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Marianne
New release! A classy, classic historical romance. Fifth in "McVeigh's celebrated Jane Austen series" (Publishers Weekly). Winner of nine gold medals, Finalist in romance for FOREWORD INDIES' "Book of the Year".
When Marianne – still beautiful, still impulsive and not yet twenty-one – returns to London, she is rich, with a house in Mayfair and an estate in Dorsetshire. Despite her resolve to remain single, she finds herself besieged with admirers, including the dangerously attractive Willoughby and the charming and irreverent Crawford.
Then Marianne’s younger sister Margaret arrives. Margaret’s passion for romance leads to unexpected complications. As Marianne attempts to navigate the social whirl of Regency London, she finds her resolution tested and her feelings torn – between the pull of the past and the allure of the present.
“A deeply felt and pitch-perfect continuation that lets its title character finally come into her own.”– Kirkus Reviews
“Marianne captures the essence of Austen. Funny, heartwarming and everything lovers of Austen’s universe could hope for.”– Publishers Weekly
“McVeigh’s delectable Marianne is about unexpected love and redemption. Young Margaret is a particular delight. She dreams of becoming a celebrated writer (“Is not ‘perspicacious’ a divinely long word?” she reflects.) This Regency-era romance that sparkles with heart and wit.’– Foreword Indies Clarion review
“An absolute bright and lively prose, romance and satire worthy of Austen herself.”– IndieReader editorial review
When Marianne – still beautiful, still impulsive and not yet twenty-one – returns to London, she is rich, with a house in Mayfair and an estate in Dorsetshire. Despite her resolve to remain single, she finds herself besieged with admirers, including the dangerously attractive Willoughby and the charming and irreverent Crawford.
Then Marianne’s younger sister Margaret arrives. Margaret’s passion for romance leads to unexpected complications. As Marianne attempts to navigate the social whirl of Regency London, she finds her resolution tested and her feelings torn – between the pull of the past and the allure of the present.
“A deeply felt and pitch-perfect continuation that lets its title character finally come into her own.”– Kirkus Reviews
“Marianne captures the essence of Austen. Funny, heartwarming and everything lovers of Austen’s universe could hope for.”– Publishers Weekly
“McVeigh’s delectable Marianne is about unexpected love and redemption. Young Margaret is a particular delight. She dreams of becoming a celebrated writer (“Is not ‘perspicacious’ a divinely long word?” she reflects.) This Regency-era romance that sparkles with heart and wit.’– Foreword Indies Clarion review
“An absolute bright and lively prose, romance and satire worthy of Austen herself.”– IndieReader editorial review
Audible Audio
Published June 23, 2026
About the author
Alice McVeigh
15 books139 followersAlice McVeigh has been twice-published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary fiction, by UK's Unbound (using a pen name) in Kirkus-starred action adventure and by Warleigh Hall Press in her multi-award-winning Austenesque series (honoured at the last two London Book Fairs in the 2024 and 2025 UK Selfies awards, finalists in FOREWORD INDIES' "Book of the Year" (2022, 2024 and - currently - 2025) etc.
Alice achieved a B.Mus with distinction in performance at Jacobs Indiana University School of Music, and spent three years studying cello privately with William Pleeth, Jacqueline du Pre’s “cello daddy”. After that she freelanced with orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic and Sir John Eliot Gardiner's Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique all over the UK, the EU, America and Asia.
In the 1990s, WHILE THE MUSIC LASTS and GHOST MUSIC were published by Orion/Hachette, to wonderful reviews. Both have since been revised, and are now available in new editions, from Smashwords as well as the author's website.
("Characters rise and fall to McVeigh's superbly controlled conductor's baton” – The Sunday Telegraph. “McVeigh succeeds in harmonising a supremely comic tone with much darker notes." - THE SUNDAY TIMES.)
Her fifth Austenesque novel - MARIANNE - a new-release SENSE AND SENSBILITY SEQUEL - has so far received stellar reviews from FOREWORD INDIES, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY's BOOKLIFE, the US REVIEW OF BOOKS, SPR, the INDIEREADER, HISTORICAL FICTION COMPANY, etc. It has also won Gold in the Literary Global Book Awards (romance), the American Writing Awards (romance), and the the Coffee Pot Book Awards (literary).
The previous four have been BookLife Quarterfinalists, joint runners-up in Foreword Indies' "Book of the Year" and honoured in the final seven novels considered for the 2024 UK Selfies Book Awards at the London Book Fair.
Alice has long been married to Professor Simon McVeigh. The McVeighs have one daughter, currently working on a PhD at Harvard in Chinese Literature.
When not writing or editing, Alice is likeliest to be smiting tennis balls at the Bromley Tennis Centre. (As her daughter remarked, when aged only four: "My mum hits the ball farther than anybody!")
Alice achieved a B.Mus with distinction in performance at Jacobs Indiana University School of Music, and spent three years studying cello privately with William Pleeth, Jacqueline du Pre’s “cello daddy”. After that she freelanced with orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic and Sir John Eliot Gardiner's Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique all over the UK, the EU, America and Asia.
In the 1990s, WHILE THE MUSIC LASTS and GHOST MUSIC were published by Orion/Hachette, to wonderful reviews. Both have since been revised, and are now available in new editions, from Smashwords as well as the author's website.
("Characters rise and fall to McVeigh's superbly controlled conductor's baton” – The Sunday Telegraph. “McVeigh succeeds in harmonising a supremely comic tone with much darker notes." - THE SUNDAY TIMES.)
Her fifth Austenesque novel - MARIANNE - a new-release SENSE AND SENSBILITY SEQUEL - has so far received stellar reviews from FOREWORD INDIES, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY's BOOKLIFE, the US REVIEW OF BOOKS, SPR, the INDIEREADER, HISTORICAL FICTION COMPANY, etc. It has also won Gold in the Literary Global Book Awards (romance), the American Writing Awards (romance), and the the Coffee Pot Book Awards (literary).
The previous four have been BookLife Quarterfinalists, joint runners-up in Foreword Indies' "Book of the Year" and honoured in the final seven novels considered for the 2024 UK Selfies Book Awards at the London Book Fair.
Alice has long been married to Professor Simon McVeigh. The McVeighs have one daughter, currently working on a PhD at Harvard in Chinese Literature.
When not writing or editing, Alice is likeliest to be smiting tennis balls at the Bromley Tennis Centre. (As her daughter remarked, when aged only four: "My mum hits the ball farther than anybody!")
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
September 11, 2026
Marianne: A Sense and Sensibility Sequel follows Marianne three years after the events of Sense and Sensibility. A new widow who enjoyed only a year of marital bliss with Colonel Brandon, Marianne remains romantic at heart but her painful experience of loss has changed her irrevocably. Coming out of mourning, the young, beautiful and rich widow finds herself with not one, not two but three ardent suitors: Willoughby, her first love who broke her heart, Henry Crawford the reputed rake, and …. the other one, whose main distinguishing features are that he’s rich as Croesus and complains endlessly about his gout. Whoever will she choose?
The author has done an excellent job in capturing Austen’s writing style. I enjoyed the way she brought a cast of familiar characters from Austen’s other novels together, it was fun spotting all the Austen Easter Eggs.
The story is told through a mix of third person narratives from different POV characters and diary entries from Marianne and Margaret. This created an interesting mix of perspectives and kept the story interesting, particularly once the plot moves out of drawing rooms and into the courtroom.. Margaret’s overwritten teenage romantic stories and her conviction that she was the most talented author ever were hilarious.
Overall it was a really fun read. Elizabeth Grace’s narration was perfect for a regency romance, and she brought the story to life beautifully. I highly recommend this audiobook whether you’re a die-hard Austen fan or just enjoy a good regency romance.
Thanks to Warleigh Hall Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The author has done an excellent job in capturing Austen’s writing style. I enjoyed the way she brought a cast of familiar characters from Austen’s other novels together, it was fun spotting all the Austen Easter Eggs.
The story is told through a mix of third person narratives from different POV characters and diary entries from Marianne and Margaret. This created an interesting mix of perspectives and kept the story interesting, particularly once the plot moves out of drawing rooms and into the courtroom.. Margaret’s overwritten teenage romantic stories and her conviction that she was the most talented author ever were hilarious.
Overall it was a really fun read. Elizabeth Grace’s narration was perfect for a regency romance, and she brought the story to life beautifully. I highly recommend this audiobook whether you’re a die-hard Austen fan or just enjoy a good regency romance.
Thanks to Warleigh Hall Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review