The personal is political. The discourse around politics is so divisive, especially on social media, that it’s easy to forget that it’s not just an American problem. Doxxing, bot campaigns, and misogyny are issues all around the world. And it’s the center of British author Sarah Vaughan’s latest novel, Reputation. Her 2018 release, Anatomy of a Scandal, is now a top series on Netflix. Reputation may earn the same accolade. While her stories take place in England, the plots could easily take place in the United States. If you’re a woman who follows politics and spends time on social media, Reputation will quickly pull you in.

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A reputation takes years to create and foster, but only seconds to destroy. I enjoyed this book but it was a slow burn for me and I found myself skimming a lot which was disappointing, especially since this was a thriller and I hoped for a faster pace. There were parts I enjoyed, but this is a solid 3.5 in my humble opinion. I would read another book by this author for sure! I have heard great things about Anatomy of a Scandal.

I've tried so many times to read this one and it's just not going to be one that I finish. The book centers around a law protecting women from online abuse and harassment, and it's pretty explicit with some of the threats about Emma in the beginning of the book. Between that and simply not liking her, I wasn't super interested. I skimmed a bit further, but ultimately, this one just wasn't for me!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't read Anatomy of a Scandal, but when I saw this book available to request on NetGalley I was super excited!

I enjoyed this gripping thriller by Sarah Vaughan. The book is told from several perspectives, which includes Emma and her 14-year-old daughter, Flora. Both Emma and Flora were well-developed characters. This book was compelling, interesting, a little bit slowed paced. I'm used to suspenseful, page-turning thrillers, so this one kept me captivated, but took me a little longer to finish. It was also fun to read a political/courtroom drama thriller. Sarah Vaughan is a talented writer, and will now have to read Anatomy of a Scandal.

I was really excited to get started on this one, and I found the premise to be really interesting. I struggled, however, to really get invested in the story or the characters. It was an okay story, and I wanted to find out what happened in the end, but I would have appreciated characters I could have gotten more interested in.

I had a difficult time with this one. The story line/plot was interesting and I did want to find out what was happening, I had a hard time connecting with pretty much all the characters, especially the main character, and I didn't really enjoy my time for that reason. They all felt very two-dimensional and not fully realized at all.

3.5 Stars

I jumped to review this book since I’ve heard great things about the author’s previous book. It was well written, but on the slow side for me. Great premise….a teacher turned politician is accused of murder after a body is discovered in her house. Shows the brutal side of being in the public eye and what is sometimes given up. At the same time as the trial, her daughter is being bullied, and takes the matter into her own hands. What happens when your reputation is in question?

I didn’t really connect with the characters, found them annoying. This was very slow reading for me, maybe because of the disconnect. Would give this author another try.

Thanks to Ms. Vaughn, Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Imagine being a newly elected PM, and finding your star is on the way up. You are a single parent with a teenage daughter sponsoring a bill that will make it difficult for those who think revenge porn is a way to get back at an ex. Then you find out your own daughter did a careless thing to someone who was bulling her and there you are in the middle of what you want those who do send this behavior to be punished. However, now it's your child that will be punished for a moment of stupidity.

Emma is the PM, and when there's a threat from a reporter to expose her daughter, she finds herself in a spot she never thought she would be. When this man is found dead in her home, Emma is brought into a web of lies and revelations that could indeed spoil the reputation she has tried to establish. Will Emma be able to convince a jury of her innocence in the death or is she destined to spend her life behind bars?

This was a fine story with a good amount of intrigue and twists and turns. Definitely, a page turner especially during the trial period. Thank you to Sarah Vaughan and NetGalley for a copy of this story which has already been published.

Princess Fuzzypants here: If you were enthralled by Anatomy of a Scandal are we were, you are going to want to read this book. There is a timely and fascinating story on the surface. MP Emma is charged with murder after the death of a tabloid journalist in her home. The fact that he was there without her invitation and was threatening towards her does not stop the prosecution from pillorying her in court. But the court that really matters in this book is the court of public opinion. And driving that court is the unrestrained vitriol that passes for commentary in our social media world.

Not to downplay the other issues that are examined in the book, the main thrust for me was how we as a society have become so nasty and virulent in the anonymity of the internet. Gone is the thin veil of civilized behaviour we fooled ourselves into believing. The average person is not safe from this but if you are a public figure, then game on. You are in the crosshairs and it takes very little to nudge unbalanced people from on line malice to real life threats. It made me rethink some of the “judgements” i might have made upon reading something. That is not to say that we should not hold people to account for their words and actions but so should we hold those who think it is their right to cast aspersions.

Lest you think this is a preachy book, it is not. It is taut and nail biting and right until the conclusion, the reader is never sure how things will end. And then, when it does, there are a couple of twists that I never saw coming. It was riveting from beginning to end. Five purrs and two paws up.

Such a great book! It was suspenseful and kept me on my toes. Emma trying to protect her family at all costs but someone is always going to be after her as a politician. A great read!!!!!

This was a quick and enjoyable story. I read it in one sitting and really liked the main character! I loved the feminist aspects to this story.

Sarah Vaughan’s Reputation takes a look at the life of British MP, Emma Webster, a divorced woman in her 40s who makes a number of bad decisions. When the book opens, we know that something very bad has taken place, and then Emma goes back through her recent past to the moment when things started to go wrong in her world. Emma pinpoints the first bad decision, the one “that started everything,” as the magazine photo shoot in which she is swayed by flattery and the presence of a male photographer to assume an aggressive, sexy posture.

Was I subliminally so desperate for male admiration? At forty-four, so conscious of becoming sexually invisible that, despite everything I stood for, I let myself be flattered by and play up to his uncompromisingly male gaze?

This scene sets the stage for all that is about to go wrong in Emma’s life, plus it reveals her Achilles’ heel. Politicians seem to fall on their own petards–most commonly a sex scandal petard. Politicians are not unique in their embroilment in sex scandals, but since there are journos watching, participants who may sell their stories, and enemies lurking in the shadows, there’s a good chance that the secrets of politicians will be exposed. Political sex scandals are highly leakable and who doesn’t like to read about a good, meaty sex scandal?


Since Emma’s divorce, the family home was sold and Emma now lives with two other female MPs. Emma shares custody of her daughter, Flora, with her ex. Meanwhile Emma’s ex, David, seems to be flourishing with his second wife Caroline, who was Flora’s piano teacher, no less.

Caroline, who had encouraged me to stand as a politician, then moved with alacrity to fill my space once I got into office.

A veritable viper in the bosom. David, with his new wife, has had a make-over, he’s fitter, lost weight, and sports a beard while Emma. … well she’s marching on and ploughing herself into her political work. The fact that David’s appearance has improved may partly explain why Emma is flattered into presenting the ‘sexy’ side of herself to the public through the magazine spread. Not, as it turns out, a good decision.

I liked the way we see Emma’s reaction to the new David–it must be a bit of a ego blow to see one’s former spouse dusted off, spruced up and flourishing in another relationship. Emma is not a particularly appealing character–this may possibly be because Emma really has no idea who she is, and while she is passionate about one political cause, Revenge Porn, she is a rather typical politician when it comes to issues that don’t fit her agenda (veteran’s mental health). Now there is no law against stupidity and Emma makes some really stupid decisions. Emma’s stupid decisions work plot-wise as the author laid the groundwork to make those decisions plausible, but still, I found it hard to care one way or another what happened to Emma–the loose cannon on the political payroll. The story unfolds through Emma’s eyes and is punctuated with vicious, reductive social media comments. How pathetic that worlds begin and end with the largely unaccountable actions of social media gladiators.

review copy

I watched and really enjoyed Anatomy of a Scandal on Netflix (however didn't read the book, by this same author), so I was really looking forward to reading Reputation. The book is told from various viewpoints throughout the story (the main character, her daughter, the victim, the ex-best friend, etc), so it is interesting to see how different characters view the same circumstances. It wasn't as twisty as I had anticipated, but it is a book that keeps the reader guessing, due to so many unreliable narrators. The characters are interesting, the story is very detailed, and the ending is very satisfying. It involves timely topics such as revenge porn, privacy for those in the public eye, how women are treated in society and internet bullying, I'm hoping to watch this one on streaming too!

4 stars

Reputation, by Sarah Vaughan, is a smart psychological thriller set in present day London. Emma, a recently elected MP, has made it her mission to champion the digital right to privacy, called the Online Harms bill, and another cause—making revenge porn illegal.
Divorced, with a 14 year old daughter Flora, Emma is struggling to keep up with her public life, suffering spiteful comments from Twitter trolls and sexist threats from misogynists, and her private life as her teenager experiences bullying at school.
Incidents occur to both Emma and Flora, including Emma’s involvement with tabloid reporter Mike, and overnight their reputations are sullied, and they must show courage to regain their dignity.
This story started slowly but soon became a compelling read. The settings in London are described beautifully, and the plotting moves well, with some intense courtroom scenes that had me engaged, as they explored the actions and motives of the characters.
More than just a psychological thriller, I think this is just as much an exploration of the roles of strong women in this present day; how they strive for recognition and better lives of other women, as well as how these same female leaders are treated, intimidated, threatened, abused and stalked.
While Emma made mistakes, her morality and strength as well as her insecurities are well described and make for a multilayered, sometimes gritty, novel of suspense.
Well done, Ms. Vaughan!!

Thank you to Emily Bestler Books/Atria and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.

This book just didn't hit for me. I've had to come back to it about 4 times now as I had to pause to prevent a DNF. There's nothing bad about the story or writing really, but there's nothing particularly good either.

**Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC**

This one was a mixed bag. I think it could have been a really interesting story about revenge porn, but it got sidetracked with the death. The mom/politician aspect made for a very interesting main character, and her focus in parliament after a constituent dies by suicide due to revenge porn and online bullying was relevant and important. But, it really dragged on, especially the courtroom section. I think this was also marketed wrong because I thought it was a thriller and it really wasn’t. Maybe a mystery? There were some twists, but by the time things were revealed, I was pretty much over this book and ready to move on.

Oh girl, Sarah Vaughan. Exactly what I look for in a summer read - a psychological thriller about a politician whose less-than-perfect personal life is thrust into the spotlight when a body is discovered in her home. 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.

I really wanted to love this one, but I had a hard time getting into it. It just didn't flow smoothly and sometimes I had a hard time following what was going on and what Emma did/didn't actually do. But overall, I enjoyed it and look forward to what Sarah Vaughan has in store for us next.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Reputation was amazing! Picture this…a court room drama that has mystery/triller vibes! My jam!! I was glued to my kindle and when I was done I was mad because I didn’t want it to end!

👩🏻😎🇬🇧🥣👩‍👧👩🏽‍⚖️
Reputation by Sarah Vaughan

I read this book in all possible formats which feels a little extra but also very bookish 🤓 Thanks to @atriabooks @goodreads for the giveaway copy. Thanks @netgalley for the galley. Thanks @scribd for the audio!

“It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and just one moment to destroy it.”

It takes about 30-40% of backstory and build up before we get to the main event and the courtroom drama, but it’s all essential to helping the reader understand Emma’s choices. A young, successful politician is growing more and more paranoid as multiple events create a storm of trouble for her family, herself, and her reputation.
I thought the novel was well done, once I got through all of the character building, the action and the short chapters keep the reader going waiting to see what happens next. There are excellent explorations of social media, crime, and being a woman in the world right now.
I also really liked that the ending lends itself to another political thriller follow up book 📖

I highly recommend this especially if you love a courtroom drama (especially a British one 😊)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reputation is a fast-paced novel, part courtroom drama, part thriller. Emma Watson, a member of parliament, has a lot going on in both her personal and private lives. Her marriage has broken up, her relationship with her teenaged daughter, Flora, is difficult and in parliament she had taken on the cause of a young woman who has committed suicide after being the victim of revenge porn. When her daughter is bullied and does something very questionable, her public and private lives collide. Then the journalist threatening to expose Flora winds up dead in Emma's flat, she's arrested for his murder. Emmas is a complicated character and this book certainly had plenty of twists and turns. It's not titled Reputation for nothing. The book also takes on the abuse women in the public eye are forced to endure..