Author: Madeline Bell
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Romance; Historical Fiction
Format: Audio ALC and Kindle ARC
Narrator: Stephanie Németh-Parker
Length: 10 hrs 31 mins
No. of Pages: 330
Date of Publication: September 16, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
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.
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.
MY THOUGHTS:
This fun and flirty time travel story brings two opposites together. In the present time, Tess Bright is a struggling actress. Sh has no romantic life to speak of. She is both relieved and grateful—she has won a role is an adaptation of one of Jane Austen’s books. Tess not only intends to give it her all. She intends on proving her worth. However, playing against the snobbish leading man Hugh Balfour is making rehearsals difficult, if not impossible.
If Tess and Hugh don’t display at least some sort of chemistry, even just a little bit of likableness, they won’t succeed. She won’t succeed. Perhaps Hugh is a talented British actor, but he grates her last nerve. Also, he is far too handsome for his own good, and that is not making things any easier for Tess.
A live electrical wire changes things immediately for both Tess and Hugh. One minute they are on set in 2025, the next minute they are in England in the 1800s. From the 21st century to the 19th century. What is going on?
This is where it gets fun. Thankfully Tess and Hugh are in costume as they were rehearsing, but as they look around, they are definitely not on set. Hugh’s “relatives” recognize him immeasurably and are filled with great relief that he has ‘returned from his travels’. However, they appear to be traveling unchaperoned. Wait, where are Tess’s gloves? Convention is paramount and thankfully both Tess and Hugh catch on quickly to the extremely strange circumstances. Without letting anyone around them know they certainly don’t belong, they do their best to fit in.
Their mission becomes twofold: to find their way back to the present time and to navigate the complexities of Jane Austen’s Regency era. As Tess easily glides into her role as a Regency woman, she honors her mother’s favorite author and seeks to do her proud. Meanwhile, a growing romantic tension ignites between them, a tension that neither can ignore.
The Austen Affair is a delightful debut novel that delivers an enjoyable Austenesque read. I especially enjoyed the narration, especially with Tess effortlessly switching back and forth from an American accent to a British accent. Time travel. Regency romance. Historical Fiction. I love that this book crosses so many genres and Madeline Bell has done a remarkable job in penning this book.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
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