The Austen Affair is for anyone who:
- has wished to live out a Jane Austen romance.
- enjoys Shakespeare.
- likes a forced proximity trope.
- gets comfort from slow-paced, low-stakes plot.
- is dealing with grief, loss of a parent, and wants a comfort book with elements they’ll relate to.
- doesn’t take reading too seriously.

This book didn’t end up being for me, the slow pace had me setting the book down more than picking it up.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this arc!

I was so excited for this one, but unfortunately I felt like it fell a little flat for me. I had a very rough time getting into this read, and ultimately felt like I was not able to connect with either of the main characters. I personally also feel this book would have been great as a dual POV.

However, what I did love was the authors beautiful writing style. It was almost whimsical, especially weird her attention to detail with the time period and settings. I also enjoyed how thoughtful she was in writing about the grief both characters were experiencing.

Overall I give this 3 stars!

First and foremost, a big thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Bell’s book.
I’ve seen some reviews saying that if you enjoy and love Jane Austen’s books then you’re in for a big treat, something that you won’t forget. Before I go into my personal opinion of the book (which I’ll say it comfortably sits at a 3.75), I would perhaps go a bit further and say that it may not be such an accurate statement, rather: if you deeply enjoy Austen’s movie adaptations and adjacent films, then you are going to really appreciate The Austen Affair.
I should say I do not intend that as a bad description, rather an accurate one. Though most of the book takes place in the regency period, it is in no way reminiscent of Austen’s literary style or even plot. That is not to say I did not enjoy it, because I did! In fact, it reminded me quite a lot to the movie Austenland –which was later mentioned, so I’m pretty sure it was intentional–, a film I deeply enjoy. There’s even a direct homage to the movie, what with Tess playing ‘Hot in herre’, song that the main character in Austenland also plays.
The story is nothing innovative, though still maintains a lively disposition to amenable dialogues. The characters are predisposed, even before we really get to know them –and that is if we do–, to be a certain way; Hugh is the grumpy archetype, Tess is the bright and sure-of-herself girl. I do, however, think the chemistry amongst them was rapidly introduced and with not enough fundaments. The reader knows they are going to end up together not because they have undeniable feelings for each other, but because they are mere recipients of tropes, be it a ‘sunshine and grumpy dynamic’ or, as some have pointed out, an ‘enemies to lovers’ arc. It feels like the narrative almost depends on the tropes, though now the literary virtual world has such a vast definition for ‘enemies to lovers’ that even two coworkers who do not see eye to eye would catalogue as such.
Now, my main problem with the book is that it tends to not trust its reader, rather dumbing down any Austen reference. There are plenty of both book and movie references in The Austen Affair, most commonly Tess blurting a quote from the Emma book or a Pride and Prejudice adaptation. While I don’t think this is a bad choice, it a) tends to feel repetitive to a certain extend and b) it’s always followed by an explanation. The reader never gets discover by itself where certain quote or character is from, impromptu interrupted by the narrator mentioning where specifically it is from. Certainly, many people won’t know where a quote or dialogue is from, but I imagine this book is intended for readers who already enjoy Austen’s work –or at least know about it enough to be interested in reading this–, so it just ends up feeling as if the author doesn’t trust its audience to make the necessary connections.
Overall, a light and amicable take about how Austen’s body of work keeps shaping the world.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC!

The Austin Affair was a fun and easy read. I liked the mix of romance, mystery and magical realism! Madeline Bell’s writing is entertaining, and I really liked the setting. It flows well and is really fun for the right audience!

This was a fun little read! It captures the essence of a modern Austen novel, with a quirky female main character and her stuffy co star with their evolving relationship. The flashback to the past was fun, though some of the language didn’t mirror that of the time period from the minor characters, but there were several twists and special guests that made it worth it. The tie ins to actual Austen novels- rain scene for example- made this a kick your feet in the air type of romance novel. Was it a bit predictable? Yup. But it’s a lovely palette cleanser that makes you feel good to read.

Tess Bright hasn't had the best year. She's recovering from losing her mother and her job. But she's determined to prove herself as a serious actress after landing her dream role in an adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. Her mom was a huge Jane Austen fan and Tess wants to do her mom proud. But her co-star, very serious British actor Hugh Balfour, wants nothing to do with Teen Choice Award-winning actress Tess. He's stiff-upper-lip. She's a bit of a mess.

Sparks fly, literally, when there's an electrical accident on site. It sends the two feuding actors back 200 years into the Regency era. They have to rely on each other to convince others (including Hugh's ancestors) that they belong there while trying to find a way to get back to their time. And relying on each other leads to a grudging truce, which leads to a friendship, which leads to...more.

I've been in a romance reading slump lately, and this book absolutely pulled me out of it. I lapped it up. I lost track of what station I was at on the Metro because I was so invested in this story and these characters. The author perfectly balances humor and romance with a tinge of sadness, and she made me a big fan of Tess and Hugh.

This was truly a delight.

This book had a really engaging premise, the dynamic between the characters worked well, especially with the contrast in personalities and the slow shift from tension to connection. Their interactions felt natural and kept me invested.

That said, the romantic development felt a bit rushed. Tess’s feelings for Hugh seemed to jump from attraction to love without enough build-up. And while her fascination with the time period was understandable, she didn’t always seem to grasp the seriousness of their situation, which made parts of the story less believable. Still, I enjoyed the dialogue and the overall concept, it was a solid and entertaining read.

This book was an absolute blast to read. Who wouldn’t want to travel back into regency times? Ok maybe not actually but reading about it is so much fun. I had a great time!

Austen fans will love this! I had a blast. Slipping back into that time period is an absolute fantasy and it was so fun to come along on this adventure with these two. It took me a little while to warm up to our grumpy gus hero but I got there eventually. Looking forward to see what this author does next.

I am a sucker for anything Austen. Throw in time travel and I was sold. I loved the sassy main female character. She made me laugh out loud and the banter between her and Hugh was great. I loved their slow burn enemies to lovers. 5 stars!

This was such a fun read! I love Jane Austen novels and to have this set in her world was just a blast to read. I liked both of the main characters so much and I absolutely flew through this. Well done!

A really lovely read. A nice twist on time travel and a great understanding of the Jane Austen books. The hero and heroine were believable and it was lovely to see them grow in their relationship. The romance was believable and the Jane Austen twist elevated this book above the usual rom com. The novel is written gracefully with insight into the human condition and a nice dash of humor. If you are a fan of rom coms or Regency novels, I recommend this romantic novel.

Content warnings: grief over the loss of a parent

Tess Bright has just landed her dream role in a new adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey opposite highbrow British actor Hugh Balfour. Hugh is not impressed with the American actress whose stardom is equivalent to that of a Disney Channel kid. Despite their mutual dislike, their onscreen chemistry is what landed Tess the role.

When an on-set electrical accident sends them back to Austen's England, Tess and Hugh cobble their knowledge of the past into a plan to survive and send them back to the twenty-first century.

Recommended for fans of contemporary and historical romance who don't mind blending the two.

This book was SO much fun to read! The enemies-to-lovers duo had so much enjoyable banter and wonderful chemistry.I enjoyed the Austen references so much and had a lovely time reading this novel, Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up to 4.
This book is super fun and funny and surprised me in the best way.
2 actors working on an Austen inspired film are thrown back in time to actual Austen era. Since they hate each other in modern time will they be able to work together in the past.
There’s quite a bit of predictable scenarios, but I feel like the main characters Tess and Hugh are endearing enough that you can’t help but root for them both.
The middle of the book seemed to be off on the pace of the beginning and end. I found myself dragging through a few of the middle chapters.

•Enemies to lovers
•Austen references
•a little bit of spice
•family dynamics

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this. Couldn't put it down and stayed up all night to finish it!

All the references to different Austen characters were so fun. The characters were adorable, and I love how they decided to make best of the situation until they could find a solution.

2.5⭐️ The Austen Affair follows two feuding costars of a Jane Austen film when they accidentally travel back in time to the regency era. So I have mixed opinions about this book… it was okay? I think in theory it was a fun concept but it just missed the mark for me and I don’t know if the authors writing style is for me. I also found the fmc Tess to be very childish and annoying for the first half of the book so it took me a hot minute to get through it. Things I did like, the general concept of their accidental journey back in time, the nods to all of Jane Austen’s work… however…. I’ve only read 2 Jane Austen novels and I haven’t seen a single film adaption so I will say I might’ve enjoyed it more if I was a more hard core Jane Austen fan. It was funny at times but I found most of the things that were meant to be amusing fell short and I really struggled to get into this book because I felt so disconnected from the characters. While this book wasn’t for me I can see how fans of Jane Austen would have fun with this lighthearted cozy read.

Rating: 3 & 1/2 🌟

The book started off a bit slow for me and took some time to get into. And while it started slow, it also felt rushed? Mostly with information on the characters that is important throughout the rest of the book. Anyway, what really redeemed it for me was the end of the book. I loved the regency drama and the way that Bell tied up the story. Throughout the book there were parts that dragged and didn’t feel necessary, but the last third of the book had me unable to put it down. I also liked the referencing of Austen’s work; it was a bit much in the beginning, but as the story went on it felt more like I was in an Austen novel rather than having them merely referenced. I haven’t read all of Jane Austen’s work but I look forward to reading more so that I can get some of the more subtle references I’m sure are sprinkled throughout!

Thanks to St Marten’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC!

This was SO fun. I am not the world's biggest Austen person, but I knew enough to follow the references, and I loved the layering of the celeb romance and time travel elements into this delightful story, as well as the way heavier topics like grief informed the characters' decisions and arcs.

I live for a slow burn enemies to lovers. Add Jane Austen and I’m actually dead. This was a very cute read, I loved the main characters and I loved little George. I, once again, wish this book was about 100 pages longer, I would have enjoyed reading more about filming the movie after their time in the past!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!