Like in Love with You was compared to Bridgerton meets Mean Girls and I knew I had to read. I’ve enjoyed Alban’s previous romance releases and so I gladly picked this one up! Keep reading this book review of Like in Love with You for my full thoughts.
Summary
When country-bred Catherine Pine relocates to Bath in 1817, she and her mother come face-to-face with her mother’s arch nemesis, Lady Tisend, and her daughter, the wildly popular and gorgeous Lady Rosalie. Though once her very best friend, Mrs. Pine alleges Lady Tisend ultimately did her a great injustice. Twenty-five years later, she sees the perfect opportunity for retribution:
Catherine will win the favor of Lady Rosalie’s suitor, Mr. Dean. Together, Catherine and her mother will ruin the Tisends’ lives, secure Catherine a fruitful match, and launch a fully triumphant return to Bath. It’s the perfect plan for revenge. Only Catherine soon discovers that there’s more to Lady Rosalie’s mean streak than meets the eye. Lady Rosalie is by far the wittiest, cleverest, most intriguing young woman Catherine’s ever met, and she’s utterly smitten.
Meanwhile, Rosalie feels trapped in her perfect life as Bath’s favorite daughter and resident mean girl. There’s no challenge anymore, no excitement, no surprise. But when she notices newcomer Catherine gunning for her spot as queen bee, Rosalie finally feels a spark again. She determines to meet Catherine’s challenge with gusto, because Catherine ignites something in her. Something Rosalie absolutely doesn’t want to extinguish.
As their mothers force them into increasingly absurd contests of wit and feminine charms to win Mr. Dean’s affections, Rosalie and Catherine instead find themselves falling for each other, scheme, by barb, by catty jab…
Can their sizzling rivalry really become a match to last?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
We love a good mother and daughter revenge story meets historical fiction setting and queer romance. Like in Love with You started off strong and only continued as we got to know Catherine and Rosalie. I loved the Bridgerton dances, walks around the park, and boat ride vibes. Those vibes meet the Mean Girls rivalry and Catherine trying to get in with the popular girls of the Ton and I was hooked. Being able to see Catherine and Rosalie was key in the yearning and realizing that this rivalry is just the surface. We love people who bond over books and I adored Catherine’s relationship with her mother.
(Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. For more information you can look at the Policy page. If you’re uncomfortable with that, know you can look up the book on any of the sites below to avoid the link)
A main theme in Like in Love with You is when people decide who is right for us, what we want. Not only with matchmaking, but with our parents, this theme is explored in both generations. When we make assumptions, people get hurt in the name of protection. I was giggling and kicking my feet while reading Like in Love with You as we witness Catherine and Rosalie explore their question of wondering if their value is only defined in relation to someone else. While I wish we had a few more scenes at the end, Like in Love with You was a great romance to end 2025 with. Find Like in Love with You on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.