Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I wanted to love this one because I love regency romance already and was intrigued by the supposed feminist take. But it was just okay.
The character of Nash and how the MC reacts to him didn’t fit with my idea of how a feminist take should work.

I had mixed feelings about the first book in this series, Reputation, but liked what it was attempting to do in its modern, feminist slant on regency romance enough that I wanted to give the series another shot. I decided to listen to it on audio in the interest of saving time as I try to chip away at my overdue NetGalley ARCs instead of reading my digital copy, and though I'm sure that impacted my ability to enjoy and absorb the story to a degree, I have read and heard enough now to know that this isn't the series or genre for me.

Edith "Eddie" Miller is an aspiring writer, and is inseparable from her best friend, Rose. As they grow up, Rose is quick to embrace society, while Eddie shuns it's norms. Horrified when Rose accepts a marriage proposal, Eddie accepts the invitation of infamous poet and scoundrel Nash Nicholson to stay at his isolated island estate. Eager to enter the inner circle of the artistic elite, Eddie travels alongside Rose and her new fiancé, and soon falls prey to the married Nash's advances. While there, Eddie and Rose also come to terms with their latent feelings for each other, and Eddie accepts the true nature of Rose's upcoming marriage of convenience. Nash proves himself to be a cad in all the ways, keeping Eddie around to stroke his ego and take her ideas as his own. Touching on LBGTQ themes through a modern lens, I don't think the outcome of this particular story would have been realistic in its own time. I liked the quick witticisms and banter between Eddie and Rose and even Eddie and Nashand, but it never progressed much more past surface level, so it didn't have that big payoff that usually comes at the end of an extended back and forth between romantic interests.

I wanted to like this more than I did, but in the end, I just couldn't. Eddie was too much of a whiny main character for me. I feel like this story should have been centered around Rose. Also, like Valentine, many auxiliary characters should have gotten more page time. Nash was a horrible character, and if, in the end, I was supposed to despise him, that was accomplished. What I don't understand is how such a strong character like Eddie could have been so blind to Nash and his tricks.

I am looking forward to more from this author, this book was just not for me.

Thank you to @netgalley for the eARC of this book.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I just couldn’t get into this story long enough to make it to the good stuff.

"Infamous" by Lex Croucher is an eagerly anticipated romance novel that offers a fresh take on Regency-era charm and complex emotions. With endorsements from acclaimed authors like Casey McQuiston and praise from Publishers Weekly, Croucher's storytelling promises a blend of humor and depth. Following the journey of Edith and her friend Rose, the story navigates the choices between love, friendship, and literary aspirations. Croucher's writing style and exploration of personal dilemmas make "Infamous" a compelling addition to the romance genre, destined to captivate readers seeking a thoughtful and delightful read.

I read this book right after Reputation to be in the historical mindset, and I’m glad that I did! I had some characterization difficulties with Reputation, but I enjoyed the characters in Infamous much more. It seems like Lex Croucher includes an extremely insufferable character in each of these books, and it can take me out of the story as a whole. However, the relationship between Eddie and Rose really saved the story for me.

how the main character was just blindly taking the advice of this manic pixie dream man over the person who is literally her best friend and knows everything about her is beyond me.

i like lex croucher's style of historical romance. it feels inclusive and diverse while also maintaining the integrity of the time period. but i found the characters in this book to be endlessly frustrating. nash was straight up the worst person ever. i actively avoid books with the manie pixie dream girl/boy trope so if i'd known that was present in this, i probably would've skipped it. and eddie was supposed to be an incredibly intelligent person but she couldn't see what was obviously happening right in front of her. the only redeeming character in this book was rose. also it's queer so that's a huge plus.

i'll continue to read lex croucher's books because like i said, i do really enjoy their style. this just wasn't the absolute smash i thought it would be unfortunately.

You know that feeling when a character in a book is being so obtuse that you just want to reach onto the page, grab them, and shake some sense into them? But you can't stop reading because you've got to find out what happens next? That's what reading this book was like for me. (I swear I mean it as a compliment.) I wasn't a very big historical romance reader before this book, and it inspired me to explore more of the genre. So far this is still my favorite of the bunch.

I was so excited to read this book because I loved Lex Croucher's previous book set in the same world. However, this one took me a long time to get into. I did however get into it after a while and enjoyed it from there!

Would recommend if you also enjoyed the author's previous work.

TLDR: this was a lovely story that I really enjoyed, but doesn’t follow standard romance story beats.

This was such an interesting story—I really liked our two main characters of Eddie and Rose, particularly how different they were in personality and perspective. They each had a lot to give and a lot to learn (though Eddie more so than Rose) which greatly endeared them to me.

My only issue with this book is that the romance was really fighting for the spotlight with the Nash storyline. I found the Nash storyline super interesting (it touched on a lot of themes I’m interested in as a reader and person), but it’s not a romance. It’s an exploration of a powerful man taking advantage of an ambitious but naive woman. This storyline had a lot of meat on the bone, so I didn’t mind spending my time in it, particularly because the side characters were so fascinating with respect to their relationships with Nash. They weren’t unfeeling or cold or even mean-spirited (mostly), but they certainly enabled Nash’s cruel and unstable behavior, which was a complicated dynamic.

All of that said, like I said before, not a romance. The romance between Eddie and Rose developed slowly and we didn’t get to spend much time watching it develop. This only worked because of their long and established history as close friends, and that while Eddie is clueless, the reader can clearly see Rose is struggling to hide her true feelings towards Eddie. Still, much of the time in the book is not spent on this growing romantic aspect of their relationship, so if you’re used to the typical romance beats, some yearning, some will-they-won’t-they, you might find yourself disappointed with this one.

Despite that, this was interesting, high-quality, realistic, empathetic story-telling, so I really don’t mean to knock this book at all, just help you adjust your expectations because it was certainly different than I thought it’d be.

I think if you’re a fan of Mhairi McFarlane’s romances but also interested in historical romances (me), this could be a good fit for you.

This feels difficult to write a review for . . . I overall enjoyed the book. Solid 4 stars. But it took me a while to get into it - I ended up reading the audio version and I had trouble keeping track of all the various characters. Once I paused to refer to my ecopy, I was okay. The sense of place on the island/in the house was excellent and for all the different characters, even the secondary characters were well-drawn and complex. I spent much of the book at least a little bit anxious and wanting to yell at some of the characters, so that should tell you that I found it very engaging! I'd say more but all my praise and commentary veers too close to spoiling so I'll just say that I definitely recommend the book (and the audio was well done) and will happily continue to pick up the author's books. But I do recommend seeking out content warnings if you have any triggers - a lot of upsetting and sketchy stuff goes on on that island.

I picked up this book immediately when I heard Booksmart meets Bridgerton, and I think the reference to both of these comes across immediately. Our main character Eddie immediately reminded me of Eloise Bridgerton, and her relationship to Rose is extremely reminiscent of the relationship in Booksmart. They have an interesting push and pull on one another in the context of the time period, and their conversation is sharp witted and enjoyable to read.
I love our cast of quirky characters that we are introduced to throughout the book, and they keep the storyline moving constantly with quick wit and fantastic banter.

This book was written for you if:
1)You love a Romance
2)You would like LGBTQ+ rep
3)You are interested in a Period Piece

Infamous
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Regency Romance
Author: Lex Croucher
GR: 3.65

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 22-year-old aspiring writer Edith 'Eddie' Miller and her best friend Rose have always done everything together-climbing trees, throwing grapes at boys, sneaking bottles of wine, practicing kissing . . . But following their debutante ball Rose is suddenly talking about marriage, and Eddie is horrified. When Eddie meets charming, renowned poet Nash Nicholson, he invites her to his crumbling Gothic estate in the countryside. The entourage of eccentric artists indulging in pure hedonism is exactly what Eddie needs in order to forget Rose and finish her novel. But Eddie might discover the world of famous literary icons isn't all poems and pleasure . . .

My Thoughts: I was fortunate enough to get a digital and audio ARC for this story. This story is a regency romance set in historical era with a queer twist with humor along the way. I loved that the author touched a bit on negative racial stereotypical behavior. Our protagonist main character is bi and some of the supporting characters are queer. I loved all of the representations in this book and felt the author did it well.

The story is narrated in a single person POV by Eddie. Eddie and Rose are secretly unknowingly in love with each other. Rose gets a proposal for marriage and Eddie cycles down, this frustrates you to no end, but it is written purposefully. This is a character driven book. The characters were well developed with witty banter, charismatic, and just written vibrant for life. The author’s writing style was complex, crisp, engaging, and flowed very well. The storyline is set in the regency era and everyone knows that queer love was extremely taboo during that era, if at all, and a female writer was unheard of, however, I loved Croucher’s ability to get you lost in the story and era truths are suspended a bit.

From the first page, I rooted for Eddie and Rose’s love. If you loved Croucher’s first book, Reputation, this one will be right up your alley. I would highly recommend picking up for a read or listen.

This was my first book by this author, and I enjoyed it!

This was a cute, Bridgertonish, queer story that kept me entertained. I loved how passionate the characters were about what they wanted to do with their lives, and I enjoyed being along for the ride. If you are looking for a cute, easy read, then maybe pick this one up!

This is the queer historical romance I’ve been waiting for.

Infamous is easily one of my new favourite novels. It pulls the curtain back on the queer-er side of the Regency era, one that is often forgotten about. I loved all of the characters, Rose especially, and each of them were such forgotten people in this very romanticized time.

Seeing each of the characters really become their true selves was amazing to see, and I loved how each of their arcs intertwined. The parties, shenanigans, dialogue and friendships really made this novel.

Seeing these messy queer characters is often portrayed in more contemporary media, but fits so well in these coming of age historical settings, and this novel is one for every queer historical lover.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Wednesday Books and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order next year and will recommend it to students.

Infamous by Lex Croucher, the second book in a series of connected standalones, is a shining sapphic friends-to-lovers regency romance.

The book follows aspiring author, Eddie, and her best friend, Rose, who have done everything together since forever. They even promised each other they would never marry. Unfortunately, things turn sour when Rose starts being courted by someone and starts to talk about the possibility of marriage. Eddie also begins to pine for a male author who befriends her, and things get sticky from there.

Just like Reputation, Infamous is fun and banter-y and full of young people making mistakes and being forced to learn from them. The book is YA and that seems pretty obvious from the obliviousness of our MC. Eddie makes a lot of mistakes and assumptions that I think an older person might not have which is great because this book is for people that are in the same age and possible mindset! I am aging out of YA but I think this is going to be an excellent read for people still in the right audience for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

I’m so here for queer ridiculousness. This book was…something. I loved the blooming relationship between Rose and Eddie and how they just resided in peaceful domesticity.

I stand by Nash being the regency equivalent of a fuck boy. What everyone things a rake is? Yeah that’s this come mierda. He made me so mad, which is probably the only feelings I had while reading this? Not the best follow up to Reputation but a fun, head empty no vibes read nonetheless.

It took a while to build, and could have been maybe 50 pages shorter, but I loved the characters and the ending was excellent. Queer happy endings are the best!

Lex Croucher has a talent for writing historical fiction/romance that is really charming. This one doesn't feature people at the center of society, but rather celebrates those on the fringes, the artists, the misfits, and the community they build. It's humorous and sweet with a touch of bigger societal issues. With characters representing a range of queer identities that aren't always centered in historical fiction, this book stands out.