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jacq_benoit's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Abandonment
briannareads1342's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
km_loves_books's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
If you ever wondered what it would be like if Mean Girls was set in Regency England, this book is for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Bullying, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
spaghettireads's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the sort of book that I did relatively enjoy while reading it, but when I think back to it, it really doesn't hold up. This book tries to cover a lot, and I think it doing so it falls short on covering big plot points meaningfully. It is advertised as being a queer and diverse regency era rom-com, however the diversity in the story really felt quite surface level. It doesn't feel like the author really looked into the experiences of BIPOC people in regency era to be able to write their experiences meaningfully in this book. The queer representation was better but still falls short in my opinion (one of the queer characters is probably the least developed in the whole friend group).
Not being an expert in the time period, this still really felt like there was no desire to make the world historically accurate at all. It just doesn't seem believable that there would be no consequences to the main characters' actions, especially regarding the amount of drug use and unsupervised outings. It felt like modern times basically just set in the English countryside wearing regency dresses and where the characters are on a social media break.
I don't want to get into spoilers, but I don't feel like the sexual assault plot was handled very well either. Again, it is very surface level and doesn't do justice to the severity of the topic.
I would not recommend this, there must be other fun historical romances that would be better.
This is the sort of book that I did relatively enjoy while reading it, but when I think back to it, it really doesn't hold up. This book tries to cover a lot, and I think it doing so it falls short on covering big plot points meaningfully. It is advertised as being a queer and diverse regency era rom-com, however the diversity in the story really felt quite surface level. It doesn't feel like the author really looked into the experiences of BIPOC people in regency era to be able to write their experiences meaningfully in this book. The queer representation was better but still falls short in my opinion (one of the queer characters is probably the least developed in the whole friend group).
Not being an expert in the time period, this still really felt like there was no desire to make the world historically accurate at all. It just doesn't seem believable that there would be no consequences to the main characters' actions, especially regarding the amount of drug use and unsupervised outings. It felt like modern times basically just set in the English countryside wearing regency dresses and where the characters are on a social media break.
I don't want to get into spoilers, but I don't feel like the sexual assault plot was handled very well either. Again, it is very surface level and doesn't do justice to the severity of the topic.
I would not recommend this, there must be other fun historical romances that would be better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
afarinfallahi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is not the genre of book I would usually go for (romance just isn’t my thing, and I feel like I was the only woman on the planet who just couldn’t get into Bridgerton) so I approached this with a combination of curiosity and trepidation. And I was pleasantly surprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed it and could not put it down.
I think it’s a testament to Lex Croucher’s writing that I found myself rooting for such a flawed main character (and her very swoon-worthy love interest!), and despite the fact that the book uses quite a few predictable romcom tropes throughout, it felt like a refreshing, funny, clever take on the genre.
I also really appreciated the feminist retelling of some of the conflicts that happened throughout the novel, as well as the (albeit brief) mentions of British history that didn’t try to sugar-coat the role the British Empire played in colonialism and the slave trade.
The fact that this book is marketed as a Regency-era Mean Girls - while very accurate in some respects - does it a bit of a disservice, in my opinion, as it goes much deeper than your typical Jane Austen-inspired romance novel or teen movie. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Lex Croucher comes up with next.
I think it’s a testament to Lex Croucher’s writing that I found myself rooting for such a flawed main character (and her very swoon-worthy love interest!), and despite the fact that the book uses quite a few predictable romcom tropes throughout, it felt like a refreshing, funny, clever take on the genre.
I also really appreciated the feminist retelling of some of the conflicts that happened throughout the novel, as well as the (albeit brief) mentions of British history that didn’t try to sugar-coat the role the British Empire played in colonialism and the slave trade.
The fact that this book is marketed as a Regency-era Mean Girls - while very accurate in some respects - does it a bit of a disservice, in my opinion, as it goes much deeper than your typical Jane Austen-inspired romance novel or teen movie. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Lex Croucher comes up with next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
pipn_t's review against another edition
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was well written, but it wasn’t really my sort of thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Domestic abuse and Infidelity
tc_booksandmore's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Rape, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Abandonment
jmbibliophile's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Get in Georgiana. We’re going shopping.”
Reputation is the hilarious and dramatic marriage of Jane Austen and Mean Girls. Georgiana Ellers has found herself in a new town, living with her middle-class Aunt and Uncle. At a party, she meets wealthy and mischievous Frances Campbell, and gets her ticket into the elite in-crowd. Enamored with a sense of belonging and importance, Georgina falls into a new scene: full of drinking, drugs, debauchery, and the drama of upper-class society. However, Georgiana soon discovers that she’s in over her head. Is this high society life worth the price?
This book is a wild ride. Georgiana is a quirky, sheltered bookworm who just wants to fit in. She admires the life of Frances and her friends, but she eventually realizes their lives aren’t as glamourous as they seem. Her friends struggle with racism, sexual assault, and having to hide their sexual identities. As a reader, it was obvious that these people were acting out in order to forget their struggles, knowing they could get away with it because of their money and social stature. Georgiana, however, takes time to see that. This is so relatable to me, as someone who wanted to fit in with the “cool kids” at school, so you are willing to do things you know aren’t right. I loved Georgiana’s character growth through this story, along with her hilarious quips. Frances? The perfect mean girl. Oh man, Lex does a great job of putting the reader in a love-hate relationship with this character. Sometimes I wanted to give her a hug, other times I wanted to pull her hair out.
My only complaint about this book, and it’s a big one, is that I strongly believe it was categorized incorrectly. This book is excellent for what it is, but it is absolutely NOT a rom-com. Is there some romance in it? Yes. Is it the main plot of the story? No. I would consider this book to be a historical drama, with romance and comedic elements. Please do not go into this book thinking you’re getting a romantic comedy, because not I only will I think you’ll be disappointed, you’ll also be ill-prepared for the traumatic topics that are explored in this book.
CWs: attempted sexual assault, implied sexual assault, alcohol poisoning, discussion of family loss, drugging, slut-shaming, homophobia, racism, domestic violence
(Note: I was provided an advanced copy of Reputation by the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
Reputation is the hilarious and dramatic marriage of Jane Austen and Mean Girls. Georgiana Ellers has found herself in a new town, living with her middle-class Aunt and Uncle. At a party, she meets wealthy and mischievous Frances Campbell, and gets her ticket into the elite in-crowd. Enamored with a sense of belonging and importance, Georgina falls into a new scene: full of drinking, drugs, debauchery, and the drama of upper-class society. However, Georgiana soon discovers that she’s in over her head. Is this high society life worth the price?
This book is a wild ride. Georgiana is a quirky, sheltered bookworm who just wants to fit in. She admires the life of Frances and her friends, but she eventually realizes their lives aren’t as glamourous as they seem. Her friends struggle with racism, sexual assault, and having to hide their sexual identities. As a reader, it was obvious that these people were acting out in order to forget their struggles, knowing they could get away with it because of their money and social stature. Georgiana, however, takes time to see that. This is so relatable to me, as someone who wanted to fit in with the “cool kids” at school, so you are willing to do things you know aren’t right. I loved Georgiana’s character growth through this story, along with her hilarious quips. Frances? The perfect mean girl. Oh man, Lex does a great job of putting the reader in a love-hate relationship with this character. Sometimes I wanted to give her a hug, other times I wanted to pull her hair out.
My only complaint about this book, and it’s a big one, is that I strongly believe it was categorized incorrectly. This book is excellent for what it is, but it is absolutely NOT a rom-com. Is there some romance in it? Yes. Is it the main plot of the story? No. I would consider this book to be a historical drama, with romance and comedic elements. Please do not go into this book thinking you’re getting a romantic comedy, because not I only will I think you’ll be disappointed, you’ll also be ill-prepared for the traumatic topics that are explored in this book.
CWs: attempted sexual assault, implied sexual assault, alcohol poisoning, discussion of family loss, drugging, slut-shaming, homophobia, racism, domestic violence
(Note: I was provided an advanced copy of Reputation by the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia and Blood
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Classism
casc8a's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Alcohol
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Sexual harassment
bookishalice's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really wasn't expecting to love this. I've never been a massive fan of regency period dramas or fictions but this was absolutely the exception!
It was funny, tense, dark and captivating all at the same time, which is a hard thing to achieve.
I loved that weaved through the story was an important modern commentary. It showed that life now is not too far removed from that of 100 years ago.
This book showed the importance of true friendship and how damaging toxi friendships can be.
It was funny, tense, dark and captivating all at the same time, which is a hard thing to achieve.
I loved that weaved through the story was an important modern commentary. It showed that life now is not too far removed from that of 100 years ago.
This book showed the importance of true friendship and how damaging toxi friendships can be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol