Young Charlotte Heywood arrives in Sanditon, a newly established seaside resort, with the Parkers: patrons and enthusiastic promoters of the town. Just as the town seeks to reinvent itself as a fashionable destination, Charlotte Heywood attempts to begin anew amongst its residents.

As she begins to settle into Sanditon society, with the Parkers and the rich widow Lady Denham, a slew of new arrivals stir up emotions. Among them are relatives of Lady Denham, seeking her generous fortune; Miss Lambe, a rich heiress; and Sydney Parker, the handsome young man who catches Charlotte's eye. Charlotte must navigate the complicated web of liaisons, finding herself more involved than she ever intended...

Collected here with her unfinished work The Watsons, and the much-loved novella-in-letters, Lady Susan, Austen's final, unfinished novel demonstrates her biting sense of humour and will give readers a thrilling glimpse of a genius at work.