Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee is a sapphic, Regency romance with interesting characters and a rather sweet romance.
Harriet Lockhart, also known as Harry or Hal, is the daughter of a prostitute, and an actress in a sapphic theatre company. Harry must marry in order to meet the stipulations given by her newly revealed father, in order to qualify for a valuable gift from him, so she decides to set her sights on her friend Alexander Bolton, Duke of Rochester.
Emily Sargeant is being forced into marriage with an much older, and abusive man, so she decides to join her cousin in London for the season to try to find a more suitable man to marry. She too sets her sights on the Duke of Rochester as his title will deem him more suitable than her betrothed, and he seems to be one of the most eligible men in London.
When Harry’s brother, Collin, suggests that Harry assist Emily in attracting the duke’s attention, Harry agrees, but it’s soon clear that for both of them, their goal of attracting the duke has fallen by the wayside.
Lady Like is written in third person present tense, alternating chapters between Harry and Emily. Personally, I found the present tense writing to be unsettling, and awkward, making it very difficult for me to settle into the book. I love third person but I really wish it had been written in past tense, but that’s a personal preference.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Harry and Emily. It felt natural, and really quite sweet at times. The dialogue between the characters was witty, and humourous, with some serious moments sprinkled in here and there.
I was a bit disappointed that just about every man in the book was made out to be some kind of villain. I’m not sure that was really necessary for the story.
I also kind of hated that Harry and Emily’s ultimate happiness depended on Harry’s father’s acceptance of their relationship. At the end of the book the author writes that the book is a blend of history, fiction, and fantasy, and if this is the case I would rather the author had treated this as an alternate universe similar to Shonda Rhimes’s Bridgerton universe where everyone is just accepted, regardless of how they look, or dress, or who they love.
Overall, I enjoyed Harry and Emily’s story and would recommend it to readers who love a more unconventional historical romance.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Lady Like will be available on September 9 2025.
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