Reputation by Lex Croucher: Book Review

It’s been a long time since I read a Regency-era romance, so when I spotted this rom-com on Netgalley I decided to change that. Reputation is Lex Croucher’s debut novel and publishes on April 5, 2022.

From The Publisher:

Abandoned by her parents, middle-class Georgiana Ellers has moved to a new town to live with her dreary aunt and uncle. At a particularly dull party, she meets the enigmatic Frances Campbell, a wealthy member of the in-crowd who lives a life Georgiana couldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams.
Lonely and vulnerable, Georgiana falls in with Frances and her unfathomably rich, deeply improper friends. Georgiana is introduced to a new world: drunken debauchery, mysterious young men with strangely arresting hands, and the upper echelons of Regency society.
But the price of entry to high society might just be higher than Georgiana is willing to pay …

Book Review:

Reputation is a step into the wild world of Regency England seen through the eyes of Georgiana who has come to live with her aunt and uncle.  When Georgiana meets Frances her whole world comes alive with rich young adults who take what they want. Think lots of drinking, pretentious attitude, and passion.

There were some funnier moments in the book – the banter between Georgiana and her beau was what one comes to expect from a rom-com. But this book is also filled with some very heavy topics – drug and alcohol abuse, rape, physical assault, emotional abuse by family members to name just a few.  Not at all what I was expecting from a book marketed in the romance genre.

Sometimes a reader and book are not well-matched and this is the case with Reputation and this reader. I felt the characters were just not likeable and their behaviour was a little too pretentious.  Furthermore, it did not have the levity I look for in a rom-com. 

Audiobook Review:

I listened to the audiobook version of Reputation which was narrated by Bessie Carter.  Her expression and enthusiasm in this performance provided enhanced entertainment value to the book.  I would not hesitate to recommend the audiobook version of Reputation to those that appreciate this format.

What I Liked:

• The banter between Georgiana and Thomas

I Recommend This Book To:

Young Adult readers with the caution of multiple trigger warnings.

My Rating:

★★★☆☆

Add Reputation to your Goodreads shelf

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for the honest review provided here.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee

The Last Goodbye by Fiona Lucas

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a wonderful day. ☺️