Can healing survive the weight of other people’s secrets in The Cost of Sensibility?
After ten years in captivity, Rick Wentworth has discovered that freedom is more than unlocked doors. It is learning to trust again. To father his children without fear. To build a life that no longer revolves around survival.
Rick Wentworth has spent years protecting his daughter from the darkest chapter of their lives. Now, he places in her hands the letters he wrote while they were held captive – letters filled with impossible choices, quiet courage, and a love fierce enough to endure the unthinkable.
In the welcoming seaside town of Croft Beach, Rick has begun that journey alongside Marianne Dashwood, the woman whose steady love asks for nothing but honesty. With his lifelong friend Darcy beside him and a community slowly becoming family, hope finally feels possible.
But while Rick fights to embrace the future, those around him face battles of their own. A pastor struggles between truth and compromise. A marriage begins to crack beneath years of silence. Long-buried choices ripple through a church family, forcing everyone to ask whether genuine restoration can exist without costly honesty.
As old wounds resurface and difficult truths come to light, Rick must decide whether protecting his heart is truly the safest choice—or whether real courage means remaining present for the life God has given him.
Inspired by the enduring themes of Jane Austen, The Cost of Sensibility is a contemporary Christian novel about redemption, found family, second chances, and the quiet work of healing. With a rare male survivor’s perspective, slow-burn romance, and a hopeful message of grace, this emotional conclusion to the Half Agony, Half Hope Trilogy reminds readers that the greatest victories are often the ones no one else can see.
Perfect for readers who enjoy:
- Christian contemporary fiction
- Jane Austen-inspired novels
- Slow-burn romance
- Found family
- Emotional healing and redemption
- Small-town fiction
- Character-driven stories with hope
Content Notes: References to past abuse (not depicted), post-traumatic stress, pregnancy loss, emotional infidelity, and marital tension. Includes a hopeful ending. While this is the third novel in the trilogy, it can also be enjoyed as a standalone.
Shop The Cost of Sensibility
Praise for The Cost of Sensibility
“The Cost of Sensibility is a thoughtful blend of psychological fiction and relational drama with a clear spiritual framework. Austin keeps things measured, allowing the material to speak for itself without exaggeration. “
★★★★★ Readers’ Favorite
“What sets it apart is it’s rare and refreshing approach to trauma and healing – never sensational, always graceful – drawing the reader into a world where community and hope do the quiet, steady work of restoration.”
★★★★★ Amazon Review
“The author shapes scenes that honor faith, friendship, and marriage, while keeping a focus on consent, kindness, and accountability. Moments of sorrow are met by community and grace, and the book never loses its faith in renewal. Readers who value heartfelt romance grounded in family life will find this a comforting read.”
★★★★★ Readers’ Favorite