A Margaret Dashwood story has been on my TBW (to be written) list for over a decade. I fell in love with her in Austen’s Sense & Sensibility, with her sass, humour, curiosity about the world, and delightful bluntness about the drama swirling around her. While Elinor was suppressing her feelings and Marianne was leaning into them, Margaret called things like they were. I adored her. So of course I had to pick this one up and read Quain’s take on the character. In Dashed, she gives us a Margaret lost in the shadows of her older sisters, only seeing herself through comparisons with one or the other, while not understanding that Elinor is more than her good sense and Marianne is more than her wild romantic nature. While enjoying 6 weeks on a cruise ship that allows for plenty of self-exploration and romantic shenanigans, Margaret learns a big lesson about how to simply be herself. Teen readers with their own identity struggles might see themselves in Margaret’s character, and the cruise ship setting was perfect for a breezy summer read.

I really wanted to like this book because I love Jane Austen. However, I just couldn't get into this story. Margaret's character was difficult for me to connect with. The premise was exciting, though, and I liked the bonding at the end of the book between the three sisters.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the book.

Thank you to @wednesdaybooks @quainiac for my copy of 💓DASHED💓 by Amanda Quain that released this week on 7/16!

🛳️Contemporary Sense and Sensibility retelling
🌅6 week cruise ship setting
🛳️Fake dating
🌅Sisterhood dynamics
🛳️Bahamas and Key West adventures
🌅First love banter, angst, and tension

Blurb: Between chaotic sister dynamics, the growing storm of feelings between youngest Dashwood sister Margaret and her fake boyfriend Gabe, and an actual storm on the horizon, this summer is destined to go off course. Margaret will have to decide what’s more important-following the plan, or following her heart.

💭I adored this YA contemporary romance. Margaret is a great heroine; she’s young, fearful of love, and trying to discover her own identity apart from the one her family/sisters have prescribed for her. Gabe was the perfect unexpected surprise to shake things up for her and push her to start dating “YES” to adventures and potentially love. Great banter and chemistry, a fun cruise ship and island setting, and a perfect blend of external and internal drama made this page turner fly by to a satisfying conclusion. This would make a fantastic screen adaptation!!

As someone who has never read Sense and Sensibility, I found it incredibly sad that Margaret had no life of her own. As Gabe pointed out to her, she did live in a cage she made. But thankfully she and her sisters got it together, and survived 6 weeks on a cruise ship together. That in itself seems like a feat.

A lighthearted YA that touches on deeper topics such as death, near death experiences, and natural disasters. I would recommend this to fans of Beth O’Leary and Kate Clayborne.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my opinions.

I love Quain's twists on Austen classics! Dashed is a Sense and Sensibility modern retelling. Margaret saw the damage love can do and wants no part in it. Her sister Marianne LOVES love. Margaret finds it frustratingly annoying. I loved the cruise setting-it creates isolation at times that leads to character development. I really liked the sister bond you get in the story; they are all different, but they are able to find commonality and understanding for each other. One thing I enjoy about Quain's writing is that her main character always overcomes her struggle. For Margaret, being in control of everything is her defining characteristic. I love that in the summer spent with her sisters and love interest Gabe she sees the value in the unknown and uncontrolled. Overall, this was a delightful read that charmed me! I continue to enjoy Quain's books!

DNF @ 38%. I was really hoping to like this one! I love the idea of 2 people falling in love while trying to conduct a silly little scheme and experiencing their mishaps along the way. Also life on a cruise ship! The characters are fun too conceptually. I think my issue was that everything felt very 1-dimensional. The characters only felt like they had one trait, Margaret included even though she was the narrator. And these beautiful tropical destinations also fell flat. I may pick it up again one day to finish but I’m not invested 1/3rd of the way in so not sure.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Dashed: A Margaret Dashwood Novel: -a standalone

By Amanda Quain-a new to me author

Published 7-16-24, Read 7-17-24

E-book 320 pgs.

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for this ARC💛! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance/Rom-Com

Tropes: Jane Austen retelling-Sense and Sensibility, a family cruise, sisterhood

Summary: Margaret Dashwood is going cruising this summer to get away from her dramatic and hopeless romantic sister Marianne before college. She'll be with her other sister Elinor and Elinor's husband Edward, but all Margaret's carefully made plans are crushed when Marianne shows up. To keep her busy until they reach land, Margaret schemes to find Marianne a new love with help from Elinor, her husband Edward, and Gabe Monteiro—a handsome Brazilian crew member.

🤔My Thoughts: I loved the movie with Emma Thompson (Elinor) and Kate Winslet (Marianne). Margaret played the matchmaker planning fake dates for her sister and Gabe, but Margaret falls instead. Marianne was captured beautifully as the emotional, chaotic sister stung by love yet, willing to try again. They all go on some funny adventures that show true sisterly love, and made Margaret a believer.

⭐Rating: 4/5

I was drawn in by the setting and the promise of a fun summer read, but I was left wanting. I was looking forward to the cruising and the fake-dating.
I adored (our main love interest). he was, quite frankly the best part of the book and the story could have benefitted from even more of him. The lack of his presence made Margaret’s falling completely in love with a bit insta-love even though she refuses to fall in love. Why he decided to go along with the ruse is beyond me, since the main character proved to be rather annoying at times. She spent the entire book trying to be like one of her two older sisters. At least, she does go through a considerable amount of character growth by the end, but her constant refusal to give Gabe a chance because of the possibility of heartbreak got to be a bit much. She constantly pushed him away instead of just having fun. I loved that this book was about family and how close the sisters were and became again. I saw the mini twist from the very beginning (I knew it!), so no surprise there for me.
If you’re looking for a book that has a character dealing with an existential crisis, then this is a good read for you. I can see how this book could be quite relatable to a number of people. Margaret really is trying to figure out who she is and she learns a lot in the process. The end of the book and the realizations she makes were worth continuing to read the story.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an e-arc. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

This book is so adorable I couldn’t get enough, what Mags does to help her sister and try to make her happy, her love for her brother in laws when her family needed it most, and her growing love to Gabe was a breath of fresh air. I felt the book was a bit of a slow burn and it kept being repetitive and I as getting a little tired of the book at times, but will I recommend this read to others? YES.

“The best part of loving someone, and loving them for a long time, is that you forget where you end and the other person begins.”

I love retellings especially if it’s Jane Austen. When I saw Dashed was a contemporary reimagining loosely based on Sense and Sensibility, I knew I had to read it!! The Dashwood sisters on a cruise ship? That sounded like a cute take on the classic… and it was. Similar enough to feel familiar but original in itself to be a fun new adventure with known characters.

Elinor, Edward, and Margaret are leaving for a cruise when their sister Marianne shows up and surprises them. She decided to join them in their cruise. It’s awkward because It isn’t quite the welcome surprise. From here we get a journey metaphorically and physically of three sisters navigating life and love.

At first I felt Margaret was a bit selfish in her thinking and outlook of her sister Marianne. As the story progressed I could somewhat understand her point of view. Her older sister’s actions and decisions greatly affected her. The heart of this story is family and you will feel that. It’s a beautiful nod to sisterly love and its unbreakable bonds. This rom-com will give you all the warm fuzzies at the end. The setting is a cruise ship where sisterly bonds are tested, there’s fake dating, a hurricane that brings them all together, and admissions of love. It’s a well rounded story!! Sense and Sensibility will always be a favorite for me. If you love Austen or just rom- coms in general don’t pass this fun seaside adventure up! Perfect poolside or beach read! ⭐️⭐️

This book was so amazing. I have loved Amanda Quain's Austen inspired retellings so much and this one did not disappoint. Getting to finally "know" Margaret was such a surprise but I have to say when Marianne ran on the page and declared she broke up with Brandon I immediately yelled NOPE and shut the book. Not even an option for me ;)

After a day of mild panic I was finally brave enough to reopen and finish the book. I LOVED the dynamic, Margaret's growth and giving Edward the growth and strength I wish he had gotten previously. HIGHLY recommend!

Favorite Quote: "The way that you all love people...it isn't a bad thing, It's not some curse, to love boldly. It's your greatest strength. The way that the three of you care for one another, and the people in your lives, that's the best thing about you"

loved this romance and her mom wants her to date this guy she has these amazing friends who are all dealing with different relationship issues . loved that she found her way in the job and found love

This book was fun to read. The 3 Dashwood sisters are so flawed, in so many ways, but they all have the biggest hearts.

Familial love is so important, and can be life-changing, if you let it. Romantic love can, as well, but it's different.

I like that this book explores both those kinds of love. I'd recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dashed

A cute, modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility.

It was so fun reading this story with modern Dashwoods. I loved the take and think it fits pretty solidly in the YA category. If you’re looking for mature characters this probably isn’t it.

The setting pulled me in and made such a nice summer read. I’ve never been on a cruise but I loved the antics the sisters got up to on this one.

The romance was sweet. I enjoyed how it came about but even more I enjoyed the exploration of sisterhood.

This was a FANTASTIC modern Sense & Sensibility retelling set on a summer cruise. I am a HUGE Amanda Quain/Jane Austen fan and this latest DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! Excellent on audio narrated by Allyson Morgan and one not to miss for Austen fans. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This ended up being really disappointing, although I think it could just be me as it looks like most others enjoyed it. I thought a Sense and Sensibility retelling set on a cruise ship sounded incredible, instead I ended up slogging through. I thought the characters were so unlikeable and dull, there was a slight redemption arc at the end, but by that point I felt it was too late.

Dashed by Amanda quain is supposed to be a modern day cruise ship retelling of sense and sensibility so let me just start off by saying I don’t know where Margaret came in? I know she was the main focus of this book and wanted to help her sister Marion who just broke up with boyfriend Brandon because Margaret knows Marianne does not do well by her self. Let me just say Margaret is a walking contradiction because she was so distraught when she learned Marianne was going on the cruise with her, Eleanor her brother-in-law Edward and the reason for their five week free cruise. Margaret acted as if her main aim was to steer clear of Maryann but the first night on the cruise she gets a fake boyfriend so she can go on double dates with Marianne and the guy Margaret and her fake boyfriend Gabe found for her. I did like the fact that Margaret wanted to be independent of her sisters but yet every time she was in a new or awkward situation she channeled one of them
I did like that it was set on a cruise ship and I did see the similarities between Ellanore and Marion I also found some very funny moments but there was just something about Margaret that rub me the wrong way I didn’t totally dislike her because she was written as a 18-year-old girl but I DK I would still recommend this book because I think teens and young adults would probably truly enjoyed this book I don’t think it should be compared to sense and sensibility although I did get the comparison it’s just not enough to put that claim on this book but overall this was really a fun read and one I definitely recommend.#SaintMartin’sPress, #NetGalley, #AmandaQuain, #Dashed, #AMargaretDashwoodNovel,

Title: Dashed
Author: Amanda Quain
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

Margaret Dashwood lives her life according to plan, and it involves absolutely zero heartbreak, thank you very much. Five years ago, love tore her family apart, and since then, she’s kept her own heart as safe as possible. It hasn’t been easy, especially since her sister Marianne—the world’s biggest romantic—has conveniently forgotten that love burned her so badly she literally almost died. So when their oldest sister Elinor invites Margaret along for a Marianne-free summer cruise, she can’t wait to soak up every scheduled moment with sensible Elinor before heading off to college.

But just before they set sail, a newly-single Marianne announces that she’s crashing their vacation. Suddenly, Margaret’s itineraries are thrown overboard, and the ship’s cabin feels even tinier with her sister wailing about her breakup from the bottom bunk. The only solution? Find Marianne a dose of love to tide her over until they reach land.

With help from Elinor, her husband Edward, and Gabe—a distractingly handsome new friend on the crew—Margaret sets out to create a series of elaborate fake dates that will give Marianne the spontaneously curated summer romance of a lifetime. But between a chaotic sister, the growing storm of feelings between Margaret and Gabe, and an actual storm on the horizon, this summer is destined to go off course. Margaret will have to decide what’s more important—following the plan, or following her heart.

This was a cute read! I love Sense and Sensibility—of course—and I thought this was a fun update. The life-on-a-cruise-ship angle was fairly new to me, so that added a bit of fun, too. The Dashwood sisters had an interesting dynamic and backstory, and I enjoyed how Margaret discovered herself and who she was, not her sisters’ shadow.

Amanda Quain lives in Pennsylvania. Dashed is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

I am not a huge Jane Austen fan. Not that I don't think she writes good books; I've just not read them. So, I cannot compare this retelling to the original to see how it compares. That being said, this was an interesting YA romance novel. Three sisters end up on a cruise ship for six weeks while Edward (Elinor's husband) works as the ship's chaplain. I have taken cruises before, but I wonder how it would be to stay longer on the ship. 

I was not wild about Margaret's character. However, she is 18 and has led a somewhat sheltered life. She doesn't know who she is and is emulating her sisters. Her sisters are on opposite ends of the spectrum regarding behavior and personality. However, as we learn later in the book, the surface personality didn't necessarily match how they felt deep down inside.

My favorite character was Gabe. He is a dark brooding type who is attracted to Margaret, and she to him, if she will allow herself to admit it. Edward was my second favorite character. He was a stable and calm force in their world. Perhaps it is the minister in him.

I enjoyed watching the characters grow and become better people. They still have a lot to learn and adapt to how they act and react when their mother or even their siblings are around. A major event near the end of the book brings the sisters together. There are lessons learned by all of the sisters, and perhaps this will help Margaret become a well adjusted adult.

If you like retellings, you might like this book. We give it 4 paws up.

This book started off a bit slow but definitely redeemed its self in the second half. I enjoyed this sisterly triple romance and how different stages of a romance can still be wonderful. I loved the aspects of each stage, Married. Long term and new and how each sister struggled and still had to find themselves. It touched on truma and how it can limit you and make it harder to live if ignored. Very well written and I very much enjoyed it.