Reputation by Sarah Vaughan is the story of a strong, female political MP, Emma Webster, who encounters threats and harassment from her constituents and the media in her high profile career. This results in Emma arriving home one evening to an intoxicated intruder in her home. The intruder ends up falling down the stairs and this places Emma in the center of a murder investigation. The story evolves around Emma’s murder trial and the events happening around the time of her trial.

I was drawn to this book’s cover design, but the fabulous cover is just the beginning. I cannot say enough good about this book! I truly had trouble putting it down. I loved the characters, the plot, and the pacing.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

This is a story that had me hooked, a story that gives the reader a dilemma as they read it, well it did me! I felt conflicted as I read this story, as part of me wanted one outcome while the other thought another should be right. A sort of head or heart dilemma, and one that made for compelling reading.

The focus of the story is on Emma Webster, a one time teacher and now an MP. She does have an agenda, it is one that the rights and safety of women online. Emma is no stranger to the bad side of social media, threats, trolls and being constantly watched add pressure to an already full work/ home life.

The author uses Emma to highlight problems with society and social media. It is something that is quite timely at the moment with a certain celebrity trial. All you have to do is look on any platform and you will see horrendous comments. There are several points the author makes within the story - public figures should be expected to be trolled with comments and criticism, the tabloids have a right to go after a story that is about a politician, and anyone who has a public profile should be expected to take this and not make a stand. While people are allowed opinions, this story deals with when the opinions go beyond what is acceptable.

Using Emma, the author portrays a woman who wants to make a stand, and help to make new laws but also make a difference. Throughout the story, I got to know Emma, her ethics, her beliefs and also her daughter, Flora. The story is told from both of their perspectives and gives a totally different side to their lives, it helps to put things into perspective.

When Emma is brought to trial, the author does a brilliant job of giving the for and against arguments, it is riveting reading and really ramps the tension level up several notches. This is where the real reader dilemma comes into its own - which way do you think it should go? Well, I am keeping my opinion to myself!

The ending of this story was something else as well, it gave a conclusive ending and one that finally answered some lingering questions and thoughts.

This was a fabulous read and if you have read anything by this author before, then I do think you are going to really enjoy this one. It is one for readers who like thought-provoking, psycholologi8cal thrillers. Brilliant book and one I would definitely recommend.

Chockablock Full!! 😳😯🤯😳🫣

Whoa double whoa! This novel was insanely intense! A political suspenseful thriller, but with a dark edge. It felt raw, real, intense, unapologetically harsh at times with no sugar coating any of the issues or plot. And I loved it! It was delicious, at times cringe-worthy but still getting to the heart of some taboo and real life issues that kept it intriguing and interesting.

Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: Emma is divorced, a fourteen year old daughter, Flora, & an MP in London. After hearing a devastating story about a teenage girl commiting suicide due to online exposure by an ex-boyfriend, she decides to put forth an Online Harms Bill to give greater punishment to those that are guilty of spreading online indecencies. During this time, she's being ridiculed, tormented and dealing with intense comments and threats, including a stalker. However, when her daughter Flora, shares an exposed photo of a girl who has been severely bullying her, Emma realizes she may fall upon the sword she's chosen.

I'm a lover of anything with legal thrillers and this being a sub-genre with politics, I enjoyed it far more than I thought. The first few chapters were a bit slow but after that it all ramps up and you're trying to read faster than your brain can handle. This was like gooey lava cake with a side of bitter wine. They compliment each other perfectly just as this writing & plot does. Every emotion is provoked, probed & you're left with one heckuva'n ending!

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for this ARC!
Release Date: July 4, 2022

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4 / 5 Beach Waves! 🌊

While this was an engaging story, it was not one of my favorite psychological thrillers. I felt the court case drug on a bit too long, which lost my attention from time to time, so I had to go back & re-read parts to stay on track. I thought the plot twist with Flora at the end was good. I just felt as if the characters lacked depth, even while being integral to the story - namely Caroline & both of Emma's roommates. Worth picking up if you like crime/courtroom dramas.

This was a good story, though I found parts of it, particularly the trial portion, a tad repetitive, but still a good story. Emma is a divorced, middle aged woman, mother to a daughter of 14, she is also an MP who is involved in updating a bill in parliament to include harsher sentences for individuals that post revenge porn of people they have previously been intimately involved with. As a result of the publicity, Emma has attracted attention from people who support what she's doing, and those that don't, the ones that don't post vile comments about her online and make threats about what they would do to her if they had an opportunity. Understandably Emma's always watching over her shoulder. Her daughter, Flora, as a result of her mom's popularity, has also attracted attention, from her classmates, and it's not good at all, she's being bullied, and at a low moment does something that results in her being suspended from school and being cautioned by the police. Emma meanwhile has a date with a journalist who had supported her during the progress of the bill through parliament and the dinner date is a celebration of sorts. After a one night stand, which Emma decides was a big mistake, her and the journalist have a falling out, and one night she finds him in her house. What happened after that is the subject of the trial, which I found a tad repetitive. The author does a very nice job though of throwing in two twists at the end of the book which make this book totally worth reading. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Atria for the ARC.

What I loved about "Reputation" is that it's such a different story. Sarah Vaughan does such a great job of delivering something completely different in the mystery/thriller genre. The story of MP Emma's navigation of complexities in her family and work-life together with the death of a journalist "frenemy" is so thoughtful and sadly, ridiculously accurate about the standards women and men are held to.
I had a tiny bit of trouble getting truly invested at first, but once this novel hit its stride, I was agitated at any distractions that kept me from finishing it! So good!

I think this is (sadly) a rather accurate portrayal of our world today. How much control do we really have over our own reputation? How much can we control the way others react to our reputations? Told through multiple POVs, this story follows a female politician and her teenage daughter. It explores how our decisions impact us, and how greatly one’s life can be affected by a reputation. There are parts that will make you sad and angry and outraged, as they well should. Overall, this was a smartly written, make you explore the way you view the world kind of book,and I really enjoyed it.

I was thrilled to receive this Advanced Reader Copy and I thank NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Emma Webster is a former teacher now serving as an MP (Member of Parliament). She is a staunch proponent of women’s rights, especially related to social media bullying and revenge porn. Her reputation is everything to her. As a public figure Emma is constantly harassed online. A body is found in her home and Emma soon finds how harassment and inequality carries over to the courtroom as well.

I enjoyed where the story was going until the second half of the book. The courtroom scenes were too drawn out in my opinion. As a mother and a woman, I appreciated Emma’s fearful responses and her desire to do anything to protect her child.

I did enjoy the book and think this would be even better as an audiobook version. 3.5/5 Stars
#Reputation #NetGalley.

3.75*
This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me.

Emma is an Member of Parliament. Always under the spotlight as a confident, highly successful woman. And it hasn’t come without a hefty price tag. Her marriage disintegrated and her husband recently married her (former!) close friend. Classy🙄. Not enough? Okay…her daughter is facing bullies at school and may have just made the biggest mistake of her young life that even her powerful mother can’t fix.

Not done yet… now a body is discovered at the bottom of her stairs!

There were of course, big questions that demanded answers regarding the body. How he got there and why was he inside Emma’s home in the first place. How did he die? As a junior sleuth, I enjoyed that aspect of the book. Guessing, (wrongly mind you,) throughout the read.

The court room scenes do take up a significant portion of the book, and as a fan of legal thrillers I was glued to the heated courtroom action!

My only drawback in this read was difficulty in warming up to Emma. Even though we saw all sides of her and her string of major issues, she left me just a tad cold.🤷🏻‍♀️

This is my third read (though not my favorite) by this very talented author, and looking forward to her next!

A buddy read with Susanne!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Book

A must-read for fans of Sarah Vaughan. After reading Anatomy of a Scandal and watching the Netflix series, I knew that this would be as good or better than Anatomy of a Scandal. This book did not disappoint and left me on edge the entire read. I could not put it down. A thriller with lots of drama! Great read.

I adored the show “Anatomy of a scandal” and I couldn't pass the opportunity to read the next book by the same author.

It was my first novel and since I’m a huge fan of trials, this one was a page-turner and addictive, as I was expecting. The whole story is about exploiting women in compromising situations in this new digital world.

It's fast-paced, and the trial brought up so many twisted and obscure moments. From great, strong-willed characters to some that really left me speechless.

The author has an amazing gift in fleshing out a story that makes you feel like being there in the courtroom where the action takes place right before your eyes.

The feeling of despair and frustration was high on my part. Because some characters just don't have a conscience or are so selfish and egocentric that they can step on bodies to get their fame and position.

Addictive and a must read story.

🆓📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

This book focuses on consent and the exploitation of woman in the digital age. We start off with a politician trying to advocate for women and slowly learn how several women/girls in the story have had photos or videos taken of them in compromising positions and shared without their consent. These stories help frame a larger story of murder and an even larger one of women choosing to help or not help other women. Overall, an interesting premise, but the story gets bogged down in a very lengthy trial where readers don't learn a whole lot of new information.

If you’re into legal drama and politics, you should absolutely read this book because you will most likely love it.

This was an overall painful read for me and I was quite honestly happy that I made it to the finish line and finished it.

I don’t personally find politics interesting and the majority of the book happens inside the courtroom which was another big yawn for me.

What did interest me was the the main characters obsession with her reputation but not enough to captivate me, clearly.

As a politician, Emma has sacrificed a great deal for her career—including her marriage and her relationship with her daughter, Flora.

A former teacher, the glare of the spotlight is unnerving for Emma, particularly when it leads to countless insults, threats, and trolling as she tries to work in the public eye. As a woman, she knows her reputation is worth its weight in gold but as a politician, she discovers it only takes one slip-up to destroy it completely.

Fourteen-year-old Flora is learning the same hard lessons at school as she encounters heartless bullying. When another teenager takes her own life, Emma lobbies for a new law to protect women and girls from the effects of online abuse. Now, Emma and Flora find their personal lives uncomfortably intersected…but then the unthinkable happens.

A man is found dead in Emma’s home. A man she had every reason to be afraid of and to want gone. Fighting to protect her reputation, and determined to protect her family at all costs, Emma is pushed to the limits as the worst happens and her life is torn apart.


My Thoughts:

The price of a Reputation is high, and in our story, MP Emma Webster is about to find out how a life can unravel so quickly and totally when someone makes a poor choice or two along the way.

Emma was trying to protect her teenage daughter, whose own poor choices had led to a stain on her reputation. As more and more layers are added to the bad moves made by these characters, the suspense ratchets up as we wonder how it will all play out.

When someone is murdered, will the secrets go on after the death of that individual? And will Emma and her daughter’s reputations survive?

A lot of twists and turns along the way take us to a semblance of order, but there will always be the possibility of more secrets being revealed. A 5 star read.

***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

4 stars. A bit difficult to get into, but for me it picked up at approx 25%. This was my first read by Vaughan, and I am going to be finishing Anatomy of a Scandal shortly. Special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to the upcoming thriller from Sarah Vaughan, bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal! Reputation is a psychological thriller that deals with women in important positions, working in a man's world, the love a parent has for their children, and also has stalking, social media hate, and abusive comments at the forefront. But does it all work?

Short answer: this book started out so promising. The first quarter had exactly what I was expecting from this book: intense, dramatic, paced well, and leave just enough questions to keep you guessing about what's really going on. But then, there comes a point where this book takes the wrong turn. From great psychological thriller, we go to a courtroom thriller that then turns into a not-so-shocking ending.

This book could have done so much more had it not gone through the trial. Emma was a great character though, as she was a woman in power, but had to deal with safety concerns, threats, stalking...all things that lead to extra precautions. Not only did the trial keep us distracted from her, but the other issues being brought up in the book. We had mental health, revenge porn (granted, that's part of Emma's campaign), misogyny...all great topics to add in a book, but it just never seems to work out in thrillers for me. I can see how it all worked together in the end, but it always distracts from the thrills this book could have had.

I think this book is perfect for those who love a good scandal, with high-stakes and a family element to it. If you're looking for a psychological thriller like The Silent Patient or The Turn of the Key, for example, I don't think you'll like this as much. The ending was also a little too clean and fast for my liking, but it could work for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an egalley in exchange for an honest review

Deliciously good. So with Anatomy of a Scandal on my Netflix watchlist, I had to give myself over to the Sarah Vaughan club. Dear fellow reviewers, I was not disappointed. I think when I came to the end of the book and those last few chapters, I laughed like Mike Meyers ( he's Canadian so we laugh the same, right?).

I enjoy a book with a strong female protagonist and Emma, the British politician, is perhaps going to walk away with favorite protagonist in a leading role. when I review my 2022 books on Goodreads. I have always felt that media and society in general is an extra kind of mean when it comes to women in politics and Sarah Vaughan illustrated this quite well when she places social media comments and articles throughout the novel about Emma. Not to mention there are so many social issues presented in the novel that makes for good discussion at book club. Now I feel like I will be adding a lot of Sarah Vaughan titles to my TBR.




Expected publication Date 05/07/22
Goodreads review published 24/05/22

Sarah Vaughan is the best selling author of the 2018 “Anatomy of a Scandal”. This book has been adapted into a hit Netflix series. I have only heard great things about Sarah Vaughan and with this upcoming book nothing will change. This is her fifth novel and her third thriller.
So what do we know?
Reputation: It takes a lifetime to build and a moment to destroy.
Emma Webster is a respected MP by her community.
Emma Webster is a amazing mother.
Emma Webster is innocent of the murder of a tabloid journalist.
Emma Webster is a liar.

#Reputatuon is the story with lots of twists and turns. It is also the story you choose to tell yourself.

What we know about this book? This book has first person POV. This book also has third person POV and multiple person POV’s. I personally felt that the book did tie everything together very well. If you enjoy thrillers this book will be for you!

Reputation by Sarah Vaughan hits bookshelves July 5, 2022. I am overly excited for this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria and EmilyBestler for a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review of this book.

Twisty psychological thriller. A single mother, a politician, is harrased by internet stalkers. She defends herself and kills the intruder...and is sentenced to jail. A look at how social media has changed our lives, and the way bullying is more common these days. Flora chapters moved much faster than the Emma chapters.
Will look more from from this author in the future.

This was a quick read! I loved the twists and unexpected story line at times. I was not prepared for some of the content but it didn't keep me from finishing this read.