acknowledging the contrasting social norms of the day.

‘You’re The Problem, It’s You’ by Emma R. Alban is a sweet and funny regency romance starring “spare not heir” Bobby and James, a reluctant Viscount.

I found their love story fun and cute, but somehow didn’t really connect with them as individuals. I wish I had felt more invested. It took me a while to get through this one as I didn’t feel super compelled to read and ended up having my head turned by other books from my TBR.

This book is a sequel to ‘Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend’ - which I haven’t read, but which I’m tempted to try since its main characters appear here as mischievous matchmakers and were certainly likeable, and I have heard good things about this author so want to give their work another chance to wow me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy for review consideration.

I loved More Than A Best Friend by the same author so I already knew I would enjoy You’re The Problem, It’s You.

I adored both of the main characters and how different they were from each other but equally were so well matched. Their relationship development was so well done and a perfect amount of slow burn to lovers for me.

I loved seeing the main characters from More Than A Best Friend involved in their relationship and being sneaky match makers. It made for such a fun, entertaining read.

And can we talk about how cute the epilogue was???? It was such a beautiful HEA for everyone involved. Truly loved it!!

I did enjoy this but I didn’t find myself getting as swept up in the story as I did with Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend. I did find some sections were quite repetitive as James and Boby had very similar conversations, resolved to be different, then did the same thing again. I loved the moments when they were together and in their larger friends and family group. The HEA for the two of them plus Gwen and Beth was very sweet.
3.5*

DNF’d at 35%.

I enjoyed Emma Alban’s previous book, Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend, so was very excited for this one, but unfortunately I just didn’t connect with the characters in this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was captivated by the cover and the title of this book, but it ended up not living up to the hype in my mind. I think I expected something a little more like Red, White and Royal Blue, or The Unlikely Heir, where I was head over heels for the couple in the book, and whilst I found them cute, I just didn’t fully feel their love story.

James’ crush on Bobby from when they were in school together was all based on looks, as they didn’t know each other at all, and Bobby only really started noticing James after seeing him at the underground club for gay men. After sharing one kiss, Bobby started talking about falling in love through all their arguing, and I just wasn’t feeling it. I thought the solution the cousins came up with was good though, and I’ve no doubt that such marriages in name only were done by many people back in the 1850s.

I also didn’t really like all the American English spelling in a book set in the UK in a historical time period, there were a few instances of repeated phrases close together that just seemed odd to me, and the way the characters spoke to each other sometimes was just way too modern, so if you’re looking for historical accuracy, I wouldn’t say this is it.

All in all the story was okay, but I think I would’ve preferred it in a 2h long film rather than 7h of me reading it. Maybe historical romances just aren’t my thing though, and others who do like reading such stories might like this more than I did.

This was such a fun book, but with some brilliant themes and so much heart. I loved the main characters and the side characters and the world that was developed in the first in this series.

The two male leads were wonderful and their bond was so powerful. Their connection and chemistry came off the page and I was rooting for them so much!

It took me a moment to provide this review as I needed to read the first book, which I'm glad I did

Alban’s series finale was such a joy! Her cinematic writing style strikes a perfect balance, making the story feel both vivid and immersive. The main characters are messy, relatable, and their journey from rivalry to romance is incredibly rewarding. I also loved how this book, like the first, highlights the importance of family, whether chosen or biological—a refreshing theme in queer romance.

Though I slightly preferred the first book, this one was still a fantastic read. Highly recommend this series, and I’m looking forward to Alban’s next work!

Thank you Netgally for providing me with this book, and introducing me to Alban, and her characters

PS. Love the Taylor Swift Reference as a swiftie!

Enemies-to-lovers? Queer romance? Set in Victorian times? Sign me up!

I adored the first book and this one was just as good. Filled with charm, banter and a whole lot of angry kissing, Alban delivers another banger of a book which I'm going to be thinking about for a LONG time.

Small disclaimer: the miscommunication trope (which I normally HIGHLY dislike) is the main source of their hatred but I enjoyed the book nonetheless.

What an absolute treat, this book felt like a warm hug!!

I just love this series - it's full of angst and tenderness. They're such a fun time while tackling the realities of being queer in this time period, and deal with the heavy topics of being yourself in an unaccepting society whilst still managing to be a wholesome romance read.

I didn't love this one as much as More Than a Best Friend, although the characters are all still as charming and full of chemistry as always. I had a lot of trouble following all of the characters and their relationships with one another - but then again this is someone who needed to draw herself a flow chart the first time she read Emma. Maybe that's a me problem.

I also found the writing a touch repetitive, which actually didn't bother me because I was enjoying the story, but I know it'll bother others. I also know that people will HATE the miscommunication in the first 30ish% but I found this great for driving up the angst and not that irritating.

This series is just such a great shout if you're looking for queer Bridgerton (this isn't regency but it has the same energy) - it's got the same melodramatic angst-fuelled feel whilst still delivering a compelling romance.

My final bug bear is that if you're writing a romance set in the UK............ please use 'trousers' not 'pants'. thank u

I think I've ended up preferring this one to the first book?? There's some HEAVY miscommunication in the beginning, but that mostly adds to the drama of this one. It was also a lot slower-paced - while I flew through the first book in a couple of hours, this one took me a few days. This was really lovely though; Bobby and James both go through tremendous character growth, and I really enjoyed how their love story tied into that of Beth and Gwen's from the first book. The importance of a strong support system is really shown well in this installment, which I loved, There's a whole blackmail plot going on, which ended up feeling like it was kind of here nor there for the most part, but added to the tension. I'm excited to see what's to come from this author!

A cute and well plotted historical romance that made me smile and kept me reading
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really loved this one!

I do have a soft spot for enemies to lovers and thought that this one was done perfectly. I also really enjoyed the found family aspect!

This book has been done a million times before but if you love the tropes, its such a cute read!

I loved this book so much! I had thoroughly enjoyed reading book 1 and was delighted to have been approved. This one follows side characters from the first book so it is definitely a perk to have read it beforehand. I loved James and Bobby as characters and thought their relationship was beautiful, and sensitively-written. The parts where the characters face potential scrutiny from others or fear being imprisoned because of their relationship, were very emotional and added a sense of tension to the story which worked out very well in the end. I loved revisiting familiar faces and places, and am looking forward to more books by this author, hopefully set in this same universe!

A wonderful romance that I really needed at the moment. More lavender marriages in historical romances please and thank you! This was just a really good time

oof. not for me. life is too short for the miscommunication trope and all the characters in regency england to be saying yeah? all the time.

The chemistry between James and Bobby was absolutely adorable. I loved the mutual pining and the slow-burn build-up of their relationship. Their characters felt much more complex and fleshed out compared to Beth and Gwen, and I found myself truly connected to both of them, like I knew them personally. While the beginning was a bit slow, the second half picked up quickly and was much easier to engage with. The plot was linear and well-executed, with no confusing moments. The third act breakup had me in tears, but the way they learned to accept each other in the end was incredibly heartwarming.

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First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.