I adored Payne's Pride and Protest, so I was really excited to get my hands on a review copy of Sex, Lies and Sensibility. This is another modern retelling of a Jane Austen classic and it was exquisitely done. Payne's characters have such depth and she builds amazing tensions that pops off the page. This book will certainly be one of my favorites this year.

This was absolutely sensational. I was addicted from the very beginning and couldn’t put this down. It was a single day read for me and I loved how multifaceted and complex the characters were, even the side characters.

Nora is an exciting MC who has a lot of grit and whose past will resonate with so many. Her cyber bullying past was handled respectfully and honestly, showcasing how that mistreatment affected Nora long term and how it constantly puts her on edge.

“That’s all Nora wanted, a Honda Civic of a man.”

As for Bear, he was such a fascinating character. Far from a simply charming romantic interest, I found myself drawn to Bear’s backstory and character more than even Nora’s. His past and mistakes definitely aren’t easy, they aren’t clean and you don’t always view him favorably. In the end I still believe he deserves his hard won freedom, but the sacrifices he makes were at least a little bit quite deserved. The characters in Bear’s family and circle were all very interesting as well, showing different aspects to tradition, honor, duty, and loyalty that each ask readers to examine how they define those concepts themselves.

“As the quiet boy with a stammer, Bear learned fast to keep his thoughts and desires to himself.”

While the passion and tension absolutely sizzled, I did find myself wanting more from the intimate sexy scenes, it felt like they weren’t given their due time to show how far the characters had come. The wigwam scene was amazing, but after that it feels a bit..stilted.

Lastly, there were so many complex secrets and events unfolding at the end but the ending itself felt abrupt. I have questions about Lu and what happened to her, about Basil and Sunshine Trails, about Nora and her inheritance. What about the special nonprofit project—how is that progressing and what type of impact was it making? It just felt like the door was abruptly closed. This would have really benefitted from an epilogue to give us a glimpse into all these great threads and events that were introduced but are never really resolved.

“You gotta choose your reputation or your soul.”

I can’t wait to read the next book by this talented author. There’s clearly so much heart and passion Payne poured into this and it absolutely shows.

Well, I’ve been dragging ass on reading Nikki’s previous book and somehow I got to this one first and it was a damn delight.

I loved Nora and Bear. She appears crunchy, but is all heart. He appears to be the golden boy, but is struggling. Together they have chemistry for days and a glorious slow burn relationship that goes from business partners to friends to so much more. Of course, I loved Yanne and how free she was to be unapologetically herself.

Plot wise, it’s good. There’s a slow unfolding of secrets and full stories and even with all of the open conversations, I still wanted to take these two and mash their faces together at every scene. The way they yearn for each other is some of the best that I’ve read (and while I can’t remember much of S&S, I have to believe Jane would be proud.)

Overall, this was a delicious story with characters who were easy to root for. My only “complaint” is that I wanted more of them at the end, but I know I’m just being greedy.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

During the reading of their father’s will, Nora and her sister learn they’re part of their father’s secret second family, and their only inheritance is a dilapidated Maine vacation house. Seeking help from tour guide Bear to renovate the property, Nora uncovers long-buried secrets that could strengthen their unexpected partnership—or tear them apart.

I loved the characters in this fun retelling of “Sense and Sensibility.” Nora is strong and likable. Bear is kind and sympathetic, but he has some work to do on himself. It’s an entertaining and ultimately satisfying read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

*2.5

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the ARC!

I want to start off with saying that I really liked that the author decided to do a Sense and Sensibility retelling with a POC cast, the FMC Shenora being a Black Woman and Ennis or Bear being Abenaki. Along with the disability rep (fluency disorder and Sickle cell disorder)

I really enjoyed the first few 150 pages, Nora and Bear had a great beginning. I was super duper into their relationship, I felt like they complemented each other at first. Nora giving Black Cat energy and Bear giving golden retriever energy + they had common interest and seemed to have a great developing relationship. And some of their conversations and exchanged words made me smile but then we hit the 60% mark...

Everything after the 60% had me scratching my head in confusion and smacking my forehead in annoyance. Suddenly I was seeing so many overwhelming red flags from Bear which I honestly DID NOT EXPECT. And parts of the story that I was so conflicted about.

Bear started off as such a great character until he wasn't. I mean I understand that no MMC is "100%" perfect but the potential that he had was thrown down the drain with a trope that I was simply not a fan of.

And he DID not make up for it in the end, normally if there was a certain amount of groveling I would be semi satisfied but I truly feel like he did everything BUT that. This man did not get on his knees and beg for forgiveness in a way that I personally would approve on.

Nora to be honest deserved better than what those around her were giving her. She was let down by so many people, her dad, her sister, her ex-boyfriend and Bear. My girl Nora did not get the justice she so desperately deservered. Which left me feeling extremely unsatisfied in the end.

And because this is an early review I cannot exactly go into details about the conflict but it truly made my blood boil.

I am pretty sure that this book could be another's cup of tea but it in fact is not mine. I really hope others are able to enjoy this book much more than me.

I really enjoyed this book! I'm not as familiar with the original Sense and Sensibility, I read it so many years ago I only remembered the very broad strokes, but this take on the story was fresh and fun. Nora and Bear were both realistic characters with flaws and imperfections they were trying to work through. I loved that their relationship progressed over the course of many months and you could see the natural progression from friends to full blown being in love. The tension and slow-burn romance between them was agonizing in the best way.

The rest of the characters were fun and the villains were villain-ing hard (sometimes too much for me personally) and Brandon was an absolute MVP. Every scene he was in was delightful. Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the arc! All opinions are my own.

Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne
Narrators: Kacie Rogers and Phil Ava
Rating: 3 stars
Pub date: 2/13

After discovering that she is part of her late father’s secret family (at the will reading), Nora Dash and her sister, Yanne, head to Maine to fix up the abandoned beach house they just inherited. When they arrive, they’re surprised to find a fake park ranger already there.

Ennis "Bear" Freeman needs a plan to keep his business running. Using this abandoned house has always worked, but when two city girls show up to claim the property, he quickly discovers that working with them is better than trying to work against them. As he and Nora navigate business and personal secrets, they find themselves working well together and going from potential enemies to friends to lovers.

This modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility was a lot of fun to read. I’m very conflicted about my rating, however, because on the one hand, I enjoyed the story. I loved the disability rep (speech impediment and sickle cell), the humor, the interracial relationship, and the relationship between the sisters. Complicated family dynamics play a big part in the story, which is always fun to read about, and Payne does an incredible job highlighting the indigenous culture and history of the Abenaki tribe. Also, the spice in this book is HOT, which is a big plus.

Unfortunately, I struggled with the author’s writing style. There were a few times when I thought I missed a scene and had to go back and reread, only to find that I didn’t. Situations that needed more description and explanation didn’t have it, but then other scenes were over-explained.

I also had a hard time reading the spicy scenes. Some of the word choices were comical and really took me out of the moment. Here are two examples:

"The sounds her body made were filling her ears, like someone stirring pasta. So loud and wet. She clenched around his fingers."

"She felt Bear everywhere. His tongue, his hair sliding between her fingers, his lips, his teeth, his hands, his smoky cologne, his dick against her belly harder than advanced trigonometry,"

I loved the author’s sense of humor throughout the book, but this did not do it for me.

Overall, this was a quick, fun read that I’m sure a lot of people will love! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley Romance for my advanced copy and PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook. Read if you like:

*disability rep
*BIPOC characters
*dual POV
*open door spice
*friends-to-lovers
*slow burn

The way I wholeheartedly am OBSESSED with this Sense and Sensibility retelling is indescribable!! The entire cast of characters have a forever place in my heart for all time and this isn't even my favorite Jane Austen story!!
Full of heart, humor, disability rep (FMC panic attacks, MMC with a stutter and side characters with sickle cell disease and chronic injuries caused from a car accident), plus a large cast of BIPOC characters and two leads with a profound sense of family duty and responsibility!!

This was the most beautiful dual POV, slow burn, friends to lovers romance between Nora, a Black former female track star and Ennis 'Bear,' a Native Abenaki eco-tour guide with a heart of gold and a huge guilt complex. Nora finds herself stuck living in the remote Maine wilderness with her free-spirited queer sister, Yanne as the two are determined to beat all odds and restore a run-down inn so they can gain an inheritance from their deceased father.

Huge props to Nikki Payne for writing ANOTHER masterful Jane Austen retelling that is sure to deliver a new generation of fans in this SPICY adaptation that is both swoony, socially conscious and FANTASTIC on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for an early digital copy and @prhaudio complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review. I seriously cannot stress enough just how cleverly written this book is!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-denial
-Sense and Sensibility retelling
-an appreciation for a good list
-friends to lovers


I just love Nikki Payne's voice, like a friend is just pulling you along for the ride. I adored Nora. Quiet, kciked around by the world and just trying to figure out her place in it, close with her very much an opposite sister. And definitely not looking for love when she happens opon Bear. Gosh Bear, just the softest, sweetest man with a bit of a hero complex with the weight of the world and his community. They both had walls built so high and I just loved watching these two fall for each other.

Some times two people can be strangers yet speak each other's langauge and that was the magic here, Nora and Bear just understood each other. I adored how he started going on runs with her, sharing with her his special time, letting her in without even realizing it. There was plenty of drama as these two figured out their lives together and I was along for that ride.

Delighted to include this title in the February edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

3.5 stars

Nikki Payne has a knack for writing romcom stories with heft - aided, of course, by the strong plotlines, social commentary, and character studies left by one Jane Austen for all of us to take ample inspiration from. I had read and enjoyed the author's debut, Pride and Protest, last year (a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice). I enjoyed this take on Austen's debut too. My issues with both books were similar - the author seems to take on too much with her plot, and at times it can feel too non-stop with no breathing room from the breakneck intensity when needed, or even when that's there, things do feel a little fast when they occur (important transitions, revelations, epiphanies). The author knows how to craft a compelling story, however, and the stories are genuinely funny and warm-hearted. I also appreciate the author's commitment to authenticity - her research, the care, sensitivity, and nuance she shows towards representation of characters, experiences, and voices not generally seen in mainstream fiction.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

While this one didn’t really work for me, I can see why others love it and is one I would still recommend.

I appreciated the BIPOC cast of characters and the depth of Nora and Bear as individuals. I will say, there were a LOT of characters and I struggled to keep track at times.

This was also one of those instances where the 3rd person POV just didn’t work for me. Between that, the large cast of characters, and the overall slow pace, I struggled to connect with the story.

Overall, I can tell that Nikki Payne is an incredibly talented writer, but I don’t think her writing is for me.

I have really conflicted thoughts about this book. On one hand, I love the representation and laughed out loud quite a few times. I do like that the focus of this book is on the Elinor (Nora) character versus the Maryanne character, mostly because Maryanne annoys me SO much in the original Sense & Sensibility. I do think the spice was written well and made sense in the context of their relationship.

On the other hand...I think this book just really wasn't for me! The characters felt really over the top for me (particularly Nora's sister, Yanne) which lead to me not really being able to connect with them. There was just a lot going on plot wise with this book which I think may have worked for me if we got to know the characters better. But many chapters had at least a week or two jump between them which I think means we missed a lot of relationship growth between Bear and Nora.

I also really struggled with the pacing in this book - the beginning was a slog to get through for me and I contemplated DNF'ing. And then I got to about 50% and I just could not see how these characters were going to get their HEAs given all of the stuff going on in their lives. So I ended up finishing the book that night because I just had to know how they were going to achieve an HEA. And of course, they do! The ending did feel a bit rushed but again, that could be because of my need to finish.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sex, Lies and Sensibility is Nikki Payne's Sense and Sensibility retelling featuring two Black sisters, Nora and Yanne struggling to refurbish a beach town inn on Abenaki land.

I quite enjoyed the story of these two sisters, both very different yet their love for each other shines so brightly. I loved the portrayal of community and the exploration on Abenaki culture and heritage. While I very much enjoyed the plot, what quite didn't click for me was the writing - particularly in the dialogue and the sex scenes. Which is quite surprising cause I enjoyed Payne's debut novel Pride and Protest.

In this novel, there is quite a lot more spice, as the title does suggest and here are a few excerpts from my reading experience that while may not work for me, might work for you:
"The sounds her body made were filling her ears, like someone stirring pasta. So loud and wet. She clenched around his fingers."

"He was growling in her ear, kneading her neck, and he was so deep inside her that if he came, she was afraid it would come out of her mouth."

"Bear bucked in her mouth like a bronco.
'Yes.' His eyes were rolling to the back of his head. 'You're sucking it like you love it, woman. Do you love it?'
She stuffed her mouth with all of him and placed his hand on the back of her head."

"Her eyes were all over him -- buttery skin, fat cock glistening and so hard she could hang a winter coat on it -- so engorged the tip shone purple."
"This was the new Good Dick Gold Standard (TM)"

"Her cry was so powerful that a flock of birds exploded out of a nearby tree and shot past her window.
That was it.
Time of death: dick o'clock.
Bear screamed, actually hollered, and dug himself into her."

And finally, from the chapter entitled Advanced Trigonometry:
"She felt Bear everywhere. His tongue, his hair sliding between her fingers, his lips, his teeth, his hands, his smoky cologne, his dick against her belly harder than advanced trigonometry,"

I don't think the book is bad - just not for me. I didn't really connect with the characters at the beginning and had a hard time continuing the book. I also hadn't read or watched sense and sensibility - not sure if that would have made a difference but I didn't really feel like I had much to look forward to so I wasn't compelled to continue reading.

First off, good job to Nikki for really doing her homework in representing the Abenaki people and the African American culture in this book!! It was incredible seeing an author truly doing the homework to make sure everyone was well represented.

I wanted to hug Bear in his stubbornness to support everyone. I also wanted to help Nora complete this house because her sister was a hot mess! This book read more like fiction than romance to me. Don't get wrong. There definitely is romance and SPICE, but it seems to be on the outskirts of two people really trying to accomplish their goals.

This was a hard book to follow. There were so many characters that it was hard to read who was speaking, and I often had to go back and re-read lines, making this book more frustrating than enjoyable. I do want to listen when the audio comes out to really put myself into this book. The book had two big things going at the same time(renovations and track), which to me didn't blend well and made the book feel a bit messy.

Pride and Protest by Nikki is still one of my all-time favorite reads, so I loved the tie-in! Overall, I did like this book it had some humor, and Nora and Bear are super loveable!!

Thank you for Netgalley for this advanced copy♡

“I’m yours, Nora. Body and soul, I’m yours. If you’ll have me.”

I love Jane Austen retellings, but every once in a while you read one that is particularly remarkable. Nikki’s retellings are god tier. Pride & Protest was one of my top reads last year, so reading this one, I was nervous I wouldn’t like it as much. But truly, this is a masterpiece from start to finish.

Nikki has this incredible ability to weave intelligent, complex, love stories that are not only socially relevant and tackle important topics, but they stay true to the original story they are inspired by, and have all the butterfly inducing moments that we all love in romance books. And her smut? Idk how she does it, but it’s always so intense in the best way.

I will be thinking about this book for a long, long, time. Absolute perfection.

*I received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

A book with potential but wasn't for me. The language in parts did not sit well with me. I loved that it was a romance story between two interracial people, and not just black and white. The setting for the story was unique and intriguing. Plus the idea of quaint B&Bs appeals to me. I like that there are chapters from Nora's and Bear's POV. Yanne was an interesting character too. Definitely not your typical side character but someone that gave something extra to the story.

Side note, I hate her college ex that posted that video online. I haven't read Sense and Sensibility yet, so I can't say how it compares for a retelling.

I liked the layered, diverse characters, the setting and renovation storyline. But ultimately this was just too slow for me and it was hard to stay interested.

I've read a lot of Pride and Prejudice retellings but this might be buy first Sense and Sensibility retelling and it was truly fantastic. I can't speak to the Abenaki rep but I found the exploration of their culture and heritage very interesting. I adored Nora and Yanne, their sisterly relationship was really beautiful and complicated. The book addresses some really dark topics in a way that feels wholly modern and yet alludes to the original work as well. I adored the slow developing relationship between Nora and Bear though there was a moment towards the very end when I got a little nervous about how exactly this was going to play out. I did not care for Lucy or Basil but that's ok, the main attraction was Nora and Bear and also Yanne. Also, Felicia getting what she deserved made me so happy.

Content Notes: revenge porn, online bullying, toxic family relationships