Sense & Suitability

Author: Pepper Basham
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 368
Release Date: October 14, 2025
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

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?

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

Sense & Suitability by Pepper Basham is a delightful Regency Romance that will keep you up until the wee hours of the night.

Emmeline Lockhart believed that Simon Reeves loved her. In fact, he had arranged a rendezvous with her at a ball they were both attending, with the express intention of asking her to marry him. So Emme (as she was called) waited in the garden for her beloved. Only to be handed a calling card from a butler, which indicated he would not be coming. What Emme didn’t know were the circumstances behind Simon’s disappearance and his decision not to marry her. 

I enjoyed this book so very much as Emme slowly came to grips with Simon’s decision. Simon, for his part, regrets his decision, and for the rest of the novel we get to see if these two can find their way back to each other. The odds are not in their favour.

I loved how the author included the Jane Austen story of Sense & Sensibility and how it played out with this couple. The faith element was present and well done so as not to be preachy.

If you enjoy clean Regency Romance with a Jane Austen vibe, you will love Sense & Suitability.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Thomas Nelson Publishers via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

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