Thank you to @prhaudio & @netgalley for the advanced copies of Sex, Lies, & Sensibility by the beautiful @nikkipaynebooks!! One of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint!

I have never read a single Austen book but I will forever read anything Nikki Payne writes.

Not only is this book a beautiful story of learning to be true to yourself so you can be true to those you love, there are so many laughs and heartbreaks along the way. You can truly tell how much research and care Nikki poured into writing this book and making sure all cultures were respected and honored as well!

Bear & Nora are messsssy. They can’t figure their shit out. They can’t figure themselves out. They are perfectly imperfect and I was rooting for them every step of the way! There is so much realness in this book, which is something I adored about Pride & Protest as well. Nikki’s voice is just so strong and I adore her.

Please pick this book up as soon as it drops on 2/13!! You will not regret it! Highly recommend checking out the audio as well because the narrators knocked it out of the park!

Funny moments, a renovation storyline, and an opposites attract romance make Sex, Lies, and Sensibility a blast to read. A fun re-imagining for Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility!

Reimagining the works of Jane Austen isn’t new, but books vary in how well they execute it. Some stick too close to the original book that their story lacks some cohesion in the re-telling. Others stray too far and it’s hard to tell what inspired it. I though Nikki Payne did a good job being in the middle of those two ends of the spectrum.

Nora Dash’s father dies and in the wake of her complicated grief (her father had cut her off after a sex tape of her leaked online) she is forced to confront two shocking reveals at his funeral. The first is that he had another family—Nora and her sister Yanne are not his only children. He had a wife of 35 years and a daughter from another marriage. As if that revelation weren’t bad enough, the sisters also learn they can’t stay in their home any longer but their dad willed them a dilapidated property off the coast of Maine that they will be forced to fix up and pay off the mortgage, or forfeit their entire inheritance.

The beginning honestly hooked me straight in! I would have been fine if this had just followed the fallout from the funeral, but also enjoyed that it took a turn towards romance. The book moves from the funeral to Barton Cove, the property they inherited in Maine. After scoping out the property (and stumbling across a group that they originally thought was a sex cult, but is actually a tour group), the sisters decide to turn the property into an inn.

The tour group is led by an Abenaki man named Ennis Freeman who goes by the nickname Bear. He recognizes Nora, but not for the reason people usually recognize her (which is from her sex tape and the memes made of her face at the end). Bear was an aspiring college track coach and he remembered seeing Nora run for University of Maryland before her scholarship was taken away in the wake of her scandal.

Bear and Nora’s chemistry was sizzling and it was fun to follow along with their partnership in business and their blossoming relationship. Bear helps Nora renovate the dilapidated inn to be fit for guests while Nora allows Bear to continue to host tours on the property. But things are not smooth sailing for them romantically. Bear is deeply in debt and has a messy relationship with another woman that he is working through. Meanwhile Nora has shied away from relationships after her sex tape has come back to haunt her and ruin every spark she has with another man.

The story is great and I really liked the opposites-attract vibe and chemistry between Nora and Bear. The renovation plot was fun—I’m an HGTV fan so it’s right up my ally! However, despite these selling points, the story can be somewhat confusing. It jumps around in time in an awkward way and there were a lot of plot lines to follow. I really enjoyed the book, but would have liked it more if it focused more on the central story between Nora and Bear and the inn.

Setting that criticism aside, this is a fun book! I enjoyed the relationship between Nora and Bear—both romantically and as business people. I actually liked that it has plenty of plot outside of just the building sexual chemistry. It made it much more engaging to read and I wanted to know how many different plot points would be resolved.

A funny, sexy interracial romance with lots of moments that made me laugh and others that warmed my heart!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Read if you like:
📚 Sense & Sensibility
🔺 Love Triangles
🏡 Home Renovations
🌶️ Sex Positivity

I really, really wanted to love this one but I am just not a fan of love triangles and on top of that, I feel like we missed a lot of the couple development that I wanted to love this more to care less about the love triangle that I disliked.

I do have to say, I loved the representation and the way that the Native American tribal discussions were inserted and how well researched they were and how they honored the tribe.

I really didn’t love how Bear was already falling for Nora but was going to marriage of convenience it up with someone else- I know it’s a retelling but I feel like maybe some liberties could have been taken there to help with my enjoyment since that part of the plot just didn’t work for me at all, and then it felt like *bam* they were together without any tension I was looking for?

All in all, I think this is just a case of personal icks not allowing me to enjoy a well written story that I know I would have otherwise loved.

Thank you so much Berkley Romance for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I am always wary of Jane Austen references in marketing especially; few writers are up to fiction being in direct conversation with Austen's highly satirical comedies of manners. Many just hang a story on similar plot points, as is pretty much the case here.

So I'm ignoring the Austen part, and focusing on the story, which was enjoyable in many respects. Nora's issues made her an instantly relatable heroine. I LOVED the BIPOC representation in the book, and how other issues were built into characters.

Less appealing were the sex scenes, which I actually found somewhat cringey. It was the metaphors that sometimes struck me as...unfortunate. Mileage varies!

Thank you NetGalley & Berkeley Romance for this arc of Sex, Lies, and Sensibility. Having read Pride & Protest by Nikki Payne and loved it I was super excited to get a copy of her new book. I never read Sense and Sensibility so I wasn't sure what the inspiration was, however, I felt the story was very captivating. Some things I loved were the intent and research on the Indigenous characters in the book and I could tell Nikki took special care of representing these characters well. I was happy with how the story ended, however, the path to get there was rough for me. The dialogue lost me at times. There were times i was disinterested in the plot. This was a pretty okay romance to me with excellent cultural representation.

In this modern day retelling of Sense & Sensibility, Nora Dash learns she is part of her father’s secret second family at the worst possible time in her life, her private videos go viral, and she’s left with a run-down house in Maine that she needs to get up and running to earn her inheritance. When Norah and her sister meet a fake park ranger giving tours on their property, an unexpected partnership forms, challenging their plans to leave and discovering their combined secrets may be the key to their future.

Retellings of Jane Austen's books usually a miss for me, but I was intrigued enough to give this one a try. First off, I really loved the chapter titles and the deep complexity of each character. Nora's character was my favorite, but my least favorites were Nora's sister and Bear. Nora's sister seemed immature, and it felt like she didn't contribute much, flitting from one love interest to another while Nora did all the hard work. Bear was a bit more complex, and I wished he had more of a backbone, but I understood why the author crafted him this way to stay true to the original story. Nora and Bear's relationship was a slow burn and messy, yet it worked out wonderfully in the story.

Nora is already dealing with the aftermath of a leaked sextape when following her dad's funeral, she learns that she's been mostly cut out of his will -- save for a dilapidated inn in rural Maine that she must rehab ASAP or risk losing that, too. But when she finds a local Abenaki man illegally using her property for guided tours, the two figure out a compromise that's mutually beneficial. What they don't expect is the chemistry they feel for one another, or the messy trajectory of their relationship.

Sex, Lies and Sensibility is a vibrant, angsty, slow-burn, high stakes, multicultural romance novel and I really enjoyed it! Having never read Sense and Sensibility, I can't speak to the retelling aspect of this book, but as a romance novel in its own right, it's solid! Each character and side character is well developed, the writing is easy and flows, the small town drama keeps the pace, and the spice is off the charts. 🥵 The wigwam! IYKYK. Payne handled the writing of an Indigenous character with nuance and care, and I really appreciated the incorporation of Abenaki culture and customs. Having just read Pride and Protest, I really enjoyed seeing the growth in Payne's skill as a writer. I definitely recommend this one!

4.5 rounded to 5

Thank you Berkley Romance for my gifted ARCs.

While I think I might quibble about the Romance Genre designation, I very much liked this modern, BIPOC take on Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.

Now, there’s really only the barest whiff of the classic, but that didn’t diminish the work.

I loved the Maine setting, the renovation story, the depths of both the main and minor characters, and appreciated the acknowledgements of casual and not-so-casual racism (“You wanna touch my hair?”).

Really, the only thing I got tired of was the self-flagellation of both main characters.

I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC.

This is my first Nikki Payne read and it definitely will not be my last. The book was so clever and there were a few spots that had me actually laughing out loud (which I honestly do not do often with bookS). Also: the angst, the tension, the banter, the growth??? So good.

I loved our main characters, Nora and Bear, but I also adored the side ones-- especially Yanne and Brandon. The growth of all them was so well written and believable. Nora and Bear have great banter, but Brandon and Yanne, Brandon and Bear, Brandon and Nora (holy shit is Brandon my favorite character somehow???), Nora and Yanne all have great chat and it made this book so fun to read. I was truly invested in every character.

There were some confusing time jumps, and I wish some things were made more clear, but overall a super enjoyable read.




Thank you to Berkley for this ARC!

A captivating romance novel that seamlessly blends humor, sensuality, and relatable characters. With its witty dialogue and engaging storyline, this book promises to keep readers entertained from start to finish.

3.75 ⭐️

this book was cute and fun!!! it did take me a while to really get invested (about 40ish%) but once I got to that point I was fully in it. I was loving bear and nora and their dynamic. I loved seeing how they were drawn to one another and let their friendship foundation grow first before moving onto anything romantic. I also loved the side characters so much mainly nora’s sister yanne. she was chaotic and all over the place but ultimately had a lot of growth and was supportive of her sister in the hard times.

this book had a cast of diverse characters and I loved seeing how the author incorporated native characters into the story while respecting their roots. I loved seeing how despite the changes in the town, bear wanted to stay true to his people and uphold their history.

the whole plot twist with lu had me shaking in my boots and I literally wanted to fight her so bad bc she was coming between bear and nora AND THAT WASN’T COOL. but I loved seeing how everything worked out in the end and seeing bear and nora get the HEA they deserve 🫶🏼

lastly, I loved seeing nora take back control of her life and use the situation she went through to help others. she found a home in the town and I loved that for her 🤭

I adored Payne's Pride and Protest, so I was really excited to get my hands on a review copy of Sex, Lies and Sensibility. This is another modern retelling of a Jane Austen classic and it was exquisitely done. Payne's characters have such depth and she builds amazing tensions that pops off the page. This book will certainly be one of my favorites this year.

This was absolutely sensational. I was addicted from the very beginning and couldn’t put this down. It was a single day read for me and I loved how multifaceted and complex the characters were, even the side characters.

Nora is an exciting MC who has a lot of grit and whose past will resonate with so many. Her cyber bullying past was handled respectfully and honestly, showcasing how that mistreatment affected Nora long term and how it constantly puts her on edge.

“That’s all Nora wanted, a Honda Civic of a man.”

As for Bear, he was such a fascinating character. Far from a simply charming romantic interest, I found myself drawn to Bear’s backstory and character more than even Nora’s. His past and mistakes definitely aren’t easy, they aren’t clean and you don’t always view him favorably. In the end I still believe he deserves his hard won freedom, but the sacrifices he makes were at least a little bit quite deserved. The characters in Bear’s family and circle were all very interesting as well, showing different aspects to tradition, honor, duty, and loyalty that each ask readers to examine how they define those concepts themselves.

“As the quiet boy with a stammer, Bear learned fast to keep his thoughts and desires to himself.”

While the passion and tension absolutely sizzled, I did find myself wanting more from the intimate sexy scenes, it felt like they weren’t given their due time to show how far the characters had come. The wigwam scene was amazing, but after that it feels a bit..stilted.

Lastly, there were so many complex secrets and events unfolding at the end but the ending itself felt abrupt. I have questions about Lu and what happened to her, about Basil and Sunshine Trails, about Nora and her inheritance. What about the special nonprofit project—how is that progressing and what type of impact was it making? It just felt like the door was abruptly closed. This would have really benefitted from an epilogue to give us a glimpse into all these great threads and events that were introduced but are never really resolved.

“You gotta choose your reputation or your soul.”

I can’t wait to read the next book by this talented author. There’s clearly so much heart and passion Payne poured into this and it absolutely shows.

Well, I’ve been dragging ass on reading Nikki’s previous book and somehow I got to this one first and it was a damn delight.

I loved Nora and Bear. She appears crunchy, but is all heart. He appears to be the golden boy, but is struggling. Together they have chemistry for days and a glorious slow burn relationship that goes from business partners to friends to so much more. Of course, I loved Yanne and how free she was to be unapologetically herself.

Plot wise, it’s good. There’s a slow unfolding of secrets and full stories and even with all of the open conversations, I still wanted to take these two and mash their faces together at every scene. The way they yearn for each other is some of the best that I’ve read (and while I can’t remember much of S&S, I have to believe Jane would be proud.)

Overall, this was a delicious story with characters who were easy to root for. My only “complaint” is that I wanted more of them at the end, but I know I’m just being greedy.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

During the reading of their father’s will, Nora and her sister learn they’re part of their father’s secret second family, and their only inheritance is a dilapidated Maine vacation house. Seeking help from tour guide Bear to renovate the property, Nora uncovers long-buried secrets that could strengthen their unexpected partnership—or tear them apart.

I loved the characters in this fun retelling of “Sense and Sensibility.” Nora is strong and likable. Bear is kind and sympathetic, but he has some work to do on himself. It’s an entertaining and ultimately satisfying read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

*2.5

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the ARC!

I want to start off with saying that I really liked that the author decided to do a Sense and Sensibility retelling with a POC cast, the FMC Shenora being a Black Woman and Ennis or Bear being Abenaki. Along with the disability rep (fluency disorder and Sickle cell disorder)

I really enjoyed the first few 150 pages, Nora and Bear had a great beginning. I was super duper into their relationship, I felt like they complemented each other at first. Nora giving Black Cat energy and Bear giving golden retriever energy + they had common interest and seemed to have a great developing relationship. And some of their conversations and exchanged words made me smile but then we hit the 60% mark...

Everything after the 60% had me scratching my head in confusion and smacking my forehead in annoyance. Suddenly I was seeing so many overwhelming red flags from Bear which I honestly DID NOT EXPECT. And parts of the story that I was so conflicted about.

Bear started off as such a great character until he wasn't. I mean I understand that no MMC is "100%" perfect but the potential that he had was thrown down the drain with a trope that I was simply not a fan of.

And he DID not make up for it in the end, normally if there was a certain amount of groveling I would be semi satisfied but I truly feel like he did everything BUT that. This man did not get on his knees and beg for forgiveness in a way that I personally would approve on.

Nora to be honest deserved better than what those around her were giving her. She was let down by so many people, her dad, her sister, her ex-boyfriend and Bear. My girl Nora did not get the justice she so desperately deservered. Which left me feeling extremely unsatisfied in the end.

And because this is an early review I cannot exactly go into details about the conflict but it truly made my blood boil.

I am pretty sure that this book could be another's cup of tea but it in fact is not mine. I really hope others are able to enjoy this book much more than me.

I really enjoyed this book! I'm not as familiar with the original Sense and Sensibility, I read it so many years ago I only remembered the very broad strokes, but this take on the story was fresh and fun. Nora and Bear were both realistic characters with flaws and imperfections they were trying to work through. I loved that their relationship progressed over the course of many months and you could see the natural progression from friends to full blown being in love. The tension and slow-burn romance between them was agonizing in the best way.

The rest of the characters were fun and the villains were villain-ing hard (sometimes too much for me personally) and Brandon was an absolute MVP. Every scene he was in was delightful. Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the arc! All opinions are my own.

Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne
Narrators: Kacie Rogers and Phil Ava
Rating: 3 stars
Pub date: 2/13

After discovering that she is part of her late father’s secret family (at the will reading), Nora Dash and her sister, Yanne, head to Maine to fix up the abandoned beach house they just inherited. When they arrive, they’re surprised to find a fake park ranger already there.

Ennis "Bear" Freeman needs a plan to keep his business running. Using this abandoned house has always worked, but when two city girls show up to claim the property, he quickly discovers that working with them is better than trying to work against them. As he and Nora navigate business and personal secrets, they find themselves working well together and going from potential enemies to friends to lovers.

This modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility was a lot of fun to read. I’m very conflicted about my rating, however, because on the one hand, I enjoyed the story. I loved the disability rep (speech impediment and sickle cell), the humor, the interracial relationship, and the relationship between the sisters. Complicated family dynamics play a big part in the story, which is always fun to read about, and Payne does an incredible job highlighting the indigenous culture and history of the Abenaki tribe. Also, the spice in this book is HOT, which is a big plus.

Unfortunately, I struggled with the author’s writing style. There were a few times when I thought I missed a scene and had to go back and reread, only to find that I didn’t. Situations that needed more description and explanation didn’t have it, but then other scenes were over-explained.

I also had a hard time reading the spicy scenes. Some of the word choices were comical and really took me out of the moment. Here are two examples:

"The sounds her body made were filling her ears, like someone stirring pasta. So loud and wet. She clenched around his fingers."

"She felt Bear everywhere. His tongue, his hair sliding between her fingers, his lips, his teeth, his hands, his smoky cologne, his dick against her belly harder than advanced trigonometry,"

I loved the author’s sense of humor throughout the book, but this did not do it for me.

Overall, this was a quick, fun read that I’m sure a lot of people will love! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley Romance for my advanced copy and PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook. Read if you like:

*disability rep
*BIPOC characters
*dual POV
*open door spice
*friends-to-lovers
*slow burn

The way I wholeheartedly am OBSESSED with this Sense and Sensibility retelling is indescribable!! The entire cast of characters have a forever place in my heart for all time and this isn't even my favorite Jane Austen story!!
Full of heart, humor, disability rep (FMC panic attacks, MMC with a stutter and side characters with sickle cell disease and chronic injuries caused from a car accident), plus a large cast of BIPOC characters and two leads with a profound sense of family duty and responsibility!!

This was the most beautiful dual POV, slow burn, friends to lovers romance between Nora, a Black former female track star and Ennis 'Bear,' a Native Abenaki eco-tour guide with a heart of gold and a huge guilt complex. Nora finds herself stuck living in the remote Maine wilderness with her free-spirited queer sister, Yanne as the two are determined to beat all odds and restore a run-down inn so they can gain an inheritance from their deceased father.

Huge props to Nikki Payne for writing ANOTHER masterful Jane Austen retelling that is sure to deliver a new generation of fans in this SPICY adaptation that is both swoony, socially conscious and FANTASTIC on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for an early digital copy and @prhaudio complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review. I seriously cannot stress enough just how cleverly written this book is!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-denial
-Sense and Sensibility retelling
-an appreciation for a good list
-friends to lovers


I just love Nikki Payne's voice, like a friend is just pulling you along for the ride. I adored Nora. Quiet, kciked around by the world and just trying to figure out her place in it, close with her very much an opposite sister. And definitely not looking for love when she happens opon Bear. Gosh Bear, just the softest, sweetest man with a bit of a hero complex with the weight of the world and his community. They both had walls built so high and I just loved watching these two fall for each other.

Some times two people can be strangers yet speak each other's langauge and that was the magic here, Nora and Bear just understood each other. I adored how he started going on runs with her, sharing with her his special time, letting her in without even realizing it. There was plenty of drama as these two figured out their lives together and I was along for that ride.