I could not put this one down! The mix of Regency Era England, Mean Girls, and Bridgerton combine to form an enjoyable and entertaining story. A solid mix of the nuances of female relationships and romance. The naïve main character was likable, even while making a series of mistakes throughout the story. The supporting characters were all well thought out and a broader range of people than is usually included in Regency novels. A highly recommended read!

I keep thinking this book leans more toward a YA book, except this book has more adult content. My view is young people going wild with drugs and alcohol with no adult supervision. Avoiding responsibility to the point I did not like many of the characters.
Georgiana has been abandoned by her parents to live with her aunt and uncle. Lonely and wanting to have friends and fun, she becomes a part of a fast crowd. She's attracted to the quiet Thomas Hawksley. As the group loses more control, George needs to change her ways to keep Thomas.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This book is a very unusual Regency romance...its Gossip Girl meets Mean Girls.

Georgiana Ellers has moved to the countryside to live with her aunt and uncle after her parents moved to the seaside to help her mother’s health. Her parents basically abandoned her. Georgiana’s aunt and uncle are very good to her, but they live a boring life, and Georgiana becomes lonely and depressed. Until she meets vivacious Frances, daughter of Lord and Lady Campbell, and a fast friendship ensues. Georgiana is introduced to the wealthy friends of Frances and she becomes one of their circle of friends.

George is the Jenny Humphrey (Gossip Girl) or Kady Heron (Mean Girls) of the story.
Frances Campbell is the Regina George (Mean Girls) of it all, Frances is the daughter of Lord and Lady Campbell and seemingly the highest class of all the characters.
Cecily Dugray, Jane Woodley, Jonathan Smith – Frances’ entourage of friends she is rarely seen without.
Jeremiah Russell – Frances’ supposed boyfriend-soon-to-be-fiancé who is despicable.
Thomas Hawksley – A friend of Jeremiah’s who seems more reserved and stays away from the trouble everyone else seems to get into. Thomas is grieving and hurting, he's very broody, sensitive and he seems to turn up whenever George is drunk and bound to say or do something inappropriate.
Betty Walters – A young naïve but sweet girl who Mrs Burton thinks will be a great friend to George.

Thomas had a Anthony Bridgerton moment-he rode on a horse in the rain to save George. Their love story was adorable. Mrs Burton in the end was a badass and Betty was a true friend to George. George had some sort of epiphany in the end, that the lives of the upper class isn't all it’s cracked up to be, and the people she so desperately wants to be like, might just be the ones to pity after all.

This book is a quick read, with dry, witty humour that makes you not want to put it down.

Rep: Biracial (Indian) love interest; Biracial (Black) sapphic central character; lesbian and gay side characters.

Content warnings: Drinking; drug use; grief; domestic abuse; sexual assault; off-page rape; mentions of homophobia and racism.

When Georgiana Ellers goes to live with her aunt and uncle for the summer, she had no idea of the boredom that awaited her. She was hoping for a summer filled with parties and new friends, maybe even a little romance, or at least some new adventure. All the heroines of the novels she’d read, upon finding themselves in a new situation, immediately fell into a caper or a meet cute, which could only mean that they were in for days or even weeks of fascinating fun. When Georgiana moved in with Mr. and Mrs. Burton, she only found tedium.

When they were finally invited to a dinner party, Georgiana could hardly wait to get there, to find the excitement she’d been craving. Instead, she found plenty of party guests the age of her aunt and uncle who wandered through the dark house (the hostess was too cheap to buy enough candles) and talk about the garish color of the new curtain. Is it red? Is it purple? Either way, it’s ghastly, they said. It’s not until Georgiana mutters under her breath about their color choice that she realizes she’s not alone in her dark alcove. There is another young woman, about her age, and she shares those curtain sentiments. And just like that, Georgiana finds a friend.

Frances Campbell, daughter of Lord and Lady Campbell, takes Georgiana under her wing. She invites her to more events and introduces her to her group of friends. Georgiana meets Jane and Cecily, Jonathan and Christopher, and she finds out there is far more going on at their parties than what she reads about in her novels. The men and women spend time together unsupervised, alcohol flows quite freely, they smoke from a pipe that gets passed around, and they tell bawdy jokes that Georgiana’s aunt and uncle would definitely disapprove of. Georgiana wants to fit in, so she tries to hide her shock and drinks her wine. But when she gets a little tipsy, she finds herself talking to the one guy who had been sitting alone, quietly.

She’d found out that his name is Thomas Hawksley, and she finds out that she enjoys talking to him, even as she worries that she’s making a fool of herself in front of him. His hasty exit from the situation convinces her that he wasn’t interested, and yet she finds that she can’t stop thinking about him.

As the weeks of the summer go on, and the parties get even wilder, Georgiana starts to question what it is that she wants. She loves being friends with Frances, who brings the adventure and the excitement always. But there are some choices that she and her friends are making that are starting to make Georgiana uncomfortable, especially when she thinks of what Thomas must think of her. Basically Georgiana has to make a choice of what’s more important to her—her friendship with Frances or her good name?

Lex Croucher’s debut novel Reputation is Jane Austen with a modern twist. These characters live in Victorian England, but they could just as easily be transported to today’s London or even New York City. As these young women and men deal with issues such as class differences, binge drinking, LGBTQ+ identities, and social mores, they each have to decide how to live their lives to stay true to themselves. Any modern reader can relate to that.

I had a great time with Reputation. I thought it was smart and sassy, funny and thoughtful. It brought me back to reading Jane Austen for the first time, while bringing in lots of contemporary touches. I especially liked the character of Georgiana. She relies on her bookish knowledge but can adapt to changing circumstances with grace and poise. I think any fan of Austen would know what happens between the book’s heroine and the quiet moody boy brooding at the back of the party, but I loved the journey they took throughout the story. There were some lovely surprises that would make Jane herself smile, and I can’t think of a better book recommendation than that.

Egalleys for Reputation were provided by St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Thank you to Netgalley and @stmartinspress for my eARC for Reputation. Reputation is described as Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl. Having never watched the latter, I can’t say if that’s true. But, this funny historical romantic comedy takes Jane Austen-esque characters and makes them decidedly more risqué. Including black and brown characters and modern feminist plot lines, the characters are taken down a road of debauchery and Mean Girls spirit before coming ‘round for redemption. I enjoyed this one a lot despite some major 🤨 raised eyebrow moments throughout. 😲

Pick this one up for a fun, quick read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Reputation is clever, quirky and definitely a fun time. Not your typical Regency, but a cute mix of Mean Girls/Gossip Girl/Bridgerton/Pride & Prejudice mixed in one.

I absolutely loved the rep (always love a Biracial character) but the main heroine just rubbed me the wrong way and it took away a little for me. Definitely only a personal preference though!

I'd heard this book described as a "Regency era Mean Girls" so I went into it with an open mind. In the end, I found this book a mediocre read and was overall disappointed. I love reading historicals, especially historical romance, because I enjoy immersing myself in the setting and era. I didn't get that out of this book. I also struggled to connect with the characters and didn't particularly care what happened to them at the end of the day. There are plenty of trigger warnings in this book, and at the end of the day I didn't find the story or characters compelling.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this ebook!

Bridgerton with the twist of Gossip Girl and Mean girl all combined in one. I couldn't put it down. If you haven't picked it up. Do so.

Do you ever read a regency romance and wish there was more drinking, drugs, carousing, and toxic friendships? YES?! Let me introduce you to my new friend, Reputation by @lexcanroar. This is book is what happens when Gossip Girl gets Jane Austen pregnant. Which biologically could happen since SPOILER ALERT Gossip Girl was a boy (Dan you are a devious, catty little bitch).

Georgiana has moved in with her aunt and uncle and is bored AF. She meets fiesty Franny at a party and is immediately pulled into her world of unchaperoned debauched wealth. Franny has a raging borderline personality disorder and suffers from having a lot of money and horrible parents- lots of red flags here! Run away girl, you in danger! Yet, Georgiana becomes enamored immediately. G takes little time to start being an asshole like the rest of these miscreants all whilst having the best summer of her life- drinking gin, taking opium, sending drunk letters with her quill (regency drunk texting at its finest).

This book was golden. It was delicious, pop escapism and was a delight to read. Please someone make this into a Netflix series- @reesewitherspoon @oliviawilde @shondarhimes fight amongst yourselves. It’s the tv smut we all need.

Smut- 1 star sex smut. 4.5 stars drunken debauchery smut
Romance- 3.7 stars
Story- 4.3 stars
Daydreaming of Dan Humphrey and Jane Austen making a baby- 10 stars

This is a very specific type of book, I will be upfront about that. If you read Regency books and watch period dramas and think that the footman should’ve been in a specific place or an earl’s daughter wouldn’t have been addressed as X, Y, or Z, this isn’t the book for you. However, if you love the fun, fast pace, and melding of modern and period in Bridgerton, there is no better book for you.

The tagline on the back of the book is, “There is a truth universally acknowledged… that girls just want to have fun” and that really sums this book up! While I’m sure it comes to no one as a surprise, I wasn’t a popular person growing up as I spent most of my time dancing. This book gives you a look into the “popular girls” of the Regency period and a quasi-modern telling of their fast-paced lifestyle. It is an entertaining and fast-moving book, and wonderful for a mental escape from the stresses of adult life.

While Reputation took me a little bit to get into, I ended up really enjoying it. It's advertised as Mean Girls meets Bridgerton and they are not wrong! It's very enjoyable and fun. I loved the characters and the writing had me laughing out loud so much.

I will be purchasing a copy of Reputation for my library

DNF @ 26%. The description of this sounded really fun (Mean Girls mixed with Bridgerton) but I felt like it took too long to build the backstory. I gave it a quarter of the way through, but I’m still waiting for the story to start.

A YA Mean Girls/Gossip Girl set during England's Regency era. This is a true YA, not a crossover (which is fine, YA is great on its own and doesn't need to cross over!); most adults will probably be annoyed by the series of poor decisions made by and unthinking cruelty of the protagonist, who still manages to land a morally decent man by the end.

The novel is pretty true to the Mean Girls storyline, from the protagonist being a bookish nerd at heart, to the existence of a queen bee with an entourage including a dimwitted-but-gorgeous blonde, to a romance with an off-limits man forming a subplot that doesn't rise to the level of making this a romance/romcom (despite the book's marketing to that effect). The Gossip Girl element comes in with plenty of drugs, alcohol, and debauchery, all but the last of which our heroine partakes of unquestioningly despite her previous quiet and bookish life. Content warnings for rape/sexual assault (multiple), drug use, bullying, death of a loved one, parental neglect, underage alcohol use, and alcohol overdose.

Bonus points for the inclusion of characters of color (which, Croucher's careful to note in an author's note, did exist in 19th century England despite their frequent absence in 20th/21st century media depicting that time) as well as members of the LGBT+ community in a substantial proportion of the secondary characters.

Adults looking for a fun Mean Girls/Jane Austen mashup will not find that here, but this may well interest teens who like their novels with modern sensibilities but set in earlier eras.

Okay so this book is billed as Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl, however I would put it more as Mean Girls and Gossip Girl/Cruel Intentions meets the regency time period. That's not a bad thing, this book is an interesting amalgamation of the uber wealthy boredom and the lengths that they will go to stop being bored with a regency setting.

I liked the story. I couldn't bring myself to like the majority of the main characters, but Georgiana is interesting. She got so lost in Frank's sphere that she becomes like Kady in Mean Girls and has to find her way back to herself. I liked some of the supporting characters, and others kind of grew on me. I almost gave up reading it at about 20% but by the time that I hit 30% I was fully vested in finding out what happened next and how Georgiana would handle the next thing thrown at her. I did appreciate that this story blended the Bridgerton series with people of color moving freely in the upper crust, but also was a little more grounded in what probably occurred.

I recommend this for those that enjoyed the Gossip Girl books, and who like the regency time period.

Thank you to St Martin's Press, Lex Croucher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book prior to the US release date.

Fresh and fun and freaking hilarious. I loved this so much I already want to read it again! I thought the premise was so unique compared to other historicals and I laughed throughout the whole thing.

Looking for something to cure your Bridgerton blues?? Then look no further! Reputation is witty and fresh Regency Era Rom-Com that will have you doubled over with laughter.

Huge thank you to St. Martin’s press for the advanced copy.

I couldn’t put it down and rooted for Georgina from the beginning. It was so satisfying to witness how the character evolved, changed and learned to stand for herself!

This was an entertaining, well-written historical romantic comedy. It was clever, fun, and held my interest. I wanted to find out what would happen next and how things would turn out. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

This novel is full of charm and wit and such a delightful debut from Lex Croucher. This novel is currently marketed as a romance and while yes there is a romance story line, it is a bit more secondary. This novel reads more along the lines of a young adult or new adult regency story, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially if you enter the story with the proper expectations. I think Lex Croucher does a lovely job of crafting an interesting and well paced story. The dialogue is quippy and the characters are delightfully diverse and well rounded. This is a great novel to pick up if you are looking for a story about the ups and downs of societies influences during the time as well as the exploration of young women and how they influence each other in their friendships.

This novel follows Georgiana/Georgie's debut in Higher Society and learning to navigate the social waters. She has been abandoned by her parents and currently residing with her aunt and uncle. Georgie is of a middle class but in moving to this new environment she finds herself under the wing and influence of Frances, who is very wealthy, and her friends who open Georgie's world to the party side of the upper echelons of society.

This novel is compared to Mean Girls meets Jane Austen and it is a very apt parallel. This tag definitely drew me to be interested in this story and definitely clued me in that this novel would probably be a bit more focused on friendships and relationships over a full blown romance. Lex Croucher does a really nice job drawing inspiration from the theme of Mean Girls while crafting a new and fun exploration of society through the eyes of someone learning what these types of parties and get togethers look like behind closed doors. Georgie is young and innocent so it is very understandable that she becomes easily influenced and charmed by the unknown. I do like that as she goes deeper into the world she starts to learn more about herself, what she wants and how to ultimately stand up for herself. There is a secondary romance between her and the hero-Thomas, who happens to see her at her best and worse. I do love that Thomas is always on her side and finds her charming and real.

I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a fun and well written story that explores friendship, peer pressure, and personal growth in a regency world. Lex Croucher does a wonderful job of creating a world with subtle diversity that feels natural and true to the story. I am looking forward to seeing where Lex Croucher goes from here!

Reputation had a little more punch than I was originally anticipating. I honestly expected it to be a much fluffier piece. However, one should be advised that it definitely deals with some very serious topics that could be trigger warnings for some. For that reason, I'll have a spoiler in my review and I usually try to avoid that. I will list the trigger warnings at the bottom of my review for those that do not want to see them, you've been warned.

That said, this book definitely kept my attention and kept me turning the pages. Georgiana has recently been sent to live with her aunt and uncle. After living a very sheltered life, she's thrown into a social circle full of wealthy and social climbing individuals. It's definitely not an environment she's used to navigating. One of the more wealthy girls befriends her early on at a party and pulls her into the "it group". Instantly she is exposed to things that she is unaccustomed to and is quickly "swimming with sharks" so to speak. She will find out that everything is definitely not as it seems where friendships are concerned. Valuable lessons are sometimes painful ones.

If you are looking for a light and fluffy rom-com, this is not your book. If you are looking for something a bit deeper with tough topics, then it may be for you. Trigger warnings: rape, attempted rape, drug use, binge drinking

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained here are my own.