Book Description 

Mean Girls meets Northanger Abbey in this sharp and sexy Regency Romance that begs the question: what if Cady and Regina just… kissed?

When Catherine Pine relocates to Bath in 1817, she comes face-to-face with her mother’s arch nemesis and her daughter—the wildly popular Lady Rosalie. Twenty-five years after a horrible betrayal, Catherine’s mother sees the perfect opportunity for revenge: Catherine must win the favor of Lady Rosalie’s suitor and unofficial betrothed, the most eligible Mr. Dean.

Only Catherine soon discovers that Lady Rosalie is by far the wittiest, cleverest, most intriguing young woman Catherine’s ever met, and she’s instantly smitten. Which is a problem.

Meanwhile, Lady Rosalie feels trapped in her relationship with Mr. Dean and in her role as Bath’s resident mean girl. But when she notices newcomer Catherine gunning for her spot as queen bee, Rosalie finally feels a spark again–something she absolutely doesn’t want to extinguish.

As Rosalie and Catherine circle Mr. Dean, and their mothers force them into increasingly absurd contests of wit and feminine charms, the two women somehow find themselves falling for each other, scheme, by barb, by catty jab…

Is it possible that their sizzling rivalry can become a match to last? 

My Review 

I’ve read both of Alban’s other books and I enjoyed her modern take on historical romance. I was especially intrigued by this newest book being set during the Regency as opposed to the Victorian era like Alban’s first two books. 

Rosalie and Catherine start out as rivals, but a romance develops between the scheming, but society expects young women of quality to marry… not to mention their mothers’ decades-long feud. 

Some readers are not fans of modern language in historical romance. I am not bothered by this; if anything, I think it adds a sense of fun and whimsy to the narrative and it also makes the stories more accessible to readers who aren’t familiar with the genre. I did raise my eyebrows at one of the characters using the phrase “Man up” but only because it was one of the mothers; I don’t think I would have been as surprised if the phrase came from one of the younger characters. 

I liked that Alban used Bath as a setting. It’s such an interesting city with deep historical context and it’s often referenced in Austen, but I can’t think of very many modern historical romances set in Bath. 

I would absolutely recommend Like In Love With You. I love the way Alban treats historical romance with a modern lens. If you are not a fan of this trend, then you aren’t going to appreciate this book, but for those of you who appreciate heroines who aren’t bound by rigid rules and dare to be themselves, then you are in for a treat. I am already looking forward to Alban’s next book. 

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