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The Austen Affair is a charming, laugh-out-loud delight packed with wit, heart, and irresistible Regency flair. Tess and Hugh’s banter sparkles, and the time-travel twist adds a fresh, clever layer. A joyful tribute to Austen and romance, it’s a feel-good escape that’s both smart and endlessly entertaining.

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Enemies to lovers, Jane Austen, time travel and co-stars! What more do you need. I loved the banter, references, regency vibes and a couple that actually communicates.

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I love all things Jane Austen. This book will be great for those who will smile at the nods to Austen throughout the book. For those who aren't fans of Austen this is a romcom
Spice level of one. One step up from closed door.
There is death of a parent and grief.
Physical assault (punches thrown, a slap in the face)

Tess is the female main character. I found her hard to like. A description from the book is that she's like a battering ram and was persistent. She was almost annoyingly so. The good thing about her is that she did know when she was in the wrong. Both her and Hugh (MMC) would jump to conclusions often. It was a little frustrating. Perhaps I was hard on Tess though because at one point she slaps Hugh. In what world is that okay.

There is humor. Some sweet side characters. Fun settings. Regency love.
I wouldn't read it again though.

Description:
Two feuding co-stars in a Jane Austen film adaptation accidentally travel back in time to the Regency Era in this delightfully clever and riotously funny debut

Tess Bright just scored her dream role starring in an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. It's not just the role of a lifetime, but it’s also her last chance to prove herself as a serious actress (no easy feat after being fired from her last TV gig) and more importantly, it’s her opportunity to honor her mom, who was the biggest fan of Jane Austen ever. But one thing is standing in Tess’s way—well, one very tall, annoyingly handsome person, actually: Hugh Balfour.

A serious British method actor, Hugh wants nothing to do with Tess (whose Teen Choice Awards somehow don’t quite compare to his BAFTA nominations). Hugh is a type-A, no-nonsense, Royal Academy prodigy, whereas Tess is big-hearted, a little reckless, and admittedly, kind of a mess. But the film needs chemistry—and Tess’s career depends on it.

Sparks fly, but not in the way Tess hoped, when an electrical accident sends the two feuding co-stars back in time to Jane Austen’s era. 200 years in the past with only each other to rely on, Tess and Hugh need to ad-lib their way through the Regency period in order to make it back home, and hopefully not screw up history along the way. But if a certain someone looks particularly dashing in those 19th century breeches…well, Tess won’t be complaining.

A wickedly funny, delightfully charming story, The Austen Affair is a tribute to Jane Austen, second chances, and love across the space-time continuum.

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Really enjoyed this!

I will read anything that is Jane Austen inspired. The funny thing is I have yet to read any of her work...

Two co-stars who can't stand each other somehow end up in the regency era and must find their way back home? SIGN ME UP. I enjoyed their banter, their chemistry, and the time travel was done well. George!!! :( I will be reading everything Madeline Bell writes from here on out.


Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Madeline Bell for the eArc!

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The Austen Affair 5⭐️

Tess and Hugh are the leading actors in a Jane Austen adaptation of Northanger Abbey. They could not be more different and it looks like their disagreements could ruin the movie when they are suddenly transported back in time to the Regency era. Can these two enemies work together to find a way back home?

This book was a pleasant surprise and I absolutely loved it. It was romantic and also kept me laughing throughout. I think the author did a great job of paying respect to the classics while also blending in modern references and humor. She managed to address some heavy topics while also keeping the overall vibe lighthearted and swoony. If you read a lot of romance they can begin to blend/feel very cookie cutter so I appreciated this plot was unique and entertaining.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Tess and Hugh and their story overall. I was not expecting open door romance but that was not a problem 🤭 I literally read the book in a single sitting and I will recommending it to anyone that will listen.

Read this book if you enjoy: enemies to lovers, regency era romance, workplace romance, time travel, open door romance.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC! I can’t wait to get a physical copy when the book is officially released 🥰

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4 stars

Jane Austen + Time Travel + Enemies to Lovers- sign me up. Tess is an actress from a popular teen show with a bad rep and Hugh is a lauded film actor. They are costarring in a Jane Austen period film when they step through time back to Jane Austen’s time. These enemies find common ground while trying to find their way back to current day. Fun combo of these themes and some cute surprises.

Thank you Madeline Bell and St. Martin's Griffin for providing this ARC via NetGalley. Comments and opinions above are my own.

#TheAustenAffair #NetGalley

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Ugh. I loved this book. Two enemy costars on the set of a Northanger Abbey adaptation get transported back to the regency era?! Yes, please. As a die hard Jane Austen fan, this was just I needed. You can tell the author did her research and really worked hard to show appreciation for Austen works! A fun, realistic love story that was so entertaining and enjoyable!

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Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

We've got time travel, Jane Austen, Hollywood, and the Regency Era in this wildly funny debut from Bell. I had SO MUCH FUN reading this book. If you're a fan at all of Jane Austen then this will be exactly what the doctor ordered for you. The two characters and their chemistry (including the lack thereof at some points) will keep you interested and laughing throughout. Time travel is always a bit goofy to me, but temper your expectations going into this one and you will not be disappointed or annoyed in the lack of realism on that part. Add a little fake engagement to the mix and you've got a modern day love story that would be sure to send Austen's heart swooning. I really enjoyed this book and I think lots of other readers will as well. Going to be a really popular book this year!

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I really wanted to love this as it has so many favorite troupes of mine. Tess and Hugh are enemies on their Jane Austen film set and get transported back to the regency period. Their relationship gave me whiplash and it felt more forced than organic. The ending conflict was equally frustrating.

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I am a huge Austen fan and adore so many Austen continuations, retellings, and Austenesque books. This one immediately caught my eye because of the fantastic plot summary and the beautiful cover. However. I have since discovered that this is an open door romance which was not readily available information before I added this to my shelf. Now that I know, I won’t be finishing the book.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication.

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↠ 3.5 stars ⭐️

“My dear, no one can be trusted with their own heart. That is why we give them to others for safekeeping.”

This was truly a love letter to Jane Austen fans. I personally have never read Jane Austen—but that was why I was drawn to this title, because I thought it would be a fun introduction to her and the world her novels are set in. And oh, it did not let me down!

The Austen Affair is about two actors, Tess and Hugh, who are costarring in a Jane Austen adaptation, Northanger Abbey. The two stars do not get along and production is already not going well when things take a turn for the unexpected: They are transported back in time 200 years into the Regency Era England, and they have to work together to find their way back to the present.

This was so fun! I always love a good magical realism/time travel plot, and I really loved the world and the characters that the author crafted. It was light and easy read for the most part, but had some heavier themes laced throughout, such as grief and a parent struggling with Alzheimer’s—which I thought were both handled well. The main characters were likable overall. Hugh is a typical stoic Englishman (and I was absolutely picturing Jonathan Bailey in Bridgerton the entire time). Tess was a little immature, but not so much to make me annoyed with her. I did enjoy her and Hugh’s chemistry too, I did enjoy her and Hugh’s chemistry, but sometimes it was missing that extra heat to it and I wasn't exactly swooning over them.

While I enjoyed the overall vibes of this, I do think some of the prose was clunky at times.. and maybe a little too juvenile and modern. I understand this is meant to be a hybrid of a historical and contemporary romance, but sometimes the pop culture references or slang took me out of the historical world of it, especially in conjunction with Regency Era dialog. I also found some of the descriptions of things were unusual to me (e.g. saying Hugh looks like a dog who needs to shake water out of his ears, describing someone as hot as an iPhone in August). And the spicy scene we do get was a bit cringe… 😬 I'm sorry.

Overall, this was a really fun read and original concept, and I would highly recommend it to fans of Jane Austen! I'm excited to see what other unique concepts Madeline Bell comes up with in the future!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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This was so much fun! I’ll basically read anything regency or Jane Austen and this totally delivered.

Regency
Forced proximity.
Enemies to lovers.
Jane Austen references
Time travel?!?!

A fun romp perfect for any Jane Austen fan. Highly recommend!

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In Austen Affair, historical and modern tropes work together. It did not feels forced, and I appreciate the Bridgerton and Pride and Prejudice references. The Pride and Prejudice 2005 version reigns over the rest.

I am having a fun time reading this with my fellow goodreads friend too

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Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the opportunity to read Madeline Bell's "The Austen Affair" ahead of its release. I loved the premise of this novel (Jane Austen! Time Travel! Hollywood! So fun and creative, truly!) and there was so much that worked really well, and there other aspects of the novel that I thought could have been further developed.

Overall, I thought the plot was well-developed and although there were some moments that dragged a bit (mostly, Tess's interior dialogue and reflections), I thought the pacing was pretty good. I also thought both Tess and Hugh were well-developed characters. I enjoyed the relationship between Tess and Hugh. And while I enjoyed their sunshine vs. grumpy dynamic, at times their interactions/banter fell flat for me. The humor didn't always hit. While I enjoyed Tess's narrative voice and reading the story from her perspective, I often felt like I was given too much. There was very little up for my interpretation and as a result, her character felt very static and one note at times.

Third act break ups are really difficult to do well, and I think it is also really difficult to not do them at all, because where is the tension? The build up? That being said, I think no third act break up worked for this novel. There was the tension of how to get back home and there was enough happening in the story. I also thought that this book dealt with some heavier themes (like grief) really well and authentically.

And, of course, I really loved all the Austen references. That was really enjoyable, and I wonder if I missed any!

Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable read and so much really worked!There were a few aspects that could have been refined and furher developed. I'll be on the look out for more books by Madeline Bell -- I appreciate her creatively!

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Picture a similar Kate and Leopold storyline where two people get zapped from the 21st century to the 19th and you’ve got The Austen Affair.

Tess and Hugh are actors filming an adaptation of one of Jane Austen’s less popular books, Northanger Abbey. All is not going well production wise and they get blasted into the Regency era by a freak electric shock. Now they have to pretend to be Hugh’s ancestors as they become part of the past and eventually fall for each other.

I thought the book was cute and funny at times. Tess is sassy, and Hugh is your typical English man, all uppity and stoic. It’s a little spicy in the middle, but not too spicy.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Madeline Bell for an advanced copy of this book!

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I was skeptical about the premise of this book at first but was pleasantly surprised by the circumstance that placed the MCs in the past. It was a cute and quick read with some nice banter. It read like an early 2000s rom-com movie in the best way.

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Absolutely delightful rom-com whether you're a Jane Austen fan or not! Mix in a little time travel, quirky characters and old school yearning (think Mr. Darcy's hand flex 🤤)... and you have a story that makes you both swoon and giggle out loud.
4.5*

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Wow. I ate this up!! It was so well-written and interesting, and the characters were extremely likable. It was so cozy! Eagerly awaiting the author’s next release, and I would love to see another one with a similar premise of going back in time.

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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!

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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.

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