Sex, Lies and Sensibility

Starred review from November 1, 2023

At their father's funeral, Nora and her sister learn the shocking and humiliating news that their mother was his mistress, and they were his hidden family. Their father's other family spitefully gives them 30 days to vacate their lifelong home. Their only inheritance is an isolated house in rural Maine. But there's a catch--they have to find a way to make it a profitable inn, and fast, or they'll lose it. When they arrive, they find the house is beyond dilapidated and needs substantial work and money to be habitable. Luckily, Nora meets Ennis "Bear" Freeman, a local and member of the Abenaki tribe. Bear is struggling with financial woes of his own that threaten to ruin him and his entire community, yet he is still eager to help Nora reach her goal. However, shameful secrets from Nora's and Bear's pasts are now making it difficult for this budding relationship to become serious. VERDICT With super-sexy scenes, deeply emotional storylines, and strong Black and Indigenous characters, Payne's (Pride and Protest) modern retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility will appeal to readers who enjoy multicultural, smart, and highly entertaining contemporary romances.--Migdalia Jimenez

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2023
A young woman, haunted by her past, finds hope in the Maine woods. When Nora Dash's father dies, he leaves two bombshells for her and her sister, Yanne. First, he had a whole second family--actually his first, comprising a wife of 35 years and her daughter from an earlier marriage. Second, Nora and Yanne have inherited a dilapidated house on an island in Maine, and if they don't fix it up by Labor Day and pay off the mortgage, which is in arrears, the property will default to Felicia, their evil quasi-stepsister. Nora and Yanne decide to turn the property into an inn. After heading from Maryland to Maine, they find themselves the only Black women for 100 miles. But Barton Cove is not empty when they arrive. In fact, they are greeted by a mostly naked man warming himself by the fire. Although at first they think they've stumbled across a sex cult, what they've actually found is a tour group--including said naked man, who'd previously fallen in a stream and is now drying off. The group is led by Ennis "Bear" Freeman, an Abenaki man with dreams of becoming a college track coach. The chemistry between Nora and Bear is immediately palpable. After their awkward first meeting, they quickly decide to become partners: Bear will help Nora fix up the inn, and Nora will let Bear use the property to host his tours. But Nora and Bear both carry significant baggage: Bear is embroiled in a complicated relationship with his sort-of-ex-girlfriend and has a mountain of debt, and Nora is tormented by a sex tape that she and her boyfriend released in college. Much of the novel feels confused, with too much manufactured drama and an overabundance of plot points that at times takes away from the charming love story at its center. Despite these flaws, Payne's voice is fun and sexy, and Nora's thoughts in particular are a joy to read. A moderately juicy romance with winks to Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from December 18, 2023
Payne’s sparkling and sultry latest diverse Jane Austen adaptation (after Pride and Protest) puts a refreshing spin on Sense and Sensibility’s Dashwood sisters. Shenora “Nora” Dash’s world is thrown into chaos when her ex-boyfriend releases their sex tape without her consent, leading her to quit college and her beloved track team and to suffer from debilitating panic attacks. Then Nora’s father dies suddenly, and she and her sister, Maryanne (“Yanne”), learn they are his secret second family—and his “real” family isn’t about to let them have a penny of his estate. They’re left with only a dilapidated beachfront inn on Abenaki land in rural Maine, which Nora and Yanne must either transform to turn a profit or lose in foreclosure. Payne beautifully delineates the sisters’ contrasting personalities as Yanne’s free spirit and bohemian lifestyle leave Nora feeling alone and misunderstood, though she’s grateful that no one on the reservation seems to have seen her sex tape. Among these locals is Ennis “Bear” Freeman, who wants to honor his Abenaki ancestors’ values while carving out his own path. When he meets beautiful Nora, he sees an opportunity to help his tourist business by pitching in on the inn’s renovation. The ensuing romance is steamy and intense. Readers won’t have to be Janeites to appreciate Nora and Bear’s magnetic connection.

January 1, 2024
Nora and her sister, Yanne, are at their dad's funeral when they learn they are his illegitimate children. Instead of inheriting his wildly successful Dash of Love Seasonings empire, the sisters must turn a dilapidated house in Barton Cove, Maine, into a profitable inn in 43 weeks or lose it all. Nora is driven to make the Barton Cove Inn succeed despite Yanne's lack of focus and the distraction of a local Abenaki man, Bear Ennis Freeman. Bear has his own financial, personal, and professional struggles, including feeling alone in speaking out against a dam which would adversely affect everyone on reservation land. Homage is paid to the struggles of the Dashwood family in Austen's Sense and Sensibility, but with contemporary adaptations and a cast of Black and Indigenous characters creating new perspectives and possibilities. The countdown toward the last chance to save the inn, background details that build connection, and the discussion of environmental concerns and online bullying keep the pages turning. Some spicy scenes occur toward the end of the story.

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