Overall: This was a cute read! 3.75/5 stars rounded to 4, a light, fun read for fans of Jane Austen, time travel, or regency romance. It felt like a mix of Austenland and the Seven Year Slip. It follows two feuding costars, Tess Bright and Hugh Balfour, who are filming Northanger Abbey. One day on set, they are accidentally zapped back to 1815 and have to navigate their way through regency England to find a way back to the future.

POV: First person, Tess's POV
Likes:
- I loved the Jane Austen references, both to the books and movies.
- I appreciated the backstories of both Tess and Hugh, which gave them more depth.
- The beginning immediately had me hooked.
- The side characters were light and fun.

Dislikes:
- I generally don't love a lot of references to modern pop culture in books because it takes you out of the story. Because this book followed two stars in the film industry, I was okay with a lot of the references to famous actors or directors because it made sense for the story. BUT, there were a few other references (thinking of the Taylor Swift references) that I thought were unnecessary -- this seems to be a common theme for romance books to insert Taylor Swift references, and as much as I love her these references get old fast in books.
- This book was pretty short! I felt like I was wanting a little more from the romance development, but it was still cute.

I absolutely adored The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell. It’s wickedly funny and irresistibly charming, a perfect tribute to Jane Austen, second chances, and love that defies time itself. I found it to be the perfect blend of cheeky humor, heartfelt moments, and swoonworthy romance. As someone who’s always dreamed of stepping into a Jane Austen novel, this book felt like a dream come true. It’s warm, witty, and completely delightful, and an absolute must-read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Admittedly, this book lost me at the 9% mark, when the protagonist (who, we're told, is being unfairly smeared for unprofessionalism) slaps her co-star in response to some run-of-the-mill rudeness. (If you are trying to establish your protagonist as a misunderstood underdog, it doesn't make much sense to prove her detractors right at the first opportunity.) Her professionalism doesn't improve from here.

Next came time travel, which we're made to believe is the result of accidental electrocution. The protagonists deduce that they must be shocked again to return to the modern day. (Time travel only works as a plot device if it is theoretically complex, ergo interesting, or grounded within the story's broader folklore. Barring these, it should at least be entertaining/comical.)

By 30%, I was reevaluating my principle to never DNF an ARC. Some representative moments: jokes between the protagonists fetishizing the abuse of mentally ill patients in asylums, pages and pages of the protagonist admiring her own cleavage, excruciating attempts at era-appropriate dialogue littered with paraphrased Austin quotes, the phrase "tickling the ivories", etc., etc.

By 40%, I found middle ground with my conscience and began to skim.

This is such a cute idea for a book, and I think for many readers it will be a hit! Hugh & Tess are great characters, the author clearly knows her Jane Austen, and it's a really simple concept, largely well-executed.

For me, I had an issue with how juvenile the characters acted overall. And I really wanted more chemistry between the leads! I felt like some of it was there - but the build up to the sex scene (and the writing in the sex scene itself) just really fell short! Please do not ever describe sex as someone "slid[ing] into me like butter". I was immediately sick lol.

Anyways, if you can overlook the occasional uncommented upon anachronism and the deeply disturbing sex scene, you'll enjoy it! The ending is fun too, if undeserved.

3.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was delightful. Tess (an Austen aficionado) and Hugh (a dedicated method actor) meet on the set of an adaptation of Northanger Abbey, and they DO NOT get along. An electrical accident sends them back in time to the 19th century, where their time spent immersed in Austen and Regency period research proves invaluable.

This is a love letter to Jane Austen, her novels as well as the various adaptations we’ve all come to know and love. References to beloved characters and Austen lore abound, and it is done in such a respectful, meaningful way. And experiencing the Regency period from the perspective of modern-day characters is just so fun.

Tess and Hugh are both very likable and learn and grow so much throughout the novel. They are respectful of each other and both dealing with some difficult circumstances in their personal lives, which adds some depth to this enemies-to-lovers story.

Overall a sweet time-travel rom com. I didn’t love the method of travelling to and fro, but that’s just not picking on my end. Enjoyed the historical aspects more than the fake Tweets and pop culture references. Not enough tension for me to make believable chemistry, but not entirely wooden or forced.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the advanced e-copy to review!

Five star reads are, to me, those shining stars that suck me in instantly and don’t let go- and that was exactly my experience with the Austen Affair. The book starts with a prologue, which I thought until almost the end of it was an author’s note- that’s how real the main character Tess Bright felt to me.

This book was a love letter to Austen and the adaptations of her work we all know and love, and written in such a way that you can just tell Madeline Bell genuinely loves Austen (unlike some remixes of Austen where you can tell they just kind of want to hit a target demographic and couldn’t care less about the material).

Not only did I enjoy every second while reading this, I actually think I am very likely to come back to this book over and over again. I was gifted a free e-copy but I will be buying a physical copy to keep next to my Austen collection- this book deserves to be there.

A silly little plot wrapped up in a whole lot of heart, I loved every second of this book.

I loved this book! Such a fun and unique story. I loved the blending of present day and the Regency Era. These characters were so likable.

Tess managed to get the leading role opposite Hugh in producing Northanger Abby on film. Hugh is uptight and not at all friendly to Tess. Tess is still grieving the loss of her mother and hardly hanging on in her current TV sitcom. Hugh's family is actually from the land they are filming on and has lived there for generations.

On the first day of filming, they get into a fight and actually end up electrocuting themselves, back to Jane Austin's time. Hugh is quickly mistaken for one of his old relatives and gives Tess a story for her background. They must figure out how to return to present day. A fun cozy read!!

For lovers of Austen on screen or page, this book is a delightful adventure into the world Jane where Jane taught us above life and love. Tess and Hugh are both relatable, lovable, and endearing characters that you’ll find yourself rooting for throughout the story. The Austen Affair explores love, family, grief, and friendship in ways that feel so familiar that it tugs at your heartstrings.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought the many references to Jane Austen’s stories and their film adaptations were very fun. The development of chemistry between Tess and Hugh felt natural and believable. The narrative is well paced and engaging. I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to read this book!

I thought this book was a delight! Super cute and I love a time travel romance! It's one of those books that leaves you feeling like you've been wrapped up in the perfect blanket by someone you love and you can't help but smile when you read the last line and close the book. The main characters are complex and real and do enemies to lovers perfectly, while the side characters have enough depth to really believe the world Bell has created. A quick, fun read that will have you queueing up all the Austen adaptations mentioned in the book. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

I liked this! The author definitely knows Austen and made it a fun time. I think it was a bit slow for me and I wasn’t enraptured through the middle, but overall enjoyed it.

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.

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.