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

emotional 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

A creative modernization/reinterpretation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. I particularly loved the reimagining of Colonel Brandon as Brandon the CPA, which kept the vibe of the original character while giving him a new place in the story of two sisters trying to avoid financial ruin. The writing was very evocative and gave a great sense of the cultures of both the Black and Abenaki characters and how that influenced what they cared most about. As often happens with these sorts of books, I found myself frustrated at the point at which the miscommunications kept piling on seemingly just to extend the story - although many of those do come from or at least had obvious inspiration in Austen’s original story. There are a couple of very explicit sex scenes, which I thought were well written but went on a bit long for my taste and pulled me out of the flow of the story. Individual reader experiences will differ on this point. Overall a good read for romance fans in general and particularly for fans of Austen-inspired stories.