"The Austen Affair" by Madeline Bell

This was such a fun romance! I definitely recommend it to any Jane Austen fan. Our main character Tess is an actress who gets cast to play a leading role in an adaption of Northanger Abbey - Austen's least adapted novel. She is supposed to act opposite a surly Colin Firth lookalike (based on the description), who both intimidates her and makes her secretly swoon. 

Unfortunately, they do not get along and after a particularly nasty argument on set, get electrocuted and find themselves in Jane Austen's Hampshire. I must say I used to love time traveling stories. Lately, however, they have been hit or miss for me. This one did not disappoint. The book was fun from beginning to end and I read most of it in one day. The ending I thought dragged a little, but overall, a very enjoyable, light romcom for fans for Austen.

A e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com

August 2025 Reading Wrap-Up

August was by far the best reading month I've had this. year. I read 11 books, which is over 4,100 pages. I discovered a new favorite author - C.W. Farnsworth, who (bonus!) lives in RI. She writes romances and I really enjoy her characters and writing style. Usually, I am very annoyed by the third act break-up and miscommunication that happens a lot in this genre. Her books, however, somehow manage to avoid everything I dislike in romance novels. They were perfect summer reads. I read three of her novels and loved all of them. Let me quickly zoom through the other books I read:

• This month I re-read Lexi Ryan's YA fantasy duology and really enjoyed it. 
• Ali Brady's Battle of the Bookstores was a highly anticipated read for me, but I was fairly disappointed. It just dragged and I did not like the characters. 
• I listened to Britney Spears' biography and it was ok - I did not find it particularly genuine, but it was interesting. 
• I have mixed feelings about Beartown - I know it is a favorite for many readers, however, I did not like how it ended. I wanted real justice for the main female character.
• The Ministry of Time was an unusual take on time travel. Overall, it did not wow me.
• The Other Black Girl was an interesting take on how one might overcome structural racism in a Sci-Fi setting. 
• Daisy Jones and the Six proved to me once more that Taylor Jenkins Reid is just not my author. I do not like her characters. I listened to this on audio and so was able to get through it fairly quickly. I think I would have been bored reading it in paper.