Recently I swore off romance novels indefinitely, but alas it seems that I am unable to stay away from queer historicals. In fact, after watching Bridgerton and deciding that I needed something like it but queer, I stumbled upon the first ever lesbian Regency romance... at least, according to Michelle Martin, and I haven't found anything to contradict her.

I planned to read Pembroke Park mostly for historical value, but I ended up enjoying the story on its own merits. It's not perfect, but it's pretty damn fun, with crossdressing and riding astride and plots to foil the scheming of meddling relatives. While there are plenty of frivolity and laughs, there's also consideration of loss and the risks of living and loving in ways that society proscribes, and a lot of leaning on found family that adds emotional weight and a kind of timeless relatability. The good made up for the bad, which in this case is a tendency for problems to resolve too quickly and the least believably-written child I've ever read.

I will definitely suggest this to readers who have exhausted the well-known queer historical writers working today and need a deeper cut.