This book was so much fun. I just loved being drawn into this story and these characters. I want more from this author as soon as possible.

Oh Georgina… what a story! A lovely girls parents can’t Be bothered with her and send her off to live with her aunt and uncle. She gets caught up in a high society crowd of so-called friends who are so spoiled and entitled they steer her in the wrong direction with booze drugs and parties way out of her league. Grab this one it’s a great read.

Ok, the first 3/4 of the book was a bit rich kids doing bad things but then it got me in the last quarter not gonna lie. I enjoyed the writing. Chuckled throughout. Appreciated the inclusion of multiracial characters in Regency England, because truthfully how could you not expect there to be interracial marriages at the height of the British Empire. Anyway, I was a bit bored with Georgiana and Frances’ friendship, I mean you could clearly see where it was going. But zing! Georgiana decides that will not be her story and goes beyond being “…nobody of importance to anybody in particular.”

LOVED loved loved this book.

The writing had me captivated from the start to finish, and I found myself reading it almost straight through one sitting. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

As a long-time Austen fan, I was so excited to read this debut from Lex Croucher. It did not disappoint - Reputation is a refreshing take on the Regency era that perfectly blends what you would expect from a classic text with a dash more debauchery and a lot of heart. Ultimately, this is a novel about coming into one’s own, and Croucher executes this so well.

I really appreciated the more diverse set of characters and the Croucher’s approach to tackling the realities of the era, as well as exploring topics around sex, sexuality, consent and drug abuse.

And the banter between Georgiana and Thomas? A+.

5⭐️

#netgalley #reputation

I rated this book 3.5 stars. I’m a big fan of Jane Austen and historical romance so I was very excited to read this book! I loved that this was a historical romance but with sex, drugs, and debauchery thrown in. I also really enjoyed reading about the relationship between Georgiana and Frances. I took some stars off because I found it to be a little over-dramatic and cheesy at times.
Overall it was a funny and quick read!

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook.
I enjoyed the read even though the start was a bit slow for me.
Although I wouldn’t catalog it as a rom-com, I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the story development, specially because of the regency era which makes it a bit different and gives it an interesting twist.

So much to like in this book and a few things I didn't care for. It was good to see that the Regency period was not all sunshine and roses. People had their problems too, even, or maybe especially, in the higher classes. Drugs and alcohol were still a problem and people rejected anyone who was "the other." Racism existed, whether it be anti-Indian or anti-black. And people of privilege got away with murder, just as they do today. Some things, unfortunately, don't change. The main character, Georgiana, was young, naive and easily influenced by those around her who were, for the most part, Mean Girls! Writing was excellent with great witty passages, especially between Georgiana and Thomas, but some parts seemed overly dramatic. Read to the end and things, of course, worked out, but sometimes I wanted to shake Georgiana and other times, I wanted to comfort her. Guess that's a sign of good writing. As this was a debut novel, I expect great things from Lex Croucher in the future.

Thank you, Net Galley, for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Never had the chance to read genre by Lex Croucher, “Reputation” is a first for this reader. Where to begin. The story starts off a bit slow for me in the first couple of chapters but picks up pace around mid-chapter three. Georgiana Ellers. is a young woman who is sent to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother and father to some extent abandons her. and begins to become restless with the way her life is going and planned by them. She meets Frances Campbell, who is part of the wealthy ton and who along with her privileged friends draw Georgina into a dark area that expands her uncharacteristic behavior and indulgences. It is journey where she makes quite a few mistakes, takes risks and meets Thomas Hawsley, who is unimpressed with her and the individuals she surrounds herself with. He takes a fancy to Georgiana and sees something different in her, although she can’t see it herself.

Georgiana is at times a likeable character and there are moments in the story when she is not. Unfortunately, the path taken leaves her to consider whether her relationship with Thomas is worth more than the bigger price she will have to pay to fit into the aristocratic elite world she has now become accustomed all for the sake of friendship.

I almost put this story down but glad the pace picked up for me to finish. What I like…the author’s descriptive sceneries to give you a vivid picture of what was going on and the incorporation of African and Indian individuals going outside the norm of what we read in most HRs. What I did not like…the repetitiveness of the use of alcohol and too many unlikeable characters. In any case, the author did an okay job of pulling together this story although it had its quirks.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ok. This! Book!!

Once I got a few chapters into it, I could not put it down. It was definitely a quick and enjoyable read. "Reputation" is a historical fiction romance novel - light on the historical. and gave serious mean girls vibes. That said, I had some issues with how Georgiana acted, but I think that's what made her growth so good (& worth it) by the end of the novel.
I really enjoyed the found family aspects of this novel, and the banter between Georgiana and her love interest (and his father omg - their's was my favorite friendship). Overall, I would highly recommend this book!

TW: This book also touches on topics like death, grief, and sexual assault.

I hate to give a bad review, especially when an author obviously tried so hard, but this was definitely not my cup of tea. This is no Regency novel. There is nothing in this book that even remotely resembles something Jane Austen would have written or read herself. The main character, Georgiana, is obnoxious and extremely dislikable. She is disrespectful and cruel to others and after the second chapter of the book, I could have cared less about her. I almost stopped reading at that point but wanted to give a fair review so pressed on. I then almost stopped once homosexuality was introduced into the plot with three of the main characters. One scene had two of the main female characters having sex together. While this probably occurred in the Regency period, it was illegal and much less common than the author would like the reader to believe. Which also brings me to one of the main complaints I have about this book. It is basically a modern day novel trying to ride on the coattails of Bridgerton. The language was modern, including the curse words, and the events that occurred were also modern day events. There is no way they would have occurred in Regency England. At times, it was even difficult to tell when the story was taking place. If you like well-written, historically accurate novels that are truly set in the Regency period, then this is not the book for you. I sincerely wish I had never read it.

I'm not sure about the book being Mean Girl-esque, but I can say I absolutely loved the book once we go towards the middle. The banter and dialogue between characters and the letters exchanged between Georgiana and Thomas were most excellent. The way the author described the crowds, parties and gardens made it so easy to picture the entire scene. I would definitely read more by Lex Croucher.

Reputation by Lexington Crouched is a spicy take on regency romance. With loads of scandalous behavior, debauchery and scheming. With some new century sensibilities such as the inclusion of an African and Indian characters that play more than passing roles, this book is reminiscent of the tight character plays and social commentary we find from the original genius, Jane Austen. As regency romances go, this one was both frothy and filled with the kind of lessons I love.

I knew that this story was going to be a bit twisted when I read the inscription "For Jane Austen. Sorry, Jane." Georgiana has been sent to her aunt and uncle's house by her parents, who have moved near the sea for her mothers health supposedly. She isn't an heiress and doesn't have fine clothes, so she is amazed when the local popular girl invites Georgiana into her circle of friends. The circle of friends turn out to be disillusioned and destructive youth who enjoy drink, drugs, and forbidden activities. Georgiana finds out over time that their friendship has too high a cost. She comes to value handsome serious Thomas and their romance blossoms.

"Reputation" by Lex Croucher

Not really a rom/com although there are some funny moments and dialogue between Thomas and Georgiana. This is the story of spoiled rich young adults who befriend a country miss. Drunken debauchery ensues.

The first third of the book dragged for me. The characters were hard to like and you can only read so many pages about drinking and playing chess. I did love the diversity of the characters. Once Georgiana and Thomas began interacting I felt more interest in the book. I especially liked the letters between the two.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would rate it 3.5 Stars.

I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of this book.

A clever, compelling debut from a strong new talent. Croucher's prose is often laugh-out-loud funny, with distinct character voices and a distinctly contemporary perspective. This isn't for historical fiction purists, but it's a wild, satisfying ride regardless of period accuracy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book!

This book was so entertaining! It has been called a Regency Mean Girls and I can agree with that but it is so much more. It is a discourse on class, race, friendship, family, found family, peer pressure., privilege, and patriarchy. It has conflict and romance and discourse about split infinitives.

The main character, Georgiana Ellers, is young woman of modest means who is languishing in the care of her aunt and uncle, as her parents seek a cure for her mother at the seaside. She is bored. She is lonely.

Into that boredom and loneliness and generalized ennui comes Frances Campbell, And her friends. A group of wealthy aristocrats who whisk Georgiana into their privileged world and their not so private excesses.

This is Georgiana's story; a character arc that rises and falls and shows such growth and development.

The language is lush, full of banter and repartee, the internal monologues from Georgiana incisive and at times laugh out loud funny. But there is a deep examination of what it means to be part of the "in crowd", what moral decisions are made--sometimes without deep thought--and how those reverberate, what it means to be a friend, what it takes to step back and understand the ramifications of behavior.

The story progresses with this arc in a slow and steady fashion--we see Georgiana's restlessness, the magnetic pull of Frances's set, the moments that set her on the path she takes in the book and the reckoning that comes at the end. It is subtle, the progression. I got caught up in the narrative but the story advances and pulls you deeper into the darkness that runs below the surface of this clique.

Georgiana makes mistakes. She takes risks. She indulges in behavior that is questionable, hurtful, intemperate. But she is relatable, especially in those moments when she is trying to find her place in this new world. There is vulnerability and emotional development that keeps the reader engaged in her story.

There are dark moments. There is violence, assault, drug and alcohol use but it is approached in a sensitive and nuanced manner. It is integral to the story line and handled well.

The gallery of side characters is varied and interesting. I would actually have been happy to read more about each of them but I understand that this is truly Georgiana's story.

It is so well written. The wonderful turns of phrase that are so spot on for Regency period books but also a freshness of modernity sprinkled in that makes this book even more engaging.

It pulls no punches. It goes there. And it does it very, very well.

Highly recommended.

This book was nothing like I'd expected it to be. I anticipated a light and funny Regency romance. While it was Regency and technically a romance I was missing any humor. Maybe it was there and just not to my taste, but I was honestly very surprised and honestly a little off-put by all the seemingly more modern attitudes and actions. I am decently familiar with Regency romances and the historical period in general but I am definitely not a historical expect of the period, but so many things in this book just seemed so outlandishly inappropriate for the time that I had a hard time getting into it. But maybe that is just me and my faulty memory? Another problem for me was the main character, Georgiana. I just didn't like her. At all. Anytime a moment was approaching where she could be a nice person or a jerk she almost always chose to be a jerk...until the very end of the story. I didn't understand how anyone could like her, let alone how a few short, drunken or drugged (or both) encounters would cause a sober young man to fall for her. It defied belief. And her parents, my goodness, her parents, They were absolutely ridiculous. It was hard for me to find anything to like at all in this book.

I struggled a bit with writing a review for this one. For me, Reputation has a mix of elements that I really enjoyed and some less so!

I liked the way author Lex Croucher mixed the regency setting with more modern themes. I know this was presented as Mean Girls meets Bridgerton, but I think it's also got some Bad Girls Club vibes! If the "society constraints" of the era typically turn you off, I would recommend giving this a try! With that said, I think true regency fans might struggle a bit with some of the liberties taken here as well.

Character likability is tough when you're creating that Mean Girls female friendship dynamic and the main character Georgiana (and most of the other characters actually) have some real flaws! For me, plot-wise it took me a while to connect to this. It felt like there were some storylines that left the reader hanging or wanting more--Frances's parents or sexuality, for example.

I did enjoy the interaction between Thomas and Georgiana. I loved the correspondence between the two, it was written really well and had the witty back-and-forth that I personally enjoy. As you get to know more about Thomas's backstory, their early interactions take a darker tone in retrospect, I couldn't help but think what initially drew him to her.

I think this would make for a great book club pick because there is a lot to discuss! There's family drama, romance, friendship, coming-of-age and broader gender/society role themes all involved in this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an advanced copy of this and the opportunity to share my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A classic tale of a middle class woman in Regency England who starts out sweet, falls in with the wrong, very cruel, aristocratic friends but comes about by the end of the book after tragedy befalls her. A classic tale but with a twist: there are Black and Indian characters. In fact, the author writes in the notes that it is in part “a bid to reverse the trend of whitewashing the historical stories we tell.” It succeeds in this and will be a very good addition to the few similar romance novels on offer.
However, I found it very difficult to read the parts where the cruelty occurs. But that makes sense, cruelty should be difficult to read about.
In any case, I could recommend this book to my patrons.