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ukponge's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Abandonment, Racism, and Sexual content
sydapel's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.25
Straight. Up. BANGER. Nikki Payne absolutely nails Austen retellings, down to the minute references. I found Bear as the hero to be so unbelievably hot, in particular the longing he and Nora have for each other was some of the best depicted I have ever read. I would say it's lower on the spice scale, but the angst guys!!! Sorching.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Racism, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
alisonreadsdmv's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Sexual content, and Death of parent
lizzie_b99's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked this more than Payne's first novel! There were some words and phrases that were a little cringey to me, but that might be more of a personal taste thing than anything else. I know this is fanfiction for Sense and Sensibility, so this novel is replicating some of Austen's plot, but Bear deciding to marry Lu instead of Nora for the money really bugged me. I don't quite understand why he couldn't just marry her instead? Either way, it's not a super romantic proposal - being asked to marry someone so they can access their trust. I feel like Brandon and Yanne's budding relationship could have been developed a bit more as well. They seemed to go from 0 to 100 pretty fast (though that is within Yanne's character) This novel is really cute, and I like how it incorporated the character's from Payne's debut, but I'm not sure if Liza and Janae's characters felt consistent to me. Maybe it is because they interact with characters outside of their family and that context changes their behaviour more than I thought it would, but they felt overly critical - especially Janae. I liked seeing them again, but Janae honestly felt more like an Emma or Lady Catherine to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Medical content, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Death of parent
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
tddaffin's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
thisreadingcorner's review against another edition
The more we learned about Bear, the less I liked him. I finished this book, which is more than I can say about Pride & Protest, which I hated, but that’s a low bar. Yanne was annoying with a few well placed quips and Brandon deserved better (in fact I wish Brandon was the love interest). Also for all the talk of women being placed in shit situations, it’s odd for her to sympathize with Lu and not Felicia.
Personally, Bear’s brand of mess was way more than I would deem acceptable for a fictional hero and it took me entirely out of it (along with some of the language in the sex scenes and the weird let’s compare oppressions thing authors sometimes do in IR romances). Just fell flat for me and I won’t come back to this author after two hard no’s.
Personally, Bear’s brand of mess was way more than I would deem acceptable for a fictional hero and it took me entirely out of it (along with some of the language in the sex scenes and the weird let’s compare oppressions thing authors sometimes do in IR romances). Just fell flat for me and I won’t come back to this author after two hard no’s.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Chronic illness
reading_historical_romance's review
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
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
simplysimone's review
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Classism, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Abandonment
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