Ladies in Hating was one of my first ventures into saphic romance and it was so fun! I was completely invested in the narrative, not only Georgiana and Cat's relationship, but also the gothic mystery entwined throughout the narrative. The story was well thought out and its conclusion, albeit maybe unbelievable, was very heartwarming and satsifying to the reader.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Ladies in Hating. My opinions are my own.

I love a good rivals to lovers romance, and a regency era book, and queer main characters - so it’s a shame this book wasn’t quite the five star read I expected going in.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it, once I’d gotten into the main plot, and maybe I’m the one medium review that makes the sea of five stars more believable (I know I don’t trust a book if it’s only got positive reviews, art is subjective and enjoyment of a book is a personal thing).

So I started this read fairly slowly, I struggled to get into it to start with - some of the dialogue felt a little stiff, and I didn’t really bond with anyone right away. But once I got to the haunted house part, it was a lot easier to sink into.

The romance, I couldn’t fault, if this book was purely that then it would be five stars for me hands down, Georgiana and Cat’s heat just leaps off the page, and they grow together really well. But the bits that threw me off were outside of this plot line - first, it was a shame we didn’t spend as much time in the haunted house as I wanted to, and I’m not sure the hauntings themselves lived up to my expectations.

That, and some of the characters felt a little flat, some of the dialogue was a bit stilted to me, and some of the plot lines outside of the romance got resolved a bit too quickly and cleanly for me - the stakes just didn’t feel high enough to keep me engaged.

Overall it was cosy and romantic and I do recommend other people give it a go, it just wasn’t 100% my cup of tea.

This sapphic regency romance was a nice autumn read - it has a spooky house, two Gothic novelists out to write their next hit, and a little mystery slotted in too.

When Georgiana spots one too many similarities between her work and another writer's, she makes a decision to get to the bottom of the problem. However, when she discovers the secretive author is actually her teenage crush, things get a little messy. Catriona is shocked by the accusations, but magnetically drawn to the aristocratic woman despite her cool exterior. When they both show up to the same haunted house to research their next books, tensions flare and sparks fly...

While the plot was frequently buried by the saucier sections, the story explored some important issues like abuse, trauma, and historical prejudices. Sometimes these topics were glossed over, but there were some poignant moments where Cat expressed her wish to live openly and freely. These scenes were thoughtfully written and helped connect me more with her anxieties and motivations.

I haven't read the other books in the series, but I thought this worked well as a standalone. I was never confused, and while I got the sense some of the side characters were probably from earlier stories, the book included everything I needed to know to enjoy the current romance being explored. Overall, a quick and easy read.

This was exactly the type of book I have been looking for recently! Let me tell you that I was not expecting the level of sapphic yearning this book gave me!! You will be shouting let them bloody kiss!!

There honestly is a bit of everything here, historical novel set in regency era England, two female pseudonym gothic style novelists, mysterious similarities between their works. A quick hunt to find out who the mystery novelist alights a massive crush. Rivals to lovers, cold to hot and steamy. Then a lead to uncover a further mystery. Plus lots of close proximity and honestly once the kiss happens they cannot keep their hands off each other oh and one of them is a little bit tortured by the past events of her father (found this a bit annoying my only negative of the book!).

Yes, it’s seems a lot but honestly go out and read this it’s full of banter (or British wit!), foemance to quote the author and save the best until last a dog called Bacon. What more could you want.

I was given the opportunity to read this via NetGalley and St. Martins publishing group. Read it and enjoy it when it comes out on the 23rd September.

What fun! Two rival Gothic authors get thrown together in Regency England. Turns out, they've met before. Things develop. Great chemistry and banter from the start. The world is more than just the romance plot line - there is loads of character development, intrigue, world-building to create a compelling story. I was thoroughly hooked and cannot wait to read the other two books in this series.

⭐ 4.5 stars ⭐

This is my first historical romance and it definitely won't be the last.

I had the misconception every book of this genre had a very complex and old-fashioned prose (which I imagine some do), but Alexandra Vasti's narrative is quite fresh and easy to follow. Her style gripped me from the beginning and also made the characters come to life.

The premise was what caught my attention and I enjoyed every second of it. The plot felt familiar but, at the same time, original, since what I believe makes this book stand out are those uncommon aspects.

Cat and Georgiana were a delight as a couple. I had so much fun reading their banter and rivalry, though I wished it had lasted a little bit more. Both characters are different enough that they complement each other perfectly. I loved their romance, but the friendship that blooms between them felt really special and wholesome.

I also wanted to mention how wonderful was the author's note at the end where she explains everything (historical and fictional) that served as inspiration for this novel. I found it so interesting and enlightening.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read and I will be adding the rest of Alexandra Vasti's books to my TBR. I would recommend Ladies in Hating to those who feel curious about the genre and want to start reading historical romance. Also, to everyone looking for a charming sapphic novel with a gothic setting.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atlantic Books | Corvus and Alexandra Vasti for the eARC of this book. My opinions are my own.

I'm a big fan of Alexandra Vasti, and this book was a delightful addition to her catalogue. This story reminded me of Northanger Abbey in all the best regency gothic novel ways- the drama, the tension and the heartfelt romance at the centre! Cat and Georgiana were wonderfully drawn characters and so easy to root for, I'm excited to read this again when the physical book comes out.

I'd thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical romance, and thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was mostly good!! I loved the puppy named Bacon!! I’d say I love the main characters, but the author kept repeating the same character traits over and over again instead of giving us more depth. Maybe it'll be different in the final version, but I felt like I was reading a variation of “Georgiana did X - she did it because she’s Afraid of Commitment” every couple of pages like yes I got it I don’t need the hand holding. Love that we got a ghost. I found the romantic moments cute and liked the spice, I just wish the romance wasn’t so insta-lovey. I also loved the family relationships and friendships!!

Ladies in Hating is a steamy, sapphic historical romance set in the Regency era. It follows two women who think they are worlds apart, but have much more in common than they realise. They are rival gothic novelists, supporting their families by publishing under pseudonyms, but keep finding that their novels are unnervingly alike. What's more, they share a past; a pair of teenage infatuations they're determined to ignore. Now as adults there's a magnetic pull between them as they tread the line between loathing and longing. Both Georgiana and Cat are witty, sarcastic protagonists and it's great fun to watch them spar.

Our protagonists also find themselves in the midst of multiple mysteries. These unravel along the way at the same time as the yearning intensifies and their romance develops.

Recommended for historical romance lovers who want a modern feel, passion and LGBTQ+ representation.

these books are so full of charm and wit i love injecting them to my book tbr pile every now and then to sprinkle some smiles into my life.
i do love the way we are getting some saphic romances into mainstream books, especially in regency. because lets face it please, it did happen. this is somehow also a shining light for queer people, to represent and stand tall for all those who couldn't at the time.
a Gothic romance with beautiful characters and charming story to go with them. stuck together, even better. with ghostly goings on. bring it.
bonus points for this cover. i mean look at it how can you not fall for it from the off.
the banter between these two was just what you want and need in a book. both our characters had their own story to bring to the book, they had you rooting for them all the way through as individuals and then together.
i love how much time and effort that it felt came from Alexandra for this book. the little details. the support for queer figures especially in that time period. it felt known, supportive, and like she was doing a little cheer for them in her own way. and so were we all.
this book was gorgeous. start to finish i was involved, in love, and reading reading reading with these two until i know exactly how their story would fair.
loved it.

This is a historical sapphic romance. We have two rival gothic novelists, both writing under pseudonyms who are thrown together when they find they keep having similarities with plot, names and places in their books.

I loved that the two main characters were gothic novelists. This was absolutely fascinating and the thing that was most memorable for me. My favourite parts of the books were the mentions of the novelists books, the plot points, characters, places and stories they were dreaming up and how they ended up crossing over so much with each other.

The settings were really good here too and the gothic influence is clear. Because the authors are both seeking inspiration for their work, we do see them exploring creepy settings like graveyards and crumbling mansions. This created a lovely, gloomy atmosphere that juxtaposed well with the quite cheery atmosphere, and worked nicely with the historical setting.

We also have a bit of a mystery running alongside and the two authors do find themselves in perilous situations as a shadowy foe seeks to harm them, for reasons they don’t know. This is a more character focussed book rather than plot though and the mystery doesn’t come up a huge amount. This is primarily a romance with characters also experiencing personal growth, challenging their misconceptions and coming to terms with events from the past.

I didn’t mind the romance, but it wasn’t my favourite part of the book. They went from enemies to cooperating a bit quickly, which I sort of liked in a way as it meant they weren’t being awful to each other, but it also did feel quite fast.

This is part of a series but it can absolutely be read standalone, I haven’t read the first two books and I enjoyed this on its own. I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This book was a nice, fun and cosy read for sure! I feel like it’s not enemies to lovers nor a haunted house romance as both of these aspects are done and dusted with too quickly, but still a fun and cosy read! Would recommend!

Well these ladies definitely hated each other. It was hate and distain then boom they are so in love and getting hot and borthered at the most in opportune times was just all so very random, it constantly felt as if the author had an idea, went to write it, then mid plot point pivoted it into som else with very little thought as to how everything would interconnect in the end.

The third book in the series is here! A beautifully written historical fiction and queer romance. The writing, the language and the narration are all very clear and lovely. The cover is certainly eye-catching, yes, but the inside is even better—so sweet!

This is an ARC review. I appreciate receiving this copy from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

I have conflicting feelings about this one. I loved it at first, but then... Not so much.

Allow me to explain, this is a historical (L)GBTQ+ romance between two rival writers who have a history (Georgiana comes from a wealthy family, Cat was the daughter of a butler who worked for Georgiana´s father: So, they have known each other for long. Although they didn´t know they were actually rivals until it gets revealed on the first chapters of the book). The banter was so very well done. It was witty and charming, but...

Here is my first problem, the rivals thing fade away somewhere in the first 25% of the novel. And, although briefly mentioned later, there was no more of that dynamic from early chapters later on. Because of this, and also since we get to learn these two had a crush on each other when they were teens, the romance feels very insta-love: I didn´t get to connect with their relationship in an emotional level.

Then, back to the plot... It really is very messy.

The summary promises a haunted house and yes, they go there to find inspiration... But they barely spend, again, like 30% of the book inside that house. And the hauting isn´t even very convincing, just your clasic "I hear screams and the dog is barking to no one". Plus there are things that fall on their own and a rose garden that has flowers in December (for which we never get a logical explanation).

Someone dies and it´s just like... Let´s rob the corpse and move on. No investigation of any kind. Then there is the character´s family history / traumas that got solved in a very Disney way.

I´m giving this book 2,5 stars because I actually liked the narration. I think this author is good at writing both YA comedy and serious adult soap opera style (I cannot call it any other thing). The problem comes when she tries to blend those together, as she did in this book: That´s how you get the plot holes, the not very believable story and a romance that although seemed to be the most important part of the book, also ended up not being completely done properly.

(And yes, I do realize this book is part of a series. But I honestly don´t think that reading previous books would have saved this one)

4.5

I loved this! This was my first Alexandra Vasti book and it was so good - it will not be my last for sure! The pace was great and I instantly felt immersed into the world and invested in the characters.

Ladies in Hating follows the professional and romantic entanglements of two regency gothic novelists Georgiana and Catriona. Theres so much to love here.

1. Scandalous lady novelists
2. Rivals to lovers
3. Decade long yearning
4. A spooky house
5. Class divide
6. A possibly sapphic ghost
7. Very good 🌶️
8. Living life on your own terms

I was immersed in this story from the start and while I think I preferred Cat’s side and wished there was a little more of the gothic beats, I really loved this book.

It also made me want to surround myself with roses.

All in all, a really fun and well written regency romance. And yay that for a sapphic one, too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sapphic love stories are very underrepresented in the historical romance genre, so I was excited to read a book about two gothic novelists: Lady Georgiana, whom we met in previous novels in the series, and Catriona, the daughter of Georgiana’s father's butler and her childhood crush. Sadly in the end it turned out to be much less exciting than I had hoped. This is my least favorite novel by this author, though I think that has more to do with my personal taste than with any objective shortcomings of the book.

First of all, let me tell you that I really like Alexandra Vasti’s approach to historical fiction, and this novel is absolutely no exception in that regard. Reading her books makes it clear that you're not dealing with just some random author who once read those paperback historical romance novels with half-naked men on the covers, but with a knowledgeable writer who has a profound understanding of the historical realities of the period. Ladies in Hating is obviously entertainment literature based on tropes, but it still explores this niche theme with respect to the audience. The author pays careful attention to detail, word choice, and dialogue.

However, what ultimately lost me in this book was the romance itself. It didn’t really evoke any strong emotions in me. The plot is obviously quite absurd, especially this one thread linked to Catriona’s brother. But even the most ridiculous plot twists shouldn't be a problem if you can connect with the characters and their love story. Alexandra Vasti tends to write very character-driven romance books, and this was the case with Ladies in Hating as well. Sadly, as much as I found the characters, especially Catriona, interesting and layered, the romance itself did very little for me. This is why I often felt disconnected from the story. I liked the first 30% of the book best, because this is before the forced proximity between the characters happens. Some people might say that their romance is more insta-love than enemies to lovers. I would probably agree, even though I don’t think that’s the weakest link of the book. I’m not sure I can properly explain this without veering into spoiler territory, but at times I found the FMCs being together – especially Georgie – to be quite insufferable. If this had been a contemporary romance, I would honestly say that Georgiana seemed like someone who could really benefit from therapy. I mean, the number of times she apologized to Catriona in this book! Her behavior often felt self-sabotaging, which made it harder for me to fully connect with or root for her. All in all, I wouldn’t say that I actively disliked this book, but honestly, I also wouldn’t say I liked it as much as I’d hoped. However, I still recommend this author’s work because it’s always well-researched and easy to read.

I have been soooo incredibly excited for this book as I’m such a fan of Vasti’s storytelling but her characters in particular have such a vividness to them that they always stay with me long after reading her works (I’m looking at you Margo Halifax!!)

And Ladies in Hating was no exception. First of all the cover is adorable! Can’t wait to have a physical copy in my hands soon. I loved the premise of not only two rival gothic authors but them being sapphic just heightened the tension of this story all the more. As a gothic literature fiend it kinda felt like this was written specifically for me ?? I swear Vasti reached inside my brain and pulled out my ideal historical romance that I didn’t even know I needed.

I adored Georgiana the most honestly, she was the type of heroine I wanted to wrap in bubble wrap and protect from the world and I enjoyed how she’d always had a thing for Cat— but it did take some of the “enemies” vibes out of the story a bit because Georgiana isn’t subtle (to the reader) about her feelings for Cat. But I liked how it was just something Georgiana always knew, so it made their unfurling romance a lot more believable. I loved the backdrop and just how centred the story is on Cat and Georgiana, there isn’t much frivolity with the side plots to distract from their romance like in Ne’er Duke Well. Bacon was also an adorable add on :)

Can’t wait to see what else is in store for Vasti’s upcoming releases.

Even though this book is part of a series and I hadn't read any of the others I still enjoyed it and understood what was happening. I really liked the author 's writing style and the story was cute and easy to follow with a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it.
💜 Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.