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thereadinghammock's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
OK, so full disclosure, I've never read most of the classics or seen the movie versions of them. They've never really interested me, the closest I've come is reading the junior/abridged version of Jane Eyre in middle school and The Scarlet Letter in high school (though it was way better as a rock & roll musical, which is why I knew most of what was going on). But I digress!
Being able to go into a retelling of a classic like Sense & Sensibility without knowing ANYTHING felt a little sacrilegious, but also felt great because I wasn't anticipating the story beats, just enjoying how it unfolded (with some yelling at my steering wheel as I listened on my commutes).
Nora and Yanne's sisterly bond was familiar and relatable. My heart ached for Bear as his story and plight with Lou unfolded over the course of the novel, especially as everything seemed to unravel around him the harder he tried. A lot of it was a mess of his own making, and I saw everyone trying to make the best of a lot of bad situations, but it just goes to show that people pleasing doesn't really get you anywhere and just leaves a lot of people disappointed.
I appreciated the care, research, and effort that Nikki put in to not glamorize, white wash, or fetishize Rez life. It felt humanized, and like a real snapshot of what life can often look like for the Indigenous people of the US who are trying to preserve what little the government had left them of their ancestral lands and cultural practices.
I never trusted John from the moment he showed up, and I was SO GLAD to be proven right, even if it was a kick in the teeth for Nora and Yanne in the moment. Getting to rub Felicia's face in all of it at the end was SO SATISFYING!!
Being able to go into a retelling of a classic like Sense & Sensibility without knowing ANYTHING felt a little sacrilegious, but also felt great because I wasn't anticipating the story beats, just enjoying how it unfolded (with some yelling at my steering wheel as I listened on my commutes).
Nora and Yanne's sisterly bond was familiar and relatable. My heart ached for Bear as his story and plight with Lou unfolded over the course of the novel, especially as everything seemed to unravel around him the harder he tried. A lot of it was a mess of his own making, and I saw everyone trying to make the best of a lot of bad situations, but it just goes to show that people pleasing doesn't really get you anywhere and just leaves a lot of people disappointed.
I appreciated the care, research, and effort that Nikki put in to not glamorize, white wash, or fetishize Rez life. It felt humanized, and like a real snapshot of what life can often look like for the Indigenous people of the US who are trying to preserve what little the government had left them of their ancestral lands and cultural practices.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Colonisation, and Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent
wanderlust_romance's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.75
✨The vibe: Sophomore slump.
It really pains me to say that Sex Lies and Sensibility did not live up to its own marketing. Where was the romance? Where was the banter? Where was the humor? I couldn't find it.
Here's what you can expect from a plot perspective in SL&S:
1. Nora Dash is feeling the long-term reputation and financial effects of her college sex tape.
2. Nora and Yanne make their way to Maine to the dilapidated inn at Barton Cove with plans to YouTube University and HGTV their way through renovations.
3. The Dash sisters form a partnership with Ennis "Bear" Freeman to help them make connections with the community - and foster respect for the Abenaki land they are on.
4. Bear is hiding a huge part of himself from Nora, while also being financially and emotionally manipulated.
5. Secrets are revealed, cutting off any hopes of romance between Nora and Bear. (They pine anyway.)
6. The Dash Sisters manage to pull a hail mary and find financing to stave off Barton Cove's foreclosure.
7. Bear, free from the shackles of his secrets, goes back to Nora and they get their HEA.
TL;DR: renovate the inn amidst financial insecurity and find affection along the way. (You'll find list summaries like this throughout SL&S.)
The further into the book you go, the more the characters explicitly state (through their inner thoughts or in dialogue with others) that they feel a comforting sense of safety with the object of their affections. But those declarations feel disingenuine and shallow because the preceding interactions between the MCs don't support it. The conversations between Nora and Bear that would show them being emotionally open and vulnerable with one another, because they finally feel safe to do so, don't happen. To that effect, miscommunication is everywhere in this story. No one is talking about the meaningful things. And more importantly, the dialogue on page between the MCs was unnatural, lacking flow, and sometimes cringe worthy. Pride and Protest was my benchmark for comparison when it came to Payne's brand of humor and banter in a modern Austen reimagining. But everything missed the mark in this case.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Racism, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, and Gaslighting
Minor: Grief
reading_historical_romance's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Bullying
Minor: Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, Classism, Racism, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, and Panic attacks/disorders
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Nikki Payne wrote the slow burn of my dreams with this Sense & Sensibility retelling!!!!!
Nora (Shenora) Dash and her sister Yanne (Maryanne) find out that their family was her father's secret family at the funeral/reading of his will! They meet their step-sister Felicia (which Nikki, I'm cracking up because she directly writes "like 'Bye Felicia'!"), our villain of the story, who lets them know that their family inherited the Barton Cove Inn in Mount Desert Island, Maine. However, the property is currently in foreclosure ($517,000 !!!!) and the bank requires full payment before Labor Day next year. If they pay this off, Nora and Yanne will be entitled to the entirety of their father's Estate Improvement Fund (EIF), which is $3 million. Nora, Yanne, and their mother are also kicked out of their DMV/Maryland home that they have lived in for over 20 years, because it was in their father's name, so obviously Felicia will be taking the property. So, Nora and Yanne head to Barton Cove to pull off a miracle in under 43 weeks (their renovation begins on October 31st).
Nora has a hilarious albeit a bit jarring meet cute with Ennis "Bear" Freeman, an Abenaki man who runs People of the Dawn Sunshine Trails in Southwest Harbor, which he runs to make ends meet, but the business is clearly struggling. However, he also has a trust which will pay him out when he marries! Bear has obviously not enacted that, since he is not married, but his family especially, who had the same conditions in their trust fund, wonder why he won't succumb to getting married and put an end to his mode of simply surviving and not thriving. It is almost as if he is punishing himself...
Bear cannot escape his hero's edit by the local community. It clearly brings him great shame and discomfort, but that part of his past intrigues readers' curiosity as to what he is hiding. He does attempt to hide a stutter, but that's the least of his worries when he meets no-time-for-bullshit Nora; once they spend more time together, he knows he is in trouble! Their forced proximity in working together to renovate the inn turns into a friendship, based in interests around sports, as Bear recognized her from her college track star days, and they begin running together each morning.
Nora's past of being caught in a sex tape scandal and dropping out of college with just a few credits short continues to haunt her, especially when she contemplates romantic entanglements. She now navigates panic attacks and anxiety, which the revelation of being the "secret family" of her late father certainly did not help. I thought it was so clever when we finally get to the reveal of what Bear is hiding in regards to his "hero edit" in the local community (small town romance really hits harder in a community like this!), and how that viscerally upsets Nora and triggers her own recent trauma. Damn, that was a hard moment, and I felt for both her and Bear. NP illustrated Nora and Bear as cautious, heartbroken people with a protector's/savior complex, whether it was for themselves or for others, and the way this third-act conflict unfolded cut so deep. Nora felt a confirmation bias of "see, men are garbage" and Bear had to confront why he resorted to putting others before himself every single time.
Yanne has sickle cell anemia, like their late father, and operates as a free spirit, often contrasting Nora's cautious, stern demeanor. When she pulled a Two of Cups tarot card after they first met Bear and his cousin Moxcy, she yells "Divine partnerships! Mutual attraction," and I giggled. I love a little foreshadowing, especially with Yanne's goofy delivery. Yanne falls hard and falls fast when it comes to love, so while her quick dalliance with Moxcy was delightful, and I only wish this sapphic rendezvous turned into a long-term connection because both of these characters were so fun.
However, I understand the storyline needed Jon the corny, dusty, crusty rich dude who had Yanne dickmatized lol. It really did add to my frustration and exhaustion for Nora, because I was rooting for her to pay the $517,000 and get that $3 million, yet it seemed like Yanne could not grasp the gravity of how her unseriousness was getting in Nora's way ughhhh. On the other hand, I will say that Yanne delivered some hard truths to Nora about Nora's lifestyle and choices, and that's authentic to the tough love that only a select few people who truly know us, can give us.
Honorable mention to Brandon the accountant who was so incredibly precious and awkward; I love you Brandon! I was rooting for you from the beginning, you dork!
This story highlights familial trauma, public perception/misconception, guilt and remorse-driven choices, perseverance, renewed hope and finding joy, rebuilding after tragedy, and choosing yourself. I am so incredibly proud of Nora and Bear for the journey that led them to their HFN/HEA, and I am so proud of NP for writing this tender, vulnerable, hopeful story about people who once felt irredeemable and deeply ashamed, who learn to love themselves again. Each had resigned themselves to their current situations, distant and misunderstood, yet together, they finally accepted the love and care they always deserved.
Nikki Payne does recognize that she is not of First Nations/indigenous descent, but in her author's note discusses the cultural anthropology she dipped her toes in as she spent months immersed in the Wabanaki Confederation in Maine. She mentions it is out of an antiexploitative, antiracist humility that she endeavored with extreme care to tell a story that is as compelling as it is true to the character's lived experience. After reading this story, it was clear to me that this was written with great care and love, but I still welcome any indigenous/ownvoices to touch on the representation, as that is valid and important.
steam rating: 3/5 — those public sex scenes had me sweating😅
Nikki Payne wrote the slow burn of my dreams with this Sense & Sensibility retelling!!!!!
Nora (Shenora) Dash and her sister Yanne (Maryanne) find out that their family was her father's secret family at the funeral/reading of his will! They meet their step-sister Felicia (which Nikki, I'm cracking up because she directly writes "like 'Bye Felicia'!"), our villain of the story, who lets them know that their family inherited the Barton Cove Inn in Mount Desert Island, Maine. However, the property is currently in foreclosure ($517,000 !!!!) and the bank requires full payment before Labor Day next year. If they pay this off, Nora and Yanne will be entitled to the entirety of their father's Estate Improvement Fund (EIF), which is $3 million. Nora, Yanne, and their mother are also kicked out of their DMV/Maryland home that they have lived in for over 20 years, because it was in their father's name, so obviously Felicia will be taking the property. So, Nora and Yanne head to Barton Cove to pull off a miracle in under 43 weeks (their renovation begins on October 31st).
Nora has a hilarious albeit a bit jarring meet cute with Ennis "Bear" Freeman, an Abenaki man who runs People of the Dawn Sunshine Trails in Southwest Harbor, which he runs to make ends meet, but the business is clearly struggling. However, he also has a trust which will pay him out when he marries! Bear has obviously not enacted that, since he is not married, but his family especially, who had the same conditions in their trust fund, wonder why he won't succumb to getting married and put an end to his mode of simply surviving and not thriving. It is almost as if he is punishing himself...
Bear cannot escape his hero's edit by the local community. It clearly brings him great shame and discomfort, but that part of his past intrigues readers' curiosity as to what he is hiding. He does attempt to hide a stutter, but that's the least of his worries when he meets no-time-for-bullshit Nora; once they spend more time together, he knows he is in trouble! Their forced proximity in working together to renovate the inn turns into a friendship, based in interests around sports, as Bear recognized her from her college track star days, and they begin running together each morning.
Nora's past of being caught in a sex tape scandal and dropping out of college with just a few credits short continues to haunt her, especially when she contemplates romantic entanglements. She now navigates panic attacks and anxiety, which the revelation of being the "secret family" of her late father certainly did not help. I thought it was so clever when we finally get to the reveal of what Bear is hiding in regards to his "hero edit" in the local community (small town romance really hits harder in a community like this!), and how that viscerally upsets Nora and triggers her own recent trauma. Damn, that was a hard moment, and I felt for both her and Bear. NP illustrated Nora and Bear as cautious, heartbroken people with a protector's/savior complex, whether it was for themselves or for others, and the way this third-act conflict unfolded cut so deep. Nora felt a confirmation bias of "see, men are garbage" and Bear had to confront why he resorted to putting others before himself every single time.
Yanne has sickle cell anemia, like their late father, and operates as a free spirit, often contrasting Nora's cautious, stern demeanor. When she pulled a Two of Cups tarot card after they first met Bear and his cousin Moxcy, she yells "Divine partnerships! Mutual attraction," and I giggled. I love a little foreshadowing, especially with Yanne's goofy delivery. Yanne falls hard and falls fast when it comes to love, so while her quick dalliance with Moxcy was delightful, and I only wish this sapphic rendezvous turned into a long-term connection because both of these characters were so fun.
However, I understand the storyline needed Jon the corny, dusty, crusty rich dude who had Yanne dickmatized lol. It really did add to my frustration and exhaustion for Nora, because I was rooting for her to pay the $517,000 and get that $3 million, yet it seemed like Yanne could not grasp the gravity of how her unseriousness was getting in Nora's way ughhhh. On the other hand, I will say that Yanne delivered some hard truths to Nora about Nora's lifestyle and choices, and that's authentic to the tough love that only a select few people who truly know us, can give us.
Honorable mention to Brandon the accountant who was so incredibly precious and awkward; I love you Brandon! I was rooting for you from the beginning, you dork!
This story highlights familial trauma, public perception/misconception, guilt and remorse-driven choices, perseverance, renewed hope and finding joy, rebuilding after tragedy, and choosing yourself. I am so incredibly proud of Nora and Bear for the journey that led them to their HFN/HEA, and I am so proud of NP for writing this tender, vulnerable, hopeful story about people who once felt irredeemable and deeply ashamed, who learn to love themselves again. Each had resigned themselves to their current situations, distant and misunderstood, yet together, they finally accepted the love and care they always deserved.
Nikki Payne does recognize that she is not of First Nations/indigenous descent, but in her author's note discusses the cultural anthropology she dipped her toes in as she spent months immersed in the Wabanaki Confederation in Maine. She mentions it is out of an antiexploitative, antiracist humility that she endeavored with extreme care to tell a story that is as compelling as it is true to the character's lived experience. After reading this story, it was clear to me that this was written with great care and love, but I still welcome any indigenous/ownvoices to touch on the representation, as that is valid and important.
steam rating: 3/5 — those public sex scenes had me sweating😅
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Classism, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Sexual content, Chronic illness, and Medical trauma
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
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