Austen at Sea

Tomorrow is the release of Natalie Jenner‘s fourth novel, Austen at Sea. While this book continues her theme of Austeneque historical fiction, it goes back farther in time, to 1865, and features people who knew Jane Austen in her lifetime. It follows two sisters who begin corresponding with Sir Francis Austen, brother of the famous author. With promises of a rare artifact, they leave Boston to visit him in England.

Why I Chose This Book:

I’ve read two of Natalie Jenner’s novels—Bloomsbury Girls and Every Time We Say Goodbye—and enjoyed both, so I’m always happy to read more from her. I also love books about books, especially discussions of classic authors I enjoy, like Jane Austen and the Brontës.

What I Liked:

• A devotion to ideas. The myriad characters spend much of their time discussing literature (not just Jane Austen’s novels, but also works by Charles Dickens, the Brontës, and more), women’s place in society, and politics in both the U.S. and the U.K. What makes for a strong literary heroine? How is it fair that women give up their identity upon marrying? Why is it easier for men to seek divorce than women?
• Turning literature into real-world change. While ideas make for lively discussions among the characters, they also become a major part of the plot. Elopement, ownership, citizenship, divorce… all of it arises throughout the course of this novel. Ultimately it is a book of forward-thinking people—early feminists—as they are united and inspired by literature to make changes in the real world.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• For most of the book, the plot feels rather ambiguous. The focus on discussions of literature, women’s rights, and politics is both a highlight and a roadblock to making this book feel like a cohesive novel. It feels like ideas and vignettes rather than a fully focused story.
• Henrietta’s relationship was… a mess.

Final Thoughts

Austen at Sea isn’t as linear as most novels, but if you appreciate characters discussing important topics and using literature to guide real changes, this is a thoughtful and inspiring read. Though it keeps in Natalie Jenner’s Austenesque focus, it features all new characters (including real historical figures), making it a fresh addition to her catalogue of books.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Austenprose PR, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Austen at Sea here – it’s available as a hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Fiction
Setting	New York
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	May 6, 2025
Publisher	St. Martin’s Press

Official Summary

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.

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.