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Two sisters roll up their sleeves to run a dilapidated inn but must learn to work with the locals in this deliciously spicy novel inspired by Sense and Sensibility.
There’s never a good time to learn you are your father’s secret child—especially not at the reading of his will. With their father’s affairs laid bare and Nora’s sensible reputation in tatters due to a viral video scandal, she and her free-spirited sister have nothing left but a rustic inn in the middle of nowhere and each other. What’s more, they need to revamp the inn before Labor Day or they lose it all. Nora hasn’t even knocked the traveling dust off last season’s designer boots when she’s confronted with three problems:
1. She really should have watched more HGTV.
2. She hasn’t seen another Black person for miles.
3. A tall, dark stranger has already staked a claim on their property.
Native Abenaki eco-tour guide Ennis “Bear” Freeman has seen hapless tourists come and go. When he spots two pampered city girls at his unofficial headquarters, he expects them to catch a flight out of the inhospitable coastal Maine backwoods within a week’s time. But Nora, turns out, is made of sterner stuff. And as she rolls up her sleeves to breathe new life into the inn, she unwittingly reignites a flood of emotions inside of Bear that he had very intentionally suppressed.
Their connection is electric, their desire palpable. But Bear’s silence about his mysterious past might turn out to be the one thing that sends Nora packing.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
February 13, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593747445
- File size: 321450 KB
- Duration: 11:09:41
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from December 18, 2023
Payne’s sparkling and sultry latest diverse Jane Austen adaptation (after Pride and Protest) puts a refreshing spin on Sense and Sensibility’s Dashwood sisters. Shenora “Nora” Dash’s world is thrown into chaos when her ex-boyfriend releases their sex tape without her consent, leading her to quit college and her beloved track team and to suffer from debilitating panic attacks. Then Nora’s father dies suddenly, and she and her sister, Maryanne (“Yanne”), learn they are his secret second family—and his “real” family isn’t about to let them have a penny of his estate. They’re left with only a dilapidated beachfront inn on Abenaki land in rural Maine, which Nora and Yanne must either transform to turn a profit or lose in foreclosure. Payne beautifully delineates the sisters’ contrasting personalities as Yanne’s free spirit and bohemian lifestyle leave Nora feeling alone and misunderstood, though she’s grateful that no one on the reservation seems to have seen her sex tape. Among these locals is Ennis “Bear” Freeman, who wants to honor his Abenaki ancestors’ values while carving out his own path. When he meets beautiful Nora, he sees an opportunity to help his tourist business by pitching in on the inn’s renovation. The ensuing romance is steamy and intense. Readers won’t have to be Janeites to appreciate Nora and Bear’s magnetic connection. -
Kacie Rogers and Phil Ava narrate a contemporary take on SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. After learning at their father's funeral that they are his secret family and will inherit nothing, Nora and her sister set out to make the best of it. Ennis "Bear" Freeman is struggling to keep his business afloat when two seemingly rich girls show up to complicate his life. Rogers's portrayal of Nora is achingly poignant, giving equal weight to her shame at a past trauma, grief at her father's death, rage at how she has been treated, and determination to succeed. Ava's portrayal of Bear is heartbreaking, highlighting his desire to do right by others while sacrificing his own happiness. A brief author's note read by Nikki Payne provides insightful context. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine -
June 1, 2024
Upon their father's death, Nora Dash and her sister Yanne inherit a dilapidated inn in Maine. The catch: The inn must earn enough to prevent foreclosure in the next nine months. On day one, they encounter Ennis "Bear" Freeman, who has been using the abandoned site for eco-tours presenting his Abenaki roots. Bear strikes a deal with the sisters to help renovate the inn as their business partner. Over repairs and morning jogs, Nora and Bear become friends who realize they want something more. Payne (Pride and Protest) soberly reads the author's note, describing the writing journey that resulted in this book. Primary narrators Kacie Rogers and Phil Ava offer sizzling performances of the couple. Rogers's Nora tries to hold firm to her "strong Black woman" exterior but displays vulnerability about her past and her feelings for Bear. Meanwhile, Rogers's characterization of Yanne as a wannabe new-age guru is a hoot. Ava's Bear, who sometimes has a stutter, smolders every time he thinks of Nora. A late second-act plot twist may give listeners pause, but the narrators' delightful performances make this unputdownable. VERDICT A sexy and sensitive update to Sense and Sensibility, perfect for fans of Sonali Dev's Incense and Sensibility.--Anjelica Rufus-Barnes
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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