by T. J. Alexander
Vintage, 2026. 304 pages. Romance.
At the end of the 1820 London season, and with no suitable suitors in sight, the cunning, formerly wealthy Verbena Montrose must save herself and her odious family from poverty. When she hears an alarming rumor about her queer friend Etienne, she comes to his aid, proposing a marriage of convenience. But when she discovers that the mysterious poet Flora Witcombe is onto their scheme, Verbena pretends to be a poet herself to confront her -- and unexpectedly be charmed by her. Yet Flora holds a secret of her own: she is also William Forsyth, a struggling fiction writer. And if circumstances don’t allow Flora to woo Verbena, perhaps William can. Faced with two suitors and a fiancé, Verbena may need to learn more about herself to discover if true happiness lies outside of society’s constraints.
I'm usually not big on Regency romance, but Alexander drew me in with a fascinating story about several queer individuals that felt authentic to the era and well-rounded. To call this work sapphic (WW) would be inaccurate, as it calls in elements of pansexuality and gender fluidity, while respecting the sense of time and place along with its vernacular. I love the complexity that can only come with queer romance storylines, and I might be willing to reconsider my moratorium on Regency pieces (as long as they're gay lol).