Another great, modern Austin retelling by Nikki Payne. There's always a political element to her novels, this one is no different. A corporation wants to dam the Penobscot River, and tribal council member, Bear Freeman, is trying his hardest to fight it. Nora Dash's dad left them penniless and homeless and they have one year to turn a profit at the property he left them.

The Dash family has the same vibe, which I loved. The appearance of the Bennet sisters was a pleasant surprise. My problem: the story became overshadowed at times by Yanne being the most annoying character ever, and by the fact that Lu and Basil are THE WORST.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this! The steam and tension was so good. I loved the character development also and I was so invested in how the story played out.

Okay okay, I see what you are doing Nikki Payne. Truly enjoyed every bit of this romance book. I read it in one sitting, could not put it down. Such a fun spicy romance read.

This author is amazing! I loved this book so much! I would say she does Jane Austen proud, but Jane would be proud to even be compared to this wonderful book!

slow burn with a lot of moving pieces. at the time i wasn't into slow burns but I will still recommend.
it is def a book you have to pay close attention to while reading so you dont lose track of all the details

I am a self-proclaimed Pride and Prejudice lover, hoarder, collector - all the things. But I am decidedly less knowledgable or familiar with her other works - but that won't stop me from reading and appreciating retellings. This one was interesting and unique - with Black and indigenous representation.

Again, I am not as familiar with the source material - but I felt like I read two different books. The first half of the book was everything - I loved the tension, the build up and the characters. However, the second half sees our two main characters basically apart the whole time - it felt like it really slowed down the pacing and the central romance.

However, I did enjoy the setting and the secondary plot - it felt like one of the more unique Austen retellings I've read.

Also, very high, open door spice - which I always appreciate!

I had been looking forward to this book for ages and it DID NOT disappoint. Nikki is out here doing the d*mn thing. Her books are incredibly funny, sexy but also smart and socially relevant. Bear will go down as one of my all time favorite MMCs ever. This is one of those books I will reread someday and I’ll wish I could go back and read it for the first time all over again.

I loved PRIDE AND PROTEST. So much so I waited on this one so I would have something to savor. This was disappointing, to say the least.

I will forever love the Nora character from the original, and that remains unchanged here. A lot of you appear to love Bear, but he, and that Lu situation, could use some work. I've never liked Yanne's character, or her love interests, so her story I care less about.

I thought I would enjoy the Native love interest. Filipino Darcy, he was not. Speaking of Filipino Darcy, I didn't even enjoy the cameos from our PRIDE AND PROTEST peeps. Sad.

Nora and Bears love story is so exquisite. The sexy slow burn of their romance is something I never thought I needed in a love story and the wait is so worth it. The way Nikki Payne writes three dimensional characters is always a treat.

I’ve never read a Jane Austen novel, but this makes me want to! I also haven’t read Nikki Payne’s first novel, Pride and Protest, and I’m already on a waitlist for it.

I really enjoyed this one. FMC and MMC had so much depth and chemistry. I loved that they were on the same team and fought for what was right.

This follow up to Pride and Protest outshines it's predecessor. Nora and Bear's story is filled with not only love but also friendship and respect for each other's history and life experience. I loved that we got to see them grow as the pursued a friendship and it evolve into a full relationship.

Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne had well-developed characters and a plot that was engaging. This book was a great read. I highly recommend!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.**

Another fun retelling to add to my faves! Sex, Lies and Sensibility is the reimagined story based on the classic novel by Austen, Sense and Sensibility.

Nora and Yanne are hoping to save their crumbling inn nestled in rural Maine.

It was such a good story, and I loved the twists on the classic tale.

*many thanks to Berkley and prh audio, and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

With the opening pages of Payne discussing their anthropological aspects of researching this story I was IN! I was drawn to Bear and Nora immediately as they navigated how to turn their current situations into better lives for themselves, and the ones that depend on them.

I did have some lingering feelings of annoyances throughout the middle as things were dragging but I'm pleased to say the ending made up for it. I did have to slog through a bit to fully appreciate the entire novel!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and netgalley for allowing me an ARC of this one!

I have never read a Jane Austen novel, but now I think I should lol

I really enjoyed this story! Nora and Bear had so much depth between them and I LOVED their chemistry. I thought the story was well written and I loved the setting here.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC

One of my favorite books of 2024! Sex, Lies and Sensibility is strong, smart, and sexy and has had my heart in a chokehold since I finished it a few days ago. A retelling of Sense and Sensibility, it seems to stay pretty close to the source material (from my recollection of reading Austen many years ago) and is written so beautifully. After their father's death, Black sisters Nora and Yanne are determined to rehab their new falling-apart inn in rural Maine. When they arrive, they are surprised to find Ennis (Bear) Freeman and his cousin, Moxcy, members of the Abenaki tribe in the area, leading a tourist adventure that might not be 100% on the side of the law. Working together to fix up the inn might solve problems for both of them - and they find common ground in their collegiate track careers. Nora and Bear's story was so emotional - they have dealt with so much - but I loved how hard they fight for what is right and (eventually) what they want out of life. Yanne's character added quite a bit of levity with her over-the-top theatrics. I highly recommend this to fans of Austen retellings and those who love smart, sexy romances that will make you cry and laugh all within the same hour. Thank you to Berkley Romance for the advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

I haven’t read Nikki Payne’s first book, Pride and Protest, but I’m patiently waiting for the audiobook to become available from my library; so you call me a fan!

Sex, Lies, and Sensibility is a modern remix of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, featuring Bear and Nora, who enter into a reluctant partnership for the property Nora needs to fix up stat. I haven’t personally read Sense and Sensibility, but Austen adaptations are a genre in themselves and I think Nikki Payne does a pretty good job adding her own touch. I actually want to read the original now that I’ve read this, which is not often the effect I get when reading remixes.

About 30% too long and still didn’t resolve all of the many, many subplots. The Sense and Sensibility references and Easter eggs were fun, and also gave me clues to where the story was going. But there was just too much happening for me to get invested in the story. The inn renovation, sabotage, financial abuse, saving the river, changing careers, family dynamics on both sides, etc. It was A Lot.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

As a reader who loves Jane Austen, this retelling still surprised me in the best ways. It pulled me in from the first line, filled me with longing, broke my heart, and stitched it back together again. This is a delightfully faithful retelling with brilliant twists on well-known characters and I was rooting for Nora & Bear and Yanne & Brandon the whole time. I also love the representation of sickle cell anemia and how cyber bullying/revenge porn was addressed.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Dual POV, retellings, slow burn

I really enjoyed Pride and Protest. This book not so much. The main characters were pretty unlikable. The representation was good.