DNF for now, but planning to revisit.

I picked up The Austen Affair because I adore all things Jane Austen and can’t resist a good retelling. Unfortunately, I’ve been in a bit of a romance slump lately, and even the most charming tropes are feeling a little flat for me right now. The tone felt lighter and sillier than I was in the mood for, so I decided to pause rather than force it. I plan to give it another chance when I’m back in the right headspace—it definitely has the potential to be a fun read for the right moment.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

If you're a fan of Jane Austen, this book is such a treat. Tess Bright is grieving while her career is crashing upon her. Hugh Balfour is an all-business actor who doesn't socialize on set. These two actors clash on the set of a film adaptation of Northanger Abbey.

The Austen Affair is filled with references to Jane Austen's legendary work: books, film adaptations, tv miniseries... You name it. It's like an Easter egg hunt for avid fans.

And among all those references and honorable mentions, Madeline Bell crafts such a lovely story about grief and love and connection. It's worth a read for anyone Jane Austen fans and those who love a little whimsy with their romance.

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

I loved this book! I thought it was so much fun! It does have one sex scene, which I don't like, but otherwise it was great. This is the enemies to lover trope, which is my favorite, although I will say that she got past her anger at him too easily.

The Austen Affair is a clever and charming time-travel romance that fans of Jane Austen and rom-coms will really enjoy. Madeline Bell creates a delightful story about two feuding co-stars, Tess and Hugh, who find themselves accidentally transported back to Regency England. Tess is a bit of a lovable mess trying to prove herself as a serious actress while Hugh is a stiff-upper-lip British method actor who does not want to work with her. Their clash and eventual teamwork create plenty of fun moments.

Though the reason for the time travel is never fully explained, the story does not rely on it too much and focuses instead on character growth and humor. Their witty banter and gradual warming to each other is very enjoyable to read. This book is a playful and heartfelt tribute to Austen’s world with plenty of clever references. The Austen Affair is a refreshing and entertaining read for anyone who loves romance and historical settings.

I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers, time traveling, emotional romantic read. Maybe it is because, like the main character, I have watched Pride and Prejudice many many times, but I found it to be a great escape read and I really loved the characters and storyline. I actually just wish it had been a little longer! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was drawn to the concept but meh on the execution--like it was entertaining enough and I did actually like the narrator as a character, but while I realize that not everything has to be Outlander, I felt like the research and the romance here were both pretty shallow and overall it wasn't a compelling story that made me urgently desire to finish it. I think this book would work for readers who broadly love anything Austen-related and/or who want a non-serious time travel romance or just a kind of mid but non-demanding beach read, but would not recommend for hardcore time travel or (probably) even hardcore Austen fans, or those who want a strong and memorable romance.

This was so cute and different and anything with the words Austen or Jane Iam there . I think this book is going to be really popular with everyone of all ages . Thank you NetGalley for the arc

So cute and different! I really enjoyed this one. The storyline was totally original and I was drawn to the two main characters. Highly recommend!

Why was this everything I needed in a time traveling recency romance???😍 It’s like Madeline Bell reached inside my mind and was like “Okay she loves Bridgerton, Outlander and Jane Austen,” and then just wrote the most uniquely perfect mashup of my favorite things!

Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC!!

Tess and Hugh were absolutely meant to be star crossed lovers in this enemies to friends to lovers fairytale ❤️ Having just finished reading Pride and Prejudice, I appreciated so many nods to Austen’s works throughout this book and even some hilariously placed quotes 🥔

But also just life lessons. Tess and Hugh are traveling down the same road of hardships without realizing they’re the perfect pair to help each other through the pain.

Read this if you love:

💕 Enemies to lovers
💕Bridgerton
💕Outlander
💕Regency romance
💕Witty banter

If you know me, you know I’ll drop everything for a good Jane Austen-inspired story, especially one with BBC drama vibes. So when this popped up on NetGalley? Request button clicked. ✅

This was a charming enemies-to-lovers romance with a fun time-travel twist, perfect for fans of historical fiction with a modern flair. But if I’m being honest… it felt like a very long stroll through the English countryside, with a few too many detours. 😅

The romance was sweet, and the concept? Totally up my alley. But pacing-wise, I definitely found myself skimming through some parts that didn’t feel essential.

Still, if you’re a lover of all things Austen and enjoy a bit of bookish time-hopping, it might just sweep you off your feet (slowly… but charmingly).

A perfect mashup of fantasy, romance, and historical romance. After being taken back to the regency era, two modern time actors are shoved into a strange time period where they are forced to assimilate as best as they can. While they might hate each other, being in this particular situation forces them to start to fall for each other.

There were some historical issues with the book, but for the most part it wasn’t far off. It didn’t take too much away from me completing the book.

I adored this heartwarming and charming read! There are a lot of options out there for readers looking to find some of the Austen spark in a modern tale, but this one takes the cake. It perfectly walked the line between pastiche and nostalgia, with excellent dialogue and loveable characters. My one complaint was that the ending felt a bit rushed-- I wanted a bit more between the final chapter and epilogue! But the core of the plot was solid and the entire work captured the charm, wit, and heart of Austen in a way few authors can do.

There’s a scene in which Hugh’s younger “brother” is sick with a fever, and the Regency-era doctor attempts to treat him with chloroform. Hugh and Tess, with their modern sensibilities, freak out that it may kill him and knock the black liquid to the floor. Hooray for modernism!

Except chloroform wasn’t invented until the 1830s. It’s notably a colorless liquid, as anyone who has seen a cop show can attest. And it was used as an anaesthetic, not to treat fever. Again, it WASN’T INVENTED YET.

Of course, I had other issues with this book too. The characters were one-dimensional, the plot shoddy, the romance poorly developed. Most importantly, when writing a historical romance, I expect the bare minimum of research and fact-checking. This book didn’t provide that.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This novel is perfect. Utterly perfect. As a Jane-Austen obsessed former actress, I love this book so dearly.

The title intrigued me because I generally love Austen themed books (unless there are zombies). There is a cute premise, two warring costars of a film adaptation of Northanger Abbey are electrocuted and find themselves living in Austin’s time.

You don’t need to be a fan of fantasy to enjoy this. I normally steer away from time travel books, but this actually works for lovers of contemporary and regency romance…the reader gets both.

Well written, enemies to lovers, fun romance…a perfect summer read.

This was everything I wanted it to be, and I loved it. I felt that Tess was a well developed, refreshing character. I loved that she was instantly thrilled to be dropped into the regency. If she had immediately panicked, it would’ve been boring. This was a great character choice. I also really appreciated Tess’s warm heart, but unwillingness to take any crap. You made a character I couldn’t help but root for. The regency details were rich and immersive. The nods to Austen and her works were fun and cleverly mixed into the text in a way that will appeal to die hard Austen fans and also those who just love 2005 p&p. These are my MINOR nitpicks, in order of relevance: 1. The side characters could’ve used more development. 2. I had to suspend my disbelief surrounding the mechanics of time travel. That’s ok, this isn’t sci-fi, but a few minor clarifications could’ve made the reading experience smoother. 3. The opener was a bit of an info dump. It works, mainly because it’s is Austen-like, but it don’t know if everyone will make this connection.

Overall this is a lovely book that I will recommend and hype on my Instagram once it debuts.

As a Jane Austen lover, I was ready for this book to either win me over or infuriate me. But I LOVED it. The FMC (Tess Bright) is an actress who grew up loving Jane Austen and the FMC (Hugh Balfour) had characteristics of several of the Austen heroes (swoon). The premise: Tess and Hugh are the leads in a Northanger Abbey adaptation; they hate each other, and then they're transported back in time to the Regency era, where they have to figure out a way to get back to present day.

I don't want to give the story away, but the way the author weaves in the best and funniest parts of Jane Austen's modern-day adaptations was delightful - and she gave credit to it all along the way. And honestly, the dialogue was funny, the character development of the side characters was phenomenal, and I didn't want the book to end.

I'll re-read this book in the future as a "comfort" read.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read and review the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Two feuding costars in a Jane Austen film adaption get electrocuted and find themselves in actual Austen times. Tess needs to prove herself as a serious actress and this is her last chance, but Hugh is standing in her way. He wants nothing to do with her but now they must rely on each other to find a way to travel back to the present without changing history in the process. It was a cute and fun read. There were a couple of parts that had me laughing me head off. Butter. If you know you know. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Time travel and Jane Austen? Sign me up! This was a fun book about two actors working on an adaptation of Northanger Abbey. They don’t get along at all and wind up being transported back two hundred years in time. While adjusting to the past and figuring out how to get back home, of course they begin to develop feelings for each other. The supporting cast were great as well.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

The premise of this story was really unique. I loved the time travel element and, of course, all the Jane Austen references! However, I did feel the leads lacked chemistry/character development, as they spent a good portion of the book hating each other, and then in an instant, it seemed they were confessing their feelings and in love. Their relationship needed more yearning. This just made it harder to connect with them when they finally became a couple. But maybe it was just me?

Nevertheless, if you’re a Jane Austen fan looking for a fun, historical read, this could be one to try! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!