Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood

This young adult novel offers a contemporary retelling of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility," following sisters Hallie and Grace Weston. After their father's unexpected death, they are forced to move from San Francisco to a relative's guesthouse in Beverly Hills, leaving behind their old lives and friends. The story explores how the dramatically different sisters cope with grief, financial hardship, and finding their identities in a new, status-obsessed world. Hallie, the older and more theatrical sister, embraces the Hollywood scene and a passionate new relationship, while Grace, the quieter and more responsible one, yearns for her past and slowly learns to step out of her sister's shadow. It's a story about sisterly bonds, first loves, and resilience in the face of change.

"Hallie and Grace Weston couldn't be more different. Older sister Hallie thinks all the world's a stage--her stage, to be exact--while even-tempered Grace tries to keep her dramatic sister in check. When their father dies, leaving everything to his snooty new wife, the sisters face a new challenge: uprooted from their home and friends, they're forced to move into a relative's guesthouse--in shiny, status-obsessed Beverly Hills. Plunged into a strange and glamorous new world, the penniless Weston sisters try to rebuild their lives. Aspiring actress Hallie throws herself headlong into the Hollywood scene--and an intense affair with musician Dakota. Meanwhile, shy Grace manages to find an ally in quirky local girl Palmer but still yearns for the maybe-almost crush she left behind. But is Hallie blinded by her cinematic visions of true love? And can Grace find the strength to step off the sidelines?"--Publisher's description.