Incense and Sensibility: A Novel

Written by Sonali Dev

Narrated by Soneela Nankani

""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 of Beach Read

Yash Raje, California’s first Indian-American gubernatorial candidate, has always known exactly what he wants—and how to use his privileged background to get it. He attributes his success to a simple mantra: control your feelings and you can control the world. But when a hate crime at a rally critically injures his friend, Yash’s easy life suddenly feels like a lie, his control an illusion. When he tries to get back on the campaign trail, he blacks out with panic.

Desperate to keep Yash’s condition from leaking to the media, his family turns to the one person they trust—his sister’s best friend, India Dashwood, California’s foremost stress management coach. Raised by a family of yoga teachers, India has helped San Francisco’s high strung overachievers for a decade without so much as altering her breath. But this man—with his boundless ambition, simmering intensity, and absolute faith in his political beliefs—is like no other.

Yash has spent a lifetime repressing everything to succeed, including their one magical night ten years ago—a too brief, too bright passion that if rekindled threatens to destroy the dream he’s willingly shouldered for his family and community . . . until now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jul 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063051812

Sonali Dev

USA Today Bestselling author Sonali Dev writes Bollywood-style love stories that explore issues faced by women around the world. Sonali’s novels have been on Library Journal, NPR, Washington Post, and Kirkus’s Best Books of the year lists. She has won the American Library Association’s award for best romance, the RT Reviewer Choice Award for best contemporary  romance, multiple RT Seals of Excellence, is a RITA® finalist, and has been listed for the Dublin Literary Award. Shelf Awareness calls her “Not only one of the best but one of the bravest romance novelists working today.” She lives in Chicagoland with her husband, two visiting adult children, and the world’s most perfect dog. Find more at sonalidev.com.

Reviews for Incense and Sensibility

[Sakunthala Sambanthan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such an amazing book. I loved how beautifully descriptive the emotions were written. So raw and honest.

[Sarah Perchikoff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

DELIGHTFUL!! I love this series so much! Can't wait for the next one!

[AJ · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Half way - this is the weakest of the series so far. I just don't care about these two the same. The writing is good, as usual. The Austin plot is cleverly woven into the story. But there's no chemistry between the two main characters. Also, the set up is so weak - Spoiler - India is upset over ONE night of talking, ten years ago. Like, has she not lived at all since then? I was expecting a lost virginity origin, not ... We really talked that night.
Update: It improves somewhat towards the end. Secondary couple were far more interesting.

[Jennie Worley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incense and Sensibility was the best of the three Austen retellings by Dev. The emotions of this book suited Austen’s original, while also wrapping up threads from the first two books.

[Fae Santana · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Idk. It was ok. I’ll see in the morning. Too soon to tell.

[Charmaine Young · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book I've read. Does all her books have people in anguish? It's not a bad story, but it's seems like her books are all the same. There is a huge misunderstanding that neither characters can just talk it out to resolve it until 32 chapters later. All of the characters hold gruges against people. They all seem majorly over sensitive. The authors books are very slow burns unnecessary so. Yash's character's reaction were too much like a female than a man. I gave him grace due to the shooting. The female lead seemed all over the place for such a life coach. She did not appear to be able to manage her our life. The only characters l liked was Brandy and her daughter. This book could have been better. I originally gave this book a 3 star, but I changed after the horrible way it ended.