Reputation gets off to a slow start, but it lives up to its billing of being a historical romantic comedy. But, don’t let the term romcom fool you, there are some deep issues encountered in this story.

I wouldn’t say it is historically accurate, but it is a fun story. I thought it was a little like a spring break/youth gone wild during the regency period.

Georgiana is the poor girl among a group of new rich friends. She is a little lost and trying to fit in so she adopts their destructive lifestyle. Thomas Hawksley is the perfect Darcy with his brooding judgment. What ensues is Georgiana’s coming of age story culminating in a HEA.

This book had an interesting premise, but it just didn’t really do too much for me. It was okay. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. There were some enjoyable parts.

I liked Georgiana in the beginning, but by the middle I started to question her actions and thought process. She was very naive and at times weak.

The book is told through her POV while she starts to discover herself. Her parents want nothing to do with her so she is sent to live with her aunt and uncle. There she is bored and seeks adventure. She comes across Frances, a very rich and popular girl who she instantly feels a solidarity with. Frances introduces Georgiana to get friends and from there, they party on drinking, smoking, and carrying on.

The romance I thought was cute, probably the best part in the story. The banter between him and Georgiana I thought was great and kept he interested. His story was sad but he was just such a likeable character, the only likeable male character imo.

Betty was also extremely likeable though her tangents were not.

The whole plot surrounding Frances and a certain gentleman made sense as I saw it coming though I thought Frances to be entirely cruel and just mean at times. What she does to Betty and Georgiana are unforgivable and I just couldn’t fathom how quickly Georgiana forgave her especially since Frances never apologized!

Also, that scene towards the end at the church was ridiculous and I just can’t.

This story is basically a woman coming to terms with who she is and who she wants to be while navigating life making friends and dealing with problems that arise.

Do I recommend this? If you like more of a contemporary historical fiction, then yes.

Lex Croucher’s YA look at cliquiness and social mores mixes the modern sensibility of an episode of Bridgerton with the fancy parties and social hobnobbing one expects… from an episode of Bridgerton and throws some Mean Girls in on top. Reputation is definitely not period accurate, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t find it fun, trenchant and compelling.

Naïve Georgiana Ellers is having one heck of a season. Her scholarly parents have gone to the seaside for the summer as a cure for her mother and dumped Georgiana with her dull-as-dry-toast aunt and uncle in the country. She already has a strike against her, being lower-down in the social pecking order, so things are not easy for her socially.

But then George meets the popular, rebellious Frances Campbell and her cadre of friends.  Frances admits Georgiana to their world, nicknaming her “George”.  Soon they’re dancing the night away, tippling cognac and wine together, attending mixed-gender parties where talk of sex and sex games  flows freely, sniffing illicit substances from snuff boxes, and gossiping.  George is searching for true love, and may have found it in the form of the handsome and kind Thomas Hawsley, who still mourns his late mother and is wholly unimpressed with George’s wild friends. But George soon finds herself tangled up in a scandal connected to Frances, who, after disappearing upstairs with a man during a party becomes the subject of much gossip. Frances presumes George betrayed her, and their friendship turns into a mess.  Can it be saved?

Characters get drunk and take drugs, chaperones do not exist, and rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, racism and homophobia are dealt with in very modern ways. Someone refers to a sex cellar. Do not come to Reputation expecting historical accuracy – you will not get any.  But the book deals with all of these subjects in a manner that conveys wit and humor.  It’s an easy, smooth ride that yet has a tough, honest way about it.  It refuses to ignore the homophobia, sexism, racism and other problems inherent of the period, and it’s brutally honest about it all.  The story is well-told, and there’s a lot to love in Croucher’s spry prose.  Readers will simply have to accept that this is a very wallpapery historical before buying the book.

Frances and George are interesting, complex people, as are those in their circle (even the seemingly bubble-headed Cecily).  They are not always likable, but has any eighteen year old ever been likable 100 percent of the time?  The romance between Thomas and George is also really cute.

But I had to downgrade the book for making so many direct pop culture references that pass fond reference and head directly to outright rib-nudging smarminess. I saw those Tina Belcher quotes, author.

Reputation will likely delight older teenagers.  Adults, sticklers for history and the under-sixteens should stay away.  For everyone else, though, it’s a rib-tickling, outrageous and yet dark read that’s too much fun to be ignored.

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CW: rape, sexual assault, regular assault, lots of drinking, and drug use.

I enjoyed this! It was a bit slow to get going, but then things picked up.
It’s basically Regency Mean Girls, which is pretty great. The MC is Georgiana, who is staying with her aunt and uncle for the summer while her parents move to a new house. Overall, her parents are pretty terrible people, and that is revealed more and more as the book progresses.
Not long after coming to stay with her aunt and uncle Georgiana meets Francis, who then brings her into her friend group of hard partying gentry.
I really liked the relationship between Georgiana and Thomas that develops over the course of the book, I love how they interacted with each other. I especially liked their correspondence in the middle of the book.
While things definitely got dark in the latter part of the book, it was still a fun read and I’ll be on the lookout for Lex Croucher’s next release.

Thank you to Lex Croucher, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC.

Let me just say, I devoured this in one sitting. Georgiana enters London society after being a bit of a bookish recluse for her life. Clever and desperate for connection, Georgiana falls in with Frances Campbell and her friends, known for being rather scandalous. What ensues are parties with lots of drink, drugs, and drama.

It certainly reads like an 1800s episode of the OC (throwback for all my young Millennials who also loved that teen soap opera show). However, deviating from the soapy television, the prose of Croucher is certainly more clever and laugh out loud funny. It has the drama of Austen or Forster novel (I’m a sucker for Howard’s End).

But Croucher also touches on what I think is a universal experience in the teen and young adulthood years - of trying to find your place and negotiating what your boundaries are and whether you’re willing to forgo your principles to fit in as you so desire. It also touches on consent and standing up for oneself. For me, this is certainly a book I see entering high school classrooms and/or libraries as I think it uses accessible language for the 21st century student, retaining some historical insight, while also still being relatable and giving teens something to relate to and ruminate on.

TW: Substance abuse, insinuations of sexual assault
I am SHOCKED this is a debut novel, absolutely shocked! When the synopsis said Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl they were NOT kidding!! I loved this title and will be purchasing all future titles by Lex Croucher! In the beginning, I was a little nervous as I haven’t read many Regency-era novels before so I wasn’t sure what to expect but the cover alone made me have to give it a try!
This book was truly UNPUTDOWNABLE! I read it in a day and a half and physically gave myself bruises running into walls because my eyes were glued to this book!
I NEEDED to know how it played out with Mr. Hawskley or I was going to absolutely die, I’m not even sure I am joking.
Croucher has the most beautiful writing style that is fitting for the theme but also deeply hilarious. She covers harder topics in a meaningful way that is also appropriate for the time period while also making characters that stand out from what you would typically expect. I give her an A+ for character development, I was pleasantly surprised by the whole thing! I will say when the book comes out on April 19th, you’re going to want to pick it up because all I am going to say is the dramatic climax…. *I HELD MY BREATH THE WHOLE TIME*

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy for my honest review!

"Reputation" by Lex Croucher is endearing, quick-witted, and charming. I was quickly captivated by the main character and her growth throughout this novel. This story is described as Bridgerton-meets-Gossip-Girl and this is exactly how it felt! The characters were both relatable and completely hilarious, and kept me turning the pages to find out more. Fun, romantic, catty, and entertaining, "Reputation" is a story I will think about long after finishing it.

Reputation feels like if Jane Austen had written Mean Girls. The story begins in a way that you know our heroine, Georgina is going to get the fall and lesson seen in most of Jane Austen’s writing. Staying with her aunt and uncle, Georgina is bored with the calm lowly events she gets to attend with her non-titled relatives. Hiding at an event, Georgina meets the exciting Frances. Frances and her friends have reputations that proceed them. Georgina is taken under their wing and she starts adapting some of their Mean Girl tendencies. You can see the lessons coming for Georgina a mile away. The situations are wilder than anything Jane ever wrote but the feel to the story is there. Addicting and fast paced, this page turning regency novel will cause your jaw to drop with the same audacity as the spoiled teenagers in Mean Girls. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

A regency gossip girl with lgbtq+ characters. I'm in. This was irreverent and hilarious and heartwarming. Three words that don't usually describe the same book but it happened here. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'd give this book 10 stars if I could, it was delicious and perfect and hard to put down. I loved the humor (actually laughed out loud at several spots) and I loved the characters. It's modeled after Pride & Prejudice but had enough twists and excitement that it didn't feel like an exact copy. Big fan, highly recommend, and I look forward to other books by this author.

4 Maybe 4 and ½ Stars!
This was such a fun read.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my gifted audiobook.

Reputation doesn't come out in the US until April of 2022 and I already want more from this author. I am very grateful to have been granted an advanced copy.

What I Loved-

*The Narration- Reputation is narrated by Bessie Carter. She is amazing! Upon researching I only see one other audiobook under her name. I hope that changes soon. She was delightful.

*The Humor- This book really made me laugh. I've been reading thrillers lately and this was exactly what I needed to lighten the mood.

*The Characters- I really loved these characters. I would definitely not mind this turning into a series or even a duology. GIVE ME MORE (please).

*The Drama- The friendships, the entanglements, the jealousy and cattiness. I was here for all of it! So entertaining.

*The Romance- The romance between Georgiana and Thomas. Perfect. They were a couple I could root for.

Why This Wasn't a 5 Star Read-

It took me a while to get into. If you are having the same issue please stick with it.

Overall- Highly Recommend. I will be reading more by this author.

Story about Georgiana Ehlers, who came to live with her aunt and uncle (the Burtons). They were not well-off but they were invited to some parties of the elite. Georgiana was befriended by Frances who introduced her to a few improper things.She also met a Thomas Hawksley, who had been one of her saviors. She had gotten involved in a scandal that put a stain in her reputation and separated her from her so-called friends.

This was an enticing read. A great development of Georgiana's early introduction to such society and then the sweet love story. Love the heroine's strong character, and her decisions even after the scandal. Strongly recommend to read.

Reputation


📚Book review📚

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc in exchange for a review!

Advertised as Mean Girls meets Jane Austen. It took a minute to get into this one but I liked it. Despite a slow start it’s hard to put down. You definitely encounter those characters you loathe which can also be taken as great writing on the author’s part!

Content Warning: Drug and alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, neglectful parents, death of a family member, and sexual assault.

This is essentially a mix of Bridgerton and Mean Girls. It was a really captivating book, but the plot pacing felt a bit off at times and some plot points seemed important but then weren't mentioned again or didn't serve any further purpose. There was also a big section of the book dedicated to the sexual assault. I think the characters were well written although some seemed written around common character tropes. I loved Georgiana's banter and wit with Mr. Hawksley though!

3.5/5 Stars

This book was DELIGHTFUL. Mean Girls meets Jane Austen, with more than a dash of sex-drugs-and ballroom dancing. As a fan of Jane Austen, and Regency fiction, I just knew I had to check this out.

Our main character is Georgiana, a young lady of middling means, who has been shipped off to her aunt and uncle's house by her distant parents. And she is BORED. That is, until she meets Frances Campbell at a party. Frances brings excitement into Georgiana's dreary life, and Georgiana is immediately enchanted. Soon, she is drawn into Frances's circle of friends and high-flying world. The parties aren't quite as PG as those in Austen's world, and the scandals are SCANDALOUS. But the more Georgiana is drawn in, the more she wonders if she can ever fit in, and if she wants to. Perhaps the cost of being the queen bee is more than she is willing to pay.

As I said above, I was delighted by this book. The characters were well-drawn out, and even when they behaved badly, you still rooted for them (with the exception of one truly villainous character). There is LGTBQ rep and discussions of how that fits into the regency world. There is a lovely romance, which isn't the main plot (as compared to most other YA regency novels). Plus, the sex-drugs-and ballroom dancing is exciting!

This romance satire book didn't do it for me. The premise is an attempt to make romance "feminist," which ignores the fact that many feminist romance books already exist! Race is treated rather sloppily, and sexual assault is present throughout the story in a way that suggests certain kinds of unruly women perhaps...deserve it? I found this book to be problematic in those ways, and ultimately it just did not deliver the fun, sharp story I was expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Georgiana begrudgingly goes to live with her aunt and uncle, the Burtons and is having a dreadfully boring time, all the time. That is, until she meets the infamous Frances Campbell. Georgiana is immediately swept up in Frances Campbell's world of wealth and partying. As she and Frances become closer friends, Georgiana begins to question what she is actually looking for in this world of high society and if the friends she's made can be considered true friends at all.
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WOW. This was like Pride & Prejudice meets Gossip Girl meets Bridgerton meets Mean Girls. This book has me in an absolute chokehold (I know I say that a lot, but I wholeheartedly mean it this time). The character development? Unmatched. I was rooting for Georgiana the entire time and I was so so happy to see the woman she grew into throughout the story. I was also surprisingly proud of Frances by the end.

The romance was absolutely precious. Mr. Hawksley is a slightly less rude and more shy version of Mr. Darcy and I absolutely loved it. Every interaction he and Georgiana had left me foaming at the mouth. It was excellent.

I found the storyline to be surprisingly relatable, given the historical time setting. Georgiana feels the pressure to be popular just like so many girls her age - couple this with extreme boredom with her monotonous life (or so she sees it), she learns some very valuable lessons.

The story tackles hard topics like sexual assault, coming to terms with your sexuality, and ultimately finding yourself while still remaining relatable and downright hilarious. I laughed out loud multiple times while reading this and I can't wait to read more from this author!

Content warnings for this book: drug/alcohol abuse, sexual assault, rape, racism, sexism

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy that I can force my friends and anyone who will listen to read it too.

The characters are hilarious and reminded me of one of my favorite book series growing up ( The Clique is still amazing to this day imo).

If you love drama and chaos (or anything closely related to Gossip Girl) I can't recommend this enough.

Mean Girls meets Gossip Girl with a Jane Austen twist.

Set in Regency-era England, Reputation follows Georgiana Ellers as she adjusts to her new life living with her aunt and uncle. Georgiana is longing for adventure and excitement, and she finds both when she meets Frances Campbell, a socialite with a penchant for mischief and debauchery. Georgiana quickly becomes enmeshed in Frances' life and finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of glitz, glamour, and wild parties.

I loved the representation, the tender female friendships, and of course, Mr. Thomas Hawksley.

Georgiana Ellers has been left with her Aunt and Uncle for the summer as her parents travel. While attending a party, she meets Frances Campbell, a woman of much higher social standing then she. Georgiana latches onto her offer of friendship, and the higher class that will come with it but she wasn't expecting the life of partying and sin she is introduced to.

I listened to this on audio, and I do think the narrator did a great job with the overall vibe of the story... but I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this, hence the three star rating. At times I was really enjoying it, and wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next... but then a few moments later I'd be extremely bored and had to force myself to continue reading. It definitely dives into much deeper topics, such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual assault and rape, than I originally thought it would. Georgiana was a fun character to get to know. I enjoyed her wit and sarcasm, but hated how easily she was sucked into Frances' mean spirit. It was interesting to see the power dynamics in the friend group though and I definitely think Frances was the most intriguing of the characters. I didn't care much for the romance though, and probably could have done without - but the banter was at least cute.

Overall, it was fun, but nothing entirely memorable in my opinion.