The third installment of The Rajes series by Sonali Dev, Incense and Sensibility takes an Indian American twist to Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility. Explore the impacts of losing your own desires in the midst of your families dreams for you through Yash Raje, the first Indian American gubernatorial candidate. Will Yash be able to rise above the limitations of his families wishes for him to find peace and true love with India, a girl from his past?

In Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev, Yash Raje has a problem. While he has been on top of the world, running for governor of California, he has been too driven to take care of his inner self. While this has led to great success, when tragedy strikes, he is emotionally unprepared. India Dashwood has been working with her inner self all of her career. A yoga and retreat instructor, she is prepared to confront all of life's hardships except maybe those around love. As India begins to help Yash through this trauma, both are surprised by the bond that it rekindles between the two of them, an inconvenient bond given Yash’s relationship status.

I must admit that my first thought when I picked up Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev was that I needed to rewatch Sense and Sensibility to understand how this book took from that work. Once I got around to it after reading the book, it did not disappoint. While there’s not a direct line between the works like there is for a work like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, one story definitely was informed by the other.

The main difference came from the way that the main conflict of the book was structured. Without the structure of courtship and propriety that is present in Austen’s novel, this new retelling had to depend on the characters' sense of familial duty and honor. In the end, it’s clear where some of the themes came from but much of the beats of the story are slightly different and play out in ways that I didn’t anticipate.

Overall, I found this book readable and the characters enjoyable. Even without the context of the source material, I think it’s a well-constructed romantic story with solid character development and good humor. If you’re looking for a romance to cuddle up with this fall, I recommend this one.

I recommend Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev if you like modern retellings of classic literature.

This is the third book in the Raje family series, although it is a stand alone. The author writes modern day romances that have similarities to Jane Austen novels. This series involves a large and complex Indian family in California. The romance is Yash and India, two characters who are likable and you find yourself rooting for them.

This is by far my favorite in The Raje Family series so far. It’s brilliantly well done and captivating. Yash and India are fantastic characters and you can’t help but root for them both. I really enjoyed how family plays such an important role in this series but I feel it’s especially true in this book. The story felt very well rounded and did a great job of showing the character development. I would highly recommend this book to everyone and I’m looking forward to reading more from Sonali Dev.

This book wasn't bad but it just wasn't for me. The writing was good and the characters were well developed, the story just couldn't hold my attention.

The Raje family series continues with Yash Raje campaigning for Governor of California. At a rally, his bodyguard and best friend is critically injured, leaving Yash with panic attacks that interfere with his campaign. His family refers him to India Dashwood, a family friend who just happens to be a stress management coach they trust to be discreet. Of course, they don't know that Yash broke her heart a decade earlier. Dev seamlessly coalesces the different perspectives of each character into the family story as a whole through each new novel. My favorite aspect of her books is that she always has two main characters that will make the most stubbornly self-proclaimed non-romance fan swoon. The novels are standalone, but are much better when building on the previous ones. I highly recommend anything by Sonali Dev, and especially the Raje series. I was fortunate to receive a digital copy from the publisher / author through NetGalley.

This was such a good book. I loved Yash and India. Their relationship was great to see develop. I love sibling's best friend romances and this was well done!

This is my favorite of the Raje/Austen retellings. I absolutely love YASH. At its core, this is a romance, but so much more.

There is politics and real life problems, but those do not take away from the romance and YASH's wonderful personality.

I really enjoyed this book.

This is the third in a series about a wealthy Indian-American family and their group of friends. A modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility, this book has it all! Love, miscommunication, family and personal expectations, and learning the value of being true to oneself are only some of the themes played out in this story. Current social and political issues are also addressed. The characters are multidimensional and complicated beings which makes the book realistic and relatable. I definitely recommend this for readers who enjoy modern updates of classics! Indeed, anyone who enjoys a well written story!

I have been reading this series since the beginning and enjoying it. This is the third book in the series and my favorite by far! I feel that it is possible to read the book as a standalone as the author does an excellent job of filling in anything pertinent to this story from the other books. If you're looking for a feel good book with characters you will root for (and at least one you won't) this book is for you!
Thank you for the digital copy through Book Club Girls and #NetGalley. I look forward to the next book in the Rajes series!

Sonali Dev was a guest on the Fresh Fiction podcast! You can listen to the podcast on the podcast app of your choice, and you can find show notes on PodBean: https://freshfiction.podbean.com/e/we-hope-you-re-hungry-food-in-pop-culture-guest-sonali-dev/

Source: NetGalley; ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

I wish it could be enough to say that I love Sonali Dev's writing, I wish I had a gift for words and that they flowed from me as easily as they do from her, but really, you should read her latest novel because it is wonderful!

The next installation in The Rajes, sees us finally getting to know Yash, the much-loved and admired brother who's running for governor of California. The action is instant in the first chapter when an attempted assassination takes place. Yash is spared any physical harm thanks to his quick-thinking and fast-acting bodyguard. Yash is grateful to be alive until he learns that his bodyguard is now is a deep coma. The survivor's guilt and the shock from the shooting resurface old trauma that now seems to paralyze him. He can't face a crowd or make a speech. His mind is all over the place. They're all valid reactions after going through something horrific. He's aghast when someone suggests he might want to seek help. However, the help they're suggesting isn't the usual go to see a therapist kind of thing. It involves meeting with a family friend, India, a talented yoga instructor who also does yoga therapy with her clients. It's not the first time these two are meeting. There was that incident years ago at Yash's sister's wedding when they had that incredible moment together that's stayed with them ever since. Yash isn't sure that this is the best solution for him, but since he'd rather not have his issues leaked out to the public, he goes with it. India, just has to maintain an emotional distance and not let on that she's hurt by Yash's actions from that the past.

This was a slowburn romance. A good deal of healing takes place in between Yash and India meeting and them finally coming together. I thought Yash's emotional journey was handled sensitively and I was fascinated and empathetic of the traumahe had to sift through. This being the third book in the series, I was already familiar with the Raje family history and the weight of the legacy that's bestowed on all the children, in particular Yash. Unfortunately, multiple tragedies have been visited upon the Rajes but they're not mined for extreme emotional reaction as much in Incense and Sensibility, which I'll be honest was a relief to me. The previous book was exceptionally heavy on the tragedy and it was difficult to take in all in. Yash and India's connection, while unsteady at first is magical. India understands him and sees through to his core the way no one else can. Even his best friend and fake girlfriend of the last however many years doesn't know Yash this intimately. It's an unnerving sensation but exactly what he needs to remember his original purpose. India is such a fresh breath of air, so secure in herself and steadfast in her love of family.

Speaking of ... family is once again important but it does feel like their presence overwhelms the story at sometimes. I did not like the storyline involving India's sister, China and her love interest, a popular Korean actress who's firmly planted in the closet. It's mainly because China is an extreme character where everything about her is overdramatic. She's more distraction that addition to the story for me. Other than that, I enjoyed the close familial bond that India shares with her mother and sister which contrasts to the strained relationship Yash haswith his ambitious and emotionally-distanced father.

Incense and Sensibility does touch on some controversial issues with Yash's run for governor such as racism, immigration, and voters' general perception of what a trustworthy candidate should look like - someone in a committed relationship. It's this fake relationship that's a sore sticking point and could land Yash in hot water if the truth comes spilling out. It's a problem that gradually grows way too big. Yash's fake girlfriend morphing into the role of villain is done so subtly but effectively that you don't even realize it until it's happened.

I have yet to actually read a Jane Austen novel. I know, it's ridiculous and I should remedy this before the year ends. Anyway, I have no way to tell how Dev's retelling compares to the original on which it's based, but maybe that's a good thing? My main takeaway from Incense and Sensibility is that it's important and okay to question why we do things. Why we put so much effort into achieving something, and how much our initial intention changes over time. Yash and India are a power couple on their own terms, fulfilling their dreams, and that's what I love about this story.

What a great variation on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, done with a Bollywood twist. I fell in love with the characters, each of them strong in their own way, their strengths and weaknesses mixing to make them the people that they are. Yash was amazing. Given all he’d been through, he maintained his sense of right and wrong and continued to fight for his principles, even when fighting his own anxieties. India, too, was a remarkable character, doing all she can to keep the family and their business going while facing her mother’s illness.

This book has a strong sense of family, both the Rajes and the Dashwoods. Everything revolves around their families, keeping them together, keeping them safe, doing what they can to make them proud and holding true to their heritages. .

Incense and Sensibility is beautifully written. It’s the second book in this series that I’ve read, and I intend to go back and read the first in the series. I’ll be hunting up any other books Sonali Dev has written, too.

I highly recommend this book, and the series.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. I thank all involved for their generosity in sharing this book with me, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

4.5 Stars – Rounded

Taking a page from Austen, Dev has used the basic themes, modernized them and woven them with Indian traditions, beliefs and even customs to bring us a whole new and modern series to find as enjoyable and thought-provoking as the originals. I love Dev’s insights into customs and traditions, family ties, expectations and even secrets that are revealed within the books, and we have some lovely (if occasionally trying) characters to get to know. Not a direct ‘translation’ of the original, this story takes the basic highlights of the Austen book and makes the correlations that fit her characters, her story and the time.

Yash Raje is determined, ambitious and driven and has set his sights on the Governor’s mansion in California. Measured and controlled – he's using the family name, connections and his own not insignificant appeal to win hearts and votes throughout the state. But, as we see all too often, there is an incident at a political rally, and one of Yash’s friends is injured in the hate-fueled moments, leaving Yash feeling out of control (new for him) and panicky. He’s never had an issue with nerves before – and he’s not one who lightly allows for weakness in himself – but to get to his goal – no one can know that he’s now suffering from ‘nerves’ and isn’t sure how he’ll manage to continue his campaign in ways that are expected for a gubernatorial candidate.

Enter India Dashwood, raised by yoga teachers, in touch with ALL the emotions, and the state’s foremost expert in dealing with stressed out overachievers in California. India also happens to be a family friend, being the best friend of his sister, Trisha, and when that’s not complex enough – the two shared a moment in time before he moved on as she wasn’t where he thought his ‘partner’ should be (or what he thought at the time). Yash knows that he treated her badly – so that adds to his anxiety: his shame in mistreating her years ago with his need for her now.... a healthy steamer trunkful of issues to add to the general anxiety and guilt about his injured friend / bodyguard.

Here is where Dev excels – not only do we see the family’s influence and desire for Yash to continue to shine for himself and the family, and the quiet yet direct way that India helps him to deal with his issues, past traumas and even the now growing attraction between them, even as she is dealing with her own issues with family struggles with the business, her conflict of interest in Yash as her ‘patient’ and whether or not she wants to go with the first instinct of popping him upside the head when the arrogance, determination, stubbornness and general ‘maleness’ of Yash pushes her patience to the brink. Bold and brave, Dev has given us a couple to root for, even as their problems seem insurmountable the parts of them that believe and think alike are far more in number than those that are opposites, and they do make an adorable couple that you can see for miles.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aY2 /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Sonali Dev is the queen of Austen retellings. This is the third book in the Rajes series and it is so well done.
India Dashwood is a yoga instructor that works with every facet of the body and mind. Yash Raje is running for Governor of California and nothing will stand in his way. When an assassination attempt leads to frequent panic attacks, he visits a family friend, India, in the hope that he can fix her.
I hope that China will be the star of the next book and that it is an Emma retelling.

Sonali Dev has done it again! This third book in her Raje series doesn't disappoint. I loved diving into Yash's life and was engrossed by his story and the twists and turns it took.

Thank you to Sonali Dev, Tall Poppy Writers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

A modern take on Sense and Sensibility with an Indian twist even naming the heroine Dashwood. While I haven’t read the first books in the series, I had no trouble following the characters. Raj is running for Governor of CA and dealing with traumas from his last and presence and India is an expert in yoga and meditation. Can they overcome their obstacles and find love with each other?

I don’t read a lot of romance, but something about this book called to me and I’ve been trying to widen the authors and genres I read. While there is never any doubt in the ending of these romances, I kept turning the ove to follow the coulees journey. I liked th pace and cast of characters.

This is book three in The Rajes series. I haven’t read the first two (yet) and while they may have given me a little more background into some of the characters I thought this book worked really well as a stand-alone story. The whole series is inspired by different Jane Austen books, and you know I’m always here for an Austen retelling. This one is obviously inspired by Sense and Sensibility, which is one of my favorites and I feel an often overlooked book.

Yash Raje is speaking at a political rally, as California’s first serious Indian gubernatorial candidate, when he’s shot on stage. Understandably, this spins Yash into an anxiety spiral and he has trouble getting himself motivated to continue his political career.

Yash’s family turns to his sister’s best friend, India, for help. She’s known the family forever, and runs a yoga studio with her mother. She helps Yash with relaxation techniques and seems to be the only one who is really able to get through to him. It’s not easy though, the two of them share a secret past that has really hurt India, so she has to put her own feelings aside in order to help Yash.

I fell so in love with the characters in this story, both the main and supporting ones. India is so unfailingly good and kind, sometimes to her own detriment, that you just want to hug her and make everything ok for her. It took me a while to come around to Yash and believe he was worthy of India though. Overall the story is filled with some heaviness—with hardships, poor timing, and missed opportunities, but it’s so, so lovely.

The author also does such a beautiful job of painting a scene that you’ll be able to taste the mango overnight oats (which prompted me to start making my own overnight oats lately), smell the incense burning in the studio, and really feel like you’re there with the characters.

I’m 100% going to go back and read the other books in this series, if they are half as wonderful as this book I know I’m going to love them.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Yash and India. I thought that the story was well written and had a great pace. I do wish that we could've of gotten to see more of the fallout from Naima's manipulations. I've noticed this author has a habit of glossing over the bad stuff or ignoring the consequences; actions should have more weight especially actions that hurt you.

I loved this book. I read Sense and Sensibility this year too and I thoroughly enjoyed finding the comparisons. Sonali Dev has a real gift of making the classics contemporary. I look forward to the what other classic retellings she will do!
Thanks for NetGalley and WIlliam Morrow for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.