This started out really strong with an interesting and unique ‘revenge porn’ storyline and I was super invested. however this really only lasts for the first 1/3 of the book and then it completely changes gears into a murder trial. I didn’t really connect much to the remainder of the book and it felt extremely repetitive, i really wish it would’ve expanded more on the original storyline

Thank you Atria books for providing me with an ARC of the book to read.

The book starts off with a body laying at the bottom of the stairs. Emma Watson is a MP in London who is very passionate about her job as a MP and was a teacher prior to getting into local politics. Her marriage collapsed as her husband had an affair with one of her daughter's teachers which felt like a betrayal between women. Her daughter is having issues at school and she's getting threatening letters, texts and emails.

This story kept my attention while I was reading it and I found it really interesting with so many different stories within this one but it was so well done that I was able to follow everything and I was curious as to how the story would unfold. The courtroom scenes were tense and I was curious to see what would happen. I enjoyed how this book had different points of view throughout the story at different times and it was done really well.

I read the description and was ready for a thriller, but that is not what I found this book to be. The first half of the book was slow and repetitive and I almost gave up a couple of times. It sped up in the end and I liked the way the actually mystery was told by witnesses in the trial, but the twists were pretty predictable and not very twisty. While I appreciate the advocacy for women’s rights I’m not sure the mashup totally worked in this particular book. It was more of a political mystery than anything. The writing was fine and I liked learning about the main character’s role of MP as I wasn’t very familiar with that. Emma is a political figure called an MP and her life is always on display. She advocates for women’s rights and issues and is met with disgusting and threatening messages on social media and by phone. Her reputation (and yes this word was used about a million times) is endangered both when her teenage daughter gets into some trouble and a tabloid reporter looking to expose her daughter is found dead after falling down the stairs at Emma’s house. Overall I give it 2.5 stars rounded up as I do appreciate the effort to bring light to injustices against women.

Rating: 2/5 Stars

Emma has given up a lot to be a female MP - including her marriage to her ex-husband and her relationship with her daughter Flora.

Emma’s core work is around her anti-revenge porn legislation stemming from one of her younger constituents taking their own life. When a man is found dead in Emma’s apartment and Emma is the key murder suspect, Emma finds herself fighting to protect her reputation, family and career at all costs.

Reputation explores what happens when you push someone to their breaking point - both mentally and physically and the disaster that comes after.

I had a really hard time with this book - I loved the author’s previous work Anatomy of a Scandal, but found it extremely difficult to like Emma throughout Reputation. She was grating as a character and the supporting cast made the story even more unlikable. The shining star of this story was Flora, who’s character doesn’t ever fully develop even if she is the trigger to the plot of the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books / Emily Bestler Books and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Emma, a politician, is in the spotlight for her position on women's issues and also the subject of extreme vitriol and disguised threats from social media and mail trolls. A misstep by her 14 year old daughter has the potential to spin her career and reputation out of control. Then the body of a man she knows is found in her home and we're off on a courtroom drama. There are undercurrents of the way woman and men are treated differently in sexual, political and safety situations that were compelling.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emma is a divorced single mother, ex teacher and politician. She champions an anti child porn bill just as her daughter gets wrapped up in a child porn situation and a journalist who knows something about the situation winds up dead in Emma's home.

This book was sooooo slow for me. I could NOT get into it ever at any point. I should have DNF'd but I skimmed the last 25%. There were a couple of times when I thought I was about to get interested but things quickly fizzled. I just couldn't care about anyone in this book. I am 0-2 with this author. He books just aren't my thing I guess. Glad to be done.

Ho-hum.

I had high expectations for Reputation by Sarah Vaughn after Anatomy of a Scandal and was left feeling let down, much to my chagrin.

Emma is an MP who becomes involved in a scandal when a body is found in her home. Everything is made even worse when her daughter gets into big trouble at school. With both of their reputations’ at stake, life becomes a nightmare for both of them.

While there was action and lots of suspense, I didn’t care for the characters, which made it hard for me to connect. I am however, only one reader thus I think it was the case of my being the wrong reader for this novel.

Another buddy read with Ms. Kaceey!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the arc.

“Reputation” was a solid courtroom drama that follows a murder trial intertwined with stories of revenge porn. It took a little while before the crux of the story really got going and I’m not sure that the 4 sections of backstory was really necessary. It was a fine story, but overall I found it rather ho-hum. 3 stars ✨. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access in exchange for an honest review.

“Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation.” Quoted by Henry Kissinger. Emma’s reputation is the cornerstone of her political career. Trying to navigate the opposition while receiving threats from every direction, her world is turned upside down. A body is found at the bottom of the stairs and all fingers are pointing in her direction. Is this very unfortunate event the result of heinous threats that are continuously flying her way, or is she a victim of circumstance and simply was at the wrong place at the wrong time? Gripping, compelling and very timely describes this court room dominated thriller that I couldn’t put down. Thank you NetGalley and Atria for my copy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed learning about the UK legal system and how women politicians struggle in this suspenseful story. The timely online bullying and social media harassment of politicians and teenagers is a major part of this story. For someone like Emma who is in the spotlight she makes some bad choices and should have paid more attention to her daughter. Be prepared for a number of twists and turns at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books. This was a good read. The book relates to today's world and made it quite interesting to read. It was fast paced and the chapters. were not very long. I read a couple. of other books by Sarah Vaughan and like other reads of hers this was very good.

I really enjoyed "Reputation" by Sarah Vaughan! A plot full of suspense and twists, conveying the fragility of everyone's reputation and the power of media. Great characters, family drama, and dangerous assumptions. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

This thriller was just okay. I think I would classify it as a suspense rather than a thriller. It kept me engaged but I did not find myself wanting to pick it up.

A real mixed bags. I liked the main character but felt it dragging a bit in the middle. I don't love legal thrillers so that could be me!

Reputation is a slow paced psychological thriller (ish), and while I was drawn to the title, author, and the story line, I struggled to finish.

Emma was a tough character to like, and there was a court room scene that definitely could have been shorter…

…overall, I give this a 3/5. I loved the concept and the topics written about (free speech, the legal system, social media and how easily reputation can be damaged), but my attention wasn’t as captivated as I was anticipating it to be.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

This is an OK legal thriller about a female politician doing what she can to protect herself and her daughter. It felt way too long, and the added POV of the daughter (teenager) made the narrative flip between adult and YA fiction. I didn’t care for this; if I wanted to read a YA book (which I generally do) I would have chosen one. These two POV did not go well together.

This is also very easy to figure out, making the length unnecessary.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I recently watched Anatomy of a Scandal on Netflix and was completely hooked by the story. It was powerful and strong. I was really excited to read Sarah Vaughan's latest, Reputation, however, I felt a bit meh about the story. I felt the story jumped around far too much and with too many different POVs and storylines happening. While the main story is about Parliament member, Emma and her trial for the murder of political reporter, Mike, it also centers around her daughter and the incident she has.

Ultimately, the story is about multiple people's reputations, not just the main character. The book starts strong and grabbed me, but by the middle I found I was bored and trudging through it purely because I wanted to know the end. The end was good and tied everything together. There were points I thought about DNF because I was bored.

All in all, I'll give it a solid 3.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

Sarah Vaughan, of Anatomy of a Scandal fame, is a killer when it comes to legal thrillers with a one-two punch. This particular story revolves around Emma, a British MP on trial for murder charges.

The victim? A tabloid reporter with a scoop on an inflammatory story revolving around the MP’s daughter. But it’s so much more complicated than that and secrets unravel at every turn.

Sarah Vaughan, best selling author of Anatomy of a Scandal, is back with another cinematic legal thriller. This story gripped me from the start. The audio narration is fantastic thanks to the fabulous Julie Teal and has a few special effects that really bring this story to life. The twisty plot kept me engaged as I rode the roller coaster with Emma Webster. The topics of revenge porn, the ‘me too’ movement, harassment of female public figures was timely and current without being heavy-handed. I could easily see this becoming another fantastic Netflix series!

Reputation by Sarah Vaughan is psychological fiction at its best. It is a mystery and a thriller and a family drama all rolled into one. This drama introduces the reader to Emma Webster, a teacher turned politician. The book highlights the difficulties a woman encounters when she devotes herself to public service. A double standard is definitely in play. In the age of social media, which permits anonymous slander and threats with no consideration for the harm done, there is no protection. This is exactly what Emma is devoting her political career to. She seeks to get protection through the law for those who are targeted with online harassment and cruelty, which much too often leads to suicide. Emma has sacrificed her marriage in order to make a difference. Being a parliamentarian makes her a target and she becomes worried about her own safety. She is nothing without her reputation and it is continually threatened by the press and anyone who disagrees with her. And then, the worst happens: a journalist is found dying in her home. Where does a woman in public life go when her reputation is torn to shreds? This novel brings to the fore the difficulties and unfairness women face as politicians and other occupations and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. Sarah Vaughan has written a story that reflects the times we live in. Highly recommended. Thank you to Atria Books, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.