Lady Like
A Novel
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A BOOKPAGE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • Two women set their sights on marrying the same duke, but instead of becoming enemies, they find themselves falling in love—though not with him.
“My new favorite romance author.”—Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series
“A genuinely, strikingly funny romantic romp. I inhaled it!”—Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Great Big Beautiful Life
Harriet Lockhart never planned to marry. She has spent her life defying expectations, playing male roles on London’s seediest stages, and doing whatever she pleases. When Harry is contacted by her hitherto anonymous father, she finds herself at risk of losing the trust fund that’s subsidized her lifestyle—unless she begins to lead a more respectable life, starting with finding a husband.
Emily Sergeant, the picture of modesty, has only ever wanted to marry. And were it not for one mistake in her youth that rendered her a social pariah, she would be appropriately betrothed. Instead, she’s due to wed the only willing—and most abominable—man in her small town. Desperate for an alternative, Emily flees to London to snag a less lecherous fiancé.
Worlds collide, dramatically and hilariously, when both women decide on the very same duke as their best possible chance at a tolerable husband and a secure future. A tongue-in-cheek romp through London’s summer season, from balls to brothels, horseraces to duels, Harry and Emily compete for the duke’s favor, only to find their true hearts’ desires may be more compatible than they could have ever predicted.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Marriage comes with extremely high stakes for the sapphic heroines of this riotously entertaining Regency, the adult debut from bestselling YA author Lee (A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue). For Emily Sergeant, whose reputation has been tarnished by scandal in her small hometown, finding a wealthy match in London is her best hope of avoiding an arranged marriage to a despicable and much older neighbor. Meanwhile, Harriet "Harry" Lockhart, the libertine daughter of a prostitute, is shocked when the Prince Regent reveals himself as her father and offers her an inheritance on the condition that she settle down with a respectable husband. Loathe as she is to change her ways, Harry needs the money and imagines that marriage might be bearable with her friend and occasional lover Alexander Bolton, Duke of Rochester. Unfortunately for her, Emily has also set her sights on the duke. Emily initially sees Harry as a "sneering amazon," while Harry calls Emily an "infernal pixie," but after Emily naively asks for Harry's help winning Alexander's attention, sparks soon fly between the two women. Lee injects this sprightly enemies-to-lovers tale with equal parts humor and sensuality, and it's especially gratifying to see Emily come into her own. The result should win Lee a legion of new fans.
