This was honestly such a fun read. It was so back-to-the-future-esque. In this book, two clashing co-stars for an adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey are transported back to Regency era Great Britain. Also, this is about to prompt a Jane Austen marathon so get readyyyy.
The main characters in this were actually likeable which was a big plus for me, and their banter was so fun to read. The topic of grief was well handled and it didn't feel cringy. And, the enemies to lovers was done right!!!! Finally finally finally no insta-love. I lowkey hated Hugh at the beginning too, but then ugh I love him and Tess together. Yay! I do not regret reading this.

> Thanks to netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Madeline Bell for providing this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“The Austen Affair” was as quick, witty, and romantic as if it had been written by Jane Austen herself. Madeline Bell sure made sparks fly between her two main characters, literally and figuratively. Hugh and Tess were vulnerable, tender, and whip-smart all at the same time.

The larger cast of characters truly made this feel Austenian in nature, and they’d fit right in with the Bingleys or Knightlys.

There were a few more contemporary references than I generally prefer, but I was able to overlook my qualm because of how much fun I was having. This is a must buy.

Feuding costars on a Northanger Abbey set get thrown back in time to regency England. Just go with the bonkers premise, including flushable toilets in Hampshire in 1815.

Tess really is a mess, and she’s oblivious too. But she’s an Austen and Austen movie adaptation fan who is grieving, so I can forgive a lot. Like having minor characters be named after an even more minor Austen characters. The Crawford siblings even want to put on a play.

Hugh is your typical grumpy to her “everyone likes her” sunshine and his own grief is obvious to the reader while Tessa is slow on the uptake. There are anachronisms, but I doubt they’ll irritate most HR readers. Their relationship developed and deepened organically with the forced proximity time travel creates. They don’t pull any punches with each other, but their conflict resolution is good. The sexy scene has some weird word choices, but the kissing and banter throughout doesn’t. Too many overhearings and spyings-on move the plot along, but the pacing is good and you can believe these two could make it work.

This was a fine but nothing really special. I wanted to like this so much more. It was a very fun idea and concept… but idk maybe the writing felt a little juvenile or something. It kind of lost me around the halfway mark.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc

This is an enjoyable read, melting contemporary scenes with the Regency time of Ms Austen and even several interventions from her, which are appreciable. This is an enemies to lovers romance and it is part of the interest to wonder whether it will last once they are back in our era. The main characters' discovery or more precisely adaptation to the older era is often funny.
However there are some boring bits, especially the beginning. I understand there is a need to set the context but here I felt it was too much.

Tess Bright is playing Catherine Morland in a Northanger Abbey adaptation, but she loathes her co-star Hugh who plays Henry Tilney. When a storm hits the set, Tess and Hugh are transported to Jane Austen's time and Hugh's family's estate where they have to work together to figure out how to get home. In the process they get plugged into the society and sparks fly.

This book was way better than I expected it to be. I've read a lot of books that are basically love letters to Jane Austen, but this one was very refreshing and new. The time travel element was fun and fit well with the story. The character development was well done and the two main characters actually had some depth to them because they have both dealt with grief.

I love Jane Austen and I adored the story of this particular book - an adaptation of Northanger Abbey results in a time slip with the enemies turning into lovers with a fake engagement. What more could you ask for?

This book was a joy to read - a perfect mix of present day and Regency-era. I loved the enemies-to-lovers storyline, and the banter between Tess and Hugh was so fun. It was nice to read a book that was infused with so much Jane Austen, but was not a direct retelling. Would recommend to anyone that still regularly thinks about Mr. Darcy's hand clench.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Austen Affair was an absolute delight from start to finish! As a longtime Jane Austen fan, I was so impressed by how seamlessly the author wove in iconic lines and references from Austen’s novels—it felt like a love letter to her work without ever feeling forced or overdone.

The main characters were charming and well-developed, and I found myself rooting for them right away. Their chemistry was spot on, and their dialogue had that perfect balance of wit and warmth that Austen lovers will appreciate.

The story flowed beautifully and was paced just right—never dragging, never rushed. It kept me engaged the entire time, and I didn’t want to put it down.

If you’re a fan of Pride and Prejudice or just love a good modern romance with literary flair, this one should be at the top of your TBR. The Austen Affair is smart, heartfelt, and a total joy to read.

As a sucker for Jane Austen related stories, regency romances, and stories involving time travel I felt I had to read this book. It was definitely more regency romance themed than straight up Jane Austen retelling although she is definitely felt throughout the story😉 I enjoyed the enemies to lovers romance and liked watching them learn to work together to figure out what was going on and how to fit in to the new world and to figure out how/if they could get back.

Tess is, in her own words, a mess. Struggling with grief from a recent loss and the subsequent downturn of her career as an actress, she manages to land a role in a production of Northanger Abbey. An accident on set leads her to time travel with a co-star she compares to a robot. Being an ardent Jane Austen fan, I have read my fair share of fan fiction and this one is near the top of my list. I enjoyed the character development and the familial connections the author wove into the story.

Content warning: There is a bit of spice and crass language.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for an eARC of this book in return for an honest, thoughtful review.

Enemies to lovers- one of my favorite tropes. Tess and Hugh are working on an Austen film and do not like each other at all. After getting struck in a storm, they are sent back in time 200 years. They have to get along, figure out how to get baby while convincing everyone around them that they belong in this time period. The writing was witty and the characters were well done. I loved all of the Austen references! I also really appreciated how well the author handled conversations around grief. It was very well done

3.5/5 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.

Tess Bright's obsession with Jane Austen came from cozy days watching BBC adaptations with her mother. So inundated was her childhood with these shows that she has a passable British accent she can do on command. Flash foward to the present, as Tess grieves her mother's sudden passing, she's pulled out of a self inflicted hiatus to star in the latest adaptation of Northanger Abbey alongside method actor and general grump-- Hugh Balfour. In the midst of an onset dispute about "creative differences" they are electrocuted into the past, and specifically the real past of England 1815ish. What happens next is an enemies to lovers, grumpy/ sunshine story that plays fast and loose with historical accuracy but hits all the emotional highs you dream it might.


Honestly, I am the perfect audience for this book. Jane Austen AND time travel?!— two of my favorite subjects. And an even more niche favorite— unexpected time travel. Ever since that 90s movie about a kid in king arthur's court, i've been imagining myself accidentally stepping back into history at random moments. I doubt I'm alone in this, maybe its a reflex of being raised in the 90s. I've also read a few stories with unexpected time travel, so I was really invested in the premise and if the author could “land the plane.”

Things I liked about this story:
I liked that Tess’ “LA universe is giving good vibes crystals and meditation” made her more accepting of unexpected time travel. That totally checked out to me, and made me question what I would really be like if I unexpectedly time traveled. (conclusion: I think I’d be a pool of my own anxiety and probably not that much fun). I liked how big of a role grief and the loss of a loved one played into the story, it added depth to their relationship and the sort of happy-go-lucky personality of the FMC.The regency setting was used to great affect-- the strict societal rules restrained their blooming attraction. I loved all the winks and nods to Jane Austen characters in the people they meet. Hugh Balfour has a fantastic name. Also he says "Jesus wept!" which is my new favorite exclamation. I liked the ending, it swung hard for the romance, which worked for me.

Things that gave me pause: The story is told from Tess’ perspective and is self referential in a way that’s almost breaking the fourth wall with pop culture references, and sometimes it worked for me more than times when it took me out of the story too much. It did keep the tone light enough that I was never really concerned they wouldn’t get back.

In the end: I think she landed the plane.

**spoilers**

It follows the rule of the time travel movies where, in the absence of a wise old person, they plan to recreate the sequence of events that landed them here in the first place in order to return home. It always leads to the moment of “what if this doesn’t work?” And in this book I found that particular moment a little overly frustrating, introducing the 'what if I want to stay in 1815ish?' Which was unreliable because I don’t personally understand how anyone could choose to live in a time period without antibiotics. But maybe that’s just me. There are pros--the beauty of a truly unpolluted sky, I have not seen.

**spoilers over**

This story is charming, sweet and the perfect read for a laid back Jane Austen fan. If you enjoyed the movie “Austenland”or have found yourself googling where to stream “Lost in Austen” TV series, this would be the book for you.

The Austen Affair is a fun and light-hearted romance that has the fun twist of being set in a small English town in Austen times thanks to some time travel magic that is never fully explained. Although this book was a breezy romance, I think it did a good job at reflecting on grief - both anticipatory grief and grief of someone lost.
I liked this book, but also couldn’t forget that it was only possible because all the characters were cis white heterosexual movie stars. 3.5 stars if I could give "0.5"s.

eARC Review: The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

Summary:
Two costars who aren’t exactly on friendly terms find themselves accidentally zapped back to 1815 after a freak electrical accident on set. Suddenly stuck in Regency-era England, they’re forced to navigate the customs, expectations, and corsets of the time—while also figuring out how to get home. Along the way, misunderstandings, unexpected romance, and Austen-esque charm unfold in this witty, time-travel romcom with a historical twist.

Review:
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, slow burn, found family, time travel

This was such a fun and charming read—and my first Regency novel too! I loved the clever time travel twist and how it wove classic Austen vibes into a modern romcom setup. The banter was great, the slow burn had just the right amount of yearning, and the found family element added warmth.

I especially appreciated the healthy communication between the main characters—refreshing for an enemies-to-lovers dynamic. That said, the ending did feel a bit rushed, and I occasionally got tripped up by the narration and the use of Old English-style dialogue. Still, it made me want to finally dive into Austen’s actual works, which says a lot.

A delightful blend of historical charm and modern heart. Highly recommend if you like your romance with a side of magical realism and manners!

Special thanks to St. Martin's for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a cute, Austen-inspired read that had its charming moments, particularly with the Regency setting and nods to Jane Austen’s works. I appreciated the depiction of grief and healthy love, but the overall pacing felt uneven, with too much telling and not enough showing. The chemistry between the leads was hit or miss—I wanted more build-up and depth to their connection, especially leading up to the steamy scenes. While the premise was really intriguing , the rushed ending and somewhat juvenile character behavior kept it from fully sweeping me away.

Thank you to NetGalley, Madeline Bell, and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for the advanced preview of this book! The Austen Affair is such a fun and new take on a romance novel. Despite the characters being actors, they are relatable and easy to understand. I love the interwoven Austen quotes through the story, and the regency terminology. I loved it!

I know this is strange but I’m not a Jane Austen fan. But that didn’t stop me from wanting to read a magical love story between two enemies. This book was filled with laughter and tears. I wanted nothing more than for Hugh and Tess to figure out their love for each other- but I secretly loved watching ( reading) them going thru all the nonsense of getting there. This is an easy read with a great beginning middle and end.

I absolutely adored this! From the very beginning, I was completely captivated, and I found the characters instantly endearing, imperfections and all. Though I consider myself a fan of Jane Austen, I wouldn’t claim to be an aficionado, so I’m sure a few nuances escaped me—but that in no way diminished my enjoyment of the story. As a devoted fan of both time travel and the enemies-to-lovers trope, this truly hit all the right notes for me—it was an absolute delight!