Two women, one refined and one ribald, set their sights on marrying the same duke, but instead of becoming enemies, they find themselves falling in love—though not with him.
LADY LIKE
by Mackenzi Lee
Dial Press, September 2025
(via Sterling Lord Literistic)
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 ever could have predicted.
Mackenzi Lee earned a BA in history (in the middle of which she took her own grand tour of Europe) and an MFA from Simmons College in writing for children and young adults. She loves Diet Coke, sweater weather, and Star Wars. On a perfect day, she can be found enjoying all three. You can spot her on Twitter @themackenzilee, where she curates a weekly story time about badass women from history you probably don’t know about but should. She currently calls Boston home.
If he won’t add her business into his guidebook, she’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.
Germany, 1901. Domestic servant Lissi has embarked on a foolish affair with the scion of the family she works for. But her hopes of a romantic wedding are shattered, and when she finds herself pregnant, alone and desperate, she decides to leave her home town. Meanwhile, Julia Varrell has been lured into an arranged marriage under false pretences, and feels lonely on her husband’s idyllic estate. She, too, wants out. And so Lissi and Julia find themselves on board a ship bound for New York.
Manhattan, 1870. Rua knows only two things: her name, and that she has no memories. So when the wealthy Harrington family mistakes Rua for their missing daughter, Emma, Rua goes along with the charade, hoping for answers about who she really is. As she tries to blend into a society she doesn’t remember, she’s drawn to a firmly off-limits man: the Lord of Donore, a newcomer to Manhattan society who is somehow familiar to Rua.