It is currently LGBT History Month in the UK (here in Canada it is in October), so I thought that it would be the perfect time to share this upcoming release. LGBTQ historical romance books are slowly becoming more common and more popular. With the release of Bridgerton and the resurgence of Austen fans due to Sanditon, historical romances are also not shunned literarily the way they once were. (Never feel embarassed by the book that you are reading!) For this week’s Book Bite, we are chatting about Infamous by Lex Croucher.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Infamous, Lex Croucher (21 March 2023, NA- already out in the UK)
22-year-old aspiring writer Edith ‘Eddie’ Miller and her best friend Rose have always done everything together-climbing trees, throwing grapes at boys, sneaking bottles of wine, practicing kissing . . .
But following their debutante ball Rose is suddenly talking about marriage, and Eddie is horrified.
When Eddie meets charming, renowned poet Nash Nicholson, he invites her to his crumbling Gothic estate in the countryside. The entourage of eccentric artists indulging in pure hedonism is exactly what Eddie needs in order to forget Rose and finish her novel.
But Eddie might discover the world of famous literary icons isn’t all poems and pleasure . . .
Why You Should Read This…
I am going to start this review by being explicit- if you are upset by inaccurate historical romances, these are not the books for you. However, if it’s neither here nor there for you, read on…
Infamous follows Croucher’s Reputation from 2022, and it is a delightful continuation in this Regency world. We are now following Eddie and Rose, two entertaining young women. Eddie is a writer, and I always find it fascinating to read a writer-character in a book- it feels meta in a way. Rose is Eddie’s friend and partner in many ways, and their relationship of author and quasi-editor is one of my favourites.
I appreciate that both their queer relationship and Rose’s “otherness” as an Asian was given space to breathe in the novel. Is that accurate to the Regency period in Britain? Probably not, but this isn’t a textbook. (I actually want more on Rose’s father helping Chinese immigrants to set up their new lives in Britain, that would also be a great novel.)
This book was just as much fun as Reputation and it is the perfect book to read while we wait for the new season of Bridgerton to get a release date!
Is Infamous by Lex Croucher on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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