It's been a year since I read [b:Recipe for Persuasion|52695036|Recipe for Persuasion (The Rajes, #2)|Sonali Dev|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572993520l/52695036._SY75_.jpg|73107700], and I'm kind of wondering if I should do a reread given how short the length of time seems to be between that ending and the start of this one. But, it's also been a while since I've read Sense and Sensibility, so while I do generally get the contours of the story I had trouble placing Naina's equivalent (and thought "oh, that's a weird full first name" when it was revealed here only to look at the next Raje title and go, "ohhhhhh.")

Like the rest of the Raje books tackling Austenian works, these are ostensibly romance novels but they get pretty bleak! This one starts with an assassination attempt, and the recovery girds much of this novel's structure. Even in the last 50 pages I genuinely wasn't sure how our hero & heroine were going to get their HEA, but do be assured it gets there.

The family dynamics in this series is one of the things I enjoy the most, how quick they are to circle the wagons (for better or worse) and how duty-driven so many of them are (also for better or worse).

...I am very belatedly realizing who is Colonel Brandon, whoops. ( )

I hate to say this but this was my least favorite book out of all of this series so far. I just didn’t click with the characters as much as I did in the previous books. Yash is running for governor and when someone takes a shot at him during a rally injuring him and almost killing his bodyguard his life is put in a bit of a spin new found anxiety. To try and get a handle on it, he goes to a family friend that teaches yoga. A family friend that he personally hasn’t spoken to in years but is still close with others and will keep a secret about the visits. Turns out they shared a kiss many years ago but things didn’t work out and now the spark that was there comes roaring back to life even with all the complications in Yash’s life. India works hard to keep the family yoga studio afloat while finding out her mom has cancer and dealing with her sister’s last minute life changes. Once again the path to true love isn’t smooth but it seems to come together by the end of the book. ( )

A fun, easy, and quick weekend read ( )

In Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev, Yash Raje has a problem. While he has been on top of the world, running for governor of California, he has been too driven to take care of his inner self. While this has led to great success, when tragedy strikes, he is emotionally unprepared. India Dashwood has been working with her inner self all of her career. A yoga and retreat instructor, she is prepared to confront all of life’s hardships except maybe those around love. As India begins to help Yash through this trauma, both are surprised by the bond that it rekindles between the two of them, an inconvenient bond given Yash’s relationship status.

Read the rest of my review: https://bythecoverreview.com/2021/09/27/review-incense-and-sensibility-by-sonali...

I received an e-book arc of Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev from the publisher William Morrow and Custom House ( )