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Trouble
There's a new governess at Fairmont House, and she's going to be nothing but trouble.
Emily Laurence is a liar. She is not polite, she's not polished, and she has never taught a child in her life. This position was meant to be her sister's––brilliant, kind Amy, who isn't perpetually angry, dangerously reckless, and who does (inexplicably) like children.
But Amy is unwell and needs a doctor, their father is gone and their mother is useless, so here Emily is, pretending to be something she's not.
If she can get away with her deception for long enough to earn a few month's wages and slip some expensive trinkets into her pockets along the way, perhaps they'll be all right.
That is, as long as she doesn't get involved with the Edwards family's dramas. Emily refuses to care about her charges - Grace, who talks too much and loves too hard, and Aster, who is frankly terrifying but might just be the wittiest sixteen-year-old Emily has ever met - or the servants, who insist on acting as if they're each other's family. And she certainly hasn't noticed her employer, the brooding, taciturn Captain Edwards, no matter how good he might look without a shirt on . . .
As Fairmont House draws her in, Emily's lies start to come undone. Can she fix her mistakes before it's too late?
Emily Laurence is a liar. She is not polite, she's not polished, and she has never taught a child in her life. This position was meant to be her sister's––brilliant, kind Amy, who isn't perpetually angry, dangerously reckless, and who does (inexplicably) like children.
But Amy is unwell and needs a doctor, their father is gone and their mother is useless, so here Emily is, pretending to be something she's not.
If she can get away with her deception for long enough to earn a few month's wages and slip some expensive trinkets into her pockets along the way, perhaps they'll be all right.
That is, as long as she doesn't get involved with the Edwards family's dramas. Emily refuses to care about her charges - Grace, who talks too much and loves too hard, and Aster, who is frankly terrifying but might just be the wittiest sixteen-year-old Emily has ever met - or the servants, who insist on acting as if they're each other's family. And she certainly hasn't noticed her employer, the brooding, taciturn Captain Edwards, no matter how good he might look without a shirt on . . .
As Fairmont House draws her in, Emily's lies start to come undone. Can she fix her mistakes before it's too late?
336 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2023
120 people are currently reading
14132 people want to read
About the author
Lex Croucher
8 books2,963 followersLex 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 802 reviews
November 4, 2024
so many good elements but totally lacking charm 😵💫
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February 20, 2026Source of book: NG
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
***
Oh, I’m such an idiot. I requested this book on NG as soon as it was available to request and treated it like the After Eight mint for literally months, possibly close to a year, because I’m not ready for this series--which I have loved so deeply and completely--to be over.
This is obviously not an appropriate way to behave with a NG book. It’s also not sensible way to behave around a book you know you’re going to adore. And now I’m left in this weird space of kicking myself for not reading this earlier and being glad I didn’t because I got to experience it now.
This whole series has been such an utter delight. But it’s also come along way from the first book, which was all raw charisma and enthusiasm, coming at you like a wolf with a sword between its teeth (and I say this with deep appreciation for the first book too). The second book was everything I loved about the first book tempered by the author’s increasing confidence and control, and the misfortunate of being a personal favourite of mine, essentially dooming the third book.
Except no?
The third book is every bit as wonderful as the second book. It’s so absurdly fucking good I’m borderline angry with it, in the way you only get when you get so overwhelmingly passionate about something that it sort of comes out the other side and makes you want to kick the furniture. A sentiment, by the way, the heroine of Trouble would not only understand but applaud me for.
Trouble is, in many ways, a quieter book than its predecessors. At its heart, it’s a story about family. There’s some external threat from a blackmailer but most of the action of this book is internal: it’s about relationships and acceptance, both of ourselves and others, and it’s also--being a Lex Croucher book--queer AF. It’s also fairly interesting to me because it features some of the oldest canons in the Croucher canon. While I think Croucher is far more naturally writing in the NA space the YA space, the other two books in this series have dealt with protagonists who very much trying to transition into adult life and dealing with all the uncertainty that brings. Emily is twenty-nine (which, I know, is still not that old) but it’s notable that she starts the book in a very different emotional place to Georgina and Eddie. In their quite divergent ways, Georgiana and Eddie are questions about who they’re going to be, what they’re going to do, and how they’re going to do it. Emily is asking “oh shit, is this it?”
Trouble opens with our heroine committing a mild act of fraud. Her middle-class family have fallen on genuinely hard times (like working in a mill hard) and sweet-tempered sister, Amy, has fallen ill--right after being offered a well-paid stint as a governess in coast-situated stately home. Needless to say, with the whole family desperately needing cash, Emily takes the gig, while pretending to be her sister. The main problem being that Emily, cynical, worn-down, done with the world’s bullshit, has no interest in governessing a couple of spoiled brats. And definitely no interest in their widowed, emotionally distant father, Captain Edwards.
I think this is the most gentle of all Croucher’s books that I’ve read (and at this point, that’s all of them, ahem). Which is not say to it lacks bite - Emily is perhaps one of Croucher’s most biting heroines, in every regard, and there’s real depth in the book’s exploration of its themes, of wealth and poverty, chronic illness, queer identity, and powerlessness within a patriarchal society (as it applies to both men and women). But there’s a wonderful warmth to Trouble, a willingness to embrace people on their own terms, and a deep appreciation for kindness, in all its forms, even when those forms are fairly prickly. The other thing I adored about Trouble is that there’s careful space made for almost everyone in it (blackmailer aside but fuck that guy) to be a fully dimensioned person, even if we only get glimpses of it. For example, Captain Edward’s deceased wife is neither a villain nor a cypher, and her family are given plenty of space to grieve her, Emily’s apparently saintlike sister Amy calls her out for putting her on a pedestal, and even Mrs Spencer--the rich widow Captain Edwards is supposed to be married--far from being an antagonist to Emily becomes a figure of both support and fascinating, with Emily blatantly having some bisexual feelings in her direction:
There’s a mischievous Jane Eyre / Daphne du Maurier / Sound of Music energy to Trouble that I, naturally, enjoy the fuck out of. But at the same time, the book makes interesting choices as regards Emily’s role in the family. Yes, there’s a moment when she shouts at Captain Edwards to be a better father to his children, but she never really takes on a saviour role. She doesn’t even really becomes a good governess. Basically, I think this is a governess story that deeply respects Emily’s right not to do emotional labour--she’s spent her whole life doing labour of some kind of another--and the result is something fairly unique when it comes to the whole governess/master of the household trope. Emily does act as an emotional catalyst of the various characters but mostly just by being there and being herself, and allowing the people around her to be themselves also. It’s also very clear that Emily is, despite her acerbic ways, just as much in need of care as those she’s supposed to be caring for and watching her gradually learn to accept that she deserves care too, that not all kindness comes with an agenda or a cost, is really lovely to watch.
As I’ve already mentioned in passing, everyone in this book, but--just in case I haven’t made it clear enough--I love Emily. I love her with every fibre of my being. As is typical for a Croucher heroine, she’s a very flawed character, and some of those flaws are entirely her own, but some of them--the mistrust, the jadedness, the grumpiness she has trouble not expressing at every turn--have been ground into her by a life that has also ground her down. There’s a lot of trauma in Emily that the book allows to go mostly unremarked because Emily is the sort of person to grimly accept her own trauma as inevitable but, reading between the lines of her pain and her desperation, make her, to me at least, profoundly sympathetic.
I mean, who amongst us has not wanted to fling someone’s child out of a carriage in recompense for their parent’s rudeness?
Plus the fact that Emily has sort of been conditioned by hardship and cruelty to assume nice things--including romance--are not for her is kind of unusual for the protagonist of, y’know, a romance novel? She even responds to a declaration of love in a damaged, wary, and resolutely unromantic way:
What’s even more remarkable is that Emily is never expected to change. She does not, at any point, become “deserving” of love and care. She just learns to accept that she has a right to them and that her way of giving care--her loyalty, her honesty, her lack of sentimentality--is valued by those around her. I know I haven’t said much about Captain Edwards but I actually really liked him too. While he too has his faults, and makes mistakes of his own, he comes across as a good-hearted and open-minded and all I really cared about was that he was worthy of Emily, which, thankfully, he is. (The book also handles consent-seeking in a very beautiful and subtle way throughout, which I always appreciate).
When it comes m/f dynamics feral woman/decent man is one of my absolute favourite pairings and Emily and Captain Edwards are pretty much the zenith of it.
So do I have anything critical to say about this book? I mean, maybe? There’s arguably a few sequences at the end that could have been smoother, since they involve Emily leaving and coming back and leaving again approximately sixty-seven times over the course of about 10% of the book, but part of the reason for the final hokey-cokey is that Emily can get her big romantic moment, with Captain Edwards chasing after her on horseback to, once again, declare his feelings. And so while I was getting the tiniest bit impatient with the setup--Jesus, Emily, stay still for five seconds, will you?--I was extremely satisfied with the payoff. Emily deserved her big moment and I’m glad she got it. Similarly there a few incidents right at the beginning of the book where Captain Edwards behaves in a way that seems at variance with his character as we know it by the end of the book and, looking back, it almost felt that these moments were there simply to create distance between Emily and Captain Edwards that they would have to overcome when the narrative arc demanded it. There’s also a bit early on where Aster is genuinely horrible about Emily--complaining about her rough hands and lack of a classical education--that [he’s]* never called to account about. I realise he’s got his own shit going on but this felt really over the line to me, especially in a book so concerned with class dynamics and economic privilege. Not that every bad thing a fictional character says needs to be corrected, and Aster is almost as incompetent at talking about feelings as Emily is, but I wish there’d been a nod at an apology. Then again, perhaps you’re supposed to read the fact Emily and Aster to slowly come to trust and care for each other as implicit apology.
Except, here’s the thing. I can potentially see those elements of the book as minor flaws — and please understand, we are talking minor here. We are talking “slightly fewer hundreds and thousands on my knickerbocker glory than I would ideally prefer”. But the point is, I can see if I squint. And yet I do not give a damn about them.
Trouble is perfect to me. It is as captivating as Mrs Spencer standing up. It is funny and soft and sharp and clever and all my favourite things. And I won’t hear a thing against it. Even from myself.
PS - there’s also a fleeting reference to Nash Nicholson’s terrible poetry, which make me smirk with joy.
*Note on Aster: he comes out of the course of the book, so I’ve used the pronoun that reflects his identity rather than the one that is used at the beginning of the book. I don’t think this is a spoiler. It’s part of his character arc but it’s not … like … a plot twist or anything. It’s just who he is.
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
***
Oh, I’m such an idiot. I requested this book on NG as soon as it was available to request and treated it like the After Eight mint for literally months, possibly close to a year, because I’m not ready for this series--which I have loved so deeply and completely--to be over.
This is obviously not an appropriate way to behave with a NG book. It’s also not sensible way to behave around a book you know you’re going to adore. And now I’m left in this weird space of kicking myself for not reading this earlier and being glad I didn’t because I got to experience it now.
This whole series has been such an utter delight. But it’s also come along way from the first book, which was all raw charisma and enthusiasm, coming at you like a wolf with a sword between its teeth (and I say this with deep appreciation for the first book too). The second book was everything I loved about the first book tempered by the author’s increasing confidence and control, and the misfortunate of being a personal favourite of mine, essentially dooming the third book.
Except no?
The third book is every bit as wonderful as the second book. It’s so absurdly fucking good I’m borderline angry with it, in the way you only get when you get so overwhelmingly passionate about something that it sort of comes out the other side and makes you want to kick the furniture. A sentiment, by the way, the heroine of Trouble would not only understand but applaud me for.
Trouble is, in many ways, a quieter book than its predecessors. At its heart, it’s a story about family. There’s some external threat from a blackmailer but most of the action of this book is internal: it’s about relationships and acceptance, both of ourselves and others, and it’s also--being a Lex Croucher book--queer AF. It’s also fairly interesting to me because it features some of the oldest canons in the Croucher canon. While I think Croucher is far more naturally writing in the NA space the YA space, the other two books in this series have dealt with protagonists who very much trying to transition into adult life and dealing with all the uncertainty that brings. Emily is twenty-nine (which, I know, is still not that old) but it’s notable that she starts the book in a very different emotional place to Georgina and Eddie. In their quite divergent ways, Georgiana and Eddie are questions about who they’re going to be, what they’re going to do, and how they’re going to do it. Emily is asking “oh shit, is this it?”
Trouble opens with our heroine committing a mild act of fraud. Her middle-class family have fallen on genuinely hard times (like working in a mill hard) and sweet-tempered sister, Amy, has fallen ill--right after being offered a well-paid stint as a governess in coast-situated stately home. Needless to say, with the whole family desperately needing cash, Emily takes the gig, while pretending to be her sister. The main problem being that Emily, cynical, worn-down, done with the world’s bullshit, has no interest in governessing a couple of spoiled brats. And definitely no interest in their widowed, emotionally distant father, Captain Edwards.
I think this is the most gentle of all Croucher’s books that I’ve read (and at this point, that’s all of them, ahem). Which is not say to it lacks bite - Emily is perhaps one of Croucher’s most biting heroines, in every regard, and there’s real depth in the book’s exploration of its themes, of wealth and poverty, chronic illness, queer identity, and powerlessness within a patriarchal society (as it applies to both men and women). But there’s a wonderful warmth to Trouble, a willingness to embrace people on their own terms, and a deep appreciation for kindness, in all its forms, even when those forms are fairly prickly. The other thing I adored about Trouble is that there’s careful space made for almost everyone in it (blackmailer aside but fuck that guy) to be a fully dimensioned person, even if we only get glimpses of it. For example, Captain Edward’s deceased wife is neither a villain nor a cypher, and her family are given plenty of space to grieve her, Emily’s apparently saintlike sister Amy calls her out for putting her on a pedestal, and even Mrs Spencer--the rich widow Captain Edwards is supposed to be married--far from being an antagonist to Emily becomes a figure of both support and fascinating, with Emily blatantly having some bisexual feelings in her direction:
‘Well, very good, then. He’s lucky to have you. He talks a lot about what a boon you’ve been for the children – I know he will find it very difficult to lose you. I suppose . . . I suppose eventually he’ll find somebody strong and spirited to marry. That’s what he needs – a bit of fire, a bit of cheering up. I’ve never seen somebody so terribly, obviously sad.’
When [Mrs Spencer] got to her feet, the movement was so graceful she seemed to be flowing, like water. Emily found herself quite captivated.
There’s a mischievous Jane Eyre / Daphne du Maurier / Sound of Music energy to Trouble that I, naturally, enjoy the fuck out of. But at the same time, the book makes interesting choices as regards Emily’s role in the family. Yes, there’s a moment when she shouts at Captain Edwards to be a better father to his children, but she never really takes on a saviour role. She doesn’t even really becomes a good governess. Basically, I think this is a governess story that deeply respects Emily’s right not to do emotional labour--she’s spent her whole life doing labour of some kind of another--and the result is something fairly unique when it comes to the whole governess/master of the household trope. Emily does act as an emotional catalyst of the various characters but mostly just by being there and being herself, and allowing the people around her to be themselves also. It’s also very clear that Emily is, despite her acerbic ways, just as much in need of care as those she’s supposed to be caring for and watching her gradually learn to accept that she deserves care too, that not all kindness comes with an agenda or a cost, is really lovely to watch.
As I’ve already mentioned in passing, everyone in this book, but--just in case I haven’t made it clear enough--I love Emily. I love her with every fibre of my being. As is typical for a Croucher heroine, she’s a very flawed character, and some of those flaws are entirely her own, but some of them--the mistrust, the jadedness, the grumpiness she has trouble not expressing at every turn--have been ground into her by a life that has also ground her down. There’s a lot of trauma in Emily that the book allows to go mostly unremarked because Emily is the sort of person to grimly accept her own trauma as inevitable but, reading between the lines of her pain and her desperation, make her, to me at least, profoundly sympathetic.
Emily ducked her head, focusing carefully on her drink. Odd-looking? Thanks ever so, Mr and Mrs Sandler. She should have opened that carriage door and let their baby slide out into the mud.
I mean, who amongst us has not wanted to fling someone’s child out of a carriage in recompense for their parent’s rudeness?
Plus the fact that Emily has sort of been conditioned by hardship and cruelty to assume nice things--including romance--are not for her is kind of unusual for the protagonist of, y’know, a romance novel? She even responds to a declaration of love in a damaged, wary, and resolutely unromantic way:
Emily sort of wished that her heart could have swelled at these words, and that she could have simply swooned a little and kissed him and felt so swept up in the moment that she could return his declarations of love, but it was truly impossible for her to be anybody but herself, so instead she did what came naturally: she felt a sharp shrill of joy, a healthy helping of discomfort as her body tried to cringe away from his words, and then she stepped forward so that he might kiss her.
What’s even more remarkable is that Emily is never expected to change. She does not, at any point, become “deserving” of love and care. She just learns to accept that she has a right to them and that her way of giving care--her loyalty, her honesty, her lack of sentimentality--is valued by those around her. I know I haven’t said much about Captain Edwards but I actually really liked him too. While he too has his faults, and makes mistakes of his own, he comes across as a good-hearted and open-minded and all I really cared about was that he was worthy of Emily, which, thankfully, he is. (The book also handles consent-seeking in a very beautiful and subtle way throughout, which I always appreciate).
When it comes m/f dynamics feral woman/decent man is one of my absolute favourite pairings and Emily and Captain Edwards are pretty much the zenith of it.
So do I have anything critical to say about this book? I mean, maybe? There’s arguably a few sequences at the end that could have been smoother, since they involve Emily leaving and coming back and leaving again approximately sixty-seven times over the course of about 10% of the book, but part of the reason for the final hokey-cokey is that Emily can get her big romantic moment, with Captain Edwards chasing after her on horseback to, once again, declare his feelings. And so while I was getting the tiniest bit impatient with the setup--Jesus, Emily, stay still for five seconds, will you?--I was extremely satisfied with the payoff. Emily deserved her big moment and I’m glad she got it. Similarly there a few incidents right at the beginning of the book where Captain Edwards behaves in a way that seems at variance with his character as we know it by the end of the book and, looking back, it almost felt that these moments were there simply to create distance between Emily and Captain Edwards that they would have to overcome when the narrative arc demanded it. There’s also a bit early on where Aster is genuinely horrible about Emily--complaining about her rough hands and lack of a classical education--that [he’s]* never called to account about. I realise he’s got his own shit going on but this felt really over the line to me, especially in a book so concerned with class dynamics and economic privilege. Not that every bad thing a fictional character says needs to be corrected, and Aster is almost as incompetent at talking about feelings as Emily is, but I wish there’d been a nod at an apology. Then again, perhaps you’re supposed to read the fact Emily and Aster to slowly come to trust and care for each other as implicit apology.
Except, here’s the thing. I can potentially see those elements of the book as minor flaws — and please understand, we are talking minor here. We are talking “slightly fewer hundreds and thousands on my knickerbocker glory than I would ideally prefer”. But the point is, I can see if I squint. And yet I do not give a damn about them.
Trouble is perfect to me. It is as captivating as Mrs Spencer standing up. It is funny and soft and sharp and clever and all my favourite things. And I won’t hear a thing against it. Even from myself.
PS - there’s also a fleeting reference to Nash Nicholson’s terrible poetry, which make me smirk with joy.
*Note on Aster: he comes out of the course of the book, so I’ve used the pronoun that reflects his identity rather than the one that is used at the beginning of the book. I don’t think this is a spoiler. It’s part of his character arc but it’s not … like … a plot twist or anything. It’s just who he is.
February 12, 2024
3.5 Stars
A cute and fun story with a touch of spice.
Fairmont House has just welcomed Amy Laurence as their new governess, or should I say, Emily Laurence. Emily has impersonated her sister and taken on the role of teaching the Edwards children, Grace and Aster. However, Emily has a secret motive - she will be acting as governess for a brief period as she robs the house of small but expensive trinkets. She intends to sell them to earn money to help her sick sister. But Emily's plan may be derailed as she begins to develop a strong attachment to everyone in the house. Will she be able to overcome her emotional connection to follow through with her plan?
The characters were all so lovable, and I loved how the friendship between Emily and the children developed throughout the story. Emily's unpolished and unapologetic personality was refreshing. It was also nice to see queer representation included as well. However, I found her stubbornness and blindness to the Captain's feelings a little frustrating. Despite this, I still had a good time reading this and would definitely recommend it to fans of Regency Romance.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Lex Croucher, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
A cute and fun story with a touch of spice.
Fairmont House has just welcomed Amy Laurence as their new governess, or should I say, Emily Laurence. Emily has impersonated her sister and taken on the role of teaching the Edwards children, Grace and Aster. However, Emily has a secret motive - she will be acting as governess for a brief period as she robs the house of small but expensive trinkets. She intends to sell them to earn money to help her sick sister. But Emily's plan may be derailed as she begins to develop a strong attachment to everyone in the house. Will she be able to overcome her emotional connection to follow through with her plan?
The characters were all so lovable, and I loved how the friendship between Emily and the children developed throughout the story. Emily's unpolished and unapologetic personality was refreshing. It was also nice to see queer representation included as well. However, I found her stubbornness and blindness to the Captain's feelings a little frustrating. Despite this, I still had a good time reading this and would definitely recommend it to fans of Regency Romance.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Lex Croucher, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
May 5, 2024
Ahhhhh this was so good!! More detailed review to come. This is my favourite Lex Croucher book so far. Bi 4 bi and grumpy 4 grumpy indeed!
Full review as promised is up on Autostraddle dot com! https://www.autostraddle.com/lex-crou...
"For a delightfully queer historical romcom with equal parts humor and pathos and a delicate blend of romance and character growth, you really can’t do any better than Lex Croucher’s Trouble."
"I laugh at the idea of a heterosexual person reading this book and trying to brainstorm non-gay reasons for all the unexplained things Emily is trying to figure out."
Full review as promised is up on Autostraddle dot com! https://www.autostraddle.com/lex-crou...
"For a delightfully queer historical romcom with equal parts humor and pathos and a delicate blend of romance and character growth, you really can’t do any better than Lex Croucher’s Trouble."
"I laugh at the idea of a heterosexual person reading this book and trying to brainstorm non-gay reasons for all the unexplained things Emily is trying to figure out."
June 22, 2025
The heart wants what it wants. And the heart is also terminally stupid, a dangerous combination.
rating: 4.25 ★
I started this on a whim last night and I couldn’t stop listening! Emily is delightful as a fraud, liar, and thief; due to her sister’s chronic illness, she pretends to be Amy and takes up a new governess position for a naval captain and his two children.
I’m normally not big on the single dad trope but this was so well done. Emily had such interesting dynamics with the kids that added a lot to the story. My only complaint is that I wanted there to be more of the Captain in the first half, but they still managed to have me going crazy w the angst and will they won’t they in the second half.
This is bi4bi but I was totally (pleasantly) surprised by (slight spoiler) a character in the cast coming out / transitioning halfway through and everyone just being like if it makes you happy, we’re good with it. honestly gave me happy tears 🥹
Overall, such a fun hisrom and I def wanna check out more by this author!
also the narrator is the same for emily wilde and she does an excellent job.
You cannot let what people think dictate your life. Nobody would do anything interesting.
rating: 4.25 ★
I started this on a whim last night and I couldn’t stop listening! Emily is delightful as a fraud, liar, and thief; due to her sister’s chronic illness, she pretends to be Amy and takes up a new governess position for a naval captain and his two children.
I’m normally not big on the single dad trope but this was so well done. Emily had such interesting dynamics with the kids that added a lot to the story. My only complaint is that I wanted there to be more of the Captain in the first half, but they still managed to have me going crazy w the angst and will they won’t they in the second half.
This is bi4bi but I was totally (pleasantly) surprised by (slight spoiler) a character in the cast coming out / transitioning halfway through and everyone just being like if it makes you happy, we’re good with it. honestly gave me happy tears 🥹
Overall, such a fun hisrom and I def wanna check out more by this author!
also the narrator is the same for emily wilde and she does an excellent job.
You cannot let what people think dictate your life. Nobody would do anything interesting.
March 4, 2024
Trading places!
Emily Laurence is a fighter. When her father dies, she and her mother and sister realize they have very little in the way of assets. Emily doesn’t take their change of fortune lying down. Troubled and determined, Emily fights to keep them all going, taking a job in the mill, whatever it takes.
When her sister Amy lands a job as a governess she’s happy for her. Amy falls ill before she can take up the position so Emily swaps identities with her sister and presents herself to her employer as Amy. After all, how hard can it be?
So Emily who can’t relate to children, and knows nothing about teaching, finds herself posing as a governess to two young women, Grace Edwards who has the same sort of illness as Amy, and Aster who refuses to be governessed.
Ah well, Emily just lets Amy read and talk about her beloved books and Aster stays in her room with plenty of drawing supplies.
It’s a strange household. There’s Captain Edwards, with some sort of scandal in his past, and the servants who are even more peculiar. What’s more Emily seems to get into arguments with the Captain at the drop of a hat. How he hasn’t dismissed her is beyond her.
Emily helps herself to a couple of trinkets, drinks too much at the Rose and Crown (the Village Inn) and meets a stranger, Charles, who will pay her for any information she can dig up about the Captain. A chance to make money for her invalided sister and mother! She takes the opportunity!
It niggles at her, and when Charles brings pressure to bear Emily is truly conflicted and worried, because by this time she’s come to appreciate the Captain, her charges and the household’s servants
Whoa! a galloping read with misunderstandings and conflicted moments on every page!
I am loving Lex Croucher’s writings. Her books are wonderfully different, her characters bouncing with energy, and Emily is definitely a mouthy one! Well read!
A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
Emily Laurence is a fighter. When her father dies, she and her mother and sister realize they have very little in the way of assets. Emily doesn’t take their change of fortune lying down. Troubled and determined, Emily fights to keep them all going, taking a job in the mill, whatever it takes.
When her sister Amy lands a job as a governess she’s happy for her. Amy falls ill before she can take up the position so Emily swaps identities with her sister and presents herself to her employer as Amy. After all, how hard can it be?
So Emily who can’t relate to children, and knows nothing about teaching, finds herself posing as a governess to two young women, Grace Edwards who has the same sort of illness as Amy, and Aster who refuses to be governessed.
Ah well, Emily just lets Amy read and talk about her beloved books and Aster stays in her room with plenty of drawing supplies.
It’s a strange household. There’s Captain Edwards, with some sort of scandal in his past, and the servants who are even more peculiar. What’s more Emily seems to get into arguments with the Captain at the drop of a hat. How he hasn’t dismissed her is beyond her.
Emily helps herself to a couple of trinkets, drinks too much at the Rose and Crown (the Village Inn) and meets a stranger, Charles, who will pay her for any information she can dig up about the Captain. A chance to make money for her invalided sister and mother! She takes the opportunity!
It niggles at her, and when Charles brings pressure to bear Emily is truly conflicted and worried, because by this time she’s come to appreciate the Captain, her charges and the household’s servants
Whoa! a galloping read with misunderstandings and conflicted moments on every page!
I am loving Lex Croucher’s writings. Her books are wonderfully different, her characters bouncing with energy, and Emily is definitely a mouthy one! Well read!
A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
March 5, 2024
Trouble by Lex Croucher
Historical romance. Diverse LGBTQ+.
Emily Laurence will do whatever she must to keep her mother and sister fed and housed. When Amy falls ill and can’t accept the governess job she was hired for, Emily decides to impersonate her sister to earn a few months wages. True, she doesn’t like children, and has no clue how to teach them anything, but she can fake it for a few months. Meanwhile, she’ll scope out the house and steal a few trinkets to sell and see if there are other options to earn a few coins while she’s there. What could possibly go wrong? A little spying, a missing broach, children spending the day reading….its all on a days work.
🎧 I listened to a audiobook version of this book, narrated by Ell Porter. The performance is point on with Emily’s personality leaking through her ill fitting disguise of governess. She’s harsh and sarcastic with little patience or time beyond her goal of money. Until she becomes just a little too attached to her own surprise. Various voices of the children, servants and Captain Edwards add to the depth of both the performance and character building of Emily.
I listened to this at a speed of 1.5 for the best audio comfort.
Entertaining, amusing and spirited. Although I didn’t like Emily or the premise of lying and stealing, as she started to like the family, my own feelings started to switch as well. I was glad she had regrets and subsequently fixed things. The other household help defined neighborhood and mutual benefits.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.
Historical romance. Diverse LGBTQ+.
Emily Laurence will do whatever she must to keep her mother and sister fed and housed. When Amy falls ill and can’t accept the governess job she was hired for, Emily decides to impersonate her sister to earn a few months wages. True, she doesn’t like children, and has no clue how to teach them anything, but she can fake it for a few months. Meanwhile, she’ll scope out the house and steal a few trinkets to sell and see if there are other options to earn a few coins while she’s there. What could possibly go wrong? A little spying, a missing broach, children spending the day reading….its all on a days work.
🎧 I listened to a audiobook version of this book, narrated by Ell Porter. The performance is point on with Emily’s personality leaking through her ill fitting disguise of governess. She’s harsh and sarcastic with little patience or time beyond her goal of money. Until she becomes just a little too attached to her own surprise. Various voices of the children, servants and Captain Edwards add to the depth of both the performance and character building of Emily.
I listened to this at a speed of 1.5 for the best audio comfort.
Entertaining, amusing and spirited. Although I didn’t like Emily or the premise of lying and stealing, as she started to like the family, my own feelings started to switch as well. I was glad she had regrets and subsequently fixed things. The other household help defined neighborhood and mutual benefits.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.
August 7, 2023
4.5 stars. This one really got me in the end. Captain Von Trapp vibes FTW.
July 17, 2023
Rep: bi mc & li, trans character, gay character, Black character, British Indian character, characters with chronic illnesses
November 4, 2023
I could not finish this book. The author needs to do much more research about the Regency era. Nothing suited this era at all. The language used was simply vulgar. Lots of f... words which were used by all characters and by young ladies of the high society! The main character so-call governess was simply annoying with her all consuming hate for anyone above her station, especially the wealthy.
The widower, a father of two was openly admitting to having gay relationship with another navy officer, one of his daughters came out, that she identifies as a boy - and funny thing happen - everyone one was OK with that!???? All this B.S. about all inclusiveness set in Regency time. Absolute rubbish.
Could not waste another second on this awful book.
The author needs to do much more research if she/he will attempt to write another story set in the past.
The widower, a father of two was openly admitting to having gay relationship with another navy officer, one of his daughters came out, that she identifies as a boy - and funny thing happen - everyone one was OK with that!???? All this B.S. about all inclusiveness set in Regency time. Absolute rubbish.
Could not waste another second on this awful book.
The author needs to do much more research if she/he will attempt to write another story set in the past.
January 13, 2024
I really liked this book to start with. The family aspect of the book was very engaging, the sisterly love, the captain struggling to show his affection to his children and the servants becoming a default family for each other.
The romance is a slow burn between the captain and the governess. I was a little confused what they saw in each other to be honest.
The servants were the saving grace of this book. They were warm, affectionate and funny.
What I didn't like:
1. The captain saw her stealing and didn't do anything??
2. When he found out she had been lying and stealing from him, he forgave her immediately.
3. He apparently loves his children but doesn't seem to interact with them at all. And this doesn't really change throughout the book.
4. The captain tells someone he's known for weeks a secret that could get him hanged! Like wtf?
5. The fact that everything started to get repetitive. Grace and Amy both have chronic illnesses. Emily constantly going on about how bad and awful she is while everyone tells her she's amazing 😑 even Aster and Grace both going missing.
6. This may make me sound horrible but this book didn't feel regency to me. I read regency for the slow burn, chaste romances. The etiquette and the peer pressure of the ton. This book felt like a 21st book someone tried to retrofit for regency. Everyone using first names, no etiquette to speak of and the sexual orientation of the characters.
It felt like the romance took a back seat to the authors main focus being the trouble with chronic illness and sexual orientation. Having 2 bisexual characters, 1 homosexual, 1 Trans felt more like a box Ticking exercise to represent as many sexual orientations as possible than actually showing the issues they face.
I feel like this book is misrepresenting itself as a regency romance. I won't be re reading.
The romance is a slow burn between the captain and the governess. I was a little confused what they saw in each other to be honest.
The servants were the saving grace of this book. They were warm, affectionate and funny.
What I didn't like:
1. The captain saw her stealing and didn't do anything??
2. When he found out she had been lying and stealing from him, he forgave her immediately.
3. He apparently loves his children but doesn't seem to interact with them at all. And this doesn't really change throughout the book.
4. The captain tells someone he's known for weeks a secret that could get him hanged! Like wtf?
5. The fact that everything started to get repetitive. Grace and Amy both have chronic illnesses. Emily constantly going on about how bad and awful she is while everyone tells her she's amazing 😑 even Aster and Grace both going missing.
6. This may make me sound horrible but this book didn't feel regency to me. I read regency for the slow burn, chaste romances. The etiquette and the peer pressure of the ton. This book felt like a 21st book someone tried to retrofit for regency. Everyone using first names, no etiquette to speak of and the sexual orientation of the characters.
It felt like the romance took a back seat to the authors main focus being the trouble with chronic illness and sexual orientation. Having 2 bisexual characters, 1 homosexual, 1 Trans felt more like a box Ticking exercise to represent as many sexual orientations as possible than actually showing the issues they face.
I feel like this book is misrepresenting itself as a regency romance. I won't be re reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2024
governess x single father
Emily unexpectedly becomes a governess to provide for her struggling family. She gets shipped off (well more like carted away in a stuffy carriage) to the Edward’s household. She is tasked with educating Captain Edwards’s teen daughters who seem to remind her of herself and her ailing sister. But guess what…she actually hates children…
One of the things I truly enjoyed about the book is the coastal setting. The way the Fairmont House was described it reminded me of Jane Eyre 🎩 including her romance with Captain Edward’s! Although the use of modern language in this book made it much more readable!
I did have a slight beef with our main girl Emily. It was a real struggle to like her at the beginning because of her prevalent distaste towards children. I totally get not wanting children (I mean girl same!) but she was outright mean at times 🛑 Emily was really miserable and resented everyone but also wanted to steal from the family on the down-low? Wouldn’t you try to be nice and unsuspecting in this case?
I am a true sucker for historical romance and I gobble up a good governess trope. While I think Emily bonded with the two sisters and experienced character development through meaningful exchanges…this is definitely a more realistic version of the trope.
Thank you to the publishing house NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Emily unexpectedly becomes a governess to provide for her struggling family. She gets shipped off (well more like carted away in a stuffy carriage) to the Edward’s household. She is tasked with educating Captain Edwards’s teen daughters who seem to remind her of herself and her ailing sister. But guess what…she actually hates children…
One of the things I truly enjoyed about the book is the coastal setting. The way the Fairmont House was described it reminded me of Jane Eyre 🎩 including her romance with Captain Edward’s! Although the use of modern language in this book made it much more readable!
I did have a slight beef with our main girl Emily. It was a real struggle to like her at the beginning because of her prevalent distaste towards children. I totally get not wanting children (I mean girl same!) but she was outright mean at times 🛑 Emily was really miserable and resented everyone but also wanted to steal from the family on the down-low? Wouldn’t you try to be nice and unsuspecting in this case?
I am a true sucker for historical romance and I gobble up a good governess trope. While I think Emily bonded with the two sisters and experienced character development through meaningful exchanges…this is definitely a more realistic version of the trope.
Thank you to the publishing house NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 3, 2024
This was a regency romance in the sense that a scarecrow is a farmer.
August 4, 2023
3.5 stars
This book was so fun. Another Lex Croucher historical romance that is really charming. It's humorous and cute with characters representing a range of queer identities, this series should be on everyone read list.Trouble was the light-hearted romp and I am excited to read Croucher's next book.
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so fun. Another Lex Croucher historical romance that is really charming. It's humorous and cute with characters representing a range of queer identities, this series should be on everyone read list.Trouble was the light-hearted romp and I am excited to read Croucher's next book.
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2024
Trouble by Lex Croucher is a Regency Romance.
When I started listening, I was instantly intrigued by the story. The narrator was great and just drew me in. Amy Lawrence has been hired as the new governess at Fairmont House, two young ladies. Amy is sweet and kind, she’s calm, respectful and loves children. Unfortunately, she is also very ill. So her sister Emily steps in and takes her place, unfortunately she is the polar opposite of her sister Amy. She despises the wealthy, and has no problems taking from the. To benefit herself.
The Edward’s have two daughters, Aster and Grace. Aster wants nothing to do with “Amy” and goes out of her way to avoid her. grace is sweet and kind and loves to read. Captain Edward’s is struggling to support his family and keep the manor and the people there going as finances are not what they used to be. He is still grieving the loss of his wife and keeps his distance from his children. When he catches Amy/Emily stealing, he questions her but doesn’t do much about it.
While I really liked the beginning, I started to dislike the book and struggled with finishing. My first issue is that Maria goes off on Captain Von Trapp and he swears how much he loves his kids and how great of a father he is. Oh wait! Wrong story. Or is it? The governess is Maria but loaded with disdain for the children and the wealthy. In my head I keep hearing How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria. The scene where she tells off Captain Edward’s is just like the scene in the Sound Of Music where Maria tells the Captain off about his children. The similarities don’t stop there either, because the scene during the dance once again makes you remember Maria’s flushed cheeks and running off back to the Abby. The book is supposed to be a Regency story and the author did not do the research of the time period at all. The book would have been much better had it been in a different time period as they bring up topics that would have resulted in complete alienation. In that time period, being gay was a punishable crime, and the book gives the impression that the time period was accepting of both being gay and transgender. It was like the author decided to throw this into the book as an additional plot twist, hoping that no one would notice that this was taboo during that time period. The Captain has had a gay relationship, lost his career, but is now falling for the potty mouthed governess? What? And most of all I hated the main female character. Most of the characters are just surface characters, with no real depth or substance. She spoke like a sailor and just had no redeeming qualities during the book.
Positives : I loved the other household members including both the children and their relationship. I loved the way the younger sibling loved and supported their older sibling through their journey. Had this been in a different time period, I felt the reception by so many staff members would have seemed normal and acceptable.
The book had potential but totally jumped from a regency style book to a modern book trying to pretend to be a regency. Loving the Sound of Music I can understand the author wanting to emulate that, but it just falls way short and seems like a poor imitation. Also tossing in social issues to try and score an audience falls very flat. I wanted to love this book but unfortunately it’s more of a two and a half for me.
It’s definitely not one I need to own or reread and isn’t one I would recommend. It’s just an ok read. Nothing standing out or making me want to continue with this series or this author. I’m not sure what category this book should be, but it’s not a regency romance
I would recommend the Narrator and only finished it because I enjoyed listening to her. I would definitely listen to other books by her.
When I started listening, I was instantly intrigued by the story. The narrator was great and just drew me in. Amy Lawrence has been hired as the new governess at Fairmont House, two young ladies. Amy is sweet and kind, she’s calm, respectful and loves children. Unfortunately, she is also very ill. So her sister Emily steps in and takes her place, unfortunately she is the polar opposite of her sister Amy. She despises the wealthy, and has no problems taking from the. To benefit herself.
The Edward’s have two daughters, Aster and Grace. Aster wants nothing to do with “Amy” and goes out of her way to avoid her. grace is sweet and kind and loves to read. Captain Edward’s is struggling to support his family and keep the manor and the people there going as finances are not what they used to be. He is still grieving the loss of his wife and keeps his distance from his children. When he catches Amy/Emily stealing, he questions her but doesn’t do much about it.
While I really liked the beginning, I started to dislike the book and struggled with finishing. My first issue is that Maria goes off on Captain Von Trapp and he swears how much he loves his kids and how great of a father he is. Oh wait! Wrong story. Or is it? The governess is Maria but loaded with disdain for the children and the wealthy. In my head I keep hearing How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria. The scene where she tells off Captain Edward’s is just like the scene in the Sound Of Music where Maria tells the Captain off about his children. The similarities don’t stop there either, because the scene during the dance once again makes you remember Maria’s flushed cheeks and running off back to the Abby. The book is supposed to be a Regency story and the author did not do the research of the time period at all. The book would have been much better had it been in a different time period as they bring up topics that would have resulted in complete alienation. In that time period, being gay was a punishable crime, and the book gives the impression that the time period was accepting of both being gay and transgender. It was like the author decided to throw this into the book as an additional plot twist, hoping that no one would notice that this was taboo during that time period. The Captain has had a gay relationship, lost his career, but is now falling for the potty mouthed governess? What? And most of all I hated the main female character. Most of the characters are just surface characters, with no real depth or substance. She spoke like a sailor and just had no redeeming qualities during the book.
Positives : I loved the other household members including both the children and their relationship. I loved the way the younger sibling loved and supported their older sibling through their journey. Had this been in a different time period, I felt the reception by so many staff members would have seemed normal and acceptable.
The book had potential but totally jumped from a regency style book to a modern book trying to pretend to be a regency. Loving the Sound of Music I can understand the author wanting to emulate that, but it just falls way short and seems like a poor imitation. Also tossing in social issues to try and score an audience falls very flat. I wanted to love this book but unfortunately it’s more of a two and a half for me.
It’s definitely not one I need to own or reread and isn’t one I would recommend. It’s just an ok read. Nothing standing out or making me want to continue with this series or this author. I’m not sure what category this book should be, but it’s not a regency romance
I would recommend the Narrator and only finished it because I enjoyed listening to her. I would definitely listen to other books by her.
March 21, 2024
I LOVE REGENCY SEASIDE SOUND OF MUSIC🫶🫶🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️❤️
everybody say thank you lex croucher for the sheer amount of ocean and soup and gay people in this book
everybody say thank you lex croucher for the sheer amount of ocean and soup and gay people in this book
December 25, 2023
This was charming.
Emily is perhaps the grumpiest character in the history of grumpy characters. She bears everyone ill will, holds grudges, assumes the worst, and goes into her position subbing in for her sister as a governess with a mentality of 'eat the rich' and a determination to steal as much as she can in her short time at the house. She also hates children.
Needless to say, she makes a marvelous governess and charms the entire unconventional and informal household (though it takes her much longer to admit that she is charmed by them in return). And the journey to get there is beautifully written and an absolute delight.
I loved each and every character. All were vibrant and three-dimensional and felt real. By the time I finished, I wished they were my friends.
I also love love LOVED the casual queerness. A character comes out as trans and everyone embraces him immediately and offers nothing but love and acceptance. Major characters casually mention being bisexual or gay. It was wonderful.
The children are each terrors in their own way, and utterly charming. I loved them both and it was wonderful seeing Emily coming around to loving them as well. When she points out what a terrible governess she is, no one believes her, because she may not be teaching etiquette lessons and foreign languages, but she isn't trying to change them either.
The audiobook performance was excellent. The narrator managed to give each character a unique voice and mannerisms, and also capture all the humor in the text. I kept snorting with laughter as I listened (an achievement, as I was in bed with a migraine at the time).
Every book I read by Lex Croucher further cements them on my must-read authors list. And with every book they get better and their characters get more personality and become more charming. And of course the casual queerness is a definite plus. 10/10 highly recommend.
*Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy and early audio copy for review.
Emily is perhaps the grumpiest character in the history of grumpy characters. She bears everyone ill will, holds grudges, assumes the worst, and goes into her position subbing in for her sister as a governess with a mentality of 'eat the rich' and a determination to steal as much as she can in her short time at the house. She also hates children.
Needless to say, she makes a marvelous governess and charms the entire unconventional and informal household (though it takes her much longer to admit that she is charmed by them in return). And the journey to get there is beautifully written and an absolute delight.
I loved each and every character. All were vibrant and three-dimensional and felt real. By the time I finished, I wished they were my friends.
I also love love LOVED the casual queerness. A character comes out as trans and everyone embraces him immediately and offers nothing but love and acceptance. Major characters casually mention being bisexual or gay. It was wonderful.
The children are each terrors in their own way, and utterly charming. I loved them both and it was wonderful seeing Emily coming around to loving them as well. When she points out what a terrible governess she is, no one believes her, because she may not be teaching etiquette lessons and foreign languages, but she isn't trying to change them either.
The audiobook performance was excellent. The narrator managed to give each character a unique voice and mannerisms, and also capture all the humor in the text. I kept snorting with laughter as I listened (an achievement, as I was in bed with a migraine at the time).
Every book I read by Lex Croucher further cements them on my must-read authors list. And with every book they get better and their characters get more personality and become more charming. And of course the casual queerness is a definite plus. 10/10 highly recommend.
*Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy and early audio copy for review.
June 28, 2025
Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this one :(
The romance wasn’t romancing and some of the characters’ actions were questionable. I did like the children and the representation.
The romance wasn’t romancing and some of the characters’ actions were questionable. I did like the children and the representation.
March 16, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
Really enjoyed this one, probably far more than any other LC book, save the first.
Wholesome yet angsty. A delight!
Really enjoyed this one, probably far more than any other LC book, save the first.
Wholesome yet angsty. A delight!
January 3, 2024
I've enjoyed all the books I've read by Lex Croucher, but I've got to say (in a slew of excellent books) Trouble is my favorite!
If you haven't yet read anything by this talented, witty, clever author, grab literally any of their books and you'll be in for a treat!
The audio version of Trouble is beautifully performed by Ell Potter.
an audiobook copy of Trouble was provided by Macmillan Audio, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
If you haven't yet read anything by this talented, witty, clever author, grab literally any of their books and you'll be in for a treat!
The audio version of Trouble is beautifully performed by Ell Potter.
an audiobook copy of Trouble was provided by Macmillan Audio, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
June 13, 2023
From the very first page it was very clear what kind of book this was going to be: one that makes you snort and smile, one that's hard to put down. In fact, I only put it down to get a few hours of sleep before picking it right back up after turning off my second alarm.
That being said, this book was not all laughs and smiles; I was even taken aback a bit at the start. I had expected a lighthearted romcom with airy, untroubled (although sassy) characters. This was not that kind of story. These characters could never be described as airy or untroubled (though plenty sassy), I wouldn't even exactly call them likeable (and I don't mean that in a bad way). They were complex and prickly and difficult. They had difficult relationships, with themselves and with each other. In fact, this book really focused on relationships all throughout: relationship between siblings, between parents and their children, between staff, between classes and also between people and themselves and their bodies and identities. This book had a full cast of diverse characters and their stories and identities were woven into the story so naturally yet earnestly, it was clear that this was something very important to the author's heart.
I really enjoyed my time with this story, the only reason I couldn't quite give it 5 stars was that I would have liked the relationship between Emily and Captain Edwards to have been fleshed out just a tiny bit more. They barely had any interactions up to the 50% mark — and I do understand that that time was spent establishing Emily's relationship with Grace and Aster (their dynamic btw, 10/10) — I just felt that that caused the romantic aspect of the story to fall a tiny bit flat.
Overall, a great book and I'll definitely go check out Lex Croucher's blacklist now. Their writing is fantastic and I can't wait to read their other stories.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thanks to Bonnier Books and Netgalley for the ARC.
That being said, this book was not all laughs and smiles; I was even taken aback a bit at the start. I had expected a lighthearted romcom with airy, untroubled (although sassy) characters. This was not that kind of story. These characters could never be described as airy or untroubled (though plenty sassy), I wouldn't even exactly call them likeable (and I don't mean that in a bad way). They were complex and prickly and difficult. They had difficult relationships, with themselves and with each other. In fact, this book really focused on relationships all throughout: relationship between siblings, between parents and their children, between staff, between classes and also between people and themselves and their bodies and identities. This book had a full cast of diverse characters and their stories and identities were woven into the story so naturally yet earnestly, it was clear that this was something very important to the author's heart.
I really enjoyed my time with this story, the only reason I couldn't quite give it 5 stars was that I would have liked the relationship between Emily and Captain Edwards to have been fleshed out just a tiny bit more. They barely had any interactions up to the 50% mark — and I do understand that that time was spent establishing Emily's relationship with Grace and Aster (their dynamic btw, 10/10) — I just felt that that caused the romantic aspect of the story to fall a tiny bit flat.
Overall, a great book and I'll definitely go check out Lex Croucher's blacklist now. Their writing is fantastic and I can't wait to read their other stories.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thanks to Bonnier Books and Netgalley for the ARC.
June 28, 2023
thank you to netgalley for this book!
4.5 stars
“and when it comes to love . . . you know. the heart wants what it wants. and the heart is also terminally stupid. a dangerous combination.”
Emily’s sister is sick, so she takes over her job (and identity). unfortunately the job is a governess, and Emily is not a fan of kids. but when they, and their dad, start to grow on her, what will happen when they find out who she really is?
this book was amazing! Emily was such a fun character, as where the side characters. I loved the children, how Grace acted so old for her age and wanted to be seen as more than just sick, and Asters storyline was so well done and heartwarming. the rest of the staff were the type of people you immediately want to become friends with, and I loved seeing the Captain trying to grow closer with his kids.
the queer rep was so well done. both the mc and the li are bi, and despite the time period it’s not seen as a big deal amongst the main cast. their is also side gay and trans characters!
one thing i would have liked is a bit more romantic build up, but the annoyances to lovers vibe was great! highly recommend
4.5 stars
“and when it comes to love . . . you know. the heart wants what it wants. and the heart is also terminally stupid. a dangerous combination.”
Emily’s sister is sick, so she takes over her job (and identity). unfortunately the job is a governess, and Emily is not a fan of kids. but when they, and their dad, start to grow on her, what will happen when they find out who she really is?
this book was amazing! Emily was such a fun character, as where the side characters. I loved the children, how Grace acted so old for her age and wanted to be seen as more than just sick, and Asters storyline was so well done and heartwarming. the rest of the staff were the type of people you immediately want to become friends with, and I loved seeing the Captain trying to grow closer with his kids.
the queer rep was so well done. both the mc and the li are bi, and despite the time period it’s not seen as a big deal amongst the main cast. their is also side gay and trans characters!
one thing i would have liked is a bit more romantic build up, but the annoyances to lovers vibe was great! highly recommend
August 28, 2024
2024 reads: 56/250
2024 tbr: 29/120
i received an advanced review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
emily finds herself in a governess position she is nowhere near qualified for to help her sister, amy, who was supposed to take the position but is unwell. emily doesn’t mean to start caring for the girls, and especially not the girls’ father, the handsome captain edwards, but the more time she spends there, the harder it is to hold onto the lies she entered with.
this was such a fun book, which further cements lex croucher as my favorite historical author. i really don’t read many historical fiction novels but i’ll read a bajillion more if they’re all written by them. emily was such a fun character that i couldn’t help but love. i loved emily’s relationship with the girls and with captain edwards.
i highly recommend this book and i can’t wait to read more from this author!
2024 tbr: 29/120
i received an advanced review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
emily finds herself in a governess position she is nowhere near qualified for to help her sister, amy, who was supposed to take the position but is unwell. emily doesn’t mean to start caring for the girls, and especially not the girls’ father, the handsome captain edwards, but the more time she spends there, the harder it is to hold onto the lies she entered with.
this was such a fun book, which further cements lex croucher as my favorite historical author. i really don’t read many historical fiction novels but i’ll read a bajillion more if they’re all written by them. emily was such a fun character that i couldn’t help but love. i loved emily’s relationship with the girls and with captain edwards.
i highly recommend this book and i can’t wait to read more from this author!
July 13, 2025
The FMC was by far the most unlikeable character I've read to date. She was bitter, unsociable, sharp without the wit or banter you expect of a historical heroine, and generally disagreeable. Emily, who took charge of her chronically-ill sister's care while her mother grieved her ill-mannered husband's untimely death, is a liar and a thief. When her sister Amy's health prevents her from taking a lucrative position as a governess for a wealthy widowed Royal Navy captain's teenage daughters, Emily leaves her bone- and soul-crushing job at the local mill to go in Amy's place. The catch is that Emily has no intention of informing Captain Edwards or his household that she is not, in fact, Amy Laurence. Further, where Amy is a proper, well-behaved lady with the prerequisite knowledge and skills to act as a governess, Emily is none of those things.
Emily's plan is simple: keep the charade up as long as possible, while collecting her weekly wages and pilfering as many valuables as she can fit into her pockets. She is not there to make friends with the small but interesting staff who are hell-bent on inducting Emily into their found family, nor is she there to bond with the children, especially when the oldest daughter, Aster, continues to belittle and berate her every action. Emily even goes so far as to take up with a mysterious stranger in the local pub, who tasks her with uncovering any evidence of a secret Captain Edwards keeps close to his chest in exchange for a large payout. However, as Emily grows closer to the Edwardses and their household staff, she must face the daunting realization that she may be capable of loving someone aside from her sister after all.
It took everything in me not to DNF this book before 25%. As stated, Emily is the most unlikeable of characters. Her unlikability was rivaled only by Aster, who gets a pass because Aster's mother died from illness at a crucial point in Aster's life. The other side characters, although funny at times, were not memorable nor was I invested in their backstories or side plots. Captain Edwards -the love interest - was suitable if not bland (up to this point), but there wasn't an inkling of romance or even fondness between Emily and him! However, because I am a martyr and am also nosey, I had to know what secret Captain Edwards was keeping. And I am SO GLAD that I stuck it out.
The plot picked up right before the mid-way point with twists I did not expect. I found that I didn't mind the pacing, although it was different from nearly every historical romance I've ever read. Even Emily's character grew on me, as I watched her evolve and her relationships with others blossom. What really sold me on this book, though, was the outstanding representation of queer characters. Picking it up, I would never have guessed there would be an openly gay man, a trans man (accepted by his family and friends), and an unashamedly bisexual man for characters. Not only were they present, but they were well-written too! Each interpretation of those identities felt authentic without being fetishizing or one-dimensional.
The romance, though, was something else entirely. I would classify Lex Croucher up there with Mariana Zapata in terms of romance; this was the ultimate slow-burn, without a stifling amount of tension or build-up. Trouble was a true Austenian romance and was the closest any retelling or "inspired-by" story I've read has come to the themes and character tropes in Pride & Prejudice. The romance snuck up on me and, as Mr. Darcy said, I was already in the middle of it before I knew it had begun. I would be hard-pressed to find a real Austen fan who didn't enjoy this book or the love story contained within.
This book did lose a star from me simply because it took me so long to get into. Also, I am a materialist at heart and Captain Edwards just wasn't rich enough to tempt me.
Emily's plan is simple: keep the charade up as long as possible, while collecting her weekly wages and pilfering as many valuables as she can fit into her pockets. She is not there to make friends with the small but interesting staff who are hell-bent on inducting Emily into their found family, nor is she there to bond with the children, especially when the oldest daughter, Aster, continues to belittle and berate her every action. Emily even goes so far as to take up with a mysterious stranger in the local pub, who tasks her with uncovering any evidence of a secret Captain Edwards keeps close to his chest in exchange for a large payout. However, as Emily grows closer to the Edwardses and their household staff, she must face the daunting realization that she may be capable of loving someone aside from her sister after all.
It took everything in me not to DNF this book before 25%. As stated, Emily is the most unlikeable of characters. Her unlikability was rivaled only by Aster, who gets a pass because Aster's mother died from illness at a crucial point in Aster's life. The other side characters, although funny at times, were not memorable nor was I invested in their backstories or side plots. Captain Edwards -the love interest - was suitable if not bland (up to this point), but there wasn't an inkling of romance or even fondness between Emily and him! However, because I am a martyr and am also nosey, I had to know what secret Captain Edwards was keeping. And I am SO GLAD that I stuck it out.
The plot picked up right before the mid-way point with twists I did not expect. I found that I didn't mind the pacing, although it was different from nearly every historical romance I've ever read. Even Emily's character grew on me, as I watched her evolve and her relationships with others blossom. What really sold me on this book, though, was the outstanding representation of queer characters. Picking it up, I would never have guessed there would be an openly gay man, a trans man (accepted by his family and friends), and an unashamedly bisexual man for characters. Not only were they present, but they were well-written too! Each interpretation of those identities felt authentic without being fetishizing or one-dimensional.
The romance, though, was something else entirely. I would classify Lex Croucher up there with Mariana Zapata in terms of romance; this was the ultimate slow-burn, without a stifling amount of tension or build-up. Trouble was a true Austenian romance and was the closest any retelling or "inspired-by" story I've read has come to the themes and character tropes in Pride & Prejudice. The romance snuck up on me and, as Mr. Darcy said, I was already in the middle of it before I knew it had begun. I would be hard-pressed to find a real Austen fan who didn't enjoy this book or the love story contained within.
This book did lose a star from me simply because it took me so long to get into. Also, I am a materialist at heart and Captain Edwards just wasn't rich enough to tempt me.
March 4, 2024
I think this is my favorite book by Croucher so far. I'm a big fan of theirs and their fun, queer historicals be it YA or adult. The plot of this one reminds me of Sanditon (the tv show), but with a twist. Emily is sent as governess to Captain Edwards and his two children, but what they don't know is they sent for her sister Amy and Emily is going instead because Amy is too sick. Desperate for the money, Emily disguises herself as her sister with the intent on getting some wages and maybe stealing from the wealthy Navy captain. What she doesn't anticipate is falling in love with the captain's children, the staff of the house and maybe even the captain himself.
Emily is stubborn and sassy with a mean streak but it just makes everyone (including the reader) like her even more. This book had a lot of the trappings of a great historical romance while also being slightly anachronistically funny. I loved the other staff members that do their best to inculcate Emily into their antics despite every attempt to stay away. The Captain's children were adorable and salty and everything you want from precocious historical romance kids. The romance was a bit of a slow burn if only because we only see it from Emily's point of view and she is adamant to not fall in love with any of them.
Although a m/f romance, the casual queerness of so many of the characters pervades the story in a really lovely way and I am just so delighted with this book.
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Emily is stubborn and sassy with a mean streak but it just makes everyone (including the reader) like her even more. This book had a lot of the trappings of a great historical romance while also being slightly anachronistically funny. I loved the other staff members that do their best to inculcate Emily into their antics despite every attempt to stay away. The Captain's children were adorable and salty and everything you want from precocious historical romance kids. The romance was a bit of a slow burn if only because we only see it from Emily's point of view and she is adamant to not fall in love with any of them.
Although a m/f romance, the casual queerness of so many of the characters pervades the story in a really lovely way and I am just so delighted with this book.
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 25, 2023
A very cute read! Even though I kind of hate consuming any kind of media where a main plot point is a character lying about something, I still decided to read this based on all the “Sound of Music vibes” reviews and I’m glad that I did. Some of the characters took a bit to grow on me, but by the end I was so glad they all got good, if maybe a bit rushed, endings that they deserved. All of the side characters were sweet and made a wonderful found family. The chronic illness rep was also a nice part of this and I thought Grace was such a sweet side character who I loved reading about.
Although Ben and Emily’s relationship didn’t really start to develop until about halfway through the book, I did enjoy when it did. Their banter and arguments were fun to read, and I thought the love confessions were perfect for their characters. They worked very well for each other as a couple and I liked their dynamic a lot.
I wish I’d gotten to know Ben better, since I felt like by the end of the book I didn’t really know too much about his character and backstory. He’s obviously supposed to be a very closed off person due to his past, but I felt that even with him developing into being more open I still knew less about him than I’d wanted to. He’s a great love interest in concept and what I knew of him I liked a lot, I just wish there’d been more. I also did feel that the ending wrapped up a bit too neatly and quickly, and I would’ve liked for that part of the story to be more in line with how the rest of the book was. But also it’s a cute romcom that isn’t supposed to be the most realistic thing in the world.
If you’re looking for a fun historical romcom that you can get through pretty quickly (I literally read the last 43% of this in one day) then I’d recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.
Although Ben and Emily’s relationship didn’t really start to develop until about halfway through the book, I did enjoy when it did. Their banter and arguments were fun to read, and I thought the love confessions were perfect for their characters. They worked very well for each other as a couple and I liked their dynamic a lot.
I wish I’d gotten to know Ben better, since I felt like by the end of the book I didn’t really know too much about his character and backstory. He’s obviously supposed to be a very closed off person due to his past, but I felt that even with him developing into being more open I still knew less about him than I’d wanted to. He’s a great love interest in concept and what I knew of him I liked a lot, I just wish there’d been more. I also did feel that the ending wrapped up a bit too neatly and quickly, and I would’ve liked for that part of the story to be more in line with how the rest of the book was. But also it’s a cute romcom that isn’t supposed to be the most realistic thing in the world.
If you’re looking for a fun historical romcom that you can get through pretty quickly (I literally read the last 43% of this in one day) then I’d recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.
March 19, 2024
Thank you to netgalley for the audio arc
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
This book was so freaking funny. I legitimately laughed out loud at people's quips multiple times. The banter really was something else. That's probably why I loved Emily so much but man, she was streeeessing me out. She really was her own worst enemy.
The LGBTQ+ rep was very endearing, and didn't make me feel lectured or condescended to, it just was and the characters were navigating it.
If you're looking for an accurate portrayal of the regency period you are very much barking up the wrong tree, it's more "inspired by" the regency period I think,
The audio was narrated by Ell Potter, and she really nailed everyone's different cadences and comedic timing. I absolutely would listen to a book she narrated again.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
This book was so freaking funny. I legitimately laughed out loud at people's quips multiple times. The banter really was something else. That's probably why I loved Emily so much but man, she was streeeessing me out. She really was her own worst enemy.
The LGBTQ+ rep was very endearing, and didn't make me feel lectured or condescended to, it just was and the characters were navigating it.
If you're looking for an accurate portrayal of the regency period you are very much barking up the wrong tree, it's more "inspired by" the regency period I think,
The audio was narrated by Ell Potter, and she really nailed everyone's different cadences and comedic timing. I absolutely would listen to a book she narrated again.
September 12, 2023
Actual rating: 4.5
Loved this book. Emily was wonderful as were pretty much every other character, and I loved the narrator. There were one or two instances of unnecessary repeated miscommunication I could've done without but otherwise it was great
Loved this book. Emily was wonderful as were pretty much every other character, and I loved the narrator. There were one or two instances of unnecessary repeated miscommunication I could've done without but otherwise it was great
September 8, 2024
4/5🌟 This was definitely my favourite of Lex Croucher’s Regency Era novels! I had so much fun and I hope they continue to write more because I’ll eat it up every time!!
September 4, 2024
AB/PB|🇬🇧
Sweet simple funny and exactly what I needed. Enjoyed the hell out of it
Sweet simple funny and exactly what I needed. Enjoyed the hell out of it
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