Don't Want You Like a Best Friend: A Historical Fiction Novel Featuring Matchmaking Debutantes, Forbidden Love, and Scandalous Schemes (The Mischief & Matchmaking Series Book 1)

A queer Victorian historical romance set in 1857 London. Anxious debutante Beth faces pressure to marry a wealthy husband within her season or risk financial ruin, while Gwen, on her fourth season, has no intention of marrying at all. To help Beth avoid an unwanted match, Gwen proposes they set up her father—a rakish earl—with Beth's newly widowed mother instead. The scheme seems straightforward, except the two parents appear to despise each other. As Beth and Gwen work to reunite their estranged parents, complications arise when a wealthy viscount begins courting Beth, offering the financial security she desperately needs. Meanwhile, Beth and Gwen must confront unexpected feelings for each other that threaten to derail their matchmaking plan entirely. This debut novel explores how a scheme to secure their parents' futures forces both women to reckon with their own hearts and desires.