Like the book, this review is going to be a quick, easy read. The plot is almost exactly that of Sense and Sensibility, just a modernized version. My first reaction was disappointment that the author didn’t even try to copy Austen’s beautiful prose or understated humor. Once I got past that, I was better able to enjoy the book for what it was. Elinor and Marianne were both updated very nicely. Like the actions of Austen’s characters, the update wasn’t predictable but just felt right. Of course Elinor would be good at academics! Of course Marianne would act! I was also impressed by the way the update translated events with no modern equivalent. For instance, some of the social constraints on the original characters’ actions have no longer exist, but the author managed to come up with suitable substitutes.

Objectively, I think this probably deserves two starts. The characters were two-dimensional stereotypes and I occasionally found their actions unbelievable. The writing wasn’t anything special. But when I finished it, I would have said I liked it. I had fun reading it and enjoyed seeing the author’s creativity in making the update, so three stars it is.

This review first published on Doing Dewey. ( )

I didn't enjoy Rosie Rushton's 21st century update of Sense and Sensibility quite like her adaptation of Emma (Secret Schemes and Daring Dreams), but then I feel the same about Austen's original novels too. Still, The Secrets of Love is a clever reworking of the Dashwood sisters' lives and loves, about three sisters who lose their estranged father and have to downsize and move from Brighton to Norfolk. Ellie is the eldest and most responsible, who falls for somebody else's guy, Abby is the middle sister torn between two boys, and Georgie is the youngest, a daredevil tomboy.

Some scenes were very effective, like the death of Mr Dashwood and Abby's dramatic exit, but the writing overall seemed stilted and the dialogue rather dated ('Ace!') and Americanised ('I guess'). I did appreciate how Rushton worked with Austen's characters - Pandora the wicked stepmother was a worthy stand-in for Fanny - but chick-lit for teens could never quite match Austen's genius, I'm afraid. ( )

Nach dem Tod ihres Vater müssen sie wegziehen. Da ihr Vater hochverschuldet war haben sie keine andere Chance. Doch dort finden sie wieder einen turbolenten Neuanfang. ( )

http://books.moonsoar.com/archives/2008/12/26/the-dashwood-sisters-secrets-of-lo... ( )

This is a very cute book. I won't go as into detail with this review as I normally would, because it should be rather obvious what the novel is about and how it ends. It's a modernized version of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. It's a very cute update, but nowhere near as great as the original.
Things I liked: The youngest sister, Georgie (Margaret in S&S) gets a lot more screen/page-time in this version. The relationship between the Dashwood sisters and their father is explored more.
Things I didn't like: The "Lucy Steele" character in this novel is a raging bitch. I couldn't understand why Blake stayed with her. The same goes for the "Willoughby" character: in S&S, he really does love Marianne, but can't marry her for financial reasons. His loss. In this novel, Hunter is a complete jerk. I could tell from the get-go that he didn't really care about Abby. Having those two characters so unilaterally unsympathetic really bugged me.
Those small quibbles aside, I enjoyed this book. It's a fun, easy read. ( )