Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner is a lovely story. I found the characters delightful and I loved following along on the literary adventures they had. If you are a book nerd, like me, you will love this story. I also enjoyed the parts of American history that were woven into the story. Austen at Sea would make for a great book club discussion.

Should loss of privacy be the price of fame? This is one of the many (possibly too many) themes that Natalie Jenner explores in her latest novel, Austen at Sea. Having completed her loosely connected trilogy that began with The Jane Austen Society, the author writes another compelling story of how the love of Austen brings people together, this time set in the turbulent 1860’s.

“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.”

There’s a lot to love in this book, as there always is in anything Natalie Jenner writes. But this time, there might be just a bit too much. Too many characters, too many plotlines, too many of the aforementioned themes. Women’s suffrage, the evolution of US law, Charles Dickens, philosophical discussion of Austen’s novels, Louisa May Alcott, the nature of freedom itself, and a confusing tangle of romantic attachments. The author needed to focus on fewer things to give them more clarity and more fully develop her main characters.

Still, this was a good book. I give it four stars and recommend it to any dedicated Jane Austen fan.

If you love 19th century literature and love to imagine the what it was like to live when all of these literary giants were writing, this book is for you. Right now, Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott are two of my favorite authors, so I enjoyed that this book was about Austen fangirls and included Alcott as one of the cast of characters. The narrative is steeped in history and literature--you'll probably learn plenty while you are reading. I loved the idea of making Francis Austen one of the main character of the story instead of another book imagining the life of Jane. I'm going to be honest, there are plenty of things about the book that didn't work for me, but ultimately the journey itself was entertaining enough that it was worth it.

As the aging brother, and sole surviving sibling of Jane Austen, struggles with entrusting items of his sister's legacy to strangers, he is contacted separately by two pair of American siblings who share an appreciation for Jane's writing. Somehow, he convinces both pair to come to England and share in celebrating Jane's legacy. The two pair of siblings meet aboard ship as well as engage with others, including Louisa May Alcott.

Ms. Jenner has spun a lovely tale based on two real-life stories. The writing is rich and painterly in the telling. The prose is exquisite and the dialogue reminiscent of an Austen story. The characters' emotions and motivations are beautifully captured and cleverly delivered. Ms. Jenner's legal training shines through the story like a beacon shedding light on the legal ramifications of the characters' actions within the story - a rather clever perspective, for certain.

This is a definite read for the historical fiction reader with a passion for Austen. For those interested in international law, I commend this story for the legal knot delivered which requires lawyerly untying.

I am grateful to author Natalie Jenner and her publisher, St. Martin's Press, for having provided a complimentary copy of this book. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.


Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date:‎ May 6, 2025
Number of pages: 320
ISBN: ‎978-1250349590

Natalie Jenner puts her talents on display in Austen at Sea. She gives us a delightful cast of characters who love books, especially those of Jane Austen, but Charles Dickens is prominent as well. The intricate story weaves in commentary on specific novels of Austen, as well as Austen’s family history. Much historical context regarding women’s rights during this period of history, the end of the Civil War, sets the stage for many of the characters’ motives. We are also allowed to delve into the law with characters who are sitting judges and lawyers in both England and Massachusetts. Jenner incorporates an interesting character, Louisa May Alcott. But above all, there are love interests that develop as expected between several characters and unexpectedly between others.
Thank you, Net Galley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and I am always looking for new authors.

I seriously enjoyed this book

The author did a fantastic job with the setting, story line and characters.

I highly recommend.

Janeites, rejoice! Natalie Jenner has written another spectacular book related to Jane Austen, with four young Austen fans in America visiting Jane's oldest surviving sibling in England in 1865. Oh how I would have loved to join them, and in fact, felt I was alongside them during this trip of a lifetime. Expect gorgeous prose, a narrative that befits Austen herself, and the most compelling characters. I savored this tale, and highly recommend it to every Janeite!

Set in 1865, a fictional account about two sisters in Massachusetts who contact Jane Austen's last living sibling in England, begging for information about his late sister. Unbeknownst to the sisters, two brothers in Philadelphia are also searching for information and they contact Sir Francis Austen. Two sets of siblings find themselves on a boat headed for England. Sir Francis arranges for these four young people to come to his house at the same time and he plays matchmaker. Jane Austen destroyed almost all of her papers and draft copies of her manuscripts, but Sir Francis does hold several family letters and other items. At his age and his precarious health, he knows he needs to find a home for these items where they will be revered and honored as befits Jane Austen's legacy. He gives the remaining items to Henrietta Stevenson to keep. As a result of her receiving these items, her life is embroiled in legal issues for a number of years due to a hasty shipboard marriage.

Running throughout the story is the activity of the suffrage movement, both in England and in the United States.

If you are a dedicated Austen fan, this will be a very enjoyable read. If you have only a casual interest in Austen, you may find the book a bit on the tedious side. There is a lot of literary criticism and a great deal of time spent on the court cases, both in the United States and England.

Natalie Jenner writes wonderful stories about people who love Jane Austen’s books. Her latest, “Austen at Sea,” tells the story of Americans Henrietta (“Harry”) and Charlotte (“Charlie”) Stevenson who, in 1865, write to Sir Francis Austen, Admiral of the Fleet, in England– Jane’s last living sibling. They want to know more about Jane.

At around the same time, two young men about three hundred miles away from the sisters write to Sir Francis. They want him to know they have an American first edition of “Emma.”

And in that magical way that some novels have, all four decide to visit Sir Francis. They even sail on the very same ship to England. On the way they talk about or sometimes even meet actual historical figures.

Naturally not everything goes to plan. Some characters are just not as nice as they should be. That’s part of what makes this story so compelling

Another reason to read this book: Jenner includes the names of Austen relatives who also wrote. I found many of their books in the library or in online bookstores. In addition, the endnotes list two nonfiction books about Jane Austen.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. This is my honest review.

As an Austen fan, I was hoping to dive into her world with this book, though I just couldn't get into it. It was, however, so easy to imagine as a limited TV series, with a wide array of characters and beautifully interesting locations (Boston in the 1860s, putting on a play aboard a ship at sea, London, etc). I think it would have more success with the visual dimension. But as a book, the plot just wasn't captivating enough, there was no clear hook to make me want to keep reading and find out what happens. I'm very thankful, though, to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

In Austen at Sea, Natalie Jenner returns to revolving her story about Jane Austen and her genius, throw in Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen's only surviving sibling, Lincoln's assassination, suffrage and a group of justices discussing Jane Austen's books and you have Natalie Jenner's latest book. Even though the story is covering several issues, the story line is pretty straightforward. At times I felt the story got a little stagnant (which is why I only gave the book 4 stars) but definitely worth a read for Jane Austen fans and everyone else as well.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Henrietta and Charlotte Stevenson are both grown and live with their widowed father, who is a Massachusetts supreme Court Justice. His wife died when they were quite little. It's 1865 in Boston and women aren't allowed much freedom. Both women are working for more rights, including the right to vote. They all love to read and Jane Austin is their favorite. They decide to right to her brother who is in his nineties and still living in England. To their surprise, he writes back and they begin a relationship over letters. The end up deciding to sail over to England to meet him and see how Jane Austin grew up. A great story, but a bit descriptive at times.

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner is a wonderful 19th century historical fiction that is in the spirit of my beloved Jane Austen.

I absolutely loved The Bloomsbury Girls and The Jane Austen Society by Ms. Jenner, so I knew I had to read this.

I am extremely picky about how authors use the name, literary characters/themes, and the person and family of Jane Austen herself…so obviously I was a smidge nervous diving into a book that encompasses two of my favorite authors….and I am sure glad that I did.

It was nice to read an interesting and engaging historical fiction that takes the heart and spirit of Ms Austen and creates a cast of characters that kept me coming back for more. I felt invested, and that is itself is refreshing.

Definitely recommend.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and St Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/25/25.

DNF for me. I just could not get into the story. The pacing was weird (for a book about a voyage across the sea, they didn't get on the boat until at least 20% of the way through the book, and then the next 5 chapters in a row were all the same day) and the writing was...not great, in my opinion.

Austen at Sea was everything I was hoping it would be. I love historical fiction but make it related to anything having to do with Jane Austen and I’m in! I went into this book with high expectations and I am so happy that they were met! If you’re looking for a great historical fiction book with wonderful writing, amazing characters, and an interesting look at history I can’t recommend Austen at Sea enough!

Austen at Sea
by Natalie Jenner
Pub Date: May 06 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In Boston, 1865, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters of a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice, have accomplished as much as women are allowed in those days. Chafing against those restrictions and inspired by the works of Jane Austen, they start a secret correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother, now in his nineties. He sends them an original letter from his sister and invites them to come visit him in England.

In Philadelphia, Nicholas & Haslett Nelson—bachelor brothers, veterans of the recent Civil War, and rare book dealers—are also in correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, who lures them, too, to England, with the promise of a never-before-seen, rare Austen artifact to be evaluated.

The Stevenson sisters sneak away without a chaperone to sail to England. On their ship are the Nelson brothers, writer Louisa May Alcott, Sara-Beth Gleason—wealthy daughter of a Pennsylvania state senator with her eye on the Nelsons—and, a would-be last-minute chaperone to the Stevenson sisters, Justice Thomas Nash.

It's a voyage and trip that will dramatically change each of their lives in ways that are unforeseen, with the transformative spirit of the love of literature and that of Jane Austen herself.

Excited to see another book by this author relating to Jane Austen and her works! Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC to read for a review. Now I feel as though I should go back and reread all of Austen’s work just to understand lol the nuances of these works. The author has clearly very carefully researched Austen and her classic books.
This is the story of two sisters from Boston , the daughters of a judge. They lost their mother when they were young and their father is very controlling . The women are talented and intelligent clearly hampered by the times in which they live. They contact Jane Austen’s last living sibling and defy their father to travel to England to meet him.
The beginning of the book was a bit slow with so many characters being introduced. I wish the main characters had been a little more developed.
The timeline was not strictly linear, at times making me go Wait What Just Happened - a clever device adding interest to the story.
A lot of time was spent in the writing with 2 themes - the works of Jane Austen through book club meetings of the judges of Boston (really enjoyed this part) and the legality of the treatment of women and wives int the time period (post US Civil War) - this part got a little tedious for me.
In typical Jane Austen fashion all comes to a satisfying conclusion, This is a great book for fans of her work!

There is much to love about this novel. ‘Austen at Sea’ is smart and delightful - a must read for fans of Austen, and a gateway to participate if reading her novels is not for you. It’s told in the imitable style of Austen, but with a modern storytelling that makes it a more accessible and compelling read. History is woven into the story in a light, but not insubstantial way. It has strong characters displaying varying degrees of awareness of their circumstances and the societal restrictions they are living under. And intricate plotting - what begins as a comedy of manners launched by a moment of rebellion and high adventure, becomes a deeper and more direct study of the woman suffrage movement and the limitations of womanhood in society of that time period through perfectly pitched and detailed courtroom scenes.

The characters are endearing – from the loving Stevenson sisters central to the story, the earnest Nelson brothers, lonely and mischievous Sir Francis Austen. Equally notable are the indominable forces of Sara-Beth, Constance, and Louisa May Alcott; these women are a constant guide for the rest as they pursue love, happiness and betterment of self and society as a whole. And my favorite collection of characters: the supreme court justices with their literary discussion group – essentially a book club for Jane Austen novels. Having these learned men dissect the plots and themes of Austen’s novels in contemporary time adds layers to the novel’s discussion of the progressive movement [and the resistance it faced] to include women in the newly evolving rights coming out of the Reconstruction Era.

Thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an early copy of this novel to read and review.

DNF. This was SO incredibly boring and not very well-written. I was expecting something about Jane Austen, not random people reading about Jane Austen. There was also a subplot about women's suffrage, normally something I find fascinating. But this book was trying to tackle too many topics at once. The characters were flat and I didn't care about any of them. Also, the author needed to choose a point of view. If you're going to use third person limited, stick to that. Don't randomly switch to third person omniscient in some scenes!

I struggled through the first 20% before abandoning. Just not my cup of tea.

Natalie Jenner’s AUSTEN AT SEA was a delightful story. It had the same charm as Jenner’s earlier books, but the at sea aspect added an element of charm that her other books did not have. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.