I loved the opportunity to read about characters whose lives are so different from my own, but I wish Bear and Nora had spent more time together! I felt a little shortchanged in that department.

It is always unique seeing a retelling with a modern twist. This Sense and Sensibility retelling offers a brand new way to look at this story.
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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What do we want? All the Jane Austen retellings (particularly Sense and Sensibility)! When do we want them? NOW!!

The universe heard my loud call for action and gave me exactly what I was looking for- a super creative and inclusive and taking place in Maine retelling of Sense and Sensibility. My heart burst into 100000 pieces from happiness with all the Pat’s Pizza references...IYKYK.

Nora and Yanne Dash grew up wealthy and find out their father actually has a second family and was never married to their mother on the day of his funeral. They inherit a dilapidated inn on the coast of Maine that they have to make profitable in order to get their inheritance. Nora meets Bear, an abenaki man who wants access to the land around the inn to continue to run his Native American history tours of the area so partners with the sisters to help fix up their house if they let him use the inn and the land around it. Nora and Bear fall for each other, but both have secrets from their past that get in the way of their boning...and HEA.

I really enjoyed this one. It’s not easy to remake S&S in a contemporary setting and I think @nikkipaynebooks succeeds in making it all work on so many levels. I love her inclusion of an Abenaki man into this book and how she wove the modern Abenaki culture and politics into the story. I also love the bad ass and resilient Dash sisters- they bring so much humor, strength, and heart to this story. Payne, a cultural anthropologist, is so skillful with how she pulled all the different cultures/races together- Abenaki, African American, White Maine Islander (as a Mainer myself, I can attest that this is its own culture) to make this retelling work. If you love Jane Austen and want a smart, witty, deep romance this is the book for you.

Smut- 2.78 (warning: hot wigwam scene)
Romance- 4.56 stars
Story- 4.42 stars
Pat’s Pizza- 5.67 stats

This was okay, I liked it. I haven’t read Jane Austen so I had no correlation to base it on. I thought it was well written with a good plot, but I didn’t especially connect with the characters. I read it as a part of a Berkley Buddy Reads group

This was a stellar second novel from Nikki - I did end up enjoying Pride & Protest when I read it but with Sex Lies & Sensibility I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down. Definitely my favorite so far!

After the loss of their father and some shocking news at his funeral, Nora and her sister are left to transform a dilapidated inn in Maine and turn a profit in a few short months. When they arrive, they find Ennis (aka Bear) using said inn as part of his tours through the woods and Native land. Nora & Bear decide to team up & the tension between them is absolutely delicious from the get go! Their banter, the chemistry - and let's not forget that steamy AF scene in the wigwam.

I also enjoyed the little callbacks to Pride & Protest with the mention of the Bennett sisters and Liza's radio show - you certainly don't need to read that to enjoy the second book but I think it helps with the whole reading experience a bit!

(Thank you Berkley Romance for the gifted copy)

I could not love this book anymore! I haven't read Sense and Sensibility but I could see the outlines of classic literature in the plot. Nikki Payne has a beautiful writing style that really pulled me in. Nora was a very compelling character, I enjoyed the duality of her boldness and her hesitancy. Her story was complex and created a really lovely character to read. Bear was a fantastic male lead. He was so charming and sexy. I admired his need to care for others even when it frustrated me. The chemistry between Nora and Bear was amazing and the spicy scenes were incredible. Yanne and Brandon were scene stealers, I want so much more of them! I don't know when I'll ever get over this book if I'm honest.

3⭐️ 1.5🌶️

I have struggled with this review quite a bit and have sat in it for a while now trying to figure out how exactly I feel about it.

I will say, I highly recommend the book because it was good. Reading is also very subjective and just because it wasn’t a full hit with me doesn’t mean it won’t be for you.

I had a lot of fun reading it. The pining and sexual tension was so damn good and you could feel it through the pages. I giggled and kicked my feet and severely worried for Bear’s health after he had some encounters with Nora because the man was gone GONE.

What turned me off personally (and again, this is just a personal preference) was towards the 60% ish mark, where she is determined to have space and time to think and shows up to the grandma’s thing and here comes this man swinging his penis as if it’s a magic wand and trying to solve it all either it. I hate that. Specially when the FMC is determined on talking or doing something but gets derailed by some dick. Like what?! No. Absolutely not.

For a good part of the book I honestly had no idea what Bear did or where this ex of his came from. Idk if maybe I missed something or it wasn’t clearly stated. Nikki is so funny tho. She truly had me laughing a lot and I’m excited to read what she does next.

Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance @netgalley #berkleypartner #berkley #berkleybookstagram !!

Gonna cut to the chase real quick on #SexLiesandSensibility by @nikkipaynebooks — it’s such a fun take on what I think has Austen’s hardest characters to adapt that I cannot even imagine what your life is like if you haven’t read this already. Read it now.

Nora Dash is a former D1 track star derailed by a sex tape. She’s the stoic and dependable older sister to Yanne, a whirlwind of energy. Nora and Yanne have just found out that their father, a very rich man, had a whole separate family and that they’re the ones on the side. They’re left without many options now that he’s passed, but they’re willed a property in Maine that’s facing foreclosure unless they fix it up. Yanne and Nora pack for Maine, and they’re the only Black women for miles in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Bar Harbor is also home to the Abenaki Native people, and a reservation community. Ennis, or Bear, as he’s known, is the community favorite. He’s a high school teacher and track coach who yearns to GTFO and be a collegiate track coach. If only he wasn’t so bogged down in duty, and promises, and guilt, and obligation. And now they’re business partners palpably and hornily longing for each other while denying themselves - my fave!

This version of Edward Ferrars is my favorite, because he’s written carefully and we get to see his POV and in this version he has long lustrous hair and HE FUCKS, but Bear is lovely even though he’s trying to make everybody happy and therefore nobody is happy until he can get out from underneath his own garbage.

I’d like to see all of the art of Nora in her blue dress because I am THIRSTY, please and thank you!

There are things that are so special to me in this book and I can’t get over them: yes falling in love through sports movies (hello to Mighty Ducks 1, 2, and 3 🤠 QUACK), and yes to falling in love over long runs. Yes to learning how people pleasing lets a lot of people down, yes to overcoming one’s internet history. Just, yes.

(And hell yes, Lebron really IS the 🐐 and I do forgive him for leaving my Cavs for all the reasons stated in this book).

REVIEW FOR SEX, LIES, AND SENSIBILITY

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleyromance for the free digital and physical books! #berkleypartner

𝕊𝕎𝕀ℙ𝔼 𝔽𝕆ℝ 𝕊𝕐ℕ𝕆ℙ𝕊𝕀𝕊 👉🏼

𝕆𝕍𝔼ℝ𝔸𝕃𝕃 𝕋ℍ𝕆𝕌𝔾ℍ𝕋𝕊:
I’m skipping my usual format for reviews because I typically list what I liked and didn’t like about a book. And for this one it’s hard because I genuinely loved every aspect of this book. Somehow I’ve read a lot of Jane Austen retellings even though I’ve never read the originals, but this is my first Sense and Sensibility one. And I hope Nikki keeps writing more as I’ll keep reading them!

Like Nikki’s first novel, Pride and Protest, this book is so, so smart. Taking two disenfranchised groups of people and putting them against each other in a discussion about rightful property owner? Just 🤌🏼 :chef’s kiss:. Discussions of colonialism, class, duty…We need more of these stories that challenge the typical narrative and highlight these voices. Jane Austen was known for challenging the narrative at the time (or so I’ve read…as I said I’ve never read an original) and these books are living up to that in today’s society.

Let’s chat characters. Bear is an absolute lovable f*ck boy that you just want to slap upside the head lol. His sense of duty to his family, his legacy, the Abenaki people, and their land is his primary driver, and yeah he stumbles (a lot) but ultimately gets it right in the end. Shenora Dash is a bad ass B*TCH! I knew I was going to love her from chapter 2 with the Balenciaga dress (IYKYK). Nora has been through it, but still holds her head high (maybe a little too high). Her counterbalance, her sister Yanne (Maryanne) is a free spirit to Nora’s straight and narrow. Even the supporting characters all had main character energy, and made the book that much more enjoyable.

I could talk about this book all day, and in fact I’ve already attended one in person convo (thanks @eastcitybookshop) and one live event on insta. Every time I hear @nikkipaynebooks talk about this book I learn something new every time. If you like retellings, then read this- now lol. then slide into my DMs because I will be happy to talk about it 🙃

This is my second book from Nikki Payne, and I LOVE HER. She is the master at taking Jane Austen’s work and turning it into a modern gem. This is a retelling of Sense and Sensibility, with the sisters Nora and Yanne inheriting an inn in Maine, where they meet Ennis or Bear. Both Bear and Nora feel an immediate attraction, but will their various responsibilities and past traumas keep them apart? I loved Nora and Bear, as well as all the side characters. I love the story of Sense and Sensibility and I think this retelling was perfect, with Nora and Bear’s “sense” being family responsibility. I think Payne is a master at attraction and slow burn, and just so clever and funny, with a great writing style. I recommend this book for fans of Payne, Jane Austin, and interracial contemporary romance.

I just couldn't get into this one. I just couldn't follow it. Lots of bad movement and bouncing around.

✨ Review ✨ Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne

Thanks to Berkley, PRH Audio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I felt pulled in a lot of competing directions with this book.

I liked -
-the setting in rural Maine, near Abenaki rez land
-the open conversations the characters had about race, culture, and identity
-the collaboration between the characters as they both pursued goals of financial stability / business survival
-that the main characters were both track athletes and that Bear is a HS coach -- I don't think I've seen that in a book before!

I didn't like -
-the setting felt sort of ungrounded and I couldn't actually get the lay of the land
-the author seemed to do a pretty good job of familiarizing herself with Abenaki culture before writing the book and I do think she respectfully sets up her role as an outsider at the beginning. But I was unsettled by a non-Abenaki/non-Indigenous writer portraying Bear and co's role in the tourist industry and the way they were commodifying and selling parts of their culture.
-the romance wasn't really doing it for me and I wasn't sold by the side characters either
-the audio narration of Yanne (the FMC's sister) felt almost grating to me and it became hard to emphathize with the character.

I would read something else by her, but this one just really didn't work for me.

⭐️⭐️💫 (2.5 stars)
Genre: contemporary romance, Jane Austin retelling
Setting: rural Maine
Pub Date: 13 Feb 2024

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. I am a huge fan of Jane Austen but I might make a wild statement here by saying I think I actually enjoyed this retelling more than the original. Not only does this tackle the love stories of the two Dash sisters, but it also tackles some bigger topics that are so important. Just like with her first book, Nikki Payne writes such emotionally complex characters here and makes you truly immerse yourself in the story. I also really enjoyed the way she had each chapter with a unique and often funny title, and with a count down of sorts to a big event in the story that was looming so you always had it in mind, but also allowed you to immerse yourself in the current spaces we were in with the characters. Also my new favorite male main character is Bear, hands down. What an absolutely wonderful, complicated, sweet, genuine man that Nikki wrote. As a final note, as was true of the first book, the tension and chemistry was SOO well done.

I have a confession, I have never read a Jane Austen book before 😱 That didn't stop me from jumping at the chance to read a retelling.

Although it's a romance, it's so much more. It's a story of family, found friends and so many secrets, with strong characters who have so much grit.

This is my first book by Nikki Payne and I will definitely read more by her. I loved the representation of not only the black community but also the Abanaki tribe. I also appreciated the light that was shed on sickle cell anemia and speech impediments.

I did have a hard time connecting to the characters tho, but I am definitely willing to give her books another chance.

This is a slow burn with a lot of moving pieces because our main characters (Nora and Bear) need Barton Cove to happen. Nora has everything to prove learning that her family's financial circumstances are a bit unstable. We start the book with some family secrets that are surprising for all. Bear a local uses the home as part of his tour and dear I say has a meet cute with Nora that gets them started on a partnership that requires trust and keeping their hands off each other. Overall we get a good mix of finding oneself, family (found and blood), community impact, and love vs obligation. Yanne was a great comedic relief at times and I'm so glad that her characterization was leveraged as a sounding board for Nora rather than air headed sister. This story was layered with race relations, tradition vs capitalism, being authentic vs who people want you to be, and unraveling from past experiences (just to name a few). There were some pacing issues but I found the last 30% pulled everything together.

if you haven’t picked up one of Nikki Payne’s Austen adaptations, what are you doing? This spin on Sense and Sensibility features a gorgeous Maine setting, a dilapidated inn, and a sweet, sexy hero. You don’t need to read Austen’s work to appreciate Payne’s anthropological approach to storytelling, but I loved picking up on subtle name changes and clever plot devices derived from the original text. Additionally, Payne’s attention to detail around her setting and Bear’s Abenaki heritage shines on every page.

This is the perfect romcom???? I am so serious when I say that. This book was hilarious and chaotic and romantic and layered and I could not get enough of it. Nora and Bear are soulmates and I love them so much.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

A retelling of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY about Nora Dash and her sister Yanne, who learn they were their father’s second family and move to Maine to renovate the inn that is their inheritance.

This was so much fun and I was captivated from beginning to end. Nikki Payne writes with so much humor and I found myself laughing out loud so many times, while simultaneously so impressed by the way she handled difficult topics like race, colonization/the treatment of Native Americans, and sexual exploitation. I loved Nora and Bear and loved watching their journey unfold. All the small moments between them (“Nora Dash, I would love for you to braid my hair one day.”) grabbed my heart and refused to let it go.

As with Payne’s debut PRIDE AND PROTEST, this book is also an excellent retelling, hitting all the best notes of the source material and adding smart and entertaining twists for the modern era and the style of the new story.

Basically, I’m a huge Nikki Payne fangirl now, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. I can’t recommend her books highly enough!

CW: Classism; colonization; sexism/misogyny; sexual harassment; mentions of infidelity

I’m enjoyed this telling of one of my favorite Austin classics. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters and a couple of the side characters. The side characters all added a great element to this fun book. The he setting, the characters, chemistry, and witty banter made this a great romance to enjoy.

Thank you to Berkley for the complimentary book and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Sex, Lies, and Sensibility takes place in the same broad story world as last year's amazing Pride and Protest. But it focuses on new characters. As you would guess from the name, the heart of the story is two sisters, Nora and Yanne. When their father dies, he leaves them a property that is about to be foreclosed unless they can come up with money quickly. So they head off to rural Maine, where Nora meets Bear.

Nora and Bear both have fully detailed backstories and lots of nuance. I think I found it easier to follow the plot because I was already familiar with Sense and Sensibility. But I expect I would have enjoyed the book regardless of knowing the classic.

The tone of the writing was such fun with great chapter titles and short little TLDR synopses. And I was so impressed by the author's note at the start of the story, describing Nikki Payne's process of learning about the Abenaki culture to be able to represent it well within the text.

While I wouldn't go so far as to say there was lots of miscommunication, I did find myself wishing for more and better communication between Bear and Nora. I spent some of my reading just shaking my head at both of them. But I ultimately appreciated how this resolved.

The audiobook was especially well read with wonderful narration by Kacie Rogers and Phil Ava.