I really enjoyed this debut from Lex Croucher. I have always loved regency-era books and Reputation is no different. The romcom was great and loved all the characters! I loved the way the characters interacted with each other. I will definitely be reading more from Lex Croucher in the future

This book was adorable and smart - set in Regency England but with a very distinct modern voice. I'm not certain I have read anything set in this time period that deals with issues like alcohol and drug consumption, sexuality and gender diversity, race, and familial relationships to name a few.

There were several laugh out loud moments (I particularly enjoyed Betty and Mrs. and Mr. Burton, who seemed absolutely befuddled by everything Georgina did). I loved Georgina and her attempts to fit in with a social class she is desperate to join and her maturity and growth as a character along the way. And let's just say Frances might just go down as the meanest mean girl since Regina George.

This wasn't what I expected but I loved every minute of this fun Regency romance with its fresh, feminist approach. I knew as soon as I started reading that I would not be able to put this book down until I read the last word. This is the first book I have read by Lex Croucher but it definitely won't be the last. If you enjoyed Bridgerton, be sure to read Reputation. I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review. I enjoyed it so much, I purchased a copy for my keeper library.

Wow…I have read some boring books in the past but this one was a complete snooze fest! I only got to 20% in and had to tap out. The most exciting thing was them smoking pot and that was a yawn.

entertaining book for fans of bridgerton and gossip girl, but I had to trudge to get through. Fun time period

I had high hopes for this but unfortunately, I was disappointed. I couldn't stand any of the characters so it took a while for me to get through it. This definitely reads as if it were a Mean Girls clone set during the Regency Era and considering how much I used to love that movie I fully expected to be entertained but this book just wasn't for me.

This book was magical. Each plot twist, each scene made me feel something deeply. Be it a laugh or a tear, or a gasp at the sheer drama. I would recommend.

Georgiana Ellers moves in with her Aunt and Uncle while her parents go on vacation after seemingly not caring much about their daughter. Georgiana finds out quickly that her Aunt and Uncle are pretty dull and if she's going to have any fun this season, she's going to need to make some friends.
After befriending Frances Campbell, Georgiana is introduced to a world she didn't know existed. Frances is filthy rich, also with seemingly inattentive parents and she behaves as if nothing will ruin her. She introduces Georgiana to a world of drinking, drugs, and indecent frolicking with the opposite gender. Frances and her friends are also a pretty mean group of people who know they are at the top of the food chain and belittle anyone under them. This includes Betty Walters who is a loyal friend to Georgiana even after all of the times she doesn't stand up for her. When Frances starts becoming jealous of Georgiana, she begins trying to take her down. It doesn't matter that they were great friends before this.
This book is the Mean Girls of the Regency Era. I enjoyed the character development and storylines but I wish Georgiana's relationship with Thomas Hawkley was developed a bit more. I also was expecting it to be more like Bridgerton but it really aligned more with Mean Girls. The beginning was a bit slow but once I got into the story I became more interested in what was going on. Overall, it is a great read. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm definitely still interested in reading Reputation now that I am interested in historical romance. I was not able to read before publication date due to busy life schedule but I do intend to.

Abandoned by her parents, Georgiana Ellers is forced to live with her boring aunt and uncle. But all that changes when she meets Frances Campbell, a wealthy "it" girl. Georgiana goes from her safe middle-class life to partying it up with the Frances's inner circle. But is this new lifestyle everything is cracked up to be?

This was such a fresh story set in Regency, which I enjoyed. I will say this book is not a romance. It has romance elements, but this is more of a coming-of-age story meets Mean Girls set in Regency.

Georgina feels like her life is boring and that her life is too safe. She wants the friendship to have fun and. make her own friendships. When she meets Frances, she thinks everything in her life is about to change. At first she's shocked and maybe even scandalized by this world of drinking, partying and improper behavior. She then meets Thomas Hawksley the only one that seems to not be into the party life that Frances and her friend are into.

This book about Georgina finding out who she is, the person she wants to become and finding her own path in the world. It was a funny, smart and entertaining book. I couldn't stop reading it! It's truly a must-read.

CW: sexual assault and abuse

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this digital arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I just just finished “Reputation,” the new #novel from Lex Croucher, and let me tell you, the tea is piping hot.

This regency-era novel was marketed as Mean Girls meets Bridgerton, and that description is just about as apt as any.

Although Regina George will always be the queen of mean, Frances Campbell certainly gives her a run for her money.

She acts as a salacious and shrewd antagonist for the well-meaning but easily manipulated Georgiana Sellers. Not since Blair and Serena have a pair of frenemies gone head-to-head with such devilish opulence.

Now, I will admit that after the novelty of the Austen-inspired diction wore off, the middle of this book was a bit of a slog.

And at times I found it difficult to root for Georgiana, especially as she stepped on the people who truly cared about her in order to get to the top.

But I suppose flawed humans make for the most interesting characters, and leave supple opportunity for growth. Just like Cady Heron.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very fun book. I really enjoyed it!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but it surprised me. It is such a fun book. I think this would really appeal a lot of YA readers. It reminds me of high school, but if I was in England during this time period.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Regency meets Gossip Girl is SPOT ON with this one - I inhaled this story! At times it does feel a little heavy handed on the YA themes, but I can’t fault it. Overall, it was incredibly fun and a great escape read. More in this mashup genre, please!

I've been in a regency era mood after finishing 'Bridgerton' and boy this was perfect. I went into this expecting a light hearted frivolous read but this is so much more than that. It has everything: a diverse cast with a bunch of queers and POC, a Darcy-esque romantic interest, and a bunch of drama. “Reputation” starts with a girl being seduced into a rich girl’s wild life and ends with healthy female friendships and love interests. This was well written and very funny for most of it. I was giggling to myself constantly because it was ridiculous in the best ways possible. After I got into it, “Reputation” is a page turner and I finished in a day. If you like Bridgerton or Jane Austen you’ll likely enjoy reading this. I’m going to list some trigger warnings now but they can be considered spoilers so proceed with caution.

TW: Sexual assault, drinking/drug use, neglectul/abusive parents, and a bit of violence.

Emma by Jane Austen meets the 2004 teen comedy Mean Girls; in THE BEST way possible.

This was an exceptional debut novel, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by Lex Croucher.

This ARC was kindly provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lex Croucher's Reputation is billed as 'Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl with a dash of Jane Austen'. Though I wouldn't over-emphasize the comparisons, it does have elements of each.

Bookish, naïve Georgiana Ellersis is packed her off to her dull aunt and uncle's country home for the summer. Life is boring until she meets wealthy, wild young Frances Campbell and moves into her debauched circle.

Though Georgiana loses her way badly for some time, she eventually manages to find it again, and to see the new world she has moved into clearly.

Perfect for fans of historical romance. Lots of gossip and intrigue and I found myself wanting to join the girl gang. Took a bit for the story to get rolling but I couldn’t stop at about 50% through. A great narrative style and super fun adaptation!

3⭐️ for Reputation by Lex Croucher

TW: copious amounts of drugs & alcohol, sexual assault

Blurb: 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.

I’m giving this one 3⭐️ mostly because while I loved the concept & the idea behind it, for me, the story dragged. I didn’t get hooked into the story until I only had 25% left of the story. Georgiana was so starved for love & affection that she looked for it in all the wrong places. She was a likable character who made a few questionable decisions. The characters she surrounded herself with were horrid. Georgiana was warned that she was being used, she just chose to not listen. I did read an arc, but the end was super bizarre. While I liked the Mean Girls meets the 1800’s vibes, it just wasn’t a winner for me.

Inspired by Mean Girls, this regency story has all the casual cruelty and grappling for social currency that one would expect. The references are complete with a chapter that begins, "Get in, Georgiana. We're going shopping." Frances Campbell is our Queen Bee, and protagonist Georgiana is eager to become her latest sycophant, wanting an injection of reckless fun into her boring summer. The book showcases characters with a complete disregard for social norms whereas most regency romps only manage tepid or pointed departures from what is socially acceptable. Envision illicit drugs of all types, nude frolicking, and a complete lack of chaperones. The story takes a look at how a certain level of class and money excuses all else. The constraints on the behavior of middle and lower-class persons are mere suggestions for the elite, easy to ignore when the consequences are so ephemeral. This is another way it sets itself apart from historical fiction that emphasizes social pressures on aristocrats.

The story has a quick, biting wit akin to Georgiana's own subversive, barbed remarks. Several funny asides made me laugh aloud. Also, letter banter is the BEST banter, and this one delivers in that category 100%. I was unconvinced of the central romance plot til the correspondence started up halfway through, and then I suddenly found myself on board. It was that high quality.

While reading, my stress level was high, even though I knew all the bad decisions and situations were building up to a lesson to be learned. It comes at a steep price for many characters involved. The emphasis on needing to be cool or seem above everyone else made me cringe, with side helpings of peer pressure and harassment, bullying and exclusionary tactics. Add in quick judgments and nasty put-downs to make oneself feel superior. It offers a deep view of the root causes of the characters' behaviors. For example, our protagonist Georgiana is spinning out in bitter rebellion after being abandoned by cold, distant parents. She seeks affection and belonging at any cost.

There are several content warnings of note for this story: sexual assault on-page and other incidents that occur off-page with physical and psychological harm explored, gaslighting and victim-blaming following claims of assault, racism and slavery, homophobia/lesbophobia, domestic abuse, toxic relationships, a lot of alcohol and other substance abuse, and parental neglect. The author takes a worthy stand on the proper response to assault claims and offers a glimpse into a diverse regency world hampered by prejudice but not whitewashed or offering queer characters as mere sidekicks. It's an interesting book that manages to be difficult to read at some points, uproariously funny at others, sometimes reflective and other times barreling forward. It was a compelling read, and I am curious to see what the author does next.