Reputation
Page 32
This book wouldn’t exist without my partner, Nick, who listened to me talk about it endlessly and put meals in front of me when I was more Word doc than human, or my sister, Hannah, who was the first person to convince me that it might actually be worth reading via some light sisterly bullying. Thanks every day to my most beloved and particular companion Rosianna, who talked me off ledges many times during the publishing process and wrote to me – in pen and ink – to tell me her favourite parts.
Thanks also to my parents, for all the love and all the books; Kez, who skipped ahead to see if Thomas would be at the ball; Anna and Photine, for reassurance and enthusiasm when I was running out of steam; and Venessa, Jeska, Rose and Bhavna for your beautiful art.
The early readers I worked with did so much to shape this book, and I am eternally grateful to Helen, Caolinn (who went above and beyond), Sapan, Chloe, Iori, Lynn and Georgina for your guidance. Hannah and Liberty, thank you for letting me borrow your eyes. Jazza, thanks for letting me steal one of your last names (although frankly you do have a spare, so it was the least you could do).
Thank you especially to the communities I found while writing, including my online writing group (I’ll see you all in hell) and the friends I made through the books I love. If you’re looking to find people working tirelessly to create things just for the joy of it, supporting each other and raising each other up in tiny ways every single day, you’ll always find them in fandom.
Reading Group Questions
1. How would being a young person have been different in the Regency period? How would it have been the same?
2. Who was your favourite character?
3. What do you think Frances’s life will be like after the end of the novel?
4. How is reputation as a theme explored in the book?
5. How does the novel look at sexual attraction, sex and consent?
6. Reputation could be categorised as a romcom with a historical setting. Did you expect it to feature the modern tropes of a romcom? How do you think the author brought the humour to the book?
7. Reputation is a historical novel. How do you think the author has made it relevant to a modern readership? Did this add to your enjoyment of the novel?
8. Georgiana has a complicated relationship with her parents, as do several other characters in the book. How does the novel look at family?
9. What does Georgiana learn from her different friends in this novel?
10. In what way(s) is Reputation a coming-of-age story?
11. Was the book what you expected based on the cover and the blurb?
12. Have you read many books set in this period previously? Would you like to read more?
About the Author
Lex Croucher grew up in Surrey, reading a lot of books and making friends with strangers on the internet. She now lives in London with her cat, producing videos by day and watching period dramas by night. Reputation is her first novel.
@lexcanroar
@lexcanroar
First published in the UK in 2021 by Zaffre
This ebook edition published in 2021 by
ZAFFRE
An imprint of Bonnier Books UK
4th Floor, Victoria House
Bloomsbury Square, London WC1B 4DA
Owned by Bonnier Books
Sveavägen 56, Stockholm, Sweden
Copyright © Lex Croucher, 2021
Interior illustrations © Shutterstock.com
Cover design by Sophie McDonnell
The moral right of Lex Croucher to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-83877-412-7
Paperback ISBN: 978–1–83877–411–0
This book was typeset by Palimpsest Book Production Ltd, Falkirk, Stirlingshire
This ebook was created by IDSUK (Data Connection) Ltd
Zaffre is an imprint of Bonnier Books UK
www.bonnierbooks.co.uk