Ladies of the House

By: Lauren Edmondson

Narrated by: Emma Lysy

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

A DAZZLING NOVEL THAT PUTS A MODERN SPIN ON JANE AUSTEN'S CLASSIC SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

No surprise is a good surprise. At least according to thirty-four-year-old Daisy Richardson, a woman of routine, order and careful thought. So when it's revealed in dramatic fashion that her esteemed father had been involved in a public scandal before his untimely death, Daisy's life becomes complicated—and fast.

For one, the Richardsons must now sell the family home in Georgetown they can no longer afford, and Daisy's mother is holding on with an iron grip to this last vestige of their former life. Her younger sister, Wallis, is ready to move on to bigger and better things, but falls fast and hard for the most inconvenient person possible, someone Daisy can't bring herself to trust. And then there's Atlas, Daisy's best friend. She's always wished they could be more, but now he's writing an exposé on the one subject she's been desperate to avoid: her father.

Daisy's plan is to maintain a low profile as she works to keep her family intact amid social exile, public shaming and quickly dwindling savings. But the spotlight always seems to find the Richardsons, and when another twist in the scandal comes to light, Daisy must confront the consequences of her continued silence and summon the courage to stand up and accept the power of her own voice.

©2021 Lauren Edmondson (P)2021 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

Modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility

Not since Allegra Goodman’s “The Cookbook Collector,” has an author captured the essence of Austen’s two sisters, one driven by logic and the desire to protect, the other seeking and keeping love at all costs. Lauren Edmondson weaves an intricate and believable story about a family trying to survive an abrupt fall from grace in the politically toxic environment of Washington D.C. The Richardson sisters and their mother must contend with overwhelming debt, the loss of their home, rejection by former friends, and public disgrace. The novelist takes modern circumstance and accurately portrays the shame and struggle that Austen’s sisters (Elinor and Marianne Dashwood) faced. Although Edmondson does not include every plot point from the original book, the novel is a lively and engaging read. It’s a pleasure to listen to a well-written story and to discover a superb new writer of literary fiction.

Lovely writing

Well-written…language made it a pleasure to read. Cute love triangle set in the busy political world of D.C.
Would make a good mini-series for Netflix or Prime☺️

Waited for it to start; never invested in the characters

I was really disappointed in this story because I had such high hopes based on the description. I made it to the end but never really cared about the characters or storylines.