I saw Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl and I didn't need ANY further info. This was so much fun. Regency romances have been my favorite thing this year, and after reading so many I loved this different vibe of seeing what the troublemakers of the season are up to. I absolutely adored Georgiana and grew to like her new group of friends. Georgiana was a great narrator. She was snarky, naive, and truly just adorable. She stressed me out only a few times when I wanted to yell BUT YOUR REPUTATION. I loved the at-times questionable friendship between Georgiana and Frances that I couldn't help but root for. I am glad they had each other when neither of them had much at home.

I am just so glad I read this. I will be buying the physical of as soon as it comes out, and I will be recommending to anyone that needs their Austen novels to be a little more provocative. Queen Charlotte would be most entertained indeed.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this eARC. Reputation by Lex Croucher is out on 04/05/22 and you won't want to miss it (clearly). Who do I have to bribe to get anything else Croucher writes??

Georgiana, a quiet miss comes to stay with her Aunt and stumbles into a group of friends of questionable character. She quickly becomes ensconce in their group despite not being of their standing. Throughout the summer the groups activities become more and more outrageous. Georgiana’s own behaviour so unlike her character simply in a desire to be included. This story truly shows the perils of peer pressure and the desire to be liked and accepted, as well as how easily it is to lose yourself in that process. Her strength of character is seen by a one determined friend and one intrigued gentleman. It is through their loyalty and support that she is able to find herself again. Though the story took me longer to get into, I did enjoy it in the end. So much angst, but that is exactly to be expected at this age.

After a lifetime of disinterest from her parents and quiet evenings with bookish friends, Georgiana Ellers is sent to live with her equally middle-class and somewhat high-strung aunt and uncle for the summer. In the midst of a dull party, she discovers (or rather, is discovered by) a spark of light: Frances Campbell, leader and crown jewel of the town's most fabulous (and scandalous) wealthy in-crowd. From that night on, George and Frances become inseparable, and Georgiana''s life takes a turn from deeply boring to drunken and improprietous. And as one does, she meets a boy who is extraordinarily out of her league. But is the price of this lifestyle one she can afford? After all, one cannot fall out without being in...

Trigger warnings: Rape, sexual assault

While I did not personally make it through even two episodes of the show, I suspect there's a bit of Bridgerton-fishing afoot with the cover of Reputation. But I won't hold that against the publisher for what was a witty, sometimes dark, and altogether relatable coming-of-age story.

I was pleasantly surprised that Reputation, despite its cover and description, was less a romcom and more about a group of 20-somethings testing their limits and trying to find their place in a conservative world. The sexual tension, while there, is not the glue that binds this book together- It's George's relationships with Frances and with Betty, Frances' with Jane, and the unchecked power that then, and now, comes with being a wealthy white male. Even the final page of this book focuses not on a romantic relationship, but of a friendship, and I loved that.

I'd love to say Georgiana is a breath of fresh air, but her friends are so carefree that her bold nature is only remarkable when compared to what you expect of women of this time, versus the representation of her peers.

With that said, this book was hard to categorize - It feels like it classifies as YA while dealing with mature subject matter (assault, rape, drug/alcohol abuse) and doesn't quite hit the notes of a period piece. It could just as easily have been set in the year 2021 if a few references to carriages were removed.

I also felt as though there were a few missed opportunities to explore beyond class - With multiple biracial (set in a time of blanket whiteness in the wealthy class) and LGBTQ+ characters, there could have been more conflict (internal or otherwise) set around those topics. Jane, for example, was a character who seemed to exist primarily as a foil for Frances' unexamined queerness and I felt like she deserved more.

Overall, this was a well-paced, charming, and enjoyable read- Particularly for someone who too often rolls her eyes at the latest chicklit release.

Big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing an ARC copy with me in exchange for my honest review!

Will this be made into a TV show? I suspect it will... an excellent twist on typical Regency tropes. Thoroughly enjoyed and I imagine all the new readers looking for 'something like Bridgertonn', which this librarian is hearing A LOT, will love it.

First let me start by saying thank you for for allowing me to read this. That being said I DNF at chapter 8. I just couldn’t get into this story and I didn’t love the main character.

I loved the energy and attitude in this story, which is a Mean Girls meets Regency mash-up. The writing and plot felt inconsistent at times and readers should let go of any strict expectations they have about historical romances, but the witty, modern, and often dark romance was engaging and I enjoyed diving into these characters and their world.

DNF at chapter 6.

This one sounded like a lark. I didn't intend to take it seriously insofar as the historicity and, in fact, I think the modernity inherent to the characters plays to the story's favor.

But Georgiana is just cringe for me—or, rather, her vulnerable impressionability. She's lonely and bored and way too eager/willing to go along with her newfound friends, the Regency ballroom's mean girls. I guess I thought I was ready for that, but it's turned out to be rather more annoying than funny.

Better luck next time.

Regency-era Gossip Girl? SOLD.

This book was a treat from beginning to end. It managed to strike the perfect balance between regency romance charm & addressing some hard hitting themes that young women struggle with present day.

While many of the characters were downright unlikeable at times, Lex Croucher did a beautiful job helping each one develop into the final result they absolutely deserved.

I want more books and a TV series, please and thanks!! Definitely add this one to your 2022 TBR list!

I have complicated feelings about this one. I thought there were some really fun/heartfelt parts but then some of it was a bit bland for me. 3 Stars I think is my rating at least for right now.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance to read this book before debut.

As someone who is familiar with regencies, and who also reads YA, I am glad I got to read it and share my opinions. While this book is written for YA and tho a regency, I don't think this book is quite hitting the mark for people who are looking for something enjoyable.

Things I did like:

POC! LGBTQ. We got characters that are.
The swoony moments between Georgiana and Thomas.
The zainy moments between Georgiana and her friends.

The things I didn't like:

Oh boy. This is where it gets difficult. There isn't really a plot, and when it tries to give you one it's not that strong. The girls our lead meets are undeveloped and exist just to give populace to the piece. Frances (the girl that Georgiana meets) is the most well developed of the group, the others - including the boys - are not so much. I understand this is a book centered mostly on Frances and Georgiana, but if the friends are involved they have to be more than just people who 'chime in'.

I also did not like that there was not enough moments between Frances and Thomas, and I think their development for one another was way too quick for me.

There is also a triggering issue and it comes with sexual assault. It came out rather messy and it was resolved rather badly, in my opinion.

It's not a bad book and it's not an amazing book, it just sits right in the middle. It might get YA crowd to pick up more regencies.

The plot of this book grabbed my attention even though period romances aren’t really my genre. It was a decent redemption story, but it did get really… catty. It was a decent story, though, different than you would expect for historical.

This was a lot of fun! If you are a Regency purist this will definitely get your knickers (or bloomers, rather?) in a twist but if you can avoid nitpicking every little detail (proper etiquette of the day, language etc.), I think you'll get lost in the story. I hated a lot of the characters, but in an enjoyable way, if that makes sense? There are obvious Mean Girls parallels but it's still creative enough to not feel like it's just copying the plot.
The overall tone of Reputation reminds me of the Apple show Dickinson (which you should definitely watch if you haven't already) where a ball scene starts with people respectfully dancing but to a rap song and then suddenly everyone goes from ballroom dancing to twerking and doing the splits. If you want classic Austen, she'll always be there for you but I enjoyed this fresh take. This book is bold and unexpected and a real treat to read.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

Look, it is “Mean Girls” regency-style, almost word for word and scene for scene. I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing, I love the genre, but all together this book just didn’t do it for me. The characters are smart, funny and diverse, but the development falls apart in that none of them grow past teen drama on screen (with the exception of a few majorly out of character grand gestures), even though this is the marriage mart among titled gentry. This gives the book a distinctly YA feel (which again, is a genre I love), but not quite. There is enough sex, drugs and rock n’ roll to make this an adult romance, but the characters translate as highschoolers which ruins the effect a little. I won’t classify it as a “don’t read,” however making it a little less juvenile, or to make it distinctly about adults, would improve the novel.

This book grabbed my attention partially for the cover art and partially because of the regency time period. There were some interesting parts but as a whole was just too mean girls.

This wasn't quite the romcom story I expected from the cover and synopsis, but I did enjoy it. It's got funny moments, dark and serious themes, and more than a touch of Mean Girls thrown in the historical mix. I liked the setting, though I think this could have been set in a modern time period without too many changes, and I adored a couple of the side characters (I never did warm to the protagonist). The endless parties became a bit wearisome to read but maybe that was the point, given all Georgiana goes through! There's some witty dialogue and vibrant scenes, and a careful exploration of the novel's themes. Overall, it was a quick and interesting read.

A Wise & Wild Romp

If you love a good "mean girls" trope with a great redemption story, then this is the book for you. If you can't stand the idea of a historical romance heroine smoking pot or coming home drunk after unchaperoned outings, you might want to pass. Reputation is well-written, exceedingly wise in parts, and highly-entertaining (I read it almost in one sitting and I have two toddlers, so that's saying something), but I don't believe historical accuracy is one of its primary goals--which is absolutely fine. It's a fantastic story nonetheless.

Reputation is Mean Girls meets Emma meets Bridgerton with a lot more wine chugging and imbibing of psychedelic substances. But it is not lacking in other kinds of substance. Croucher has a great read on human character. Her characters are captivating, fully-realized individuals, full of flaws and grit.

"She had a very particular way of smiling that seemed almost entirely sincere but threatened to transform into a smirk at any moment; her eyes often sparkled with a barely concealed mirth that did not quite match the situation, and it gave Georgiana the impression that she was always enjoying a private joke that belonged only to her."

Frances Campbell is the "Emma" of the piece--a biracial young lady of wealth and fortune whose privileged position is somewhat belied by the fact that her father violently resents her mother for having had the misfortune of being a person-of-color who he fell in love with and chose to marry in his youth. To make up for her unhappiness with her home life and herself, Frances indulges in any kind of behavior she wishes, rightly assuming (at least in this fantasy Regency world) that she will be able to get away with just about anything thanks to her monied status.

Georgiana Ellers is the Harriet of the story--a much more fully-rounded Harriet than we get in Emma, however. Georgiana is desperate to be drawn out of her staid existence, feels equally apathetic towards her own parents who have ditched her with her (extremely kind and loving) aunt and uncle, and loses any moral commonsense she initially possesses quite quickly the more time she spends in Frances' company. She also quickly finds her own human kindness disintegrating as she associates with a clique of jaded debutantes who enjoy making sport of the misery of others (to varying degrees).

Georgiana is horrified when she finally realizes how far she has sunk and extricates herself in a melodramatic climax that is very "Me Too."

There is something YA about Reputation, but it is such a well-written, clever piece of fiction that being YA is no disparagement. I would not classify it as straight historical romance or even romance. It's more "womance" than "romance" as the relationship between Georgiana and Frances as well as the relationships between Georgiana and Frances' clique takes centerstage for most of the book.

However, there is a hero (also biracial, though this was passed over almost entirely until the end of the novel that I almost missed it) who is flavored liberally with the shades of Mr. Darcy and a spoonful of Mr. Knightley--thus ensuring the reader's quick attachment. The love story that blooms between Thomas and Georgiana, while underplayed, is very satisfying.

Thanks to Netgalley for the early review copy!

Steam Level: 0/5

Other TW Content: Drug use, alcohol use, mention of sexual assault, attempted sexual assault

As a lover of both historical fiction and romance, I’ve surprisingly only recently started reading historical romance. That being said, I have been binging Regency and Victorian era romances for the past couple of months. Something about them just never gets old, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be formulaic. Reading Reputation made me realize just how similar the other books I had been reading were.

Reputation follows Georgiana, a 23-year-old middle-class woman whose emotionally distant parents have left her with her aunt and uncle. While her aunt fusses over her every move, Georgiana meets Frances, a bold and somewhat wild companion. Gerogiana is entranced by Frances friendship feeling she was “being left out of the real fun if not by her side”.Through Frances upper-class connections Georgiana also meets her love interest, Mr. Thomas Hawksley, who has a Darcy-esque presence compared to the rambunctiousness of Frances and her friends. Georgiana gets swept up in trying to keep up with Frances’ squad and as a result finds herself facing the horrifying possibility of being ruined. I would assign TW for sexual assault and drug use.

The first thing about this novel that felt fresh and unique to me was the fact that it was grounded in realism. Historical romance can often lean towards the fairy-tale or comical perspectives, but from start to finish this book felt true. While the debauchery and freedom of Frances and friends may not be entirely historically accurate or common (though I’m not a history expert so I don’t know), it modernized them just enough to feel relatable. As a 22-year-old myself, I can genuinely describe Georgiana as relatable. She is not a pure-of-heart, perfect heroine. She can be kind and a good friend, but she also makes mistakes with large ramifications, often getting swept up in the grandeur of the upper-class. At the end of the day though, she is still worthy of love. While Frances seems to make even more mistakes and betray more people than Georgiana, she is not cast away as some evil villain to be excommunicated, she receives the same duality as Georgiana. These are young, unmarried women trying to find their way in a world of courting, less supervision, and temptation and they don’t navigate it perfectly but as multifaceted people.

Something else that made these characters relatable, was the fact that, while maybe not perfect, this novel contained representation of both characters of color and LGBTQ+ characters. We know that POC existed within the peerage and that there were gay men and women throughout all of history, but it is so often glossed over, especially in romance novels that often shy away from these topics. This novel presents these characters in multi-dimensional ways, and these traits are represented in more than one character.

The blurb of the novel itself draws comparisons to Jane Austen. I first fell in love with Pride and Prejudice many years before I dove into historical romance. I have found that these recently written historical fiction doesn’t always catch the essence of Austen. Reputation is a definite exception. It does so for several reasons. First, it focuses on more than titles. We have middle-class representation, and not everyone is a duke! But also because we get to see a young woman navigate family relationships, the prospect of her future, love and desire, and her character all while making mistakes.

This was a solid read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I highly recommend picking this up if you enjoy realistic female characters, representation, and romances that go beyond the love story.

I've seen this book described as a Regency Mean Girls, and I definitely think that description fits.

Georgiana is living with her aunt and uncle when she meets Frances, who is basically our Regina George. Georgiana subsequently gets sucked into this world where the rules of society don't apply to this upper echelon. She's shocked many times but finds herself mimicking the behaviors she finds repulsive in others.

I kept seeing others say this book was funny or humorous, but I did not find that to be the case. It was a pretty dark look into peer pressure, I would not describe this as a rom-com at all, but it could be relatable to those who have found themselves in situations where they felt the pressure to fit in with a group of people who they find exciting at first but find out too late they're quite shady.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC copy. All thoughts are my own.

Abandoned by her parents, bookish and sheltered Georgiana Ellers is spending the summer with her stodgy aunt and uncle at their home in the English countryside. At a particularly dull party, she meets the enigmatic Frances Campbell, a wealthy member of the in-crowd who delights Georgiana with her disregard for so-called “polite society.”

Lonely and vulnerable, Georgiana quickly falls in with Frances and her wealthy, wild, and deeply improper friends, who introduce her to the upper echelons of Regency aristocracy, and a world of drunken debauchery, frivolous spending, and mysterious young men. One, in particular, stands out from the rest: Thomas Hawksley, who has a tendency to cross paths with Georgiana in her most embarrassing moments. Sparks fly, but Thomas seems unimpressed with the company she is keeping. And soon, Georgiana begins to wonder whether she’ll ever feel like she fits in––or if the price of entry into Frances’s gilded world will ultimately be higher than she is willing to pay.

This is regency Mean Girls. More importantly, it's one of the funniest historical book that I have read...Lots of LOL moments, funny quotes, sarcastic observations, I love the feminist tone throughout the book. It's not preachy or righteous..... Love, love this funny book. :)

Thanks to the publisher for providing an arc.

Reputation is the debut novel by Lex Croucher. I love Regency era books and this on was a good read. I did not love it but did not hate it either. The protagonist, Georgiana, was a good character. Coming of age in this period could not have been easy. Add friends that range from crazy to creepy and you are having a rough go through life’s complex journey. All in all, a solid read if you enjoy historical fiction.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****