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Lady Like: A Novel
Two women, one refined and one ribald, set their sights on marrying the same duke, but instead of becoming natural enemies, they find themselves falling in love—though not with him.
Harriet Lockhart never planned to marry. The educated daughter of a high-class prostitute, Harry has spent her life defying playing male roles in bawdy Shakespearean productions on London's seediest stages, pursuing the many women who adore her, and wearing whatever she pleases, so long as it's well tailored—all while being subsidized by her late mother’s trust. When she is contacted out of the blue by her hitherto anonymous father, she finds herself at risk of losing the trust that he actually funds unless she acquiesces to his request that she lead a more respectable life, starting with finding a husband.
Emily Sergeant, on the other hand, has only ever wanted to marry. She is the modest, tea-sipping, soft-spoken Regency bride. And were it not for one mistake in her youth that rendered her a social pariah, she would be appropriately betrothed. Instead, she’s due to wed the only willing man in her small the abominable Robert Tweed. Desperate for an alternative, Emily flees to London for the summer to snag a less lecherous fiancé before she's shackled to a scoundrel.
Worlds collide, dramatically and hilariously, when both women decide on the very same duke as their best possible chance at a tolerable husband and the security that he brings. A tongue-in-cheek romp through London's summer season, from balls to brothels, horseraces to duels, Harry and Emily compete for the duke's favor, only to find their true hearts' desires may be more compatible than they ever could have predicted.
Harriet Lockhart never planned to marry. The educated daughter of a high-class prostitute, Harry has spent her life defying playing male roles in bawdy Shakespearean productions on London's seediest stages, pursuing the many women who adore her, and wearing whatever she pleases, so long as it's well tailored—all while being subsidized by her late mother’s trust. When she is contacted out of the blue by her hitherto anonymous father, she finds herself at risk of losing the trust that he actually funds unless she acquiesces to his request that she lead a more respectable life, starting with finding a husband.
Emily Sergeant, on the other hand, has only ever wanted to marry. She is the modest, tea-sipping, soft-spoken Regency bride. And were it not for one mistake in her youth that rendered her a social pariah, she would be appropriately betrothed. Instead, she’s due to wed the only willing man in her small the abominable Robert Tweed. Desperate for an alternative, Emily flees to London for the summer to snag a less lecherous fiancé before she's shackled to a scoundrel.
Worlds collide, dramatically and hilariously, when both women decide on the very same duke as their best possible chance at a tolerable husband and the security that he brings. A tongue-in-cheek romp through London's summer season, from balls to brothels, horseraces to duels, Harry and Emily compete for the duke's favor, only to find their true hearts' desires may be more compatible than they ever could have predicted.
371 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2025
85 people are currently reading
10982 people want to read
About the author
Mackenzi Lee
20 books8,533 followersMackenzi Lee writes books you might have read. And she no longer uses Goodreads or accepts friend requests.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
November 27, 2025
In a Nutshell: A historical Sapphic romance set during the Regency period. Interesting characters, but average plot development. Started off well for me, but it couldn’t sustain the vibes. Anachronous and inaccurate in various ways, so better if read as a fantastical version of history. Fairly ribald, though the spicy scenes are not that explicit. Might work for readers looking for mindless entertainment because it does offer many moments of fun. This is an outlier opinion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Bookish Yays:
💝 Harriet. While her character wasn’t relatable to me, I love how she was sketched: independent, intelligent, and assertive, and still having a vulnerable side. The most well-rounded character of this book.
💝 The significance of the title. What does it mean to be ‘ladylike’? Nicely explored.
💝 The author’s note. She calls the plot a mix of history, fiction and fantasy, which is fairly accurate, especially considering the lack of homophobia in the story.
💝 The cover. Apt for the book in its colour and artwork.
Bookish Okays:
💕Emily. While her secret side is much more colourful and interesting than her displayed personality, there isn't any explanation of how she is such a rebel, especially coming from a conservative family in the small country village. Her behaviour beggars belief at times.
💕 While I have no issues with the portrayal of the easy acceptance of homosexuality in the ton (chalk it to creative license), I find it tougher to accept how instantaneously Emily converts to ‘Sapphism’. Given the past of the two characters, they might tend toward bisexuality as well, but I guess this was a bit too rebellious a concept for a historical work.
💕 The secondary characters generate mixed feelings. Some are good (Emily’s cousin Violet is the best!), some are stereotypically annoying, and some change their behaviour almost abruptly. One of the characters – ironically, the only character based on a real person – is totally unrealistic.
💕 While there are some hints offered about the period such as the mention of the ‘mad king’ and the fight for suffrage, the actual year isn't mentioned outright. I wish the period had been better clarified. Not all readers know England’s history in detail, after all!
💕 The book has plenty of humour, with many scenes being genuinely witty. Unfortunately, the jokes also feel forced at times, like the plot is trying too hard to generate a laugh in any way possible.
💕 The romance between contrasting personalities has great potential, but the execution is not always spot on. The connection feels slowburn yet instantaneous. More importantly, the chemistry is missing.
💕 There’s a nine-year age gap between Harriet and Emily, which is quite surprising for a Sapphic historical romance. While such gaps were common in historical relationships, I wish the point had been brought up in the book, at least in a conversation. Emily’s age is mentioned a couple of times as being old for the marriage market, so the other side also could have been explored.
Bookish Nays:
💔 The tempo is fairly slow. While literary works can get away with such pacing, romances need to be tighter.
💔 Plenty of anachronisms. While a few such writing choices can be ignored as they were just a kind of ‘alternate history’, many of them were glaring gaps of social etiquette that would never have been accepted in that era. One can't read this book expecting any kind of historical accuracy, even though one character is from actual history.
💔 The second half is really weak, making an otherwise okay story go way over the top, with too many coincidences and too few explanations.
💔 The ending is much too convenient and hence doesn’t create an impact.
💔 For a book where one lead character has her roots in a whorehouse, risqué content is to be expected in her arc. However, the book opts for vulgarity even when it is not needed. The sex scenes are closed-door, but the ‘door’ closes only after an extended and descriptive foreplay. What is most annoying is the repeated references to breasts (49 occurrences of ‘breasts’ in a single book!), dildos, c*cks, and their ilk in regular conversation. (On an aside, it is weird to see Londoners saying “ass” instead of “arse”. Editing issue.)
💔 One key subplot seems to have been forgotten after a point.
Overall, the book did start off decently, and while it wasn’t gripping, it also wasn’t boring. The second half, however, brought the whole experience down.
I am not a regular romance reader, but I do like to try books that seem to approach the genre differently. This book appeared to have that potential from what was written in the blurb. However, the execution wasn’t so satisfactory to me. Perhaps if you are willing to let go of logic and read this as an imaginative popcorn Sapphic romance, you might enjoy this better. Mine is anyway an outlier opinion, so do read other reviews to take a more informed decision.
Recommended to those who enjoy historical Sapphic romances more for the romance than for the history.
2.5 stars.
My thanks to Random House Publishing Group and The Dial Press for providing the DRC of “Lady Like” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Thirty-four-year-old Harriet Lockhart, the daughter of a prostitute, plays male roles in bawdy Shakespeare productions on Drury Lane. She lives life on her own terms, so when a mysterious letter comes out of the blue, she is surprised to learn the identity of her benefactor, and aggravated at his condition for continued funding: she must start living a respectable life and find a decent husband.
Twenty-five-year-old Emily Sergeant has spent the last eight years of her life trying to prove to everyone in her small village that the mistake she made at seventeen was a one-time lapse of judgement, and that she is a decent girl. But even her modest disposition cannot stand the thought of being betrothed to the horrid Robert Tweed. Desperate for an alternate plan, she goes to London, hoping to snag a better husband.
In London, the two women end up shortlisting the same fellow as a potential suitor. What now?
The story comes to us in the alternating third-person perspectives of Harriet and Emily.
Bookish Yays:
💝 Harriet. While her character wasn’t relatable to me, I love how she was sketched: independent, intelligent, and assertive, and still having a vulnerable side. The most well-rounded character of this book.
💝 The significance of the title. What does it mean to be ‘ladylike’? Nicely explored.
💝 The author’s note. She calls the plot a mix of history, fiction and fantasy, which is fairly accurate, especially considering the lack of homophobia in the story.
💝 The cover. Apt for the book in its colour and artwork.
Bookish Okays:
💕Emily. While her secret side is much more colourful and interesting than her displayed personality, there isn't any explanation of how she is such a rebel, especially coming from a conservative family in the small country village. Her behaviour beggars belief at times.
💕 While I have no issues with the portrayal of the easy acceptance of homosexuality in the ton (chalk it to creative license), I find it tougher to accept how instantaneously Emily converts to ‘Sapphism’. Given the past of the two characters, they might tend toward bisexuality as well, but I guess this was a bit too rebellious a concept for a historical work.
💕 The secondary characters generate mixed feelings. Some are good (Emily’s cousin Violet is the best!), some are stereotypically annoying, and some change their behaviour almost abruptly. One of the characters – ironically, the only character based on a real person – is totally unrealistic.
💕 While there are some hints offered about the period such as the mention of the ‘mad king’ and the fight for suffrage, the actual year isn't mentioned outright. I wish the period had been better clarified. Not all readers know England’s history in detail, after all!
💕 The book has plenty of humour, with many scenes being genuinely witty. Unfortunately, the jokes also feel forced at times, like the plot is trying too hard to generate a laugh in any way possible.
💕 The romance between contrasting personalities has great potential, but the execution is not always spot on. The connection feels slowburn yet instantaneous. More importantly, the chemistry is missing.
💕 There’s a nine-year age gap between Harriet and Emily, which is quite surprising for a Sapphic historical romance. While such gaps were common in historical relationships, I wish the point had been brought up in the book, at least in a conversation. Emily’s age is mentioned a couple of times as being old for the marriage market, so the other side also could have been explored.
Bookish Nays:
💔 The tempo is fairly slow. While literary works can get away with such pacing, romances need to be tighter.
💔 Plenty of anachronisms. While a few such writing choices can be ignored as they were just a kind of ‘alternate history’, many of them were glaring gaps of social etiquette that would never have been accepted in that era. One can't read this book expecting any kind of historical accuracy, even though one character is from actual history.
💔 The second half is really weak, making an otherwise okay story go way over the top, with too many coincidences and too few explanations.
💔 The ending is much too convenient and hence doesn’t create an impact.
💔 For a book where one lead character has her roots in a whorehouse, risqué content is to be expected in her arc. However, the book opts for vulgarity even when it is not needed. The sex scenes are closed-door, but the ‘door’ closes only after an extended and descriptive foreplay. What is most annoying is the repeated references to breasts (49 occurrences of ‘breasts’ in a single book!), dildos, c*cks, and their ilk in regular conversation. (On an aside, it is weird to see Londoners saying “ass” instead of “arse”. Editing issue.)
💔 One key subplot seems to have been forgotten after a point.
Overall, the book did start off decently, and while it wasn’t gripping, it also wasn’t boring. The second half, however, brought the whole experience down.
I am not a regular romance reader, but I do like to try books that seem to approach the genre differently. This book appeared to have that potential from what was written in the blurb. However, the execution wasn’t so satisfactory to me. Perhaps if you are willing to let go of logic and read this as an imaginative popcorn Sapphic romance, you might enjoy this better. Mine is anyway an outlier opinion, so do read other reviews to take a more informed decision.
Recommended to those who enjoy historical Sapphic romances more for the romance than for the history.
2.5 stars.
My thanks to Random House Publishing Group and The Dial Press for providing the DRC of “Lady Like” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
Read
June 29, 2025DNF at 70%
a better person def would have finished this book, but I just dont care
im actually deadly series when i tell you i am sick
SICK
SICK!!!!
SIIIIIIICKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!
!!!!!SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!
of third act breakups
like if i actually read another one, all of my braincells are going to turn against me and have a full coup
IM OVER IT
find a new plot!
kill someone off!
start an epidemic!
elope!
anything!!!!!
please good god ANYTHING!!!
THAT
IS
NOT
A
THIRD
ACT
BREAK
UP
like actually bro
what is the point of writing a book
and coming up with unique plots
and characters
and settings
and RELATIONSHIPS???
to just say fiwb and have a third act break
therefore making everything you have written in this book
BASIC
!!!!! BASIC !!!!!!!
WHY???
i need something new
please!
i can't do it anymore!
yes!
this book was fine!
probably a three star read, until i got to 70%
and they decided to lean into the miscomunication trope!
bc guess what???????
I ALREADY KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!!
LET ME TELL YOU
THEY BOTH GO HOME
AND THEY SULKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
AND THEY WHINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND THEY WAIT FOR ALL THE READERS TO SAY "OH MY POOR POOKIE BABY"
AND THEN THEY PINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND WE KEEP READING THROUGH THE PAIN
AND THEN THEY PINE MOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND THE PAIN!!!!!
OH THE PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OF A THIRD ACT BREAKUP!
ITS TERRIBLE!
BUT DONT WORRY!
BECAUSE THE SIDE CHARACTER!!
FFS THE SIDE CHARACTER IS HERE!!!!!!
AS THEY MEND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MC, WHO ABANDONED THEM WHEN TH EMC FELL IN LOVE!!!!!
THEY TELL THE MC , "OH DEARY ME, IVE NEVER SEEN YOU SMILE SO MUCH! STARS IN YOUR EYES WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEM! YOU SPARKLE WITH UNICORN SHIT HAPPINESS!! THAT LOVE INTEREST HELPED YOU RECOVER FROM [insert trauma her], AND YOU SHOULD GO GET THEM!"
OH AND JOY TO THE WORLDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
BECAUSE AT NINETY FIVE PERCENT!!!!
THE MC AND LOVE INTEREST
MEET EACH OTHER AT THE LAST SECOND
AND FOR A MOMENT THEY
PINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND THEN THEY ARE IN LOVE AGAIN--- BECAUSE THEY WHAT???
THAT'S RIGHT!
COMMUNICATED!!!
ITS ALMOST LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT FROM THE BEGINNING?????
ITS ALMOST LIKE THEY BOTH SPEAK THE EXACTY SAME LANGUAGE!!!!
THAT THEY COULD USE TO I DONT KNOW????
SPEAK TO EACH OTHER WITH?????????
WHOA!!
SHOCK!!!
INSANITY????
COMMUNICATION???
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!
BROTHER WHJAT IS THAT???
lokey not even sorry for ranting because im actually annoyed i invested a couple hours into a book with a third act break up.
anyways babes.
thanks netgalley for the arc.
love y'all <3
a better person def would have finished this book, but I just dont care
im actually deadly series when i tell you i am sick
SICK
SICK!!!!
SIIIIIIICKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!
!!!!!SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!
of third act breakups
like if i actually read another one, all of my braincells are going to turn against me and have a full coup
IM OVER IT
find a new plot!
kill someone off!
start an epidemic!
elope!
anything!!!!!
please good god ANYTHING!!!
THAT
IS
NOT
A
THIRD
ACT
BREAK
UP
like actually bro
what is the point of writing a book
and coming up with unique plots
and characters
and settings
and RELATIONSHIPS???
to just say fiwb and have a third act break
therefore making everything you have written in this book
BASIC
!!!!! BASIC !!!!!!!
WHY???
i need something new
please!
i can't do it anymore!
yes!
this book was fine!
probably a three star read, until i got to 70%
and they decided to lean into the miscomunication trope!
bc guess what???????
I ALREADY KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!!
LET ME TELL YOU
THEY BOTH GO HOME
AND THEY SULKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
AND THEY WHINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND THEY WAIT FOR ALL THE READERS TO SAY "OH MY POOR POOKIE BABY"
AND THEN THEY PINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND WE KEEP READING THROUGH THE PAIN
AND THEN THEY PINE MOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND THE PAIN!!!!!
OH THE PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OF A THIRD ACT BREAKUP!
ITS TERRIBLE!
BUT DONT WORRY!
BECAUSE THE SIDE CHARACTER!!
FFS THE SIDE CHARACTER IS HERE!!!!!!
AS THEY MEND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MC, WHO ABANDONED THEM WHEN TH EMC FELL IN LOVE!!!!!
THEY TELL THE MC , "OH DEARY ME, IVE NEVER SEEN YOU SMILE SO MUCH! STARS IN YOUR EYES WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEM! YOU SPARKLE WITH UNICORN SHIT HAPPINESS!! THAT LOVE INTEREST HELPED YOU RECOVER FROM [insert trauma her], AND YOU SHOULD GO GET THEM!"
OH AND JOY TO THE WORLDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
BECAUSE AT NINETY FIVE PERCENT!!!!
THE MC AND LOVE INTEREST
MEET EACH OTHER AT THE LAST SECOND
AND FOR A MOMENT THEY
PINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
AND THEN THEY ARE IN LOVE AGAIN--- BECAUSE THEY WHAT???
THAT'S RIGHT!
COMMUNICATED!!!
ITS ALMOST LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT FROM THE BEGINNING?????
ITS ALMOST LIKE THEY BOTH SPEAK THE EXACTY SAME LANGUAGE!!!!
THAT THEY COULD USE TO I DONT KNOW????
SPEAK TO EACH OTHER WITH?????????
WHOA!!
SHOCK!!!
INSANITY????
COMMUNICATION???
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!
BROTHER WHJAT IS THAT???
lokey not even sorry for ranting because im actually annoyed i invested a couple hours into a book with a third act break up.
anyways babes.
thanks netgalley for the arc.
love y'all <3
November 15, 2025
Fighting over a man is so not worth it. Better instead to team up, and then fall in love with each other.
That is what should have happened with Samatha H. and me when we fought over Spencer A. in second grade.
Alas, we did not get our HEA but Harriet and Emily do!
Overall this was a fun romp, but I was let down a bit in terms of expectations vs. reality. I went into this one thinking it would be a fun rivals to lovers situation but this reads a lot closer to friends to lovers, imho. An excellent time, but not quite what I expected.
What’s to love…
- opposites attract
- rivals to fast friends to lovers
- well developed and complex characters
- solid tension and banter
- laugh out loud funny
- a touch of trauma and emotion
- well researched and fleshed out!
What’s not to love…
- while the banter and tension is great I expected just a bit more of both and felt let down. For a book who’s synopsis reads like we should expect rivals it was a bit lacking, but for a friends to lovers book it isn’t so bad.
- lower angst that I would have liked.
- pacing - I’m not sure I needed this one to be quite as long as it was and I felt myself a little bored as sections. but I think if you love very well developed characters, you may not be bothered by the length or slower pace surrounding character development.
🌶️- Only one spicy scene (Ch 36), however there is another scene, but it’s not between the two MCs and I’m not sure if I would really call it spicy. It is explicit though (Ch 17). Either way this book is rather mild on the spice.
3.75⭐️| IG | TikTok |
That is what should have happened with Samatha H. and me when we fought over Spencer A. in second grade.
Alas, we did not get our HEA but Harriet and Emily do!
Overall this was a fun romp, but I was let down a bit in terms of expectations vs. reality. I went into this one thinking it would be a fun rivals to lovers situation but this reads a lot closer to friends to lovers, imho. An excellent time, but not quite what I expected.
What’s to love…
- opposites attract
- rivals to fast friends to lovers
- well developed and complex characters
- solid tension and banter
- laugh out loud funny
- a touch of trauma and emotion
- well researched and fleshed out!
What’s not to love…
- while the banter and tension is great I expected just a bit more of both and felt let down. For a book who’s synopsis reads like we should expect rivals it was a bit lacking, but for a friends to lovers book it isn’t so bad.
- lower angst that I would have liked.
- pacing - I’m not sure I needed this one to be quite as long as it was and I felt myself a little bored as sections. but I think if you love very well developed characters, you may not be bothered by the length or slower pace surrounding character development.
🌶️- Only one spicy scene (Ch 36), however there is another scene, but it’s not between the two MCs and I’m not sure if I would really call it spicy. It is explicit though (Ch 17). Either way this book is rather mild on the spice.
3.75⭐️| IG | TikTok |
May 2, 2025
♥ Overall Thoughts & Rating ♥
What a cute romance book! This one was fun, witty, sapphic, humorous and beautiful! This book made me feel lighthearted and happy. I loved the characters in the story, especially Harry. I could really feel the love and connection between the female characters, which made me feel emotional. It’s so funny that they go after the same duke, only to end up with each other! They should have became enemies, but started to love each other instead. I really enjoyed the twist this book had! I found this book to be thought provoking, captivating and had a well rounded theme. Be sure to check out the content warnings! I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars rating!
♥ Thank You ♥
Thank you to NetGalley, author Mackenzi Lee and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
♥ Publication Date ♥
This book is set to be published on September 9, 2025!
♥ Quick Review ♥
❤️ Sapphic Romance Novel
✔️ Lovable Characters
❤️ Very Heartwarming
✔️ Includes Humor
❤️ Royalty
✔️ Thought Provoking
❤️ Emotional
✔️ An Overall Great RomCom
》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《
❥ ୨⎯ Connie ⎯୧ ❥
ツ౨ৎ
What a cute romance book! This one was fun, witty, sapphic, humorous and beautiful! This book made me feel lighthearted and happy. I loved the characters in the story, especially Harry. I could really feel the love and connection between the female characters, which made me feel emotional. It’s so funny that they go after the same duke, only to end up with each other! They should have became enemies, but started to love each other instead. I really enjoyed the twist this book had! I found this book to be thought provoking, captivating and had a well rounded theme. Be sure to check out the content warnings! I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars rating!
♥ Thank You ♥
Thank you to NetGalley, author Mackenzi Lee and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
♥ Publication Date ♥
This book is set to be published on September 9, 2025!
♥ Quick Review ♥
❤️ Sapphic Romance Novel
✔️ Lovable Characters
❤️ Very Heartwarming
✔️ Includes Humor
❤️ Royalty
✔️ Thought Provoking
❤️ Emotional
✔️ An Overall Great RomCom
》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《
❥ ୨⎯ Connie ⎯୧ ❥
ツ౨ৎ
September 8, 2025
Lady-like is a sapphic romance set in England, where we meet Harry, a performer at an unconventional theatre, and Emily, a mysterious and beautiful woman trying to find a man to replace the one she is set to marry. but… as Harry helps Emily find the perfect man they fall in love!!
the tension throughout this book was absolutely insane and i was hooked!!
also totally incredible writing 🥹🥹
the characters were super complex and well thought out, i can tell how much the author cared about making them all interesting individualistic people with unique backstories
if you are looking for a part angsty part cute, witty sapphic romance then this book is for you!
thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!
5/5⭐️
the tension throughout this book was absolutely insane and i was hooked!!
also totally incredible writing 🥹🥹
the characters were super complex and well thought out, i can tell how much the author cared about making them all interesting individualistic people with unique backstories
if you are looking for a part angsty part cute, witty sapphic romance then this book is for you!
thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!
5/5⭐️
November 10, 2025
If you’ve had the misfortune of seeing my ranty status updates on this book, you may already know that I’m in a strop about it. I’m in a strop because I wanted so badly to love this, and really there should be no reason not to: A rakish Sapphic actress in her mid-thirties with a fine disregard for conventions and a young country woman with a reputation-ruining past have set their sights on the same duke as a marriage prospect, only they discover that they’re way more into each other. WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE, I ASK YOU.
Alas.
Premise: Fucking amazing. Execution: sloppy, infuriating mess.
When writing queer period romance, you generally have two options as far as historical accuracy goes: You can either shrug and throw it out the window altogether and go for something that’s all charm and shenanigans and cheerfully, deliberately anachronistic (see: Alexis Hall, Something Fabulous). That’s fine. Or you can do your research and come up with something that’s at least somewhat believable in terms of period-appropriate settings, behaviours, etc. (see: everything KJ Charles has ever written). Also fine. Both fine!
What you can’t do is a lazy, uninspired mash-up where you want all the brownie points of things being SEEMINGLY authentic, only to have your readers stumble about bizarre period- or setting-related fuck-ups every other damn page, because that is not fine.
This book is set during the Regency era, and the context even provides us with an exact start time: 1820. Here’s just a few of the things that the characters do or encounter during this particular era, which just so happens to be THE most commonly (over)used setting for historical novels and thus easily researched:
- The Duke of Rochester goes by “Alex” like he’s a high school quarterback, and Harry, one of the two MCs, casually hollers his first name across a crowded ballroom like they’re at prom. The man’s a duke. You know, the second highest rank of the peerage after the bloody King. No one’s addressing him by his first name in public, ffs.
- Emily, the second MC, has spent eight years being rigorously proper because she can’t afford any further loss of reputation (a genuine risk with potential dire consequences for someone in her position). Yet she happily follows male strangers into dark gardens or corners multiple times to have completely candid and unchaperoned conversations. Sure.
-Instead of a gambling hell or a card room, the characters frequent a “casino.” It’s not like these establishments are one of the most frequently visited in every Regency-set novel ever. I guess there was just no way of finding out what they might be called.
-Emily and her friend Violet are on an outing and Violet has brought her baby. In a “buggy.” That she pushes about herself, instead of having a nanny or a servant do it, never mind that perambulators weren’t really a thing until Victorian times and the baby would have simply been left at home instead of having Violet flail about like she was trying to fit her Starbucks cup and her Pilates mat in her high-end stroller monstrosity.
-The characters meet at Speakers’ Corner, which wasn’t a thing until the 1870s. It is not in any way plot-relevant that they meet at Speakers’ Corner; it just apparently didn’t seem to merit a basic Google search, like most of the above.
-The characters, frequently and at length, ogle other characters, admiring their “ass.” I’m sure people in the Regency era did a fair amount of that no matter how genteel they pretended to be but for the love of god, was there no Brit-check involved in this at all? ffs, we’ve used Britpickers for fanfiction since the early noughts – can we really not expect the same amount of effort from a published work? It’s “arse.” It’s not an obscure word or difficult to fix. (extra-stroppy about this one as the author did this with her previous historicals as well)
-Not only does the above-mentioned duke hang out unchaperoned with a young lady he wasn’t even officially introduced to, but a few paragraphs into the conversation, he calls her dull to her face and leaves. She then runs into another perfect stranger, asks him what men actually want in a wife, and he proceeds to give her a thoughtful and completely candid list. None of this would happen; it’s one thing for your outrageous Thespian MC to ignore all the rules of their very rigid society, but most other characters assuredly wouldn’t, especially not the one who’s been established as having to be extra-concerned about her reputation.
-Harry thinks back a few times on how she was bullied at school? I’m not saying there were absolutely no schools for girls at the time, but they wouldn’t be the kind of setting she thinks about (involving headmistresses and modern school supplies and apparently co-ed classes) and I highly doubt they would have been accessible to a prostitute’s daughter born out of wedlock.
That’s just a random selection of anachronisms that drove me up the wall because this shit is SO easy to fact-check! The author mentions in the afterword that she deliberately chose to leave homophobia out of the narrative entirely, and that sort of decision I am absolutely on board with. But all the other stuff, the easily verifiable stuff, that should make your story feel real and lived in and at least an approximation of its time? Nah. I don’t even entirely blame the author, but was there no editor involved in this?
Which leads me to the other thing that drove me to distraction: the writing.
The writing is messy, there’s a lot of line-level stuff with weird/clumsy sentences and whatnot, but I could handwave that away. (Well, mostly. I did have to blink at the occasional gem, like a barmaid’s bodice “displaying a fair amount more breasts than is typical of even a barmaid.”)
The dialogue/narrative kind of has the same problem as the setting – trying for period-appropriate but still being way too modern in way too many things, without fully leaning into the modern aspects. I could have lived with it though, if not for the tenses. My god, the tenses.
Again I ask: Was no editor involved in this? No proofreader? Even a casual beta reader? Not a single person noticed or felt compelled to point out that when your main narrative is in present tense, any references to events before that need to be in simple past tense, NOT past perfect??? You use past perfect for prior events if your main narrative is in simple past. It’s not difficult. Mind you, this was not an occasional issue – the characters refer to past events all the time, so this was pervasive, on every page. It drove me to distraction. And it wasn’t even consistently wrong – the tenses were just all over the place. Sometimes it would be right once and wrong once within the same bloody sentence. Sometimes there’d be some present perfect thrown in where it absolutely didn’t belong. Sometimes there’d be past perfect used for events that occurred AFTER the simple past timeline, with some incorrect conditionals randomly swirled in like a rainbow sundae. Absolute bollocking madness, I can’t.
*deep breath* I realise it’s very passé to give a crap about proper grammar and tense usage, and degree of historical accuracy is a matter of taste etc etc, blah blah, and probably if it was an indie I’d have gritted my teeth and called it a choice and tried to ignore it. But this is a bestselling author with a traditional publisher and a history degree, and yeah, I do need her (and the publisher, and the editor, WHERE WAS THE EDITOR) to care about that stuff and bloody TRY to get it right.
I ended up skim-reading near the end as I realised I actually didn’t care the slightest bit if and when these two girls would get to the smoochies. The one star is solely for Harry, who is actually fabulous and deserved better.
This is not a bad story by any means, in fact there are charming and moving bits, but I never got to enjoy them because it’s all bogged down in frankly amateur crap like this – bad grammar and messy line-level editing fail and blatant carelessness about research and setting, and yes, I realise that all sounds incredibly petty and nitpicky and any one of these things wouldn’t have mattered at all, but taken together they ruined this book for me. I am so disappointed because these characters had promise and this could have been lovely.
Alas.
Premise: Fucking amazing. Execution: sloppy, infuriating mess.
When writing queer period romance, you generally have two options as far as historical accuracy goes: You can either shrug and throw it out the window altogether and go for something that’s all charm and shenanigans and cheerfully, deliberately anachronistic (see: Alexis Hall, Something Fabulous). That’s fine. Or you can do your research and come up with something that’s at least somewhat believable in terms of period-appropriate settings, behaviours, etc. (see: everything KJ Charles has ever written). Also fine. Both fine!
What you can’t do is a lazy, uninspired mash-up where you want all the brownie points of things being SEEMINGLY authentic, only to have your readers stumble about bizarre period- or setting-related fuck-ups every other damn page, because that is not fine.
This book is set during the Regency era, and the context even provides us with an exact start time: 1820. Here’s just a few of the things that the characters do or encounter during this particular era, which just so happens to be THE most commonly (over)used setting for historical novels and thus easily researched:
- The Duke of Rochester goes by “Alex” like he’s a high school quarterback, and Harry, one of the two MCs, casually hollers his first name across a crowded ballroom like they’re at prom. The man’s a duke. You know, the second highest rank of the peerage after the bloody King. No one’s addressing him by his first name in public, ffs.
- Emily, the second MC, has spent eight years being rigorously proper because she can’t afford any further loss of reputation (a genuine risk with potential dire consequences for someone in her position). Yet she happily follows male strangers into dark gardens or corners multiple times to have completely candid and unchaperoned conversations. Sure.
-Instead of a gambling hell or a card room, the characters frequent a “casino.” It’s not like these establishments are one of the most frequently visited in every Regency-set novel ever. I guess there was just no way of finding out what they might be called.
-Emily and her friend Violet are on an outing and Violet has brought her baby. In a “buggy.” That she pushes about herself, instead of having a nanny or a servant do it, never mind that perambulators weren’t really a thing until Victorian times and the baby would have simply been left at home instead of having Violet flail about like she was trying to fit her Starbucks cup and her Pilates mat in her high-end stroller monstrosity.
-The characters meet at Speakers’ Corner, which wasn’t a thing until the 1870s. It is not in any way plot-relevant that they meet at Speakers’ Corner; it just apparently didn’t seem to merit a basic Google search, like most of the above.
-The characters, frequently and at length, ogle other characters, admiring their “ass.” I’m sure people in the Regency era did a fair amount of that no matter how genteel they pretended to be but for the love of god, was there no Brit-check involved in this at all? ffs, we’ve used Britpickers for fanfiction since the early noughts – can we really not expect the same amount of effort from a published work? It’s “arse.” It’s not an obscure word or difficult to fix. (extra-stroppy about this one as the author did this with her previous historicals as well)
-Not only does the above-mentioned duke hang out unchaperoned with a young lady he wasn’t even officially introduced to, but a few paragraphs into the conversation, he calls her dull to her face and leaves. She then runs into another perfect stranger, asks him what men actually want in a wife, and he proceeds to give her a thoughtful and completely candid list. None of this would happen; it’s one thing for your outrageous Thespian MC to ignore all the rules of their very rigid society, but most other characters assuredly wouldn’t, especially not the one who’s been established as having to be extra-concerned about her reputation.
-Harry thinks back a few times on how she was bullied at school? I’m not saying there were absolutely no schools for girls at the time, but they wouldn’t be the kind of setting she thinks about (involving headmistresses and modern school supplies and apparently co-ed classes) and I highly doubt they would have been accessible to a prostitute’s daughter born out of wedlock.
That’s just a random selection of anachronisms that drove me up the wall because this shit is SO easy to fact-check! The author mentions in the afterword that she deliberately chose to leave homophobia out of the narrative entirely, and that sort of decision I am absolutely on board with. But all the other stuff, the easily verifiable stuff, that should make your story feel real and lived in and at least an approximation of its time? Nah. I don’t even entirely blame the author, but was there no editor involved in this?
Which leads me to the other thing that drove me to distraction: the writing.
The writing is messy, there’s a lot of line-level stuff with weird/clumsy sentences and whatnot, but I could handwave that away. (Well, mostly. I did have to blink at the occasional gem, like a barmaid’s bodice “displaying a fair amount more breasts than is typical of even a barmaid.”)
The dialogue/narrative kind of has the same problem as the setting – trying for period-appropriate but still being way too modern in way too many things, without fully leaning into the modern aspects. I could have lived with it though, if not for the tenses. My god, the tenses.
Again I ask: Was no editor involved in this? No proofreader? Even a casual beta reader? Not a single person noticed or felt compelled to point out that when your main narrative is in present tense, any references to events before that need to be in simple past tense, NOT past perfect??? You use past perfect for prior events if your main narrative is in simple past. It’s not difficult. Mind you, this was not an occasional issue – the characters refer to past events all the time, so this was pervasive, on every page. It drove me to distraction. And it wasn’t even consistently wrong – the tenses were just all over the place. Sometimes it would be right once and wrong once within the same bloody sentence. Sometimes there’d be some present perfect thrown in where it absolutely didn’t belong. Sometimes there’d be past perfect used for events that occurred AFTER the simple past timeline, with some incorrect conditionals randomly swirled in like a rainbow sundae. Absolute bollocking madness, I can’t.
*deep breath* I realise it’s very passé to give a crap about proper grammar and tense usage, and degree of historical accuracy is a matter of taste etc etc, blah blah, and probably if it was an indie I’d have gritted my teeth and called it a choice and tried to ignore it. But this is a bestselling author with a traditional publisher and a history degree, and yeah, I do need her (and the publisher, and the editor, WHERE WAS THE EDITOR) to care about that stuff and bloody TRY to get it right.
I ended up skim-reading near the end as I realised I actually didn’t care the slightest bit if and when these two girls would get to the smoochies. The one star is solely for Harry, who is actually fabulous and deserved better.
This is not a bad story by any means, in fact there are charming and moving bits, but I never got to enjoy them because it’s all bogged down in frankly amateur crap like this – bad grammar and messy line-level editing fail and blatant carelessness about research and setting, and yes, I realise that all sounds incredibly petty and nitpicky and any one of these things wouldn’t have mattered at all, but taken together they ruined this book for me. I am so disappointed because these characters had promise and this could have been lovely.
December 20, 2025
Lady Like was an absolute delight, and a reminder of just how skilled Mackenzi Lee is at writing historical queer romance. This isn’t the first of her books I’ve read, but it has been a while and I’d genuinely forgotten how good she is at this particular blend of sharp wit, emotional depth, and meticulous historical grounding.
This is a sexy, sapphic, slow burn set in Regency England, following Emily, who urgently needs a respectable husband to secure her future, and Harriet (Harry), a bold, unashamed, breeches-wearing delight who turns Emily’s world quietly upside down. Harry is a wonderful heroine - tall, confident, theatrical, and utterly unapologetic and Emily’s growing fascination with her is both funny and tender.
Lee clearly knows her period, and it shows in the texture of the setting and the way the characters move through London society. When Emily enlists Harry’s help to make herself more appealing to an eligible duke, she’s introduced not just to a different social circle, but to a much larger, freer way of living. Emily’s journey from repentance and constraint to joy and self-knowledge is handled with warmth and care.
What I especially loved is that the conflict isn’t rooted in homophobia. Instead, the story allows these women to face the kinds of challenges any couple might, while still acknowledging the realities of the time. It feels like a genuine tribute to queer women of the past and the lives they carved out for themselves, often quietly and bravely.
Lady Like is funny, tender, clever, and surprisingly romantic. A real joy to read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
This is a sexy, sapphic, slow burn set in Regency England, following Emily, who urgently needs a respectable husband to secure her future, and Harriet (Harry), a bold, unashamed, breeches-wearing delight who turns Emily’s world quietly upside down. Harry is a wonderful heroine - tall, confident, theatrical, and utterly unapologetic and Emily’s growing fascination with her is both funny and tender.
Lee clearly knows her period, and it shows in the texture of the setting and the way the characters move through London society. When Emily enlists Harry’s help to make herself more appealing to an eligible duke, she’s introduced not just to a different social circle, but to a much larger, freer way of living. Emily’s journey from repentance and constraint to joy and self-knowledge is handled with warmth and care.
What I especially loved is that the conflict isn’t rooted in homophobia. Instead, the story allows these women to face the kinds of challenges any couple might, while still acknowledging the realities of the time. It feels like a genuine tribute to queer women of the past and the lives they carved out for themselves, often quietly and bravely.
Lady Like is funny, tender, clever, and surprisingly romantic. A real joy to read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2025
4 stars
1 for spice
Lady Like, is a sapphic regency romance.I had a lot of fun reading this and gave it four stars. I really liked Harry’s character, she really stood out for the time period in a number of ways from the way she dressed, to work, and things she did in her free time. I found her work at the theater interesting and very unique. She came off as go with the flow kind of person and very quick with the come backs. Emily’s character was very stiff, so it was a little difficult as I read to see her open up and develop a romantic relationship, but after I did like their dynamic, not to mention her parents were awful, I don't know why she felt any need to please them. The plot and the pace of the story were good right until the very end and I had a couple issues with how everything wrapped up. It was a good book and I would recommend it.
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.
1 for spice
Lady Like, is a sapphic regency romance.I had a lot of fun reading this and gave it four stars. I really liked Harry’s character, she really stood out for the time period in a number of ways from the way she dressed, to work, and things she did in her free time. I found her work at the theater interesting and very unique. She came off as go with the flow kind of person and very quick with the come backs. Emily’s character was very stiff, so it was a little difficult as I read to see her open up and develop a romantic relationship, but after I did like their dynamic, not to mention her parents were awful, I don't know why she felt any need to please them. The plot and the pace of the story were good right until the very end and I had a couple issues with how everything wrapped up. It was a good book and I would recommend it.
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.
January 1, 2026
more butch love interests always!!!!
September 1, 2025
I've known about Mackenzi Lee for a while from her YA historical romance. I don’t read much YA—when I do, it’s usually romantasy—so when I saw she had an adult Regency coming out, I immediately jumped at the chance for an ARC of Lady Like. Thanks to Random House and Dial Press for the physical ARC.
Harriet Lockhart has spent her life as a scandal. She's the daughter of a sex worker, refuses to conform to gender norms, and has made her living as a Shakespearean actor in a troupe of sapphists. When she's confronted with a sudden inheritance, she and her twin brother must conform to society's expectations in order to claim their estates, titles, and livelihoods. For her brother, this means behaving with public decorum. For Harry, it means being forced into marriage. She can only think of one man she might tolerate marrying: her longtime friend, Alexander, Duke of Rochester. Unfortunately for Harry, she’s not the only one vying for Alex’s attention.
Emily Sergeant, the daughter of a Sussex landowner, is being pushed into marriage with a much older, unsavory man who may have killed his first wife. After a scandal ruined Emily’s reputation, her parents struggled to find anyone willing to wed her—and restore the family’s good name. Unable to bear her intended, she hatches a plan to accompany her cousin to London to find a wealthy, titled husband acceptable to her parents. Since no one in London knows of her disgrace, she can reinvent herself. But when she sets her sights on the Duke of Rochester, she discovers someone else has already laid claim to him—and she just might be more intrigued by her rival than the Duke himself.
Before reading Lady Like, I recommend turning to the Author’s Note. Especially if you’re a seasoned Regency romance reader, you’ll want the context of what Mackenzi Lee set out to do with her version of Regency England. It makes the world building much clearer.
There’s a lot to admire about Lady Like, though a few things didn’t quite land.
The novel feels more like the Regency romances of the 80s and 90s than today’s historicals. Our main characters don’t meet until page 87, and don’t spend meaningful time together until around page 110. Both are given detailed backstories that unfold slowly. I miss this style. In most modern historicals, characters are thrown together immediately and rarely leave the page. Here, the slower build gives the characters space to stand on their own before being pushed into a romance, and I found that refreshing.
I also liked that neither character fits neatly into a box. Harry presents more masculine in her daily life, with a short haircut and breeches, and she gravitates toward women. But she also wears gowns from time to time and has had male lovers. Emily, by contrast, has lived a traditional life but has been shaped by compulsory heterosexuality. She even admits, in conversation with one of Harry’s former lovers:
In Lee’s version of the Regency, homophobia and much of the stigma faced by LGBTQ+ people are omitted. It’s worth remembering that sodomy was a crime during this period, and while queer women weren’t subject to the same penalties, the era was far from welcoming. Lee bypasses that to instead focus on the joy. Still, even in reality, some women did manage to live openly as lesbians, and Lee cites them in the appendix (which is well worth reading). It was fascinating to see how they specifically shaped Lee’s characters.
Now, the parts that didn’t work for me. First, Alex, the Duke of Rochester, simply cannot be a duke while his father is alive. Unless his father were the Prince of Wales, the title would not pass to him while his father was breathing. It’s a glaring error in primogeniture, especially from a Regency romance author. I get that dukes sell, but then make him an impoverished one, or give him a courtesy title like marquess or earl if his father is going to be alive.
The other issue was the one-sided nature of the intimacy. In every explicit scene, Harry is the giver but never the receiver. This may be a nod to Anne Lister’s sex life, but in her case it was due to venereal disease—and nothing in the text suggests Harry has the same condition. It left the dynamic feeling unbalanced. I would have liked either more scenes to show their relationship developing beyond the pillow princess dynamic of their first encounter, or at least some reciprocation in the one full scene we did get.
Overall, this was a strong debut for Mackenzi Lee in the adult Regency romance space. I’m eager to see what she writes next. ★★★★☆
Harriet Lockhart has spent her life as a scandal. She's the daughter of a sex worker, refuses to conform to gender norms, and has made her living as a Shakespearean actor in a troupe of sapphists. When she's confronted with a sudden inheritance, she and her twin brother must conform to society's expectations in order to claim their estates, titles, and livelihoods. For her brother, this means behaving with public decorum. For Harry, it means being forced into marriage. She can only think of one man she might tolerate marrying: her longtime friend, Alexander, Duke of Rochester. Unfortunately for Harry, she’s not the only one vying for Alex’s attention.
Emily Sergeant, the daughter of a Sussex landowner, is being pushed into marriage with a much older, unsavory man who may have killed his first wife. After a scandal ruined Emily’s reputation, her parents struggled to find anyone willing to wed her—and restore the family’s good name. Unable to bear her intended, she hatches a plan to accompany her cousin to London to find a wealthy, titled husband acceptable to her parents. Since no one in London knows of her disgrace, she can reinvent herself. But when she sets her sights on the Duke of Rochester, she discovers someone else has already laid claim to him—and she just might be more intrigued by her rival than the Duke himself.
Before reading Lady Like, I recommend turning to the Author’s Note. Especially if you’re a seasoned Regency romance reader, you’ll want the context of what Mackenzi Lee set out to do with her version of Regency England. It makes the world building much clearer.
There’s a lot to admire about Lady Like, though a few things didn’t quite land.
The novel feels more like the Regency romances of the 80s and 90s than today’s historicals. Our main characters don’t meet until page 87, and don’t spend meaningful time together until around page 110. Both are given detailed backstories that unfold slowly. I miss this style. In most modern historicals, characters are thrown together immediately and rarely leave the page. Here, the slower build gives the characters space to stand on their own before being pushed into a romance, and I found that refreshing.
I also liked that neither character fits neatly into a box. Harry presents more masculine in her daily life, with a short haircut and breeches, and she gravitates toward women. But she also wears gowns from time to time and has had male lovers. Emily, by contrast, has lived a traditional life but has been shaped by compulsory heterosexuality. She even admits, in conversation with one of Harry’s former lovers:
" I can't be in love with Harry," Emily says quietly.
"Why not?"
"Because I am supposed to marry a wealthy man. It's the only thing I've ever wanted."
Mariah raises a drawn-on eyebrow. "Is it?"
Emily stares at her.
In Lee’s version of the Regency, homophobia and much of the stigma faced by LGBTQ+ people are omitted. It’s worth remembering that sodomy was a crime during this period, and while queer women weren’t subject to the same penalties, the era was far from welcoming. Lee bypasses that to instead focus on the joy. Still, even in reality, some women did manage to live openly as lesbians, and Lee cites them in the appendix (which is well worth reading). It was fascinating to see how they specifically shaped Lee’s characters.
Now, the parts that didn’t work for me. First, Alex, the Duke of Rochester, simply cannot be a duke while his father is alive. Unless his father were the Prince of Wales, the title would not pass to him while his father was breathing. It’s a glaring error in primogeniture, especially from a Regency romance author. I get that dukes sell, but then make him an impoverished one, or give him a courtesy title like marquess or earl if his father is going to be alive.
The other issue was the one-sided nature of the intimacy. In every explicit scene, Harry is the giver but never the receiver. This may be a nod to Anne Lister’s sex life, but in her case it was due to venereal disease—and nothing in the text suggests Harry has the same condition. It left the dynamic feeling unbalanced. I would have liked either more scenes to show their relationship developing beyond the pillow princess dynamic of their first encounter, or at least some reciprocation in the one full scene we did get.
Overall, this was a strong debut for Mackenzi Lee in the adult Regency romance space. I’m eager to see what she writes next. ★★★★☆
October 19, 2025
A very intriguing book, good execution that badly falters in a few aspects. Overall, I did have fun. I don't know if I would recommend it though.
I received a review copy from the publisher.
I received a review copy from the publisher.
August 1, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
It is currently 1AM while writing this review because this book was impossible to put down, so much so that I’ll risk the book hangover in the morning. I really enjoyed this sexy, sapphic, slow burn romance. This is the first time I’ve read one of Mackenzi Lee’s novels (despite my partner trying to convince me for years), and I’m blown away by how well-written this book is. Lee is very knowledgeable of the time period, and shows this through the high level of detail of novel’s characters and setting. Emily and Harry are beautifully written characters with complex backstories, relationships, and chemistry. I will definitely pick up another one of Lee’s novels in the future.
It is currently 1AM while writing this review because this book was impossible to put down, so much so that I’ll risk the book hangover in the morning. I really enjoyed this sexy, sapphic, slow burn romance. This is the first time I’ve read one of Mackenzi Lee’s novels (despite my partner trying to convince me for years), and I’m blown away by how well-written this book is. Lee is very knowledgeable of the time period, and shows this through the high level of detail of novel’s characters and setting. Emily and Harry are beautifully written characters with complex backstories, relationships, and chemistry. I will definitely pick up another one of Lee’s novels in the future.
August 17, 2025
This book was sweet, funny, surprising, and clever. Harriet (Harry) is a delightful heroine - bold, unashamed, tall, and frequently dressed in breeches that show off her lovely thighs - much to the confused delight of Emily, our other heroine.
Emily desperately needs a husband and when she seeks the help of Harry to help make her more interesting to an eligible Duke she is introduced to a subset of London that opens her eyes in many ways.
Thank you to Random House for the ARC.
Emily desperately needs a husband and when she seeks the help of Harry to help make her more interesting to an eligible Duke she is introduced to a subset of London that opens her eyes in many ways.
Thank you to Random House for the ARC.
September 19, 2025
I absolutely loved it and already want to read it again.
September 2, 2025
What a DELIGHT
The story is set in Regency England and follows Harry and Emily. Emily is in search of a husband to both restore her reputation and evade the horrible man she’s been promised to by her parents. She leaves Sussex to spend time with her cousin in London and be introduced into London Society. It’s here that a chance encounter with Harry, sapphist, thespian, all around babe, sets things in motion as sparks fly.
This book is funny, tender, and insightful. I don’t usually read historical fiction but I do love the show Gentleman Jack and this is like that but even funnier. I loved Emily’s character journey from repentance to freedom and how Harry’s joy colored her life.
The author clearly did a lot of research, some of which is cited at the end of the book. This book felt like such a tribute to queer women of the past and honored the lives they built for themselves in a world that was far from accomodating most of the time. I really appreciated how the author didn’t make homophobia the conflict and let the couple face issues that any other couple might.
The story is set in Regency England and follows Harry and Emily. Emily is in search of a husband to both restore her reputation and evade the horrible man she’s been promised to by her parents. She leaves Sussex to spend time with her cousin in London and be introduced into London Society. It’s here that a chance encounter with Harry, sapphist, thespian, all around babe, sets things in motion as sparks fly.
This book is funny, tender, and insightful. I don’t usually read historical fiction but I do love the show Gentleman Jack and this is like that but even funnier. I loved Emily’s character journey from repentance to freedom and how Harry’s joy colored her life.
The author clearly did a lot of research, some of which is cited at the end of the book. This book felt like such a tribute to queer women of the past and honored the lives they built for themselves in a world that was far from accomodating most of the time. I really appreciated how the author didn’t make homophobia the conflict and let the couple face issues that any other couple might.
August 21, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 Stars
I’m a big fan of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue and the other books in that series (I even own signed personalized copies!), so I was excited to get this ARC of Lee’s next Regency romance. The way Lee writes is so evocative and puts you right into the time period. She sets the tone with historically accurate details while capturing the characters’ subtle personality traits. It’s atmospheric writing that grabs you and sweeps you along. I really loved it.
This book is dual POV about 2 different women navigating their season’s marriage mart for different reasons, but have their eyes for the same Duke. Harriet (aka Harry) is a lesbian actor who wears trousers and plays men in an all-sapphist Shakespeare company. She and her brother Collin learn a big truth about their parentage that changes the course of their lives, but with conditions. Emily is running away from an arranged marriage to a hideously abusive man and tries to find someone better. Their paths collide and it’s quite funny with miscommunications, cursing & yelling, horse riding in Hyde Park, bad fake mustaches, bodacious décolletage, a dandelion yellow dress, a duel, and a giant dog named Havoc.
If you’ve watched Gentleman Jack about the famous queer woman Anne Lister, Harry & Emily’s story is fashioned after Lister and her wife Ann Walker. Harry even styles herself like Miss Lister. The Author’s note in the back talks about the historical inspirations, and it’s a wonderful reminder that queer women found ways to live and thrive in early 19th Century society.
There seems to be a sapphic trend in books right now and I’m very here for it. If you like Regency or Sapphic romance I highly recommend this book!
••Thank you to NetGalley & The Dial Press for the ARC••
I’m a big fan of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue and the other books in that series (I even own signed personalized copies!), so I was excited to get this ARC of Lee’s next Regency romance. The way Lee writes is so evocative and puts you right into the time period. She sets the tone with historically accurate details while capturing the characters’ subtle personality traits. It’s atmospheric writing that grabs you and sweeps you along. I really loved it.
This book is dual POV about 2 different women navigating their season’s marriage mart for different reasons, but have their eyes for the same Duke. Harriet (aka Harry) is a lesbian actor who wears trousers and plays men in an all-sapphist Shakespeare company. She and her brother Collin learn a big truth about their parentage that changes the course of their lives, but with conditions. Emily is running away from an arranged marriage to a hideously abusive man and tries to find someone better. Their paths collide and it’s quite funny with miscommunications, cursing & yelling, horse riding in Hyde Park, bad fake mustaches, bodacious décolletage, a dandelion yellow dress, a duel, and a giant dog named Havoc.
If you’ve watched Gentleman Jack about the famous queer woman Anne Lister, Harry & Emily’s story is fashioned after Lister and her wife Ann Walker. Harry even styles herself like Miss Lister. The Author’s note in the back talks about the historical inspirations, and it’s a wonderful reminder that queer women found ways to live and thrive in early 19th Century society.
There seems to be a sapphic trend in books right now and I’m very here for it. If you like Regency or Sapphic romance I highly recommend this book!
••Thank you to NetGalley & The Dial Press for the ARC••
August 10, 2025
I pre-ordered this book before I received my ARC because I assumed I would love this new book from Mackenzi Lee and I was right. I absolutely loved this book! I love her Gentleman’s Guide books so I was excited for her new adult book.
It was fun, romantic and had amazing two heroines. I love the contrast between Harry and Emily. Both have different lives and personalities but they are just so good together. There are so many moments where Harry and Emily just let everything out. They say what they mean and don’t hold back. It is so freeing and amazing to see women stand up for themselves and say what they are truly feeling. Of course some lovely, romantic and adorable moments that had me grinning from ear to ear. Their lives are not perfect and I felt so bad for the things they went through or are going through. They had their ups and downs but were totally in it together. The ending was just what I needed. Amazing sapphic read and highly recommend!
*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
It was fun, romantic and had amazing two heroines. I love the contrast between Harry and Emily. Both have different lives and personalities but they are just so good together. There are so many moments where Harry and Emily just let everything out. They say what they mean and don’t hold back. It is so freeing and amazing to see women stand up for themselves and say what they are truly feeling. Of course some lovely, romantic and adorable moments that had me grinning from ear to ear. Their lives are not perfect and I felt so bad for the things they went through or are going through. They had their ups and downs but were totally in it together. The ending was just what I needed. Amazing sapphic read and highly recommend!
*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
September 3, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for an advanced reader copy of Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Lady Like is a queer Regency-era romantic comedy. This novel has a fun premise: two woman are desperate to find a suitable husband to secure their futures and set their sights on the same duke, but end up falling in love with each other.
The novel is a slow burn, opposites attract, grumpy sunshine, forced proximity sapphic romance between “scandalous actress” Harriett “Harry” Lockhart and “proper lady” Emily Sergeant. I found Harry to be frequently insufferable and preferred Emily’s journey of self discovery. The story is slowly paced and such a slow burn that it was difficult to reconcile the character’s connection and deep emotions. I also tend to despise third act break ups. I did enjoy Emily’s charming and supportive cousin, Violet, and would have liked Harry’s brother, Collin to have a larger role in the story. Overall this novel is “fine” but unfortunately I did not find it particularly memorable. 3/5⭐️
Lady Like is a queer Regency-era romantic comedy. This novel has a fun premise: two woman are desperate to find a suitable husband to secure their futures and set their sights on the same duke, but end up falling in love with each other.
The novel is a slow burn, opposites attract, grumpy sunshine, forced proximity sapphic romance between “scandalous actress” Harriett “Harry” Lockhart and “proper lady” Emily Sergeant. I found Harry to be frequently insufferable and preferred Emily’s journey of self discovery. The story is slowly paced and such a slow burn that it was difficult to reconcile the character’s connection and deep emotions. I also tend to despise third act break ups. I did enjoy Emily’s charming and supportive cousin, Violet, and would have liked Harry’s brother, Collin to have a larger role in the story. Overall this novel is “fine” but unfortunately I did not find it particularly memorable. 3/5⭐️
June 23, 2025
Life is an ocean, but love does not have to be an anchor weighing her down. It can be salt enough to float.
TL;DR: A heart-wrenching historical queer romance from one of my favorite authors. Not as witty or biting as some of Lee's YA historical fiction, which I did miss a bit, but just as emotionally satisfying. As always, one of Lee's biggest strengths is her characters, which are immaculately conceived and deftly drawn. The MCs are always fleshed out and multi-faceted and, more importantly (IMO), relatable -- like, on the surface, I have very little in common with a queer woman living in Georgian England. And yet. Many of my Kindle highlights were moments were I felt seen.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Vibes: Jane Austen but make it gay.
Genre: New Adult Historical Queer Romance
Romance Meter: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 // 🌶 🌶 🌶 ♡ ♡
Maybe 1-2 chapters of spice; more pining and longing than spice (and I'm not mad).
Character MVP: I feel like I should say Emily, but honestly Harry. Her wit and snark reminded me of a toned-down (slightly more emotionally healthy) Monty (from The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.
Verdict: 4.5 stars, rounding up, mainly because its Mackenzi Lee and I adore her. She is an auto-buy author for me, and I love a good historical romance.
Honesty, I think one of my favorite things is how much research Mackenzi Lee does, and how evident it is in her stories. I'm a big Regency/Victorian nerd and nothing takes me out of the story more than an historically inaccurate element. Like, I know it's Romance and it doesn't have to be, because "that's not why we're reading," but I notice it.
And even if we tweak some things to ensure a happy ending, the struggles that both Emily and Harry go through -- the pressure to marry, the flattening of one's self to fit the constricting mold of what makes a "proper" woman -- are accurate and somehow relatable to women today. Perhaps not in the same way, but I literally just passed a billboard on my way to the mountains that said something to the effect of "we offer non-judgmental counsel for newly pregnant women." And, why, in the year of our lord 2025, pregnant women would ever feel judged...well, it's a similar struggle that Emily faces. And when Violet says "People act as though shame is a disease. They're terrified of catching it. Not everyone in town blames you -- most people never did. It's just a few middling biddies making a show, and everyone else being too afraid to stand against them." Emily wasn't pregnant, of course, but it's the same sentiment, almost 200 years later.
This is definitely more serious than some of Lee's YA books -- and I did find myself missing some of that humor and snark at times. But, at the same time, I felt like perhaps this was a bit of a catharsis for Lee...Obviously I don't know her, but I do know that she had a career change a few years ago, and I was worried that we'd never get a new book from her. And when you read Harry's story about wanting to be a serious actress "celebrated for playing men's roles" when she was younger and believing "the crowd would love her for the very things she had once believed made her strange" -- and then Harry's fears about "what might happen to her hard-won confidence if she stood face to face with the possibility of real rejection" -- it's tempting (and plausible) to read some biographical interpretation there.
Maybe.
I love Lee's books, and will keep reading and buying them as long as she keeps writing them.
TL;DR: A heart-wrenching historical queer romance from one of my favorite authors. Not as witty or biting as some of Lee's YA historical fiction, which I did miss a bit, but just as emotionally satisfying. As always, one of Lee's biggest strengths is her characters, which are immaculately conceived and deftly drawn. The MCs are always fleshed out and multi-faceted and, more importantly (IMO), relatable -- like, on the surface, I have very little in common with a queer woman living in Georgian England. And yet. Many of my Kindle highlights were moments were I felt seen.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Vibes: Jane Austen but make it gay.
Genre: New Adult Historical Queer Romance
Romance Meter: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 // 🌶 🌶 🌶 ♡ ♡
Maybe 1-2 chapters of spice; more pining and longing than spice (and I'm not mad).
Character MVP: I feel like I should say Emily, but honestly Harry. Her wit and snark reminded me of a toned-down (slightly more emotionally healthy) Monty (from The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.
Verdict: 4.5 stars, rounding up, mainly because its Mackenzi Lee and I adore her. She is an auto-buy author for me, and I love a good historical romance.
Honesty, I think one of my favorite things is how much research Mackenzi Lee does, and how evident it is in her stories. I'm a big Regency/Victorian nerd and nothing takes me out of the story more than an historically inaccurate element. Like, I know it's Romance and it doesn't have to be, because "that's not why we're reading," but I notice it.
And even if we tweak some things to ensure a happy ending, the struggles that both Emily and Harry go through -- the pressure to marry, the flattening of one's self to fit the constricting mold of what makes a "proper" woman -- are accurate and somehow relatable to women today. Perhaps not in the same way, but I literally just passed a billboard on my way to the mountains that said something to the effect of "we offer non-judgmental counsel for newly pregnant women." And, why, in the year of our lord 2025, pregnant women would ever feel judged...well, it's a similar struggle that Emily faces. And when Violet says "People act as though shame is a disease. They're terrified of catching it. Not everyone in town blames you -- most people never did. It's just a few middling biddies making a show, and everyone else being too afraid to stand against them." Emily wasn't pregnant, of course, but it's the same sentiment, almost 200 years later.
This is definitely more serious than some of Lee's YA books -- and I did find myself missing some of that humor and snark at times. But, at the same time, I felt like perhaps this was a bit of a catharsis for Lee...Obviously I don't know her, but I do know that she had a career change a few years ago, and I was worried that we'd never get a new book from her. And when you read Harry's story about wanting to be a serious actress "celebrated for playing men's roles" when she was younger and believing "the crowd would love her for the very things she had once believed made her strange" -- and then Harry's fears about "what might happen to her hard-won confidence if she stood face to face with the possibility of real rejection" -- it's tempting (and plausible) to read some biographical interpretation there.
Maybe.
I love Lee's books, and will keep reading and buying them as long as she keeps writing them.
August 30, 2025
Heat Index: 6/10
—lesbians competing for the same husband
—it's kinda fuck history hours
—RAKESS meets lady
The Basics:
Harriet, AKA Harry, needs a husband in order to secure her lifestyle—mainly, swanning about, hooking up with randoms, and acting on the stage. Proper Emily, with her reputation stained by a youthful misadventure, must find someone to marry—or else she's stuck with the local odious lech. Both of them set their sights on the same duke, practically perfect for their respective purposes. And both of them... really want each other. What are a pair of diametrically-opposed ladies to do?
The Review:
This is a refreshingly anachronistic romcom, with a good deal of raking and flirting and ladylike swooning... All in pursuit of sapphic joy. I mean, initially in pursuit of lavender marriage joy. But once Harry and Emily throw away the bullshit and get off to the races, they're in it to win it.
For me, Harry is kind of the star of the novel. For one thing, she's simply charismatic—a bit reckless, a lot swaggering and carefree, seductive, and prone to kind of not caring about consequences until she has to. Plus, she has a father whose identity absolutely sets the tone for the book early one, which I greatly appreciate. Lee says "pick up what I am putting down" with that dad reveal, and if you've got an issue with what happens after because "historyyyy"... Dude. What did you think you were reading?
While it's not quite as irreverent as the world of Alexis Hall's Something series, Lady Like is about telling a good story. It's not about queer suffering. And don't we get enough of that in real life? Like, don't get me wrong—Harry and Emily face obstacles. Homophobia is a thing in this world. But it's not an obsessive one, and Harry in particular is looking to marry less because of its intensity and more because of.... well, it's reminiscent of some classic historical romance inheritance requirement shenanigans. Sort of.
I do want to emphasize that Emily is charming as well, and becomes more so as the story unfurls and she breaks free. While not as experienced as Harry, she's also not your typical swooning virgin type. There's a moment of flirtation that fucks with gender a bit in a way I found so delightfully surprising—and it's on brand for the book in general. It's fun, it's airy, it doesn't take itself too seriously, while still being aware of the weight of what Harry and Emily want.
All that being said, the one flaw that kicks this book down a bit is that it takes too long for Harry and Emily to meet. About 25% of the book. That's just too much for any romance my book—I love character intros, but I need to get to the romance sooner rather than later. These two have chemistry, and I wanna see more of it!
That being said, I did appreciate the ending. So much. That's what I want to see more of in queer historical romances.
The Sex:
There aren't many sex scenes, but the sex scenes you get are super well-described, lengthy, and super hot. I really like the interplay between the two, and the way their scenes in bed play on the traditional rake/shrinking violet trope.
The Conclusion:
A light but not unserious, sexy romcom of a historical romance, this took a little while to get going—but once it did, it was fresh and entertaining. Which the subgenre needs more of!
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
—lesbians competing for the same husband
—it's kinda fuck history hours
—RAKESS meets lady
The Basics:
Harriet, AKA Harry, needs a husband in order to secure her lifestyle—mainly, swanning about, hooking up with randoms, and acting on the stage. Proper Emily, with her reputation stained by a youthful misadventure, must find someone to marry—or else she's stuck with the local odious lech. Both of them set their sights on the same duke, practically perfect for their respective purposes. And both of them... really want each other. What are a pair of diametrically-opposed ladies to do?
The Review:
This is a refreshingly anachronistic romcom, with a good deal of raking and flirting and ladylike swooning... All in pursuit of sapphic joy. I mean, initially in pursuit of lavender marriage joy. But once Harry and Emily throw away the bullshit and get off to the races, they're in it to win it.
For me, Harry is kind of the star of the novel. For one thing, she's simply charismatic—a bit reckless, a lot swaggering and carefree, seductive, and prone to kind of not caring about consequences until she has to. Plus, she has a father whose identity absolutely sets the tone for the book early one, which I greatly appreciate. Lee says "pick up what I am putting down" with that dad reveal, and if you've got an issue with what happens after because "historyyyy"... Dude. What did you think you were reading?
While it's not quite as irreverent as the world of Alexis Hall's Something series, Lady Like is about telling a good story. It's not about queer suffering. And don't we get enough of that in real life? Like, don't get me wrong—Harry and Emily face obstacles. Homophobia is a thing in this world. But it's not an obsessive one, and Harry in particular is looking to marry less because of its intensity and more because of.... well, it's reminiscent of some classic historical romance inheritance requirement shenanigans. Sort of.
I do want to emphasize that Emily is charming as well, and becomes more so as the story unfurls and she breaks free. While not as experienced as Harry, she's also not your typical swooning virgin type. There's a moment of flirtation that fucks with gender a bit in a way I found so delightfully surprising—and it's on brand for the book in general. It's fun, it's airy, it doesn't take itself too seriously, while still being aware of the weight of what Harry and Emily want.
All that being said, the one flaw that kicks this book down a bit is that it takes too long for Harry and Emily to meet. About 25% of the book. That's just too much for any romance my book—I love character intros, but I need to get to the romance sooner rather than later. These two have chemistry, and I wanna see more of it!
That being said, I did appreciate the ending. So much. That's what I want to see more of in queer historical romances.
The Sex:
There aren't many sex scenes, but the sex scenes you get are super well-described, lengthy, and super hot. I really like the interplay between the two, and the way their scenes in bed play on the traditional rake/shrinking violet trope.
The Conclusion:
A light but not unserious, sexy romcom of a historical romance, this took a little while to get going—but once it did, it was fresh and entertaining. Which the subgenre needs more of!
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 29, 2025
Lady Like is a very fun Sapphic Regency romcom!
I liked both the leading ladies and really all of the women characters (all of the men were horrible). The main characters' romance was a lovely development from an awful first impression to friends to lovesick. Harry was my favorite, but I appreciated that Emily was a believable small town girl in London.
Lady Like has a bit of a slow start. I wasn't really hooked to the story until about a quarter way in. After the introduction of Emily, however, I flew through this book. There is a third act breakup and, even worse, two miscommunication incidents, but it was resolved nicely enough to be mostly forgiven. A happily ever after for a queer couple in a historical romance is never straightforward, but it was accomplished here.
I appreciated the author's care and note to tell a queer historical romance and look forward to future releases!
Thank you, Random House Publishing, for the arc!
I liked both the leading ladies and really all of the women characters (all of the men were horrible). The main characters' romance was a lovely development from an awful first impression to friends to lovesick. Harry was my favorite, but I appreciated that Emily was a believable small town girl in London.
Lady Like has a bit of a slow start. I wasn't really hooked to the story until about a quarter way in. After the introduction of Emily, however, I flew through this book. There is a third act breakup and, even worse, two miscommunication incidents, but it was resolved nicely enough to be mostly forgiven. A happily ever after for a queer couple in a historical romance is never straightforward, but it was accomplished here.
I appreciated the author's care and note to tell a queer historical romance and look forward to future releases!
Thank you, Random House Publishing, for the arc!
July 5, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
overall I give it 3.5 stars but I rounded up to 4
This was rather silly and fun to read but I did find myself thinking the writing was just okay most of the time. As always in a regency romance we have the trials and tribulations of being a woman in a man’s world, This one is no different and had all the usual plot points one would come to expect and were quite predictable.
We get two fairly well fleshed out MC's in a short amount of time as not to bog down the story with needless details. I can't say that any of the characters were entirely meaningless to the story but I nearly got whiplash the way most of the characters' personalities seems to flop from one end of the spectrum to another and back again.
It felt like the two MC's went from vague animosity to the best of friends in such a short amount of time. It was this part that I took slight exception to. It just seemed to happen from one sentence to the next and didn't seem organic at all. And then predictably they fall in love. The romance between Harry and Emily... It wasn't instalove. Thank goodness!! Nor would I really classify it as a slow burn. There was plenty of time spent together as friends for them to forge a deep sort of believable love. If not believable at least a fun little journey. Harry and Emily flirt, banter, argue, and brood their way through this book, all the way to their again VERY predictable happy ending. Not that you didn't always know that is where the book was heading, it is a romance after all. It's just that the specific ending which I won't divulge for spoiler reasons was SO very predictable. That probably contributed to the whole book feeling just a bit flat for me.
overall I give it 3.5 stars but I rounded up to 4
This was rather silly and fun to read but I did find myself thinking the writing was just okay most of the time. As always in a regency romance we have the trials and tribulations of being a woman in a man’s world, This one is no different and had all the usual plot points one would come to expect and were quite predictable.
We get two fairly well fleshed out MC's in a short amount of time as not to bog down the story with needless details. I can't say that any of the characters were entirely meaningless to the story but I nearly got whiplash the way most of the characters' personalities seems to flop from one end of the spectrum to another and back again.
It felt like the two MC's went from vague animosity to the best of friends in such a short amount of time. It was this part that I took slight exception to. It just seemed to happen from one sentence to the next and didn't seem organic at all. And then predictably they fall in love. The romance between Harry and Emily... It wasn't instalove. Thank goodness!! Nor would I really classify it as a slow burn. There was plenty of time spent together as friends for them to forge a deep sort of believable love. If not believable at least a fun little journey. Harry and Emily flirt, banter, argue, and brood their way through this book, all the way to their again VERY predictable happy ending. Not that you didn't always know that is where the book was heading, it is a romance after all. It's just that the specific ending which I won't divulge for spoiler reasons was SO very predictable. That probably contributed to the whole book feeling just a bit flat for me.
October 7, 2025
4.5 ⭐
Mackenzie Lee lo hace de nuevo: un libro espectacular.
Desde la página 1 estaba riéndome y enamorada de las protas. Este libro es entretenido, una historia hermosa (con un romance precioso), protagonistas bien construidas y bichotas en diferentes formas, giros de trama, drama y un final perfecto.
Además, un teatro con mujeres sáficas?!?!?! necesito un libro enfocadas en ellas.
Mackenzie Lee lo hace de nuevo: un libro espectacular.
Desde la página 1 estaba riéndome y enamorada de las protas. Este libro es entretenido, una historia hermosa (con un romance precioso), protagonistas bien construidas y bichotas en diferentes formas, giros de trama, drama y un final perfecto.
Además, un teatro con mujeres sáficas?!?!?! necesito un libro enfocadas en ellas.
August 24, 2025
I hate to do this because I really wanted to like this book but that ending absolutely nose dived for me. Both woodenly predictable and convoluted at the same time. This story would be better if it were tightened up and the pacing made sense
December 6, 2025
3.5⭐️
Slow start as it took a decent amount of time for the love interests to meet, but I really enjoyed their dynamic. The characters are engaging, especially Harry, and motives understandable. The plot got hand wavy near the end but overall this was an entertaining read!
Slow start as it took a decent amount of time for the love interests to meet, but I really enjoyed their dynamic. The characters are engaging, especially Harry, and motives understandable. The plot got hand wavy near the end but overall this was an entertaining read!
August 14, 2025
Lady Like had some of the most delightfully petty banter I’ve read between love interests in such a long time! Harry and Emily have the kind of undeniable chemistry that is so fun to read.
This had everything that is so much fun about regency intermingled with details of the era’s more sordid underworld. But despite the fun of these moments, this book really does lean into the slowburn yearning that makes historical romances so good. Highly recommend!
This had everything that is so much fun about regency intermingled with details of the era’s more sordid underworld. But despite the fun of these moments, this book really does lean into the slowburn yearning that makes historical romances so good. Highly recommend!
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October 28, 2025I really loved this. Lee did a lot of things historical sapphic stories often don’t (but luckily are more and more often!). A masc character who is NOT masquerading as a man, casual sapphic sex, bisexuality!, a blissful absence of homophobic violence as a constantly looming threat (realism and accuracy are nice but sometimes a girl just wants an escape).
September 24, 2025
yes GAWD regency lesbians
September 5, 2025
This Sapphic Regency romance was over the top and deliciously feminist and subversive! I loved the FMC, Harriet/Harry, who just wants to live her best Sapphic life on stage performing Shakespeare plays but when her father reveals himself to be the Prince of Wales and next in line for the throne, she is forced to choose between a lofty inheritance or the penniless life of an actress.
Determined to get it all she tries to convince her friend with benefits that a marriage of convenience could work for them both - he can get his father off his back and she can satisfy her father's demands but still be free to live secretly as a Sapphic!
Enter, Emily, a deb running from her past who has also set her eyes on the same man as Harry. What follows is a competition for the ages as Emily and Harry fight for a man neither really wants and find themselves falling for each other.
Clever, riotously hilarious, full of heart and tons of action with duals at dawn and kidnappings, this was also fantastic on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Joanna Lowell or Erica Ridley. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
Determined to get it all she tries to convince her friend with benefits that a marriage of convenience could work for them both - he can get his father off his back and she can satisfy her father's demands but still be free to live secretly as a Sapphic!
Enter, Emily, a deb running from her past who has also set her eyes on the same man as Harry. What follows is a competition for the ages as Emily and Harry fight for a man neither really wants and find themselves falling for each other.
Clever, riotously hilarious, full of heart and tons of action with duals at dawn and kidnappings, this was also fantastic on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Joanna Lowell or Erica Ridley. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
June 22, 2025
This is a fun romp through the "olden" days with Ladies and Lords! Harriet--who goes by Harry--is an actress when she gets an invitation to Longley Manor where the reported rake and villain, Robert Tweed will be. Then we meet Emily and Violet who figure into the tale as well. Horse racing, repectability, jealousy, and sapphic humor make this a wonderful tale that is not to be missed!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
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