Margaret Dashwood has seen what a life led by romance vs sensibility looks like thanks to her older sisters, Marianne and Elinor. She's decided that being sensible like Elinor and avoiding romance at all costs is the safest way to life. So when she finds herself trapped on a cruise with recently dumped, romantic Marianne, she enlists the help of handsome crew member Gabe to throw some love options her way in hopes of saving her orderly plans for the summer.

I appreciate that this spin on the story of the Dashwood sisters centers on the youngest because it makes it even more original and gives Quain a lot more freedom to play around with her character. Everyone knows how Elinor and Marianne are likely to act, but Margaret is a blank canvas that becomes a confused teenager trying her hardest to figure out if she wants to be sensible like Elinor or emotional like Marianne.
We get creative spins on classic characters and new characters for Margaret to interact with. Gabe feels a little too one-dimensional, but he has a purpose, and it's to be the handsome man who makes the heroine question everything she thought she wanted in life. He's a true hero in the most authentic Austen style.
But honestly, what I loved the most was that Edward Ferrars gets his moments to shine and proves that he might not be the most outlandish of Austen's leading men, but he is still the best. His interactions with Margaret are the sweetest and most well-rounded of any other character in the book. It's him who gently pushes her to figure out how she really feels, and he does it while mounting a valiant rescue effort during a hurricaine. I love it.

It's sweet, romantic, and refreshingly low on the dramatics, which makes it a perfect summer read.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the fun, emotional read!