Ahhhh! What can I even say about this book! So pleased to finally read Lex Croucher's creative writing after following her career over the last few years and truly they did not disappoint. This is a novel by someone who you can really tell loves Austen and manages to get the tone really right, all while producing something very exciting and fresh. It doesn't feel like a copy, it feels really original. Comparisons to Bridgerton are fine (and I hope that comparison will bring an even wider audience to this book), but I think Reputation is even better (and less problematic...).

Georgianna Ellers has moved to a new town to be with her Aunt and Uncle after being abandons by her parents. At a party, Georgianna meets Frances, a wealthy member of the 'it' crowd and Georgianna can't bare not being friends with her. Falling in with Frances' improper crowd introduces Georgianna into a new world of drunkness, debauchery and much more. But this high-society may be more than its worth.

By the end, I was actually reallying enjoying it and is probably why it got so many star but it did have such a slow start. I found a lot of the characters really annoying which made it hard to enjoy it. However, slowly Georgianna and Frances and the rest of the gang grew on me, but it took a while to get to this point. Once I felt I understood the reasons for each of the characters action I felt I better understood them and thats really made the book enjoyable. This did take nearly half the book but I would recommend pushing onwards

A really lovely story was told by Lex Croucher and the love story with the main character was very sweet and cute. Perphaps, if you are looking for a time accurate book this isn't the one for you but if you want to read a story about friendship, family and love this is the book for you.

Thanks Netgalley and Zaffre for this eARC in return for an honest review

I really wanted to love this book as it sounded right up my street, however, that was unfortunately not the case. I did really enjoy it and it is definitely a fun summer read, but it just did not do it for me which is why I have rated it 3/5 stars.

Reputation was full of scandal however none of them really had any consequence. The scandals did lead to a lot of excitement and wondering for how they were going to solve the subsequent problems, but these never really came to anything. There is one huge scandal that should have had larger repercussions – which would have made the story better I think, but nothing happened with it. Honestly, it was a little disappointing.

The class divide between Georgiana and her friends was made out to be almost like she was a ‘peasant’ but in reality, she was pretty well off herself. I didn’t really understand the constant need to point out that she didn’t have as much money as her friends as this didn’t impact the story very much.

Georgiana was an ok main character, but she definitely fell into the ‘not like other girls’ trope at first. She then became too much like her friends with her reckless and selfish tendencies. This change was necessary as it allowed her to learn from her mistakes and better herself but it was frustrating to watch happen.

The romance felt quite forced and literally came from nowhere. After just one shared moment together both characters were ready to profess their feelings for each other and I found it very difficult to connect with their relationship. Thomas was extremely likable and definitely deserved someone better than Georgiana.

Overall I did enjoy Reputation, but it won’t be a book I will read again. The story had a lot of potential, but it was the friendships that really stole the show. With a cast of interesting and out-there characters, you will find it hard to be bored whilst reading.

Reputation is such a fun take on a Regency Style tale. Georgiana is a relatable, likable character who is thrust into society whilst staying with her aunt and uncle. I tore through this in one sitting and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a light, fun read

Reputation was a great read but not the way I expected it! I was expecting a fluffy light-hearted historical read but this book definitely took a dark turn!

The humour and wit were incredibly well done! That was definitely the best part! The characters were also really well done. They all had some sort of backstory and were really well rounded! I wish there was more reflected on colonialism and slavery as we only got a glimpse of the topic. I also wished that we found out what happened to Lady Campbell as her character was very interesting.

The writing was exceptional! I just wished that the plot was a little more light hearted. Still this was a brilliant read and I would definitely read more from this author!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the E-arc! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an EARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
This book is described as a mashup of Bridgerton, Gossip Girl and Mean Girls all into one, and I couldn't agree with more. It has the historical setting and narration style of Bridgerton, the extravagant wealth and privilege of Gossip Girl and the borderline toxic female friendships explored in Mean Girls. Add a tonne of scandal and a tonne of rebellious activities and you get this book.
The setting and atmosphere was really well done in my opinion, and I was immediately swept up in the world and did find the story as a whole to be fast paced and interesting. In a way it was a coming of age novel but just with a bit of extra glitz and glamour of balls and parties.
The thing I enjoyed most about this book was the characters, they were all so flawed and so believable. But unlike a lot of period pieces, there was still diversity which I enjoyed. The book didn't shy away from the difficulties that were faced because of this and I was surprised to see so many difficult topics being raised and discussed. Thomas also has my entire heart and is one of my new favourite love interests.
One thing I will say, is there are a couple of plot points that are made in the first half of the novel which I expected to carry through and they ultimately didn't so there were a few loose ends for me.
Rathed: 4 Stars

Honestly, this was my favourite book I have read this year and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

As someone who devoured Jane Austen and Emily Bronte novels as a teen, I have been enamoured with period pieces for quite some time. And Bridgerton just reignited that fire. So Reputation came around at the most perfect time.

Billed as Mean Girls meets Jane Austen, we meet Georgiana during her first season "out", when she runs into the "popular" kids, in the 1800s that is. She is introduced to a brand new world of alcohol, partying and drugs. Who said the Regency era was boring?

While she's riding high from her newfound popularity, has she gone too far?

This book was everything I could have dreamed of and more. It fits perfectly into the New Adult genre and it even has it's own Mr Darcy.

There is a lot of triggering content including sexual assault and domestic abuse - the author has a full list on her website. But it is something that you should be aware of when going in,

3.5 stars

Headlines:
Toxic friendships
Hedonistic
Finding balance

Reputation was a lot of unexpected things for a historical read. It featured themes and behaviours I don't often come across in a regency era and that was pretty fresh. I didn't find it light or funny, more like watching a collision about to happen and the realisation that comes afterward. There were a number of triggers in this book so do look for TW if you need them.

Georgiana was an interesing MC and had some relatable traits for any young women, she wanted friendship, to be liked and to have adventure. It was eye-opening that even in this era, someone could get in with the wrong crowd and be led astray. Frances was the kind of friend that took some time to work out, that whole crowd weren't particularly likeable.

For me, this was a book of two halves, the first half I struggled to gel with this hedonistic life depicted contrary to everything I'd read in the era prior to this. I think I had to suspend some belief to stay with the story. The second half came with more measurement, reflection and a romance to get your teeth into. This was the stronger part of the book and more enjoyable.

This was definitely a different regency read and the parallels to Mean Girls is pretty accurate. This was a fresh, no holds barred kind of read and I'd definitely read this author again.

Thank you to Zaffre Books for the early review copy.

This was good fun, though I do find the whole concept of regency romance increasingly unsettling, given how much it has to ignore the violence of colonialism & capitalism that funded elite circles like these. There are attempts to resolve this in the book - references to slavery, wealthy heiresses described as non-white etc, and obviously it’s a lot to ask of a playful romantic novel to be politically perfect or whatever, but it does feel a little like revising history in a way that denies just how violent & exploitative regency England was. Servants are basically invisible in the novel, and the men are all either quite kind or cartoonishly evil, which doesn’t really do justice to the violence of patriarchy and how much it consumed women’s lives in the period. Obviously this is all a lot to ask of what is a pretty light book (albeit one with some very dark moments) and I do think it was a fun read and well written, but I can’t avoid thinking about the reality of the period! Lol

Well, I devoured this one in two sittings!

This is just the fun, summery read I needed when I was in the verge of being so tired I just put myself in a reading slump. Instead, I traipsed around the debauched parties of Victorian England with Georgiana and her less than stellar friends.

This is a read that in other hands would have been light and fun without any substance. However, the author uses the backdrop of ignored Victorian morals and standards of behaviour to explore important themes of substance abuse, sexual assault, toxic masculinity, mourning, guilt and the dangers of surrounding yourself with all the wrong people. It's so well done, these things are explored in a serious plot line that is handled well but doesn't overpower the exciting atmosphere of the novel - instead it quite accurately reflects that the situations we find exciting can often be the ones that lead to grave harm as we walk around with blinkers on.

Gerogiana was great. Though a little lost, we see her learn what she wants in life, do that truly hard thing of standing up to her friends and put up her own boundaries. She also develops a witty and adorable back and forth with her love interest and I just routed for them.

Brilliant - Mean Girls meets Jane Austen but anyone looking looking Bridgerton in this will find it extremely chaste.

REPUTATION was a delight from beginning to end, definitely delivering on the Jane Austen x Mean Girls mashup promised. The contrast between the historical setting and modern humour felt fresh — although, the bawdier tone is probably closer to the truth than some of the more puritanical portraits you see painted of this period. Croucher manages to create a regency era society that feels both nostalgic and critical; it's escapist but not glorifying, and certainly never attempts to erase historical injustices. It also doesn't seek to erase the oft-forgot queer people and people of colour who undoubtedly existed in British society at the time.

Not to say that this is a state-of-society novel, as it's very much a character study, and a character and relationship driven story. The reader is simply made aware of the society around Georgiana, and her role in it as both as both a helpless cog and an active agent. We watch Georgiana develop for both better and worse, and the development of her various relationships as she becomes entrenched within the Polite Society (which is in reality, very unpolite) to which she so aspires.

The analysis of class was particularly well done, something that often goes under-examined in novels of the regency that focus on the middle and upper classes. Georgiana is of a lower class than many of the other characters in the novel, and through her eyes we are able to see both her fascination with the more exciting parts, and disgust at the uglier parts, of the behaviour of the rich and powerful.
Whilst Croucher certainly allows for the reader to revel in the characters' hedonism, the way they handled the ill-effects of this both on the individual, and on others, was particularly interesting. The narrative is littered with substance abuse and addiction, something that Georgiana feels is necessary to both gain and keep her new, popular friends — which is then challenged by our hero: Thomas Hawksley, who's adverse to these vices in response to his own trauma.
The handling of sexual harassment felt perhaps a little too twenty-first century, but I wouldn't have wanted it to be any other way. So much of how we write fiction set in the past is revisionist anyway, so why not imagine a past where people really did believe women?

Of course, we can't forget that REPUTATION is ultimately a romance, and a gloriously romantic one at that. Thomas is exactly my kind of romantic hero, and he was both a great character and a great contrast to Georgiana. I spotted several illusions or references to scenes from Austen novels and adaptations that I doubt were an accident. Initially Thomas seems to have a Mr Darcy-like countenance, but later on his relationship to Georgiana strays into an Emma/Mr Knightly dynamic which was delicious.

Whilst Georgiana and Thomas's relationship was one of my favourite aspects of the novel, perhaps the most interesting dynamic is between Georgiana and Frances. Croucher captures the dizzying excitement of a new friendship, especially with someone you regard as outgoing and popular, and the way this can crumble from beneath you if there's a misunderstanding about who the other person really is. We delve into the dangers on transactional friendship, and the way that aspects like class and hierarchy come between them. It's frenemies excellence.

I could go on about a dozen more of my favourite characters and favourite moments from the novel, but I wanted to focus on the themes and major relationships in this review. I feel like REPUTATION was doing something really smart that I haven't completely grasped yet, and I wanted to highlight that it was a darker and more complex novel than you might first assume. (But still a whole lot of fun too).

Reputation is billed as Mean Girls meets Jane Austen, and it certainly delivers on the Mean Girls side. Unfortunately, the Regency angle didn't quite work for me, and there was very little about the story that felt like the setting was at all needed. The romance was a bit uninspiring, but I liked Frances and felt her character was one of the strongest!

Not a bad read, but it just didn't grip me.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Described as a 'coming of age romcom', I'd actually say this is a lot darker than the fluffy historical romance many will be expecting. Georgiana Ellers has been sent to stay with her aunt and uncle while her inattentive parents take to the coast. Friendless and without any clear direction in life, Georgiana's fortunes change when she meets the the effervescent and irresistable Frances Campbell. The ultimate party girl, Frances is filthy rich and fancy free, and she soon takes Georgiana into her inner circle of fellow aristocratic young things. But Georgiana has everything to loose within her new friend group, and reputations are about to be destroyed.

Georgiana is an interesting character. She's young and impressionable with a mean streak that spills over into her reckless actions. She's completely captivated by Frances and her group of friends, and will stop at nothing to hold onto this new elevated status she acquires by being seen with the high society. As a result she regularly throws people under the bus who are genuinely interested in being her friend or who seem to actually care for her. You'd think that as the story progressed she might recognise this behaviour, evolve and address - and to a certain extent she does, but not even in my opinion. People are far too forgiving with her behaviour and she doesn't really pay any price and see any consequences of her actions. As a result I couldn't warm to her at all.

Far more interesting is Frances, and the various relationship dynamics she has within her social circle. She sees Georgiana as no threat, a novelty. Someone to shape and mold to her whims and use and discard at her pleasure. Their shifting power dynamics as the story progresses was interesting to see play out, and to watch as France starts to loose control. Yet Frances is also very vulnerable and naive behind this sharp exterior. She doesn't let anyone close in to see behind this mask, preferring to push them away and we get a bit of background as to why this is when Georgiana visits Frances at home. Her friends Cecily, Jonathan and especially Jane are merely extensions of her power, and I thought all of them were well developed and well fleshed out characters in their own right. If anything I would have liked to have seen more of Cecily's sweet side to counterbalance the negative and harsh behaviours of some of the other characters as well as more of Jane and Frances's relationship. It was messy and complicated and angsty - and a lot more interesting than Georgiana's romance plot, which I never really felt invested in.

I found the writing to be good - it's reasonably well written and fast paced, and had me engaged throughout. However, I did struggle to place this in terms of age range. It reads very YA, yet the subject matters that are dealt with are quite mature. We have sexual and domestic assaults, and drug and alcohol abuse involving individuals in their early 20s. It's very Mean Girls goes to regency Britain with modern language and swearing (even going so far as to use a well known Mean Girls quote as a chapter opening) and is completely historically inaccurate to the extent that at times I forgot this was suppose to be a historical romance. There's little mention of the time period itself beyond vague mentions of the French, King George and riding about in carriages.

Some storylines also peter out into nothing, or felt overly gratuitous. We get a brief monologue from Frances about slaves and racism (she is described as mixed race), and one passing mention of Frances's mother being talked about in town while she gives money to the poor. But beyond this? Nothing. We also get hints of trouble at home for Frances, but again it's over in one scene. If as much care and thought had been put into these passages as they had for the many party scenes it might have had more of an emotional impact and feel less like an oversight. There was so much missed potential in Frances's mother.

An interesting read that's hard to rate. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't really what I expected it to be on reading the blurb. It's a dash of historical fiction with a splash of romance but at its core it's really about a group of young women trying to find their place in a world that sees them only as wives and daughters. To call it a romcom is to do it a disservice.

I loved Reputation, I can see the resemblance between period drama novels and Bridgerton, but it's so much more than that
Georgiana is our heroine and through events that lead her to form a friendship with Frances, the tale unfolds.
Frances is wealthy, leads a debauched life but she also falls in love with an unsavoury gentleman.
Georgiana is naive and has her eyes well and truly opened throughout the novel.

Its a laugh out loud, an absorbing tale which leaves you feeling sad - wanting more once you have finished

I loved it and can't wait to read more of Lex Croucher's work.

'Get in Georgiana, we're going shopping'. An actual quote that made me laugh out loud.
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Thanks to Bonnier for letting me read Reputation in advance! Although I was apparently the only person in the world not to enjoy Bridgerton, I was still completely sold on this regency romance - Jane Austen but with the scandalous bits added in. Georgiana is staying with her boring aunt and uncle when she encounters the glamourous, rich and aristocratic Frances Campbell - and she is introduced to a whirlwind world of drinking, drugs and sex, just hiding beneath the veneer of Regency respectability. I couldn't put this book down, it was incredibly easy to binge, and I really enjoyed the central romance - it was convincing and cute without all the stupid needless misunderstandings that frequently annoy me in rom-coms! I did have a few quibbles, which is why I'm not giving this book a higher rating, and I was a bit disappointed at the ending - I wanted to hear more about Georgiana's romantic life. But this was such a fun read and the more serious topics were explored so sensitively - the author has shared trigger warnings on Goodreads so I would check those out if you're wary! 4 🌟

This book was so much fun! I don’t read many historical romances but this one looked interesting and having loved Bridgerton I thought I’d give it a go. It did not disappoint and it definitely gave me major Bridgerton and mean girls vibes but still managed to feel like a modern contemporary whilst reading.

Georgiana was a really likeable character even though she finds herself making some very questionable choices and getting herself in all sorts of funny, ridiculous and shocking situations throughout!

The romance was great, the friendships were interesting, Georgiana’s character development was done well and the drama made me not want to put this book down!

'Reputation' by Lex Croucher is a salacious, heady mix of Bridgerton, Mean Girls and Heathers. We are transported to the Regency era where we follow Miss Georgiana Ellers as she navigates high society, including making new wealthy friends who enjoy drink, drugs and hardcore partying. Abandoned by her parents at her aunt's house, Georgiana uses the sudden summer of freedom to reinvent herself - we witness her attend the best parties with the outrageous and messy Frances Campbell and her band of followers. There is scandal aplenty on offer here I assure you!

This was an enjoyable book. The characters are nuanced and complex, developing in a believable way. The exploration of consent and sexual assault, in an era where honour and ruined reputations were enough to cement someone's demise in polite society, is sensitive and well-handled. I also really rated the adorable slow-burn romance of Georgiana and Mr Thomas Hawksley - an innocent departure from some of the heavier topics involved. I would recommend this fun read with a dark edge. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay. So I'm a trifle older than the average age of the readers you might expect for this book. Just a smidge. But I'm not so old that I don't remember the perils of navigating young adulthood, or quite old enough to remember it all regency style ... I am, however, still youthful enough to appreciate a book that is full of wit and great character observations. The description of this as Mean Girls meets Jane Austen or Bridgerton (and I admit that I'll have to take their word on the latter as I've not actually watched it) rings very true. Each situation, each page turn, led me to think of all of the tricky relationships and friendships that I navigated or witnessed when at school and college, and whilst the characters are a bit older than your average. secondary schooler, the issue they face - acceptance, first love, entitlement, arrogance and friendship - are things that everyone can identify with.

This is the story of Georgiana Ellers, sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle when her parents grow tired of the whole parenting thing. She knows noone, has little status with which to ingratiate herself with others, but somehow finds herself caught up in the whirlwind of social friendships that is Frances Campbell. They are chalk and cheese - Frances outgoing whilst Georgiana is somewhat quieter and uncertain, at least at first. But there is another side to Georgiana, one which is exposed in quite dramatic and not always likeable style. The transformation is quick and the young woman who I could initially feel some sympathy towards rapidly becomes someone who I could cheerfully slap.

And yet ... in spite of this, I really did enjoy Georgiana's story. Yes she is a girl we can probably all recognise, might even have been ourselves, someone who is desperate for a little excitement in her life, looking to fit in somewhere other than in the assumed dull company of those her Aunt deems suitable. I think we can all understand that. And we've all seen people who act out of character in order to make others like them. Common as anything, and played out in perfectly observed style here in the book.

It's not all about the 'mean girls' vibe. There are some tender moments when Georgiana's real character shines through and these are the moments when I liked her and became more invested in her story. She is funny, in her own way, as shown in her back and forth correspondence to the object of her affections. He may not be her new friend's idea of the perfect suitor, but there is a definite chemistry between Georgiana and Thomas which the author has built up brilliantly. Fun, flirty, tentative and beset with the kinds of obstacles that you would encounter in any classic by Austen or Bronte. There is a spark of the defiance and independence that reminded me of Jo from Little Women, but mixed with a healthy dose of Amy - pursuit of social standing that pushes Georgiana away from the kind of woman she'd really like to be.

The characterisations in this book are spot on. From the overly enthusiastic Mrs Burton, Georgiana's Aunt, the privileged, mischievous and often hard to like group of Frances, Jane, Cecily, Jonathan and Christopher, to the absolute arrogance of Jeremiah, the person who has won Frances' affections, there are a whole array of personalities to both love and loathe. I really did like Thomas, aloof to a degree, kind of Darcy-ish in his reticence to engage with Georgiana but with good cause. And then there is dear Betty Walters. Could talk the hind legs off a donkey but I really did like her and had a great deal of empathy for her as a character.

If you are looking for a modern take on a regency set classical tale, then this could definitely be for you. If you just want to read a cracking book that will have you cheering, smiling, laughing and booing in all the right places, then I would heartily recommend it.

I can't even begin to put into words how much I loved this book.

It was the cross between Bridgerton and Mean Girls I never knew I needed. It was so interesting to read a novel set in this time period where young people were throwing caution to the wind and partying and socialising with the opposite sex without proper chaperones. It must have happened, but you never really get to read about it and it was the most fun to experience as a reader.

I loved Georgiana and Thomas so much and that scene in the cellar when they almost kissed was delicious with tension and everything you want in a romance plot. I would have loved to have seen more of Frances and Jane's relationship and I'm hoping that might follow in a sequel...

The sexual assault storyline was well handled and served to demonstrate the patriarchal society they were trapped in, which was even worse then than it is now. I loved Georgiana's aunt and uncle rallying around her and proving how much they love her, I LOVED Thomas and his father standing by her and I also really liked that Frances softened a bit after Georgiana saved her, but still remained perfectly Frances and quite mean.

I will reread this book many times and I need there to be more books featuring the same characters.

As a final comment, part of my soul died and ascended to heaven when I read the line "Get in Georgiana, we're going shopping". True perfection.

Really loved this, entertaining, well structured, wittily written and romantic. Choice lines include: “I put my breeches on one leg at a time like everyone else” and “get in Georgiana, we’re going shopping.”