This was a modern retelling of Jane Austen's 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.

The retelling was fun and fresh with charming characters and the unique setting of a cruise ship. I enjoyed the dynamic and different personalities of the three Dash sisters. The pacing was good but the ending felt rushed, and I felt like something was missing (I'm just not sure what). Overall it was just an ok read.

Dashed was a really cute YA romance that was very light and heartwarming. I found this to be on the whole very surface level and lacking a bit of depth with all of these characters. I didn't find myself really fully being invested in anyone, but I still found the story to be fun and a quick read. For there not being too many stories incorporating theatre kids, I was hoping for some more there with Gabe, but I did feel like for most of the ending, he wasn't even present for and I almost started to forget about him.

Overall, this is a fun boo if you are looking for something light and fun and maybe with a travel theme.

Many Thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Marianne unexpectedly shows up on a cruise and Margaret now feels like she needs to be by her sister's side the entire time.

I like how the story is focused on the lesser known sister in Sense and Sensibility, Margaret. We see her sisters and their relationships through her eyes. Being the youngest she naturally views things one way, but eventually her sisters give her a different perspective on life and relationships.

I enjoyed the characters and the events. it takes place over the course of a summer and that summer went by very quickly.

This book wasn't my favorite of the Austen retellings by this author, but I still enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Dashed focuses on the tumultuous family bond between 3 sisters. Margaret feels like if they all stick to their lanes and what is expected of them it will keep them all safe and together. This is way easier said than done when it comes to Marianne. While this book really packed in the crazy rom-com antics, it was unfortunately not for me. I had a hard time connecting with all the characters, the repeated miscommunications, the strained sisterly relationships, and Margaret's type A personality, and the need to control everything.

This was a very sweet sisterly story and perfect to read during the summer months. I have never been on a cruise, but enjoyed the environmental setting.

"Dash" is a compelling and heartfelt story that beautifully captures the complexities of teenage life and friendship. The characters are well-developed, each bringing a unique perspective that adds depth to the narrative. The writing is engaging and often humorous, making it a joy to read. While the plot has a few predictable moments, it still delivers an emotional punch and resonates with themes of growth and connection. Overall, it's a touching and enjoyable read that stays with you long after the last page.

DASHED by Amanda Quain


This is a contemporary update of Jane Austen‘s beloved sense, and sensibility

It’s a story of the Dashwood sisters going on a family Caribbean cruise all told by the narrator of the little sister Margaret.

All the information about being on a cruise ship for the summer was interesting. To me that sounds like a dream vacation.

Overall, it was an okay read.

This is a cute and fast-paced story following Margaret as she tries to help her sister get over heartbreak on a cruise ship. I thought the setting was fun and the three sisters had an interesting relationship. Seeing their sibling bonds be tested and grow throughout the book was definitely my favorite part.

As a lover of Jane Austen, I’m always down for a retelling. In this case, a kind of remixing of sorts. The author asked the question I also ask when I read an Austen: what about that one sister? The one who never quite makes it to the spotlight in the novel, the Mary, the Margaret? This story, of course, gives us the framework of what happened after “the end” of Sense and Sensibility and also what if it happened in modern day on a cruise ship? This was a really fun twist! Margaret is a constant internal battle between being reasonable and poised like Elinor and jumping feet first into any and everything like Marianne. Along the way she meets Gabe, who is working tech for the various shows on the cruise. I liked how their relationship developed and how he interacted with the different shenanigans that occurred. I also really really loved the way Edward was portrayed in this book. It feels so true to his characterization in the OG story. This book has a romance, yes, but it also is really about sisterhood and being yourself. I really enjoyed it even if Margaret annoyed me with her decisions sometimes.

I felt I was missing something while reading this book .

Initially wanted to read this because I’m a huge Austen fan and was excited about the sentence sensibility remake hitting the high seas - but I found once I started reading the premise didn’t make much sense.

Why were the Dashwood sisters invited to go on this month? One cruise due to their brother and work? Does that even work out?

The cruise ship seemed very mediocre and not really someplace. I’d like to live for a month.

Beyond those logistics, the fake relationship Margaret barks on was hard to get behind .

Lastly, I was wondering if not reading the previous series sent me in a disadvantage. I’m getting behind the dashboard in there cruising adventure.

DNF @ 26%

This author is one of my FAVORITES when it comes to Austen retellings - so I was really looking forward to Dashed (and the Dashwood Sisters)! But something about the flow of the story and the writing style in this novel just didn't work for me. It felt a little repeitive? And instead of offering new information and insights, the author just kept repeating the same info and phrases over and over. I'll definitely read whatever she has out next (and I still have to go back and read Ghosted - which I am PUMPED for - you know, after I figure out what Northager Abbey is about. haha).

I actually ended up listening to the audiobook of this novel. I quite enjoyed it.
I wouldn't call it a Romance, but more of a journey of self discovery, amidst family drama.
The setting was fun though. I could literally picture the cruise life and the events, and the author did well to explain it all.

Truthfully this one unfortunately wasn’t the most memorable for me (which made me a little disappointed since I REALLY enjoyed “Ghosted” by this same author), but it was still pretty solid overall and I appreciated the representation featured here!

Unfortunately, I no longer am interested in reviewing this title. It looks adorable, but I simply do not have the time to spend reading books I am not interested in.

3.5*

Dashed was entertaining, albeit a little frustrating. I liked Margaret, but she was hard to take at times. She was caught between her sisters, not really knowing which one she wanted to be like more, or less when it really came down to it, when she should have been concentrating more on finding herself. Which, to be fair, by the end of the book she had.

I've never read S&S so I didn't have much to go on, when it came to the idea this book was based on, but like the other books by Ms. Quain, I don't think that matters much. They can be enjoyed for what they are.

Thank you to @wednesdaybooks for the copy of this book! This YA book is a cute story inspired by Sense & Sensibility. So of course I was super excited to read it because I love stories inspired by the classics - especially Jane Austen.

Set on a cruise ship, Margaret Dashwood and her two sisters are traveling for six weeks of summer (while Margaret’s brother-in-law serves as the ships chaplain). There is a lot of angsty emotion and drama from one of the sisters and a lot of planning and structure from the other - while Margaret is trying to figure out who she is and how she fits in.

Really cute, with all the summer vibes. Very YA - Margaret was a little repetitive at times, but overall fit the mold of a YA FMC. I will admit I now need to go read Sense & Sensibility to see what that story is all about (I love Pride & Prejudice but have been meaning to read the rest of Austen’s work for way too long!).

"But my life always went haywire when Marianne showed up, and today was no exception. In my defense, I didn't think she would follow us onto a cruise ship."

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of Dashed in exchange for an honest review.

Dashed is a contemporary YA novel inspired by the classic "Sense and Sensibility" and centers around Margaret Dashwood (the youngest and least impressive Dashwood, as she will love to remind you), who is just trying to enjoy her last summer before college with her oldest sister, Elinor and her husband aboard the Queen Mab. Margaret is also excited to escape her second-oldest sister, Marianne who is going through a terrible breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Brandon. Little does Margaret know, Marianne has decided to join the other Dashwood sisters on their vacation. Margaret decides that in order to salvage her summer, she needs to find a new boyfriend for Marianne ASAP! With the help of a cute crew member, Margaret sets out to find Marianne a new boyfriend while trying to avoid love herself.

While I did like this book, I didn't love it nearly as much as the previous two Jane Austen retellings that I've read by this author. Dashed took a long time to get interesting and Margaret annoyed me for much of the book. While it appeared on the outside as if she wanted to help her heartbroken sister, she was actually quite selfish the entire book. She also accused Marianne of only caring about herself but the minute that events deviated from Margaret's carefully curated plan, she freaked out and started treating everyone horribly.

However, I did enjoy the character of Gabe. He was interesting to me and he just really wanted to help Margaret from the minute he met her. I also really loved Edward, Elinor's husband. He was there for each one of the girls exactly when they needed him, almost like an older brother for Margaret and Marianne. He was also super protective of Elinor but also allowed her to be her amazing independent self. The last few chapters of this book redeemed Margaret and Marianne in my eyes. but it just took too long to get to that point.

I would say that if you enjoy rom-coms, summer romances, and cruise ship settings, I think you would enjoy this book. Overall, I would give it 3.5 stars!

Dashed by Amanda Quain is a modern day take on Sense and Sensibility and I think it's a solid novel. This novel is sweet, involved, a bit chaotic (in a good way) and very fun!

Margaret has spent her life idolizing her older sisters and wanting to be just like them, but she never really figured out who she is. Was she carefree and dramatic like Marianna or calm, reserved and sensible like Elinor. This novel explores that for Margaret. Margaret and her sister Elinor are set to board a cruise for a 6 week trip with Elinors.husband Gabe when Marianna decides to join them. Marianna has a plan to get Margaret to find a suitor. Margaret, with the aid of Elinor, Edward and new friend Gabe set out to fake dates as Margaret isn't keen on actually dating. As this is a romance novel there is a man who Margaret unsuspectingly starts to fall for.
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I truly enjoyed this story for the romance, the adventure, the family story and more. It was a beautiful representation of Austen's great characters. The storyline was solid, though the cruise logistics seemed a bit off-base (did I care, not really!) And the writing was incredibly well done.

I would recommend this novel to anyone that loves Jane Austen, coming of age stories, light/sweet romances, and amazing settings.

If this had just been about romance on a regular length cruise, this would have been cute. Add in the messy relationships with sisters, and it had a little heft. But there was so mush suspension of disbelief needed for this story to happen that it was difficult to get really lost in it. Just when I am getting into the story, something else happens that makes no sense (the entire family on a free six-week cruise because one of them is a guest lecturer – I don’t think even the captain gets those kinds of perks). This was cute but because of my cruise addiction, it was difficult to let go of reality to follow this through.

This is billed as a Sense and Sensibility reworking but on a cruise ship. It has been a while since I read Sense and Sensibility, but it is always one of my favorite Jane Austen Stories. I love practical Elinor and flighty and romantic Marianna so I was very excited to read this book and boy oh boy was it so worth it. It captures the essence of all the characters but updates them into a contemporary and fun setting of the Caribbean.
I am a huge lover of coming-of-age novels, and this follows Margaret as she learns who she is. She spent her life idolizing her older sisters and wanting to be just like them she never really figured herself out. Was she flighty and dramatic like Marianna or calm and sensible Elinor.
While I loved the story line, I loved Margaret and Gabe as they find youthful love I truly loved that this was a story of sisters and family.
By far my favorite character was Edward. He was the pick ball playing, bashful and lovely l hero of this story. I loved that Margaret grew to really know her brother-in-law through their time on the cruise.
I really enjoyed the story. It made me smile, it made me cry and I just loved reading this story that reminded me of my favorite Austen characters.
I would recommend to anyone that loves Jane Austen and coming of age story, light easy sweet romances with an amazing setting.