Sex, Lies and Sensibility

By: Nikki Payne

Narrated by: Kacie Rogers, Phil Ava, Nikki Payne

Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

“Nikki Payne skillfully spins the tale of a well-known Jane Austen classic and makes it entirely her own. Thoughtful, hilarious, and smolderingly steamy.”—Kristina Forest, author of The Partner Plot

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.

©2023 Nikki Payne (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"I do not have the words for how deeply I loved this book. It’s the smartest Austen update I’ve read in ages, and the relationship between the main characters is utter perfection. I love, love, love Bear and Nora, and so will everyone wise enough to buy this book."—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Deeply relatable characters and whip-smart dialogue...Nikki Payne delivers Jane Austen for the modern reader."—Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton novels

"Sex, Lies and Sensibilities is the second time that Nikki absolutely amazes me. Her ability to take in Jane Austen’s works, to adapt them for contemporary sensibilities, and—I know, bold statement—to improve on them by doing justice by characters that Jane did dirty is unparalleled. I will read whatever she writes, whenever she writes it, and I will not rest until the entire world is made aware of the absolute magic of a Nikki Payne book. No one writes like her, and I truly feel so blessed that we are contemporaries and I get to enjoy the products of her marvelous mind!"—Ali Hazelwood, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically

Proving people wrong

Nora and Bear both had to prove their ability to make their dreams become a reality and to not let people walk all over them. Nora and Bear kept secrets that soon would be revealed and the fact that they were soulmates of Nora Cancer and Bear a Capricorn showed that they would make a great partner not just friendship, but relationship wise. It was a good book and funny. Bye Felicia 😂

Loved it!!

Nikki Payne is writing Jane Austen retellings like no one else. Her writing is witty and so darn smart and swoony, emotionally raw one moment, lough out loud hilarious the next, and don't get me started on how well she writes romantic tension and longing (*fans face*). I loved this audiobook and thought both narrators did a phenomenal job, bringing Bear and Nora's perspectives (as well as all the secondary characters, especially Yan who had me in stitches she was so outlandish and perfect!) to life. Highly, highly recommend.

Great characters

I loved Bear and Nora and the narrators did a fabulous job bringing them both to life!

Can I renovate an inn in Maine?!

Apparently a Nikki Payne novel review is my favorite place to reveal hard truths about myself. I have never read Sense and Sensibility. I don't even think I've seen any of the movie adaptations. Phew. It does feel good to get that off of my chest.

I do understand that one of the major themes of Sense and Sensibility is that these two people feel locked into obligations and feel like they can't follow their hearts because of that. But DANG. The slow burn of this was so slow. Once they burned though, shooo it was HOT.

I wanted to metaphysically slap both Nora and her sister upside the head for some of the baloney they put up with. I am assuming it's a holdover from the original, but dang it was frustrating.

I could write odes to Bear. He deserves them. Especially once all of the toxic secrets were out in the open and he was just living. Best part though? Even if it did trigger Bear? Obviously the camping. You joking?! SO hot.

Relationship and cultural similarities and differences

No matter what..
We all want the same thing.
Love, respect, value and attention.
Now how we get it is reflected in the book of characters. Such a pleasure read.

Amazing!

This book is so hilarious, sex, and smart. The narration was also perfect. Looking forward to her next one!

I begged my husband to read this book.

He is admittedly not a lover of romance novels, but by the end of this book, he had been “won over”. It was the depth at which characters were created, the fictional yet real storyline and the juggling of a great plot and real life experiences that occurred between these pages.

No, it didn’t take one book, it took one GREAT book. He’s hooked!

Beautifully Written and Narrated

There’s not a single thing I did not like about this book. I ate up every minute. From the authors note at the beginning to the male and female narrators inflection and tones and acting… it was such a wonderful and immersive journey. Not to mention the incredible attention to detail in regard to representation. This is the first book of this nature, in a very long time, to have strong, capable women where those traits don’t falter because of men. It’s just. ❤️. And I want more. I would LOVE to see this as a movie.

Love it!

Enjoyed everything about this book: plot mirroring Austen’s S&S but thoroughly modern; vivid characters; insight to other cultures; and beautiful setting. Wish there really were a Barton Cove I could visit and meet the wonderful people there!

Always a great listen!

This is Nikki Payne’s second adaption of Jane Austen’s classic. As someone living on the east coast, I’m already aware of the Wampanoag people. I’m now keened to learn more about other indigenous groups. I loved it and it and laughed so hard.