After a month of reading nothing but books that were outside my comfort genres and were beginning to feel too real and too depressing, I decided it was time to reset my brain with a light fluffy romance. Fortunately for me, I received an advance copy of Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee (out September 9th), which was the perfect read to lighten my mood.
We follow our two main characters, Harriet (Harry) and Emily, as they attempt to get married for entirely different reasons, which leads them down a rapidly converging path. Harry lives a free spirited life, acting in an all-female Shakespeare company, keeping her hair short, and (gasp) wearing trousers, but when she finds out she will have to get married to claim a surprise inheritance, she begins the hunt for a husband. Emily has always wanted to get married, but the only man that is willing to marry her is an absolute piece of work, and she would take just about any other man instead if it meant avoiding him. The two set their eyes on the same duke to fix all their woes through holy union, but as they try to win him over, they find themselves spending more time with each other instead. Romance ensues!
I quite enjoyed this book! As I said, it was the perfect pick-me-up from a run of books that while were good and I’m glad I read them, could not be described as “fun” or “delightful”. I have read some of the author’s YA books when I was a teenager, notably A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, which was key in my own journey of lesbianism, because after finishing it, I was inspired to write my own story which instead of boys kissing at the opera (or orchestra? I only read it the one time many years ago) had girls kissing at the opera. All this to say I was very happy with Lee’s first foray into the world of adult romance novels! There was enough action to keep me on the edge of my seat, enough ballroom society drama to keep me entertained, and enough romance to keep me grinning the whole way through.
At the end of historical fiction books, I always like reading the author’s notes to learn what might have inspired them to write in that setting, and to see what little details were changed or embellished for the sake of story. Obviously, many things have to be changed, and I liked the message from the author that queer people deserve to read regency romances without having to deal with the trappings of homophobia and bigotry as the main focus. It’s still there, but it’s only ever brushed over, and it’s not the biggest obstacle in either Harry or Emily’s lives. And as much as I enjoy a book with copious amounts of gay yearning and tortured repression, I also like lighthearted stories! So if you’re looking for something not too serious to lighten the mood of your TBR, or if you just love a historical romance in general, give Lady Like a shot!
