Well this was adorable!

I do love Jane Austen, but often I hate when books use her works to make their characters seem deeper than they are. This was thankfully not the case here. I'm glad this book references her lesser known works.

I enjoyed the plot. The influence of Austen can be felt throughout the story and not just when the characters talk about her or her works. The FMC and the MMC feel like they go on their own Austen adventure and I enjoyed the ride.


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

Cute and fun
Felt a lot like reading a lifetime movie, I wish that it had just a bit more emotional depth

Such a fun read! Two actors find themselves back in time during the time of Austin. Cleverly plotted, character driven and a enjoyable read.

Time travel? Regency era? Jane Austen references? Enemies to lovers? Comedy? If any of those caught your eye then I highly suggest reading this book! Madeline Bell wrote such a good read with this story! I didn’t find it to be a “hard read” but more of an easy and refreshing read, one that just gave me the feel goods every time I picked it up. I read alot of horror and thrillers and this was a PERFECT palate cleanser!

I will say….its always good to study and do your “homework”!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Marten’s Press for the opportunity to read this!

This book is for everyone who went to go see the 20th anniversary of the movie in the movie theaters.
This is not for someone who casually read a Jane Austin book once in their life.
there are so many little tidbits that are gonna go over your head and not make it hit as hard if you’re not a big fan.
I absolutely love this. I’ve read every Jane Austin book multiple times and seen the movies multiple times.

If you take out the time traveling aspect; the familial issues, the friendships, the drama, the romance, all of them take inspiration from the breadth of Austen’s work.

It was so fun to bring in a fantasy aspect to what is for the most part a Regency drama.

It’s like if you took some behind the scenes, movie documentary smashed it outlander and then sprinkled it. Liberally with sense and sensibility. That would be this book.

The FMC is desperately trying to pull herself out of a black hole. The grief that has swallowed her from losing her mother, the anchor of her life, has almost ruined every thing in Tess’s life. The attempts at romantic relationships just fall flat, the tenuous friendships seemingly mean nothing and the job she used to enjoy isn’t enough for her to even try.
So, she battles for her dream role, Catherine Morland, in Northanger Abbey. (FYI MY FAV!)
Through a little luck and no small amount of work and fortitude, she gets the part only to be met with hostility and censure from her male costar who sees her as nothing but a twit in comparison to his gravitas.

I will not lie, I wanted to push the MMC off his high horse straight into the mud for a long time in this book! Ha ha ha, but of course you find out not everything is what it seems with him either.

I enjoyed the complexities in the characters that you’re used to when it comes to Jade Austin novels, how character development is slow and methodical.

Saying all that I still think this book was a fun read, and even if you don’t get every single inside joke, you’ll still be able to feel the heart within this book.

I really enjoyed the writing and all the main characters in this story. Reading about this time period and the hints of Jane Austen were really fun. I did not see the romantic chemistry between the couple, and could see them more as friends. I also thought the spicy scene was kind of out of nowhere. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for an early copy of this book!

Truly the best ARC I have ever read through Net Galley. Stunning. I laughed, I cried. "My dear, no one can be trusted with their own heart. That is why we give them to others for safekeeping". I AM SOBBING.

Given that it is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, this is such a timely tribute to her work and readers who love her books. Madeline Bell crafts a fun, time traveling romance that gives nods to many of Jane Austen’s classics including iconic quotes and locations that readers will identify and enjoy.

Bell kicks off this romance by instantly pulling on your heartstrings for the heroine who has recently lost her mother who was a big Jane Austen fan. I felt for Tess and the grief she carries for her mother. She is currently cast in a movie of Northanger Abby where she is having a tough time connecting with her Method-acting costar, Hugh.

But despite rubbing each other the wrong way, they are thrust back into Regency Era England in a twist of fate and while trying to find a way to return to their time, end up sparking some real chemistry.

This book started off really strong for me because I loved Bell’s humor and writing. I instantly felt like I knew Tess and the grief she was carrying and how important this movie was to her given her mother and her failing career. I also really liked seeing how she used her improv skills so many times in the past to help them blend in.

Yet, soon after their arrival in the past, the story started to lose its charm for me. The storyline seemed to lose its focus (was it more about her grief, Hugh’s cold demeanor, Tess’ history of going all in too soon?) and I didn’t quite buy into their connection despite the need to work together in the past to get home. Unfortunately, I found myself skimming the last bit to get to the end since I wasn’t feeling their chemistry.

While I think this is a fun read for anyone who loves Jane Austen and illustrates Bell’s writing skills, the storyline itself just didn’t pull its weight for me to love it.

*I received an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I just could not get into this book or the world. I appreciate what the author was trying to do and I do think other readers might appreciate it— I just couldn’t buy in.

4 stars - Really enjoyed “The Austen Affair” - a super FUN mash-up of historical romance, time travel & Austen fan-fiction! The two leads (in both Northanger Abby and the Regency time jump) were well written (Hugh’s quite hunky & Tess is quite ditsy) and I loved all the Austen references and call backs. Reminded me so much of “Austenland” too, though that was quite a while ago! Very enjoyable, especially if you are into Jane A. My thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for my advance readers copy - always appreciate the opportunity to read & review early!

This one’s for the time travel romance/ Jane Austen fans

I love when books have a little bit of a magical realism element so this was a fun premise. While you got a good bit about Tessa’s backstory, I felt like we didn’t get a whole lot of her and Hugh before they were thrown j to the past. It kind of just happened very suddenly. Once they are in the past they have to put aside their differences to find a solution to get back as well as to blend in. I wish we would’ve gotten more about why they disliked each other as well as more buildup to them starting to get along but I did enjoy their dynamic.
There were a lot of fun moments between Tessa and Hugh as well as with Hugh’s family and I thought it was fun that they met Jane Austen.
Towards the end of the book Tessa really needed a reality check (which admittedly she does get). It felt like her character did a 180 for no reason and she wasn’t making good choices anymore. Because Tessa and Hugh figure out the solution to their problem very early on and just have to wait for it, most of the book is just them biding their time and we don’t really get a sense of how they feel about being in the past or about going back home. I feel like because of this it was very jarring when Tessa suddenly says she wants to stay and I hadn’t felt like there was a buildup to that.
Overall I did have a few issues with the book and the pacing but it was a fun time travels romance. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Griffin for the ARC!

A fun enemies-t0-lovers story with a time travel twist. Tess is a bit of a mess. One and a half years after her beloved Mom died, she still awash in grief and loss. She’s just been fired from the staring role in a fantasy TV show and the internet is definitely not happy the she’s been cast as Catherine Moreland in the Northanger Abbey movie remake. Her co star, Hugh is a “stiff upper lip” Englishman who doesn’t like Tess, her messy, big personality, her Americanness, and her desire to pester him to become friends. Despite the fact that they are supposed to be on-screen lovers, they have absolutely no chemistry. After another batched scene, Tess and Hugh end up getting an electric shock in a rain storm and wake up in real Regency England. The two must work together to live 200 years in the past and figure out how to get back to the present. Their mutual dislike and distrust must be overcome and they begin to discover things about themselves and each other that draw them together in many ways. Will they be able to get back to present day, will they learn to trust each other and maybe discover deeper feelings? How would you handle meeting the real Jane Austen at a country ball?

THIS WAS GENUINELY SUCH A GOOD TIME!!! as a girly who will ALWAYS eat up time travel - I LOVED THIS SO MUCH! and these characters had me loling throughout the whole book. if you love the regency era and beautiful, cinematic writing you will LOVE this!!!!

'The Austen Affair' is a delightfuly charming debut that whisks readers away to the Regency Era. Tess Bright, a talented but troubled actress, lands her dream role in a Jane Austen adaptation, only to clash with her co-star, the annoyingly handsome and serious Hugh Balfour. When an electrical accident sends them back in time, they must navigate 19th-century society, relying on each other to survive and find a way back home.
This book shines with its clever dialogue, humorous situations, and a slow-burn romance that will leave you smiling. While it wasn't my absolute favorite, it was an enjoyable read that paid tribute to Jane Austen's legacy and explored themes of second chances and love.
Rating:3.0/5 stars
Would I recommend it? Yes,to fans of historical fiction, comedy, and romance, especially those who enjoy Jane Austen's works."

Thank you for the ARC!

This was a cute read featuring time-travel, celebrities and Jane Austen’s regency times. The couple were cute, their discussions were realistic and the setting was described really well, making me feel like I am in England in the regency. Tess was funny and her conflicting feelings due to a recent loss were believable. Hugh was rather annoying at the beginning but grew on me. I’d definitely recommend it

Really enjoyed this one!! I had always been obsessed with Jane Austen and the regency period. Add in a favorite trope of mine, enemies to lovers, and this book was a delight. Very cute romance and loved the plot!

This book should be mentioned in Julie Andrew's 'My Favorite Things' because it truly did contain so many of my favorite things. Time travel, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, literally every Jane Austen reference under the sun, and a teensy bit of miscommunication? I'm so there. I genuinely loved this story so much and would gladly read any other period piece romance by Bell!

When Hugh Balfour and his co-star Tess Bright are accidentally zapped into the past, some two hundred years prior to the current day, they're thrust into a life that they didn't expect. For instance, Hugh has family in the area who think he's their long lost family member and they're utterly convinced that he and Tess are in love and must be married as soon as possible. They couldn't be farther from the truth. But will they be able to get over themselves long enough to fall in love and figure out why they've been sent back in time? Or are they destined to live in the past and suffer at the mercies of others?

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Madeline Bell, and NetGalley for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own and weren't purchased by the previously mentioned groups.

It’s been a minute since I’ve read a good romance novel, and a time travel regency one at that! I appreciated many aspects of this read. The first, obviously, a tribute to the incredible Jane Austen and pulling us in to a story that feels very reminiscent of her books. I liked that the relational building was a slower burn. I also really appreciated the way grief was handled. It was an ongoing battle that Tess is working through the whole book. Overall I enjoyed this book a good deal and wanted to keep picking it up to read.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

This book is more than simply a love letter to Austen fans. It’s (sigh) everything! Enemies-to-lovers, entertainment industry, found family, time travel - this book has it all. And it’s funny! Thanks to St. Martin’s for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this read. All opinions are my own.
I love Jane Austen, and especially look for retellings, modern adaptations, and similar stories. The Austen Affair doesn't quite fit into that category, but it was a delightful jaunt into the past. The Tess and Hugh, who both happen to have names that work really well both in modern and Regency time periods, are starring in a film adaptation of Northanger Abbey when they are suddenly transported back in time. The twist is that they are near Hugh's ancestral home, and his reappearance as his long ago (dead) uncle threatens his own lineage. Throughout the story, they slow burn from enemies to lovers, and get mixed up in several interesting situations including a forced marriage, a jilted lover, meeting Jane Austen herself, and using the newly discovered electricity to try and return home. It almost reminded me of Austenland, maybe in spirit more than anything else.