Jude1111

4.5

Maybe love was choosing to believe that it would all work out in the end.

A modern take on Jane Austen's classic Sense and SensibilityI'm sure most people know the story but even if you don't you won't want to miss this little gem.


When Elliott Dashwood's father dies,leaving his family with barely enough to get by,they find themselves shunned by the remaining(wealthy) Dashwood family.

Elliott,Marianne,and Greta are the product of Henry's second marriage to their one time Au Pair,Abby.Henry and Abby were reckless,in love but didn't forsee the future and provide for their children...so it falls to Elliott to take care of them.


Elliott Dashwood is sensible,always a quiet boy but happy to watch people.Not one to take risks,preferring to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground....definitely not prone to flights of fancy....until he meets Ned Ferrars who comes to visit after his father's death.The two young men share stolen kisses,a brief encounter with Elliott daring to dream of something more.



The story of Elliott and Ned is not the main focus here,as the title suggests it's about the Dashwoods with all their flaws,quirkiness,optimism,and overall love for each other.

You get wonderful characters in,

-Marianne....a bit of a free spirit,she believes in love and romance and throwing caution to the wind to get it.

-Greta,sarcastic,quirky,wonderfully different from the stereotypical 13 year old you would expect.


The relationship between Elliott and Ned couldn't even be classified as a slow burn,because they don't feature together on page much at all BUT, trust me it's quite special as you get inside Elliott's mind with all his feelings and thoughts.

If you've read Sense and Sensibility you'll know to expect twists and turns before the main characters get their HEA.....and this book was a delightful take on the original.


This was just a joy to read from start to finish and I would highly recommend it.


An Arc of The California Dashwoods was kindly provided to DirtyBooksObsession in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews are posted on DirtyBooksObsession