I started off disliking Emily but she grew on me. I could've used a bit more simmer in the slow burn. The romance was so cool for so long there wasn't really romantic tension on the page. I didn't love the lies hanging over Emily the whole book either. But overall I had fun and all of the side characters were great.

Lex Croucher's latest work is an enchanting tale featuring Emily, an initially grumpy governess, who transforms the unconventional household with her wit and charm. The characters, vibrant and three-dimensional, feel like real friends by the end. The casual queerness adds a wonderful layer of inclusivity. The audiobook's excellent performance enhances the humor, making it hard to put down. While the story delves into complex relationships, the only slight drawback is the need for more development in Emily and Captain Edwards' romance. Overall, a delightful read with a 4-star rating. Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the early copies.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Another great read from Lex Croucher! Representation! Romance! Fun! And an important lesson to be yourself, always.

I love Lex Croucher's romances, so I couldn't wait to pick up this book, and it lived up to all of my expectations! It had Sound of Music, Captain Von Trapp/Maria vibes in the best way! I loved the focus on being yourself, even if it is not something that society accepts. Emily was determined to stay herself, even as she pretended to be her sister, and there was excellent bi and trans representation throughout the book! I also loved the chronic illness representation! It was so well done with both Grace and Amy and I loved seeing invisible illness being represented in this way! I really enjoyed this book and the sass throughout the story! Lex Croucher has quickly become an author that I love, and I cannot wait to pick up whatever Lex writes next!

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

I loved this. I have recently disovered that one of my favourite tropes is Grump-Grump and Trouble completely delivered in that regard. There was a little bit of a Lizzie/Darcy vibe except if Darcy was nicer.

As always Croucher peppers the text with delightfully hilarious supporting characters and a few queer story lines that freshen up the period romance setting. I will continue to read and love everything Lex Croucher writes.

I loved this book so much! It was quirky and hilarious. I adored the FMC and her personality. She was not your traditional heroine and the things she thought had me cracking up all throughout the story. The MMC reminded me of Mr.Darcy! He was so awkward and struggled anytime he had to show emotion and express himself. There was also a lot of surprises in the book that I didn’t expect. I am not a big fan of historical romance but this changed that for me.This book was a breath of fresh air and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you so much to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own! 🥰

What a sweet story! As a lifelong Sound of Music fan, I was both very prepared to love Captain Edwards and also completely unprepared for how much love I forgot I have for the Captain Von Trapp types.

- grumpy x grumpy relationship
- reluctant governess
- single dad
- LGBTQ+ representation
- Sound of Music inspired story
- releases March 5th, 2024

Trouble by Lex Croucher is a book that will draw you in on the first page and keep you engaged with various emotions. One of the stand-out things about this book is the main character, Emily. While wanting to help her family, including her sick sister, Emily pretends to be a governess, even though she has no experience with children. I loved the contrast between Emily and the rest of the cast and how dedicated she was to her family while slowly being broken down by Captain Edwards and his children.
The characters in this book all contributed greatly to this book and added a lot of dimension. I loved the two children Emily was watching and how they were very different from one another while still fitting into the setting.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a regency read to prepare them to step back into the world of Bridgerton this next season.

In true Lex Croucher fashion, this book is funny, romantic, and sweet. Croucher continues to be a fantastically underrated author. I think that croucher will become an auto-buy author for me. She continues to create characters that are human and relatable. I have to read the other books in this series because this one was so good. I can't wait to read more by this author.

*4.5

This author is an auto-buy for me. I really love her writing and the way she characterise her MCs. And her books are always so damn funny! I adore this Gossip Girl/Bridgerton mood… but a lot more queer! It’s totally my cup of tea. And the rep… God, it’s so good! Lex Croucher just writes one of the best queer reps. Sorry, guys, you know I’m write. As a bisexual, I felt so seen reading this book.
This series is one of my favorite ever. Hope there will be more books!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

I adore Lex Croucher's historical romcoms: Reputation, Infamous, and now Trouble. They're funny and sharp, full of unconventional characters who may be difficult or annoying but are still somehow charming as well as a welcome modernity to their regency settings. In the case of Trouble, we have Emily Laurence, a woman masquerading as a governess in her caring but ill sister's place and really has no business taking care of two very different teenagers. Emily is prickly, sharp-edged, and determined to not like anyone and make the best of her situation in order to help her family. Despite herself, Emily finds herself good at care-taking in her own way and warming to the new household, but also navigating her connection to the children's father Captain Edwards and a worsening situation she's stumbled into. The story unravels Emily's layers under her outward impertinence, unfriendliness, and lies to show how she struggles with caring and her own view of herself. As always, Croucher is frank with sexuality and gender and effortlessly weaves them into their work from the leads to supporting characters. I also really appreciated how they brought in chronic illness.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for allowing me access to the E-arc.

I really enjoyed this book. It gave me Jane Eyre vibes but make it queer. I thought it was interesting to have an unlikeable but yet likable main female character. I loved all the quirky characters side characters. The rep. of chronic illness was a bonus. It’s nice to see more chronic representation in stories.

I highly recommend it!

For a historical romance, it had bits that felt modern and/or relatable. I enjoy seeing different representations of queer experiences in historical fiction because they clearly did exist but we just aren’t always aware of that fact. The romance was more of a minor subplot than I expected, I would’ve preferred a bit more of it since it did feel it came a little out left field based on their past encounters. Still enjoyed the book though and I have liked the author’s previous YA book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Emily, our brilliant and relatable protagonist, tugged at my heartstrings from the very first page. She was both humorous and endearing, and I loved rooting for her happy ending.

4.25/5 stars

This was a really enjoyable book! It gave me Sound of Music meets Bridgerton meets contemporary romance vibes.
Emily is such a great fmc. She's independent and stubborn but she cares about the people in her life, even if she doesn't always know how to show it. Although her decision-making wasn't always the best I could understand why she was doing it. She was definitely a flawed character but I think that makes her a lot more realistic,
The romance in this book is definitely a slow burn but I think it was done really well. There's a slow buildup, pining, banter, stolen kisses, all the great historical romance moments.
The side characters in this book were also great. They were hilarious, complex, and caring, and helped move the story along in a way that felt really natural and fun.

Although this is a historical romance it reads a little bit more like a contemporary book so I think its a great starting point for anyone who is looking to get into historical romance (although I also think its great if you already love historical romance as well). This was a fun romance that had a lot of depth and really sweet moments. Definitely check this one out when it releases!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

It's not often that a Regency or historical fiction romance makes me laugh - but I repeatedly giggled whilst reading 'Trouble'!! (Getting a laugh out of literature in a world where people take themselves much too seriously is worth its weight in gold.)

As a regency retelling of The Sound of Music (forever one of my favorite movies), I immediately requested this ARC, and I can't tell you how happy I was after reading it! The literary equivalent of that feeling from cozying up with a cup of tea and deviously putting your cold toes under your partner's bare leg is 'Trouble' in a nutshell!!

**Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Very cute. Could’ve done for some more obvious pining before loving each other, but I enjoyed it just the same. Things making sense when he takes off his shirt? *nods in understanding*

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC e-copy of Trouble by Lex Croucher.

Have you ever watched The Sound of Music and wondered how hilarious it would have been if Maria was, well… the worst?

Her governess sister, Amy, sick and indisposed, Emily Laurence goes in her place to Fairmont House, home of Captain Edwards and his two teenage children. Emily has no intention of staying very long—in fact, she plans to stay only long enough to nick enough expensive-looking trinkets to pay for her sister’s care. But, of course, despite Emily’s every terrible intention, things do not go as planned…

This book—with an opening plot device somewhat vaguely similar to School of Rock… is it just me?—is both funny and touching. The touching part surprised me, but this story, full of quirky and lovable characters who can’t help but say every thought that’s on their mind, was very enjoyable.

I have had Reputation and Infamous on my shelf for a while, but I haven’t yet had the opportunity to read them. Now I know that when I do, I’m sure I’m in for another hilarious and charming regency romp. I can’t wait.


☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - GREAT

Lex Croucher's books are always brilliantly funny and unique! Their third Regency romance -- a retelling of The Sound of Music with a fake governess who hates children -- is an absolute joy. I'll genuinely read whatever they write next!

I could not get into this book. The main character Emily lied, stole and was so bitter and this was in the first 5 chapters. Yes her sister is sick but still she is jealous of another sick child. Seriously the pettiness was a bit too much.

The side characters were worth rooting foe and that just about summed it for me.

A very slow slog of a book..