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McVeigh's sequel to Sense and Sensibility picks up three years after Austen's ending, following Marianne Brandon as a young widow trying to find her place in London society, while her sister Margaret is accused of stealing lace from a shop. The story unfolds through Marianne's journals, Margaret's diary entries, and third-person narration, giving readers multiple viewpoints on the same events. This structure keeps the story dynamic and lets readers see how Marianne's personal struggles ripple through her family and friends. Margaret's voice stands out with a perfect mix of teenage drama and self-awareness as she pens her own Gothic novel from her cell in Spitalfields.
McVeigh handles her large cast with ease, bringing in familiar faces from Austen's world without letting them feel like gimmicks. When John Willoughby reappears, the author avoids an easy redemption and instead shows how age and regret have reshaped both his and Marianne's understanding of the past. Henry Crawford's transformation from manipulator to a man changed by loss and conscience feels sincere and gradual. The trial sequence is one of the book's highlights. The discovery that the shopkeeper planted the lace to make an example of Margaret adds real tension without slipping into melodrama. Crawford's clever role in exposing the truth feels both satisfying and fitting.
As a large novel, the narrative occasionally lingers. Still, the length allows McVeigh to create 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. Rather than simply repeating familiar beats, she builds a thoughtful continuation that feels true to the spirit of the original while offering something entirely her own.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review