OVERVIEW
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is my first book written by Madeline Bell. This is her first adult novel after writing two Young Adult novels.
I loved the premise of the book, but I didn't enjoy the execution. It was a fun and fast novel, which was so different from my recent heavier reads. I liked this novel, but did not love it.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
The writing is good, most especially for a new adult novelist. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the countryside, the homes, and the clothing.
But it felt like Madeline was referencing commercial items to earn a marketing share. All the commercial references were a little grating.
Character development: 4.0 stars
The two main characters are Tess and Hugh (actors in a Northanger Abbey).
The secondary characters are Hugh's family in Hampshire and London.
The tertiary characters are co-workers, neighbors, friends, and villagers in Hampshire.
The character development wasn't overly strong, but it was good. There were back stories for the main and secondary characters.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
The storyline was creative and interesting. The two main characters, Tess and Hugh, accidentally get electrocuted and travel from 2025 back to the same spot in 1815.
Since both characters had done research for their parts in the movie, they were able to primarily pass as non-anachronistic. It was great fun to compare what they saw in 2025 versus 1815 in the exact same locations.
The primary locations were Hampshire and London, England.
Memorable/Informative: 3.0 stars
It is a sacrilege to have strong cursing, sexual content, and a very graphic and gratuitous sex scene while writing about Hampshire, England, during the Regency era, while referencing Jane Austen. I don't think the hard-core Janeites are going to like it one bit. No, nope, no way! I certainly did not like that at all!
Book cover: 4.0 stars
It was meh to me.
Book title: 4.0 stars
Good.
Definite recommend
NetGalley eARC/ebook
The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell
441 pages
St. Martin's Griffin
FUTURE release date: 9/16/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNINGS
Strong cursing, graphic sex scene, sexual content, violence, alcohol, death of a parent, grief, sexism, misogyny, and xenophobia.
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
No comments:
Post a Comment