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.

A refreshing take on a Regency tale! Mean Girls meets Bridgeton with a delightful main character, Georgiana. The small bits of epistolary-style letter writing helped move the story forward in an interesting way. The beginning was a bit slow for me, but the story picked up halfway through and kept me so enthralled that I couldn’t put it down. More on Georgiana: a witty, book-loving, somewhat socially awkward woman who reminded me much of myself, just trying to fit in and making some mistakes along the well. Well-written with a diverse cast!

"Reputation" by Lex Croucher
Interesting story
This may be a good story. But I never developed an attachment to any of the characters. And, as to romantic comedy, I never did find the comedic side of the story. Thus the 3-star vs 5 review. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley
This review expresses my honest opinion.

This book was everything I’ve ever wanted in a Regency-era book!! Lots of drunken debauchery, partying, and friend dramas, which reminds me of my time in high school lol. It was a pretty fun read, although a little monotonous at times (party after party after party).

Georgiana was very witty and funny and I loved being in her head for the duration of this book. Reputation very adequately portrays being a young adult in Regency-era times. I do wish there wasn’t as much female friendship drama - we don’t need any more catty popular girl behavior. I understand the drama though, but it definitely could have been resolved a lot easier.

The romance was very sweet and wholesome, and exactly what the main character deserved. There was also DIVERSITY which was excellent - the author very appropriately notes the amount of whitewashing that happens in Regency-era books and movies. There were also important conversations around drinking/alcoholism and sexual abuse in this time period.

Overall this was a really fun and entertaining read!! Highly recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of this time period and/or Pride & Prejudice.

Reputation will be published on April 5th, 2022. Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Regency mean girls. I rated this book a 3.5 out of five stars. Overall, I enjoyed it but it was not what I was expecting.

Trigger warnings: sexual assault, rape, drug/alcohol abuse, domestic violence

Georgiana, a 20 year old in regency-era England, is forced to move in with her aunt and uncle when her parents decide to move without her. At a party she meets affluent Frances who takes Georgiana under her wing and introduces her to her friends and brings her along to wild parties. At one such party, Georgiana meets Thomas Hawksley and is immediately intrigued by him. However, Mr. Hawksley is disinterested in the wild partying and doesn't get on well with Georgiana's new friends.

Overall, I really liked this book, but I found the beginning to be a bit boring which brought my overall rating down. The first 50% of the book bored me and I found it a bit slow, but the last hall I loved. The description of the book was a bit deceiving. First, it says it's a romcom but I found that the romance was more of a subplot and the main focus was on Georgiana's friendships and the toxicity of them. It's also darker than I was expecting it to be. The story dealt with sexual assault and rape. A big part of the ending and the climax dealt with SA and how the character's dealt with it. I did like this aspect of the book, I just wasn't expecting it based on the description of the book. This book did have humor to it, but I would not call it a romcom. It had a splash of romance, but it's primary focus was on young women finding their place in a male-dominated world. Overall, I liked the book and would recommend reading it, but don't be deceived by the description, it is not a light fluffy romantic comedy.

I got to about chapter 6 and had to stop unfortunately. I couldn't connect with the characters or story at all. Every time I would start I'd zone out and completely miss parts it just couldn't keep me engaged.

Thank you to the author and netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A rollercoaster of a read, and an absolute joy to follow Georgiana's journey into (and out of? possibly?) the rabbit hole of society. This book dips expertly from a fluffy, hilarious party of a rom com into a surprisingly poignant reflection on society inequalities, integrity, and agency. I personally adore the kind of intentional, passionate historical novel that allows its characters and their mindsets to feel familiar to 21st century readers, and Reputation delivered on that. A book that expands our view of a stuffy, whitewashed historical era is always a plus. Reputation treats its (extremely flawed) characters' arcs with compassion, and I was thoroughly satisfied with its conclusion.

An adorable book that I couldn't put down. It was witty and engaging and knew how to use its characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to.more from this author.

I absolutely adored this book. It was witty, fast-paced, and just all together lovely. I couldn't put it down.

I think what I loved most was the side characters and how they were written. Everyone was important for this story, even Mr. Burton who was a man of few words, but made them count.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book!

St. Martin's Griffin,
Thank You for this eARC!

Just from reading the description I knew it was going to be fabulous.
Now I know what all the hype is all about because I'm still thinking about this book!
I can't believe this is Lex Croucher's debut novel!

Reputation by Lex Croucher
Is a funny, classic story with the Mean Girls twist.
And I loved every page of it.

Georgiana has just moved to a brand new town to live with her aunt and uncle.
While at a boring party she meets an evasive and one and only Frances Campbell, who is a wealthy member of the in crowd.
Unpopular and exposed Georgiana soon finds herself friends with Frances and and the other rich friends. Who are living a life she can't seem to fathom.
Finding out the the only way to enter this high society life could be higher than Georgiana thinks!

What a fun, exciting book this was!
There isn't one bad thing to say here!
I loved the character Georgiana and I laughed out loud multiple times.
And the other characters were exciting and I enjoyed getting to know them as well.
The writing blew me away from page one. It's hard to believe that this writing came from a debut author.
A quick and entertaining read, that once you start, you won’t be able to tear yourself away from. Expertly plotted and perfectly written
Virtually every page was a delight of wondrous sentences and the truest dialog I've read in awhile.
This book exceeded my expectations.
One of those, I'll read one more chapter, and another, and then I got to the end in one sitting.

I don't think I'm the audience for this book. It's a well written romp suitable for a YA audience, essentially about a group of bored teens who could be in any college setting. Instead, they're set down in some historical era or other--it's not quite clear when--just for amusement. The only history appears to be carriages and a very careless pretense at chaperonage. I do hope the book finds its audience but that is not me. I will not be posting any reviews online. The writer does know how to write and should get credit for that.

Reputation is great mash-up of Netflix Bridgerton and Mean Girls .Story is creative, clever, and entertaining with loads of clever word play. I highly recommend this book when you're next in the mood for something completely different and entertaining! I look forward to more from this author.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a DNF for me about 40% through. It just didn't grab my attention like I thought it would. I was sold when I saw Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl but I don't think one really lived up to either.

I just couldn't get into the plot and it just felt like a bit of a chore to pick up. The plot wasn't really there and Georginia just felt childish. It wasn't what I was really hoping for and I couldn't bring myself to force my way through it.

Although it is set in the Regency era, the story topic felt modern. Wanting to fit in is not a modern occurrence and that is precisely how Reputation begins. Georgiana Ellers has grown up with emotionally distant parents and now that she finds herself living with her aunt and uncle, it is no surprise that she jumps at the chance to become part of the cool crowd. When charismatic Frances befriends her at a boring party, Georgiana puts reservations aside and joins in on some bad behavior. Being around Frances is probably the most fun she has ever had and she is desperate to continue the friendship. As the story progresses, we see the cost of that friendship.

The author has done a wonderful job of creating a detailed and story that is easily relatable. The characters were very nuanced and varied. I was impressed with how many different character types existed throughout the book. Each of the characters had an integral part in moving the story forward. This book was a delightful read. It covered some very dark topics incredibly well. This book is easy to recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Griffin for the arc.

This book was so funny. The description was perfect in setting me up for this story and what to expect. It's a great addition to modern day historical stories and I can't wait to see what else Lex Croucher has in store.

TW - sexual assault.

This book is more Heathers meets Less Than Zero than Mean Girls. A little harsher doesn’t make it a bad thing. This just isn’t your average Regency, although there is a little epistolary sweetness in the middle of some serious topics.

The main character, Georgiana has been left with her older aunt and uncle. In search of a little excitement she falls in with a group of well off friends who are decadent and wild.

The book was well written so I am giving it 4 stars.