Verdict: A charming, low-angst Victorian debut — two debutantes scheme to matchmake their lonely widowed parents so they can stay in each other’s lives forever, and fall in love along the way.
Best for: Readers who want a sweet, cozy sapphic historical with a “Parent Trap” hook, big feelings, and a gentle slow burn.
Heat: 🌶🌶 (2/5) — mostly tender and swoony, with a couple of sensual scenes; more longing than explicit heat.
Rating: ★★★★ (4.2 average across 1,500+ Amazon ratings — a hugely popular, feel-good sapphic debut).
Tropes: Matchmaking scheme · friends to lovers · forced proximity · debutantes · found family · slow burn · Mischief & Matchmaking #1
Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban is a breakout Victorian debut and one of the most-recommended cozy entries in recent historical sapphic romance. Think a queer, gender-flipped Parent Trap with a swoony slow burn at its center.
What Is Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend About?
Beth Demeworth is drifting toward a dull, expected marriage when she meets Gwen Cunningham at a London ball. The two young women discover their widowed parents once loved each other — and hatch a plan to reunite them, which would conveniently make Beth and Gwen family, and keep them together always.
But as their matchmaking scheme unfolds across the Season, Beth and Gwen realize the feelings growing between them are far more than friendship. What started as a plot to bring their parents together becomes a tender, terrifying reckoning with what they actually want.
What Makes This Victorian Romance Work
Alban’s debut leans fully into warmth and charm. Here is what makes it a standout comfort read:
- An irresistible hook. The reverse-Parent Trap premise is fresh, fun, and immediately engaging.
- A gentle friends-to-lovers slow burn. The romance unfolds through genuine friendship, making the shift to love feel natural and swoony.
- Cozy, low-stakes stakes. The conflict is emotional rather than melodramatic, ideal for readers who want comfort over angst.
- Found family throughout. The scheme is really about building the family the girls want, and that heart carries the book.
- A dreamy Victorian Season. Balls, gowns, and drawing rooms give the story a lush, escapist backdrop.
Book Synopsis
When Beth and Gwen realize their widowed parents share a romantic past, they set out to rekindle it — scheming through the whirl of the London Season to nudge the two together. If it works, the girls will become stepsisters, bound together for good.
The trouble is that Beth and Gwen are falling for each other, not just for the plan. As the matchmaking scheme comes to a head, both must decide whether to keep hiding behind it or risk everything for the love they have found.
My Review
This is exactly the kind of cozy, big-hearted historical that makes the genre so easy to love. Alban’s premise — two girls plotting to reunite their parents so they never have to be apart — is instantly charming, and the execution is warm, funny, and genuinely swoony.
Beth and Gwen are a lovely pair. Beth’s quiet longing for a life bigger than the one arranged for her plays beautifully against Gwen’s spark and daring, and their friendship feels real before it ever turns romantic. That foundation makes the slow burn land.
It is a lower-heat, lower-angst read, and that is the point. If you want a comforting escape into a lush Victorian Season with a happy, hopeful queer love story at its heart, this delivers exactly that.
My honest note: A perfect cozy pick for readers who want tenderness and charm over drama and spice — and a wonderful entry point into sapphic historicals.
| Element | In Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Beth Demeworth & Gwen Cunningham (debutantes) |
| Core tropes | Matchmaking scheme, friends to lovers, forced proximity, found family |
| Setting | Victorian London — the social Season |
| Heat level | 🌶🌶 (2/5) — tender, swoony, low spice |
| Series | The Mischief & Matchmaking #1 |
| Content notes | Parental grief, pressure to marry, mild period-typical constraints |
How Spicy Is Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend?
This is a lower-heat romance. Expect plenty of longing, a few sensual moments, and a couple of gently steamy scenes, but the focus stays firmly on emotion, friendship, and the warmth of the slow burn.
If you prefer swoony and sweet over explicit, this hits a very comfortable note — closer to closed-door than open.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a cozy, low-angst Victorian romance, a fun matchmaking hook, a gentle friends-to-lovers slow burn, and a hopeful queer HEA.
You may want to skip it if: you prefer high heat, sharp conflict, or a faster, more plot-driven story — this one is soft and character-led.
In short: one of the sweetest, most accessible sapphic historicals of recent years, and a lovely comfort read.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this book part of a series?
Yes — it is the first in the Mischief & Matchmaking series, followed by a companion novel with connected characters. It stands alone with a complete HEA.
Is there a happy ending?
Yes — a warm, satisfying happily-ever-after for Beth and Gwen.
How explicit is it?
Low heat. A few sensual scenes, but the emphasis is on tenderness and slow-building romance.
What is the “Parent Trap” comparison about?
The girls scheme to match their widowed parents together — a playful nod to reunion-plot classics, with a queer twist as the girls fall for each other.
Is it truly a sapphic romance?
Yes. The central love story is between two young women, and it is the emotional core of the book.
If You Loved Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend, Read These Next
If Alban’s cozy, swoony Victorian charmed you, find more like it in our full guide to historical sapphic romance. Readers often move on to the companion novel and to Olivia Waite’s warm Regencies next.
For a similar blend of low-angst tenderness and lush historical settings, try The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics and the sequel in this very series.
The Bottom Line
Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend is a charming, low-angst Victorian debut with an irresistible hook and a swoony slow burn. If you want a cozy, hopeful sapphic comfort read, it is absolutely worth it. Check Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
We score every book across eight dimensions to show exactly where it shines. Here is how Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend performs on the Eikna scorecard.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall — ★★★★ 4.2/5
- ✓ A breakout cozy debut
- ✓ Hugely popular with readers
- ✓ Fresh, fun premise
- ✓ Broad comfort-read appeal
Romance — ★★★★½ 4.4/5
- ✓ Swoony friends-to-lovers slow burn
- ✓ Genuine friendship foundation
- ✓ Charming, hopeful dynamic
- ✓ A satisfying HEA
Characters — ★★★★ 4.2/5
- ✓ Beth is quietly yearning
- ✓ Gwen is bright and daring
- ✓ Warm parent subplot
- ✓ Likable supporting cast
Writing — ★★★★ 4.0/5
- ✓ Warm, breezy prose
- ✓ Lush Season atmosphere
- ✓ Occasionally leisurely pacing
- ✓ Easy, immersive read
Emotional Impact — ★★★★ 4.1/5
- ✓ Big, tender feelings
- ✓ Heartfelt found-family arc
- ✓ Low-angst comfort
- ✓ A hopeful glow throughout
Heat Level — ★★ 2.0/5
- ✓ Low spice, high swoon
- ✓ A couple of sensual scenes
- ✓ Emotion over explicit
- ✓ Near closed-door
Ending — ★★★★½ 4.4/5
- ✓ Warm, satisfying HEA
- ✓ Matchmaking pays off
- ✓ All hearts settled
- ✓ Leaves you smiling
Re-read Value — ★★★★ 4.2/5
- ✓ Reliable comfort read
- ✓ Cozy and rewatchable
- ✓ Great mood-lifter
- ✓ A gentle shelf favorite
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