I enjoyed this book, but not because it was supposed to be a retelling. I thought the setting of Washington DC and Charleston was a great selection and did (a little tongue in cheek) show off the workings of the government. It starts off with the standard beginning, the father of the family dies and leaves his family penniless, so everything gets sold off the family must adjust to living like the "other half" lives. But this father is a US senator and he didn't just squander his money, buy the funds of many others, which complicates his older daughter's career, who also works on the hill. All the characters stay true to form and the inevitable happy ending is eventually reached. It is a light-hearted read and just enough fluff to get the reader's mind off of what is really happening in the nation's capitol.

I really tired to get into this one, but ultimately DNF'd at 11%. The characters were flat and I kept getting confused by the multiple characters and names each used. I didn't see any Austen in the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of <i>Ladies of the House</i> in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

<h4 style="margin-top: 84px;">The Gist</h4>

<i>Ladies of the House</i> by Lauren Edmondson is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s classic <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> set in contemporary Washington D.C. This novel explores themes of family, scandal, and societal expectations, drawing parallels to Austen’s work while presenting a fresh perspective.

<h4>The Details</h4>

The story revolves around the Richardson sisters, Daisy and Wallis, and their mother, Cricket. The family’s comfortable life is upended when their father, Gregory Richardson, a prominent senator, dies suddenly. Following his death, a scandalous affair and financial ruin come to light, leaving the women to navigate their new reality. Daisy, the practical and steady daughter, steps up to support her family, while Wallis, the free-spirited sister, grapples with her own dreams and desires.

Edmondson does a commendable job of creating relatable characters. Daisy’s sense of duty and Wallis’s pursuit of independence are well depicted, capturing the essence of their Austenian counterparts while giving them unique modern traits.

Furthermore, the author’s depiction of Washington D.C. adds a layer of intrigue and authenticity to the narrative. The political backdrop enhances the story, making the stakes feel higher and the societal pressures more intense.

The exploration of family dynamics, responsibility, and personal growth are handled thoughtfully. The novel effectively addresses the challenges faced by women in the public eye and the expectations placed upon them.

However, some secondary characters, such as love interests and political figures, lack depth and development. This occasionally makes their interactions with the main characters feel superficial.

<h4>The Verdict</h4>

Overall, <i>Ladies of the House</i> is a pleasant read, particularly for fans of Jane Austen and modern retellings. Lauren Edmondson successfully captures the spirit of <i>Sense and Sensibility</i> while offering a contemporary twist. The novel’s strong character development and engaging setting make it worth reading. It earns a solid three stars for its heartfelt exploration of family, resilience, and the pursuit of happiness amidst scandal and societal expectations.

There are some things that I liked about this book, and others that didn’t work for me. It took me a long time to get through because it started out slow and I wasn’t connecting with the characters, but I did ultimately come to like Daisy in the end and I liked the book’s ending.

With the current political climate, the “scandals” don’t really seem all that scandalous, so I think that may color my opinions on the story. In the past, they would have been absolutely scandalous though, so would have been a bigger deal when the book was actually written (published in early 2021, so definitely written before 1/6 and all of the craziness that has come after).

I had a lot of trouble connecting with Daisy initially, but I did grow to understand her more as the book progressed. By the end, I understood her motivations and supported her actions based on them. Wallis seemed spoiled initially, but again, became more nuanced and likeable in the last third of the book. I did not like Cricket at all initially, but also came to like her more towards the end as well.

As for the men in the story, I always understood exactly who Blake was, his actions were predictable. Atlas was a little more complicated, I kept fearing that he would turn on Daisy and her family. I also wanted him to step up. And then there was Bo, my absolute favorite character in the entire book, whom I loved from the moment he was introduced on the page and adored as his support of Daisy and Wallis never wavered.

Sense and Sensibility is one of my favorite Austen reads, so it was nice to see a modern twist on the storyline.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

IT has been a few months since I read this book. I remember loving it at the time, although I cannot for the life of me remember the ending, so it might not have stuck with me as much as I thought. I really enjoyed the characters and setting of the novel.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy, all opinions are my own.

This is a delightful retelling, in a new and unique way. The author takes some risks to twist the story just enough to make it it's very own voice and keeps you glued to the pages to see what happens, regardless of how well you know Sense & Sensibility.

I enjoyed the pacing, the characters and the many dramas through this one. One for historical fiction lovers for sure!

Jane Austen retellings have some very high standards to live up to. Ladies of the House did not hold up to those standards. There is no wit and humor, no clever and entertaining characters that are synonymous with Austen's novels.

I'm so sorry both for not finishing this book and for taking so long to close this down.
Unfortunately it wasn't for me.

A retelling of a book as well-known as Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility has to be done right or not at all, especially when you know Austen fans are probably going to check it out. Ladies of the House, unfortunately, fell flat, in my opinion. It's missing the tone and emotion of the original, and in a time when politics are pretty much everywhere we look, that may not have been the best choice for this story. I really felt like that could've been an intriguing way to go and would maybe set this work apart from the original while still paying homage to Austen's work. Whether it was just lacking something or it was just the wrong way to go all together, it didn't work for me. So, for more reasons than I care to get into, this one fell short of the mark for me and isn't something I'd recommend.

This wasn't my cup of tea, I didn't like the characters or storyline. Thank you anyway, I won't request this genre again..

I tried to get in to this one, but it just wasn’t for me. I had to DNF at 20%. If in the future I give this one a shot I will update my review.

Sense and Sensibility is one of my favorite Jane Austen novels! Therefore, I was pretty excited to read this retelling! However, I really could not get into it! I felt it lost the charm that the original one had. It was also very repetitive. Still, I recommend this for fans of Jane Austen!

Modern-day retelling of Sense and Sensibility.

Senator Gregory Richardson dies suddenly of a heart attack. Unfortunately, he leaves behind a wife and two daughters that have to deal with scandal and a great deal of debt. How will the ladies of the house handle what comes next?

My favorite Jane Austen movie is Sense and Sensibility so I couldn’t wait to read this book. I was not disappointed! It was very well written. The parallels between the original book and the retelling were spot on. You could tell who each character represented despite name changes, the key points from the original story were very well played out and flowed well with the modern twist, and the overall theme of the bond between sisters can never be broken was the same in both books. Edmondson did a great job expressing what the characters were feeling and experiencing. The book had discussion questions at the end that were perfect for book club groups. Whether you are a Jane Austen fan or not, you will enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

As a huge Jane Austen fan, but also a fan of retellings, I was so looking forward to seeing what Edmondson would do with Sense & Sensibility. It is a masterful story of women and how their world is turned upside down by the men who have more of hold over their destiny. But ultimately how these fiercely beautiful women take hold of their lives, beyond the social strictures and within relationships, writing their own stories.

Daisy Richardson is a chief of staff in Washington D.C. when her powerful senator father has died suddenly. The worst part is he died in his mistresses' arms. Add on her mother Cricket, who as a dutiful senator's wife must try in the viper of the political bosom to survive post-mortem and deal with all of her husbands debts, monetary and social. Then there's Wallis, the emotionally vulnerable and loving younger sister, who hides little and leads with her words first and her sense second. While dealing with the wake of her father's scandal, Daisy must reckon with her father's legacy being tarnished, but little does she know it may be much more than tarnished.

I have to get the first qualm I had off my chest. I was VERY skeptical about this setting. I understand that considering the social settings of D.C. and politicians, it made it easier for Edmondson to set up a world's societal rules. But do they fit to the same kind of tone as 19th century England? Did you see the backstabbing? Did you see the vendettas? I am not saying that the world S & S was re-created in had to be genteel, but it made it hard for me to believe you could find some of the upright characters you absolutely did need to find to complete the cast of characters.

And I suppose in reality you had most of who you needed. I think my biggest gripe is the Colonel Brandon foil. Bo was too passive. He was so off stage for this book and I felt he needed more of a voice in a way that focused more on Wallis. He was presented in such a way that I didn't even know for sure who he was meant to be in the this modern equivalent.

Beyond this, I loved the dynamic of the three main characters -- Daisy, Wallis and Cricket. I felt that sisterly and motherly closeness that you see in S & S. And that tug and pull of three very different women. It's something that is tangible in S & S and absolutely needed to be so here too. It couldn't have been the story without this. My absolute favorite scene was the conversation between Daisy and Wallis after Wallis realized Daisy knew about Atlas and Ari being together still and her absolute heartbreak over it. It's a scene that I've always felt was possibly done off page before, but I've always wanted on page. I've always wanted Marianne to push Ellinor and to emotionally make her open up and reveal in more words the depth of her feelings. This truly did that and I so wanted and needed that as a reader. Thank you, thank you.

Thank you for the ARC!

An interesting spin on Sense and Sensibility, but it didn't quite work for me. Too much political infusion, too little focus on the sister relationship. Maybe I'm still raw from the current political state but I wanted more about the sister drama and their resolution and less focus on the politics. Overall it was enjoyable but a bit on the long side.

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the digital galley to review.

It is hard to honestly write an amazing re-telling of an already renowned classic, such as that of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. While one may experience Austen's true sense of humour, wit, and cleverly entertaining words within her published works, the opposite may be experienced in this retelling. The Ladies of the House turned into more of a political retelling, focusing more upon the American political landscape, than the emotions that needed to be exuded in order to essentially have a similar sort of essence to the original inspiration.

I’m not a Jane Austen fangirl so the retelling aspect did nothing for me but this stands on its own. I found it to be charming and super entertaining with strong female characters.

Content warnings: death of a parent, affair, heartbreak

This modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility begins with a memorial for Senator Gregory Richardson, attended by his wife and daughters. During the funeral, a scandal breaks and the attendees' phones go off during the Lord's Prayer. The senator had a heart attack while in the company of his mistress and the New York Times has just broken the story.

Daisy Richardson, the eldest daughter of Gregory, is the main protagonist. Daisy also works in politics, but for another politician. Financial drama follows her father's death, leaving mother Cricket no other option than to sell their family home. Younger sister Wallis is unemployed and adrift, and she starts dating Blake -- the son of a Southern senator who is Daisy's employer's opposition.

When Daisy is put on unpaid leave to avoid scandal, she takes coworker Beau's offer to visit Charleston. Wallis comes along as Blake is also in Charleston. While in Charleston, the Richardson sisters keep getting bad news.

Daisy is the Elinor Dashwood of the story and Wallis is Marianne. Lauren Edmondson has updated Austen's story and replaced Elinor with a career woman, but both sisters and their mother are close to financial ruination after their father's death. While the setting is more contemporary, the involvement of politics made the story less interesting to me personally than Jane Austen's original.

Recommended for readers who enjoy Austen retellings.

Representation: gay character, POC, biracial, women in positions of power

I think this is one of those books that you really have to go into with the mindset of taking it for what it is, a modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility. I didn't end up loving this one as I had anticipated, but I still thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. I think you're always setting yourself up for disappoint when you go to read a retelling with super high expectations, so my best suggestion here is to just read this one for a refreshing, quick story. The creative liberties of the author really make the original story into something completely new, but I will say it worked well for me. I mean, politics and romance? How much more intriguing can a plot get!? I truly enjoyed the wit and banter wound throughout and strong characterization here was a win for me.

Again, if you go into this one with the right expectations, I think you'll also find it to be the pleasant read that it is. Especially if you're a Jane Austen fan and sucker for retellings as I am!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House for the gifted e-copy!

I absolutely love Sense and Sensibility, and I absolutely loathed this retelling. I didn't like the characters or the writing style.