Ladies of the House is a modern-day adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, substituting the Richardson sisters of Washington D.C.* for the Dashwood sisters of Norland Park. Told from the point of view of Daisy, the older sister, we deal with the aftermath of their father's death and how the changing face of his legacy affects Daisy, younger sister Wallis, and mother Cricket.**

Daisy works as Chief of Staff for a senator from Maryland, struggles with acknowledging the unethical things that her father had done, and is in love with a journalist named Atlas. (I thought that Edward Ferrars was the ultimate dingus, but Atlas really takes the cake here. If you're just dating the Lucy Steele-analogue, you can easily dump her.) Wallis falls for the son of a dreadful senator from South Carolina, who (in true Willoughby fashion) proves to be a hypocrite and abandons her because of his family.

Edmondson's themes of political corruption and legacies felt very timely. I liked the sense of place we got, but the plot skewed pretty close to Austen's original outline. The pacing also felt slow at times, particularly since the relationship between Wallis and Blake fell apart at the halfway point. (Which was fine! Daisy had a lot to figure out. But it led to me wondering when the actual climax was going to occur.)

In short: a thoughtful modern take on S&S -- but perhaps a little too slow


*I'm not sure it was ever made clear what state their father represented? Surely Senator Richardson had a dwelling in his home state, but it seemed like they only had the DC house and a summer home.

**Daisy and Wallis consistently refer to their mom by her first name, both in narration and in dialogue. This felt really strange to me? I'm an adult, and I still call my mother "Mom."

I have never been a fan of the classics but I’ve always been a fan of an adaptation and this was no exception! I am always drawn to a DC setting. This book was perfect for me! The characters were easy to both hate and love in just the right way.

This was a perfect first book of the year for me!

Ladies of the House is described as a modern day Sense and Sensibility. I haven't read the original version so I don't know about that. The characters in this book seemed entitled but, that just goes along with the lifestyle and environment in which they live. I liked the book. I didn't love it.

The current rage appears to be the modern retelling of 18th century English novels. Ladies of the House is a modern remake of Sense and Sensibility. While I have never been an Austen fan, I do like the modern remakes. This novel runs the gamut of emotions: joy, despair, hope, love, and utter ruination. The Richardson women are left to pick up the pieces after the death of the senator, who was embroiled in a huge scandal;. I think the author did a good job of adapting the story to 21st century standards. It was entertaining.

A modern version of Sense and Sensibility. I always read Austen updates; they're rarely good, but the occasional gem makes it worth while. They most frequently suffer from one of two faults: either following the original plot and casting so slavishly that you might as well read the original, or straying so far that you find yourself asking "wait, *which* character from the original was this meant to be?"

This book suffers from the second.

Two well-to-do girls and their mother falling on hard times because of the death of their beloved father (and perfidy of their sister-in-law and weakness of their brother) is a very different story from the same trio suffering (sort of? There's no real urgency felt to their financial situation) because all three knew, to some extent, of the wicked deeds of their politician father and chose to cover it up. While his bad behavior went further than any of them realized, they're not quite blameless here, and that makes them a lot less sympathetic.

Plus, it's 2021. Who in their right mind wants to read about politics, especially corrupt politicians, right now?

I thought this was a great adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. However, while somewhat secondary to the story of the women perservering, the two romances were blah.

Really enjoyed this modern retelling of Sebse and Sensibility.I enjoyed the dialogue the story line.I found the book very entertaining will be recommending the book and the author.#netgalley#harlequinbooks

It took me a while to get into this book. I didn't feel much sympathy for the ladies of the house. I'm sure the author's goal was to reveal the inner strength of Cricket, Wallis, and Daisy, but I thought it was a bit prolonged to keep my interest. This has been such a grueling year for politics. I read to escape, and this book just pulled me back into the mud that mades up our government.

A modern retelling of "Sense and Sensibility" is told here. Daisy thought her life was in order, but she was wrong. Her father dies and it becomes known he had been having an affair and scandal breaks out. Her mother must sell the old family home and she and her sister, Wallis, must move. Atlas, Daisy's best friend, remains faithful at her side, but Wallis seems to be falling for completely the wrong man - and when he breaks it off with her, she is devestated. Daisy must pick up the pieces for her sister, even as she finds out Atlas is writing an expose on her father. Can Daisy keep her family out of the spotlight and change their reputation?

This is a refreshing take on the story, giving both Daisy and Wallis a bit more agency on their lives, though I have always enjoyed Sense and Sensibility. A good take from a debut author.

I was so excited to read this book but I could not get into it. I love Austen and find her characters to be deeply engaging but that is not how I found this book to be. Instead, the characters just annoyed me. Maybe others will be into this but I couldn't even make myself finish it.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. It is both predictable and full of stereotypes. There were segments I found interesting, but I didn’t think I held up.

The subject of political corruption in DC is very topical now and I liked the way the book focused not on the criminal politician, but how his downfall and discovery affected those he left behind.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

It took me a little to get into “Ladies of the House” but it was worth it. A modern day story of two sisters, Daisy and Wallis and their mother Cricket. Set in Washington DC the book opens with the death of their father/husband who was a beloved senator. Unfortunately mourning isn’t over before scandal breaks. There is a mistress, stolen money and the world the Richardson’s knew crashes around them. Each of the sisters responds differently to the situation but through it all they have each other. The title says it is a modern retelling of “Sense and Sensibility” and in the general sense it is. It doesn’t match character for character but follows the overall path.

This would be a good book for book clubs because there is much to discuss. The sisters reactions and choices. Who do you relate to more? Would you make the same choices as Daisy? The book is also clean for language and sex. I enjoyed the after notes from the author where she talks about her love of the original Austin novel and how she saw this as a book about the women. Just as in S&S the men are often off doing other things and it is the women and their actions that is the mainstay. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was smartly written. Great political dialogue and just overall banter. It was lighter on the romance than I thought it would be so I guess I was a little disappointed in that. Overall, an okay read, but just wasn't doing it for me.

I am normally very skeptical about retellings and this one was just perfect. It was clearly a retelling but if you hadn't told someone that it was, I doubt they would know. Lauren Edmondson is a wonderful writer and story teller. This was was great and I will definitely be buying it when it publishes.

A "ripped from the headlines" tale of political scandal and how it impacts the family of the deceased politician. Nice bit of romance to accompany the family's struggle. A very quick read.

I liked it, I didn't love it. Sense and Sensibility is not my favorite Austen's so maybe that is not a surprise. It was kind of slow, but the message is good.

I did not enjoy this book at all. I was so excited about the premise. A modern retelling of one of my favorite Jane Austen novels? Sign me up! This, however, failed to capture the wittiness and charm of Austen, and, what you're left with, is the story of, particularly, two protagonists that you spend most of your time wanting to shake.

Daisy Richardson's world is shook when, months after his death, she discovers that her revered father, Senator Gregory Richardson, is not the inspirational figure he seemed. Instead, it appears he was dealing in all kinds of illegal trades, leaving Daisy, her mother, and her sister to pick up the financial and societal pieces.

What follows is how the three women try to forge a path in a brand new world, and this is where the story loses its way. The main problem with the plot is nothing much happens, but not for lack of trying. There are several different side stories that had a lot of promise, but the author never delves far enough into any of them to make them interesting. By contrast, I was 60% of the way into this book still waiting on the story to get moving.

This book has an extremely interesting premise, but fails miserably on execution.

This book tells the story of the Richardson family where the father's death reveals secrets that will change the lives of all the women.

Daisy learns that her father, a prominent politician whom she idolized, was leading a deceitful life. She will have to take emotional and financial responsibility for the family in order to pay off the debts her father incurred.

This book was a delightful read; the characters were human with their imperfections and a desire to do the right thing. The story deals with family relationships in a time of crisis but also includes the development of a love story that was very enjoyable to read. Even though the storyline was a little simplistic, I would recommend this book.

I was utterly charmed by this story of two sisters, set in modern-day Washington, D.C. While this is a retelling of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, knowledge of Sense and Sensibility isn't required to enjoy the book. This novel tells a compelling story of how women support each other when the men in their lives have failed them, and how love can sneak up on you when you are busy worrying about something (or someone) else.

Daisy, her younger sister Wallis, and their mother, Cricket, are at their father's funeral when they find out that he (an esteemed Congressman), didn't die alone, but rather with his mistress, and there is evidence that he used public funds to pay to maintain her. Daisy works as a chief of staff for another Congressman, and always thought of her father as her role model for going into public service. In the aftermath, the women have to sell their two homes and figure out new paths forward. They watch "friends" ignore them and have to endure name-calling and worse (a brick through the window) from disillusioned constituents.

Wallis begins an ill-advised relationship with the son of a senator from the opposite party, which not only puts her heart on the line, but Daisy's job as well. Daisy's best friend and secret crush, Atlas, is offered the opportunity to write a piece about her father and his misappropriation of funds, and she isn't sure whether it is better to share it all, or kill the story and save face, at least until another journalist finds out how long he had been embezzling money.

The joy of this book is in the relationships between the main characters. Daisy and Wallis learn to lean on each other (or rather, Daisy learns that it is okay sometimes to lean on Wallis, rather than always be the strong older sister). The descriptions of the sometimes insular life of Washington, D.C. is fascinating, because most of us will never experience it ourselves.

The women find love, but more importantly, they find they are strong, capable, and resilient. All's well that ends well, and this book ends happily for everyone.

Thanks to Netgalley for this advance copy!

Ladies of the House by Lauren Edmondson is a modern retelling of Sense & Sensibility. I truly enjoyed this book- I am a huge Jane Austen fan and a huge fan of Sense & Sensibility so I went into this book very excited to see it done well while also aware that I had very high expectations- but my expectations were certainly met!

There are enough differences and alterations in this book to still make it feel new and interesting- I was surprised multiple times with twists that I certainly didn’t expect and thoroughly enjoyed. I loooooved Daisy with my whole heart and thought Wallis was such a fun and layered character. What I loved about Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility is that it’s about the women of the family forging their own paths and figuring out their own lives, men were secondary. The women developed and grew and blossomed with each other and on their own, and the romance was simply a cherry on the top in Sense & Sensibility, and Ladies of the House remains true to that key aspect. Ladies of the House showcases strong female characters who grow and develop together, which I absolutely adored.

A super solid debut novel- I will most definitely be watching Lauren Edmondson to see what she puts out next!

A big thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley, and Lauren Edmondson for the ARC and the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.