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Reputation
In this perfectly-paced new novel from Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars, the women of a tight-knit college town learn through gossip, scandal, betrayal, and even murder, who their neighbors and husbands really are.
Aldrich University is rocked to its core when a hacker dumps 40,000 people's e-mails--the entire faculty, staff, students, alums--onto an easily searchable database. Rumors and affairs immediately leak, but things turn explosive when Kit Manning's handsome husband, Dr. Greg Strasser, is found murdered. Kit's sister, Willa, returns for the funeral, setting foot in a hometown she fled fifteen years ago, after a night she wishes she could forget. As an investigative reporter, Willa knows something isn't right about the night Greg was killed, and she's determined to find the truth. What she doesn't expect is that everyone has something to hide. And with a killer on the loose, Willa and Kit must figure out who killed Greg before someone else is murdered.
Told from multiple points of view, Reputation is full of twists, turns, and shocking reveals. It's a story of intrigue, sabotage, and the secrets we keep--and how far we go to keep them hidden. Number one bestseller Sara Shepard is at the top of her game in this brand-new adult novel.
Aldrich University is rocked to its core when a hacker dumps 40,000 people's e-mails--the entire faculty, staff, students, alums--onto an easily searchable database. Rumors and affairs immediately leak, but things turn explosive when Kit Manning's handsome husband, Dr. Greg Strasser, is found murdered. Kit's sister, Willa, returns for the funeral, setting foot in a hometown she fled fifteen years ago, after a night she wishes she could forget. As an investigative reporter, Willa knows something isn't right about the night Greg was killed, and she's determined to find the truth. What she doesn't expect is that everyone has something to hide. And with a killer on the loose, Willa and Kit must figure out who killed Greg before someone else is murdered.
Told from multiple points of view, Reputation is full of twists, turns, and shocking reveals. It's a story of intrigue, sabotage, and the secrets we keep--and how far we go to keep them hidden. Number one bestseller Sara Shepard is at the top of her game in this brand-new adult novel.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2019
About the author
Sara Shepard
114 books14.6k followersSara Shepard graduated from NYU and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. She has lived in New York City, Brooklyn, Tucson, Arizona, Philadelphia, and now lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Sara's Pretty Little Liars novels were inspired by her upbringing in Philadelphia's Main Line.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 933 reviews
December 9, 2019
Three, this book bring out the split personalities hidden inside me by dividing my opinions into two different perspectives. One POV of mine enjoyed this book and the other hated it because she wanted to punish all those characters for being so superficial, shallow, unrealistic like they’re running out of a long time soap opera and accidentally jump into this book’s pages, hello guys get out of this book and go hang out with CW series’ characters stars!
This is the first for me to have second thoughts about my decision. I liked and I hated this book. If you ask me “why”, please keep on reading:
UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BOOING THESE CHARACTERS:
When I read this book, some parts are really entertained me so much, I laughed till my tears overflew (of course they were evil laughs, don’t you expect anything different from me?) But some parts made me wish to be one of the characters on this book so I can use my hands and punches to give an amazing slap show to those caricaturistic characters.
And what about those male characters! It hurts my mouth to pronounce them as heroes! They are useless extras of the story, seemed like joined in this book for free meal. Well boys, somebody should fire you! I wish author would have given you more spines so you may have been acting like decent functional human beings.
When it comes to the women, most of them (okay all of them) are batshit crazy. I love fierce, passionate, genius evil women characters but those are mostly just pure evil, irritating and annoying ones.
SATISFYING BLURB:
The story was intriguing which made me dive into as soon as I read the blurb. By hacking of university emails, revealed all those secrets, lies, forbidden affairs, scandals. And one of the surgeon, Dr. Greg Strasser captured the whole attention by becoming the murdered scapegoat
(Actually he is real cheater so he is not an innocent, naïve hero you may pity) And his wife Kit is number one suspect of his murder. So her estranged sister comes back to town and save her sister’s reputation.
Using Taylor Swift’s Reputation album’s song names for the chapters was interesting choice to attract YA’s attention to this book.
BENDING TWISTS GIVES YOU VERTIGO ATTACKS:
There are too many twists, never see it coming kind of sucker punches, surprises which made you not to put down the book from your hands and try to make peace with those unrelatable characters. At least pacing is okay and author knows how to keep your curiosity rekindle. But when I learn whodunit at the end I just say: “Hmm! Okay”. It didn’t affect me as I expected and shook me to the core.
SUMMARY:
It was not one of my worst reading experiences, some parts were so enjoyable and this is my first waltz with this other. I didn’t read “Pretty Little Liars” and watched only a few episodes of TV series adaption but I didn’t root for it. Some clichés, over exaggerated parts and superficial characterization made me cut points. I wish I could give more stars because there is so much potential in this book and thankfully I never got bored when I was reading it. I just got annoyed, that was all.
But I plan to read more of her upcoming words because it can be seen that author could write real entertaining thriller stories. I’m sure I could find something fits more of my expectations.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton to provide me ARC COPY in exchange my honest review.
This is the first for me to have second thoughts about my decision. I liked and I hated this book. If you ask me “why”, please keep on reading:
UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BOOING THESE CHARACTERS:
When I read this book, some parts are really entertained me so much, I laughed till my tears overflew (of course they were evil laughs, don’t you expect anything different from me?) But some parts made me wish to be one of the characters on this book so I can use my hands and punches to give an amazing slap show to those caricaturistic characters.
And what about those male characters! It hurts my mouth to pronounce them as heroes! They are useless extras of the story, seemed like joined in this book for free meal. Well boys, somebody should fire you! I wish author would have given you more spines so you may have been acting like decent functional human beings.
When it comes to the women, most of them (okay all of them) are batshit crazy. I love fierce, passionate, genius evil women characters but those are mostly just pure evil, irritating and annoying ones.
SATISFYING BLURB:
The story was intriguing which made me dive into as soon as I read the blurb. By hacking of university emails, revealed all those secrets, lies, forbidden affairs, scandals. And one of the surgeon, Dr. Greg Strasser captured the whole attention by becoming the murdered scapegoat
(Actually he is real cheater so he is not an innocent, naïve hero you may pity) And his wife Kit is number one suspect of his murder. So her estranged sister comes back to town and save her sister’s reputation.
Using Taylor Swift’s Reputation album’s song names for the chapters was interesting choice to attract YA’s attention to this book.
BENDING TWISTS GIVES YOU VERTIGO ATTACKS:
There are too many twists, never see it coming kind of sucker punches, surprises which made you not to put down the book from your hands and try to make peace with those unrelatable characters. At least pacing is okay and author knows how to keep your curiosity rekindle. But when I learn whodunit at the end I just say: “Hmm! Okay”. It didn’t affect me as I expected and shook me to the core.
SUMMARY:
It was not one of my worst reading experiences, some parts were so enjoyable and this is my first waltz with this other. I didn’t read “Pretty Little Liars” and watched only a few episodes of TV series adaption but I didn’t root for it. Some clichés, over exaggerated parts and superficial characterization made me cut points. I wish I could give more stars because there is so much potential in this book and thankfully I never got bored when I was reading it. I just got annoyed, that was all.
But I plan to read more of her upcoming words because it can be seen that author could write real entertaining thriller stories. I’m sure I could find something fits more of my expectations.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton to provide me ARC COPY in exchange my honest review.
December 25, 2019
Did you ever see the recurring sketch on
Saturday Night Live
where they spoofed soap operas and telenovelas? They make every single incident overly melodramatic, with pauses, emotional outbursts, and campy looks.
As it roared toward its conclusion, I felt like Reputation was very similar to that sketch. Every single character had one, if not multiple secrets, and as each one was revealed I felt like dramatic music should be turned up as the other characters reacted.
Aldrich University is a small school in Pittsburgh on par with the better-known Ivy League schools. One day hackers break into the university's email system and expose countless faculty, students, staff, even those who work in the university hospital, by dumping their emails into a searchable database. The same thing happened with Harvard, Yale, and other schools, but that's no consolation to those affected by the email dump.
Among those exposed was Dr. Greg Strasser, a handsome, successful surgeon who is married to Kit Manning-Strasser, the daughter of the university president and a development officer at the school. Apparently Greg's emails contained multiple communications with someone called "Lolita," and they get pretty sexually explicit. Even though Kit and Greg's marriage was on shaky ground, the public discovery of her husband's betrayal embarrasses and upsets her, and is one of the things which throws her off balance at the school's fundraising gala. Yet when she awakens at home from a strange stupor after the gala, she finds Greg suffering from a serious stab wound, and he dies from his injuries shortly thereafter.
Who killed Greg? Was it Kit, in the midst of a jealous, drunken rage that she doesn't remember? Or was it one of the myriad others in town who had issues with him? Kit's sister Willa, an investigative journalist, returns home to help Kit, but also can't resist doing some digging into the hack as well as Greg's murder. But it turns out Willa has her own secrets, too, including why she fled town so long ago and rarely returns.
Reputation is a soapy, campy look at the secrets and lies of a small town and those who inhabit it. It's a story of infidelity, betrayal, jealousy, attempted blackmail, questions about paternity, sexual assault, and so much more. No one is safe from prying eyes, and no one is wholly innocent, so you really don't know whom you should suspect.
Sara Shepard, who created the Pretty Little Liars series, is no stranger to gossip and scandal, and she demonstrates her skills with great aplomb here. I was hooked on the book from the start, but somewhere around the middle I felt like there were just so many crazy secrets and scandals that it got a bit ridiculous, and I really didn't care about the characters. Talk about a bunch of seriously screwed-up people!
"Maybe the best reputation is no reputation. Maybe it's best not to care whatsoever how people see you. Maybe the only thing that really matters is how you see yourself."
If you're a fan of soap opera or melodrama, you'll definitely find something to sink your teeth into with Reputation .
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
As it roared toward its conclusion, I felt like Reputation was very similar to that sketch. Every single character had one, if not multiple secrets, and as each one was revealed I felt like dramatic music should be turned up as the other characters reacted.
Aldrich University is a small school in Pittsburgh on par with the better-known Ivy League schools. One day hackers break into the university's email system and expose countless faculty, students, staff, even those who work in the university hospital, by dumping their emails into a searchable database. The same thing happened with Harvard, Yale, and other schools, but that's no consolation to those affected by the email dump.
Among those exposed was Dr. Greg Strasser, a handsome, successful surgeon who is married to Kit Manning-Strasser, the daughter of the university president and a development officer at the school. Apparently Greg's emails contained multiple communications with someone called "Lolita," and they get pretty sexually explicit. Even though Kit and Greg's marriage was on shaky ground, the public discovery of her husband's betrayal embarrasses and upsets her, and is one of the things which throws her off balance at the school's fundraising gala. Yet when she awakens at home from a strange stupor after the gala, she finds Greg suffering from a serious stab wound, and he dies from his injuries shortly thereafter.
Who killed Greg? Was it Kit, in the midst of a jealous, drunken rage that she doesn't remember? Or was it one of the myriad others in town who had issues with him? Kit's sister Willa, an investigative journalist, returns home to help Kit, but also can't resist doing some digging into the hack as well as Greg's murder. But it turns out Willa has her own secrets, too, including why she fled town so long ago and rarely returns.
Reputation is a soapy, campy look at the secrets and lies of a small town and those who inhabit it. It's a story of infidelity, betrayal, jealousy, attempted blackmail, questions about paternity, sexual assault, and so much more. No one is safe from prying eyes, and no one is wholly innocent, so you really don't know whom you should suspect.
Sara Shepard, who created the Pretty Little Liars series, is no stranger to gossip and scandal, and she demonstrates her skills with great aplomb here. I was hooked on the book from the start, but somewhere around the middle I felt like there were just so many crazy secrets and scandals that it got a bit ridiculous, and I really didn't care about the characters. Talk about a bunch of seriously screwed-up people!
"Maybe the best reputation is no reputation. Maybe it's best not to care whatsoever how people see you. Maybe the only thing that really matters is how you see yourself."
If you're a fan of soap opera or melodrama, you'll definitely find something to sink your teeth into with Reputation .
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
October 16, 2019
This book started out really strong for me. I loved the description! A huge university getting hacked. All the previous faculty and student emails are out there for the world to see. Ekkkk, can you imagine if the general public had access to every email you wrote?! Dear god, there would be hell to pay. Yet some people were exposed more than others- scandals, affairs, shopping habits, you name it they are out there.
I especially enjoyed the catty sarcastic behavior of Lynn right from the start. She is skimming through Facebook judging all her friends. It actually was quite funny being privy to her inner thoughts that were " not so nice" yet, you know we are all a little guilty of that! As the drama from the emails continue to build one of the main victims of the hack- with the most popular views of his email ( because they were really steamy) is murdered. Now this is a book! The suspects were endless because he has made quite a great deal of enemies with these emails. Like I said this book started out really strong for me.
I can't believe as a thriller lover I am going to say this...but this book just had too many twists for me. Literally every single character had a major mouth dropping twist or secret that they were hiding. At first I was gasping at reveal after reveal. Then it lost its shock value for me personally. The twists kept coming all the way until the end and I should have been shocked by them but instead I was just like uhhh meh....I began to feel like I was watching a daytime soap where it just got out of control crazy twists. I think I was "all shocked out" by the end. With that being said many, many people will be sure to love this!
I did enjoy the book and I am glad that I read it, it is just a little too dramatic for me to personally rate it higher.
Thank you so much to Dutton books for this ARC via Netgalley!
I especially enjoyed the catty sarcastic behavior of Lynn right from the start. She is skimming through Facebook judging all her friends. It actually was quite funny being privy to her inner thoughts that were " not so nice" yet, you know we are all a little guilty of that! As the drama from the emails continue to build one of the main victims of the hack- with the most popular views of his email ( because they were really steamy) is murdered. Now this is a book! The suspects were endless because he has made quite a great deal of enemies with these emails. Like I said this book started out really strong for me.
I can't believe as a thriller lover I am going to say this...but this book just had too many twists for me. Literally every single character had a major mouth dropping twist or secret that they were hiding. At first I was gasping at reveal after reveal. Then it lost its shock value for me personally. The twists kept coming all the way until the end and I should have been shocked by them but instead I was just like uhhh meh....I began to feel like I was watching a daytime soap where it just got out of control crazy twists. I think I was "all shocked out" by the end. With that being said many, many people will be sure to love this!
I did enjoy the book and I am glad that I read it, it is just a little too dramatic for me to personally rate it higher.
Thank you so much to Dutton books for this ARC via Netgalley!
October 8, 2019
A hacker exposes secrets .... the cat is out of the bag for all those who have their private emails exposed for all to see!
This book had some Mr. Robot (a T.V. series) vibes. I loved the series and the chaos the hackers would unleash. In the book, a prominent surgeon, Greg Strausser is murdered. Could it be some kind of payback or revenge? Maybe he pissed someone off?
Who has a motive? Greg's wife, Kit was pretty upset over his indiscretion. And who is this Lolita person?
Plenty of secrets in this soap opera of a who-dunnit. I enjoyed the way the author weaved the story with many suspects that could have done it!
Some good cliff-hangers and twists. This one kept me guessing and changing my mind as to who the villain was. Just enough U turns to keep my engaged!
Thanks to NG for my review copy! This one is out on December 3, 2019
This book had some Mr. Robot (a T.V. series) vibes. I loved the series and the chaos the hackers would unleash. In the book, a prominent surgeon, Greg Strausser is murdered. Could it be some kind of payback or revenge? Maybe he pissed someone off?
Who has a motive? Greg's wife, Kit was pretty upset over his indiscretion. And who is this Lolita person?
Plenty of secrets in this soap opera of a who-dunnit. I enjoyed the way the author weaved the story with many suspects that could have done it!
Some good cliff-hangers and twists. This one kept me guessing and changing my mind as to who the villain was. Just enough U turns to keep my engaged!
Thanks to NG for my review copy! This one is out on December 3, 2019
Shelved as 'dnf-lost-interest'
September 18, 2019Reading books by Sara Shepard is a pleasure that I do not feel the slightest bit guilty about.
*Many thanks to the author for providing my signed review copy. I shall treasure it forever and ever.
*Many thanks to the author for providing my signed review copy. I shall treasure it forever and ever.
December 2, 2019
3.5 stars
An e-mail hack exposes secrets of thousands of people - the premise of this new novel by Sara Shepard is quite realistic in this day and age. While most of our e-mails may be excruciatingly boring to other people, some messages may turn out deadly to their writers or recipients. When Kit Manning's husband is found murdered, her sister Willa, who is an investigative journalist, comes back to the town to help to solve the mystery and save Kit's reputation.
The book is full of twists and surprises which keep turning up as literally everybody in this novel has a few secrets they would rather not reveal. There are multiple perspectives/ points of view and if this is your prefered type of narrative, you are definitely going to find it gripping.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Dutton/ Penguin Publishing Group for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
An e-mail hack exposes secrets of thousands of people - the premise of this new novel by Sara Shepard is quite realistic in this day and age. While most of our e-mails may be excruciatingly boring to other people, some messages may turn out deadly to their writers or recipients. When Kit Manning's husband is found murdered, her sister Willa, who is an investigative journalist, comes back to the town to help to solve the mystery and save Kit's reputation.
The book is full of twists and surprises which keep turning up as literally everybody in this novel has a few secrets they would rather not reveal. There are multiple perspectives/ points of view and if this is your prefered type of narrative, you are definitely going to find it gripping.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Dutton/ Penguin Publishing Group for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
January 3, 2020
This book was PLL‘s older more Angsty, twisted, disturbed, and dysfunctional sister. A University’s emails are hacked and exposed to everyone. The professors, the students, the staff, everyone’s dirty little secrets out there just waiting to be discovered. The juiciest of all the secrets seem to belong to Dr. Greg Strausser Who appears to be having an affair with someone who calls themselves Lolita. But Greg is married to Kit the daughter of the president of the university. When Greg‘s dead body is discovered and Kit is the number one suspect her sister Willa an investigative journalist returns to town. BUT Willa has secrets of her own. Oh what a tangled web Sara Shepard weaves with this wild story filled with countless twists, Secrets, and lies.
This book gave me whiplash from all the twists and turns! A little over the top, a little campy, a little too much, but I loved it! I loved all of the different perspectives that left me questioning everything and everybody. And the twists, all the twists, they came in rapidfire I was completely addicted. None of the characters were tremendously likable and they were definitely not trustworthy, but wow I sure was drawn into their lives. Just like PLL this would make for a great television series and I would be there for it every week! Major scandal, juicy secrets crazy lies, and wild twists.
This book in emojis. 🏫 📩 ㊙️
*** Big thanks to Dutton for my copy of this book ***
This book gave me whiplash from all the twists and turns! A little over the top, a little campy, a little too much, but I loved it! I loved all of the different perspectives that left me questioning everything and everybody. And the twists, all the twists, they came in rapidfire I was completely addicted. None of the characters were tremendously likable and they were definitely not trustworthy, but wow I sure was drawn into their lives. Just like PLL this would make for a great television series and I would be there for it every week! Major scandal, juicy secrets crazy lies, and wild twists.
This book in emojis. 🏫 📩 ㊙️
*** Big thanks to Dutton for my copy of this book ***
January 29, 2020
Woah.... Pretty Little Liars on steroids!
This was an absolutely crazy, crazy story - and I could not get enough of it. I read this on holidays and it was the perfect poolside book. It was addictive, juicy and twisty - all great qualities in a book. This is actually the first Sara Shepard book I have read and I am wondering why.
The characters were super nasty, manipulative and out for themselves. Any of them could have been the killer. The ending came as a surprise, after in my mind accusing pretty much all of them! The hack at the university is only the beginning - deep dark secrets will be revealed.
Highly addictive and recommended.
This was an absolutely crazy, crazy story - and I could not get enough of it. I read this on holidays and it was the perfect poolside book. It was addictive, juicy and twisty - all great qualities in a book. This is actually the first Sara Shepard book I have read and I am wondering why.
The characters were super nasty, manipulative and out for themselves. Any of them could have been the killer. The ending came as a surprise, after in my mind accusing pretty much all of them! The hack at the university is only the beginning - deep dark secrets will be revealed.
Highly addictive and recommended.
February 26, 2020
3.5 rounded down simply because I had the hardest dang time keeping all the characters straight and none of the characters were really likable when it all came down to it. Once I had the characters sorted, this was a deeply intricate mystery, several storylines and twists and turns, red herrings and such. I really didn't know who I thought had dunnit until it was revealed to me. Much improvement over her initial Thriller debut, The Eliza's!
September 17, 2019
Campy, fun & a great whodunnit! Touching on important topics relevant to the #MeToo era while also not taking itself too seriously, Reputation is really the thriller I needed from 2019! Having been a mega fan of Shepard’s since the first Pretty Little Liars Book (and corresponding 10+ after), I was excited to delve into the deliciousness that is Reputation!
Opening with a prologue named for a Taylor Swift song (she does have an album named Reputation after all), the plot is soon revealed to us alongside a cast characters who all seem to have a motive for the crime, but who is the one who actually followed through with...murder?
I can honestly say until pages before the reveal, I had so many suspects in mind and enjoyed hedging my bets as I continued reading and the reveal was not an out of left field end which can be infuriating. With thrillers a dime a dozen nowadays, this one was really a fun ride, which is quite refreshing.
Thank you to Dutton Books for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Opening with a prologue named for a Taylor Swift song (she does have an album named Reputation after all), the plot is soon revealed to us alongside a cast characters who all seem to have a motive for the crime, but who is the one who actually followed through with...murder?
I can honestly say until pages before the reveal, I had so many suspects in mind and enjoyed hedging my bets as I continued reading and the reveal was not an out of left field end which can be infuriating. With thrillers a dime a dozen nowadays, this one was really a fun ride, which is quite refreshing.
Thank you to Dutton Books for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
January 7, 2020
No. Just NO. When I read the premise of the book I thought it sounded interesting. A major university was hacked and all of their secrets revealed. It sounded intriguing, especially in today's world where so much hacking is happening. However, that was just the beginning of this book. There were so many barely developed story lines thrown at the reader that one could hardly keep up with them up. Just when you thought you knew all of the players, MORE were introduced. There is not one decent human being in this book, not even the teenage daughter of one of the victims. Not.One.Good.Person. Think about it. Life is bad these days but I can guarantee you that I know some good, decent people. This novel is smut and should be labeled as such. If that's your thing then fine. Read it and enjoy it. But just as I believe religious books should be labeled as religious, trash should be labeled that way as well! And that is all that this is.
July 21, 2019
⭐️Book Review ⭐️
Reputation by Sara Shepherd
2/5 Stars
**I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
I’m a little embarrassed to admit I couldn’t finish this book. But I have a rule with myself “Life is too short to read bad books or drink bad wine”. This fit the bill.
There was a big internet scandal at the university. Students, alumni and staff all affected. Coverups ensued leading to murder. Secrets revealed. More secrets attempted to be covered up. It was just too much. Almost like reading a soap opera.
I am saving it on my Kindle for my 18yr old daughter to read. Honestly, maybe I’m not the age range for this?? (40-45 yr old)
Reputation by Sara Shepherd
2/5 Stars
**I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
I’m a little embarrassed to admit I couldn’t finish this book. But I have a rule with myself “Life is too short to read bad books or drink bad wine”. This fit the bill.
There was a big internet scandal at the university. Students, alumni and staff all affected. Coverups ensued leading to murder. Secrets revealed. More secrets attempted to be covered up. It was just too much. Almost like reading a soap opera.
I am saving it on my Kindle for my 18yr old daughter to read. Honestly, maybe I’m not the age range for this?? (40-45 yr old)
December 6, 2019
A university's emails are hacked, and leaked online for all to see. Lives are turned upside down as everyone tries to minimize the fallout of having private emails go public. Things escalate when a man is murdered, and it turns out everyone is keeping secrets.
Told using multiple points of view - Kit, Lynn, Raina, Laura, and Willa. Kit works at the university, is married to Greg, and has two daughters. Lynn works with Kit. Raina is a college student and friend of Kit's daughter. Laura worked with Greg and is married to a police officer. Willa is Kit's sister. A large cast of characters, but the various viewpoints are easy to follow.
A fun and intriguing thriller. Good for readers who enjoy juicy mysteries. Gossipy, exciting, and twisty.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Told using multiple points of view - Kit, Lynn, Raina, Laura, and Willa. Kit works at the university, is married to Greg, and has two daughters. Lynn works with Kit. Raina is a college student and friend of Kit's daughter. Laura worked with Greg and is married to a police officer. Willa is Kit's sister. A large cast of characters, but the various viewpoints are easy to follow.
A fun and intriguing thriller. Good for readers who enjoy juicy mysteries. Gossipy, exciting, and twisty.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
November 27, 2019
Trashy reality TV is one of my guilty pleasures and this book felt just like watching one of my beloved RH episodes. It was fun, dramatic, juicy and definitely a binge worthy read. There’s a lot going on here and multiple viewpoints which is always so fun to me AND there’s also a murder plus you have this crazy hack so two intriguing mysteries at play here. The ending wasn’t a total surprise but it was twisty and satisfying in the end. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And since it’s a Sara Shepard book I have to ask the most important question of all time, which did you like better, PLL the show or the books? Liked the show but loved the books for me.
And since it’s a Sara Shepard book I have to ask the most important question of all time, which did you like better, PLL the show or the books? Liked the show but loved the books for me.
December 4, 2019
When someone hacks into the email system of elite Aldrich University, exposing the emails of everyone in relation to the school, all hell breaks loose. Through those emails, University employee Kit learns her husband Greg has been having an extramarital affair with a younger woman—possibly even a student.
When Greg turns up murdered days after the Aldrich hacking incident, no one seems to feel sympathy for this philanderer’s death. And everyone from Greg’s inner circle has a motive to kill. But the question is who actually went through with it?
Reputation is Sara Shepard’s upcoming thriller release. Years ago I read most of the Pretty Little Liars series but I have yet to read one of Sara Shepard’s adult titles. The premise of this drew me in from the start—I was intrigued by the email hacking. But unfortunately the story went downhill from there. Too many perspectives, too unbelievable, too much drama for my taste. 2/5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley, Dutton and Sara Shepard for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When Greg turns up murdered days after the Aldrich hacking incident, no one seems to feel sympathy for this philanderer’s death. And everyone from Greg’s inner circle has a motive to kill. But the question is who actually went through with it?
Reputation is Sara Shepard’s upcoming thriller release. Years ago I read most of the Pretty Little Liars series but I have yet to read one of Sara Shepard’s adult titles. The premise of this drew me in from the start—I was intrigued by the email hacking. But unfortunately the story went downhill from there. Too many perspectives, too unbelievable, too much drama for my taste. 2/5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley, Dutton and Sara Shepard for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2019
4 STARS.
Thank you so much to Dutton for the gifted ARC of Reputation! Talk about a juicy drama-filled thriller 😳🙌🏼 This was the perfect book to get me out of my reading slump because it was a lighter thriller that was so incredibly entertaining. This book was filled with so many secrets and a ton of gossip, which made it the ultimate guilty-pleasure book.
What I liked most about this book was that although there were a ton of characters, you really get to know and understand them by the end of the book. This worked really well in this book because not getting to know all the characters fully until the very end made it that much harder to figure out the mystery. I also really enjoyed the fundamental aspects of the plot because it definitely had Pretty Little Liars/The Perfectionists vibes, which I loved 👌🏼 I’m always a sucker for thrillers filled with a ton of drama and this one was no exception.
The only issue I had with this one was that it was pretty slow in the beginning and I had a hard time getting in to it. This did slightly affect my overall reading experience because I found it pretty slow the first 35% of the book, but after that I was fully immersed in the story. Even though it was slow in the beginning, the ending was epic and definitely made up for it. My jaw actually dropped at one of the plot twists because I truly would have never guessed it 😱
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to you guys! It was such a fun read and I can see a lot of people really enjoying this one. Reputation will be published December 3rd so make sure you go grab a copy! 🤓
Thank you so much to Dutton for the gifted ARC of Reputation! Talk about a juicy drama-filled thriller 😳🙌🏼 This was the perfect book to get me out of my reading slump because it was a lighter thriller that was so incredibly entertaining. This book was filled with so many secrets and a ton of gossip, which made it the ultimate guilty-pleasure book.
What I liked most about this book was that although there were a ton of characters, you really get to know and understand them by the end of the book. This worked really well in this book because not getting to know all the characters fully until the very end made it that much harder to figure out the mystery. I also really enjoyed the fundamental aspects of the plot because it definitely had Pretty Little Liars/The Perfectionists vibes, which I loved 👌🏼 I’m always a sucker for thrillers filled with a ton of drama and this one was no exception.
The only issue I had with this one was that it was pretty slow in the beginning and I had a hard time getting in to it. This did slightly affect my overall reading experience because I found it pretty slow the first 35% of the book, but after that I was fully immersed in the story. Even though it was slow in the beginning, the ending was epic and definitely made up for it. My jaw actually dropped at one of the plot twists because I truly would have never guessed it 😱
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to you guys! It was such a fun read and I can see a lot of people really enjoying this one. Reputation will be published December 3rd so make sure you go grab a copy! 🤓
November 27, 2019
Let me just start out by saying how much I absolutely loved this book. I had been in a slight slump for awhile but this one pulled me out and i could not put it down
The premise is very relevant to the dangers of technology that we all face today and the story touches on relevant topics in today’s news such as the #MeToo movement but not in an overpowering way
The story is told through several different character’s perspectives which slightly gives the vibes of watching different scenes in a television show. Can i just say that the way that @ writes her characters is so unbelievable, she had me completely enamored. I had never read a book by her but i am now going to need to build a collection STAT
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November 28, 2019
Shepard’s Reputation follows a cast of characters as they deal with the fallout of a server hack at Aldrich University. Reputations are on the line as secrets make their way into the public sphere and Dr. Greg Strasser is murdered.
I’ll always give Shepard’s novels a chance because Pretty Little Liars holds a special place in my heart. I know that the TV show is different from the books, but Shepard created those characters, so I know she’s a capable writer. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy Reputation as much as I thought I would.
My biggest criticism of the novel is that it has too many moving parts and too many red herrings. In my opinion, a well plotted and constructed mystery includes many moving pieces but doesn’t make it obvious that theses pieces are attempting to redirect readers’ attention. All of the red herrings in Reputation were blatantly obvious.
Shepard tried to tie Reputation to the #MeToo movement, but ultimately failed to offer anything substantial or significant to the conversation. Instead, it’s mentioned directly by the characters and left at that.
Reputation is probably 100 pages too long. With all the red herrings and plots loosely related to the main mystery, it’s hard to enjoy the final reveal since it felt like a slog getting to it. It also comes out of left field with hardly any set up. It’s pretty horrible in terms of its content, so I was expecting Shepard to debrief readers. Unfortunately, Shepard presents her reveal and moves on almost immediately.
Overall, Reputation was a decent read. It kept me, for the most part, entertained and engaged while I was reading. Would I recommend it? Probably not. There are better mystery novels out there.
**I received an ARC via Netgalley for an honest review.
I’ll always give Shepard’s novels a chance because Pretty Little Liars holds a special place in my heart. I know that the TV show is different from the books, but Shepard created those characters, so I know she’s a capable writer. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy Reputation as much as I thought I would.
My biggest criticism of the novel is that it has too many moving parts and too many red herrings. In my opinion, a well plotted and constructed mystery includes many moving pieces but doesn’t make it obvious that theses pieces are attempting to redirect readers’ attention. All of the red herrings in Reputation were blatantly obvious.
Shepard tried to tie Reputation to the #MeToo movement, but ultimately failed to offer anything substantial or significant to the conversation. Instead, it’s mentioned directly by the characters and left at that.
Reputation is probably 100 pages too long. With all the red herrings and plots loosely related to the main mystery, it’s hard to enjoy the final reveal since it felt like a slog getting to it. It also comes out of left field with hardly any set up. It’s pretty horrible in terms of its content, so I was expecting Shepard to debrief readers. Unfortunately, Shepard presents her reveal and moves on almost immediately.
Overall, Reputation was a decent read. It kept me, for the most part, entertained and engaged while I was reading. Would I recommend it? Probably not. There are better mystery novels out there.
**I received an ARC via Netgalley for an honest review.
April 25, 2023
Book 23/100 for the 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge.
I recently read/heard something to the effect of "you should focus on your character and not your reputation because your reputation is how others view you while your character is how you actually are". This book shines a light on what could happen when one's character is compromised by trying to rectify their disintegrating reputation.
Reputation is a female-lead multiple-POV story about an interconnected group of ladies whose lives are all upended by an email hack. Both their and their loved ones' emails are put on full blast for the world to see which causes some issues, but all of them are also so intent on bettering their reputations that their seriously compromise their integrity as well (........... totally relate to that one lol ......) One of the ladies' husbands is murdered and we follow along the investigation, the accusations, and the lying that inevitably comes to protect themselves from incrimination. THEN!!!!! The killer is revealed and it is absolutely nobody one would expect.
I thought this would be more of a fun, chick lit-type book but it was so much more than that! Sara Shepard ended most chapters on a cliff-hanger and it made me want to just race through the book to find out what was going on (so I did race through it!). This book touches on SA, generational trauma, rape culture, the patriarchy, and shame which are all quite universal experiences for women. It can be so isolating experiencing an assault or being traumatized by your parents so it was a nice reminder for me how many people experienced the same things I did. I actually started therapy yesterday for the first time in 10+ years and a lot of these themes came up there too.. just for context.
Great book that I would recommend to any of my femme friends on here. I am no longer surprised why Pretty Little Liars was so popular becayse Shepard is a stellar writer.
I recently read/heard something to the effect of "you should focus on your character and not your reputation because your reputation is how others view you while your character is how you actually are". This book shines a light on what could happen when one's character is compromised by trying to rectify their disintegrating reputation.
Reputation is a female-lead multiple-POV story about an interconnected group of ladies whose lives are all upended by an email hack. Both their and their loved ones' emails are put on full blast for the world to see which causes some issues, but all of them are also so intent on bettering their reputations that their seriously compromise their integrity as well (........... totally relate to that one lol ......) One of the ladies' husbands is murdered and we follow along the investigation, the accusations, and the lying that inevitably comes to protect themselves from incrimination. THEN!!!!! The killer is revealed and it is absolutely nobody one would expect.
I thought this would be more of a fun, chick lit-type book but it was so much more than that! Sara Shepard ended most chapters on a cliff-hanger and it made me want to just race through the book to find out what was going on (so I did race through it!). This book touches on SA, generational trauma, rape culture, the patriarchy, and shame which are all quite universal experiences for women. It can be so isolating experiencing an assault or being traumatized by your parents so it was a nice reminder for me how many people experienced the same things I did. I actually started therapy yesterday for the first time in 10+ years and a lot of these themes came up there too.. just for context.
Great book that I would recommend to any of my femme friends on here. I am no longer surprised why Pretty Little Liars was so popular becayse Shepard is a stellar writer.
October 27, 2019
FULL REVIEW WILL BE ON DECEMBER 2.
An e-mail hack at a prestigious college reeked havoc on the campus of Aldrich University.
The hack exposed every single e-mail that administrators, doctors, faculty, and students had written.
The e-mails revealed secret affairs, unsavory situations, and other juicy details.
I do need to warn the reader, though, that there are some unsettling, upsetting situations.
REPUTATION is a roller coast of a read with a cover that doesn't seem to fit with the story inside as well as a cover I'm not particularly fond of. 4/5
This book was given to be by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
An e-mail hack at a prestigious college reeked havoc on the campus of Aldrich University.
The hack exposed every single e-mail that administrators, doctors, faculty, and students had written.
The e-mails revealed secret affairs, unsavory situations, and other juicy details.
I do need to warn the reader, though, that there are some unsettling, upsetting situations.
REPUTATION is a roller coast of a read with a cover that doesn't seem to fit with the story inside as well as a cover I'm not particularly fond of. 4/5
This book was given to be by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 25, 2019
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley. It does not impact my review.
When it comes to reading a Sara Shepard book, I definitely expect some soapy, crazy drama and Reputation did not disappoint on that front.
The story follows the POVs of 5 women: Kit, Willa, Raina, Laura, and Lynn. It may sound like a lot of characters to keep track of, but I think Shepard did a really good job with it. Often times with this many characters I find I only like a couple and get frustrated when the POVs switch away from them, but I didn’t have that problem here. While I didn’t necessarily like all of these women, I enjoyed watching some of the petty drama play out. When that started to get a little much, it was balanced out with the development of the mystery. While I didn’t find the reveal of Greg’s killer to be all that surprising, there were definitely a good amount of red herrings that kept me guessing.
While the story did start out pretty strong for me, it seemed to lose steam a bit for awhile in the middle. Parts of it dragged on for a little longer than necessary and once some of the red herrings were revealed to be just that, I started to lose a little bit of interest in some of the storylines. I was also hoping for some kind of scandalous twist in the end, but it ends kind of quietly with basically everyone getting their version of happily-ever-after. It also tacked on some #MeToo lessons with a pretty heavy hand towards the end that I thought could have been incorporated a little more organically than it was.
Overall, I enjoyed Reputation. I have been in a bit of a book rut lately and this was the first one in awhile that I looked forward to picking up again every time I had to put it down. Though it did feel a little long in parts and it didn’t end as dynamically as I hoped, I enjoyed the soapy drama and I also liked how the mystery played out. I look forward to reading more from Shepard in the future.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars
When it comes to reading a Sara Shepard book, I definitely expect some soapy, crazy drama and Reputation did not disappoint on that front.
The story follows the POVs of 5 women: Kit, Willa, Raina, Laura, and Lynn. It may sound like a lot of characters to keep track of, but I think Shepard did a really good job with it. Often times with this many characters I find I only like a couple and get frustrated when the POVs switch away from them, but I didn’t have that problem here. While I didn’t necessarily like all of these women, I enjoyed watching some of the petty drama play out. When that started to get a little much, it was balanced out with the development of the mystery. While I didn’t find the reveal of Greg’s killer to be all that surprising, there were definitely a good amount of red herrings that kept me guessing.
While the story did start out pretty strong for me, it seemed to lose steam a bit for awhile in the middle. Parts of it dragged on for a little longer than necessary and once some of the red herrings were revealed to be just that, I started to lose a little bit of interest in some of the storylines. I was also hoping for some kind of scandalous twist in the end, but it ends kind of quietly with basically everyone getting their version of happily-ever-after. It also tacked on some #MeToo lessons with a pretty heavy hand towards the end that I thought could have been incorporated a little more organically than it was.
Overall, I enjoyed Reputation. I have been in a bit of a book rut lately and this was the first one in awhile that I looked forward to picking up again every time I had to put it down. Though it did feel a little long in parts and it didn’t end as dynamically as I hoped, I enjoyed the soapy drama and I also liked how the mystery played out. I look forward to reading more from Shepard in the future.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars
December 29, 2019
Liv Constantine quoted this book as “Deliciously Diabolical” and I wholeheartedly agree! WHAT A RIDE!
Sara Shepard you are a master at your craft. Juicy, vicious, and scandalous....Reputation is such a fun quick read!!! But..BE careful....There is sensitive material referencing the “Me Too” movement woven throughout. This could be a emotional trigger for some. I found it extremely prosaic for the modern culture we are currently living in. My final thoughts...read this book!
“Maybe the best reputation is NO reputation. Maybe it’s best not to care whatsoever how people see you. Maybe the only thing that really matters is how you see yourself.”
Sara Shepard you could not have said it better. How we see ourself is what should matter most...NOT how others see us.
4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sara Shepard you are a master at your craft. Juicy, vicious, and scandalous....Reputation is such a fun quick read!!! But..BE careful....There is sensitive material referencing the “Me Too” movement woven throughout. This could be a emotional trigger for some. I found it extremely prosaic for the modern culture we are currently living in. My final thoughts...read this book!
“Maybe the best reputation is NO reputation. Maybe it’s best not to care whatsoever how people see you. Maybe the only thing that really matters is how you see yourself.”
Sara Shepard you could not have said it better. How we see ourself is what should matter most...NOT how others see us.
4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 23, 2021
Listen Linda, I know I’m tardy for the party on this one, but I got a backlist a mile long so here we are.
This book is literally Pretty Little Liars all grown up and I am here for it. I would name this guilty little pleasure The Real Housewives of Pittsburg and a Murder and I would read Sara Shepard’s books all day long.
This book is literally Pretty Little Liars all grown up and I am here for it. I would name this guilty little pleasure The Real Housewives of Pittsburg and a Murder and I would read Sara Shepard’s books all day long.
January 16, 2020
Karma is a bitch. ;)
September 10, 2019
This book is fun from start to finish; a soapy ride. I've only read Sara Shepard's THE ELIZAS, but my guess is to readers/fans of hers this will read more like a grownup Pretty Little Liars than The Elizas; good for those for whom The Elizas was too weird/noir. Shepard's has a gift with ultra-specific yet mainstream/normative characters that she gets you to care about, and interweaving multiple narratives/twists.
The main story of the hack is compelling, but then it's the murder that lands like a gut punch and drives the rest of the book. I loved all the layers with each character POV, and the twists. I did feel like there were two potential dropped plots--one I strongly wonder if it was there as the original twist/killer and dropped when a different conclusion was decided on, and the other is minor but feels like a missed opportunity for a final gut punch. But those are quibbles.
I would add some trigger warnings for certain readers.
Also I will say that the treatment of the one and only character of color in the book was... a choice. YMMV.
Recommended if you want a fun, frothy read with some compelling characters and good twists. I felt wrapped up in the world, and was turning pages to find out what happened.
The main story of the hack is compelling, but then it's the murder that lands like a gut punch and drives the rest of the book. I loved all the layers with each character POV, and the twists. I did feel like there were two potential dropped plots--one I strongly wonder if it was there as the original twist/killer and dropped when a different conclusion was decided on, and the other is minor but feels like a missed opportunity for a final gut punch. But those are quibbles.
I would add some trigger warnings for certain readers.
Also I will say that the treatment of the one and only character of color in the book was... a choice. YMMV.
Recommended if you want a fun, frothy read with some compelling characters and good twists. I felt wrapped up in the world, and was turning pages to find out what happened.
October 5, 2019
3.5⭐
Reputation is Sara Shepard's upcoming release, and this one is an adult novel with all the drama and deceit you could hope for.
This book is fairly twisty (a little too twisty at times, in my opinion), and it was very fun to figure out who the killer was. I suspected everyone. I did have a pretty good guess, but really enjoyed sorting it out.
About being a little too twisty - there was just a bit of overkill on the twists. It took me out of the book at some points because it was far-fetched. It wasn't bad, I just wish it would have been a little more of a straightforward story.
The characters were not very likeable, which was to be expected. Too many characters were given POV chapters, and it was difficult to keep track of who everyone was sometimes. One character in particular drove me crazy because they kept making these fucked up comparisons. For example, a character doing something bad was compared to another character being raped because they both had to "live with it". NO. One is an active choice, one is fucking rape. This was gross.
Reputation is an entertaining book, but I had to few too many issues with it that kept me from loving it.
Reputation is Sara Shepard's upcoming release, and this one is an adult novel with all the drama and deceit you could hope for.
This book is fairly twisty (a little too twisty at times, in my opinion), and it was very fun to figure out who the killer was. I suspected everyone. I did have a pretty good guess, but really enjoyed sorting it out.
About being a little too twisty - there was just a bit of overkill on the twists. It took me out of the book at some points because it was far-fetched. It wasn't bad, I just wish it would have been a little more of a straightforward story.
The characters were not very likeable, which was to be expected. Too many characters were given POV chapters, and it was difficult to keep track of who everyone was sometimes. One character in particular drove me crazy because they kept making these fucked up comparisons. For example, a character doing something bad was compared to another character being raped because they both had to "live with it". NO. One is an active choice, one is fucking rape. This was gross.
Reputation is an entertaining book, but I had to few too many issues with it that kept me from loving it.
March 10, 2020
So much drama! But then again what else do you expect from a Sara Shepard novel?!
I enjoyed reading the novel from all of the women that the hack impacted. I was never really sure who to believe and who was responsible for Greg's killing. I was surprised by the ending and loved all of the drama throughout the novel.
I enjoyed reading the novel from all of the women that the hack impacted. I was never really sure who to believe and who was responsible for Greg's killing. I was surprised by the ending and loved all of the drama throughout the novel.
November 17, 2019
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Review can be found here at Booked J.
As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
Can we get one thing out of the way? I'm a Sara Shepard STAN. There is no escaping that. Her work has been a part of me since high school. If I had a single ounce of shame, I'd refer to my love affair with her books as a guilty pleasure. Alas, I lack the shame appropriate for this and am not remotely guilty for continuously devouring what she serves us. And with Reputation, she gave us a lot to eat.
One of the things that always strikes me about the work Shepard puts out there for us, is the sheer entertainment value. She's beauty, she's grace, she's queen of emotionally punching me in the face and twining me up with the thorns of her characters. Whether we're visiting our beloved Liars in Rosewood, our Perfectionists, or watching as one twin is forced to take the place of her long lost dead twin sister, you can ALWAYS expect to be in for a treat.
Shepard's writing is pure escapism, dipped in thrills and chills. Like so many of the stories in her backlist, Reputation is light and fast but still packs an emotional charge. Once you pick it up, you're likely to lose yourself for hours and maybe even finish it in one read. (Which is what I did because I have no self control.) Including in the perfection that is Shepard's writing one can expect snarky prose that bites and causes you to snicker into your hands, intriguing mysteries, forbidden affairs and general soap opera antics.
Along for the bumpy ride, I settled in with this book and before I knew it hours had passed and I'd completed it. If you love twisty turns and curiosities and stylish dramatics, you'll adore this one. I found it to be highly enjoyable, despite the general unlikable qualities some of the characters were possessing. There were times I wanted to put down the book, down my wine glass and shout at the characters in Reputation which is half the fun of a good Shepard novel. You get this inkling of knowledge of what to expect, but somehow she always surprises or toys with us.
As for the characters of Reputation: they aren't nearly as endearing as those we might find in Pretty Little Liars, The Lying Game and The Perfectionists, but they still offer a delicious and messy nature. (I won't give too much away, but I will say that there is one woman in Reputation that was intensely calculating and manipulative and I was LIVING for it.)
Despite following a fairly typical formula for all of her novels, each one feels like a new adventure and mystery and continues to dangle itself above my head in a way that I cannot resist. They are a mixed bag of tropes, archetypes, mystery and scandal--everything one might desire from Shepard. THIS is exactly the type of quickie read I needed on such a chilly day.
All that is exposed in this novel, all the mysteries that are unraveled, make up for an otherwise lackluster cast of characters. While Reputation is not quite my favourite novel of hers, it was highly engaging and full of that Sara Shepard spark that makes her books so fully indulgent and delicious. I ate this book up in little to no time and will likely only grow to enjoy it more in the future.
As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
Can we get one thing out of the way? I'm a Sara Shepard STAN. There is no escaping that. Her work has been a part of me since high school. If I had a single ounce of shame, I'd refer to my love affair with her books as a guilty pleasure. Alas, I lack the shame appropriate for this and am not remotely guilty for continuously devouring what she serves us. And with Reputation, she gave us a lot to eat.
One of the things that always strikes me about the work Shepard puts out there for us, is the sheer entertainment value. She's beauty, she's grace, she's queen of emotionally punching me in the face and twining me up with the thorns of her characters. Whether we're visiting our beloved Liars in Rosewood, our Perfectionists, or watching as one twin is forced to take the place of her long lost dead twin sister, you can ALWAYS expect to be in for a treat.
Shepard's writing is pure escapism, dipped in thrills and chills. Like so many of the stories in her backlist, Reputation is light and fast but still packs an emotional charge. Once you pick it up, you're likely to lose yourself for hours and maybe even finish it in one read. (Which is what I did because I have no self control.) Including in the perfection that is Shepard's writing one can expect snarky prose that bites and causes you to snicker into your hands, intriguing mysteries, forbidden affairs and general soap opera antics.
Along for the bumpy ride, I settled in with this book and before I knew it hours had passed and I'd completed it. If you love twisty turns and curiosities and stylish dramatics, you'll adore this one. I found it to be highly enjoyable, despite the general unlikable qualities some of the characters were possessing. There were times I wanted to put down the book, down my wine glass and shout at the characters in Reputation which is half the fun of a good Shepard novel. You get this inkling of knowledge of what to expect, but somehow she always surprises or toys with us.
As for the characters of Reputation: they aren't nearly as endearing as those we might find in Pretty Little Liars, The Lying Game and The Perfectionists, but they still offer a delicious and messy nature. (I won't give too much away, but I will say that there is one woman in Reputation that was intensely calculating and manipulative and I was LIVING for it.)
Despite following a fairly typical formula for all of her novels, each one feels like a new adventure and mystery and continues to dangle itself above my head in a way that I cannot resist. They are a mixed bag of tropes, archetypes, mystery and scandal--everything one might desire from Shepard. THIS is exactly the type of quickie read I needed on such a chilly day.
All that is exposed in this novel, all the mysteries that are unraveled, make up for an otherwise lackluster cast of characters. While Reputation is not quite my favourite novel of hers, it was highly engaging and full of that Sara Shepard spark that makes her books so fully indulgent and delicious. I ate this book up in little to no time and will likely only grow to enjoy it more in the future.
December 4, 2019
Well cream my corn, smack my ass and call me biscuits. What am I talking about? Hell, I don't know but that's how I feel after reading this book because my neck hurts and my brain is muddled from all the whiplash.
Told from multiple POVs, this is QUITE the roller coaster of a read. And it makes total sense as it was originally written to be for TV. So yes to all the DRAMA MAMA BING BANG happening page after page after page! Think about it. Everyone has a reputation. You have one throughout high school, through college and then while you think it lessens as you reach adulthood - it doesn't - it just changes course. You're constantly comparing yourself to the other mother you think may have more advantages than you or is doing a better job, whatever that means. Or to the family you're missing out on because you never had kids. To the man you think you're not because you allowed this and that to happen. There's always SOMETHING. So you hide behind your secrets. You chase what you think will complete you, but does that ever really work? This is a fast lesson is learning that no matter what happens, eventually you WILL be found out.
If your emails got hacked, what would come out about you? Do you really think deleting your messages keep you immune? You realize that the person who holds your "secret" with you means it's not REALLY a secret right? Bring in this cast of characters where EVERYONE has some secret. Emails have gotten hacked and shit is about TO GO DOWN. No one is innocent. The author does an amazing job of keeping you guessing. There are little bombs dropped here and there and just when you think … THINK.. you have it almost figured out... BOMB DROPPED. Now, normally having ALL these twists and turns would almost seem to much but it really works for me here. Even while I was looking back and forth from character to character and all the messes they were in, I was still feeling for them... well... some of them. But with every black cloud, there is that little silver lining. Mostly. Maybe. Hell, I don't know.
Even with all the craziness that is going on, the book does touch on some very important subjects and it's all too real how certain things can easily be looked over when they shouldn't. And while, if I'm being completely transparent, the epilogue was nice to see where the characters ended up... it felt a little *off* after the crazy roller coaster... like I got stuck at the end for a few minutes, trapped, before I was let off. BUT... I do think it was necessary as well. People, be as good as you can be but remember we're all human. And in this day and age, be careful what you put out there. And as the author notes in her acknowledgments: "People will always find out."
Told from multiple POVs, this is QUITE the roller coaster of a read. And it makes total sense as it was originally written to be for TV. So yes to all the DRAMA MAMA BING BANG happening page after page after page! Think about it. Everyone has a reputation. You have one throughout high school, through college and then while you think it lessens as you reach adulthood - it doesn't - it just changes course. You're constantly comparing yourself to the other mother you think may have more advantages than you or is doing a better job, whatever that means. Or to the family you're missing out on because you never had kids. To the man you think you're not because you allowed this and that to happen. There's always SOMETHING. So you hide behind your secrets. You chase what you think will complete you, but does that ever really work? This is a fast lesson is learning that no matter what happens, eventually you WILL be found out.
If your emails got hacked, what would come out about you? Do you really think deleting your messages keep you immune? You realize that the person who holds your "secret" with you means it's not REALLY a secret right? Bring in this cast of characters where EVERYONE has some secret. Emails have gotten hacked and shit is about TO GO DOWN. No one is innocent. The author does an amazing job of keeping you guessing. There are little bombs dropped here and there and just when you think … THINK.. you have it almost figured out... BOMB DROPPED. Now, normally having ALL these twists and turns would almost seem to much but it really works for me here. Even while I was looking back and forth from character to character and all the messes they were in, I was still feeling for them... well... some of them. But with every black cloud, there is that little silver lining. Mostly. Maybe. Hell, I don't know.
Even with all the craziness that is going on, the book does touch on some very important subjects and it's all too real how certain things can easily be looked over when they shouldn't. And while, if I'm being completely transparent, the epilogue was nice to see where the characters ended up... it felt a little *off* after the crazy roller coaster... like I got stuck at the end for a few minutes, trapped, before I was let off. BUT... I do think it was necessary as well. People, be as good as you can be but remember we're all human. And in this day and age, be careful what you put out there. And as the author notes in her acknowledgments: "People will always find out."
December 11, 2019
Reputation is a standalone adult mystery/thriller. I don't know why I thought that this book was Young Adult. It is not!
I was obsessed with the Pretty Little Liars television series when it aired. And have read a few of the author's previous books. So I was excited when I saw that she had a new mystery novel.
The book is centered around Aldrich University (Ivy League school) and involves hacking.
The story takes place in 2017 and is set in Pittsburgh. There are multiple first person female narrators: Kit, Lynn, Raina, Laura and Willa.
Kit is 39 years old. She works at the Aldrich Charitable Giving Department. She is married to Greg and has two teenage girls (Sienna and Aurora). And is the university President's daughter. Lynn is married and works with Kit. Raina is a university student and is friends with Sienna. Laura is a nurse. She is married to policeman Ollie and has a new baby. Willa is Kit's sister.
All of these people are connected. And everybody has a lot of secrets. The book is divided into two parts. And part one ends with a shocker.
At first I wasn't sure if five narrators was too many. You don't get overly invested in any one narrator. But each person was fascinating. And it was interesting to get each point of view.
There was so much happening in this book. I was very curious to see how the author would wrap things up and who the guilty party would be.
There were definitely a lot of reveals that I did not see coming. And I was satisfied with the ending. Overall this was an intriguing story with a lot happening.
Thanks to edelweiss and Dutton for allowing me to read this book.
I was obsessed with the Pretty Little Liars television series when it aired. And have read a few of the author's previous books. So I was excited when I saw that she had a new mystery novel.
The book is centered around Aldrich University (Ivy League school) and involves hacking.
The story takes place in 2017 and is set in Pittsburgh. There are multiple first person female narrators: Kit, Lynn, Raina, Laura and Willa.
Kit is 39 years old. She works at the Aldrich Charitable Giving Department. She is married to Greg and has two teenage girls (Sienna and Aurora). And is the university President's daughter. Lynn is married and works with Kit. Raina is a university student and is friends with Sienna. Laura is a nurse. She is married to policeman Ollie and has a new baby. Willa is Kit's sister.
All of these people are connected. And everybody has a lot of secrets. The book is divided into two parts. And part one ends with a shocker.
At first I wasn't sure if five narrators was too many. You don't get overly invested in any one narrator. But each person was fascinating. And it was interesting to get each point of view.
There was so much happening in this book. I was very curious to see how the author would wrap things up and who the guilty party would be.
There were definitely a lot of reveals that I did not see coming. And I was satisfied with the ending. Overall this was an intriguing story with a lot happening.
Thanks to edelweiss and Dutton for allowing me to read this book.
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