Publishers Weekly
05/09/2022
Passion arises between two old friends in Dev’s endearing fourth Rajes romance (after Incense and Sensibility), a fresh take on Jane Austen’s Emma. Knightlina “Naina” Kohli is furious to learn that a benefactor, who’s promised to endow the natal care clinics she’s hoping to open, has also pledged part of that sum to Vansh Raje, Naina’s longtime friend and the well-intentioned but meddling founder of a nonprofit, the Emma Project. The youngest of a close-knit and prominent Indian American family, Vansh has lived a privileged life, unlike Naina, who, along with her mother, suffered at the hands of her controlling, abusive father. Vansh didn’t set out to steal Naina’s funding, but when he learned that one of his former employees is now homeless, he was moved to take on homelessness as his next cause. He appeals to Naina to figure out a way they can both get the funds they need, leading to long days that soon turn into steamy nights. Naina doesn’t believe she’s capable of love and insists their affair be temporary, but Vansh struggles to keep things casual, forcing Naina to confront her past and reevaluate her self-worth. Sonali captures the true friendship between Naina and Vansh and addresses difficult subjects without dilution or pretension. Series fans won’t want to miss this. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners. (June)
From the Publisher
This book holds a galaxy of depth in its pages; it is powerful and loving, sensual and layered. Sonali Dev’s writing is glorious.” — Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author, on Incense and Sensibility
“Incense and Sensibility is a tender, well-crafted novel, as much about finding purpose as it is about falling in love. Dev writes with such rare empathy and humor that I often found myself holding my breath on one page only to be giggling by the next. This is the kind of book you finish with a whole-body, happy sigh and a warm ache in your chest where the characters will live on. Yash and India’s story will stick with me for a long time.” — Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author
“A delight from start to finish, both for Jane Austen fans looking for a fresh take and readers seeking deeply felt relationships and complicated family dynamics. In Dev’s world, the past is alive in the present; I was wholly engrossed and had plenty to think about. At the same time, the reality TV storyline added a thread of pure fun escapism—something all of us need right now.” — Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author, on Recipe for Persuasion
“Dev continues the story of the Raje family with this nuanced and powerful second chance romance, a loose riff on Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Dev balances the toe-curling romance with high-octane family drama...[her] candor and sensitivity in both story lines set this family-centric romance apart. Readers are sure to be impressed.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Recipe for Persuasion
“Clever allusions to Persuasion aside (even Jane Austen fans will be challenged to spot them all), this is a sumptuously multilayered story about the ways love gets tangled in family life and romantic relationships.” — Library Journal (starred review) on Recipe for Persuasion
Christina Lauren
This book holds a galaxy of depth in its pages; it is powerful and loving, sensual and layered. Sonali Dev’s writing is glorious.”
Emily Henry
Incense and Sensibility is a tender, well-crafted novel, as much about finding purpose as it is about falling in love. Dev writes with such rare empathy and humor that I often found myself holding my breath on one page only to be giggling by the next. This is the kind of book you finish with a whole-body, happy sigh and a warm ache in your chest where the characters will live on. Yash and India’s story will stick with me for a long time.
Joshilyn Jackson
A delight from start to finish, both for Jane Austen fans looking for a fresh take and readers seeking deeply felt relationships and complicated family dynamics. In Dev’s world, the past is alive in the present; I was wholly engrossed and had plenty to think about. At the same time, the reality TV storyline added a thread of pure fun escapism—something all of us need right now.
Kirkus Reviews
2022-04-13
Two lifelong friends learn to see each other in a new light when forced to pursue a common goal.
Once betrothed to Yash Raje, heir apparent of the aristocratic Indian American Raje family, and beloved by his sprawling clan, Naina Kohli has become persona non grata since she and Yash split up, acknowledging that the engagement had been a convenient sham. So when she finds out that the benefactor of her microfinance foundation wants her to work with Vansh Raje, Yash’s youngest sibling, Naina is distraught: Not only does this development make it impossible for her to put some much-needed distance between herself and the Rajes, but it also forces her to hitch her wagon to the pampered prince who has, to her knowledge, never demonstrated a capacity for dedication or commitment. In his mid-20s, Vansh is relentlessly charming; coasting along easily on the strength of his looks and wealth, he has traveled the world working on do-gooder projects. He is extremely earnest about his latest and cares enough about Naina to be frustrated that she often underestimates his sincerity. But when circumstances force them to acknowledge each other’s best qualities and become freshly aware of their own flaws, sparks begin to fly. Naina must now decide if she wants a real relationship with a different Raje brother altogether. The fourth and final installment in Dev’s series of Jane Austen adaptations brims with humor, wit, and pathos. Naina, originally christened Knightlina, is modeled on Emma’s steadfast Mr. Knightley, while Vansh shares Emma’s compassion and tendency to make unfortunate errors in judgment. Dev’s attention to detail—from descriptions of Naina’s Bollywood-inspired attire to her mother’s turns of phrase as she negotiates with English—brings every character to life and inspires instant empathy. While descriptions of the Rajes’ family dynamics are consistently entertaining, their eventual change of heart toward Naina feels somewhat abrupt.
The warmth of steady family ties complements the heat of intense sexual chemistry.
