I enjoyed this book, but to be honest, I feel like the author’s previous novel, The Jane Austen Society, was superior. I also learned as a reader that my tolerance for this trope did not exceed that one book. If you did enjoy the earlier novel, you may well like this one too. What did not work for me was the romantic angle and the cozy feel. It is well written, and very very similar in all ways and I guess one was enough for me. Maybe I’m not as big an Austen fan as I had presumed. Definitely give this one a read if you are are! It’s very fun

Austen at Sea is a must read for any fans of historical fiction, especially if you are interested in the writings of Jane Austin. Two sisters from Boston, Charlotte (Charlie) and Henrietta (Henry) Stevenson, are fascinated by Austin and have had correspondence with her brother, Admiral Francis Austen . They ignore their father, a Massachusetts Supreme Court judge, and board the SS China to England to meet him. Unbeknownst to them, two brothers from Philadelphia have also corresponded with Admiral Austen and have been invited to travel to England on the same ship. Once onboard, the sisters meet Louisa (Lu) Alcott, who has not yet become famous, and the eccentric and wealthy Sara Beth of Philadelphia, who is also known by the brothers. They also find out that their father convinced Justice Thomas Nash to board at the last minute to act as chaperone, and a bothersome British reporter whom they have previ0usly encountered have also joined the passengers on their way to England.

The sisters journey and experiences are right out of an Austin novel, with competitive affections of the heart, secret loves and a bunch of feminism thrown in for good measure. The author did a good job moving the story along and providing sufficient information about the late 1800s and the life of Austen to keep me happy with the topic.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book to review.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Austenite Fiction, Books About Books
Spice Level: Nothing overly descriptive (as I recall) but there is closed-door/fade to black sex

AUSTEN AT SEA is a breath of fresh air with a new lens for fans of Jane Austen. I enjoyed this book immensely.

The dynamic and shift in power between parent and child is evident in several relationships. The love between sisters is another major theme that I enjoyed.

I will be so interested to see how people end up feeling about one of the romantic relationships. I'm slightly discombobulated—things did NOT go as I anticipated. But people are so complex, I'm also okay with that.

I loved seeing Jane Austen (still fictionally, of course) through her brother's eyes.

This time period where history was changing on how women interacted in society is very interesting to me. That's another reason to pick up this book. The fight for women's rights has gone on for a looong time.

I would definitely read another book by this author. That's a vote for "swim" from me.

Happy reading!

PS: If you haven't read her book, The Jane Austen Society, pick it up.

Natalie Jenner is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read all her books and I’ve loved each and every one of them. Austen at Sea is the story of two unmarried sisters from Boston who begin exchanging letters with Sir Admiral Francis Austen. He’s the brother of one of their very favorite authors, Jane Austen. At the invitation of the Admiral and against their father’s wishes they sneak out of the house in the early hours of the morning and board a mail steamer to England. What could possibly go wrong? The story has a great cast of characters and even features a few straight out of history like Louisa May Alcott and Dr. Richard Pankhurst. There is an epistolary element too with newspaper articles and letters. Austen devotees will appreciate the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s summer reading group and their discussion of Austen’s works. This novel has so much going for it. It is a wonderful and timely story centered around the works of Jane Austen and the ongoing battle for women’s rights. 4.5 stars

Liked the Austen reference; a big cast of characters so can get confusing. Enjoyed learning more about the time period, great details.

Very much for Jane Austen fans. Jenner packs a lot into this tale of the Stevenson sisters and the Nelson brothers, all of whom have been invited to visit Jane's brother in the UK and so take a ship which also sees Louisa May Alcott as a passenger. Oh, and members of the Massachussetts Supreme Court, of which the Stevenson's father is a member, regularly discuss Austen's work. Their father, btw, is not happy about Charlie and Henry traveling to the UK and so races with his colleague Nash to the dock-and Nash hops on board the steam boat. Turns out, you will discover, that Henry's father was correct to be concerned but the trip over involves the women staging a play among other things. This morphs into an intriguing look at the rights of women in this period, especially the differences between women in the US and the UK. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. While I think there might be one too many plot lines or elements, it's still a good read.

Austen at Sea is quite literally a literary delight. Natalie Jenner has such a meticulous way of incorporating all the classics and their distinctive characters and scenes. I love the way so many different personalities and interests are blended in this story. In one sense, it feels like modern meets old, even though the modern presented here is the mid 1800s. Jane Austen’s remaining brother is in his 90s and wants to see her beloved legacy not just preserved, but cherished. He orchestrates the gathering of an eclectic group who have a love of all things literary in common. The story takes places in multiple parts and with many characters. Please know, there are a lot of characters to keep track of, and while this is truly a pleasure, it is important that you pay attention. If you have the written version, the list of characters in the beginning may end up very helpful as you try to keep everyone straight. While this is not a fast-paced story, it is engaging and keeps moving forward leaving the reader wanting to know the next steps. It is a celebration of Austen and other great classic authors while you get to fully immerse yourself in a literary adventure.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Continuing with her love of Austen, Natalie Jenner turns her pen to America and the tale of two sets of siblings: Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson and Nicholas and Haslett Nelson. All four are much enamored of Jane Austen and correspond with Jane Austen's surviving brother, Sir Francis Austen. They journey to England to meet him and come into contact with other literary greats and, in a feat worthy of Austen, love is found.

I really enjoyed this novel and the spirit in which it was written. The characters are well developed and I enjoyed the thought of Francis Austen holding the few remaining secrets of his sister. A really lovely read.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the copy of the book.
-
Read if you like: Jane Austen, character driven stories, themes around feminism
-
The book follows two Austen loving sisters, Henrietta and Charlotte, as they travel to England to meet with Jane Austen's 91 year old brother, Sir Francis, and they get to travel around and see some important sites where Jane lived and wrote. I loved how the book centered around Jane Austen's novels and the themes found in her books.
-
The book focuses on the themes of family and gender, but we also get some romance built into the story as well. There are discussions of marriage during the late 19th century and how women did not have rights when they married. The beginning felt a little slow but overall I loved the book!

Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson have accomplished as much as they can as women in 1865. They have been corresponding with Sir Frances Austen, Jane Austen's brother, who is in his 90s, and he has invited them to England. Nicholas and Haslett Nelson are brothers who are rare book dealers and have also been invited to England by Sir Francis Austen.

The sisters sneak away to sail to England without a chaperone. The Nelson brothers, Louisa May Alcott, Sara-Beth Gleason, and Justice Thomas Nash are all on the ship with the sisters. This is just the beginning of the story.

We follow the characters at sea and in England, where the sisters find themselves navigating more than just Jane Austen. We also get a behind-the-scenes look at a group of justices who have weekly meetings to discuss Austen's works.

Why Jackie loves it

I love the fact that the book was inspired by actual correspondence between Admiral Sir Frances Austen and two Boston sisters, as well as two Philadelphia book dealers. The book is a wonderful tribute to Jane Austen. I also loved "meeting" Louisa May Alcott before she became a famous writer. I loved the Audio version of this book as well. #gifted

Find this book in: Best Beach Reads 2025

In 1865, in post-Civil War Boston, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, sisters and daughters of a Supreme Court Justice, write a letter to Jane Austen’s last surviving brother, Sir Francis Austen. When he replies with an invitation to visit him in England, they set sail on a voyage that will change their lives forever.

Natalie Jenner once again reveals her deep love for classic literature, paying homage to Austen, Louisa May Alcott (a character in the novel), and Charles Dickens. Readers who love books about books will not be disappointed.

Jenner also continues to excel in writing ensemble novels, with excellent characterization and shifting points of view done with skill and precision. Austen at Sea is a love letter to Austen and an engaging story, full of unexpected turns, brilliant characters, sweet love stories, and an ending that feels right out of a Frank Capra movie. So, so good.

Overall Rating: 5
Romance Rating: 5

3.5 stars rounded up

I really wanted to love this book but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I had to force myself to listen to the audiobook each day. I wasn't invested or connected to the characters. It felt a tad too long for me. I did enjoy the narrator's voice. I kept hoping with each passing chapter that I would want to listen to it. But it never did catch my fancy. Finally after weeks I finished it and that in itself felt like quite an accomplishment.

3.5

I chose this book not for Jane Austen, but because Louisa May Alcott is in it. This book takes place in 1865. Two sisters from Boston have been corresponding with Jane Austen's brother. They take a ship across the ocean to see him. Even though Jane wanted everything of hers burned, he has some items and he wants them to go to a good home. Also corresponding with him are two brothers from Philidelphia who own a bookstore. He wants to play matchmaker as his sister did in her books so he invites them all to come see him and take the same ship. Also happening in this book, which was fun, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has a Jane Austen book club in the summer recess. So some chapters are them discussing her books. I enjoyed it overall. The time on the ship was a little long for me, even though I loved LMA being there. So lots of nods to Jane Austen and I think any fan will enjoy the book.

-"I have not had children myself, but I should think parental love was about their happiness, not yours. Frankly, I should think that the entire point of bringing them into the world."

-How he loved these moments: the eternal puzzle that was his brilliant sister.

-What if a mural on a wall, a book by Dickens, a song in the air, were all that truly bound us, far more than society or religion or law-or even blood?

-It always came too late, such understanding. Only with crisis did we achieve clarity.

Natalie Jenner is a great writer, but I feel that this one didn't live up to what I've come to expect from her. This book was not as captivating as her other books, especially her other book about the Jane Austen fan group. I'm not a fan of Jane Austen, but I enjoyed Jenner's last book about her, so I had high hopes for this one; However, it just fell short.

I have enjoyed Natalie Jenner’s books, particularly because of Jane Austen being weaved into the story. This one takes place closer to her time which makes it even more interesting. Jane’s older brother, Sir Francis Austen and Louisa May Alcott have important roles in this fictional work. The fictional characters are wonderful too, especially Harriet and Charlotte. This is a quiet book chock full of meaningful, important themes.

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner is my third book by this author. The title is slightly deceptive. I thought that it was a book about Jane herself. However, it is about two sisters, who are die-hard fans of Jane Austen, begin a correspondence with Jane's last living sibling - Sir Francis Austen. Sometime during the correspondence Sir Francis asks the sisters to come to England. Sir Francis has in his possession many unseen objects & letters of Jane's that he is trying to put in trusted hands before his death. There are also two brothers from Philadelphia, who are booksellers who have also written to Sir. Francis. Sir Francis has invited the brothers to his home with the ulterior motive of doing a bit of match-making with the two sisters.. Upon their arrival, there are long conversations about Jane and even a visit to the home where she wrote most of her stories.

Another twist that is far from writing about Jane, is a parallel separate story and one of the underlying themes in this story are women's rights, especially the right to vote and the ability of women to have property of their own. At this point in history once a woman became married her property became her husbands. The connection to the first part of the story is something that Sir Francis has gifted one of the sisters. While this part of the story was slightly interesting, I felt that it really was a stretch to include this in the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an advanced ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you love Jane Austen, then chances are you will enjoy this. Austen at Sea. There are LOTS of characters to keep up with, but the author has a list on Goodreads and I continued to refer to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy.

I love everything and anything Jane Austen and this did not disappoint. I loved the characters and the developing relationships between some of them. Some of which were unexpected and I thoroughly enjoyed that.

I really enjoyed the writing style by Natalie and the way she executed the shifting points of view. I liked the timeline of the story and the fact that Louisa May Alcott made a guest appearance.

I have heard great reviews of the audiobook so I think I'm going to listen to that in the future. I really enjoyed the writing and the storyline in this book. I will definitely look for more by this author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book Tagline: Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy.

I loved the Jane Austen bits. I thought shining the light on a lot of political and societal issues revolving around 19th-century women in the United States and England was woven into the narrative quite well. They are, in fact, more the heart of the story than I would say the novels of Jane Austen. All those chapters where "Charlie" and "Henry's" father and the other legal minds were discussing different novels by Jane Austen were delightful. Although I would give them a good tongue wagging on their quick dismissal of Northanger Abbey. 😉 The correspondence and subsequent meeting with Francis Austen, the last surviving sibling of Jane, was great to read.

But.....


I became lost at sea. The chapters where everyone was putting on plays, and one of our characters realized she could try acting, were just not that thrilling. I have read Natalie Jenner before ( The Jane Austen Society)and deeply loved that title. But as much as I can state that the topics explored in Austen at Sea were interesting, something in the writing this time around failed to woo me.

Maybe it's just me. Check it out for yourself. There are other, much higher-rated reviews. I just happen to be an outlier this time around.







Expected Publication 06/05/25
Goodreads Review Date 21/05/25