MARIANNE
By Alice McVeigh
Excerpt from Marianne
(from Marianne’s journal)
…Suddenly nervous, I began to calculate the number of minutes before I might reach the house I still thought of as Brandon’s. Twenty minutes, perhaps – perhaps a trifle more, for my shoes were so delicate, and so ill-suited to my purpose. Had only I worn my ankle-boots! – even if I would have been disdained by the ton for ever! Perhaps I had been a fool, to set off so impulsively in the very heart of London – a fool to imagine that walking alone in town – and the throbbing heart of town, at that – might be as safe as it would have been in the country!
Suddenly a limping, heavy-set fellow pushed past, jostling me. Breathing faster, and hearing more footsteps close behind, I pretended to stop, in order to check something in my pocket. A mistake – as I was then passed by a heavy sailor, reeking of drink, and his slighter acquaintance, a sardonic smile on his filthy, part-shaven face. They stopped before me, blocking my path, and obliging me either to remain or else to attempt to push past them (which must have been impossible). Panicking, I thought – impatiently – ‘Oh, why am I always so impatient? Why could I not have waited for a chair?’
The fat fellow leaned towards me, leering, ‘Eh, pretty missus! And why might you be out and about at such an hour, and in such fetching earbobs, besides?’
Obeying my first instinct, I plucked up my skirts and fled. However, I had no chance in such a gown – or in any gown. The heavy fellow had caught me up within a yard or two, and crushed me towards him, while his friend’s filthy fingers scrabbled about my ears… I screamed, thinking, ‘There are still plenty of people about! Surely someone will help me?’
Someone did. A young man on the opposite side was across the street in an instant. In a shocked melee of seconds, to my own bewilderment, I found myself released and my assailant groaning on the pavement, clutching his lower abdomen, while his accomplice slipped like an eel down a side alley. My arm was then clasped by – in the ecstasy of my relief, I was almost too distraught to recognise him – but then I cried, ‘Mr Crawford!’ He was tucking my arm within his own and turning me around while saying, in an urgent undertone, ‘Are you uninjured, Mrs Brandon?’
‘I am perfectly well – and most grateful.’ Then I spotted blood on the cuff of his olive-green tailcoat. ‘But those ruffians have hurt you!’
‘Nothing worthy of mention,’ said he, his teeth very white even in the dim light. ‘A filthy fingernail. But are you truly recovered? Your breathing is very quick!’
‘’Tis only the shock, I assure you.’
‘I am relieved to hear it.’
ASIN: B0FWTDKRVM
Publication: 2025-10-22
Publisher: Warleigh Hall Press
Editions: Paperback, ebook.
New release! A classy, classic historical romance. Fifth in "McVeigh's celebrated Jane Austen series" (Publishers Weekly)
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.
“McVeigh resurrects not only Marianne’s sensibility but also the moral texture of Austen’s entire world. A deeply felt and pitch-perfect continuation that lets its title character finally come into her own.”
– Kirkus Review
“Marianne captures the essence of Austen… McVeigh throws together favorite characters that readers love, or love to hate, to see how they gel. The result is funny, heartwarming and everything lovers of Austen’s universe could hope for.”
– Publishers Weekly’s BookLife Prize, October 2025
“A masterpiece! Dive in!”
– Editor, The Historical Fiction Company editorial review
‘An absolute delight: bright, lively prose, a focus on romance and satire worthy of Austen herself.”
– IndieReader editorial review
“A vivid portrait of Regency life, filled with class anxieties, and the limitations even wealthy women faced. McVeigh delivers a rare kind of sequel: one that honors Austen’s world while expanding it. McVeigh is true to the spirit of the original while offering something entirely her own.”
– RECOMMENDED by the US Review of Books
McVeigh has captured Austen’s writing style – this could have been penned by Austen herself – it feels both familiar and fresh. In elegant and engaging prose, McVeigh seamlessly picks up where Austen left off, presenting a Marianne who is complex, thoughtfully portrayed, and deeply relatable… An absolute must-read for Austen fans.
– Editorial Review, The Coffee Pot Book Club
“Dynamic and sincere: a vivid portrait of Regency life, filled with gossip, class anxieties, and the limitations even wealthy women faced… In the end, McVeigh delivers a rare kind of sequel: one that honors Austen’s world while expanding it. She builds a thoughtful continuation that feels true to the spirit of the original while offering something entirely her own. RECOMMENDED.”
– The U.S. Review of Books (editorial review)
“Invigorating, self-aware, contemporary… This series continues to be an immersive delight, extending, honoring, and doing justice to Austen.”
– SPR editorial review
“This is a gift. Stunningly new while keeping Austen’s heart to the last page.”
– Lauren Gerock (The Bookstagrambabe)
“A treasure… With its blend of temptation and social wit, McVeigh reaffirms why Marianne, with all her impetuous charm, remains a heroine worth following into another chapter. Admirers of Austen’s moral complexity and sparkling dialogue will feel at home.”
–READERS VIEWS editorial
“Marianne offers a rich continuation that honors Austen’s characters while breathing new life into their futures. With its blend of longing, temptation and social wit, the novel delivers a thoughtful exploration of love’s possibilities in the shadow of grief. Marianne, with all her impetuous charm, remains a heroine worth following into another chapter of Regency life. Admirers of Austen’s moral complexity and sparkling dialogue will feel at home!”
– Readers Favorite (editorial review)
“McVeigh has successfully built upon Austen’s classic in a way that honors it by being both logically organized and emotionally satisfying – much like the contrast between Elinor and Marianne as originally presented. This reviewer strongly recommends this clever and engaging novel.”
– Readers Views Editorial review
“With smooth pacing and classic style, McVeigh delivers a sequel that is sure to please.”
— READERS FAVORITE (editorial review) *****
Click here to read about the Warleigh Hall Press Jane Austen series.
Awards
Winner: Romance category for American Writing Awards 2025
Marianne is at the moment on a special offer and exclusive to Amazon. For this reason, the links to alternative retailers below will not work for now. Apologies for any inconvenience.
Reviews for Marianne
Multiple award-winning author
Other books by Alice
