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Alice Mcveigh
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Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel (Warleigh Hall Press Jane Austen Series) Kindle Edition

by Alice McVeigh (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 402 ratings
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Susan is a Jane Austen Prequel (or Pride and Prejudice Variation) brilliantly capturing Austen's own Lady Susan as a young girl.

A BookLife 2021 Quarterfinalist, Susan has won the Gold Medal/First Place in the PenCraft, Global, eLit and Historical Fiction Company Book Awards, along with numerous other awards.

Publishers Weekly starred review: "McVeigh's prose and plotting are pitch-perfect. Emma mingles with Pride and Prejudice in a delightful confrontation between the two books' worlds... This Austen-inspired novel echoes the master herself."

Familiar characters abound - Frank Churchill, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr Collins - but Susan - mischievous and manipulative - is the star. This is Austen that even Austen might have loved, with a touch of Georgette Heyer in the romantic sections. Fans of Bridgerton will also relish this classic regency romance, the first in a six-book series.

Sixteen-year-old Susan Smithson - pretty but poor, clever but capricious - has just been expelled from a school for young ladies in London.

At the mansion of the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, she attracts a raffish young nobleman. But, at the first hint of scandal, her guardian dispatches her to her uncle Collins' rectory in Kent, where her sensible cousin Alicia lives and "where nothing ever happens."

Here Susan mischievously inspires the local squire to put on a play, with consequences no one could possibly have foreseen. What with the unexpected arrival of Frank Churchill, Alicia's falling in love and a tumultuous elopement, rural Kent will surely never seem safe again...

“A young woman of no fortune and immense wit manoeuvres her way into the good graces of landed gentry in Alice McVeigh’s novel of manners. Characters from Pride and Prejudice appear…Their incorporation is clever: Mr. Collins is Susan’s uncle; Colonel Fitzwilliam had the misfortune of having killed Susan’s father in duel; Lady Catherine becomes her benefactress. Susan’s personality does break through the rigid strictures of Regency society, helping to make this an engaging historical novel with classic influences.” Clarion/Foreword Review

“Fans of Jane Austen are in for an indulgent treat with the brilliantly crafted novel. Alice McVeigh has mastered the period parlance, immersing readers fully in this charming historical romance. The polished story features a few familiar characters, such as the hard-to-please Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and the unending perorations of one Mr. Collins. But the impertinent Susan is the unmistakable star.”
Indies Today (editorial review)

“Fans of Jane Austen will be enraptured by Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel. Honoring the original voice of characters more than two centuries old and capturing the subtle tension and emotional complexity of youthful independence, this stylistic gem is an ambitious and memorable homage… McVeigh has set a strong foundation for a stunning six-book series”
SPR editorial review

"Think Emma or Pride and Prejudice, but with the added sense of humor, mischief, and determination that elevates the character of Susan.”
Midwest Books Review (MBR)

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  1. Part of series
    Warleigh Hall Press Jane Austen Series
  2. Print length
    264 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    June 30, 2021
  6. File size
    2846 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"McVeigh's prose and plotting are pitch-perfect. Emma mingles with Pride and Prejudice in a delightful confrontation between the two books' worlds... This Austen-inspired novel echoes the master herself." (From Publishers Weekly's BookLife Prize quarter-finalist review, 10/10 stars)

"An intelligent prequel packed with enjoyable Austen references... McVeigh displays a brilliant, spot-on command of Austen's diction and tone." (Kirkus Review)

"Susan: an engaging historical novel set within Jane Austen's classic universe. A young woman of no fortune and immense wit maneuvers her way into the good graces of landed gentry in Alice McVeigh's novel of manners. Characters from Pride and Prejudice appear or are mentioned in passing. Their incorporation is clever: Mr. Collins is Susan's uncle; Colonel Fitzwilliam had the misfortune of having killed Susan's father in duel; and Lady Catherine becomes her benefactress. Susan's personality does break through the rigid strictures of Regency society, helping to make Susan an engaging historical novel with classic influences." (Foreword Clarion Reviews)

"Fans of Jane Austen will be easily enraptured by Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel by Alice McVeigh. Honoring the original voice of characters more than two centuries old and capturing the subtle tension and emotional complexity of youthful independence, this stylistic gem is an ambitious and memorable homage... McVeigh has set a strong foundation for a stunning six-book series and has the writing chops to deliver a hugely challenging undertaking, which will thrill fans of Jane Austen, and historical fiction fans in general." (Senior editor, Self-Publishing Review)

"Think Emma or Pride and Prejudice, but with the added sense of humor, mischief, and determination that elevates Susan." (Midwest Book Review)

"McVeigh has created a strong character unwilling to conform to the expectations for women of the late 1700s and early 1800s. Susan's charm and beauty allures many, giving her the freedom that other women would not have had during the period. The writing style is witty, fun, and has all the hallmarks of an Austen novel. It will likely appeal to those who seek a modern continuation of British gentry romance and intrigue." (RECOMMENDED by the US Review of Books)

"Though there have certainly been other attempts to imitate Austen's narrative and storytelling, none have been so skillfully and masterfully executed as Alice McVeigh has achieved. The storytelling and plotting make for a truly immersive experience. Fans of Mr. Darcy, Charlotte Collins and Frank Churchill will enjoy adventures of their beloved characters woven throughout the work... Susan also serves as a bridge between the worlds of Emma and Pride and Prejudice, realizing on the page a space that no doubt many readers have long imagined... McVeigh's impeccable prose transports readers so convincingly it is difficult to remember this work was not penned by Jane Austen herself." (Sarah Baer for IndieReader)

"McVeigh's joy and affection for Jane Austen shines through, and readers who enjoy a well-told regency tale in the classic Austen style will be enchanted...There is no bodice-ripping; instead, the slow burn of suppressed passion and desperate romance." (ManyBooks editorial review)

"I found the characters colorful and thoroughly entertaining, the dialogue witty and laced with humor... Alice McVeigh writes with a flow and eloquence that makes the narrative as smooth as melted butter, and she perfectly captures the era." Pikasho Deka (editorial review for Readers' Favorite.com)

About the Author

Alice McVeigh is a London-based ghost writer previously published by Orion Publishing in contemporary fiction (While the Music Lasts and Ghost Music). A professional cellist, who performed for over fifteen years with orchestras including the BBC Symphony and Royal Philharmonic, she is married with one daughter, is addicted to tennis, and spends part of every year in Crete.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B097RLKKFB
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Warleigh Hall Press (June 30, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 30, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2846 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 402 ratings

About the author

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Alice Mcveigh

Alice Mcveigh

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Alice McVeigh has been published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary fiction, by UK's Unbound in speculative fiction (writing as Spaulding Taylor) and by Warleigh Hall Press in historical fiction. Her books have placed in the BookLife Prize, and won gold medals/first place in the Pencraft, Global, eLit, Incipere and Historical Fiction Company Book Awards. Two of her novels have been Publishers Weekly "Editors Pick - outstanding" - one has a Kirkus Star.

A long-term Londoner, McVeigh was born in Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in Thailand, Singapore, and Myanmar, where her father was a US diplomat. After teenage years in McLean, Virginia, and achieving a degree in cello performance at the internationally renowned Jacobs School of Music, she came to London to study cello with William Pleeth. After settling in London, she began to work all over the world with orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, and Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique.

She was first published in the 1990s, when her two contemporary novels (WHILE THE MUSIC LASTS and GHOST MUSIC) were published by Orion Publishing to excellent reviews, including: “The orchestra becomes a universe in microcosm; all human life is here . . . McVeigh succeeds in harmonising a supremely comic tone with much darker notes.”(The Sunday Times) And: “McVeigh is a professional cellist and is thus able to describe with wry authority the extraordinary life of a London orchestra. This is a very enjoyable novel, and not quite as light as it pretends to be.” (The Sunday Telegraph).

WHILE THE MUSIC LASTS is now available on Alice's website in a revised and rewritten edition. It will be announced in April 2023 as a runner-up in contemporary fiction in the Writer's Digest Book Awards. She is currently preparing to release GHOST MUSIC in an updated edition.

In February 2021, UK independent Unbound published her speculative thriller, LAST STAR STANDING under her pen name, Spaulding Taylor. It received a Kirkus star, and has been a finalist in Chanticleer's Cygnus Book Award, the Eric Hoffer Book Awards, the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, The International Book Awards and the Independent Press Awards.

Also in 2021, Warleigh Hall Press released SUSAN: A JANE AUSTEN PREQUEL. A quarterfinalist in Publishers Weekly's 2021 BookLife Prize, it won First Place/Gold Medal in the PenCraft Book Awards, the HIstorical Fiction Company Book Awards, the Global Book Awards, and the eLit book Awards. Shelf Unbound magazine selected it as one of the “100 notable indies of 2021”. The BookLife Prize rated it 10/10. (“Pitch-perfect... this Austen-inspired novel echoes the master herself.”)

The second of her six-novel Austenesque series – HARRIET: A JANE AUSTEN VARIATION - was published on Feb. 3, 2022. A starred Editor's Pick on Publishers Weekly, it is currently a finalist for the Forward Book of the Year Award and a finalist in Chanticleer's Chatelaine Book Award. After replicating SUSAN' s success in the Global Book Awards and Shelf Unbound, it was also a finalist in the International Book Awards, and has an IndieBRAG medallion.

The third book in the series - DARCY: A PRIDE AND PREJUDICE VARIATION, will be released June 30, 2023.

Alice is married to Professor Simon McVeigh; and their daughter Rachel has a Presidential Scholarship to Harvard (Ph.D). When not playing cello, writing, or editing, Alice is generally smiting tennis balls at the Bromley Tennis Centre. (Often too hard. As her daughter acutely observed when aged four, “My mum hits the ball farther than anybody!”)

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
402 global ratings
Lady Susan prequel
4 Stars
Lady Susan prequel
Susan, a Jane Austen Prequel by Alice McVeigh, revisits the story of Lady Susan and tells the story of her as a young girl.The story introduces readers to sixteen-year-old Susan Smithson who has just been expelled from a school for young ladies in London. While visiting with Lady Catherine de Bourgh, she attracts a young nobleman. But, at the first hint of scandal, her guardian sends her to her uncle Collins’ rectory in Kent “where nothing ever happens”, in the hopes that her sensible cousin Alicia can help to tame Susan’s wild ways.I found this to be a delightful Jane Austen fanfic, on par with Joan Aiken’s Jane Austen Sequels, and now I can’t wait to explore more of these Jane Austen Prequels!!Worlds collide as familiar Austen characters are reintroduced—Frank Churchill, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Darcy himself—but the mischievous and manipulative Susan is the star of this story. Fans of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton and Joan Aiken’s Jane Austen Sequels will enjoy this classic Regency romance, the first in a six-book series.I found this younger version of Susan more likable than the elder Lady Susan, though she still embodies the mischievous and scheming character she is written as. This also lends to the trickiness of her character—her allure and charm is deceptive, and is the main reason why she is such a “dangerous creature” as Lady Susan. Her moral compass doesn’t always point North, but her adventures were definitely fun to follow!I would have personally preferred her to be written as more of the anti-heroine Jane Austen intended for her, but I appreciated the backstory given to her character and the attempt to show why she evolved into more of a villainess in her later life.I loved how various characters were pulled from Austen’s works and woven into Susan’s story, suggesting that Jane Austen’s books may exist writhing the same universe (very much in the same style as Claudia Gray’s Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney series).
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Top reviews from the United States

CAladyinMD
5.0 out of 5 stars charming and intriguing
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024
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This prequel was a fun read with some familiar characters and other new ones. The ending was unexpected but fulfilling
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quirru
4.0 out of 5 stars A novel about how rules are made to keep order and at the same time can make us unhappy
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2021
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Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel (Warleigh Hall Press Jane Austin Series) by Alice McVeigh. A novel set in the past, with many prejudices and rules in which the main character, Susan has to live and play, the thing is she is not really set for this and breaks the rules all the time in many ways that society is not able to forgive so easily, so there are some rules she won’t break, so, this is the story of a sixteen-year-old girl that is trying to grow to un in her own way. The book is well written, the time where is set and its rules are well defined and the main character is perfectly well described and a character to enjoy as I read about her life full of struggle.
One person found this helpful
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Dennis Malone
5.0 out of 5 stars A masterly prequel and delightful read
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2021
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Having read all of Jane Austen’s novels some twenty years ago, it was a great chance to get back in the saddle. This prequel to Lady Susan, a rare “bad girl” in Austen’s work, is astonishingly well-written, filled with vivid, fascinating characters, and with a plot that compels the reader to stay up through the night. Lady Susan was not a “bad seed,” this novel purports. A lively, beautiful, and somewhat capricious girl, she is victimized by English society and its value placed on money and lineage.

The novel is also uproariously funny at times, with droll and hilarious depictions of characters, especially Lords and Ladies. It reminded me of the delicious reads of Barbara Pym and E.F. Benson, in addition to Austen, in this regard.

I’ve already bought the Kindle edition as a gift for several friends, who I know will appreciate the story and the writer’s masterful skill.
One person found this helpful
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JoJo Maxson
4.0 out of 5 stars Jane Austen lovers will enjoy this book.
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2021
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Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel by Alice McVeigh is the first in her Warleigh Hall series. The author takes a character from Austen's epistolary novel, Lady Susan, and plays on our imagination of what Susan could have been like as a sixteen-year-old. Susan loved the bustle of London, with all its finery. Her only wish was that she had the title and funds to enjoy it to its fullest. Sent to the country to avoid a scandal, Susan perfects her conniving ways to achieve what she desires. She does look out for those she cares about, but she is always several steps ahead of everyone. A few understand her acting abilities and the extent to which she can persuade events and people. I found this novel fascinating and a good fit for Jane Austen lovers.
2 people found this helpful
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Huffer
3.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful writing
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2023
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A wonderful writer. The author has imagined Jane Austen's Lady Susan in her youth, specifically at sixteen years old. The deck is somewhat shuffled in the Austen universe, as Susan is niece to Mr and Mrs Collins, and there is a Collins brother who lives in London. Between the two Collins families, they act as guardians to an orphaned Susan Smithson, whose father was killed in a duel by none other than our beloved Colonel Fitzwilliam.

I had no great desire to know a possible backstory for this character, but decided to take a chance. I must give credit for really fine writing, and clever and imaginative ways that familiar names are worked into the storyline. The timing was confusing, since the title states that this is an Austen prequel, and yet for P&P it's a sequel. In spite of the wonderful writing, the main character of this book is not, in my opinion, a sympathetic character. Susan Smithson is a self absorbed, manipulative, and dishonest young lady. Perhaps being an orphan, those traits are essential to survival in her world. However, I prefer admirable and caring characters that we can care about in turn. This Susan is way too "Lydia-like" for my tastes ( Austen fans will understand the reference), and I had to force myself to continue reading in the hope that maybe she would exhibit some lovable trait. It never happened.

The book is well written and well edited. I recommend it with reservations.
4 people found this helpful
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Sophia Rose
5.0 out of 5 stars Lady Susan at Her Youthful, Mischievous Best
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2022
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Cunning, clever, and quite the charmer, young Susan Smithson, leads everyone on a merry adventure through the Regency world. Part Jane Austen prequel and all historical mischievous fun, I was eager to follow along for Susan’s escapades to a delightful finish.

Susan is a prequel story to Jane Austen’s Lady Susan, but also includes a character from Emma and a few from Pride & Prejudice to engage Austen’s fans and those who enjoy historical fiction with a dose of romance, alike. Written to the style of authentic Regency dialogue, manners, and settings, Susan opens when young, orphaned Susan Smithson is sent down from yet another school to reside with her aunt and uncle Collins in London. London is scrumptious paradise to a sixteen year old Susan and even her uncle and aunt’s tiresome rules on conduct are worth the price to be there. Unfortunately, Susan gets into new scrapes so must be shuffled off to her Uncle Collins older brother in Kent. There, Susan joins up with her cousin Alicia and gets up to play acting with a local wealthy family for a diversion. Along the way, she has taken the notice of the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh, an earl’s younger brother, a fun-loving Frank Churchill, and finds her wit and cunning are needed to circumvent disaster- and boredom.

Not long into this one, I was enchanted by the youthful Susan and her antics. Susan’s moral compass doesn’t always point due North and she has her own way of seeing the world and people around her. She wants wealth and consequence, but not only this as she proves when she doesn’t take up the interests of men who look on her beauty and vivacity with great interest. Susan is clever enough to see what people are about and even at a young age knows how to work them to her advantage even her staunch relations and the formidable Lady Catherine.
While Susan wasn’t very virtuous, she does have her own code and that includes doing what it takes to see her cousin Alicia find happiness even if it means outsmarting a snobbish acquaintance or two and launching a scandalous plan. I couldn’t wait to see what the daring Susan would do next.

All in all, I found Susan as mischievous and enchanting as could be. The author did Austen’s character with an aplomb that Austen would give her sly wink of approval over. I dearly hope there is more to come for Susan and her merry adventures. Recommended to those who love stories set in the Regency world.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

GS
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended read for Austen fans!
Reviewed in France on July 2, 2021
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Engaging right from the start and reads very close to Austen's own style! Appreciate the inspiration drawn from Austen's works, which has been worked into the plot very well. A wonderful start to a series of books, looking forward to more! Very satisfied with the purchase!
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Lester A. Barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing read, Loved it. A new Jane Austen !
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 1, 2021
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I'm a compulsive reader when I find an Author that I enjoy but was quite late in reading any Austen novels until two years ago when I first read 'Emma' -All of the other Austen novels followed in quick succession with Lady Susan getting two reads as I particularly enjoyed that experience.

Discovering this book 'Susan' written in the style of Jane Austen, I was initially sceptical that any modern author could 'come up with the goods' and write convincingly in that style, with the historic nuances of society, the culture and the etiquette of that period and with a narrative that
wasn't another 'period love story' - By the time I'd started the third chapter I was already engrossed and so drawn into the story that it felt utterly real as part of J.Austen's world. Couldn't put it down. There were genuine moments of elation and tears too with characters that tie in with Austen's other books and a wonderful background to the protagonist who becomes . . .. . (no spoilers ! )

Loved it - MORE PLEASE ! (less
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Aisea
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
Reviewed in Australia on September 5, 2021
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I've not read a novel inspired by events and characters in Jane Austen's books that comes close to catching Austen's rhythm of writing until reading this novel.

I enjoyed this so much that upon rereading Austen again, I was able to feel differently about some of her characters even though the author did make some minor changes to the characters. This novel also fleshed the characters out, and didn't feel like the protaganist had twenty first century views or ways of thinking like many Regency inspired authors succeed in doing.

The dialogue is beautifully written and background information is sprinkled within the story so effortlessly as Austen does
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Carolina Crossley
4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Story Well Told
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2023
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As a fan of Jane Austin this was a lively tale with a lot of twists and turns. Susan Smithson is the
star of the show in more ways than one. I enjoyed Alice McVeigh's vignettes of previous Austin characters. A good story, well told.
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Jennineavril
5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely work, a joy to read
Reviewed in Australia on September 15, 2022
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Wow, loved this book and could not put it down. So reminiscent of books written by our great lady authors of the past. No swearing, nothing crude just a sweet storyline with nice characters.
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