Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza & Emily Harding- a Review
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Description:
In this witty and romantic debut novel, Jane Austen’s Emma meets the misadventures of Manhattan’s modern dating scene as two lifelong friends discover that, in the search for love, you sometimes don’t have to look any further than your own backyard.
Beautiful, clever, and rich, Emma Woodhouse has lived twenty-three years in her tight-knit Upper East Side neighborhood with very little to distress or vex her…that is, until her budding matchmaking hobby results in her sister’s marriage—and subsequent move downtown. Now, with her sister gone and all her friends traveling abroad, Emma must start her final year of grad school grappling with an entirely new emotion: boredom. So when she meets Nadine, a wide-eyed Ohio transplant with a heart of gold and drugstore blonde highlights to match, Emma not only sees a potential new friend but a new project. If only her overbearing neighbor George Knightley would get out of her way.
Handsome, smart, and successful, the only thing that frustrates Knightley more than a corked whiskey is his childhood friend, Emma. Whether it’s her shopping sprees between classes or her revolving door of ill-conceived hobbies, he is only too happy to lecture her on all the finer points of adulthood she’s so hell-bent on ignoring. But despite his gripes—and much to his own chagrin—Knightley can’t help but notice that the girl next door is a woman now…one who he suddenly can’t get out of his head.
As Emma’s best laid plans collide with everyone from hipster baristas to meddling family members to flaky playboy millionaires, these two friends slowly realize their need to always be right has been usurped by a new need entirely, and it’s not long before they discover that even the most familiar stories still have some surprises.
Review:
Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma. Emma Woodhouse has lived twenty-three years in her elite Upper East Side wealthy neighborhood, and is soon to graduate with honors from NYU. She is determined to get her dream job on her own, without her father’s interference; Emma is very likeable, with a heart of gold, but she is also a bit spoiled. With her sister now married, and friends aboard, she meets a new friend at school, Nadine. Emma begins her new project in making over Nadine, convincing her to dump the boyfriend, and bringing her to the many balls/concerts, teaching her how to act and look.
George Knightley (Knightley) has been Emma’s best friend since childhood, but he is constantly giving her criticism, telling her she interferes in other people’s lives; he continually tells her she needs to grow up. Though Emma gets angry at him, they still remain as best friends, spending lot of time together, and Knightley always attending the Woodhouse Sunday family dinner.
Emma’s sister, Margo, pushes her to date wealthy entrepreneur Montgomery Knox. When she finally does meet Montgomery, he is attracted to her, but Emma knows he is not the one for her. She realizes despite his being annoying at times, Emma knows she has feelings for Knightley. Knightley begins to see Emma in a different light, knowing she is no longer his childhood friend, but a woman who he has strong feelings for; he refuses to approach Emma about his feelings. Will Knightley come forward and tell Emma he loves her? Will they only be best friends?
Emma of 83rd Street is an enemy to friends to lovers’ story, a retelling that takes place in Manhattan in modern times. Emma was sweet and charming, though a bit overboard at times. I did like her friendship with Nadine, who turned out to be a good friend. There were some very good secondary characters, that added to the fun. Emma of 83rd Street was very well written by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding. If you are a fan of Jane Austen’s books, you should be reading this book.
Reviewed by Barb
Copy provided by Publisher
