This book is not the right fit for my audience. I found it to be humorous, but parts of it slightly vulgar. With that said, I can see this book being wildly popular on Bookstagram and the bookish social media communities. I'm sure that many people will relate to Georgania. It presents a different side of the culture and lifestyle of the Regency era.

Thanks to NetGalley for this audiobook ARC!

It's been a while since a book made me feel this much. The way that the plot slowly unfolded, small comments that seemed out of place in contrast to the atmosphere, but then everything just clicked and the small comments just actually were signs that you shouldn't just gotten out earlier? It was just such a good story about self-accountability and female friendships and how hard it can be to make the right decisions.

Reputation is a step into the wild world of Regency England seen through the eyes of Georgiana who has come to live with her aunt and uncle.  When Georgiana meets Frances her whole world comes alive with rich young adults who take what they want. Think lots of drinking, pretentious attitude, and passion.

There were some funnier moments in the book - the banter between Georgiana and her beau was what one comes to expect from a rom-com. But this book is also filled with some very heavy topics - drug and alcohol abuse, rape, physical assault, emotional abuse by family members to name just a few.  Not at all what I was expecting from a book marketed in the romance genre.

Sometimes a reader and book are not well-matched and this is the case with Reputation and this reader. I felt the characters were just not likeable and their behaviour was a little too pretentious.  Furthermore, it did not have the levity I look for in a rom-com. 

Audiobook Review:

I listened to the audiobook version of Reputation which was narrated by Bessie Carter.  Her expression and enthusiasm in this performance provided enhanced entertainment value to the book.  I would not hesitate to recommend the audiobook version of Reputation to those that appreciate this format.

DNF at 33%
I love unfolding teen drama and regency. Combining the two sounds like a match made for TV. In fact, I could probably watch this with a bowl of popcorn and not blink an eye. It didn't work for me on page. There didn't seem to be any relationship or character or plot arc developing and pausing reading for life didn't feel as disruptive as I would have hoped. The only thing that seemed to be happening was carousing and sneaking around to the detriment of others.
The best part of this book and why I would keep going is the narration by Bessie Carter. Her voice and performance is easy to listen to. However, when I would stop listening to switch to reading, I found myself wondering why I was continuing to read. I may go back to it if fellow reviewers say the last two two-thirds is magic.
Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy and Macmillan Audio for the alc. All thoughts are my own.

Did you like mean girls? Do you like a good ole regency romance but need something a little fresh? This is for you.

Reputation is witty and engaging and dramatic-- a wonderful read all around. This was a *truly* delightful take on my fave regency romance. A wallflower-y girl moves in with her Aunt and Uncle and sort of goes wild finding good friends and fake friends, trying out all sorts of new vices, exploring the wild side of the ton and eventually figuring out what she really wants and prioritizing her relationships. It was about friendship and found family and love. There were queer characters in there although they were not the main characters. Honestly, the whole cast was well written. While some of them were pretty horrible humans, it was absolutely interesting to read! I also reallllllly appreciated that not everyone in this story is just white/british, but some people have other cultural backgrounds which was refreshing and something I have really been missing in similar stories. The romance is sweet and develops naturally. All of the relationships are well written with an appropriate amount of 'instant connection's and work to build!

TW for sexual assault in this one as it is a major catalyst for the story, BUT it was not graphic or anything like that. There is actually no graphic/detailed sexual content in this book.

Beth, the friend is my FAVE from this story and I truly hope she will get her own spinoff because she is truly a gem.

Read/Listen if you like:
❤️ A brooding male love interest
❤️ A naïve MC finding their path
❤️ Regency Era
❤️ LGBTQA+ Representation
❤️ A wild friend group partying, exploring, navigating love, and the future

Audiobook Review:
The narration of this book was perfection for me. I realized after the fact that it was most likely something I enjoyed so much as the narrator’s voice was one I already associated from the era from watching season one of Bridgerton.

For the actual story, it has Bridgerton vibes for me, but on steroids. This book had drinking, drugs, wild parties, illicit affairs, and so much more as this followed Georgiana’s entrance into a new society group and navigating this new social circle.

There were many twists and turns that happened due to the poor decisions that Georgiana and her friends made, but you still found yourself rooting for her, as well as for Francis.

I appreciated the ending with the nod to characters being able to live their truth and have happiness.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC of this book! I am so thankful to obtain a copy to read in advance of its release!

This book had so much potential! The author leans heavily on the mean girl trope and never quite recovers. I disliked all the characters and felt there was no real redemption at the end for any of them. Skip.

Gossip Girl meets Pride and Prejudice? YES, PLEASE! Lower class Georgianna is thrust into the elite circle of regency society, and it might just be her downfall.

This bitchy, riotous take on the Regency era had me gasping with shock and flipping the pages at the speed of light. I would love to see this story adapted to the big (or small) screen.

4.5 ⭐️

This was the perfect modern touch to a Jane Austen-esque story. Think mean girls meets gossip girl meets Emma meets pride & prejudice ?!

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook courtesy of Net Galley and Macmillan audio and I had a hard time pressing pause.

Georgiana’s desire to add some spice into her life and be part of the “it crew” was completely relatable to your average teenage rebellion nowadays . Experimenting with alcohol and drugs and relaxed modesty … it was super entertaining to read.

As someone who loves the idea of Pride and Prejudice more than I actually liked the story, this was the perfect story for me.

Huxley was the perfect gentleman… quiet and understated with a bit of a mystery about him but a heart big enough to make you swoon. Betty was the chaotic good friend everyone needs in their corner… and Francis was your typical misunderstood popular chick with a hard exterior but a secret soft side that makes a subtle debut.

Honestly I loved this so much. I also enjoyed the addition of lgbt love interests and the slight discussions about the dangers of excessive drinking.

TW: sexual assault, alcohol abuse , drug use , implied / attempted rape

I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of this once it’s published!

petty petty petty... this book was not an enjoyable one for me. None of the characters were likable and the entire premise was gossip girl meets Downton Abbey, which sounds nice but just didn't work this time. The narrator was okay, but her exaggerated accent was a bit annoying.

A bit misleading…..states RomCom, but has a dark side. Set during the Regency time period with the Mean Girl attitude. Really could been any era as there really isn’t to much “Regency” in the story. Mostly about partying and partying hard! Miss Georgiana Ellers is sent to her boring Aunt and Uncle, there she meets Francis Campbell, party girl, mean girl that allows Georgie into her circle of friends and vices. Georgie is thrilled to be included. It’s a story of friendship and growing up. I thought there may never be a end to all the partying, it seemed to drag on before the storyline finally comes thru. Some storylines barely touch on a topic and was never really went anywhere. The best thing was the narrator, but as for the story was lacking in my opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #Reputation

Regency era novels with a slight modern twist always intrigue me, so I was excited to see a new take with Reputation. If you’re more of a “purist” historical reader, then this novel may not be fully for you. For me, I love these types of novels where it is set in a historical period but mirrors some modern-day elements. The story follows twenty years old Georgiana Ellers, who is sent to live with her aunt and uncle after her parents decide to relocate to the seaside. At a dinner party she meets Frances Campbell, an elite socialite who loves trouble. As Georgiana grew up more sheltered, she is fascinated by Frances’s world and is excited to become a part of it.

Throughout the novel Georgiana explores the meaning of friendship as she navigates those that are true friends and those that have less meaning. There is also a romance that develops between Georgiana and a man named Thomas Hawksley. This is more of a secondary story compared to the friendships, but it was still well-written. I enjoyed Georgiana and Thomas’s interactions and how Thomas was more open with his emotions. There are interesting secondary characters, such as, Frances, Cecily (Frances’s friend), and Betty (a girl Georgiana meets). While they may not all be likable, they all worked together within the story.

The novel itself is full of scandal that is exposed as Georgiana navigates this new world. She is a painfully naïve character, so she is frustrating at times, but she has great growth over the course of the novel. She makes many mistakes and does terrible things at times, which she eventually needs to reflect on. There are some darker themes throughout the story, such as alcohol abuse, sexual assault, and racism, just to name a few. These are touched on throughout, but I do wish that they were explored in greater detail. The general outline follows a similar structure to Mean Girls, so it is easy to see why this comparison works. As I listened to this on audiobook, I greatly enjoyed the narrator and it helped move the story along at a decent pace. There were some places in the writing that were a little slower, but the audiobook kept me interested. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and I look forward to reading the author’s next release!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Meh… that is how I felt when this book finished. It was just okay. Francis was an awful selfish character. Georgina had no self confidence and did not feel the spark come off the pages between her and Thomas.

I really enjoyed this book, and it was not what I was expecting (ie it's not a typical romance).
Most strikingly, the narrative style has that Jane Austen tone/style to it that I love, but it is also incredibly modern seeming as George finds herself being drawn into a hard partying and drinking crowd (debauchery indeed). Croucher writes about the young, rich, and privileged in a space that is usually mired in decorum - especially for ladies. It is realistic that such privileged rich kids could get away with this behavior because they would be protected by their wealth and each other - after all, in an unchaperoned cottage who is there to report to society what may or may not have happened in a dark corner?
I got definite Mean Girl vibes - George is the young, naive Katy who is brought in by the captivating Queen Bee Frances (I love that George introduces her as knowing she is instantly in the presence of a Main Character) who does ultimately live up to her Regina George-esc nature. The novel is less a romance about George, and more of a novel describing how she falls into this partying lifestyle and how it effects her. It is not a traditional romance, but I wouldn't hold that against this book. The narrative voice alone is worth the cost of entry (and the audiobook narrator is FANTASTIC - I would pick up an audiobook in the future solely because she narrates it) and it was refreshing to follow multiple characters' (even though we only ever stay with George's POV), even if most of them do not experience any growth whatsoever.
I do enjoy George's romance arc with Thomas, but I'm also glad I barely glanced at the book description, as her romance with Thomas doesn't develop until the novel is well under way (another thing that marks it apart from what I would consider "traditional" romance which is exclusively concerned with developing the relationship between the hero and heroine) - the main relationship is George's friendship with Frances, and it was a relationship I really enjoyed exploring with Croucher.
HUGE DISCLAIMER though - sexual assault is a significant factor in the climax/resolution of the novel, so if that is a deal breaker for you, you won't want to pick this up. I do like what Croucher does with this plotline, but I was also shocked by its presence in the novel.

LIKES:
📝 vivid, emotional yet jaunty & funny writing
🇬🇧 set in the english countryside!
📜 recency-era historical vibes
📖 light bookish vibes
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQIA+ representation
👭 explores friendship dynamics
💰+ class dynamics
👨‍👩‍👧 + family dynamics (lightly)
🆔 + mixed race identity in 1700s british society
💊 examines substance use & abuse
🫀 a deep, dark complex friendship & love story
👨‍💼 an icy, reserved, misunderstood love interest!
🌱 coming-of-age/personal growth vibes
•
DISCLAIMERS:
⚠️ DM me for TW!
🦥 a little slow to start
👎 unlikeable leads at times
🤨 some of the social dynamics felt unrealistic for the time
•
VERDICT: a FANTASTIC regency-era rom-com-dram serving ALL the jaunt, humor, & high society tea we want + all the emotion, representation, & introspection we NEED! Perf for pre/post-Bridgerton OR those wanting to dip their toes into historical reads with a contemporary feel!

4.25 stars

This one was a fun mix of (loosely) historical romantic fiction combined with some interesting anachronisms (largely in some speech patterns and phrases). The description of this story as a blend of Gossip Girl and Bridgerton with touches of Jane Austen also fits. The characters and plot were dramatic and relevant, if a bit predictable at times, but they were enjoyable, and it was clear that the writer was trying to appeal to contemporary audiences with some of her choices. Overall, I did like this one, and I’ll keep an eye out for similar work from this writer in the future.

Drama, drama, drama! This was right when it was described as Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl, Meets Jane Austen. I saw so many of my favorite heroes and heroines wrapped up in this book, (and so many villians too).
Georgiana was sent to live with her aunt and uncle by parents that didn't really want to be parents. While she is living with them, she becomes friendly with many of the high society kids her age. One thing is clear, they don't live like the rest of them and they can get away with almost anything.
George becomes fast friends with Frances, a mixed race girl that seemingly wants for nothing. When it becomes clear that underneath it all, these kids don't have EVERYTHING, some of them can handle it better than others. George just wants to be accepted. While she is in a lower class, she knows that Frances likes her for her and isn't worried about what others think. Until their friendship is tested and things start to come crashing down.
The one savior is the broody, Thomas Hawksley. He keeps George grounded and brings out the best in her.
There were a lot of hard subjects that were touched on in this book and I enjoyed the diveristy. This was real and raw and showed us things that Jane Austen wouldn't have. I felt for George because wanting to fit in is real and just when you think you have it all figured out, the rug could be pulled out from you. I really enjoyed the narrator, she really brought the story to life.
Thank you to MacMillian Audio, Lex Croucher and Netgalley for an early audio copy.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this advance listener copy and advance reader copy.

Description from NetGalley:
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.
Set against a backdrop of lavish parties, handsome men on horseback––and in a time when one’s reputation was everything––this edgy, hilarious romantic comedy explores sex, consent, belonging, and status through the eyes of an unforgettable heroine that Austen herself would have cheered for.
Having both the ebook and audio for this was delightful. It was very immersive and great to hear the accents. The narrator did a great job. The plot is definitely the “grass isn’t always greener” and a finding out who you are kind of story. I loved Georgiana and felt for how uncomfortable she felt in the fancy/rich world, “polite society.” I also felt for the others because of what society would expect out of them.
If you are a Pride and Prejudice fan, then I highly recommend this book, both written and audio.
Overall: 4/5

One of the tags that made this book capture my attention was, “Mean Girls meets Bridgerton”, and yeahhhhhh- spot on! At first glance, we have a Regency-era story about a young woman named Georgiana, trying to find friends and a match in society. Peel back the layers and we have a really diverse group of people all struggling with their own internal plights, whilst also trying to maintain and gain the best social standing possible. Basically my high school into college years, but with a corset. Georgiana falls in with the cool crowd and has to learn to be herself, tell her truth and stand up for herself against an abuser. The story is timely, and sweet. Georgiana finds her footing, falls in love, and protects her reputation.
Overall I would have loved a little more romance and smolder. I don’t need any Bridgerton library scenes, but you can’t give me Thomas (basically a Mr. Darcy or “The Duke”) and not fulfill my romantic whims 😭😅🤤 3.5 stars. A cute young adult read.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion!

Gossip Girl and Mean Girls meet Pride & Prejudice in Reputation by Lex Croucher, out April 5.
Georgiana Ellers is taken in by her boring aunt and uncle after being pushed aside and forgotten by her parents. At a stuffy party, Georgiana meets Frances Campbell, an upper-class young woman who takes Georgiana under her wing, inviting her into the world of lawless socialite society. Georgiana, or George, as her new friends call her, realizes that these people may just have the appearance of class, and maybe aren’t as happy as they appear.

This book had me hooked. I was wondering what the characters were doing while I wasn’t reading. I was simultaneously rooting for Georgiana and wishing for her demise. She was likable while doing terrible things with terrible people. The author lifted a few iconic Mean Girls quotes, which I loved. This book also had strong Dickinson vibes and even had a background Emily/Sue dynamic going on.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of any of the aforementioned shows/movies. Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.