Average Expectations: Lessons in Lowering the Bar

by Shep Rose

This witty and engaging collection of essays from the charismatic star of Southern Charm offers rip-roaring stories and tongue-in-cheek advice on everything from relationships to travel to popular culture and beyond. Perfect for fans of authors as wide-ranging as Andy Cohen to Tucker Max.

Shep Rose, star of Southern Charm and owner of Shep Gear, shares this irreverent and relatable collection of lessons and anecdotes about living an untamed, genuine life, raising hell yet having fun along the way. With his signature endearingly snarky voice, he explores topics as varied as the trials and tribulations of being a late bloomer, the ins and outs of ghosting, how to talk about politics without resorting to blows, the dos and don’ts of getting drunk abroad, and much more.

Shep has caroused around the world, from Hong Kong to Dubai to the mean streets of Charleston, and the fact that he hasn’t been the subject of a Locked Up Abroad episode defies all logic. Average Expectations is a chronicle of one lucky SOB and the exploits that got him where he is today, with advice and stories that will help unleash your inner rabble-rouser, inspire you to live an untamed life, and remind you that at the end of the day, life is all about having fun, having a laugh, and, most important of all, being in on the joke.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 16, 2021

Reviews

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I needed more (or any) behind-the-scenes stories of Southern Charm and much less drunken revelry in foreign countries, family histories, and screeds about cancel culture. There is one chapter about the TV show, and it's not revealing or gossip-y in any way. Shep, that's why I'm reading your book! Sorry, but I don't need your recommendations for other books to read or your feelings on how social media is leading to a breakdown in discourse. I want stories of y'all being crazy during filming! I want a kiss-and-tell memoir! (The publisher compares this to Tucker Max, but it's not in any way as graphic or meatheaded or fun.) I want dirt on your castmates!

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly went in thinking he was bright and funny, cane out disliking him...

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute, easy read. It was not what I was expecting. I guess I was thinking there would be a lot of Southern Charm stories. There were only a couple of mentions about cast members, mainly how Shep came to meet Thomas Ravenel and then he introduced him to Whitney who told Shep about the show in Charleston he was developing.

Not much talk about any other friendships. A few mentions of past cast members and some about Craig, but no juicy gossip.

It was mostly about Shep and his life in Shepland. He has a nice life that he doesn’t have to work too hard for thanks to family money. I say if you got it to enjoy then enjoy it! Good for Shep!

He is very well read and well traveled but really has not accomplished many things in life except being an expert at drinking and getting laid. I suppose that would make Shepland an exceptional place to live.

He did talk about his dog Little Craig. He talked very little about his girlfriend who I’m not really sure why she stuck around after he cheated on her and also threw her out the house when she contacted Covid. Kind of selfish if you ask me, but they were on WWHL together the other night and seem quite happy so I wish them well.

A whole chapter was dedicated to Shep’s many injuries he has obtained over the years and there were many. I have two brothers of my own so I also had many trips to the ER with them growing up so I just mainly skipped that chapter. I didn’t relish reading about broken bones and broken teeth and felt like that could have been left out the book.

I enjoyed his list of movies and his reactions to them. I had some of those same ones. I liked his book list and found I had read most of them, but got a few ideas for some I may give a shot at reading.

Shep seems like a genuinely nice guy who was raised by good parents. He lives a fun life and makes no apologies for it, nor should he. Life is short. If you can live in Shepland, then by all means, do it!

[Brandi Fennell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve always been a Shep fan (Southern Charm is probably one of my favorite shows) but by the middle of this book I actually think I liked him less. By the end, even though there were some redeeming factors, I realized I probably would never see him quite the same again. I’m not sure he took the right approach to this book. He’s not someone I would’ve necessarily wanted to read (somewhat silly and unnecessary) advice and wisdom from as much as I would’ve liked more insight into his life and stories about him/behind the scenes of the show. The book was self-deprecating as hell but it lacked the charm and depth that I’ve seen from him on Southern Charm. He seems incredibly intelligent and this book was not just average but below my expectations for him. If he writes another one - well maybe he’ll get it right next time. This one felt simple, random, and not well organized.

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry Shep, this book is way below my expectations. In fact, it's a waste of trees and my time. It sounds to me like you're a guy with a chip on his shoulder for not being as illustrious as the rest of your well-bred family so you decided to add "published a book" to your lame resume. I do have a sense of humor and I'm not trying to be cruel, but you are not Brandi Glanville, and this is not "Drinking & Tweeting."

[Elizabeth Jorgensen · Rating 1 out of 5]

As if Shep's privilege isn't loud enough, he spends the first chapter going through his lineage. This section, like the rest of the book, is not interesting. Sadly, Average Expectations, like Shep, comes off as self-righteous, arrogant and know-it-all. If that isn't enough, Shep repeats stories, and includes too many "I'll get to that later" comments. This might be the book that finally gets me to abandon Bravolebrity books.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you watch Southern Charm and like Shep, you will like this book. As far as reality-tv-star memoirs go I'm sure you could do much worse.

If you don't watch Southern Charm you will probably be confused as to why this guy got to write a book!

[Paula Rohde · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s nothing intellectual about this dishy romp, but if you enjoy Shep Rose on SC here’s his light hearted bio. Quite interesting, especially all the places he’s traveled to for extended periods of time ( Hong Kong, Dubai to name a few). He’s all about having fun with a good southern helping of debauchery.

[Abbie Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected but also exactly how I imagined it. The audiobook is fun to listen to

[Lauren Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish there were more stories about southern charm and less about drunken antics (which I guess could be argued are the same thing)

While being a decent writer, the stories Shep chose to tell were unappealing. We don’t need to hear any more from a mediocre white man who continues to fail up

That being said, Shep is decently self-aware. Almost to the point where hes come back around to a lack ofself-awareness

[Paul Olkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shep Rose Is a very smart guy. He managed to make it into his 40's by being himself and having fun with like minded friends all over the world. He has a college degree and a business school degree that somehow must come in handy with making him a success without really having a credible or steady job other than being on a reality TV show called Southern Charm; a show I have heard of but have never seen. After finishing this book I might give it a one show look when I am looking for something on TV. I have no idea why reality TV is such a success, but folks like SHEP seem to make themselves a lot of money doing them. They are usually shows about nothing but short term friendships or relationships and are usually pretty shallow. Duck Dynasty is the closest I have ever come to a reality show. I just don't find them very interesting. The book however is somewhat different.
The book is basically a biography of a 40 something man broken up into sections about growing up emotionally and physically and getting by by getting by. Shep says he always wanted to be a writer and after a few articles, he was given a chance at doing this book. It is basically a bunch of long essays strung together by the timeline of his life and travels. He does tell a decent story about his different adventures in foreign countries, but they leave you wanting something more than the stories you may hear in a bar with friends. It's a tell all book without him actually telling all. Names and facts were left out of some stories to protect him from being sued That's the trouble of writing a bio while you're young, Your career and life are not yet finished. It's an open ended story. It's really got nowhere to go.
This book was all over the map with reviews. i didn't love it but I didn't hate it. It is what it is; an Ok bio of his life thus far. A guy who stumbled into some degree of fame just by being who he is. A smart guy with a devil may care attitude and a willingness to try anything. Most of what he tries is successful. He's smart and lucky and sort of blessed.
I give Average Expectations a review of 3 1/2 stars out of 5. Not great but not terrible either. It's fast, funny and light and just slightly above average.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on audio because I needed a light read and Southern Charm is one of my guiltless pleasures.

But this was surprisingly deep and thoughtful. Maybe the bar was average expectations but Shep is clearly intelligent and well read. Yes, this had some stories of him carousing in foreign countries and exploits with his charming and charmless friends in Charleston, but he also shared stacks and stacks of book and film recommendations, a few thoughts on family and politics, and surfing and business lessons.

His chapter on cancel culture was actually one of the most thoughtful and I’ll be thinking of his “zoom out” rule from now on.

No need at all to read this if you’re not already a fan of the show, or Shepherd in particular, but if you are, it was a delightful way to spend a few hours in his company.

[Kristina | wanderingpageswithkp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, Shep 😕.

This was a miss for me. I am a big fan of Southern Charm so I was hoping for more dirt and bts info.

It was a quick audio book listen though and the stories of Shep’s childhood (and adult) shenanigans weren’t very surprising. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel there was a very good flow to the book.

[Kelli Rushek · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Liz Ickes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shep is my favorite person on Southern Charm, but this book didn’t really need to exist

[Brittany Baker]

shep gives you exactly what you’re expecting in this one! he is nothing if not authentic, for better or worse ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Alyssa Wessel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laughed quite a bit in this. Read it because I’m a bravo fan. Wish there was more Southern Charm behind the scenes but still liked it.

[Hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh shep

[Cristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun escape book, it was like having Shep in my living room!

[Howard Rudnick · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly had blocked out that this man "wrote" a book until I passed it on the shelf at my local library, and thought "for free, mine as well".

Sadly, this book was not very good, and at multiple points throughout the course of 10 days I attempted to finish this book did I think about stopping altogether because of how atrocious this was. It was like one long winded Medium article.

I have to applaud the ghost writer, or co-author, etc., Dina Gachman, who helped piece together this mess of a "book" because that was the only saving grace.

The biggest flaw with this book was that the author, Shep, consistently kept repeating and referring to his stardom on the show. Let's be real though, the only people picking up this book and reading it are people who actually watch Southern Charm.

This book read as one big privileged account of another talentless white man who stumbled into fame. While I had ZERO expectations (see what I did there Shep) going into this book, I really found myself scratching my head at many points throughout the course of the 11 chapters. For example, he tells people that if they're passionate about living somewhere, the should commit to it, go all in. However, what he fails to say is that he was only able to hop around the globe because of his family's support (emotionally and financially) and much of his advice he offered came off as elitist and self-serving.

I truly could not wait to finish reading this book, and no matter how many times I wanted to quit, I thought to myself, I'll know what not to do should I ever become famous enough that I'm offered a book deal myself.

[Linda Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The word “rakish” is defined as follows: Used as an adjective to describe a dashing ladies' man or a streamlined ship, rakish comes from the fusing of rake + -ish. Don Juan, the famous Spanish nobleman, immortalized in 17th-century Spanish tales, is the epitome of dashing: stylishly handsome and prone to saucy, fast behavior. This sums up Shep Rose, the standout star and charming young man in the reality tv show Southern Charm. His book, Average Expectations Lessons In Lowering The Bar, is written in “Shep-style” with wit, humor, and to some extent with self-deprecation. Some chapters were so funny that I laughed until I was out of breath. What is not amusing, the fact that his life is seemingly about chasing the next adventure, searching for a slice of happiness, and a purpose in life. Now 40 years old, I wonder what life holds for him when he hits 50. Shep’s a cute guy, but at some point, he will need to pull up his big boy pants. I wish him all the best. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (rounded up to 4) @bravotv @relationshep #averageexpectations #realitytv #life #nonfiction #memoir #funread
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[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don't know what to make of you, I found you like fun to read and if this who you really are, you are not all that deep. First I would never want a daughter of mine to be near you, being the avid sportman you like the hunt and you catch and release. You seem quiet proud of yourself of all the "babes you have bagged". I'm not quite sure how you afford all your excursions unless, daddy paid for all 'wild oats sowing'. Kudos for you. You waited till the end of the book to try and redeemed yourself as a good a decent person by mentioning all the good you do in charities. It is very easy to write a check but I doubt you ever got a callus on your hands by doing any work on them. Yes it is time to grow up some, I feel deep down there is a kindness about you, and you do have a conscious, (not sure how much or when you listen to it). I have never seen your show and this book did not sway me to watch it all. Sound like too many rich spoiled old kids trying to get away with growing up.

[Gina Meier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to Shep's story. I don't understand the negativity about what he wrote. I found his life to be interesting. I enjoyed listening that his parents hosted foreign exchange students, he well traveled. He has actually worked and held down jobs. I enjoyed listening to him talk about little Craig. When he first brought the pup on the show I didn't have hopes for the poor dog. I thought for sure his parents would have ended up raising it. I enjoyed the updates on his friends and his friendships. If you were looking for something more out of this book I find that laughable.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I greatly enjoy Shep on Southern Charm, but I found myself groaning over the chapters about his drunken escapades overseas. I realize he wasn’t trying to brag, but when he told these stories—and maybe it’s because I was listening to the audiobook—but that’s just the way it came off to me. My favorite part was the ending—no, not because it was over, but because that’s where the book recommendation section was. I’m glad it ended on that high note since so many other chapters of the book were just not relatable.

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is almost unreadable. Even for a "celeb" memoir.
It's a stream of consciousness where Shep tries to justifies all the mistakes he's made in life by claiming no damage was done. It doesn't feel like it was ever edited or even read. The whole thing could have been written in one night with enough vodka-red-bulls.

[Mac Rizzuto · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am 21% in and cannot finish this. Shep comes across as intelligent with a solid literary foundation. I thought his book would show his intellect, but instead it reads in his drunk voice. There is a lot of defense of “this is who I have chosen to be, so just deal with it,” written in between sentences. It is an uncomfortable read, and not enjoyable at all.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very little added information from what you have already seen if you watched Southern Charm. If you haven't watched Southern Charm, its just a rich guy pretending he has learned something while sitting there bragging. Skip this book, everyone.

[Kara Schneider · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the show and was excited to read this. It is one of the worst books I have ever read. So disappointed.

[Hannah Lambert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst book ever

[Laura Lee Pirtle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my daughter, going to law school in Charleston, begged me to watch Southern Charm with her on a visit, I only did it to bond with her...because I don’t watch Reality TV but rather prefer books. I instantly fell in love with the characters and couldn’t get enough of it, mainly because she took me to every spot the characters filmed and I loved it. Shep immediately became a favorite because of his affable personality and clever banter; however, being primly Southern too, I winced at much of his debauchery, yet secretly wish I’d see him around town, like we did Craig down at Shem Creek. So for my birthday this year she surprised me with this book! I’m hard to buy for but I LOVED it. Of course, she asked to borrow it after I finished. Admittedly, I was a tad perturbed with his some of his behavior during his ‘unpopular’ season but I figured it was a phase or bad optics. As I started the book I took it for what it was....Shep’s voice and what he would say to you over a drink. I figured I’d give it a rating of 3, but as I progressed and I felt like I was being given a tour of his life, I felt like I got in on the joke....as much as a middle aged mom could. I’m finishing up this book as I fly to Charleston for my daughter’s graduation from Charleston School of Law (ala Craig), and I can’t help but hope maybe tomorrow night Shep will be at Hall’s Chophouse and I’ll embarrass my daughter, walk over to his table, and ask for a picture....hoping and truly believing he is the guy in the book and he will be ok with it (sorry, Mr Murray). So Shep, if you’re reading this...I’d love to meet your mom and I can only imagine the amount of prayers she’s said over you...I appreciated the list of books at the end, being a travel agent I wholeheartedly believe in travel...Taylor is indeed a doll...don’t wait too late to have kids and still be a young dad (it’s a different kind of fun)...the personal stories you included about SC cast members were fascinating and warm. Thanks for a fun read!