It is difficult to write an adaptation of a Jane Austen novel and do it well.

The Richardsons are a political family in Washington, D.C. After the passing of the patriarch of the family, Gregory Richardson, his wife and daughters are shocked to learn that he has been stealing money for years, not to mention that he was having an affair that they all knew about but never mentioned to the others. As a result, they are left dealing with not only their grief, but having to reconcile the man they thought him to be against the man he was hiding from them.

Readers may find themselves cheering for the Richardson women, but it does not prevent this novel from falling short. This storyline feels as though it has been covered time and again, and this rendition feels tired and flat. The setting and characters are two-dimensional and predictable, and the complete absence of the youngest sister leaves a hole in the heart of Austen fans.

While this is not a terrible book, it is mediocre. Perhaps it was too much to take on as a debut novel.

***I would like to thank Harlequin and Netgalley for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book.***

Ladies of the House by Lauren Edmondson is a charming, modern version of Sense and Sensibility. When Senator Gregory Richardson dies in the company of his young mistress, his family will never be the same. His wife, Cricket, is forced to sell her beautiful home and daughters Daisy and Wallis try to deal with the fallout and subsequent shame as best they can.

And that’s not all. Other things about the Senator start to come out that further complicates things for the women he left behind. Cricket, Daisy, and Wallis must gather their strength and confront the challenges of their new life with courage they never knew they needed- or possessed.

Here’s the plot:

No surprise is a good surprise. At least according to thirty-four-year-old Daisy Richardson, a woman of routine, order and careful thought. So when it’s revealed in dramatic fashion that her esteemed father had been involved in a public scandal before his untimely death, Daisy’s life becomes complicated—and fast.

For one, the Richardsons must now sell the family home in Georgetown they can no longer afford, and Daisy’s mother is holding on with an iron grip to this last vestige of their former life. Her younger sister, Wallis, is ready to move on to bigger and better things but falls fast and hard for the most inconvenient person possible, someone Daisy can’t bring herself to trust. And then there’s Atlas, Daisy’s best friend. She’s always wished they could be more, but now he’s writing an exposé on the one subject she’s been desperate to avoid: her father.

Daisy’s plan is to maintain a low profile as she works to keep her family intact amid social exile, public shaming and quickly dwindling savings. But the spotlight always seems to find the Richardsons, and when another twist in the scandal comes to light, Daisy must confront the consequences of her continued silence and summon the courage to stand up and accept the power of her own voice.

This book is clever, witty, and fun. I was entertained throughout and loved the writing. Jane Austen would approve!

Coming in February! Pre-order here.

I enjoyed this update of Sense & Sensibility. The female family dynamics were believable. but the father was a real villain. The friends to lovers trope is cliched but worked here. .

Media sparks flew when Senator Gregory Richardson was found dead of a heart attack with his twenty-seven-year-old mistress. His wife Cricket along with his two daughters, Daisy and Wallis do their best to regroup in the aftermath but their lives will never be the same. Their long time affiliations quickly evaporate, and they become unwelcome by friends in their social circles. They soon discover that their father left them in a precarious financial situation and are forced to sell the family home in Georgetown.

While trying to rebuild their lives, Daisy's main concern is protecting her family and keeping them out of the public spotlight. When additional unsavory information is revealed about her father, she must make decisions on how to salvage what is left of her family name.

Ladies Of The House by Lauren Edmondson is an engaging modern retelling of Sense And Sensibility. This current take is refreshing as the women take matters into their own hands and forge a new path for themselves. I look forward to more works from this debut author.

A great modern take on the classic ‘Sense and Sensibility’ by Jane Austen. I liked Wallis so much more than I ever liked Marianne. Daisy was an excellent match to Eleanor and I have to admit that I was so taken by the story that I forgot that <spoiler>Atlas/Edmond doesn’t actually get engaged or married to Ari/Ms Steele<\spoiler>!

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ladies of the House was a modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility and it was spot on for the writing, the characters and the new plot. She remarks that men are largely absent from most of the book, the focus is on the women but, “... the men’s system of power still dictate[s] the story...” so we can see how women act within that structure. This is a fascinating take on Austen’s work and, I think, gives us even more layers than the original.

Any Jane Austen fans out there? Do you also enjoy retellings? If so, this one is for you!

For fans of Curtis Sittenfield’s Eligible, Ladies of the House presents a modern spin on Jane Austen’s classic Sense and Sensibility, and I found it to be just delightful.

34-year-old Daisy Richardson is the daughter of a US senator who works as the chief of staff for another US senator. So when it’s revealed in a dramatic fashion that her esteemed father was involved in a public scandal before his untimely death, Daisy’s life in Washington DC becomes complicated—and fast.

For one, Daisy’s family is now broke. Her mother must now sell the treasured family home in Georgetown. Her younger sister, Wallis, comes home from her international travels and falls fast and hard for the most inconvenient person possible, politically speaking. And then there’s Atlas, Daisy’s best friend. She’s always wished they could be more, but now he’s writing an exposé on the one subject she’s now desperate to avoid: her father.

Daisy’s plan is to maintain a low profile as she works to keep her family intact amid social exile, public shaming, and dwindling savings. But the spotlight always seems to find the Richardsons, and when another twist in the scandal comes to light, Daisy must confront the consequences of her continued silence and summon the courage to stand up and discover the power of her own voice.

I just loved these strong female characters and watching them come into their own as they begin to realize that Senator Richardson’s mistakes are not their own and begin to take control of their own destinies. There’s a romantic factor, yes, but it’s not the main focus. There’s a strong theme of sisterhood, I think the story will resonate with today’s climate of uncertainty and the rising role of women in politics.

It took me a while to get in to this but I really liked it in the end. I have to admit, I'm not sure I ever read Sense & Sensibility so I'm not sure how close this is to the original. The characters really grew on my and even though it was somewhat predictable, it was still very good.

LADIES OF THE HOUSE was a little bit of a slow start for me. I didn't feel connected to Daisy and the writing seemed superficial. However, I'm glad I kept reading because this is a terrific story and I especially enjoyed the character development as this family contends with a surprising scandal and navigates ups and downs while grieving the patriarch's death. Fans of Jane Austen's SENSE & SENSIBILITY will of course find much to admire here. Also recommended in general for fans of women's fiction.

Ladies of the House: A Modern Retelling of Sense and Sensibility by Lauren Edmondson is a heartfelt debut of sisterhood and feminism.  Full disclosure: I have not read Sense and Sensibility and I am not familiar with the story.  That being said, I fully enjoyed this book on it's own merit.

When the D.C. politician and patriarch of the Richardson family passes away unexpectedly, he leaves behind more than his wife, Cricket, and daughters, Daisy and Wallis.  With every scandalous revelation, the women realize that life, as they knew it, is over.  Ladies of the House follows Daisy and her family as they attempt to reconstruct their social, professional, and romantic lives.

I adored Daisy.   She's definitely flawed, but she's also tenacious, loyal, and intelligent.   Her growth and development throughout the novel is inspiring to women everywhere.  The counterpoint provided by Wallis's free-spirited character was equally enjoyable.  Together, these two women (three with Cricket) prove that the shadow of a man will not impede a woman's success.

While I wouldn't say romance is the main focus of this novel, the tension between Atlas and Daisy kept me turning pages until the very end.  

I highly recommend this novel for fans of Chick Lit or those looking for a modern twist on an Austen classic.  I look forward to more of Edmondson's writing in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN Trade Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

I loved this book. Not only did I love the story, and the characters, I also loved the author’s writing style. From the minute I started this book, it immediately drew me in and made the characters familiar to me.

When Daisy’s father dies, he leaves the family scandalized and in debt.
Daisy works in government and what he dad did could jeopardize her good name and her job.

Daisy is now trying to help her mom Cricket and her younger sister Wallis too. They sell the family house and move into the apartment above Daisy.

In addition to the family scandals making her life harder, Daisy is nursing a crush on her best friend Atlas. She has loved him for 15 years and he’s never shown anything more than a friendly interest. My heart was breaking for Daisy, I rooted for her and Atlas through the entire story.
Meanwhile, Wallis falls in love quickly with someone that indirectly causes Daisy more trouble at work.

I loved the characters. I said that before but I’m saying it again. These characters aren’t cliches. Cricket, the mom, is not irritating, domineering or clueless. Daisy is strong but scared to death to open up to Atlas about how she feels. Wallis isn’t flaky, or irresponsible, she’s not the immature, selfish little sister that we get in plenty of family based stories. This is a family of good people who truly love each other. They support each other. Atlas too.

This story was somewhat inspired by Jane Austen and I liked how that was done, the story wasn’t predictable because of its inspiration but it follows Austen’s ideas of sisterhood, strong women and a leading man you root for.

I loved it.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!!

I adored Ladies of the House by Lauren Edmondson. I finished it in two days because I couldn't put it down. It was a wonderful retelling of Sense and Sensibility but even if you haven't read any Jane Austen you are still in for a treat. The writing was entertaining and the characters and their feelings so believable. And I felt like I was right there in DC seeing politics in action as well. Loved it!

This is a fun, modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. This book will be enjoyable for both Austen fans as well as those who have never read her. The author has a very witty style of writing, and I was entertained right through to the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC for review.

Lauren Edmondson's Ladies of the House is a modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility and it is perfect! I inhaled it in one sitting and fell totally in love with the Richardson women. Bravo!

I loved LADIES OF THE HOUSE — a delicious tale of politics, loss, redemption, and romance and my fave book yet of 2020.

It’s a contemporary retelling of Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, one I prefer to the original. That’s heresy to staunch Janeites, I know, but it’s my truth and I’m sticking to it.

I loved the gutsy characters of Daisy and Wallis Richardson, daughters of Cricket and their Senator father, who dies in bed with his mistress and leaves disgrace, financial ruin and heartbreak in his wake.

Throughout the emotional fallout, I kept rooting for the Richardson women, who dig deep to find the strength to survive, yea even thrive, even when more of the late Senator’s wrongdoings emerge.

Each woman must mourn and accept the truth of her life before becoming strong enough to claim her true self, fortified by the support of each other. Only then can they open to enticing new life and sumptuous love.

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 09 Feb 2021

Thanks to the author, HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada), and NetGalley for a review copy. Opinions are mine.

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