Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Time Travel Romance
Release Date: September 16, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
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.
Tess Bright hasn’t been herself since the death of her mother. Her career is on the edge of failure and scoring the lead in an adaptation of Northanger Abbey is both her last chance at being taken seriously as an actress and a way to honor her Jane Austen-loving mother. There’s just one problem: her co-star, Hugh Balfour. Hugh is her opposite in every way. His acting pedigree is stellar, he’s organized where she’s chaotic, stiff where she’s sunshiny, and he cannot be more clear in his dislike of her. But when an accident on set sends them both back in time, Tess and Hugh will have to stick together in order to find a way back home. Can it be long before these two opposites attract?
The Austen Affair is an utter delight! Madeline Bell pays homage to Austen while not trying to recreate her work in this incredibly charming story.
Tess is an endearing heroine who is messy but truly kind. Bell does a really good job of depicting someone struggling with grief, which Tess most certainly is. Her mother was her best friend, her center, and Tess hasn’t really moved on. Getting tossed into the past is like having her Janeite mother with her, in a way. Tess grabbed my heart with her bright nature that not even grief can subdue. She’s spirited and charming and an utter delight to read about. As for Hugh…well he’s no Henry Tilney. The method actor is unyielding and judgmental when we first meet him. He’s Type A and kind of rude to Tess, but when they are sent back in time they have no choice but to join forces. The longer they are forced to play a role, the more Hugh opens up and he is completely endearing when he does. Hugh is struggling with the declining health of his father, the grief inevitably coming for him as much as it had for Tess. He also has anxiety, isn’t the best at expressing his emotions (for all that he’s a great actor) and is a case of still waters that run deep. I absolutely loved seeing him open up to Tess, thrilled as the two learned they could trust and lean on each other.
Though grief is a theme in The Austen Affair, the book overall feels light on its feat and the pages fly by. Between Hugh’s research and method acting and Tess’s love of Austen, the two manage to do fairly well in the nineteenth century. I enjoyed their adventures, the spirited exchanges, and the love that developed between Tess and Hugh. Normally I can take or leave a time travel romance, but in this case with both Tess and Hugh traveling together, it absolutely worked for me. I cannot wait to read more of Bell’s work because she really nailed it with The Austen Affair. The Austen references worked, the writing felt smooth, the pacing was on-point, and the romance was just lovely.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
0 comments:
Post a Comment