Like in Love with You

I really enjoyed Emma R. Alban’s debut novel a couple years ago, and I was excited to read her new romance, Like in Love with You. In 1817, both Rosalie and Catherine are spending the season in Bath trying to get a husband. Well, their respective mothers want them to find husbands, and both have their sights set on the same man. Who will win? What neither mother expects is for Catherine and Rosalie to actually want… each other! How can the younger women find a life together, without the need for a husband? And how can they get their mothers—former best friends—to finally make up decades after their mysterious falling out?

What I Liked:

Nods to Jane Austen. Although this book is compared to Northanger Abbey, I actually found Rosalie’s matchmaking ways quite similar to Emma. Indeed, the characters even discuss that novel! Beyond Jane Austen, I love that Catherine, in particular, enjoys reading and discussing books with her mom.
Parents play an important role. This was the case in Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend, and it’s present in this book, too. Here, the main characters’ mothers were best friends before having a major falling out. This lingering anger is what leads the moms to try to pin the Rosalie and Catherine against each other, vying for the same man in hopes of securing a marriage proposal. Joke’s on them, since the young women don’t want that lame dude; they want each other! If only they can get their moms to make up, first.
Rosalie’s brother is also awesome. Shout out to him and his own love story on the side.
Hijinks to make the guy lose interest. This man who’s supposed to propose is a total dud, and Rosalie and Catherine both have to find a way to get him to reject them. How can they be off-putting enough to fully repel him? They come up with some funny tactics!
Finding a way to be together despite the rigid rules of society and scandal. Catherine and Rosalie live in the Regency era, which is known for having a pretty confined role women were expected to fit into. Both of them are having a hard time envisioning the future that’s been laid out for them… but what would a life together look like? I love how they attempt to work through this and how, ultimately, they have supportive family members to help out.

Audiobook:

Mary Jane Wells and Morag Sims narrate the points of view of Rosalie and Catherine in Like in Love with You. Both capture their characters’ voices perfectly, and I appreciate that they were distinct from one another. It made for a diverting listen!

Final Thoughts

Just like Emma R. Alban’s first book, Like in Love with You was a joy to read. I enjoyed seeing Catherine and Rosalie find a way to ditch the guy, get their mothers to make up, and find a way to build a life together, whatever society might think. I look forward to reading more from this author, starting with her previous release, You’re the Problem, It’s You.

Special thanks to Avon, HarperAudio Adult, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Like in Love with You here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Like in Love with You by Emma R. Alban
Audiobook Narrators	Mary Jane Wells and Morag Sims
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Romance
Setting	England
Number of Pages	400
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	January 6, 2025
Publisher	Avon

Official Summary

Mean Girls meets Northanger Abbey in this sharp and sexy Regency Romance that begs the question: what if Cady and Regina just… kissed?

When Catherine Pine relocates to Bath in 1817, she comes face-to-face with her mother’s arch nemesis and her daughter—the wildly popular Lady Rosalie. Twenty-five years after a horrible betrayal, Catherine’s mother sees the perfect opportunity for revenge: Catherine must win the favor of Lady Rosalie’s suitor and unofficial betrothed, the most eligible Mr. Dean.

Only Catherine soon discovers that Lady Rosalie is by far the wittiest, cleverest, most intriguing young woman Catherine’s ever met, and she’s instantly smitten. Which is a problem.

Meanwhile, Lady Rosalie feels trapped in her relationship with Mr. Dean and in her role as Bath’s resident mean girl. But when she notices newcomer Catherine gunning for her spot as queen bee, Rosalie finally feels a spark again–something she absolutely doesn’t want to extinguish.

As Rosalie and Catherine circle Mr. Dean, and their mothers force them into increasingly absurd contests of wit and feminine charms, the two women somehow find themselves falling for each other, scheme, by barb, by catty jab…

Is it possible that their sizzling rivalry can become a match to last?

About the Author

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