A review by lizzie_b99
Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne

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. 
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