I really wanted to like this book- for some reason it just didn't gel for me. I found some of the situations just too implausible, and it made it hard for me to keep reading.

Review

This is a story about a girl named Georgiana who lives with her Aunt and Uncle and desperately wants to be friends with Frances. As she becomes friends with Frances, she starts making bad decisions and Frances is a very troubled women. Georgiana eventually falls in love with one of the men in the group who hangs around the “cool kids” but doesn’t approve of their behavior. Some pretty heavy topics are dealt with in this book.

It’s like a Regency Mean Girls mixed with Bridgerton, if you will. I’m not a huge Mean Girls fan. Being a girl mom, I cringe about stories of mean girls and misguided girls trying to desperately fit in. (I do einjoy Bridgerton though).

I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is like "Bridgerton" meets "Gossip Girl" while set in a Jane Austen-era regency period, which instantly intrigued me. From the start, something about Croucher's language and character's agency feels so contemporary in style despite its historical setting which created something totally now. While this book was, unfortunately, a bit slow to get into at the start, it soon won me over as I was drawn into Georgiana's new world as she discovers life's pleasures for the first time as well as her enemies-to-lovers situations with a very Fitzwilliam Darcy-esque leading man, Thomas Hawksley. It's such a fun, regency romp of a read, that's for sure!

As a historical fiction fan, I jumped right on this! It’s described as Mean Girls meets Jane Austen and I can see the inspiration from both. The book delves into some pretty dark subject matter so please be aware of content/trigger warnings for drug use, alcohol abuse, and physical/sexual abuse.

While this is an enjoyable read and I liked the representation of POC and LGBTQ+ in the book, there were times when I felt the writing, content, and/or dialogue didn’t quite fit the historical fiction genre very well. IMO, parts felt contrived and just didn’t flow.

I did like the characters-well, some I loved to hate-and adored Thomas and Georgiana. Don’t go into this expecting a “true” historical romance or you will be disappointed. Be prepared for frenemies, debauchery, and a good time with a heavy dose of Regency Mean Girls thrown in!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an advanced copy.

*A detailed review will be posted on my blog (onceuponabookbabe.com) release week. An Instagram post will be up on release day.*

I loved this book so much. The witty-ness of characters, and the banter. I just loved this book. As a huge Jane Austen fan, this was my book. Only thing I don’t like. I have to wait until April 2022. I can’t wait to recommend this book!

What good reader wouldn’t love a good Jane Austin book. While this book reads with some similarities to the legendary writer. This book reads very fast I think. I found some of the wording a little to
Exacerbated, I had some idea of what the meaning pertained to the sentence. The reads with dry and light humor which helps ease the book along.

I started this book with absolutely 0 background of the author or the potential plot. And wow was I INCREDIBLY impressed and pleased with this! From the very beginning the author paints a life and friendship reminiscent of Jane Austen's Emma, the quirky young fun energy of Anne of Green Gables, and the drama of Bridgerton. The romance is an endearing slowburn, but the real standout of this book is the friendships. I fell in love with Georgiana and her complicated relationship with Frances. The group dynamics of peer pressure and wanting to fit in were so relatable and incredibly well-written this book became an instant-recommend for me. Croucher also touches upon topics such as queerness, eating disorders, and sexual assault in a way that is relatable and caring in its craft.

*Trigger warnings for rape and sexual assault.

This book was a delightful romp. Mean Girls meets Regency England. I assumed that was just a descriptor, but finding actual quotes from the movie made me laugh out loud! I really enjoyed this book, and usually I am very strict about needing my Regency books to be well-written and was unsure about the modern-ish twist to this story but I really thought it was a breath of fresh air. I also know the author purposely showed Regency England as it was, without whitewashing, which I heartily appreciated.

I got 32% of the way through "Reputation" by Lex Croucher before I just had to stop. I love regency. I loved the Bridgerton books. I also love Jane Austen. For the description of this to claim that it’s part bridgerton, part Jane Austen, part gossip girl… it’s insulting to the first two. The author writes with no understanding of the regency time period (devastating to a regency lover). It feels like was just a convenient time to set the novel in. The heroine is incredibly unlikeable. I kept trying to give it a chance but once we got into rampant drug use I just had to stop. Not for me, and honestly, not likely to be for any regency fan.

All the reviews stated this was Mean Girls crossed with Bridgerton. I love both of those, so I was really looking forward to this book!

I tried to like it - I really did. But - should I have to TRY?

I did not care for Georgiana - she just annoyed me. There was no reason that I could put my finger on - or maybe there was just nothing to actually like. I also thought the other characters were too superficial, but not in a funny way like Mean Girls. I also didn't think any of them were well rounded. I know I am in the minority, and most people really loved this book. But it did nothing for me.

I hate writing bad reviews. An author puts so much time and effort, and puts so much of themselves into it. But I truly did not enjoy this book. It wasn't bad - I was just bored.

In a strange way, this actually reminded me of The Great Gatsby - again, I am in the minority, but I did not appreciate the appeal. Superficial people doing superficial things, with an underlying deeper theme, which passed me by. But if you enjoyed that (and most people did), you might really like this book.

.I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

This is a 3.5 rounded to a 4 because the ending was much stronger than the beginning. It took me a bit to get invested in this story, but after getting through what seems to be excessive details and fluff, I really enjoyed how this one played out. There's definitely a Mean Girls but in the Regency era feel but then some nods to more modern takes on relationships and lingo. Overall, it's a quick, mostly light, read with well developed characters and a rom-com ending that leaves the reader with the desired closure.

Mean Girls really said to Jane Austen, "Hold my sherry, b*tch."

When her parents abscond to the coast for her mother's health, Georgiana Ellers is shipped off to her tedious aunt and uncle. They have very different ideas of what constitutes as fun and good company, so when Georgiana meets the vibrant and confident Frances Campbell, she becomes enamoured by her and her rich life. To her great surprise and happiness, Frances takes an interest in her and invites her to raucous, unchaperoned and wine-drenched parties and outings with her equally as vivacious friends. But being hip with the in-crowd isn't all fun and games, and Georgiana has to decide what kind of person she wants to be in the presence of such social goddesses.

To say this was amusing is an understatement. This was an incredibly witty and entertaining novel with some of the most colourful and cruel characters ever to be portrayed in Regency England. A true historical romp of shocking proportions. The line "Get in, Georgiana. We're going shopping" alone had me in stitches. I really must commend the author for taking such a risk with this book but still absolutely nailing the historical context and language. Reading a few lines out loud, I felt like Keira Knightly as Lizzie Bennett. I realize that makes me seem unhinged, but it's a compliment. Perfect tone and delivery and enough to have me reading whatever Lex Croucher wants to publish in future.

The characters are what really make the Mean Girls comp sing, and I'll admit I did struggle a little to jive with them. If you're expecting the demure society ladies from Bridgerton, best you not. These young ladies and gentlemen are cruel, selfish, and believe themselves above it all. They have reputations to uphold, after all, and your little opinion does not matter when mother can send a letter and have you sent off to a convent. Frances is the most vicious of them all; the true queen bee of this group of friends Georgiana finds herself desperate to fit into. Part of what made me struggle with this in the beginning was how Georgiana acted in said desperation. She became someone she really wasn't, and there's a lot of collateral damage along the way to figuring out how she wants to behave. The character development is truly worth talking about though, and I am so, so satisfied by the ending. Think Jane Austen's Emma with an excellent stance on feminism. Regardless of what anyone thinks, Frances truly is a wretch of a young woman and I wish her nothing but the worst.

I feel like such a cad saying this, but I've read enough of both age groups to confidently say that this would be better shelved as upper YA rather than Adult, strictly because of the content and characters. They're all around the age of twenty, but they do seem more teenaged with first loves and heartbreaks, the desire to fit in and be liked, raucous parties filled with alcohol and drugs where they try to find themselves, catty bullying to feel better about one's self. It's all very reminiscent of high school instead of college. Does that conclusion minimize how great this book was to read? Absolutely not!

At one point I was going to give this three stars, but this book won me over in the end hard. The character development is top-notch, so my rating is four point five rounded up.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Reputation by Lex Croucher is a historical rom-com that is perfect for fans of Bridgerton! The story is a Regency-era romance revolving around, Georgiana Ellers, who would rather spend her time reading than socializing at parties. After meeting wealthy party girl Frances Campbell, Georgiana is taken on a whirlwind ride of money, gossip, and debauchery. She even meets a handsome man who considers going on a date with. But is all of this excess too good to be true? What dangers lie behind the shiny veneer?

Here is a hilarious excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Georgiana did not think the Burtons particularly monstrous, and due to her current and miserable lack of connections she had absolutely nowhere better to be, but it seemed rude to bring that up at the minute, so she clinked her glass against the flask and drank deeply. Frances sighed wearily, wilting against the pillar as if there were truly no agony in this world greater than enduring a below-par social occasion.
“The only consolation in all of this is that the lady of the house is truly a character. Have you seen her dress? It’s all pink satin and questionable corseting. She looks like a strawberry blancmange that somebody’s grabbed hold of and squeezed. I imagine Mr. Gadforth will have to rub her down with goose fat to slide her out of it later.”"

Overall, Reputation is an amazing historical rom-com that is perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Jane Austen! The book is fun, light-hearted, and has plenty of laughs and romance. I was particularly impressed by the author's note in the back of the book, where the author says that she included black and Indian characters in this book, because Regency-era England was actually a multicultural society. I am so happy that the author included diverse characters in her book, which is something many Regency-era romances lack. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of historical romances, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in April!

Reputation is a historical fiction about a young girl, Georgiana, who is sent by her uninvolved parents to live with her Aunt and Uncle and her attempts to form friendships and have a social life. Reputation is categorized as a romance by the publishers, but really the bigger stories here are Georgiana's relationships with her new peers, her own self-discovery, and her realization of where her limitations lie.

Georgiana is so desperate to have a circle of friends that she goes along with whatever shenanigans her new clique, led by Francis, get into. These new friends are wealthy and unsupervised, and Georgiana finds herself repeatedly in circumstances that facilitate debauchery and bad decision-making. Eventually, she has to make a choice between doing the right thing and risking friendships and reputations. I have seen this frequently compared to Mean Girls, but I got more of a Heathers vibe (could be the Gen X in me). It wasn't terribly historically accurate, but sometimes these Regency-era stories can get bogged down following all of the rules of the era, so I actually found it refreshing to do away with many of the societal requirements of the day and take some liberties with character activities.

I really enjoyed this story and would definitely read more by this author.

4.5/5 Stars

Reputation is mean girls b it set in the Regency-era. If want you want out of this books is historical accuracy, you will probably be disappointed. But, if you just a funny, entertaining romcom, this might be one to check out.

I binged this book in one afternoon and really enjoyed. It was a ton of fun- though it does deal with some heavier topics in the later half of the book, remember to check the TWs!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a eARC in exchange for a honest review!

TW: excessive drinking and SA

Reputation is the result you get when you put Mean Girls in a Regency era setting. Georgiana's parents have left her to her aunt and uncle while they retire to the countryside. Unfortunately, Georgiana's aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Burton, are not the most exciting people. Georgiana seeks fun and eventually finds Frances. Frances is everything Georgiana wishes she could be and is quick to do whatever it takes to please her. All the while, Georgiana is trying to catch the eye of Mr. Thomas Hawksley, a Mysterious man who's just Different.

I think the author has done a great job illustrating what it is like to be desperate to fit in. Georgiana continues to step over her boundaries because she idolizes Frances. Over time, we can see Frances pushing that boundary farther and farther. Georgiana loses her sense of individuality among Frances and her friends, and for that reason I didn't see much of Georgiana's personality. There were times she could have spoken up, know she should have, but didn't because she was afraid of losing her place.

The romance was kind of on the backburner for a good portion of the story, but it has some shining moments. I believe the main focus of the book is the dynamic between Frances and Georgiana, so if you go into it hoping it's a romance, you may be disappointed.

My main gripe with this book is how out of character it is for Regency era events. Certainly there were events in this book that took place during this time, but it was treated like these were ordinary. The scandal of their actions did not have the stakes that a real Regency story would have. The rules of society were extremely strict and they seemed to be almost completely disregarded. I feel like this book could've done the same thing in a different setting, maybe the early 1900s.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I liked the humor and the pacing. It's a good length and I would recommend this book to new adult readers.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review

Going into this book, I found it very difficult to capture my attention. I have been very into watching period dramas recently so I was very excited to start this book. Getting into it though was very difficult to me. George was very hard for me to like at first. No matter, my heart grew fonder and by the end I was enamored but her.

This book was just a whirlwind for me when it came to the characters. I completely understand George’s actions and how she wanted to feel apart of the group, she did not want to be looked at as an outsider so she stepped out of her comfort zone and became someone that she did not necessarily want to be. Until that realization she had, it was difficult for me to fully enjoy her story because it was so difficult for me to see someone who is self aware of what she is doing, continue to hurt someone who is in the same position as she once was.

I started to like George the more she was around Thomas, not only because I liked reading about Thomas, but simply because she was her best self. Thomas brought out the best in her, he helped her understand her actions, he didn’t let her use Francis as her scapegoat, and she became a much better person because of it. Even though she was betrayed by Francis she continued to look out for her because she realized she was a bad friend and didn’t want Francis to have to go through everything alone. What she did at the end by facing her attacker to save Francis really showed her true character.

No matter, while it was hard for me to get into, I am glad I stuck through with this story. I think George became the best version of herself even with all the trauma and loss she endured.

3.5

I've always marked the measure of a good by how it makes one as a reader feel. The fact that one can be embarrassed, giddy, sorrowful or joyed by the antics of the character in its pages. This book had all of it!

I love Mean Girls. I love historical romance. I love feminist takes on classics.

But Reputation just...didn't come together for me. I wanted to like it so badly, but I didn't. A large part of it was the narrator: Georgiana rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn't get past my dislike of her voice and perspective. I'm know it worked for a lot of readers, judging by the glowing Goodreads reviews, but...it didn't for me. I also was frustrated by the rather two-dimensional characters. Not every character needs to be rounded and dynamic, but so many of them felt like shallow caricatures.

I will say I appreciated the theme of privilege and the ways in which Croucher used the historical setting to comment on modern issues. The historical anachronism I thought was used nicely in service of the themes and characterization.

I recieved my ebook ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are mine alone.

Actual rating: 4.5

The best way I can describe Reputation is Bridgerton meets Mean Girls and it really worked for me!

This story follows Georgiana, George for short, as she moves in with her aunt and uncle for a few months while her parents get settled in a new place. Really George knows that her parents just want her away.

In her new home, George meets a young woman from a high class society and George is amazed when Francis takes her under her wing. George is swept up in an entirely new world of parties, drinks, and learning all about men and the things couples do behind closed doors.

Of course, soon her new and fast life style catches up with her and she not only has to put up with her parents, but save her reputation as well.

I devoured this book! I have never read anything like this and now I'm hooked! The writing was amazing and the dialogue was so witty! I didn't know what to expect going into this book, but it surpassed anything I could ever dream up!

This is one that I will be purchasing as soon as it releases.