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mapo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
I really enjoyed these characters even when I was throwing up my hands in frustration. I loved the setting and the epilogue. I would be in love with Rose too.
travelsinfiction's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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
4.5
kiramydeara's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
lavenderwarlock's review against another edition
3.0
This book is truly a mixed experience. I did enjoy it in part. I don't think the start is very strong to me. I read the first chapter and was completely thrown. It's meant to be Regency and Eddie is reading what is basically Mary Read and Anne Bonnie fanfiction and her whole family is genuinely engaged. You can tell me they're unconventional all you want but it feels like an excuse for writing a too modern protag. It's fun to see Rose and Eddie before Nash comes into the picture but their early conflict feels so contrived. Eddie is rude about Rose's friends seemingly for daring to partipcant in society and Rose is quite rude about Nash's lot when Eddie brings her along. Eddie is so incredibly rude to Albert in the first half of the book too, for the crime of being ordinary and daring to enter and mutually agreed upon marriage with Rose. Eddie doesn't even really try to understand.
I loved the setting of the crumbling lake house a lot. It's super atmospheric and cool. The moulding house is also a great metaphor for Nash himself. Nash is very well written, you can understand Eddie's initial infatuation and the slow evaporation of his persona into his true intentions is great. I loved the mystery with the dead maid in this house and the ghostly vibes that are present during the party. the whole party arc is very fun I liked the sceance scene. I wish there was more down with the death maid thing. I liked the supporting cast though some of Nash's lot blend together. Albert is caring and puts up with so much of Eddie's vitriol and I loved him being gay. Valentine is cool rep but I found that the way they just went along with Nash sucked ass let them live. Kitty was alright. Liza seems very interesting and her deeply toxic dynamic with Nash is interesting. The staff don't get much individual time but they served to show Nash's more toxic behaviours. Henry was interesting but it's a shame he didn't have more to do. The sapphic romance in this book is a bit weak. Rose and Eddie spend most of their time on the island angry and ignoring each other though the drowning and subsequent bath scene was super cute. The confession in bed and their confession is also very cute. However, there's a lot more focus on Nash and Eddie's relationship. There's so many red flags about Nash, he's got such a lack of concern about anyone else. The scene where he steals and then breaks the bird eggs is a great example. It's good character writing but Eddie is so stupid for not seeing the signs.
I think past the roof of the long hall collapsing the book gets a bit weaker. Eddie chooses to stay in the half-derelict house without Rose (the only sensible character) or Deyo who she gets along with very well. The staff leave and Nash gets increasingly erratic and unpleasant to be around and Eddie still doesn't seem to see the negatives. She is living in awful conditions like who lives like that willingly. so many people have warned Eddie about Nash including Rose who she is supposed to respect. Eddie is putting a chair against her door to stop Nash coming in and making unwanted advances on her and she doesn't see how toxic he is. She takes Nash at his word about Rose having stolen the manuscript. I wasn't a fan of the drug scenes they felt a bit useless. Also Nash attempts to assault Eddie and she still doesn't seem to internalise that Nash only wants to fuck her when Liza tells her explicitly. Also Liza knowing Nash was using Eddie and not telling her reflects really poorly. I thought the plot twist that Nash stole her manuscript was predictable. I liked that Albert and Rose come to support Eddie but Rose forgives Eddie far too quickly for all the shit she put her through. Also Eddie giving the rest of her manuscript to Nash like it's some kind of victory is so fucking stupid. Nash wins he gets all the acclaim and money and no consequences for any of his crimes. He's a horrible man and I'm supposed to be satisfied that Eddie and Rose start a little literary club. It's a nice ending but Nash gets far more than he deserves in the end.
I loved the setting of the crumbling lake house a lot. It's super atmospheric and cool. The moulding house is also a great metaphor for Nash himself. Nash is very well written, you can understand Eddie's initial infatuation and the slow evaporation of his persona into his true intentions is great. I loved the mystery with the dead maid in this house and the ghostly vibes that are present during the party. the whole party arc is very fun I liked the sceance scene. I wish there was more down with the death maid thing. I liked the supporting cast though some of Nash's lot blend together. Albert is caring and puts up with so much of Eddie's vitriol and I loved him being gay. Valentine is cool rep but I found that the way they just went along with Nash sucked ass let them live. Kitty was alright. Liza seems very interesting and her deeply toxic dynamic with Nash is interesting. The staff don't get much individual time but they served to show Nash's more toxic behaviours. Henry was interesting but it's a shame he didn't have more to do. The sapphic romance in this book is a bit weak. Rose and Eddie spend most of their time on the island angry and ignoring each other though the drowning and subsequent bath scene was super cute. The confession in bed and their confession is also very cute. However, there's a lot more focus on Nash and Eddie's relationship. There's so many red flags about Nash, he's got such a lack of concern about anyone else. The scene where he steals and then breaks the bird eggs is a great example. It's good character writing but Eddie is so stupid for not seeing the signs.
I think past the roof of the long hall collapsing the book gets a bit weaker. Eddie chooses to stay in the half-derelict house without Rose (the only sensible character) or Deyo who she gets along with very well. The staff leave and Nash gets increasingly erratic and unpleasant to be around and Eddie still doesn't seem to see the negatives. She is living in awful conditions like who lives like that willingly. so many people have warned Eddie about Nash including Rose who she is supposed to respect. Eddie is putting a chair against her door to stop Nash coming in and making unwanted advances on her and she doesn't see how toxic he is. She takes Nash at his word about Rose having stolen the manuscript. I wasn't a fan of the drug scenes they felt a bit useless. Also Nash attempts to assault Eddie and she still doesn't seem to internalise that Nash only wants to fuck her when Liza tells her explicitly. Also Liza knowing Nash was using Eddie and not telling her reflects really poorly. I thought the plot twist that Nash stole her manuscript was predictable. I liked that Albert and Rose come to support Eddie but Rose forgives Eddie far too quickly for all the shit she put her through. Also Eddie giving the rest of her manuscript to Nash like it's some kind of victory is so fucking stupid. Nash wins he gets all the acclaim and money and no consequences for any of his crimes. He's a horrible man and I'm supposed to be satisfied that Eddie and Rose start a little literary club. It's a nice ending but Nash gets far more than he deserves in the end.
max_the_lesbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Infamous was the light-hearted romp that I was desperately needing in my life. The characters were fun and full of life, impressively no one felt too much like a flat caricature which in books like this, can be incredibly difficult to pull off. The romance between Rose and Eddie was both sweet and infuriating (in the best possible way) - this might be the first time I read a slow-burn where they're kissing on the first page.
There were definitely times when I gripped this book in two hands and near-yelled at Eddie about how naïve she was being - sometimes having the effect of watching a slow-motion car crash which easily could've been avoided - though at times I did have to cringe at her "friends'" treatment of those they considered below them and Eddie's near-complete acceptance of this. Let's just say that Rose tolerated a lot more from her friend that I would've put up with.
Overall though, it was a very fun romance with some good things to say, and I am excited to read Croucher's next book.
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.
There were definitely times when I gripped this book in two hands and near-yelled at Eddie about how naïve she was being - sometimes having the effect of watching a slow-motion car crash which easily could've been avoided - though at times I did have to cringe at her "friends'" treatment of those they considered below them and Eddie's near-complete acceptance of this. Let's just say that Rose tolerated a lot more from her friend that I would've put up with.
Overall though, it was a very fun romance with some good things to say, and I am excited to read Croucher's next book.
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.
wheeliebridge's review against another edition
I just couldn’t get past the blatant classism underlying so many of the interactions and how repulsive Nash is while still being a semi love interest
ladymoonyg's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Wild choice to make Eddie the POV character when Rose is clearly much more likeable and interesting. Also spent objectively too much time on that man
beranceknows's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
shershenk's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was quite slow, and I found Eddie’s obtuseness nearly unforgivable. Rose plainly explained her engagement to Albert so early in the book, and Eddie just…was NOT following. That set the rest of the book up to be quite obvious. Lex Croucher writes gorgeous banter, though, so while unbelievable, there were parts that were making me L O L.