The concept of this book sounded so fun: two actors on the film set of Northanger Abbey are transported to Regency England. Unfortunately, the execution of the concept fell flat. I never felt completely transported to the past, and I would have to blame that feeling on the main character Tess. I’m surprised the two main characters weren’t discovered sooner by the people in the past because of her. Tess’s personality did not translate to the time period and she barely made any adjustments to blend in. In terms of the romance, its progression made no sense. I don’t know if I missed a scene, but suddenly Tess forgave Hugh for his actions in the present day and due to her easy forgiveness, the relationship quickly turned into insta-love. I think this book would have worked better for me if the author wasn’t so intent on creating a female main character that was the antithesis of everyone around her.

The Austen Affair follows two feuding costars that accidentally travel back in time to the regency era.

While the plot sounds super fun, the execution was just lacking a bit for me. For one thing, the FMC was barely tolerable the entire 1st half of the book. I think she just felt really childish for me. I also wasn't really a fan of the way the end up back home. The fact that she makes him chase her just didn't sit right for me.

I did enjoy a lot of the Jane Austen references though!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
-enemies to lovers
-famous actor MMC x not so famous FMC
-accidental time travel to regency era
-Jane Austen inspired references

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A stuffy British actor and a snarky American actor are zapped back in time. There, they must avoid detection while navigating regency society as they try to find a way home, literally and emotionally.

Read for:
🩵 Dislikers to lovers
🩵 Regency hijinks
🩵 Fake dating
🩵 Forced proximity
🩵 Exploring grief
🩵 Magical realism
🩵 Time travel
🩵 Living all your Austen dreams

Okay, as a tried and true Quantum Leap AND Jane Austen fan, I’m pretty sure this book was written for me. It is so stinkin’ fun! Oh my gosh, I laughed, I cried, I reassessed my own life. I wish I could drop all the swoon-worthy and zinger quotes for you, because there are SO MANY.

Madeline Bell perfectly balances an obvious and deep love for Austen with a compelling love story in its own right. If you have enjoyed Austen’s books or the many film adaptations, you will almost certainly love The Austen Affair as well.

This one was an instant preorder for me as soon as I finished it. This shelf trophy will proudly live next to my Austen novels.

⭐️: 5/5
🌶️: 2/5

Publication expected September 15. Thank you to author Madeline Bell and St. Martin’s Griffin for a digital Advance Reader Copy for this honest review.

This was a cute and unique twist on your classic enemies to lovers romance. I loved the Jane Austen nods and the Outlander- esque time travel. Was a bit predictable and the love story seemed a little rushed to me. But overall was enjoyable and cute.

A very sweet rom com. A great way to go back to Jane Austen books without the drama. Lots of cute giggles through out and a nice rom com ending.

I. Loved. This. Novel.

First of all, I love anything that has anything to do with Jane Austen. It’s an immediate read for me. This book did not disappoint. It was such a fun read!!

The cover of this book caught my eye and the premise sounded so fun: two co-stars of a Northanger Abbey film adaptation accidentally time travel from the movie set back to the Regency era, where they must get over whatever it is they hate about each other in order to escape an unexpected fake engagement and get back to the present day.

The book is as frothy as the petticoats beneath a Regency ball gown. As a fan of Austen adaptations myself, I thought it was fun to see Tess embrace the gift the universe gave her in zapping her back in time and revel in the era she finds herself in. Do we get a satisfactory explanation of how the electrocution time travels works? No. Does it matter? Not really. This is a light, fun romance. Although grief over the loss of a parent is a big theme and drives a lot of Tess’s transformation, it doesn’t feel heavy. The book touches a bit on the stifling role of women and their “honor” in the Regency era but again, not in a heavy way.

My problem with the book is that the romance didn’t really work for me. I didn’t see how after working together and clashing on set, Tess and Hugh would suddenly see something different in each other simply because of their forced proximity. It just felt a bit too neat (I was going to say too clean, but this is not a clean book). I can live with the anachronisms and unexplained time travel because the rest of the book started off so cute, but it’s hard to suspend disbelief when it comes to the romance at the heart of the book. Still, it’s a fun, quick, and entertaining read and the author’s love of Jane Austen clearly shines through.

3.5–4/5 ⭐️
The Austen Affair was such a lovely and light-hearted read! As a longtime Jane Austen fan, I really appreciated the nods to her work woven throughout the story. I found myself quickly drawn to Hugh and Tess—their dynamic was sweet, and their story unfolded in such an easy, enjoyable way. It’s not a heavy or overly dramatic read, which made it perfect for a cozy escape. I’d absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for something fun, romantic, and Austen-inspired!

This will make the perfect summer beach read or cozy fall read. A cute story about two actors filming a Jane Austen movie who gets transported back to 1815. Enemies to lovers at its finest! I really enjoyed this read!

A fun Jane Austen romp of a rom com! As a huge Austen fan, I appreciated the easter eggs the author threaded into the story, as well as the depth and nuance both Tess and Hugh have as they run away from their problems in the modern world yet still must confront them in the past. This is a pure fun escapist rom com, and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a feel good read that transports you into a special world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read! I went into it completely blind, knowing nothing beyond the title, so the time travel twist totally caught me off guard. But I was hooked right away. Sure, there were a few far-fetched moments, but overall it was cute, clever, and thoroughly entertaining. If you're even a casual Jane Austen fan, this one’s a must-read. There were so many literary references and even a fun cameo. 😉 I’d give it 3.5 stars! It would have been higher, but it dragged a bit in the middle.

5 stars! Be still my heart, why was this so sweet?! This story was such a joyful and delightful read! I don't consider myself a Jane Austen enthusiast, but this regency/time travel/ grumpy-shine romance was everything I could ask for. Love is in the (pollution-free) air!

We have our FMC Tess, a sassy and messy sunshine and there's our MMC Hugh, an anxiety ridden Type-A grump. They've been accidentally whisked to a time of bygone past where they have to learn to navigate a new world with different societal expectations and rules of etiquette.... which they may or may not adhere to along the way. PDA? skin-to-skin touch of the hands without gloves? How scandalous!

Tess and Hugh definitely each had their flaws and setbacks, of which they were both very acute of. Both were insecure with their 'faults' and at times butted heads because of their insecurities. I love that their conflicts were never dragged out in the book though, but were resolved relatively quickly. There weren't any silly misunderstandings in the story due to a lack of communication. They always hashed it out quickly and communicated well like any mature adult should.

The ending did feel a bit rushed for me, I would've liked another chapter or two for things to wrap up. That didn't really take away from the story enough to damper my love for this book though.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I will sign up for anything and everything Jane Austen related. I thought this was a charming, funny, entertaining read. I enjoyed the sci fi vibes of time traveling. I enjoyed Tess and Hugh's characters. The banter between them and then their budding romance was great to read. I thought the transition between the writing from current day to Jane Austen era was spot on and delightfully entertaining. This book made me smile and was a perfect romance filled with great tropes and fantastic protagonists. I need more books like these!

I generally enjoyed the story, although it did move very slowly at times. There was too much back and forth, love-hate, to the point where it felt repetitive. I liked the characters, I just feel like we never REALLY got to know the characters. With the title like the AUSTEN affair, you’d think that Jane Austen herself would’ve played a bigger part but she was barely a part at all. Kind of a wasted opportunity.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this ARC!

I’m rating this 3.5⭐️’s. Overall I enjoyed story. It held my attention, but I never felt truly emotionally invested in the story or the characters. The enemies-to-lovers arc between Hugh and Tess felt a bit rushed and not entirely believable, which made it hard to connect with their relationship. That said, there were a few sweet moments between them that I did enjoy. Although I could have done without the repetitive references to Hugh’s “citrus” scent. That got annoying for me. We get it, she likes how he smells.

Fans of Jane Austen will appreciate several clever nods to her work woven throughout the story, which added a fun layer of literary charm. And while the book lacked the depth and substance I typically look for in a romance, it’s still a good pick for fans looking for a feel good love story.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the amazing opportunity of reading this arc. ᰔ

This was a solid four star read and I regret nothing. This book was so good, it had a good plot, likable characters, banter, tension and so much more. If you are a big fan of Jane Austen, you are going to eat this book up.

I loved our MMC, Hugh, when we first meet him he is just grumpy and comes across as kind of mean but when the story moves along we see so much more of him. We learn about his backstory, how he always just wants to do the right thing and make everyone around him happier. We see him being such a lovable character with his family, giving his everything to the people around him and we see him absolutely yearning for Tess. I also loved the Regency era, the ball and while it was not a good time period for women it was just written beautifully.

Another aspect I loved from this story is the underlying message of grief. I always find it so incredible when an author can put into words such a universal experience that nobody feels the same way. We see our FMC, Tess, learning how to live again when she has lost everything and also learning to find that person in the smallest things and memories. We also have a message of the importance of memories and how important is to learn the stories of the ones that came before us. It is safe to say, I loved this and would definitely read more by the author.

────୨ৎ────

⋆.˚ Favorite quotes ⋆.˚

➺ “You are a damned fool, Armstrong, to look at that woman and see anything less than radiance. Would you also look at art and not be moved?”

➺ “The simple answer is that you glow because, to me, you are the focus of every scene. Every room we enter. The camera, the lights, my attention—they are all trained on you.”

➺ “Be glad when you have someone, and when they are gone, be glad you had them once.”

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

➺ “Chase me. Choose me. Hold my heart and I’ll hold yours.”

i ate this up in a day!!!!

filled with references any jane austen lover will recognize, this book was SO FUN!!!

I loved the tension between tess and hugh and their arc and tender moments with each other were truly so so lovely.

this is an absolute love letter to jane austen and all of the works that have come since inspired by her work.

i giggled, i teared up, and i throughly enjoyed the cast of characters.

would absolutely recommend to anyone who obsesses over the mr darcy hand flex, or anyone who has wished to escape into an austen-like world similar to what is seen in austenland.

love love love.

i look forward to seeing more from this author!!

"The Austen Affair" is a time-travel romance perfect for Jane-ites. Two actors, Tess and Hugh, are starring in an adaptation of "Northanger Abbey" but not getting along well. After an accident during a thunderstorm, they end up traveling back to the Regency era and must work together to find a way back to the present.

I enjoyed that Tess and Hugh both had enough knowledge of the era that the story wasn't all about them making historical blunders, and instead, the story focused more on their emotional storylines. Both Tess and Hugh are dealing with grief over family members, and their time-travel adventure allowed the author to explore how their grief both connects them and creates conflict between them. I really liked the emotional weight these storylines added, and I think it helped me connect quickly to the main character and want to see a happy ending for her.

I would recommend this books to fans of Jane-Austen-inspired books looking for something that's not a retelling. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

The Austen Affair was a cute, lighthearted romance! I’m always a sucker for an Austen-inspired story, and this one definitely delivered. I loved how the main characters were transported back to Regency times – it was done well, and their place in that world felt believable and natural.

I spent so much of the book worrying about how things would work out and who would end up with who, but everything tied up happily in the end, leaving me completely satisfied.

If you’re a fan of silly, sweet Regency romances, this is one you’ll absolutely enjoy!

This was a great book! I loved the time travel and tension between Hugh and Tess. Mixed with the iconic Jane Austen references, this book really was a comfort read. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute read!