Reputation by Lex Croucher Published by St. Martin's Griffin on April 5, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
Pages: 320
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl with a dash of Jane Austen, in Reputation, a Regency-era historical romantic comedy with a deliciously feminist twist, from a hilarious new British voice, Lex Croucher.
Abandoned by her parents, bookish and sheltered Georgiana Ellers is spending the summer with her stodgy aunt and uncle at their home in the English countryside. At a particularly dull party, she meets the enigmatic Frances Campbell, a wealthy member of the in-crowd who delights Georgiana with her disregard for so-called "polite society."
Lonely and vulnerable, Georgiana quickly falls in with Frances and her wealthy, wild, and deeply improper friends, who introduce her to the upper echelons of Regency aristocracy, and a world of drunken debauchery, frivolous spending, and mysterious young men. One, in particular, stands out from the rest: Thomas Hawksley, who has a tendency to cross paths with Georgiana in her most embarrassing moments. Sparks fly, but Thomas seems unimpressed with the company she is keeping. And soon, Georgiana begins to wonder whether she’ll ever feel like she fits in––or if the price of entry into Frances’s gilded world will ultimately be higher than she is willing to pay.
Set against a backdrop of lavish parties, handsome men on horseback––and in a time when one’s reputation was everything––this edgy, hilarious romantic comedy explores sex, consent, belonging, and status through the eyes of an unforgettable heroine that Austen herself would have cheered for.
My Review
I hate to say it but I did not get on with this book. I think that it is entirely my fault though. I love Jane Austen’s works which is what made me want to read this book. I went into it with her writing on my mind which is entirely unfair to this author and this book. That being said the description that I read for this book said it was like Jane Austen meets Gossip Girl which I suppose would be very exciting for some except I know nothing about Gossip Girl. I gather the clickiness, alcohol, meanness, drugs, and partying all fall into the Gossip Girl realm. I am not a fan of reading about such things so that took away from the enjoyment of the read for me. At one point I actually wanted to DNF the book but felt bad about that so I kept reading. There were a few parts in the story which I did enjoy. Those parts in the story had to do with the letters being exchanged between two characters and toward the end about 90% through.
The main female character frustrated me so much that she was too eager to please and fit in no matter the expense to herself or others around her. I did not enjoy the company that she kept throughout the book as I found them to be mean and miserable characters not only to each other but themselves as well. I did however enjoy reading about Betty and Thomas and their relationship with the main character Georgiana. I do not want to say too much about them though or the parts of the story that I liked because I do not wish to ruin the story for others wanting to read it. I will say though if you like kind of period-era type reads with partying then chances are you will enjoy this book.
Trigger Warnings:
grief
alcohol
drugs
violence/pressuring woman
I want to thank NetGalley and the author for this advanced reader copy.