Love Notes by Staci Hart

Love Notes (The Austens, #4)

by Staci Hart

Previously titled Living Out Loud.

Bestselling author Staci Hart brings you another installment of the Austen Series, inspired by the works of Jane Austen, with a heartfelt contemporary retelling of Sense and Sensibility.

The second Annie Daschle tumbles into my arms, my whole world changes.

When she asks if we’re hiring at Wasted Words, I can only say yes, even though we aren’t—it’s that early on that I realize I can’t say no to her. Not when she asks me to show her around New York, even though I already know I should stay away. Not when she asks if we’re friends because I want her so much more than that.

But she isn’t mine, and she never can be.

She’s fresh out of high school, never been kissed. She’s my employee, just a kid with a heart condition that’s stopped her from living out loud like she’s always wanted. She’s never dated, never had a boyfriend, never lived, and I can’t be the one to break her heart the first time. I can’t be the one to show her what could be.

But God, how I want to.

Within a few staggering heartbeats, Annie and I are caught in the middle of something we can’t find our way out of, with no clear answers and no rules. And the moment she’s in my arms again, I realize she can’t control her heart. Not the decisions it makes.

Not the moment it stops.

Reviewed by Berls on

4 of 5 stars

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I think I love this series because it brings me back to all my favorite Austen characters in such a fun way. I spent so much of this book both engaged with these characters and also remembering favorite moments from Sense and Sensibility. Win, Win!

I feel like this is perhaps harder than some of my favorite Austen books to bring to life, because so much of what happened to the characters has to do with the time they were living in. And yet, Staci Hart found a really great way to give those situations a modern spin. I absolutely loved Annie (modern version of Marianne), her zest for life and being driven by her sensabilities really made her an endearing character... perhaps more so than the original? And it was a treat to get some of the story from Greg's (modern Colonel Brandon) point of view - something that you don't get in the original. I couldn't help but compare him to Alan Rickman's performance though and how do you live up to that? All said, he was a great character who I had no trouble rooting for. Staci Hart captured his sensitive and guarded soul well.

Looking at other reviews I keep noticing people complaining about the "random love triangle" and I'm feel bad for Staci Hart that they giving her a ding on that when that's IN THE ORIGINAL. If she hadn't had the Willoughby character it wouldn't have been Sense and Sensiblity! So not only do I not take away stars for it, but applaud her taking what was a triangle steeped in problems related to their time and modernizing it to make Willoughby an equally problematic character.

My one complaint (that you don't see in other reviews because I think they are not aware of the retelling the way I am...) is that the romance of Eleanor and Edward barely registers. I don't even remember their names in this version. And yeah, I get this is a retelling but honestly the book is Sense and Sensiblity because Marianne and Eleanor are foils of each other. And Marianne's romance is the more dramatic one but Eleanor's romance is a quiet, heartbreaking, beautiful one and I was really sad to not see it beyond a couple mentions in this book.

The narration was absolutely perfect. James Cavenaugh and Carly Robins delivered really solid characters AND complimented each other beautifully. This is my first book wtih both of them together, though I have listened to Carly Robins on her own previously. I think this is my first time - but not last I hope! - with James Cavenaugh. I enjoyed their performance and wouldn't hestiate to listen to either again - solo or paired.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 22 June, 2022: Finished reading
  • 22 June, 2022: Reviewed