Tuesday, October 14, 2025

SENSE AND SUITABILITY by Pepper Basham, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #ReleaseDay

A sweet Regency, enemies-to-lovers rom-com

PAULA'S REVIEW:
With her signature wit, Pepper Basham has written another winner in a new genre for her: Sense and Suitability is patterned after the beloved Jane Austen tome.

Emmeline Lockhart is a secret authoress and has not found a suitor since Simon Reeves disappeared at a ball two years ago. Tragedy struck Simon and subsequently he inherits not only a title but plenty of problems and sizable debt. In true Austen and Regency fashion, hero Simon must find a wealthy lady to save his estate, when his heart yearns for respectable but not so wealthy heroine Emme.

The story is peopled with familiar characters such as clergyman cousins, interfering but well meaning aunts, jealous conniving female rivals, lovable but unruly siblings and bothersome unsuitable suitors.

And who can resist the romantic scenes with kisses to make you swoon, not to mention an unexpected splash in a pond and a Darcy-like hero emerging from said pond.

Loads of fun, romance, angst, and good spiritual lessons. It will be hard to wait for the next Regency from this author. I know it will be just as captivating.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson on behalf of the author and via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*Beyond 5 stars and a solid faith thread 


BackCover Blurb:
After two failed social seasons, her family may think the third time will be a charm, but Emmeline Lockhart just wants to survive with her dignity (and singleness) intact. She thought she'd found her perfect match in Simon Reeves--charming, handsome, a veritable hero from a novel--until he vanished from her life without so much as a "farewell" or "my deepest regrets" (or even a vague apology scribbled on the back of a calling card). Lesson learned: never fall for a man known for his charm.

Fortunately, and unlike many of the other eligible young ladies of the ton, Emmeline has no need for a husband--because she's already found success in her scandalous (and very anonymous) profession as an author. Why bother with matrimony when she can make her own fortune and write men exactly the way she wants them?

But fate--or the misfortune of Simon's reckless patriarchs--has other plans. Simon's once-proud estate is in shambles, his family fortune has been gambled away, and the younger impressionable siblings in his care are running wild across his estate (and possibly across all of England). Simon is in desperate need of a wealthy, prestigious bride . . . and a friend.

Emmeline may not fit the role of heiress, but she can certainly be a friend. Just a friend. She'll help him find a suitable match, ensure his reputation remains intact, and keep things strictly platonic--no matter how dangerously appealing his new-and-improved sincerity and regret may be.

There's just one small problem: the undeniable chemistry that still smolders between them. Can Emme play matchmaker for the man she's still in love with without losing her heart all over again? And is it possible that some love stories--especially the messy, inconvenient, impossible ones--are worthy of a rewrite?

Filled with lively banter, adorable children, a frog named Blast, and swoony kisses,
Sense and Suitability is the sweet Regency romance you've been looking for. Basham brings her signature humor to the Regency era where social strictures keep the tension tight in this second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance.

Thomas Nelson Publishing, October, 2025
Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook


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