By Pepper Basham
Published by Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: October 14, 2025
Description from the publisher:
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.
My Review:
I've read (ok, devoured because I loved them so much) some of the author's contemporary romances, so I was excited to check out this Regency romance by her to see what I thought. I might not have loved it quite as much as her contemporary books, but I still really liked it. I really liked both Emme's kind heart and how she's willing to help Simon even if it means she doesn't get what she wants, and I felt so badly for Simon with his burdens and how he wanted so badly to do what was right for his family and their reputation. Secondary characters added a lot of humorous moments to the story, along with bits of wisdom. I hope we'll see more stories from Basham that allow some of those secondary characters to take center stage.
4 stars.
I read a DRC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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