The Austen Affair

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell came out earlier this month, and though I only found it by surprise, it’s become one of my favorite reads of 2025. It starts out in modern times, where Tess Bright and Hugh Balfour are the leading actors in an adaptation of Northanger Abbey. They’re opposites in every way, and during a particularly heated argument, they suddenly find themselves zapped 200 years into the past. They must find a way to fit in with the Regency era and Hugh’s watchful ancestors, all while trying to find a way back home again.

What I Liked:

• Time slip to early 19th-century England. I always love books that thrust characters into another time or place, and the unexpected trip into the past here is done so well. There’s not too much fuss about the scientific reason for it, and it’s not long before Tess and Hugh have an idea of what to do, even if how is a bigger issue. Instead, the focus is primarily on being there, getting to know the era of Jane Austen’s works, and connecting with Hugh’s long-lost family members. I loved seeing these two modern people try to fit in with the times, to varying degrees of success.
• A love for Jane Austen! Tess and Hugh are constantly referencing and quoting the characters of classics like Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Persuasion—books and film adaptations alike. Tess rereads Sense and Sensibility during her stay in the past. Perhaps most exciting: They even get to meet Jane Austen herself! Someone’s a little starstruck, even if the author was surprised that a complete stranger knew she wrote those books!
• Forced proximity and learning to cooperate. When it all starts, Tess and Hugh don’t see eye to eye on anything. She’s a sloppy, unreliable American; he’s a pretentious snob from a long line of famed British actors. They have decidedly negative opinions of each other, but there’s nothing like being the only two people from your century stuck together in a strange environment. They learn to rely on each other and cover for each other when someone says something anachronistic. I loved watching them grow closer and seeing a romance bloom between them (and not just because of the marriage they’re being forced into!).

Audiobook:

Stephanie Németh-Parker narrates The Austen Affair, and she does such an excellent job of bringing the characters to life! It’s all told from Tess’s point of view, and her personality shines through, but Hugh is equally vivid. This whole audiobook was a joy to listen to.

Final Thoughts

The Austen Affair is a fun time-slip romance for anyone who loves Jane Austen, literary references, and a bit of forced proximity to transform enemies into lovers. There are some emotional elements, too, but overall this was an effervescent book. I can’t wait to read more from Madeline Bell.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy The Austen Affair here – it’s available as a hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell
Audiobook Narrator	Stephanie Németh-Parker
Audience	Adult
Genre	Paranormal Romance
Setting	England
Number of Pages	336
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	September 16, 2025
Publisher	St. Martin’s Griffin

Official Summary

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.