An absolute love letter to Jane Austen.
This book has it all enemies to lovers, time travel, humor, and a strong passion for all things Austen. As someone that has read all of the books and seen all of the adaptations, I can truly say that there is so many Austen references to be found within these pages and any Austen fan will not be disappointed! However, even if you are not a fan of Jane Austen, there is so much humor and romance within these pages you cannot help but stay up for one more chapter! It is such a comfort read and a love letter to all fans of Jane Austen and the Regency period!

This was a sweet (and kind of spicy!) Jane Austen time travel romance, and it was a lot of fun.

Our main characters, Tess and Hugh, are professional actors starring (and squabbling) in a remake of Northanger Abbey. Due to an unfortunate circumstance, they find themselves transported back in time. Using their research and training they acquired for the filming, they must maneuver the time period (and an encounter with Jane herself) while trying to find a way back to the present day.

The story was cute, but I really loved the main characters are their relationship. They felt very authentic and I found myself cheering for them.

Great vacation read! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

I LOVE THIS BOOK MOST ARDENTLY. Hollyyyy shit ya’ll that was so so so good!! Like buy a hard copy for show and a paperback to read and bend and love and share. No notes. I love everyone and everything.

Non nom nom give me moreeee

What a sweet, precious, charming little romance! I loved the use of time travel and the hijinks Tess and Hugh got into when they were taken back to Regency era London. The slow burn romance was so sweet and fun and the little touch of spice was perfect, I really appreciated that the author included some themes of grief and the discomfort of really growing into yourself as an adult. This was really lovely and easy to read. Highly recommend snagging this when it releases in September!

Some strong lightning + a malfunctioning heater equals time travel, at least according to The Austen Affair. The premise is silly, but it just works here. Two feuding co-stars travel back in time, and are stuck until (and if) they manage to get back. Despite relying too much on some annoying romance tropes (especially the misunderstanding each other one, purely so that conflict can exist; or the heroine causes drama/conflict by constantly doubting herself), the characters have chemistry and that scene towards the end at the church works so well. Plus, any book that namedrops Autumn de Wilde's Emma adaptation & Nelly's Hot in Herre song, gets bonus points.

To enter Regency England is always a joy! You can tell Bell’s love for Austen through it all. A very fun read.

3/5 stars

I loved the story of two co-stars rom a Jane Austen movie getting thrown back in time, but I didn't love the MC. She was so unlikable at times it made the story hard to read.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book has so many aspects of Jane Austen all tied together in a self-aware, somewhat meta way. Hugh and Tess exchange Austen quotes while living in Austen world, wearing modern Austen fashions, playing out their own Austen romance.

The Austen Affair is about a girl who was raised by her mom and her love of Austen, who then took on the lead role in Northanger Abbey after her mom passed away, who then stumbled into Jane Austen's time while wearing her Regency costuming, and has to navigate her new surroundings with her very own modern Mr. Darcy grumblehead while living out her Austen-loving fantasies. All disguised as a Pride and Prejudice retelling.

The language was a mix of Regency-speak and modern colloquialism, and they didn't muddle together, which is great. We can see how our modern heroes fit in surprisingly well, since they did the research for their Regency acting roles. So it was like reading a Pride and Prejudice fanfic but with modern sensibilities - the internal monologues reflected what we, as the reader, would think or mutter under our breaths, which makes it so relatable, funny, and refreshing.

Overall, what a fun story, light and playful, full of dry humor, but also imbued with grief, loss, and letting go. A great read.

I freaking adored this book! Tess and Hugh had the best chemistry ever and George was so cute throughout the story, making for a great side character. Tess’ ability to always stand up again after all the hurts she’s experienced and to still be brave enough to fall in love is something that I admire so much in her. Hugh, on the other hand, was just such a perfect gentlemen who could give a burning hot kiss to a lady that I couldn’t help but fall a bit more. I will always recommend reading this book!

As an avid rewatcher of Pride and Prejudice and Emma growing up, this book was the first one I saw when coming into NetGallery that day and I hit "request" so fast! I loved the premise of the book: time travel, enemies-to-lovers, AND Jane Austen?! Absolutely!

As I got into the book, I appreciated the connection that the two MCs were able to form, although some of the banter fell flat or was one note at times and I found myself getting incredibly annoyed at the pettiness of the FMC throughout the first half of book as well. The second half flowed much better.

While I'm not sure if it was intended, I read the MMC as being autistic and when he was talking about being left without an updated script and struggling to connect, that's what my world feels like sometimes too. It was so refreshing to see it depicted so well in a book. I also read the FMC as an ADHDer and it made me really happy to see her zeal for life represented so well.

Thank you to Madeline Bell, St. Martin's Press, and NetGallery for the eARC! Release date will be September 16, 2025.

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC!!

I will admit that when I started this book, I expected it to be a little cheesy but still fun for my 2005 Pride and Prejudice loving heart. I did NOT expect that I would squeal and kick my feet and reread paragraphs and cry like a baby by the end. This book is all the things: just enough adorably nerdy references paired with an incredibly sweet love story and with character growth that was so true to life. Every time Tess starts to inwardly spiral about being Tess the Mess? Real. When Hugh's emotions get the better of his tightly wound control? Real. Each time Tess finds herself quoting her favorite books and movies like it's her key to survival?!? SO VERY REAL. I was worried how the story was going to end and if it would do this adorable read justice and I was so pleased when I made it to the final page! Loved this story from beginning to end and I cannot wait to see more from Madeline Bell!

I was initially drawn to this book by the cover, but the insides blew me away. It has 3 things I love, a brooding Englishman, enemies to lovers and period pieces. And a little bit of spice to round it all out.

Immediately I felt seen by Tess. I too feel like a failure a lot of the time and that maybe others don't see me the way they should. Her struggles to fit in on set can really resonate with real world struggles, even though she's an actress. The tension with Hugh in the beginning is delicate and I felt for her there as well. Once they get thrown together into the problem they must fix as a team, it was really hard for me to put the book down. The miscommunications are a plenty but I don't think it took anything away from when Tess and Hugh eventually work out and finally start to understand each other. They both felt so real to me, their issues never felt superficial. The side characters all felt well fleshed out and one in particular proves that fuck boys know no time period bounds.

I know there are some Jane Austen undertones that i probably didn't pick up on, but anyone who is a fan or not would get a giggle and maybe a good cry out of this novel. I've already recommended it to a few friends and can't wait to add it to my shelf when the time comes.

I'd like to thank the author Madeline Bell, St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC.

It was a cute read, but unbelievable that anyone would just believe they were from the future. No one looked into Tess' family history? They just believed she was a widow with no family?

Tess is a down on her luck actress, currently starring in an adaptation of Jane Austen‘s Northanger Abby. Her career is in shambles after the death of her mother, who instilled in her a love of all things Austen. Hugh Balfour is the very serious BAFTA-nominated British actor starring opposite her in the film.

Tess is a mess, and she and Hugh are constantly butting heads in the production. But when a free electrical accident sends them hurtling back to Regency Era England, they are forced to work together to find a way to get back to the 21st Century.

Of course, along the way, their relationship changes from enemies to lovers. Which is somewhat problematic, due to the social mores of the period.

The Austin affair was a surprisingly delightful and emotional read. Yes, it was a love story, but it was also a love letter to Jane Austen, and the lasting impact she has had on literature, and through cinematic adaptations of her works. The book is not so much an adaptation of one of Austin‘s works itself, but the author does a fantastic job instilling in the narration enough references for the reader to know it’s a celebration of the type of love story for which Jane Austen is most famous.

You can’t help but root for Tess and Hugh, who are surrounded by well-developed secondary characters in a storyline that pays homage to one of the greatest authors who has ever published.

A very strong 4.5/5 stars!! I truly have no words for how much this book gave me everything I didn't know I wanted. I am a romantic at heart and my love for romances started with the classics like Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights. My love then transitioned to RomComs and contemporary romances. Basically anything that can get me that giggling and kicking my feet feeling or gives me true yearning like Elizabeth and Darcy is an immediate win for me.

How did Madeline somehow give me everything I love in one go? Tess was witty and funny, Hugh was angsty and anxious but both were extremely honest characters. We had the wit and fast banter of modern rom coms nestled in the proper language and slow yearning of the Regency era. It was such a perfect combo, I literally just want to throw myself back into reading my favorite classics again.

I only docked half a star because sometimes Tess's inner monologue was a little repetitive but nothing that actually annoyed me.

I am truly so excited for the publication of this book!

POSTED: 4/29/2025

5/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️

GOOD-FREAKING-BYE. I devoured this book. Ate it right up. Tess and Hugh’s story is an enemies to lovers that mirrors Mr.Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett’s own dislike of one another, which as we know is the start of my lore reading. As they get zapped back in time, they have to try and work together to navigate the Regency Era’s strict rules and demands.
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This book had me laughing and giggling and wanting more of it. The writing mimicked a Jane Austen style with a mix of modern thrown in there. It was easy to read and enjoyable. Being a mood reader is hard, but this book pulled you in from the get start. Now I need more historical/time traveling romances!
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Thank you to Madeline Bell, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the eARC. This book comes out September 16th! Literally get it, because I know I am!

I rated it as 3 stars, but it is a positive neutral for me, rather than just neutral. Probably the first time I was torn between 3 and 4 to the point where I considered the damned 0.5 rating.

I picked up this ARC as a short&sweet palate cleanser book, a silly little romance to enjoy in the middle of the hurdle that is babel (this critique is coming soon-ish). I am and always will remain a fan of all Austen adaptations, interpretations and retellings - no matter the media. I was hoping this would remind me of 2003 movie adaptation, and it sort of did. If you add time travel/isekai moment to the list.

It was a lot more anachronistic than I would've preferred, but it is manageable if you treat it for what it is - a printed feel good romcom. Ideally, though, the characters from the past should remain true to their time period and the isekai-ed main characters be comically trying to fit in too much and thus sticking out in the crowd.

Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised that it had some good depiction/insights of dealing with grief and healthy mature love. While I do not agree that love for a partner can substitute love for a parent (hello Ancient Greek love types), I think the way Tess progressed from being consumed by her loss to finally being able to move on was done quite well.

ALSO, queen Reese Whitherspoon would've loved the fact that "what are we gonna do" question is asked by a man for a change.

Additional points for making the male main character autistic-coded - even if the intention was to make him fit into grumpy x sunshine trope, to me he 100% read as autistic. His monologue about speaking to people with an outdated script or the need to use flowery language to make people inclined to do business with you spoke to me on a spiritual level.

I would definitely recommend this to a few of my friends if they were looking for a quick cheerful read to unwind.

Loved this book! Time travel to regency times, enemies to lovers, family bonding, grief - what more could I ask for? Main characters were perfect.

3.5/5

The Austin Affair by Madeline Bell is a fast-paced, enemies-to-lovers romance novel. The two main characters, Tess Bright and Hugh Balfour, are actors cast in a film adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. An electrical shock sends them back 200 years to Jane Austen's time – the Regency era. Hugh and Tess have to maintain the ruse that they are part of that era until they figure out how to project themselves forward in time.

The beginning of this book was very fast-paced and got to the point immediately. So much so, I wish there was a little more context and scene setting. At the start of the book, there was preexisting animosity between Tess and Hugh, but there wasn’t an initial event that sparked this hatred. Tess is a go-with-the-flow, slightly messy, improv-loving actress who doesn’t understand why Hugh is so stoic and uptight. Hugh sees Tess as an absolute train wreck and is annoyed he has to work with someone so messy, both professionally and personally. There were a few moments that emphasized their differences, such as when Tess went off script and adjusted Hugh’s cravat, which caused him to freak out and stop the scene. While this moment highlighted their professional differences, I felt the story lacked a deeper context for their hatred.

Hugh and Tess shot into the past so early on in the book, I felt like I was missing the enemies part of the enemies-to-lovers trope. As Tess was falling for Hugh, she thought about their audition for Northanger Abbey. She referenced a “spark” they had while auditioning, which solidified the casting director’s decision to choose them for the roles. I wish Bell had explored that scene and included it as the first chapter of the book. There was so much potential to introduce Tess and Hugh and delve into that initial “spark”, which would have foreshadowed the romance that comes later in the book. I would have loved an incident to pinpoint the exact moment their initial attraction turned sour. This would have set a basis for the tension on set once filming started. I think that would have rounded out the enemies arc.

Most scenes lacked the amount of imagery I wanted to pull me into the Regency Era. Even after reading the entire book, I still have a hard time picturing what the two main characters look like. Hugh is described as having dark hair, dark eyes, and being tall, and Tess has dark hair. Aside from these vague physical descriptors, I was left in the dark. There were some great moments, such as when the group went to Beacon Hill and finally reached their destination. In that moment, Bell’s imagery and emotional descriptors made me feel like I was in Regency England, overlooking a small town and enjoying a picnic with my friends. A few added paragraphs to preexisting scenes would have enhanced the story.

Bell did a great job developing side characters who added to the depth of the story and world-building. I adored the Balfour family, especially Hugh’s multi-great-grandfather, George, who at that time is a hyperactive, imaginative six-year-old child. Hugh’s awkwardness trying to navigate being himself and playing the part of his distant ancestor was anxiety-inducing, yet adorable and entertaining.

I wish I could rate this book higher because overall, The Austen Affair was such an enjoyable read, and I couldn’t put it down. The romance between Tess and Hugh was so sweet and exciting, especially set in the period of the early 1800s. Social propriety of the time created exceptional tension during their budding romance that I loved, but between the lack of imagery and basis for enmity, I had to rate the story slightly lower than I would have liked.