Book Review: Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham

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What can I say except—oh my goodness, Pepper's done it again! This Regency story is brimming with heart, humor, and a good dose of romance.

Emmeline Lockhart has sworn off love ever since her almost-fiancé, Simon Reeves, left her standing alone in the garden. She has a secret, thriving writing career, with no intention of falling for another liar. Simon, meanwhile, let the love of his life, Emmeline, slip through his fingers when tragedy turned his world upside down. With his father and cousin gone, Simon became a viscount and must marry for money to save his family’s estate and keep a roof over his siblings’ heads.

Thrown together in polite society, Emmeline and Simon try their best to avoid each other. But between undeniable sparks and an accidental run-ins, old feelings resurface. Knowing she, a country gentleman's daughter, could never be what Simon needs, she agrees to help Simon find a suitable wife to secure his family’s future. What could possibly go wrong?

I couldn’t put this book down. Written in Pepper’s ever-clever style, it was pure joy to see Emmeline and Simon navigate their way from once in love to heartbreak and back to something even deeper. Whenever Simon’s siblings entered the story, they stole the page—especially his youngest sister with her messy person and a frog named Blast (Simon’s favorite exclamation!).

This story captured my heart, made me laugh, and kept me reading long past bedtime. Thank you for another delightful read. Highly recommend!

Request Sense and Suitability at your local library, preorder it at most retailers, or find it for sale on Amazon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Pepper Basham and Thomas Nelson Fiction. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Official Book Blurb:

In this clean Regency rom-com, a woman with a scandalous past (and an even more scandalous secret) swears off love--until the man who broke her heart needs her help. What could possibly go wrong? Perfect for fans of Tessa Dare and Eloisa James looking for a low-spice, witty Regency romance.

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?