Book Description 

The enemies-to-lovers queer Victorian romance follow-up to Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend, in which a young lord and a second son clash, but find themselves thrust together again and again by their meddling cousins.

“That man is, without a doubt, the absolute most obnoxious…

Bobby Mason is sick of being second best: born the spare, never trusted with family responsibility, never expected to amount to much. He’s hungry to contribute something that matters, while all around him his peers are squandering their political and financial power, coasting through life. Which is exactly why he can’t stand the new Viscount Demeroven.

…insufferable…

James Demeroven, just come of age and into the Viscountcy, knows that he’s a disappointment. Keeping his head down and never raising anyone’s expectations is how he’s survived life with his stepfather. To quiet, careful James, Bobby Mason is a blazing comet in his endless night, even more alive than he was at Oxford when James crushed on him from afar. But Mason is also brash and recklessly unapologetic, destined to shatter the fragile safety of James’s world. Worst of all, he keeps rubbing James’s failures in his face.

…hottest man to ever walk the ton.”

They can barely get through a single conversation without tensions boiling over. Neither Bobby nor James has ever met a more intriguing, infuriating, infatuating man.

If only they could avoid each other entirely. Bad enough their (wonderful but determined) cousins Beth and Gwen keep conveniently setting up group outings. But when an extortionist starts targeting their families, threatening their reputations, Bobby and James must find a way to work together, without pushing each other’s buttons (or tearing them off) in the process… 

My Review 

I’m a big fan of queer historical romance, so I had high hopes for this book– especially since I enjoyed the first book in the series. Unfortunately, the book ended up being a bit of a letdown. 

First of all, the two protagonists aren’t really enemies. Despite overlapping at Oxford, they don’t officially meet until their cousins introduce them to each other. When I read enemies to lovers, I want to see YEARS of mutual loathing. 

I’m not as picky as some readers when it comes to historical accuracy. In fact, I appreciated that the key political issue in this book was a medical act; this paired nicely with the Marriage Act from the first book. However, I found myself bothered by some of the dialogue and situations. 

Despite all this, I did enjoy the book. I thought the abusive stepfather was an interesting element to James’ character development and I especially appreciated that he apologizes to his cousin Beth for how she and her mother were treated in the past.   

I would recommend You’re the Problem, It’s You.. but with the caveat that it’s a bit light on historical accuracy and chemistry.  

I received a digital ARC of this book from Avon/NetGalley.