Narrated by Ava Erickson & Sebastian York
My first attraction to Bad Reputation was because of the calibre of the narrators, particularly Sebastian York. But I read the blurb and it seemed like fun – a secret princess and a man trying to win her back from the would-be fiancé she’d only be marrying out of royal obligation.
The narration was very good – so good I persisted with the story long after I may have stopped reading the print version. There were things to like about the story; I did enjoy the connection and chemistry between Ally and Hutton, but there were so many things which didn’t make sense to me and/or which strained my credulity, in the end I wasn’t left with an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction.
Worldbuilding matters to me in contemporary romance – at least as much as in other subgenres. And even though the world of Bad Reputation includes the fictional Bavarian-ish country of Brudenbourg, it still needed internal consistency.
I was pleased that Brudenbourg is apparently a matriarchal society where only the female line can inherit the throne. That seemed cool. But then, I was told that the Crowned Prince (as the Queen’s husband is referenced throughout the book) has at least as much power and, in Ally’s parent’s case, that her father actually runs things and the Queen has little to do with ruling. Brudenbourg also has a (stupid) Chastity Law which means that the heiress to the throne has to be a virgin on her wedding night. Of course, given that Ally has been banging Hutton (very happily and with great chemistry it must be said) for the better part of a year, this is going to be a problem.
The fact of the Chastity Law was clearly a plot device to ramp up the stakes but it didn’t make sense in a society where the rulers are only female. Virginity is all about the patriarchy after all. Added to that, in the course of the book, Ally’s secretary mentions that Ally’s menstrual cycle is tracked and that information is shared with (unnamed) senior people. We also know that Ally is on the Pill so one assumes that she has had some medical examinations by an ob/gyn. Ally’s menstrual cycle is common knowledge (at least in certain circles) but her non-virgin status is a secret? I struggled to believe that was even possible.
Brudenbourg is an unusual country. There is a certain level of casualness which the royal family has which surprised me. I mean, you don’t normally read about someone knocking on the door of a palace and a member of the royal family answering it. The royals go out without bodyguards all the time and, when an incognito Ally was studying in Texas (where she met Hutton) she was accompanied only by her friend and secretary Margey and had no security at all. This despite the fact that her face had made the worldwide papers as a result of a scandal before she was effectively banished, first to England and then to Texas. She’s the focus of the paparazzi when it suits the story but when it does not, she can easily go about unrecognised. I guess one could build a world where the royal family is very casual but there was little support for it in the story. It was just inconsistent.
There were other examples as well but they all amount to the same thing. I’m happy to buy into a fantasy in romance but I need internal consistency for me to relax into it.
I did not love the character of Starla but not because she was an airhead manipulative maneater bimbo who didn’t like to eat so she could stay thin. I did not like that she was portrayed so meanly. It felt like a cheap shot. Can we be nicer to other women please?
On the plus side, I did like Hutton and his relationship with his brothers, Bennett and Ethan. I liked his relationship with his sister-in-law, Singer (Ethan’s wife). I enjoyed the connection Hutton had with Ally very much.
I’m positive it helped that the sections from Hutton’s perspective were performed by Sebastian York. He has a lovely voice, deep and sexy which is definitely no chore to listen to.
In the prologue I was a bit dubious that Hutton might be a bit of a dick – there were some questionable things he says or agrees with but thereafter he was mostly a charming guy deeply in love with his lady and desperate to find a way to be with her. I do like a hero in pursuit and it is rare in romance, even now, that a guy is willing to give up everything to be with a woman. Most often it is the other way around (alas). But it has to be said that everything about Hutton was improved by Sebastian York’s vocals.
Ava Erickson, who performed Ally’s sections of the audiobook was very good too. She had a good range of character voices and solid pacing and tone. Between the two narrators I had no trouble believing Ally and Hutton were in love.
The ending, while making me roll my eyes extra hard had some surprises I wasn’t expecting so that was good I guess? There were also things which were left unexplored – big issues which were, or ought to have been game-changers within the story.
Bad Reputation has a high rating on Goodreads. The book obviously has a lot of fans. Maybe the importance I place on world building and internal consistency makes me an outlier. For readers who don’t get fussed about that kind of thing, the book will be significantly more successful. The characters (mostly) are enjoyable enough and, for the first two thirds/three quarters of it despite my misgivings about the inconsistencies, I actually found myself enjoying the book nonetheless. However, the last part strained my credulity beyond breaking point. But the narration is very good and that counts for a lot.
Kaetrin
Buy Bad Reputation by S.L. Scott on Amazon
