This author just isn’t for me. The writing is childish and boring. A half hearted attempt at a regency romance and I forgot this author is crazy Christian.

*thanks to NetGalley & Thomas Nelson for this ALC*
RECAP: After 2 failed seasons, Emmeline Lockhart agrees to help former flame Simon Reeves find a wealthy bride, determined to ignore their lingering chemistry - until she wonders if their love story isn’t over after all.

REVIEW: Audiobook is dual narration, for Emme & Simon. Cute, predictable, but I felt like there wasn’t enough to the plot to keep me invested/hooked. By the halfway point, I felt like I was too far into it to DNF, so I just soldiered on. But looking back, I probably should have just put this one down… If you’re looking for a regency romance with no spice (closed door innuendos is about it), you may enjoy this one. To that end, this also read a little YA as well.

I Adore This Story! I listened to the audio book and enjoyed every minute! The dual narrators are outstandingly talented and bring vivid personality and emotion to the characters. The writing is fantastic with engaging storytelling. Simon and Emmy are amazing characters who are selfless and kind. The journey through the ups and downs of their relationship is full of heart and tender romance. The ending is very satisfying and delightful! I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy clean regency romance. I was given a copy of the audio book of this story for review. This is my honest opinion.

Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham is an absolute delight for Regency romance lovers—especially those who enjoy a witty, low-spice story with charm, banter, and a dash of scandal. Emmeline Lockhart is a heroine to root for: independent, sharp-witted, and determined to protect her dignity (and her heart) after being left high and dry by the oh-so-charming Simon Reeves. I loved how she wasn’t your typical Regency heroine—her success as an anonymous author added a refreshing twist.
The romance between Emmeline and Simon is layered with tension, second-chance longing, and just enough vulnerability to make the emotional payoff incredibly satisfying. Simon’s fall from fortune and his need to protect his younger siblings sets the stage for heartfelt moments, clever banter, and personal growth on both sides.
Pepper Basham’s writing strikes the perfect balance between humor and heart, with nods to classic Regency style but a modern wit that keeps the pace lively. If you’re a fan of Tessa Dare or Eloisa James but want a cleaner read without losing the sparkle, this is a perfect pick.
My only tiny quibble—and the reason for the half-star deduction—is that I wanted a bit more resolution in the final chapters between Emmeline and Simon’s past hurts. Still, the journey was charming, the characters engaging, and the ending satisfying.
Verdict: A witty, tender, and charming Regency rom-com that’s perfect for cozy afternoons.

Described as a "second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance," this is a clean Regency rom-com, with plenty of misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and mischief. The characters are likable, especially the children, and although the plot is a bit silly, the story is pleasant with light-hearted humor. I thought the book could have been shorter and still satisfying. The audiobook was skillfully narrated by Fiona Hardingham and Christopher Ashman.

I had so much fun listening to this book! It’s the perfect mix of romance, humor, and just the right touch of Regency drama! Plus Emme was such a sweet standout character for me! She’s clever, kind, and has this compassion for everyone that made me just fall in love with her right from the very beginning! And Simon… well, let’s just say he may have had a rough first impression, but learning his reasonings and watching his growth made the story so satisfying.

Plus, the side characters were such a treat too! Between the younger sisters shenanigans and Aunt Bean’s rather interesting lessons, I definitely laughed out loud more than once! And I just have to say, the sibling dynamics added so much heart to the story.

Between the humor, the sweet romance, and those tender emotional moments, this book kept me smiling from start to finish. If you love a good Austen inspired story with a fresh, fun twist, this one’s definitely worth picking up! (And worth picking up even if you aren't a big Austen fan ;))

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Pepper Basham’s foray into regency romance is completely perfect!! With her exquisite sense of humor and proclivity for mischief with main characters, I was delighted and entertained from start to finish. Emmeline and Simon are so perfectly suited and even when they know they can’t be together, their integrity and loyalty are commendable. Thank goodness love always wins! Their journey to happily ever after is filled with poignancy, humor, romance, and all the emotions that kept me fully engaged. I am so happy with this new genre for Pepper and I genuinely hopeful for more to come.
Having the privilege to listen to the audiobook was especially fun as the narrator did an excellent job representing all the characters and bringing them to life.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Oh my, how I loved this story! I am a sucker for anything remotely related to the works of Jane Austen! And this one was adorable! I loved the way the characters came together with such beautiful writing. I loved the way the story reflected Sense and Sensibility! So well crafted and another fabulous story from this author! I also thoroughly enjoyed the narrators! They did a wonderful job portraying such wonderful characters! Loved it!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this story, all thought and opinions are my own!

Regency romance readers! Assemble!
We have here a marvelous specimen of the clean variety!

The plot you ask? It is quite simple.
Our heroine, Emmeline Lockhart was literally left on read by the man she had put all her hopes on, Simon Reeves. He left her waiting for a proposal, disappeared, and her reputation almost went down the drain. But she is prepared for a future with no husband! She is a famous novel writer! Scandalous!
Yet when Simon is back her heart still aches for him and evidently there had to be a reason for all that happened. For one, his hands are full with his unruly sibling and the estate. But there has to be more that he is not telling.
Maybe, just maybe, there is still a chance?

Pepper Basham writing is simply delightful and the story she created will for sure keep you entertained and engaged.
Perfect for a cosy day of relaxing reading, especially if you are listening to the audiobook. Fiona Hardingham and Christopher Ashman narrations are a treat!

You want banter? Check.
Numerous references to Jane Austen and her work? Check.
A hero that is as smitten as our Colonel Brandon was? Check.
Surprise chicken attack? Check.

“Sense and Suitability” is a must read!

I LOVE REGENCY ROMANCE BOOKS! They hit a sweet-spot of my preferred genres of historical fiction and fantasy. Pepper knocked it out of the park with this one. It was cute, the characters were complete cinnamon rolls, and Pepper really made you emotional over the turmoil of their situation. Ahhh! Cannot say enough good things about Sense and Suitability. I also love that it borrowed from and referenced the Queen of Regency Romance, Ms. Jane Austen, herself. It was cute that Pepper used Sense and Sensibility as an inspo but then also used the book as a plot device in her interpretation. Really brilliant! Normally, I'm more of a spicy romance reader, but this book kept my attention while still being squeaky clean, which is rare these days. Brava!

3/5

This was a sweet romance, and the main characters love story was nice to listen to.
However, I found the audio a little bit tinny at times and the story did get slow at some points as well.

Pepper Basham’s new regency era novel, Sense and Suitability was such a cute Austen-esque romance.

The protagonist, Emmeline Lockhart, thought that she had found her soulmate in Simon Reeves during last year’s Season, but his two-line note broke off any understanding and broke her heart. As it was, their small village wasn’t rife with options, so Emmeline threw herself back into her secret and shameful hobby: writing. It allowed her an outlet and a way to make some money of her own, even though she was too scared or embarrassed to spend it.

Flash forward to this year’s Season, and Simon isn’t just Simon anymore. He’s been saddled with a title, and Emmeline is being forced to marry by her aunt, who doesn’t want to see her alone and unprovided-for. And in customary Emmeline fashion, she accidentally bumps into Simon at a ball, where she then finds herself living an Austen novel’s plot.

But as Simon is now titled, there is no way that an authoress, who is the daughter of a country gentleman, could ever hope to marry him. And as his home is in disrepair with no funds left, there is no way that Simon can marry someone without a huge dowry.

Can Emmeline find her own happy ending?

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for this wonderful audio ARC!!

Sense and Suitability is a delightful blend of charm, wit, and heartfelt moments. The characters are easy to root for, and the story strikes a lovely balance between humor and depth. A warm, satisfying read that leaves you smiling.

A thanks to netgalley for a audio-ARC of this book.

While reading this book you really feel like you went back into time to Regency England. The author has given a lot of details to really build up the time period.

It is a Roman story but some points. It kind of felt like the focus was more on the finance of the characters lives. This is something I haven’t really seen in Regency romances before to this extent what made it feel like it was not just a copy of the Regency era books blueprint.

I absolutely loved this book. It was great fun to listen to and had loveable characters whom I found easy to root for. I highly recommend this audiobook, you can't go wrong with it. Tropes include second chance and forced proximity.

The audiobook narration was fantastic. I really enjoyed the dual narration and appreciated that the accents matched the time period. The actual story itself however, did not land for me. I felt myself wanting it to pick up and for something to happen.

This book was an absolute delight and I loved all the Jane Austen references. The ending was exact what I had hoped for and it left me feeling great the rest of the day. The writing is excellent and with zero spice, this book held its own. Definitely recommend!

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a delightful Regency romance. Not really an enemies-to-lovers romcom, rather a forbidden love. The reference to Jane Austen's novel works quite well, and even the book in subject makes a cameo in the story.

Emmeline and Simon are exactly the characters one would expect in a Regency book, and the cast is complete with the playful and cheeky siblings as well as the straitlaced and meddlesome aunts.

I have read the book and listened to the audio version in parallel. Fiona Hardingham as Emme and Christopher Ashman as Simon were doing a great job narrating the book.

Contains an audiobook review.

This is a kisses only Regency era romcom. It's the first Regency book written by Pepper Basham.

Full disclosure, I don't know much about Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. I have seen one of the movies, but I can't remember anything about the plot. I do remember I thought Emma Thompson was too old for the role and I don't like Hugh Grant. I can not make any comparisons between this book and the original that I strongly feel influenced it. There are many references to the actual book in this story. For me, as a non fan, those were a little distracting, but they could possibly be delightful to a fan or even someone that understood the storyline. Having said that, my review is based solely on my impression of this book on its own.

I thought there were some very funny parts. Blast is my favorite character! There was so much that I did enjoy, but there were a few scenes that I didn't quite make a connection with. Again, that is probably because I didn't understand the original inspiration for them. I would personally love to see Pepper Basham do her own Regency story.

Now, for the audio. This is a dual narration book and both the female and male readers were top notch. I have heard the male narrator read other books with a different kind of accent. I thought he brought a whole new perspective to this character. That is something I appreciate so much. I love when the narrator actually adapts to the book rather than making the book sound like every other book they have performed.

I was given the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book through Netgalley by Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio. I"m voluntarily leaving an honest review.

An excellent historical romance full of love, loss and loyalty

Read if you enjoy:
- Historical romance
- regency era society
- Second chance romance
- forbidden love
- match making
- lots of secrets
- Slow burn

This book follows FMC Emmaline an independent secret author who is trying to navigate her third social season following a scandal which broke her heart. however the season starts of instantly rocky when MMC Simon a well known rake and head of his crumbling household arrives looking for a bride - on the outside Emmaline seems unfazed even if the very man that she thought she loved is causing her heart and head to stumble again. The season just got interesting for both of them.

I couldn't seem to put this book down, it encapsulated historical English society as well as providing an interesting and engaging plot that gave the characters within the book a chance to have redemption arcs and brilliant development throughout. One of the things I enjoyed the most about this book was the different kinds of relationships we got to see throughout not just romantic relationships, but ones between friends, parents and siblings, the book included Simons younger siblings and I thought they were brilliantly written all of them having their own unique personalities, characteristics and speech that actually fit the children's ages.
The romance was very swoon-worthy and I caught myself smiling several times throughout the book

This is the first book I have read from Pepper Basham and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I am a big fan of historical/ regency romance but sometimes they can feel slightly 'samey' or too close to trying to copy the classics but this one was wonderfully unique while giving recognition to the strong female characters written by jane Austen.

I listened to this book in audio format and really enjoyed the narrators, they were talented in both roles of male and female as well as the voices of children in the story. I look forward to reading more from this author and hope that she will endeavour in writing more regency stories