So you say you love Bridgerton but you want something a little more snarky? Then this is the book for you!

I truly enjoyed the addition of overindulgence, naughty behavior, and crude language to the Regency era vibe. Whatever that says about me, I'm fine with it. This book is the perfect combination of trendy historical fun and modern-day feminism and sensibilities. I loved the friendships and the love interests. The witty banter was on point. I highly recommend this book. It was a great time!

The narrator was amazing! The voice acting really added to the story and I loved every moment of it. When the characters were being snarky or scathing, the narrator really seemed to enjoy adding that flourish to the voice acting. Loved it!

Disclaimer: I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The plot moved along pretty well. I was expecting more humor but there wasn't much. The characters aren't developed much. So I wasn't attached to them. They were kind of stereotypical. Nothing new but okay to pass the time.

I didn’t finish this book. It could not hold my attention. It was impossible to follow all the characters and I couldn’t stay invented in it. I DNFed at 40%.

The Regency era Aristocracy can be socially brutal. Georgiana, who is very middle0class, has recently moved to live with her aunt and uncle after being given up by her parents. While attending a particularly boring party, she meets Francis Campbell and is instantly drawn to her. Francis introduces Georgiana to her crowd of some of the most elite young people in society. As Georgiana becomes accepted into the group, her demeanor and personality also begins to change; perhaps to make herself fit in with the others. Georgiana also meets Thomas Hawksley, one of the most eligible men in society, and soon begins to fall for him. However, as she becomes more and more involved with Francis and her circle, Georgiana finds herself in a sticky situation. Will her actions cost her the chance with Thomas? Does Georgiana really want to be like Francis and her friends?

I loved this book far more than I expected. Think Pride and Prejudice, Bridgerton, and Mean Girls in a mashup together and Reputation is the result. There are a couple of sexual assault scenes in this book; I think they could have been toned down a bit seeing as the first scene is particularly graphic. Not to say that sexual assault didn't happen to that extent in that time, however, because I'm sure real life was much more brutal than what is written here. That's really my only complaint about this book. Hilarious, reflective, and sometimes emotional. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Okay, I knew I was going to like this one, but I ended up truly loving it! This book was funny and fast-paced and full of (relative) debauchery and then the inevitable consequences… the main character was relatable and interesting. The “fast crowd” that she becomes friends were all individual characters with their own motivations. The relationships with her family members were also so well written, conveying the messiness that occurs in families no matter the time or station. I was very invested in Georgiana’s fate and found myself cheering her on as she made her stand in the end… I look forward to whatever Croucher writes next!

I had never read a regency romance before and found the experience to be enjoyable! Most of the characters were unlikeable because they were supposed to be! Their over the top behavior combined with situations involving themed parties and castles. A joyful romp through the English countryside. Recommended for fans of Bridgerton.

Overall I think I liked the story but I also think I didn’t for a good portion of the book.

I liked Georgiana for the most part and really loved Thomas! The romance of their relationship definitely bumped this up a bit in my ratings because it was very sweet.

I liked the Mean Girls references and I like the time period, but man it just did not feel like the feels that Man Girls gives you. (Which I think is the main pitfall of movie to book retellings.) Maybe it’s the lack of low rise jeans. Maybe it’s the lack of Tina Fey being a pusher. Maybe it’s a lack of an epic soundtrack. Whatever it may be, this book was just not a laugh or anything I’d ever really want to feel again? Like I said, I liked parts and I suppose the overarching story, but the experience was weird and I wasn’t prepared.

The first hour of the audiobook was pretty hard for me to make my brain focus on…but I was able to get on board with the second half of the book. Thomas really carried this book. Thank you my good sir.

**Spoilers Below**

However, you can’t just have an abuser BREAK GEORGINA’S WHOLE ARM and not go straight to the hangman’s front step. I’m sorry but I said what I said figure out how to get it done and do it! Having his reputation ruined doesn’t feel as good as cold hard revenge. I was not prepared for that scene and it was frankly alarming.

**Spoilers Ended**

Overall, I don’t think I’m worse off for having read this, but I don’t think I’d pick it up again. The concept was fun but maybe missed the mark. It felt very modern (which I don’t mind in historicals!), but parts of modernity that I don’t really like lol. The partying and haziness was stressful and was just like…please get some rest.

As for the audiobook, I did really like the narrator and would definitely listen to more books by her!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

Major CWs for SA, physical abuse, bullying, poisoning????, and unknowingly consuming substances without consent.

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.

The audiobook was narrated by Bessie Carter who had a distinct voice for each of the characters and was quite pleasing to the ear.

This was entertaining, though I find the entire idea of Regency romance more uncomfortable, considering how much it has to disregard the violence of colonialism and capitalism, which sponsored aristocratic circles like this. There are attempts in the book to resolve this - references to slavery, wealthy heiresses described as non-white, etc.. Obviously, it's a lot to ask of a playful romantic novel to be politically perfect or whatever. Still, it does feel a little like revising history in a way that denies just how violent and exploitative regency England was. Servants are mostly unseen in the story, and the males are all either fairly kind or cartoonishly cruel, which doesn't do credit to patriarchy's brutality and how much it engulfed women's life at the time. Obviously, this is a lot to ask of a light novel (although one with some very terrible times), and I do believe it was a delightful read and well-written, but I can't help but think about the realities of the time!

Thank you NetGalley for this audio review copy!

First and foremost: this book comes with content warnings. For a full list provided by the author please see here: https://www.lexcroucher.co.uk/reputation-cw

Secondly, I loved the narrator. It was A+ and really enhanced the story. The fact that it was Bessie Carter was like a little inside joke. Well played, Macmillan Audio.

Third, I’ve seen a lot of complaints that the characters in this story are not acting era appropriately but isn’t that sort of… the point? I don’t think it was promoted as super accurate historical fiction.

Tossing aside numbers, I really enjoyed this book. It was something fun to read while I was recovering from a pretty terrible concussion and unable to read print/ebooks. It did take me much longer than usual for this reason because my brain had trouble keeping up but that didn’t effect my enjoyment. I would like a print copy, however, if I am going to do a reread.

I’m also seeing criticism that the characters in this book behave badly and are unlikeable but again… isn’t that kind of the point? It’s called Bridgerton meets Mean Girls and it definitely delivers on that promise. I also like it when characters make mistakes/have flaws/are difficult to like. It makes it interesting and breaks up the normalcy. People don’t always make the right choices and some people are just kind of awful. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoyed it.

I’m giving this book a thumbs up and would recommend it to anyone looking for a twist on the traditional regency story. I’ll also be looking forward to the author’s next book- Infamous.

(I might have given this book a high 3 stars but that narration bumped it up a full star)

Y’all!!! Not every book is for every person… I had heard how amazing this book was and had high hopes, but I felt a little let down. It is tagged as LGBT, Queer, and Lesbian on GoodReads. For me, that means the book has more than 3 pages devoted to queer characters. Not just the mention of a character making out with a stable boy and another getting caught kissing a girl. That made me so unbelievably upset.

This had a SERIOUS Trigger Warning that I WISH I had been told about. That is on me for not reading reviews, but if there is any type of sexual assault or rape in a book, ESPECIALLY when it’s in one you don’t expect it to be in, it can be super upsetting. Again, the expectations are on me.

This should definitely be sold as Bridgerton meets Euphoria. The raucous parties, drug use, alcohol consumption, and sexual acts aren’t really seen in historical romance. But is this actually a romance? There was a friends to lovers, slow burn situation, but nothing really happens until the very end when he asks her to dance and all of sudden, they’re married.

Will I ever read this again? Hard pass. But it will be right for so many people. Just not me.

This book had its moments. It’s was great in some places and in others it was just not. The storyline was solid throughout and perhaps I’m just not the audience for this book. I expected something lighter than what it was, but the parts where it got heavy were so well written that I can’t really complain.

The narrator did an amazing job at keeping it interesting - even in the parts I didn’t care for.

The last half was the best part. I didn’t want to stop listening at that point but before that I had trouble getting into it.

I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a coming of age story that isn’t entirely lighthearted but still quick and includes plenty of laughs.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the audio copy!

It is always a sad day for me when I write an unfavorable review for a book. I was so excited when I received an audio book in exchange for an honest review. I adored the synopsis and was thrilled when I sat down to start listening. The narrator has a good voice for storytelling and does the different character voices well. For the narrator's part in this audiobook, I do not have any complaints. What I did not enjoy was the story itself. The characters were tedious at best. This does not feel like the "Dash of Jane Austen" or a touch of "Bridgerton" that was mentioned in the description. I was expecting a historical romance that had a good sense of humor. Instead, the characters were shallow, did quite a few illicit substances, and ran off without chaperones more often than not. This behavior is extremely unbelievable for the era that this story is supposed to be taking place. The humor was also not my type. While I did not enjoy this book, I know that some people have found enjoyment for them and am thrilled for their positive experience. I wish this author and book well and hope to see it thrive and bring joy to those who read it.

This book was a regency tale from someone who is probably a Jane Austen fan but wanted a little less propriety. It was funny in spots and sad in spots. The narrator was excellent!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced audio copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Reputation is a cross between Pride and Prejudice and Mean girls, with the conversations a la Gilmore girls. Georgiana has been sent off to her aunt and uncle after her parents have given up on her ever getting married and decide to move to the shore for the fresh air. Georgie is struggling with being abandoned and also whether or not she even wants to be married. Then one night at the boringest-party imaginable, she meets Francis-- an esteemed young lady who just happens to be the epitome of a mean girl. Georgie quickly becomes entranced by Francis and her friends and all the debauched things they introduce her to.

While the vibes of a regeancy era Mean Girls were fabulous and enjoyable, I felt like Frances got way too much of a pass in this story. She is absolutely despicable and our MC spent way too much time being like "but Frances is my best friend!" and I found myself eyerolling and thinking "girl, get out!!"
Easily the best part of this book was the romance with Mr. Hawkesly. They have the absolute best banter-- of course carried out through letters in this historical novel.

I appreciated the idea of the novel, and genuinely enjoyed the romance and some of the drama. I just think this title went on a little too long and maybe went a little too far in some places. I wanted to revel in the drama and not find myself rolling my eyes at how over-the-top some of it was.

The narrator for this title was fab-- I would definitely pick up other titles in the future without knowing anything about them except that the same narrator reads it.


TW: gaslighting, mean girls, drunkenness, death of a sibling (in the past), death of a parent (in the past), sexual assault, rape (off page), parental abandonment, severe peer pressure

I DNF this audiobook....the story was tedious for me and it was hard to care for any of the characters. It was mean girls but not in a fun way.

I wanted to like this way more than I did. I do wonder if it actually would have been better read vs audio book. The audiobook seemed to move quite slow. Some of the chapters felt a bit repetitive as well.

I did appreciate the humor and in the age of Bridgerton, this was a fun take on Gossip Girl meets the Ton.

If you're looking for something like Bridgerton mixed with Mean Girls, then Reputation is that book. I really enjoyed the story of new friendships, high society, and all the weird things British people did/do. I've enjoyed Lex Croucher as a Youtuber and I'm happy that I enjoyed their book, reading it very quickly over the span of three days. The audiobook was "delightful" with the narrator saying the dialogue with the appropriate annotations and voice changes for characters.

When I requested this book originally, I was expecting a romance, which wasn't quite what this book was. Because of that, I ended up DNFing this one. There was nothing wrong with the writing, it just wasn't what I was looking for.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start with the fact that this is a very high-quality audiobook with a really awesome narrator. I have no issues with the actual audiobook itself and Macmillan Audio really does have some of the best audiobooks. The audiobook is done by Bessie Carter (who plays Prudence Featherington on Bridgerton) and it really is a ton of fun!

I don't think this book was for me. I think I fell victim to the post-Bridgerton era and was looking for something to fill that void. The pacing of the story was much too slow for me personally, but I really liked the premise and the vibes of the book. This is sold as a Mean Girls meets Bridgerton and it really does fulfill those requirements. As a big fan of both, I found it a little bit lacking in places but overall an enjoyable time.

This is a really good book and really well-loved in the community, I think I am going to come back to this one after some time away and give it another go. Something just isn't clicking for me right now and I think it's the pacing.

Be warned, this book has much darker themes than you might think heading into it, so please check content warnings before heading in.