2.25 stars

The plot of this book is fairly complex--there's a list of characters at the front, which is a pretty good sign that there is going to be a lot to keep track of. Helpful when reading a physical copy, but would have been nice to have as a PDF or something when I was listening to it on audio.

The basic plot of this book is that two sisters and two brothers take a steamer ship to England from the United States to meet Jane Austen's brother and look at some artifacts of her life that are in his possession. They meet Louisa May Alcott on the way and there's a bunch of stuff about the Massachusetts Supreme Court because the sisters' father is on it and the court is reading the Austen books and discussing them for fun. In the beginning she is setting up so many characters and sub-plots that I was constantly forgetting who people were. As a result, I found this book extremely hard to get into, I fell asleep while listening to the beginning part twice and kept putting it off and listening to other things before coming back to it and starting over.


When we get into the meat of the story there are constant dididic interludes where characters talk about Austen's life. The plot does eventually open up and get more interesting. A court case about marriage is a big part of the end of the book and I found the legal issues to be fairly interesting. I would much rather have read a paragraph outlining how things turned out than continuing to listen, however.

It didn't make sense to me why this book had to exist and at the end the author didn't give any context as to whether any of the book was based on true events or real things--I had been looking forward to that and was hoping there was some kind of real context the book was based on that would give me a better understanding of why I was reading it.

I think this may be a situation where the book would have been better if not experienced on audio, but I still found it to be fairly slow and unnecessary.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advance listening copy for an unbiased review.

This book was so delightfully Jane Austen. It brings in the elements of what Austenites revel in: her books, her life, her controversy. Jane and her work are broken down and analyzed through the story and characters. Such a joy to listen to on audio. I'm adding Natalie Jenner to my reading list. Loved this. I'll be adding this as a book recommendation in a print magazine article that I was hired to write. Thank you for allowing me to review this book.

Austen at Sea

Justice. Generational. Love. Confusion

Austen at Sea is a mix of literature, politics, justice, women’s rights, well-known figures of the mid-1800’s, and the works of Jane Austen.
As I read it I began to see that ”at sea” is both taking a trip and feelings of confusion that appear among characters.
Reading as an audio book, the British narrator has an engaging and proper accent. If you are not used to a British accent it might take a short time to get with the flow.
Sisters Henrietta and Charlotte are the standouts, carrying about others, sailing to England to meet Sir Francis
Austen, the only surviving sibling of Jane Austin, who has invited them to visit. The book seems to consistently pack a lot of names, places and actions over periods of time that would cause the hearer to go back to get the message of what has and is happening.
Throughout there is a use of colorful adjectives and phrases that will catch the reader’s attention.
It is unique, historical and worth sticking with to the end.

Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson are trying to break out against the restrictions women dealt with in the 1800s. After being inspired by Jane Austen, and writing letters to Jane's brother, the girls find a way to go to England. Like Jenner's earlier books, there is a heavy message of women's empowerment. I'm still confused at having a male narrator for this book, though. Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the many literary references and the historical insights about women during that time period. It’s very clear that Jenner has extensive knowledge of Austen. What an outstanding tribute to her!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed Natalie’s books and completely forgot she has a spring release until I saw the audio on Net Galley:
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This has multi POV and spans months and locations. It all comes together for a love for Austen and other literary work plus scenes with Louisa May Alcott. 💙
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Natalie is clever weaving classic Austen tropes into the multiple narratives while also having characters discussing Austen’s works. The Justices discussions were my favorite!
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If you love Austen, books by and about her, historical fiction and women’s fiction then this is a good book for you. I loved the early feminism and the characters at the cusp of the changing times. I didn’t care the long and drawn out story of Henrietta and Charlotte. With the audio, I got them mixed up a lot. It leads into the feminist narrative but seemed extreme because of how quickly it became the whole story. Knowing that, I don’t think the ship part had to be as long as it was.
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Thanks Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for the alc. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

Natalie Jenner has written another interesting novel about the enduring legacy of Jane Austen. The characters are a lively bunch of Austen fans from post-Civil War America who meet aboard a ship sailing to England--and their subsequent adventures connected to Austen while in Europe. The mix of real historical figures and imagined ones reveals much about Austen's fans in this period and I enjoyed the conversations and debates they had about her novels and her life. And, it is her life that becomes a major plot point, in a way that I did not expect. While I didn't love every plot twist, I found the story compelling and the audiobook well-done. Fans of Jenner's previous novels will definitely want to read this one. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide an honest review of this audiobook.

Another delightful imagining of Austen’s influence on a group of readers and their adventures in helping to secure her place in the canon. Jenner’s scholarship so seamlessly inspires the narrative and creates a beautiful story of love, friendship, and fidelity that, like Austen’s works, transcends time.

There were moments when the number of characters became slightly burdensome and created some confusion, but it was a simple matter to push through and eventually understand where the plot was headed. I really enjoyed the literary allusion and the incorporation of an Austen book club for the Massachusetts Supreme Court.

My biggest issue was the male narrator for the audio book. I was often pulled from my enjoyment by the thought that a female voice would have been more appropriate.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

This was such a great story about how people were scrutinizing Jane Austen's work while also looking at how and why she wrote things the way she did. This book follows two women, two men and Jane Austen's brother. The five come together because they all loved Jane Austen and her work. I loved the story and seeing how everyone was trying to understand the books. This book also talks about the woman's suffrage and how things were and that they wanted to change the laws in order to make womans lives better. Overall, this is a great book for anyone that loved Jane Austen's work, learning a little about the woman's suffrage or historical fiction.

I must reluctantly admit this was my least favorite of Jenner's Austen trilogy. While I did like all the Jane Austen book nods and the fact that there was a group of old white American Supreme Court Judges determined to read all of her books in this historical fiction novel, the overall plot felt less cohesive than I would have wished. There was some romance, lots of feminist activism (fighting for women's right to vote, etc) but overall it was just an okay read for me and likely won't be a very memorable one that stands the test of time. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner
Publication Date: May 6th, 2025

What a beauty of book! Reading it and listening to the audiobook was such a treat.

Set in 1865, the novel follows The Stevenson sisters, two young Bostonian girls fans of Jane Austen. They write to admiral Austen in order to learn more about Jane, and soon they are invited to England. They can't miss this opportunity to they decide to take the ship and travel without their father, a judge from the Massachusetts Supreme Court.
In this ship, the Stevenson sisters will meet Louisa May Alcott before becoming a famous author, and the whole trip will have a strong impact on their lives.

On the other hand, the gentleman at the Massachusets Court are reading Jane Austen's works as an object of study in order to examine the impact that could have in women in those times of changes when women's rights movement is getting stronger.

Austen at Sea highlights the legacy of our beloved writer Jane.
There is a feast of literary references that I found lovely. One of my favorite parts was that on board, passengers discussed A Tale of Two Cities, one of my favorite novels by Charles Dickens.

While the court examines Austen's novels, it turns very likely to what we do in a book club discussion, so it was hilarious to imagine these judicious gentlemen gathering in that matter.

The novel made me want to reread Jane Austen novels and visit Chawton someday.

Jeannette, Austenitas, and all Jane Austen fans around the world, I hope you enjoy this book. I can see the author put all her love, gratitude, and admiration to Jane Austen. This could be a great book pick for discussing it among friends. Happy reading!

The audiobook is narrated by the British actor Rupert Graves, and his voice was perfect for the novel. It made my reading experience even more exquisite.

Thank you, St. Martin Press and Macmillan Audio, for the advanced book and audiobook via Netgalley.

I read Natalie Jenner's The Jane Austen Society several years ago and really liked it. It was a quaint escape to another time and place (because there's no one like Jane), and I was hoping for the same from her soon-to-be-published novel, Austen at Sea.

For me, this book had many characters and quite a bit happening, and I really just wanted to know about the sisters at the core of the story, if I'm being honest. Henrietta and Charlotte (and their sweet father) warmed my heart, and I loved how dearly they loved each other.

I also found the idea of the chief justices reading through the works of Jane Austen to be just delightful. Wouldn't you have liked to be a fly on the wall for those conversations in 1865?

Finally, the presence of Louisa May Alcott in the story was a bright spot, and I loved the scenes that included her. Overall, the female characters were much stronger than the male characters for me, which I like to think Jane might actually have approved of.

Are you a Jane Austen fan? If so, what's your favorite of her works?

Austen at Sea A Novel written by Natalie Jenner and narrated by Rupert Graves was a long journey on and off sea at just over 11 hours. I liked the concept. I liked the characters. For readers who enjoy classical literature and historical fiction, this could be time better spent for you. The setting is 1865 in Boston and London. There’s much talk about women’s rights and the lack of rights.

In general, I am a Rupert Graves fan. I didn’t care for this narration being performed by a male or for the heavy opinions of men within. I understand it may have been to assist the reader in feeling the oppression of the time. It was too heavy on the politics and testosterone for my mood.

This was a cute novel and as a Jane Austen fan, I enjoyed it very much. Having the highest judges in Mass. discussing all the ins and outs of all of Austen's novels was a great idea. Also, weaving in the struggle for women's rights and abolition was a wonderful way to move the plot forward. Anyone who is an Austen fan will love the bits and pieces planted about her life and her family. The part that lost me was Charlotte's marriage/divorce and apparent reconciling. I bought the idea of a secret love and marriage, but the separation and divorce seemed out of left field. And then apparently they reconciled, moved to England and had a whole family. I needed a few more chapters to make that believable. But it was a fun read and filled with all the best Austen references.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook, read by Rupert Graves.

I share with author Natalie Jenner a profound attachment to Austen and books with her name in the title. Jenner’s novels are not actually about Austen in the sense that she is a major character; she might as well be, since she is very real to the actual characters, but she is long dead as their plots unfold.

The third in what is a loosely connected trilogy, the main link being Austen’s work and the characters’ fascination with it, Austen at Sea is not about Austen gone seafaring. She barely travelled outside her cherished Chawton in the north of England. It is instead about how love of Austen propels two well-bred, highly intelligent and mischievous sisters to hoodwink their anxious father. They board a ship from Boston at the beckoning of Sir Francis Austen, former naval officer and Jane’s only living brother. Young Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters of a highly regarded Supreme Court Justice, not only steal away without their father’s leave, just as bad, they are intent on travelling unchaperoned. In 1865 this is scandalous and ruinous to a young woman’s reputation.

The sisters set out on their adventure unaware that their father has found them out just in time to plea for the assistance of one of his protégés. Justice Thomas Nash. Young, handsome, charming, and an Austen fan himself, takes the task seriously and just manages to get on ship. To add to the merriment, two brothers, veterans of the recent Civil War and rare book dealers, are also visiting Sir Francis at his invitation. Nicholas and Haslett Nelson of Philadelphia were ostensibly summoned to appraise an Austen artifact. In fact, unknown to anyone, the sweet and lonely old gentleman is playing a bit of creative matchmaking.

The cast of characters in the United States, on the ship and in England is huge, and I’m grateful to Jenner for providing a list that briefly identifies them. The scenes about the Boston gentlemen, many of them the state’s magistrates, lawyers, and other officials discussing Austen’s works enthusiastically are both informative and very funny. They do go on a bit long, though, and I suspect I might have been tempted to skip pages if I were reading rather than listening. This is also true of some of the shipboard scenes. Having the incomparable Rupert Graves as narrator definitely helps. The sisters’ plans, directed by the still unknown Louisa May Alcott, to present an initially ‘women only’ play, take up a lot of space. The play does, however, set events in motion that follow them to England and back home and shape the rest of their lives.

I loved this book, as I have Jenner’s earlier Austen novels. She writes beautifully and her knowledge of Austen is immense. While ‘the Austen effect’ permeates the book, it is never overbearing. The characters have personalities and lives apart from it. If I understood correctly, this might be her final Austenite novel. That would be a shame.

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 had the added benefit of listening to the audiobook narrated by Rupert Graves who truly did a great job of capturing the accents, the personalities and the overall sentiment of the story.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I listened to the audiobook of Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner and enjoyed it immensely! I previously listened to two of her earlier audiobooks (The Jane Austen Society and Every Time We Say Goodbye) and this one is my favorite. The story involves four young Jane Austen fans in 1865 from the United States who travel to England to visit Jane's last surviving sibling, Sir Francis Austen, who is in his 90's. Along the way, they befriend Louisa May Alcott (of Little Women fame) and a wealthy heiress. Of course, several of the characters find their happily ever afters, but not with whom Sir Francis originally intended. The writing is lyrical and is written in a style similar to Jane Austen herself. Rupert Graves expectedly narrated this audiobook with differing voices for all the characters and elected appropriate emotion and heartfelt sentiments in all the right places. I highly recommend this amazing audiobook!

Austin at Sea is my first book by Natalie Jenner. I enjoyed the concept- two sister correspond with Jane Austen's brother in 1865. The sisters sneak away to London with no chaperones along with two brothers from Philadelphia. I love how the author weaved fact with fiction!
The storyline was clever and I appreciated the pleasant and engaging characters. It was a big draggy in the middle and I didn't need to be constantly reminded that women were not treated fairly back then.
I listened to this book on tape and the narrator had a pleasant voice. However, I was surprised that the book had a male narrator considering that it kept going on and on about how women had no rights back then. Many thanks to the author, MacMillian Audio and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗮 begins in Boston, in 1865. Two sisters who adore Austen begin a correspondence with Jane’s 92 year old brother. At the same time their father, Supreme Court Justice Stevenson, discusses the works of Austen with his fellow Justices. An adventure to England follows, along with the introduction of many interesting characters and their journeys.

Hearing the critical analysis of the Justices’ as they deconstructed and assessed the nuances of the world of Austen was such a major highlight. I’m a huge Austen fan and loved how Jenner really showed the power of her works through their discussions. All of the characters had so much heart and I thoroughly enjoyed their dialogue and unique personalities.

This is now tied with The Jane Austen Society for my favorites of Jenner’s works.

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁: 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝟰.𝟱⭐️
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟲

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the alc via Netgalley!

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