REVIEW: Infamous by Lex Croucher

**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

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Book: Infamous by Lex Croucher

Release Date: March 21, 2023

My Rating: 4.25 stars

Rep: bisexual protagonist, lesbian British-Chinese love interest, gay side character, Black side character, agender side character

CW: implied sexual assault, sexual harrassment

Summary: 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 . . .

I had so much fun with this author’s debut that I immediately went to request their next book after finishing it. When I was approved for this one, I read it as soon as I could and am so glad I did. With a heartwarming childhood-friends-to-lovers romance, Infamous follows an aspiring novelist as she falls into the world of a charming poet.

Eddie and her best friend Rose have always done everything together, including vowing not to get married. When Rose tells Eddie of her impending engagement, she feels like their relationship has been irreparably broken. She meets Nash Nicholson, her favorite poet—through Rose’s fiancé, no less—and jumps at his invitation to vacation at his estate with Rose and her fiancé tagging along, both because she’s in awe of him and because he’s offered her his help in publishing her manuscript. While there, Eddie soon becomes enamored with the life Nash and his circle live, although it’s not without its faults and secrets.

I should probably preface this review with the fact that I very rarely read historical romance; it’s simply not my genre. Even when I do find a book that I can get through, it’s more of a passive enjoyment than really liking what I’m reading. That I fell so hard for this book hopefully tells you all you have to know about how good this book was.

The romance was truly so good! Eddie and Rose have been best friends since the moment they met. They spend almost every waking moment together, even going so far as “practicing” kissing. Although they spend much of the book at odds because Eddie basically thinks Rose is selling out by getting married, it’s clear that both care for each other so much. Rose despises spending time with Nash and his circle, yet she agrees to go with Eddie if only to protect her from what she refuses to see.

I really enjoyed how Eddie goes from “I love her so much (platonically)” to “wait, is this how you love someone platonically” to “oh my god, I love her romantically” in the span of like, three chapters (obviously with more gradual moments, but truly loved this journey for her). It’s so obvious to the reader that they both like each other in both of their actions, and yet she remains so oblivious.

The side characters were also so great! I particularly cracked up at all the scenes with Eddie’s family. Her younger siblings are just so chaotic, and I honestly wanted to see more of them by the end of the book. And don’t get me wrong, I didn’t like Nash and his friends as people, as it’s obvious to everyone but Eddie that being “unconventional” by society’s standards doesn’t mean that they’re good people, but they do prove to be very interesting characters.

Full of wit and heart, Infamous was truly so much fun, and I can’t wait to read more from Lex Croucher! I loved the characters in this book, and the romance had me grinning. If you’re intrigued by a sapphic childhood-friends-to-lovers historical romance, I definitely think you should add Infamous to your TBR lists!

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About the Author: Lex Croucher grew up in Surrey, reading a lot of books and making friends with strangers on the internet, and now lives in London with an elderly cat. With a background in social media for NGOs, Lex now writes historical-ish rom coms for adults (REPUTATION, INFAMOUS) and historical fantasy rom coms for teenagers. GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE is their YA debut.

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