A very thin addition to the genre of Jane-Austen-adjacent fiction. Lucy Worsley knows the time period and get inspiration but her characters are barely there, the plot, where it isn't just cherry-picked from Austen's work, is silly. There's a level of whimsy that is exactly as irritating as I find it in Worsley's dress-up history programmes so it's at least partly my fault that I didn't enjoy it.

Anna and Fanny Austen are cousins whose lives are very different - Fanny doesn't have to worry about money as her parents live a comfortable life, but Anna's parents don't have much money.
Both Anna and Fanny are determined to marry soon, but will they be able to marry for love? Or will they have to marry for duty?
Luckily, their Aunt Jane is on hand to help.

As a fan of both Jane Austen and Lucy Worsley, I was intrigued to see what this novel would be like.
Anna and Fanny were both relatable characters and, while I did find Fanny a little bit more likeable, I did like Anna too most of the time. I felt for both of them - Anna because she was unhappy at home and wanted to marry to escape, and Fanny because she was under pressure to marry before the rest of her sisters.
Aunt Jane was probably my favourite character. I liked her relationship with her nieces and that they went to her to talk/for advice.
The plot was good overall, but I wasn't gripped or overly invested in what happened.
The writing style was easy to follow and I read the novel very quickly.
This was an easy, mostly light-hearted read.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

A lovely little book about some of the minor Austen characters. Perfect for fans of Lucy looking for a fictional account of the Austen girls and one that they could share with their children or younger readers.

Would be a perfect addition to children’s bookshelves and school libraries. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ebook in exchange for review. It was a lovely read and one that I will definitely recommend in the future.

Jane herself is actually a more minor character in this book, acting as an advisor and advocate for the girls – cousins Anna and Fanny. They both know that it will be their duty to marry but Anna, whose family is quite poor, must try for a rich husband. Fanny will, maybe, be able to look for love also but, if she remains a spinster, her wealth will count for little in the eyes of society. But things get even more exciting than Anna’s engagement to a (rather boring) clergyman when the girls decide they have to clear the name of another man of the cloth, accused of theft and at risk of transportation to Australia, Mr Drummer. With Aunt Jane’s help they solve the mystery and discover that there could be more to life than just becoming a wife.

This book is aimed at younger readers (I’d say from about 9 upwards) and is probably more suited to girls, since it does feel quite feminist. The girls themselves, as I said before, learn that women can have a value beyond being a wife or mother, and we know, even if the other characters don’t, that Aunt Jane is writing novels, not letters, up in her room and is a paid author rather than ‘just’ a spinster. Worsley obviously enjoys giving a solid historical basis to her stories – all the Austen family are fairly realistically drawn – but then adding an angle. In this case a bit of crime solving (although the crime – in fact a scam, a trick played on the unsuspecting Mr Drummer – was one which had been used on Austen’s own aunt, causing great scandal at the time) which shows the girls that there are options for women to use their minds.

This is a really lovely gateway book for future Austen or classics readers. I would definitely purchase this for the school library. It would also be a lovely, easy-read book for young and already established fans of Austen etc. The plot kept me interested and gave some insight into the time and family around Austen. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ebook in exchange for review. It was a lovely read

I have read so many Jane Austen retellings lately which tell a fictionalised story of her life or the lives of her family - and unfortunately The Austen Girls was not as good as many of the others. I know that this is aimed at younger readers but I read and enjoy many YA and middle grade books so I was expecting to enjoy this as well. It was an OK story about two cousins who are nieces of Jane and approching the age of 'coming out' in society and beginning to attend balls and meet possible future husbands.
I didn't really like the writing style and I didn't connect to the two main characters either and both writing and characters are key for me. I did like the setting though and obviously the historical detail was well researched and interesting and it was an easy read so 2 stars for that! I

Jane Austen style for younger readers, The Austen Girls centres around Jane Austen’s nieces, Fanny and Anna primarily, although the other 9 nephews and nieces also feature. In this story, with some facts, but with a lot of imagination thrown in, Jane Austen lives with her brother, his wife and their 10 children. Jane spends a lot of time in her room writing, although the family think it letters as they are completely unaware of her fame, even whilst reading the novels themselves. Fanny, the eldest niece is preparing to ‘come out’, which has a completely different meaning in Georgian times! Being presented at her first ball when she was 16, she arrives with her cousin Anna, both hoping they will be asked to dance and not be fated to sit on the sides, pitied by the other women. Talking about finding a husband also takes up a lot of their time as they know that is the ‘best’ option for women, to rely on being kept as women making their own money was unheard of. This is ironic when Aunt Jane has made her own money, yet can’t tell the family. The first half of the book is taken up with trying to find husbands and feelings of jealousy when one of them becomes engaged. However, the book becomes more interesting when Fanny becomes involved in trying to prove the innocence of the local curate, who is faced with transportation to Australia – which was considered an awful punishment. Aunt Jane features more, giving advice on discovering what true feelings are rather than going along with what is expected of their rank.
There is an accurate depiction of life in middle class England in the Georgian period as would be expected of an historian, and the book is pitched at a young audience. This is a lightweight read and probably helps if you know how young girls were expected to behave at the time, otherwise it may come across as quite dull. Jane Austen is portrayed well, being intelligent and considerate and somewhat quirky of her time.

The Austen Girls by Lucy Worsley is a valiant attempt at a charming read, Jane Austen style, that only goes awry when it moves away from a Jane Austen 'happily-ever-after' ending.

The first half of the book very much feels true to form. The two cousins are vying for husbands, there's the awkward lord, the irritating clergy-man, a number of balls where the girls can mingle with other eligible bachelors, an overbearing mother, and a distracted father.

Mrs. Austen is almost, word for word, a reenactment of Mrs. Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. I know this because I've just rewatched the 1995 classic with Colin Firth. I don't know if this is a conscious decision on the part of the author or not. I thought it was, and I thought it a good decision, but it gets squandered along the way. Mr. Austen is not quite Mr. Bennett because he's never fully developed as a character, and neither Fanny or Anne has the spark and wit of Elizabeth Bennett.

From about 50% the book gets 'messy.' It doesn't seem to be doing anything other than trying to tell too many stories at once, which in such a short novel means that none of them are truly well developed. Eventually, the story just seems to come to an end, but not the end, which must be found in the author's notes.

Now, I know this book is a young adult story. As an effort to engage younger readers with Jane Austen's writing, it is a really good, but in mingling the fictional and the historical fiction (AKA fact), and trying to give the girls more than just the desire to find a husband as their reason in life, and to somehow make the Jane Austen character actually do something, it all becomes a tangled mess, without the satisfaction of a happily-ever-after for either of the two cousins. (I'm thinking along the lines of the ending of Season 1 of Sanditon). I know that my 'teens' would not enjoy the ending of this book. They're still traumatised by the ending of Little Women and found Emma far more satisfying.

This is a real shame.

An enjoyable, light hearted regency romp by the author of Jane Austen at home. I'm not sure if Worsley has written other fiction (I'm very familiar with her non fiction) but this was pleasantly not what I expected. It follows Jane Austen's nieces - Fanny and Anna. Don't expect a full regency extravaganza but other wise this a is a fun theoretical historical novel about to minor Austens.

This title was archived before I was able to download it.
However, I will be buying a copy of the book instead as I am seeing it all over my social media!

The Austen Girls is a cute, fun and refreshing take on one of the greatest literary minds to ever be published. Both Fanny and Anna are strong likable characters who make the story extremely enjoyable as it's so easy to connect to them. The book is a great way to introduce anyone to the wonderful world of Austen, but it also holds appeal for fans of Austen who will no doubt devour and adore the characterisation of Austen,who as a secondary character in the novel quietly pulls the strings behind the scenes, in her nieces lives as they figure out who they are and what they want.

The Austen Girls is a cute, entertaining book about two of Jane Austen’s nieces, Fanny and Anna, as they first step out into society and start contemplating their future of finding husbands and being heroines in their own story. This is that story.

Narrated by Fanny, the personalities of both her and Anna stand out throughout this book, through their friendship, experiences and arguments. Jane Austen herself takes on the role of the mysterious aunt with penchant for going against the norm and keeping an eye out for her favourite nieces. The other characters are less built up and, particularly at the start, mostly feel like single-toned characters although this starts to change as Fanny herself gains more perspective of the different layers and nuances people have.

The story itself is one that could have come out of a Jane Austen novel – the quest for husbands, dealing with expectations of family and society, and learning about the world and people around them. There is also a hint of adventure for Fanny as some darker deeds infect the town. It did find that the ending did not quite fit right with me, whether that was due to where the story ended within the context of the girls’ lives, or just where they ended up even if it was true for their time, I just felt like I wanted more for them.

The Austen Girls is very much a story for younger readers than I, and I can see many a child enjoying this as a potential introduction to the Austen world and the Austen books. I did find myself searching for the people involved as I read it and I came out feeling like I learnt a lot about the Austens and the time they lived in. It was an entertaining read, and I thoroughly enjoyed Jane Austen’s characterisation in this book (although I don’t know how true to life it is), I just wish I got a bit more from it.

The Austen Girls is a charming historical novel for young teen readers.

Worsley writes with her signature lively tone and gentle humour. The storytelling is straightforward and classic in style. There are no literary surprises but the prose is always measured and self-assured.

The characters and world are beautifully formed, with some lovely touches of vivid historical detail. Fanny and Anna make likeable and flawed heroines, and I became really engaged in their coming of age stories. Jane Austen herself is a delightfully witty secondary character, pulling strings behind the scenes. I imagine she would approve of this representation!

The Austen Girls is a really enjoyable read for young readers – and older Austenites too!

In Georgian society some can choose, some have no choice, all seem constrained by considerations of wealth, propriety and social station. Should a young woman look at suitor through their parents' eyes? Should she enter an arrangement with a dull young man with a huge estate, marry a tedious clergyman because she enters the marriage race without a dowry or can she marry for love? Is being a Bloss for a High Toby everything you hoped it would be? Is there another way to live and does a spinster aunt hold its secret? Let Lucy Worsley take your hand and guide you through the whirling ballrooms, the fetid prisons and verdant shrubberies and back, back into a beautifully observed world familiar to all fans of Jane Austen.
If you take a ten pound note from your pocket you will find a portrait of Jane Austen on one side with a view of Godmersham Park behind her. The Park provides a setting for Lucy Worsley's new historical children's adventure which follows the fortunes of cousins Fanny and Anna Austen and their aunt Jane. The cousins have reached an age at which in polite society, they are expected to find a suitable husband. Anna's choice is somewhat circumscribed due to her father's income, Fanny, as the daughter of Edward Austen of Godmersham Park is in theory less constrained. Will either forge their own paths? Will they fulfill their ambitions and become the heroines of their own story or will they be confined by the expectations of others? Perhaps their Aunt Jane embodies a different way of living?
Though published as a children's book I am sure history fans, Jane Austen enthusiasts, and all lovers of a ripping yarn will find much that pleases here. For if Fanny and Anna embody sense and sensibility their aunt Jane's secret life points to a time when women will forge their own identities and achieve their full potential.
Roaring, witty and charming, wearing its scholarship like a sparkling white muslin ball gown, if you seek a page-turning read or fancy a career as a thief-taker, look no further than The Austen Girls by Lucy Worsley.

I had recently read Eliza Rose which I had really enjoyed so I thought I would request The Austen Girls as I love Jane Austen’s books, Pride & Prejudice being one of my absolute favourite books!

I really enjoyed this story where we get to follow the niece of Jane Austen and in doing so also see Jane and how she lived while writing her books and how she influenced her nieces and their decisions.

It was a really interesting story where Anna and Fanny become at marriageable age and so must find an appropriate suitor. They are told the type of men they should choose and they must do so quickly. Yet, no one actually asked what they want in life. Do they want to marry or stay single? Maybe the man they want to marry isn’t one deemed appropriate by their family. The cousins navigate this and more. It shows how complicated it can be and how they may want more from life than just marrying and having children.

I loved how they turned to their Aunt Jane who would help them navigate their thoughts and emotions without directly telling them what to do. I loved seeing how Jane pushed them both to be the heroines in their own lives and this inspired Anna to help a man in her fathers employ who was unjustly imprisoned.

The ending was heart breaking yet still inspired hope. It was really interesting to see how Lucy had included real history and real historical people too and intertwined that with fiction.