I don't think I'm the audience for this book. It's a well written romp suitable for a YA audience, essentially about a group of bored teens who could be in any college setting. Instead, they're set down in some historical era or other--it's not quite clear when--just for amusement. The only history appears to be carriages and a very careless pretense at chaperonage. I do hope the book finds its audience but that is not me. I will not be posting any reviews online. The writer does know how to write and should get credit for that.

Reputation is great mash-up of Netflix Bridgerton and Mean Girls .Story is creative, clever, and entertaining with loads of clever word play. I highly recommend this book when you're next in the mood for something completely different and entertaining! I look forward to more from this author.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a DNF for me about 40% through. It just didn't grab my attention like I thought it would. I was sold when I saw Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl but I don't think one really lived up to either.

I just couldn't get into the plot and it just felt like a bit of a chore to pick up. The plot wasn't really there and Georginia just felt childish. It wasn't what I was really hoping for and I couldn't bring myself to force my way through it.

Although it is set in the Regency era, the story topic felt modern. Wanting to fit in is not a modern occurrence and that is precisely how Reputation begins. Georgiana Ellers has grown up with emotionally distant parents and now that she finds herself living with her aunt and uncle, it is no surprise that she jumps at the chance to become part of the cool crowd. When charismatic Frances befriends her at a boring party, Georgiana puts reservations aside and joins in on some bad behavior. Being around Frances is probably the most fun she has ever had and she is desperate to continue the friendship. As the story progresses, we see the cost of that friendship.

The author has done a wonderful job of creating a detailed and story that is easily relatable. The characters were very nuanced and varied. I was impressed with how many different character types existed throughout the book. Each of the characters had an integral part in moving the story forward. This book was a delightful read. It covered some very dark topics incredibly well. This book is easy to recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Griffin for the arc.

This book was so funny. The description was perfect in setting me up for this story and what to expect. It's a great addition to modern day historical stories and I can't wait to see what else Lex Croucher has in store.

TW - sexual assault.

This book is more Heathers meets Less Than Zero than Mean Girls. A little harsher doesn’t make it a bad thing. This just isn’t your average Regency, although there is a little epistolary sweetness in the middle of some serious topics.

The main character, Georgiana has been left with her older aunt and uncle. In search of a little excitement she falls in with a group of well off friends who are decadent and wild.

The book was well written so I am giving it 4 stars.

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.