DNF @ 30%

I'm so sad that I just couldn't push myself through this book. I absolutely adored Reputation and this gave off the same vibes, or so I thought, but it just missed the mark entirely. The characters were very one dimensional and I found myself not being able to keep them separated in my mind. The plot was....there, I guess.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me, but I do think there is an audience for it!

Infamous, much like Lex Croucher's Reputation, sets up a story of finding yourself and learning who you truly are, while somehow falling under the impression of a terrible person.

Eddie is determined to be a writer. Her best friend Rose absolutely supports her. But as they grow up, Rose is ready for society, and Eddie wants their relationship to stay the same, and to stay spinsters together. Everything really comes to a head when Eddie meets Nash Nicholson, a poet whom Eddie greatly admires, and he says that he'll help her get published. Eddie begins down a path of not knowing what she really wants, and having to learn for herself that a good poet does not a good person make.

Though I found the story entertaining, it didn't have the same level of drama as I had hoped for. This one is a somewhat more character-driven book, and even though Eddie is a naive, needs-to-figure-out-her-life, interesting character, I was far more interested in side characters like Rose, Dayo, and even Albert. And mainly Nash gave me the ick immediately and I wanted Eddie to get with the program.

3.5 stars!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC!

Oh gosh, I really wanted to like this book as much as I loved <i>Reputation</i>. Lex Croucher is such a funny and vivacious writer and they deftly create scenes of truly raucous, over the top, madcap energy that their writing can take on a frenetic and almost slapstick like quality to it. Unlike many adult writers who write YA and new adult novels, Croucher is also extremely talented at writing characters who feel, sound, and act young which is so refreshing, and skilled at capturing the particular angst and emotion that come along with friendship and love in our teens and early 20s. However, in this novel those talents felt like a double edged sword. Eddie's unwillingness to see what was right in front of her grew increasingly annoying as the novel went on, as did the antics of Nash who I found unbearable from the jump. By 2/3 of the way through I was ready to be done with the relentless shenanigans and bad behavior. Had these characters been teens, I would have been fine with their immaturity but everyone is in their 20s and 30s and I was over it. The saving grace of this novel was undoubtedly Rose (a queen, we stan forever) and the excellent queer representation, which was dealt with in a period appropriate way that I find is often lacking in historical romance and is sensitive, smart, and moving. Its so good it is bumping up my entire rating of this book by one star. In fact, probably my single biggest complaint about this book is that we don't get enough of Rose and Eddie together--their romance took second stage to Eddie's insecurities and Nash's nonsense and I wanted it to be the central narrative. I could have read about just the two of them all day.

Many thanks to the good people at NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. I really wish this one had landed better for me. Croucher's comedy will keep me coming back though--I already have her next novel in my sights!

I loved Lex Croucher’s first book, so I was excited to read this one. Regency queer drama that are like reading Clueless are my new jam.

Eddie is determined to make her own way in the world, damned with what the social norms say. Rose is more cautious and always considers her family. So Eddie is angry when Rose decides to get engaged.. and not to her but a MAN! This forces into action them coming to terms with feelings and deciding if one’s true self is more important than standards.

I love the queer historical story Lex weaves. It’s funny and grasping and unlike anything I’ve read before.

I love this author and this one did no disappoint. I really have been enjoying books that are a mix of genres and this one was just that. This book was laugh-out-loud funny and I didn't want to stop reading it.

"I like kissing Rose...more than I like kissing Nash!"

In the second book (Reputation is book one) of this representation romance series, Infamous by creative author Lex Croucher, it takes Edith "Eddie" Miller a long time to admit kissing, just for practice of course, her lifelong best friend Rose Li is much more enjoyable than kissing the famous poet Nash.

At 22 years old Eddie wants to be a writer and when she's invited with Rose and her boring fiance to Nash's mansion she can't wait to get his help not just in reading her manuscript but maybe introducing her to his publisher.

It is soon apparent, at least to us readers that Nash is a charming jerk, I pictured him being played by a young Hugh Grant, and his interest in Eddie is definitely self serving and at times a bit cruel.

There are some very funny moments with the cast of quirky characters at the mansion and their British humor, including a very cheeky rabbit. But there are also some reveals about hypocrisy from the so called elite of society.

I read and listened to this besties to lovers sapphic Regency romance. The ability of narrator Ellie Kendrick to go from uproarious hijinks to coming to terms with your love for someone society says you shouldn't love is inspiring and beautifully written.

Eddie is fighting her feelings but Rose is the revelation knowing how precarious her position in the world is as the daughter of a privileged Chinese man helping other immigrants. She just wants a quiet married life but as Eddie finally realizes she will lose more than her friend if Rose marries they just might become Infamous in this regency era of polite society.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Infamous is Lex Croucher's second young adult regency set historical romance novel. Croucher highlights diversity in this novel, not just through character's race, but also there sexuality and identification in a really lovely and inclusive way that makes her novel easily approachable and would have definitely been something I would have gravitated to in my youth and devoured whole-heartedly. Croucher's writing weaves together lightness, humor, and exploration with moments of discovery, unawareness, and growth. Croucher's style will definitely appeal to anyone who loves a teenage romantic comedy and coming of age story.

Infamous at its heart is about discovery and growth, in the center we have two friends who are both coming of age, and learning what they want out of life and love. We then have the layer of secondary characters that push and pull these two in various directions as they learn important lessons. I think that Croucher highlights and shows the ever changing minds of people who are growing and discovering new things about themselves. So while motivations are not always clear and while somethings seem to just scrap the first layer, these reflect the way problems and obstacles can be approached when uncertainty plays a large part into the character's understanding of themselves.

I enjoyed this novel and could definitely see recommending this to middle school and young high schoolers who are interested in reading historical romance-light fiction. If you are a historical romance reader you might find some of this delightful, but ultimately it is much more geared to a younger audience.

A Sapphic Regency romance? Yes, please. This book is a delight, I truly enjoyed reading it. All the characters were fun, there was a never a dull moment and the ending was perfect.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-ARC of this book.

A little bit regency, a little bit gothic, a little bit Little-Women-but-make-it-queer. Be still my heart. The characters are complex, the atmosphere intense. It’s hard not to be entranced right alongside Eddie as she’s first drawn into the chaotic web of her favorite poet, which only makes the tension more palpable as her infatuation with her glamorized ideal of a creative life keeps her oblivious to the reality of Nash’s world.

And then there is Rose. Sweet, practical, deceptively placid Rose, whose faith in Eddie never wavers, and who always sees to the heart of things, perhaps because she has so much practice keeping her own heart hidden. I loved being surprised by her strength throughout the book. It’s the best kind of agony watching them fumble their way to one another.

Besides being one hell of a love story, this is also a story about found family and queer joy. You will probably see the twists coming, but their unfolding is so satisfying nonetheless.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Eddie Miller and her younger siblings live an unconventional life. Her parents love her and her siblings. Eddie and her best friend Rose Li spend their days outside, often climbing up to Eddie's tree house and not taking life seriously. Rose however, begins changing, and in Eddie's opinion, not for the better, as Rose begins dressing up, attending various gatherings, and generally leaving Eddie behind. Or so Eddie thinks.

Then, to Eddie's shock, Rose becomes engaged to what Eddie thinks is a horribly conventional man who is just too dull for words. Unlike Eddie's hero, poet Nash Nicholson.

Eddie is ambitious and knows she wants something very different from her life, other than a husband and children. Eddie has wanted to be a writer for many years, and when Eddie gets a chance to spend time with Nash, she's completely bowled over, convinced the man is a genius and a better poet than Byron.

Nash is immediately intrigued by Eddie, and invites her to his family home so she can spend that time writing her book, with the extra incentive that he'll promote her work to his editor. Eddie convinces Rose and her new fiancé to go with her, as Eddie's chaperones, and Eddie sees this as an opportunity to achieve her dream, and to convince Rose that her fiancé is a dullard.

That things don't turn out is not a surprise. The Nicholson family home is a crumbling wreck, Nash and his wife have a number of friends already staying with them, and there is a constant drunken party underway. Also, Nash is constantly inebriated, he's mercurial and he seems to ooze drama (many things are broken during Eddie's attendance at the house).

Eddie ends up learning a LOT during her time away from home. Eddie starts out incredibly self absorbed, shortsighted, insensitive, and obnoxious, all of which makes her frequently unlikeable. At the same time, this book is about Eddie's journey from a person totally wrapped up in herself to a person that is a little wiser, much more clear on what she wants and who she is.

I will admit that while I had a hard time, often, empathizing with Eddie, I loved Rose immediately. Even though we only see Rose from Eddie's often jealous and immature perspective, we learn that Rose's family is originally from Hong Kong, her father is helping other Chinese immigrants settle in England, and Rose, though on the surface conventional, is actually very astute about the limitations Society imposes on her, and how to get around these to find a way to be happy. She is much more mature and honest about who she is, and what she is prepared to do to live safely in Society.

Returning to Eddie, it takes many shocks, including part of a roof coming down and a betrayal or two, for Eddie to wise up about who Nash really is and what he wants from her (Rose saw through him much, much earlier, unsurprisingly). So, while I didn't really like Eddie, I could deeply appreciate her yearning and desperate grasping for a different, better life than what was expected of her. And though she makes many, often stupid mistakes during the course of this book, I came to really enjoy this latest book from Lex Croucher. The story is funny, infuriating, then funny, and finishes in a warm, loving and lovely place.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Regency romance but make it queer! I loved this book and the slow, unfurling manner in which Edith (aka Eddie) comes to realize she’s in love with her best friend Rose. Like Reputation, this novel is full of “bad behavior” by regency standards, and delightful young women who do a lot of growing up and finding themselves through a series of hijinks and absurd situations. I really enjoyed it and was rooting for Eddie and Rose the whole time.

Hmm... not really for me. I couldn't get into the writing, and I didn't really connect with the sense of humor. I can see why people would like this, but unfortunately, not my style. I kind of wonder if this might had worked better as a first person because emotions just seemed pretty detached from Eddie.

This one had a very Bridgerton type feel, if Penelope ended up in love with Eloise! We meet Eddie (aka Edith) and Rose, who have been best friends since they were very young. They have reached a time in their life where they have to start thinking of prospects for marriage, and their life becomes a series of balls and awkward conversations with men. Rose is enjoying the balls and the men and is ready for marriage. Eddie, however, hates every minute. She doesn’t want a man and marriage, but instead dreams of becoming a favorite author. Rose meets a man which leaves Eddie feeling lonely and left out. At this point she meets the infamous Nash Nicholson, a poet who she has admired. Nash invites Eddie, along with Rose and her suitor to his Estate for a holiday. Eddie’s time with Nash was frustrating to me. It is clear from early on that Eddie is in love with Rose, although it took her a while to realize. Eddie and Rose skirt around their feelings a lot. I adored Eddie and watching her grow throughout the story. And the ending was … perfect! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for and ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars*

this was such a fun, heartwarming sapphic historical romance! eddie and rose are childhood best friends and made a pact when they were younger that they would never marry. when rose gets engaged to an older man and eddie befriends her author idol nash, their friendship and feelings for each other get tested.

i really loved the interactions and dynamic between eddie and rose, but my only issue is that i wish there were more of it! a lot of the story centers around eddie's dreams and ambitions of becoming a published author and the romance is a bit more of a side plot. i wish there were a bit more of an equal weight on both storylines, but i really loved the way they were each wrapped up in the end. rose was such a lovely character and she always put eddie in her place when it was necessary (as a true friend/partner should!). i didn't love this one as much as i loved reputation but i still really enjoyed it!

DNF at about 65 %

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Griffin for my advanced copy of Infamous!

I had to DNF. I just couldn't suffer through this any longer.
I really enjoyed Lex Croucher's previous release Reputation. I gave that one 4 Stars ✨ and I definitely recommend it if you want to give this author a try.
This book just bored me.
The only character I cared about was Eddie.
Eddie is my one positive takeaway from this book.

Oveall- A major disappointment.

✨ Please note that I mean no disrespect to the author herself or to any reader who has read Infamous and enjoyed it ❤

I just could not get myself to be fully invested in this story. While the premise was good, it just was not for me. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

3.5 ⭐️

I liked this queer/ historical romance! It wasn’t a favorite but I did enjoyed my time with it!
In this story we have Eddie (known as Edith) who has a childhood best friend named Rose, and they promised each other they would never marry.
A few years pass and Eddie took the promise personal but Rose didn’t, which causes a rift.
Eventually Eddie meets Nash who’s her favorite poet ever and Eddie wants to become a writer so Nash takes a liking to her even though Nash is married, so the two become friends slash under his wing.
Eventually later on when it’s near summer Rose and her fiancé, Nash and his wife, along with Eddie go to a island, and of course some stuff happens, I mean come on it’s a island! So much drama and feelings unfold.

My opinions/ spoilers:
I didn’t like Eddie’s character AT ALL she has no redemption slash character development and I get she’s young but I felt like her character could’ve been more better!

I hated Nash with a burning passion like the dude is married and try’s to get on Eddie and then steals her work!? What is that bull! And Eddie just lets it be to run out like I get it you know she can make other works but that was her first, fight for it!!

I also couldn’t really care about the plot?? I felt like Rose and Eddie should’ve worked out with their emotions and feelings together since they were childhood friends you know? But the romance with the bed and talking should’ve happened before.

I do hope others read this book and find it their cup of tea, but it was not my cup of tea story wise.

Historical LGBTQ+ Romance
⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 2/5

Quotes:

- I am quite determined to do exactly the opposite of what the world wants from me.
- I am not interested in bickering with you when there is cake to eat instead.”
- “What do you mean? You don’t have lots to offer! You’re wonderful!”
- It was real. Undeniably so. It always had been. She wasn’t going to mistake it for anything less ever again.

Review:

This book is set many, many years ago when people road in carriages and definitely didn’t dare to admit they liked someone of the same sex. This is the story Eddie (Edith) and Rose two best friends who like to practice kissing with each other. Eddie longs to be a writer and Rose just longs to be with Eddie though Eddie is so clueless and doesn’t understand her feeling towards Rose at all. Eddie then meets her favorite writer Nash who takes an interest in her and promises her dream of being a published writer he will make come true. Things get a little odd when this very married gentleman starts to push himself on Eddie. Though you find out his intentions weren’t good or to benefit Eddie. She’s left to choose between leaving her dream or the love of her life.

Bridgerton Vibes

Tropes:
- Romance
- LGBTQ+
- Period Piece

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5 - I did not immediately love the book as I wasn’t positive where the storyline was going, but by the end I could not stop reading to find out the next part of Eddie’s story. The writing flow was impeccable and so easy to read through. The vibes from the book were more like the “Dickinson” adaptation on Apple TV to me, which I adored every second of. The naïveté of the main character made the reader want to root for her even more than a typical protagonist that you want to see succeedingly happy. If you love a good period drama with a few wild characters, you will definitely love this book!

Very fun and very funny! I wasn't sure if I would like it at first because it was historical gays and I was worried about all the homophobia but I over worried! Loved the book!