I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

This was my second novel by Lex Croucher and it was just as good as the first one! Croucher sets this book in the Regency Era, but gives it a modern day sound. I think she did a wonderful job of crafting her words to sound as if we really were in that era but enough for the modern day people to understand. The story was written in such a way that had me guessing about what was going to happen, but then I kept having to question myself because there were so many ways it could have gone.

Edith (Eddie) does not fit in with the other girls her age. She has always been a little different, which could have been because of her upbringing. Rose is Eddie's best friend and they do just about everything together. But when Rose gets engaged, Eddie isn't sure she can handle not being able to be with her best friend. Just as this is going on, Eddie finds herself meeting and befriending Nash Nicholson; famous poet that Eddie has adored since she read his first works. Nash seems very interested in helping Eddie publish her novel and Eddie takes all the help she can get to have her dream come true. But everything is not as it seems....

Infamous is set in the Regency period and is a story about emotional growth, learning some very hard lessons, and discovering what (and finally who!) is truly important in life. There’s some treachery and mystery afoot and an ever-present thread of romance.

Eddie (Edith) and Rose met when they were 8 and have been the best of friends and perhaps a little more for 14 years. At 16 Eddie coerces Rose into making a pact that they would not bow to the expectations of London society and agree to never, ever marry. Rose agrees but she has reservations because her family is not nearly as unconventional or as well-to-do as Eddie’s and back in ye olden times women like Rose didn’t have much of a choice.

Anyhow, now they’re both 22 and Rose has decided to betray Eddie by marrying a boring (perfectly nice), 30ish man (or maybe he was 29, I can’t keep up) who raises rabbits. Eddie is mortified and deeply injured and really pissed off about rabbit man interfering in their lives. She hates on him, she hates on his bunnies, she rages at Rose and this causes a major rift in their friendship. Nash Nicholson, a handsome, charming, narcissistic MARRIED poet causes the other one. Nash is a friend (acquaintance?) of Rose’s fiancé and meeting him opens Eddie up to a whole new world.

Eddie idolizes Nash. Who wouldn’t? He showers her with attention, praises her writing, and promises to introduce her work to his editor. He invites the three of them to join him at his secluded crumbling old mansion for a few months with some other friends to work on their creative endeavors and off they go. Tensions, sexual and otherwise, soon run hot and wild and things get weird and I don’t really want to say anything more than that.

This book started out as an amusing romp with some sweet romantic tension between Eddie and Rose. The reader gets to meet Eddie’s delightfully cute family and I loved it all. I thought it might be a 4 ½ or 5 star story for me but then it takes a decidedly darker turn as Nash whisks them away to his home filled with booze, drugs, and debauchery and it became something else entirely. It was full of strange turns and I did like that because I never felt quite sure where it was going or what was going to happen next. But the tone change was a bit jarring, not gonna lie. It’s an odd mix of humor, and emotional stress with a mystery tossed in that didn’t work for me and felt entirely unnecessary. And something happens at the end that leaves me wondering what happened to one of the characters. Dead? Alive? Ghostie? I don’t think I’ll ever know and it’s going to bug me forever.

I need to mention that there is some really dubious consent going on here with the Nash character who is MARRIED and reading about Eddie’s endless crush on him was disturbing. Her ability to ignore all the 🚩’s was quite something. Quite a talent actually. It made me feel gross for Eddie and for poor Rose and I wasn’t a fan of that storyline even if it did eventually cause Eddie to figure her shit out. In my opinion, it took way too long but I’m not a 20-something and I’m probably impatient for that nonsense.

I did adore the end and the way things wrapped up romance-wise. I adored the sweeter moments Rose and Eddie shared in their room at the moldy mansion. I wish we (me) could’ve had more of the sweet and the lovely but I’m probably being greedy.

3 ½ Stars

I didn’t like the beginning at all, but the last four chapters made it tolerable for me. At first Nash was made out to be a love interest, and I hated him so much. He really was awful. But when she stole her manuscript and sold it as his own, all the pieces fell into place. He wasn’t simply a bad boyfriend or lover or whatever, he was just a bad person that was trying to use romance to manipulate her. All the pieces just fell into place when that was revealed, and I think that was a great decision on the author’s part.

But I have something else. ”Mr. Nicholson's first and only novel The Gentleman was considered his last great published work; although he published two further novels and has returned to poetry in later life, critical acclaim has continued to elude him...” So did he publish one or three novels?? That makes absolutely no sense.

And Rose… the book SAID that they were longtime best friends, but it didn’t feel like that at all. They were always arguing and there was so evidence that they really knew each other. It always felt like they were walking on eggshells around each other.

So the first 30 chapters would get 1 star, and the last four chapters would get a solid 3.5 stars. The beginning was extremely boring.

Thank you to St Martins and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I'm not sure what I was expecting from Lex Croucher's second novel, but it was not what I got and that was probably for the best. Where I thought I was going to get something fun and frothy, instead I read a novel that, while definitely still fun, was more satire than I had been expecting. And it was great. Eddie, a "tomboy" who just likes kissing her friend Rose "for practice" wants to be a serious author and can't help but be mesmerized when a young poet takes notice of her. What follows is a cast of characters all more interested in their "art" than their friendships and a story of one woman's realization that everything she wants in life is nothing as she thought.

I liked this book and felt it was a solid read, though at times it meandered a bit for me. Eddie is delightfully clueless at times, but never dumb or silly, just naive. And the surrounding characters were fun to deal with and not too over drawn. I look forward to more from Croucher!

I kept trying to get into this book every so often for the past few months, but for whatever reason, it didn't capture my attention. Will try again maybe in the future, but for now, sadly had to DNF!

A chaotic romp of a story that will leave you feeling bubbly. A story about finding yourself and your people.

2⭐️

I wanted to love this so badly. However, I spent most of the book being upset with how Eddie treated Rose and wondering why someone would allow that kind of treatment for years.

Then there is the trouble of Nash, who always was intended to be a villain in the story but I hated so much that it was a chore to find the strength to finish. The pacing of Eddie’s final realization he was a terrible person to the end of the book felt a bit rushed.

I did love Rose and Albert as characters but they were not included enough in my opinion to bump up my rating. The writing of this book was good which is why I’m so sad I didn’t like it. I would definitely give this author another chance and read them again.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.*

I continue to be totally into the Bridgerton/Gossip Girl vibes of the books Lex Croucher writes! I loved that this one was a queer romance, and touched on (a little bit) racial srereotyping. Ultimately I got a little frustrated with our MC, but this might just be me passing adult judgement on YA characters. I’ll keep reading whatever she writes!

📖Book: Infamous
⭐️Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
✍🏼Author: Lex Croucher
📚Genre: Historical Romance 
🗏 Pages: 336
💕Tropes: Best Friends to Lovers, Marriage of Convenience, 
⚠️Warnings: Drugs, Toxic Relationship 
🔖Readability: 4.5/5 italic font is used
🥇First Line: When the bell rang for supper up at the house, Eddie and Rose were practicing kissing.

What to expect:
⭐️Sapphic Romance
⭐️Friends to Lovers
⭐️Regency Era 
⭐️Writers

I love Lex Croucher. However, this one just missed the mark for me. I feel like this time around, the characters weren't as spunky and had the wit to them. Both main characters fell flat for me and didn't keep me engaged. This reminded me of my least favorite Bridgerton sister Eloise, probably why I wouldn't say I liked this one. Lex is such a fantastic writer, and the story is there, this one however just wasn't for m.e 

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin Press for the advance reader copy.

Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with this book. The first half was cute and funny. I loved Eddie's siblings and their antics so much. I really would have loved if more of the book had featured them.
Eddie was very difficult to like, and I honestly don't understand why Rose gave her so many chances.
After they left for the house party everything just went in such a strange direction. For much of the second half, Eddie was completely insufferable, and her infatuation with Nash was annoying.
I was obvious where the story with Nash was headed from the beginning, and I would have much preferred more of Eddie and Rose together.
Also, seriously, what happened to Henry?

I'm giving this 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 mainly because I liked Eddie's siblings, and there were some tender moments between Eddie and Rose that I enjoyed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the second book I’ve read by the author, and I have to say that I really enjoy their writing style and the humor always lands. The setting was so fun and probably a highlight of the novel. We get to see a side of the Regency Era that a lot of novels gloss over. It’s also super refreshing to see an imperfect queer character as a leading lady. The novel does suffer from some pacing issues and I wish we got more time with Eddie and Rose together throughout the story (similar issue that I had with their other novel, Gwen and Art are not in love), but overall I think the story is definitely worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC :)

I am going to start this review by being explicit- if you are upset by inaccurate historical romances, these are not the books for you. However, if it’s neither here nor there for you, read on…

Infamous follows Croucher’s Reputation from 2022, and it is a delightful continuation in this Regency world. We are now following Eddie and Rose, two entertaining young women. Eddie is a writer, and I always find it fascinating to read a writer-character in a book- it feels meta in a way. Rose is Eddie’s friend and partner in many ways, and their relationship of author and quasi-editor is one of my favourites.

I appreciate that both their queer relationship and Rose’s “otherness” as an Asian was given space to breathe in the novel. Is that accurate to the Regency period in Britain? Probably not, but this isn’t a textbook. (I actually want more on Rose’s father helping Chinese immigrants to set up their new lives in Britain, that would also be a great novel.)

This book was just as much fun as Reputation and it is the perfect book to read while we wait for the new season of Bridgerton to get a release date!

A fun, quick read!

When I heard that there was a new sapphic regency romp I knew I had to pick it up. It was a lot more on the cutesy side than the steamy side which is absolutely what I'm in the mood for sometimes.

While I overall enjoyed the story, an element that did frustrate me throughout was being able to see through the deception of other characters far quicker than the main character, who fumbles through this discovery at a terribly slow pace.

If you're looking for a cute, quick, and queer romance, this book will safisfy

This was a friends-turned-lovers story about Eddie (Edith) and Rose. Eddie and Rose are best friends who grew up doing everything together, that is, until Rose declares that she is looking to get married even after they had made a pact never to marry. Eddie fashions herself to be a writer. When Rose is courting a gentleman who happens to be acquainted with Nash Nicholson, a rival of Byron's and Eddie's literary idol, they are thrust into an intriguing literary scene where Eddie expects that her dreams of being a published author might finally be accomplished, though not everything is as it seems. This is a story of learning lessons that appearances can be deceiving and that sometimes there is more than meets the eye.

Infamous by Lex Croucher was just ok. I gave it a valiant effort but it didn't do anything for me. I didn't find any of the characters likeable or interesting. I thought Eddie was selfish and childish and Rose boring. I thought the historical aspect of a current day situation of coming out would have been interesting. Overall, the premise good, but the follow through was not my cup of tea.

A wonderful queer romance. Edith “Eddie” Miller and Rose Li have been best friends since the age of 8. When they came out into society at age 16, Eddie makes Rose vow that neither of them would marry. Of course six years later and Rose loves society and as the daughter of Chinese immigrants she feels duty bound to marry, but also wants a comfortable companionable marriage and independence. She finds Albert, a middle-aged man who breeds rabbits and who she likes, but does not love.

Eddie of course hates him immediately, but he proves useful as an escort when he introduces Eddie and Rose to his old friend, the poet Nash Nicholson, who leads a very bohemian lifestyle. Eddie, whose goal is to become a published author is captivated by a life without the strictures of society.

Nash is so charming it’s an affront and I commend the author for the characterization. A wonderful read with LOTS of pining.

"Twenty-two-year-old aspiring writer Edith (“Eddie”) Miller and her best friend Rose have always done everything together―from climbing trees and sneaking bottles of wine, to extensive kissing practice. But Rose has started talking about marriage, and Eddie is horrified. Why can’t they continue as they always have?"
Eddie was in love with Rose except that couldn't be right.
Eddie (Edith)was in trouble. She didn't see it coming.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

What a hilarious read!! I loved the friendship between Edith (Eddie) and Rose, Funny enough, my real name is Edith but I go by Ellie, and my mom's name is Rose.. I was so happy to read a novel with our names intertwined like this. It was humorous, binge worthy, and I cannot wait to read what's next from author Lex Croucher!

Advertised as Book Smart meets Reputation, Infamous had me hooked from the very beginning.

Interesting characters, fun dialogue, and various shenanigans made this an extremely enjoyable read. It was very hard for me to put this book down as it was simply excellent.

Our main characters, Eddie and Rose, were fully fleshed out and were quite complex. Eddie, the POV character, was raised unconventionally in Regency London alongside her siblings and wants to one day become a published author and never marry. Rose, on the other hand, comes from a less well-to-do family originally from China and seems to want a much more conventional life than Eddie at the beginning. When meeting her literary hero and confronted with Rose about to become engaged, Eddie is blinded by hero worship and the chance to have her dreams realized. This is a big cause for many of the issues in the book for our heroines. Regardless, Eddie and Rose’s relationship and the tension between their friendship as they seemingly want quite different things is truly the focus of the novel and I loved it.

I do have to say the naivety and sheer stupidity Eddie acted with at times were extremely frustrating. I understand why she acted in this way when confronted with her hero and her dream potentially coming true, but she seemed so shocked when some people had underhanded motives or were more than they appeared. She also had to be outright told things that were fairly obvious to a reader. While I was frustrated, it did make her a more fleshed out character with flaws which I appreciated.

I also felt that even side characters with little effect on the plot were at least fleshed out enough to get some laughs from me. I personally quite liked Eddie’s little sister Beatrice and wish her the best of luck on her adventures to try and single-handedly make her way to China at the age of 8.

I mentioned the writing previously, but I truly did love it. It felt fun without being satirical or going too far from being focused on the main plot of the book. Croucher filled the book with some hilarious lines that had me giggling. A personal favorite was, “I am stupid and I am happy and I am soup.” Are these lines deep and meaningful? No, but they provide humor and shows some of each characters’ personality that books that focus on having every line being the most profound thing you've ever heard really miss out on.

Needless to say, this was a great read and I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good romance, especially if they love a queer one.

I am OBSESSED with this queer regency-era love story! Lex Croucher did it again! I loved this book so so much and the friends to lovers trope was done really well!