Day’s YA: DASHED

DASHED by Amanda Quain
9781250907530
7/16/2024
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

This lovely modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility focuses on the lesser known Dashwood sister, Margaret. Caught between her two older sisters’ polar opposite personalities, Margaret used to be carefree and hopeful but is now an overly careful planner who shuts down any romantic encounter before it even has a chance to get off the ground. As she gears up for a summer-long cruise with her oldest sister, Elinor, Margaret can’t wait to live out her last summer before college exactly how she’d planned. But when their middle sister, Marianne, shows up out of the blue, the entire itinerary goes out the window. Marianne has just been dumped by her long-time boyfriend and needs to get away, but Margaret will not have her ruin the summer by crying it away in their tiny shared cabin. The best way to distract Marianne, Margaret decides, is by setting her up with a new guy, pronto. However, Marianne can’t jump back into the dating pool with just any random guy, and that’s why Margaret needs to vet all of her potential suitors first.

Without too much of a fight, Marianne agrees to this plan but she has one condition: Margaret has to do it with her. As someone who’s sworn off romantic relationships, this is less than palatable to Margaret. She’s sure she can find a way out of it soon enough, though, so she agrees for the time being. But when she (literally) falls head-first into Gabe, one of the hottest crew members on the ship, she realizes that rejecting a love connection for herself is going to be way harder than she thought. The best way to distract herself is to enlist Gabe in the search for guys to set up with her sister. Together, they scour the eligible bachelors on the ship for one who is worthy of Marianne, all while hiding their scheme from Elinor, who they’re sure will be a buzzkill and squash the whole endeavor.

DASHED is a gem of a novel for readers who enjoy stories where romance and family loyalty collide with the messiness of life. It’s a wonderful story of personal growth, the courage to face the unknown, and the terrifying act of opening your heart. As Margaret orchestrates a summer of fake romance for Marianne, she unwittingly embarks on her own journey of self-discovery, realizing that maybe true love isn’t something that can be meticulously planned. And the backdrop of a cruise adds a layer of escapism that makes this the perfect summer beach read! A Kirkus review says, “Quain moves the story along with ease and charm, spinning a tale that’s as much about the love between sisters as the intrigues of unexpected romance. Characters and key themes maintain the Austen connection, but Margaret’s journey of healing from trauma and accepting herself is a Quain original.” This is a delightful addition to Quain’s collection of modern Austen retellings (following ACCOMPLISHED and GHOSTED) and is perfect for fans of the remote, tropical setting of Olivia Worley’s PEOPLE TO FOLLOW and the sisterly bond from Jessica Parra’s THE QUINCE PROJECT. I can’t wait to see which Austen novel Quain reimagines next!

Happy reading!
<3 Michelle

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