I had heard of this author, but this is the first of their books I'm reading. While I appreciate the contemporary take on an austenian premise, this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. There are definitely some highlights, I just didn't particularly find the main character very likeable or empathetic, and I thought the pacing was a bit off. The romance felt very flick-of-a-switch to me, without much buildup, but I loved the characterization of the tertiary characters (children and household staff). I happened to have another book by this author come up from my library holds while I was reading, and I've just jumped into that. So far, I'm liking that book a bit better, but this was alright romp.

I’m not really sure how to rate this book… I finished it, barely. It started out interesting enough, but then fell into so many woke issues in the regency era, it was entirely unbelievable. Not my favorite, one star. ⭐️

3.75 stars rounded to 4

Emily Laurence is in no right a governess. But her sister (Amy) falls sick, so she puts on her big-girl bloomers and makes her way to the Fairmont House to get her the help she needs. Emily assumes the identity of her sweet, intelligent sister Amy and no one is the wiser, despite the fact that Emily is stealing from them and generally hates children. Captain Edwards is gruff and tough, and he desperately wants help for his two teenage daughters. Emily (aka false Amy) has an unfortunate first impression with Captain Edwards and that sets the mood for their relationship!

Okay SO, this book had exactly what I needed right now. There's romance, there's humor, there's heist/scheming plot, and a whole lot of character development. My heart goes out to Amy (yes, the real Amy) and Grace, Capt. Edwards's daughter. Usually I don't love plot involving lying/miscommunication/issues with honesty, but this was so satirical and off-the-cuff that I didn't mind it. The staff was also hilarious. It was like they were trying to be found family, but Emily was NOT into it. I got vibes of New Girl meets Uptown Girls meets Bridgerton. This book is like if the main character in Lex Croucher's book Reputation grew up and became a crook for a good cause. I do enjoy that there isn't as much drinking, drugs, sexual content, etc. as Reputation either. Also the narrator of the audiobook is amazing! This wasn't rated higher for me just because I didn't love some of the plot or themes that showed up here.

Read this if you enjoy:
-historical romance
-heist/crook scheme
-troubled teens/identity issues
-sister besties
-workplace romance (sorta)
-he falls first and harder
-chronic illness rep

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio arc!

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Smart and sexy. Great narrator as well. Well done!

This historical fiction novel by Lex Croucher is reminiscent of Jane Eyre. In an effort to help her ailing sister, Emily Laurence is forced to be the new governess at Fairmont House but she abhors children. Emily is very much aware that her prickly demeanor is not well suited to the role of a governess, but she perseveres to earn as much money as she can. But her determination to stay aloof from the household staff, her charges, and Captain Edwards gradually wanes with each week. Yet she finds herself ensnared with a mysterious gentleman curious about Captain Edwards' dealings with the Navy - and willing to pay for information.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The plot is easy to follow because the narrator, Ell Potter, brings each character to life. Typically, I love to have the ability to reference the book while listening to clear up any confusion, but I did not have any trouble with Trouble. Croucher's plot is easy is to follow and Potter's pacing, tone, and accents is exceptional.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy and early audio copy for review.

Independent from the plot, I liked the narration of this book. Ell Potter’s voice was clear and very pleasant to listen to. After a few minutes, I was lost in the story and the narration enhanced the experience.

I wasn’t as enthusiastic about the plot. Emily, the female main character, is understandably uncomfortable about impersonating her sister as the Edwards family’s new governess, but she doesn’t come across as wary. She is unnecessarily surly to the other staff, her charges, and Captain Edwards. I could see why she was immediately attracted to him, but I didn’t see why he was attracted to her so quickly. I would have liked to understand Capt Edwards’s perspective much more.

That being said, the minor characters were great. The housekeeper, cook, and other staff were well-rounded characters that had little plots of their own. The two children were interesting and I liked how the LGBTQ elements were handled. Overall, it was a nice romance.

Feeling just okay about this one. It went quickly but didn’t knock me off my feet or anything. Cute little forbidden romance but honestly felt a little drug our for what it was.

🌀Synopsis
Emily is lying but for a good reason. She’s acting as a governess for a new house even though she herself is not prim and polished like she’s trying to fake. The reason she’s doing it? To help her sick sister Amy and she knows just how desperately Amy needs her to do this so she’s determined to succeed.
There is a lot of drama in the home though with one of the girls she watches over causing major disruptions. She finally tells Captain Edwards what she really thinks is going on and is sure she’s going to get fired. Before he can let her go Amy sends for her and just before she leaves the truth of who she really is comes out. Now she’s left to figure it all out including finding out how Captain Edwards really feels about her.

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

I've really enjoyed everything I've read by Lex Croucher. Like, immediate-request-of-any-new-titles-before-reading-the-summary level enjoyed. "Trouble" was no exception.

I love a regency-style romance, but I also love it when LGBTQ+ people get to exist. This book was charming and witty. My favorite part was definitely the relationship between Emily and the kids- Grace is very sweet but not lacking in agency and Aster gets a much more interesting story than they 'bratty teenager' you first meet.

I do wish the Capitan's character was a little bit more developed (and I wish the sex scene was more explicit, but maybe that's just me).

Overall- great! Lots of characters who got to have their own things going on without taking away from Emily's development. Will reread and am excited for the audio version.

update: got access to the audiobook (thanks NetGalley and Macmillan audio!) and I liked it even more as an audiobook. Ell Potter gave the characters so much depth, and I love the way the dry humor comes through more in an audio reading. Big fan!

Very grateful for Netgalley and St. Martin's for early access!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Another great read from Lex Croucher! The audio for their books is always fantastic, and the characters are fun, well written and witty, especially the main character. The setting is well done

3.5 Stars

This was an enjoyable read but some moments were heavy and explored the depth of the characters, even the minor ones. My main issues with it were the dialogue and interaction in the first few chapters. It didn't seem true to the era this story was supposed to be set in. If you're looking for historical accuracy, this might bother you. The relationship between the main couple also felt a bit forced in the beginning. They barely interacted for a good bit of the book so the intensity of the attachment didn't seem believable at first, but I still rooted for them. There were some very cute moments in this book. Overall this was a fun queer story of found families and discovering/fighting for one's self.

I think the narrator did a great job with this book. I found their voice to be easy to listen to and very soothing. However, my issues with this book are more with the story itself and are entirely independent of the narrator.

The first few chapters of this book really hooked me in and I thought Emily was very funny and wry. However, after the first 5-7 chapters, her character became a bit exhausting as her self-flagellation just became tedious. Despite this, I was able to enjoy this book and found the characters to be more or less delightful. I also loved how delightfully queer this book was.

My biggest issue with this book though is that it really wasn't a romance. While there was an HEA between Emily and Ben, their interactions were almost non-existent so when they got together it made no sense. This doesn't even touch on how they somehow fell in love despite seeming to have spent no more than a few minutes with each other at a time. Ben's character simply felt underdeveloped. This entire book read more as Emily's story with her personal growth than her love story with Ben. To put it simply, I just didn't buy their connection.

I'd say this book is best for someone looking for very mild romance since it was essentially non-existent in this book. If you're looking for a historical queer story that reads more like women's fiction then you'll enjoy this book. However, as a romance reader and because this book was marketed as romance, I was a bit disappointed by this.

I'd give this book 3.5 stars.

When Emily’s sister is too ill to start her new job as a governess, Emily pretends to be her to take the role herself. She plans to be in and out just long enough to secure funds to pay for a doctor for her sister, but soon finds herself unexpectedly entangled in a household of good natured staff, two teenagers, and an elusive retired navy captain.

This book was a lot of fun— think “The Sound of Music,” but the governess is a grump who hates kids. It has a great cast of lovable characters, and of course it’s always refreshing to read regency era stories where queer people exist.

The audiobook narrator was great for the role and made this verb enjoyable to listen to.

So overall I loved this book! The narration was amazing (who doesn't love a great accent) and I can't help but love a grumpy governess turned lover story! Basically Hallmark but no Christmas component. There was one component to the plot that I thought was unnecessary and under developed, so knocking 1 star off for that. But otherwise I loved this!

I really enjoyed this book a lot. As I have seen other people say, it did remind me a little of The Sound of Music, but with a twist. Bits and pieces of other regency novels also came to mind. The story had intrigue, drama, comedy, and romance. I found the queer parts of the story gave it a little something extra.
The narrator did a great job, and she made it an easy and interesting listen.
In all it was a great book that kept my interest.

This is my second book by Lex Croucher, and I can say that I am a fan. I loved the narrator, they did an awesome job! I liked the story and the characters, especially Emily. The romance was between Emily and Captain Edwards was cute, they had good chemistry, I just wish they had more interactions in the first half of the novel. I think I liked Lex Crouchers book Reputation better, but I still enjoyed this one. It was a fun read.

Thank you MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

All hail Lex Croucher!

This is the third historical-ish rom-com from her—and the third I've read—and they somehow keep getting better and better. This is definitely my favourite so far. There's an excellent Marie and Captain Von Trapp dynamic between the main character and the love interest and I loved every minute of it. Between the characters and the plot, it is entirely too amusing and swoony and I need Croucher to write a hundred more of these.

I've enjoyed all the books I've read by Lex Croucher, but I've got to say (in a slew of excellent books) Trouble is my favorite!

If you haven't yet read anything by this talented, witty, clever author, grab literally any of their books and you'll be in for a treat!

The audio version of Trouble is beautifully performed by Ell Potter.

A delicious queer histrom that was impossible to put down. As always, Lex Croucher writes with wit, heat, and heart. With a wonderful narrator, this audiobook is a new favorite.

I keep coming back to Lex Croucher books but they are never my favorite. I have spoken to my students though and they like a lot of the elements of the book that bug me, and they are the target demographic way more than I am. I really love the regency era books, this one reminded me of the Brighton series. It reminded me more of the TV show than the books, since they are different! I enjoyed the characters manner of speech and wit. They seemed like modern characters thrown into the time period, but it works!
The story lost me a bit towards the end, it got a bit too cheesy! But as I said I think a younger crowd would enjoy this more than me and that is who it is written for.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an advanced copy of the audiobook.