You're the Problem, It's You: A Novel by Emma R. Alban
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Web ID: 19875872Cute but confusing
Thanks NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I’d read the first book and knew who all of the characters were — there are SO many and all of them go by 2-4 names, so confusing! But James and Bobby’s story was sweet.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Fun Read
This was a great read. Likable characters and good tension between them. This is a companion novel to the author's previous book, Don't Want You Like a Best Friend, but you don't need to have read the first one to read this one. I didn't. Note--spicy scenes.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Such a fun opposites-attract romance!
I read this book as an ARC a few months before it was published, but after a conversation with two of my library co-workers who were both outraged (outraged!) that I hadn't read Don't Want You Like a Best Friend first, I put off any sort of review until that situation was remedied. Maybe it was procrastination; maybe it was foresight. Either way, I'm glad I waited because reading the books together is a treat. Don't get me wrong: I liked this book as a standalone. It's a fun opposites-attract Victorian romance all on its own, and Bobby and James are fun to read, whether they're avoiding each other, bickering, or...well. But I appreciate their cousins' meddling so much more now that I'm caught up with the duology. Not to mention, having Beth and Gwen's history from the first book makes the solution at the end of the second feel less contrived. The only thing that detracted from my enjoyment of You're the Problem, It's You was the villain. Not only was he a bit over-drawn, but I also hated that he seemed driven by internalized homophobia even more than by greed. I mean, he had to lay some serious groundwork to be in a position to try to blackmail our protagonists. I just wish queer-baiting and self-loathing didn't prop up that entire plot element.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Highly lovable characters and a slow plot
MM Third person Enemies to lovers Flustered MC Found family Anxiety rep Rating: 3.5/5 - I really enjoyed this book but I probably won't reread it 🌶️: 1/5 - a few intimate scenes, only one explicit TLDR: full of highly loveable characters and a slow plot I really enjoyed this book. It was very sweet with highly loveable characters. This may feel boring to some because of the length and slowly developing plot. I however am happy as long as I have loveable characters and this book has that in spades. Not only is the relationship between the MMCs interesting but the friendships they have are beautiful and engaging. One of the MCs deals with panic attacks throughout the book and fear of childbirth is mentioned several times. These subjects were handled well for the time period this book is set in. Ultimately, I would recommend this book to any historical romance lover.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Excellent close to the duology
While I enjoyed the first book in this duology Don't Want You Like a Best Friend , You're the Problem, It's You was an improvement in a lot of ways. Structurally, the story is much more focused on the central romance. It does still have Beth and Gwen as prominent side characters and a lot of familiar faces from the first book but they complement the central romance rather than distracting from it. One of my favorite things about Don't Want You Like a Best Friend was the characters and that is also true of one. While Bobby and James frequently butt heads and cause each other pain and frustration, I found both deeply sympathetic characters. Bobby is the second son trying to find his place and be helpful to the family while feeling left out of a lot of things. And James is someone who's grown up in a fairly toxic family, having to hide who he is just to get by and not even sure what he wants out of his new role as Viscount Demeroven. Initially there's a lot of miscommunication between the two men, but given their individual frustrations and pride, it made sense to me that they wouldn't share more than they did. If you're really sensitive to the trope, it might bother you more but I didn't think it was unreasonable. There were some elements here that reminded me of the dynamic of Pride and Prejudice. It's not full-on enemies to lovers but definitely two very different people trying to deal with bad first impressions on both sides and slowly coming to understand each other. I also really liked the historical detail in this one, much like in the first one. I'm not a stickler for exact historical adherence but it's really fun to see more queer representation in a historical context and a wide array of how they handled not being able to legally express that love. There were some sections where it was so focused on the parliamentary struggles of the period that I lost a bit of interest but I appreciated the level of detail and focus on social commentary. Overall, while not perfect in terms of some pacing issues, I still really enjoyed You're the Problem, It's You. It's very closely connected to the first book in the series so I think it would be tough to read this one without having read the first but it builds really well on what was already set up and improves it in a lot of ways.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Gay Bridgerton
Are you looking for gayer bridgerton? Well this book series is it!! I loved “don’t want you like a best friend”. Alban is great at setting the scene with descriptive and creative word choice. The series isn’t afraid to be spicy, and includes multiple queer people beyond the main pair. I will say, I enjoyed the first book more, but I think that’s mostly because I’m girl gay so I related more to the first. I hope there’s more to come!!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
3.5 (Rounded up for my girls Gwen and Beth <3)
The drama, the yearning, the self doubt and never relenting fear of becoming the very thing you hate. I ate this book and what it served me right up BUT I did leave some crumbs. James and Bobby were equally frustrating and captivating to watch dance around each other in this book. The push and pull between them made me want to take little voodoo dolls of them and make them hug or something (a sentiment I’m sure Beth and Gwen relate to). The big bad of this book (namely the man blackmailing our duo) fell a bit flat to me but still I felt the stakes for these two rise. And though I ADORED Jame and Bobby together, I do wish we could have seen them falling for one another more clearly. Really give me that desperate pathetic yearning that Gwen and Beth got to experience, ya know? This being the second of a duology I must admit it was difficult to jump into having had some time passed since reading the first - This is a duo meant to be read together lest you spend a great deal of this book going “who is that?” and “what is their title?” or even “Oh - I did not realize that was the same character - why do people of the Ton have so many different names for one person!?”. Once I’d given myself a refresher it was incredibly rewarding to revisit my favorite characters from “Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend” and see how they were faring this next season! All in all, this little found family that Alban brought to life has wormed their way into my heart. I’ve been charmed by each of them and though I’m sad to see them go, I am so grateful to have their stories concluded in such a beautiful way that did justice to the individual characters and their stories. As a final note: The first of this series was titled with Taylor Swift lyrics and this one is as well … I see your play on “Anti-Hero” and I raise you “Long Story Short”. Do with this information as you will. Special thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the ARC - I am leaving this review voluntarily!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Engaging queer Victorian romance
You’re the Problem, It’s You is another foray into queer Victorian romance by Emma R. Alban. This time, it’s an engaging antagonists to lovers story that takes into account its time and place while feeling like a modern book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ James Demeroven and Bobby Mason are getting reacquainted as members of the ton. Sure, they vaguely knew each other at school, but now that James is officially Viscount Demeroven, and Bobby’s older bother Albie has assumed his own title, their roles are different. And their cousins Gwen and Beth seem to keep pushing them together in all kinds of situations. But James is uncomfortable with his new role and generally awkward with people, and Bobby is just frustrated with being a second son. Somehow the two seem to bring out the worst in each other. But, there is a connection between them that neither one can overlook for long. I enjoyed this book. The story doesn’t understate the risk of two men being lovers in this time period. But, the way Bobby’s family accepts him and welcomes James is refreshing. I also adore James and Bobby’s interactions with Gwen and Emma. While this book can easily be read as a standalone, Gwen and Emma fans will have fun revisiting their favorite characters. But, if you don’t like miscommunication, this book might not be for you. Ultimately, each struggle that Bobby and James face comes back to them not communicating with each other. And, early on, as they struggle to get to know each other, their quips to one another come off as cruel, not as entertaining banter. You’re the Problem, It’s You is an entertaining follow up to Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend. Bobby and James are engaging characters, and it’s a delight to watch them figure out what their HEA looks like. I’m enjoying Emma R. Alban’s queer Victorian romances, and can’t wait to read what she writes next. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com