**NETGALLEY READ** I was not expecting for an enemies to lovers, stow burn, time traveling, modern day Austen story with plenty of Austen references to tug at my heartstrings and make me cry. I loved this book so much! So many funny, swoon-worthy, passionate, emotional moments rolled beautifully into one storyline. Bell did such a lovely job creating a first person narrative through the eyes of the MFC, although there were definitely times I wish we could’ve delved into the MMC’s mind and see what he was thinking at certain moments. But I realized the story could’ve gotten a bit messy if the book had been written in dual POV’s.

There were so many Austen quotes and so many references to different Austen films, it just fed into my love for all things Austen. There was such a beautiful closure to this story that just enhanced the fact that the author focuses a lot on the little details. A wonderful story about love, loss, and the beauty of change and what the future may bring. Add a little Jane Austen into the mix, and you’re in for one hell of a time traveling ride. I will definitely be watching out for more Madeline Bell!

✨ARC Review✨

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell

I love anything and everything Jane Austen. I immediately requested this ARC after reading the title and seeing a glimpse of the Austen references. What a delightful read! I enjoyed the witty banter, Austen references, and fast-paced story.

Tess Bright is one of those actresses who became popular due to a TV show that has spanned seasons. However, she wants to be taken as a serious actress, so she auctioned for the film adaption of Northanger Abbey. Here she meets method and award winning actor Hugh Balfour. Due to a series of events, they find themselves stuck in the Regency Era with Hugh’s ancestors.

I love how Tess stands up for her beliefs and is spontaneous. She also absolutely loves her mom, so that makes me love her more. Her impulsiveness reminds me of myself sometimes. On the other hand, Hugh is her opposite in every way. I think that’s why they have great chemistry even if they initially tried denying the attraction. What’s more, Hugh’s declarations of his feelings may seem Darcy-esque but they are all so heartfelt.

The other characters in the novel are well written, too. Who will not love George? He is witty and smart. He also loves his brother and Tess. All other characters have Austen references, and it was fun catching them.

Regardless if someone is an Austen fan or not, I think readers will enjoy this book. It is a fun and fast-paced read that can be finished in a day. Highly recommend!

Loved this book. Could not put it down. It had all the settings, themes and tropes I could hope for - present time, regency time period, time travel, Jane Austen influenced storyline,, enemies to lovers and opposites attract tropes. The story starts with two costars of a film adaptation of Northanger Abbey who cannot stand one another and have to act otherwise as they portray Catherine Moreland and Henry Tilney, in the midst of filming, a thunderstorm occurs and the two actors are accidentally transported to the Regency period. They have to adapt to their new surroundings while trying to figure out how to travel back to their own time period.
The story is funny and romantic with kudos to Austen-like storylines.; an historical rom-com for all Austen and regency period fans.

Tess Bright and Hugh Balfour are costars in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. Tess is still reeling from the death of her mother. Her mom loved Jane Austen.

Hugh is a method actor and refuses to talk or run lines with Tess an American teen choice award actress. Tess needs this movie to be a hit for her career and for her mother. When an accidental electrocution sends them back in time two hundred years. they are forced to pretend that Hugh is his 4x great Uncle who died in Waterloo.

I adored this book. The writing flowed and hooked me right away. I had a difficult time putting the book down. Jane Austen time period, time travel and enemies to lovers. Fantastic. I loved the Balfour family, spunky messy Tess and (maybe autistic) Hugh.

This is a wonderful debut and I can't wait to see what else the author writes.

Tess and Hugh actors in a remake of Austen's Northranger Abbey. They can't be more different. Tess is former teen choice award winner while Hugh is a serious actor. They accidentally travelled back 200 yrs in the past and must work together to get back home....

Love how opposite they are. Hugh is swoony. Tess is great too. The little brother stole the show too. :) Love the story and the fun dialogue.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I really wanted to love this as an Austen stan - especially for Northanger Abbey. But it just didn’t work for me. I did enjoyed some of the nods to Austen’s novels and adaptations. But the storyline was just too implausible to be believable, and I don’t mean the time travel. Neither of them acted enough like they are from the time period and so I just couldn’t buy into the idea that anyone would believe their story. Every man in the book seems to want Tess, and while they are each references to other Jane Austen characters, it was still distracting. Ultimately this ended up feeling more like Jane Austen madlibs or fan fiction than its own story inspired by her. Which didnt deliver what I’d want from a book like this.

“Like Marianne Dashwood, I’ve always been more sensibility than sense”

If Jane Austen and Outlander had a baby, it would be The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell.

This book had me cracking up laughing, fanning myself over the slow-burn tension, and seriously wondering if I could accidentally time-travel into the Austen Era as well, especially if there’s a broody Englishmen waiting for me on the other side.

I’ll never lie, Hugh is swoon-worthy. He’s the perfect mix of stoicism and slow-burning emotional vulnerability that makes you want to reach into the pages and offer a hug, a cup of tea, and maybe your heart. The way he looks at Tess? Be still my heart. It’s not healthy to love a fictional man this much. The depth, stolen glances, and protective instincts - 10/10 would get lost in space and time for him.

“No matter the time or place or subject, I’m always excited for a little gossip”

And Tess? She’s strong willed, grounded, and totally relatable - even when she’s stuck in a time that thinks embroidery is a personality trait. Watching her navigate the Regency Era is hilarious and inspiring, especially when she’s trying to figure out whether she’s committing a social faux paus or just allowed to be herself. I was here for every unintentional scandal.

“Four days into George’s illness, I start to notice something suspicious. His fever has burned itself off, but his coughing has gotten louder, his sighs more melodramatic. The truth dawns on me in a moment of blinding clarity. The little shit is faking it”

And GEORGIE. Oh George, Hugh’s little brother, absolutely steals the show. He’s cheeky, clever, and brings the perfect splash of humor and pure childhood emotion to the story. Every scene was gold if he was in it.

Madeline Bell nails the balance between romance, laugh-out-loud comedy, and historical detail. The Austen Era is irresistible and I would absolutely watch this at the cinema.

The description of The Austen Affair reminded me of Jane In Love by Givney (loved it!) so I immediately wanted to read it. AA started out strong for me but my interest started to fizzle as the chapters moved along. Sadly this was a DNF for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read and review The Austen Affair which I am giving 2⭐️.
I was looking forward to read this book about two actor coworkers who don’t get along that get transported back in time to England during the time of Jane Austen, unfortunately the FMC Tess was so unlikable that I got no enjoyment from reading this book and was thoroughly disappointed.
The book starts off with her giving mean girl energy with comments about the Netflix Dakota Johnson movie and Hollyweird. She not only slaps the MMC after an argument in front of the crew of their film, but later punches him. I knew it was really going to be a bad time when he mentions to her about the film Back to the Future and her response was that she hadn’t seen it “because I was popular in high school.”
I’m sure this book will have plenty of fans but I am not one of them in general this books started out so hateful that I couldn’t like it at all and wouldn’t recommend it.

This book is like stepping into a swirling Regency daydream, but with the sharp, witty chaos of two feuding co-stars who have no business being trapped in the 1800s. The Jane Austen nods are simply perfection. Every reference felt like a love letter to Austen fans, but even if you aren’t one, the humor and charm carry the story effortlessly. The romance, though, that’s where it truly shines. Slow-burn, with stolen glances and heated exchanges that practically sizzle. By the end, I was grinning like an idiot, convinced that maybe, just maybe, fate knows exactly what it’s doing.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Every once in a while I have the magnificent fortune of reading something that is so unlike what I have read before. I love Jane Austen and have read many adaptations but I especially adored this one. Tess and Hugh complemented each other so well as two sides of the same coin in more ways than one. Both the present and past were expertly constructed and each of the characters was memorable and hilarious. This book navigated grief in such a careful and beautiful way. I was so sad when this book was over and I had to fight the urge to immediately start reading it again (the list of books I have to read is endless).

I absolutely loved this Austen-adjacent time slip novel! The enemies-to-lovers duo, Hugh Balfour and Tess Bright, clash as they star in a contemporary adaptation of Northanger Abbey, only to be forced into a fake engagement when they find themselves flung back into the real Regency era. Their spirited antics made me guffaw, while the many Austen references made my Janeite heart sing. A must read!