This is a new to me author. I haven't read the full novel Sense and Sensibility yet, only skimmed it and watched a few brief scenes from the 1995 movie adaption with Emma Thompson. I do feel like reading that novel is a must-read prior to reading Relative Strangers in order to understand where this novel was trying to go.

I enjoyed Relative Strangers, but I'm left feeling a little discombobulated over all the things happening in this story. It bounced around all over the place. Maybe I like my stories to focus on one or two main characters with a glimpse into a few side characters. This story, I feel, had many side characters and never truly focused on a main character.

This story starts with the Bae-wood family, mother, deceased father, two sisters, & granddaughter Maggie. The oldest sister (Eleanor) has her life semi together while her younger sister Amelia's life has quite literally fell apart. Eleanor isn't quite as put together as it seems since she's dealing with her own grief of her own spouse, Edward, in addition to the death of her father. One would think this would be the story of putting the pieces of their lives back together and learning to be a family again, but there's family secrets, sibling rivalry, control, and anger issues.

There's just so much to unpack, and then you enter the characters from Arcadia, the cancer center Eleanor volunteers at, and there's an entire other story among those characters.

All of that to say, I guess I just feel that this could have been two separate books. There just wasn't enough backstory to any of the characters, in my opinion. I was left more confused than satisfied. Again, maybe it would have helped if I'd read Sense and Sensibility first.

Thank you to Netgalley and Graydon House for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun reworking of Sense and Sensibility and I am HERE for it! It was just enjoyable and a delight.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The setting: Family drama. Two sisters: Eleanor, widowed, has a teenage daughter, Maggie. Amelia Bae-Wood, formerly a trend-setting restauranteur is fresh out of a long-term relationship. Their mother, Tabitha Bae-Wood, also widowed--has been kicked out of her famiy house [mansion]. Add in a cast of other characters--primarily from from Arcadia, the cancer retreat where Eleanor volunteers [she also is employed as a nurse elsewhere] and Amelia and Tabitha end up staying. Everyone has issues and no money. And so it begins. Note: Tabitha is American, her late husband, Korean.

I was taken in immediately by this book. Supposedly a modern day retelling of Austen's Sense and Sensibility--well, maybe, but... There is humor, DRAMA, secrets, bachelors, societal expectations, inheritance and more--and ultimately healing [though no detailed spoiler from me]. I wonder about the title: Relative Strangers--they are relatives and in some ways the sisters are strangers--although they frequently exchange movie references--one bond they share without issues.

A fast read. Many side stories thrown in--particularly with Leo and the half-brother, Chong Bae who shows up. Besides Eleanor people who work at Arcadia have their own stories [and relatives]. I was pretty sure there was going to be a lot of neat and tidy in this book and I was correct--only one trajectory with a slight derailment.

A few chuckles:

"exhales in relief when she's finally released from her Spandex straightjacket."
"It's been so long since her last Botox treatment that her brow actually crinkles."
"watching the conversations volley back and forth between Mom and Eleanor like a Grand Slam tennis match."

My opinion--an elevated beach read. Well written [BUT NOT LITERARY FICTION], easy breezy, but the cancer center throws in some seriousness.

3.5 but rounding up because I enjoyed the ride.

I love Jane Austen, but I'm not particularly attached to Sense and Sensibility, which made me think I may be more open to a modern retelling. In a lot of ways, I struggled with Relative Strangers in the same way I struggled with Sense and Sensibility - there are too many main-ish characters to track, and I didn't feel particularly close to the main sisters. I wish that we had gotten Eleanor's perspective to round out the book more. I enjoyed A.H. Kim's writing and am curious to check out her first book.

Reading this book as a non-Sense and Sensibility fan (not against, just not familiar) was fun! I enjoyed the complex family and relational dynamics, and the plot wove together really well throughout. I loved the setting, and the relationship with Chloe was really compelling to me. A very thoughtful treatment of individuals with cancer, especially.

Relative Strangers is a ray of warm sunshine…and I’m one hundred percent certain Austen would smile at this delightful and modern take on Sense and Sensibility as much as I did. The characters are warm and lovable. The relationships, character arcs, and pacing are on point. And don’t get me started on the food descriptions. Warning: do not read this book on an empty stomach. Have a crush on Colin Firth? You might picture him like I did when reading, but I won’t spoil which character I’m talking about. You’ll have to read Kim’s novel yourself. Looking for a feel good book? Look no further.

3.5 stars. This is an adorable re-telling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility with a Korean twist. I love when authors put a contemporary spin on a regency fictional novel.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House for this e-arc.*

I enjoyed this reimagining of the sisters and their struggles from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. I thought the setting of a cancer recovery center was unique and not something I ever would have imagined would make for a location for a novel. I also liked how Amelia's and Eleanor's personalities were so well written and defined.

A. H. Kim writes of family, friends, love and loss in an engaging and entertaining book. I loved the diversity included in the characters, the complicated relationships, the drama and the romances. Thanks #NetGalley #HarlequinTrade

I received this from Netgalley.com.

A very contemporary read, Amelia kept ping-ponging
relationships and I felt empathy for her inability to stop the cycle.

3☆

The premise: Amelia’s life is falling apart. Unemployed, newly single, and broke, she finds herself hitchhiking across California to assist her family when her mother is evicted from the family estate. The two women + Amelia’s sister and niece move to Arcadia, the cancer retreat center where her sister volunteers, while Amelia figures out what to do in life and in love.

My thoughts: I loved A.H. Kim’s debut, A GOOD FAMILY, and while this book is very different in style and plot, the beautiful writing and themes on family, loyalty, and self-discovery remain. While there are many fun romantic entanglements (the question of who Amelia would end up with kept me turning pages!), my favorite relationship in the book is the one between Amelia and her sister Eleanor. As someone with two sisters, their bond felt genuine and I thought the slow-building familial tension (including a disputed inheritance!) was perfectly executed.

I recommend this story for fans of Jane Austen and Bridgerton. I can perfectly picture everyone reading this in the sunshine this spring and summer

I enjoyed this fast-paced rom-com. There is enough love for everyone. There are plenty of secrets. There are lots of feel-good moments. The characters are all likable. The secrets are released with perfect pacing. What more can I say? I would buy this book for a friend--a high rating indeed. It was the perfect break amidst some heavier reading material. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Relative Strangers. Such an apt title. I loved the revamping of Sense and Sensibility into a modern-day tale. I'm an avid Jane Austen fan, so that was a pleasure. I enjoyed all the relationships told in the story, but for a while it was hard to keep track of who was who. I figured it out. I do think, however, that a deeper look into the sisters' lives could have added a depth that I felt was missing. Overall, it was an enjoyable book.

Relative Strangers is such a sweet, endearing family drama. Lots of family members - some relative strangers - combine together as they each find themselves, their passions and their loves in a gorgeous California setting. A quick, engaging read made all the more enjoyable by the movie references that A.H. Kim sprinkles throughout. Great book if you are looking for a feel-good, uplifting read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Awww I just loved this charming story.
A.H. Kim is the author of A Good Family and in Relative Strangers has created a contemporary twist on Sense and Sensibility. Amelia Bae-Wood is struggling when she is called home by her sister to assist. Due to new family legal troubles the sisters and their mother need to live in a cottage on the grounds of a Cancer Retreat Center.

At the Center, Amelia begins to find her way. There is romance, love and secrets and lots and lots of pastries. Truly fun and satisfying.
#harlequintradepublishers #relativestrangers #ahkim

First off, thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a charming modern day retelling of Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility! The story is told from Amelia's viewpoint (Marianne in the original) rather than Eleanor's (Elinor/original) and is filled with humor, drama, love, mystery, romance, sisterhood, family secrets, inheritance disagreements, society expectations and delicious fresh pastries! You have been warned ⚠️to have goodies close by to eat while reading this book‼️ I am happy to say that Relative Strangers adheres to the original plot and characters with a twenty-first century twist. I thoroughly enjoyed this book very much!!

Amelia's life is falling apart all around her including being newly single, unemployed and completely broke. She finds herself hitchhiking across California to deal the fallout of her mother's eviction from the family estate. Amelia needs somewhere to live and figure out her life so she decides to move with her mother and sister to the cancer retreat center where her sister, Eleanor, volunteers. There is a long lost brother who is trying to inherit their estate. At the center, love triangles develop among the sisters and people working at the center. I struggled with there not being much chemistry between these couples. I just need a little more in order for the relationships to feel authentic and believable.

Overall, it a a fun and lighthearted women's fiction read that I do recommend! If you love Jane Austen or Bridgerton then you will enjoy this book!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was ok I thought it was one thing and it was ,Completely different but once I started to read more I found it just wasn’t what I thought it was. I believe this is about two sisters and their family issues.

I'm a sucker for a Jane Austen retelling of any stripe; the tone of this particular riff was not to my taste but I hope and expect it will find its audience.

An intriguing modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility that's set at a cancer retreat center in California. The story is told exclusively from Amelia's perspective, who is Marianne's modern-day counterpart, and while I found her complicated culinary past and doomed love affairs to add narrative meat, I thought it made it more difficult to connect with Eleanor as a character. As well as to buy into their sisterly bond. They were distant and disconnected throughout most of the novel. Kind of like two planets orbiting each other. And that's fine, just different than what I was expecting. I think I kept waiting for them to exude that undercurrent of warmth, affection, and want of closeness with one another that Marianne and Elinor had in Austen's original text, but they didn't.

I appreciated the emphasis on the sisters' relationships and personal conflicts, though. Just as I liked that they were older (30's/40's) rather than adults in their late teens, early 20's. I think their maturity added gravitas to some of the issues they were facing, what with Eleanor still grieving over Edward all these years later and Amelia trying to figure out how to jumpstart her life. I must admit the romances fell flat for me. They blurred together at times because it wasn't always clear whom was attracted to whom and why.

That said, this was still a light and engaging retelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the ARC in exchange for my review!

I could not finish enough of this book to be able to leave a comprehensive review, but I hope it finds its audience and I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.