Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - Reputation

Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Reputation by Lex Croucher

89 reviews

beccaruthe's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

maggies's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I've heard Reputation recommended over the Bridgerton series, and I have to say I agree. Both Regency-era romance novels, Reputation sets itself apart from Bridgerton by leaning into anachronistic social norms and turns of phrase (much like the recent Persuasion adaptation with Dakota Johnson, which I also very much enjoyed) and questioning the racism and classism of the time, as well as the ultra focus on virginity and purity. If you're looking for a well-researched historical romance, this probably isn't it. In fact, while it might technically classify as a romance, adherents of the genre might be disappointed, as the romance is really more a subplot in Georgiana's story, though it was no less satisfying to me!

Content Warnings

jupitermond's review against another edition

Go to review page

medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

This book is terribly written. I'm not referring to the content here, but to the style of it all. With a better editor, this book could have been okay at least. I can't even begin to get upset at the plot, because it's all just so superficial. You can't even begin to start caring about the characters. There is simply not enough to hold onto to either love nor hate them. They've got character traits, sure, but they're not characters. We are being told so much through the narration that could (and should!) have been shown. It's quite impressive that a book can be 400 pages long and have so little to say.

The acknowledgements claim that the author is trying to show a multicultural Britain: she is doing this by having one (1) mixed Black character and one (1) mixed character of Indian descent. Their origins are adressed exactly once each, in a manner so half-hearted that it would have been better if the author hadn't bothered at all. Instead, you are left with glimpses in what could have been interesting stories, but the moment passes within half a page.

The only redeeming feature is that the bare bones are good, which is also the most galling of it all. I had hoped it would end up with something to say, which is the sole reason I finished it, but no.

tl;dr: the author was trying to write Regency Mean Girls without understanding what made Mean Girls good and fun.

Content Warnings