The Austen affair

Time travel disrupts the filming of a Jane Austen movie adaptation in Bell's captivating adult debut (after the YA novel The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray, written as Christine Calella). Sassy American actress Tess Bright has been depressed since her Austen-loving mother's death, which has negatively affected her work and cost her a big TV role. The chance to play Catherine Morland in an adaptation of Northanger Abbey seems like a perfect way to get her career back on track and honor her mother's memory--if only Hugh Balfour, the snotty and standoffish British leading man, would meet her halfway in generating on-screen chemistry. When a storm strikes the set, Hugh and Tess are struck by electric sparks and sent back in time to Regency England. They'll have to learn to rely on each other if they hope to navigate the era and make it back to their own time. Along the way, Hugh realizes that Tess has hidden depths behind what he's viewed as her "vulgar" facade, and Tess discovers that Hugh's aloofness hides anxiety. Bell makes a meal of the Austenian setting and does a fantastic job peeling back her well-matched leads' layers as they learn to let go of first impressions. It's an utter delight. Agent: Laurel Symonds, KT Literary. (Sept.)

An actress and her uptight British co-star travel back in time to the days of Jane Austen. Tess Bright is still reeling from the death of her beloved mother when she's very publicly fired from the goofy teen soap she's worked on for years--but her new project may be her salvation. It's an adaptation of Jane Austen'sNorthanger Abbey, which feels fated because Tess' motherloved Austen. Tess needs this movie to showcase her best work, save her career, and honor her mother's memory--but that's difficult when her co-star, Hugh Balfour, will barely deign to speak to her. He looks down on her previous workand he's grumpy--in other words, he's a real Mr. Darcy. They need convincing onscreen chemistry, but the two of them can't even be in a scene together without arguing. Then, when an accident causes an electrical shock, Tess and Hugh are sent back 200 years to the era of Austen. Suddenly, Hugh is living as one of his ancestors on the Balfour family's estate, and Tess is forced to pose as a widow who is now Hugh's betrothed. The two of them need to figure out how to make their way back to their real lives as quickly as possible, without creating too much suspicion around their anachronistic ways, but coming across an electrical shock is rather difficult in a time when electrical features don't exist. As they attempt to travel back to modern times, they must make the best of their current situation. They attend balls, make friends, and get to know each other in a way they never did on set. Along the way, Tess realizes that Hugh's gruff exterior conceals a man who is much more caring than she ever expected. Bell sprinkles in enough references to Austen's works to satisfy any fan, but she also creates a love story that is genuinely moving in its own right. Tess and Hugh are both working through grief, which would present a relationship challenge even without the customs of the Regency period. The story blends the wit and stakes of an Austen novel with the steaminess of a modern romance. A delightful homage to Austen with plenty of its own romantic charm. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.