I loved this book! Thank you for the ARC. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that I wasn’t leaving reviews on netgalley and was solely sharing on Instagram. My apologies. Huge fan of this author! I actually received the tangible copy. Trying to clean up my netgally account.

DNF @ 19%

This reads like the movie Clueless rewritten with the characters in their late 20's/early 30's instead of high school. It's supposed to be an Emma retelling, and Clueless is also an Emma retelling, so I guess the similarities make sense, but it's just TOO close to the movie. I'm confused about what time period this is set in. It's published in 2018, but a lot of the references make it sound very early 2000's, like Emma's Motorola RAZR flip phone.... This book made me go watch the movie Clueless so I didn't need to finish reading it. *shrug*

I didn't love or hate this book - nothing about it stood out but nothing was all that bad either. The characters were pretty average.

Emma is one of my favorite novels, and this was a very faithful retelling. I liked how the novel was translated into the modern day. I thought it was very well-done. The only thing I did not like about this book was the explicit language that did not seem necessary for the novel. Also, the writing needed more work. It randomly jumps point of view from character to character. Still, I recommend this to any Austenite!

This was a lovely book that had me smiling for most of it. Although not perfect, it was nicely written and, as a lover of Emma (the original), this was really nice.

Emma and the City was a good retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma written by Amy Hilliges. As a huge fan of any and all Emma re-tellings and Sex and the City, needless to say, I loved this read! Emma and the City expounded in a few unexpected and original ways which I really appreciated. This book is Jane Austen’s Emma for this time period. What an enjoyable read.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Synopsis from the Publisher/NetGalley.com
It-girl and blogger Emma Worth has it all: beauty, brains, connections and a fabulous Manhattan apartment.

But under the surface, she's got a huge hole in her life and tries to fill it . . . in all the wrong ways, from playing Cupid to chasing celebrity pipe dreams.

Emma's neighbor Adam Knightley thinks she's got her priorities all wrong, but Emma knows better . . . or does she?

When Emma’s matchmaking backfires and her actions result in scandal, will she finally learn what's important and change her ways?

Or will her desire for the one thing she doesn't have cause her to risk the one thing she never knew she wanted?

If you’re a fan of heartwarming romantic comedies, you’ll devour this grippingly entertaining, thoroughly original retelling of Jane Austen's timeless classic.

Modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma. I had never read the original book but I have watched the movie. The two do not compare but I still found my reactions to be the same. Emma was still a bit snobby, irratating and missing the big picture, most of the time. Emma loved meddeling in others affiars and didn’t see the problem with alot of her choices until it was too late. Although Emma did make some questioning choices at some points, I did enjoy the progression of growth and maturity in her character. Emma wanted some much in her life to be a certain way and during that time she lost a sense of who she was to be someone different. Sometimes we are blinded by our actions. Sometimes we need our friends or families to remind us of who we really are. That being said I did like this modern retelling of the story. Amy Hilliges did a wonderful job retelling this this modern day adpatation.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

A modern re-telling of Emma, set in New York. Emma is self centred and not a person that is very likeable, but as you know the story you know she will turn it around and end up with Mr Knightly.

The only real exposure I've had to Emma is the movie Clueless; however, I have read Pride and Prejudice, and I find Amy Hilliges's writing to be reminiscent of Austen's prose. However, this did not hold my attention well, personally, so I was not able to finish the book. Again, a personal choice but if you like Emma and Emma adaptions, I'm sure you'll love this book!!

Considering this is a debut novel, I would give a thumbs up to Amy Hilliges for her portrayal of Emma. Now, I have the read the classic, watched the movie adaption and even watched the Indian retelling of Emma in a movie named Aisha. Considering the similarities in the timeline it was Aisha(Sonam Kapoor) that I drew parallels to this Emma. And so the dashing Adam Knightley was Arjun Burman (Abhay Deol) to me. The book maintained the crux of what Jane Austen’s novel was all about throughout. It opened with the wedding that Emma believed she had successfully match-made and had my attention from there. Then came the naïve small-town girl whom Emma had to take care of and supposedly find a date. And then a series of events took off from there.

The friendly banter of Emma and Mr. Kinghtley was quite enjoyable. I waited for their scenes together and wished for more. Each character I read, I was eager to find a parallel in the Jane Austen’s classic version. Nothing much has been changed and I am grateful to the author for how close to the original it is. The fact that the writer has managed to add more layers to Emma’s character and her constant need to meddle with people around her gave the story it’s much needed modern context. Rather than just another bored single lady, Emma had a purpose and something to do here. The transition of how the modern Emma despite the different motivations shared the same goals as the classic Emma makes the book a successful retelling.

When Ryan Churchill came into the picture I understood why this was described as “Emma meets Sex and the City”. The occasional mentions of Samantha and Carrie Bradshaw refreshed my memory with a smile. A major portion of the book, especially in the beginning took a lot of time to develop the plot and create the series of events leading to the falling apart. Emma erred and erred to the point that she was just another shallow, selfish and entitled city brat. The stakes felt higher here as Emma continued her follies. The reasons behind those mistakes were strong too. Emma had her own personal issues which she tried to escape by meddling.
There is one part that bothered me too much. The way she came back on top of everything felt too easy. The second half of the book was almost too quickly wrapped up. The Indian movie version I talked about had the same path where Emma focused on her career. I am glad the book went that way. She found her own purpose and it didn’t come easy. She failed and learned. That was justified. But the way she treated those around her and how forgiving everyone was was quite unbelievable. Hailey let Emma off the hook once and then again a second time almost too easily. The havoc Emma caused in Juliette’s life was too soon to be forgiven. Similarly, Ryan played Emma all this time and she behaved as if it didn’t matter anymore. Given she herself used Ryan for her own benefit might be the reason to take him lightly but Emma never kept it a secret whereas Ryan was holding back a lot of truth and all for a summer blockbuster? Talk about shallow.

Another disappointment was the Hailey-Knightley confusion track that I was hoping to see in the end. Especially when Adam was being so nice to her. Well, that was how we all expected it to go, right? Hailey’s character was more matured in this version than her classic counterpart in that respect.

In conclusion, Emma and the City is your fun chic-lit read. Even if you haven’t read the classic it is still an enjoyable standalone. The book is original despite being a retelling. I like this version and wouldn’t mind another glossy New York movie adaption of this book on a nice summer vacation!!

It girl and blogger, Emma Worth, seems to have it all - beauty, brains, connections and a fabulous manhattan apartment. However there is something missing. As an a-lister swoops in to steal her heart, things around her begin to change. Is the man she’s looking for the one on the red carpet? Or maybe one closer to home.

I have to say, this was a really interesting look on the world of social media and rising popularity of internet fame. Some people will do whatever they can to be famous, it doesn’t matter who gets heart along the way. Emma did just that and to be honest, I hated her through most of the book. Each decision she made just seemed to be to help her social gain, yet she couldn’t see that she was ruining the lives of those around her.

It was a good book, light hearted and entertaining, but it didn’t wow me. I found the ending a bit predictable and it felt disjointed from the rest of the book - there wasn’t really much of Emma realising that she had hurt people and going through understand that, but rather a “oh I’ve hurt people, let me quickly apologise and everything will be fine”. She didn’t spend much time in that lonely, fragile phase and I think this made everything else seem a bit superficial - like it was handed to her.

Despite that, it was still a good book (hence the three stars), and the end was sweet, mushy and heart warming. Definitely one of the romantics out there.

#EmmaandtheCity #NetGalley
If you loved Emma by Jane Austen then this book is for you. It funny, witty, and charming just like the original. The author blends her own humor with Austen's story and gives the reader that enchanting feel that you get when you read Austen. Sweet, easy read!

Anyone who loves the classics will find themselves a little nervous when approaching a retelling, this is good for anyone to think outside of that realm. Gave a good nod to the original Emma, but added some of the expected nuances of the modern era. It is well written and I would recommend to other Austen fans. 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC for an honest review.

Emma and the City is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, unfortunately this book did not meet the standard. Emma, a lifestyle blogger, is helping her old nanny’s child settle into New York in her work life and dating life.

The writing and narration in this book felt weird and choppy. Although Emma was the main character and narrator, they would be random snippets of side character’s inner monologues and commentary that didn’t fit in with the scene.

Emma was quite an unlikable character from her own commentary and the strange commentary inserts from side characters that showed her to be unapologetic, brash and arrogant. She’s clearly a meddler with no thought of how her actions will actually affect other people.

Overall, Emma and the City is not a book I would link to resembling Jane Austen’s classic.

***I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Red Envelope Press, and Amy Hilliges.***

This was a very interesting take. It felt modern without being overly focused on romance. I really enjoyed it!

Emma and the City is a retelling of Emma by Jane Austen. I think based on this fact, I expected more. There is barely any romance in the book, which I was pretty surprised about.
Overall, this book was just okay for me. I didn't love it, which I had expected I would.

***I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Red Envelope Press, and Amy Hilliges.***

Emma and the City, by Amy Hilliges, was a modernized retelling of Jane Austen's Emma. I read the synopsis on NetGalley and thought it sounded great, but it was just ok for me. Emma is a lifestyle blogger in NYC who is dissatisfied with the direction of her life. She takes new-to-the-city Hailey under her wing and attempts to guide her career-wise, socially and find her a boyfriend. At the same time, she’s starstruck by a rising Hollywood star she crosses paths with. Her longtime friend and neighbour Adam is quick to tell her when she crosses a line, but Emma hardly ever listens, and it all comes raining down on her eventually. Can she find happiness in the pieces that remain of her life?

This plot is rather intricate to detail, but I did read a synopsis of the original Emma to understand why Hilliges made some of the choices she made. It does follow the original quite closely with more modern situations substituted in. The modern takes were quite well done, which is why I found it a bit odd that the dialogue often had a more formal, old fashioned feel to it. I assumed it was on purpose—a throwback to the original book—but it made some scenes feel awkward for me.

This brings me to my biggest problem. For almost the entirety of the book, I disliked Emma. At the beginning I simply disapproved of some of her choices, by the middle I was disgusted by a couple of them. She ignores those who love her as she pursues fame and fortune, and I don’t think she was happy or enjoyed any part of the infamy. Plus, it didn’t make sense to me that she was dedicated to a fake relationship in lieu of finding support with those she shared a real connection with. She is undoubtedly one of the most selfish, self-involved, self-serving characterizations I have ever read.

I liked Adam. I liked the chemistry between Emma and Adam. I liked that he was never afraid to take her down a peg, warn her when she was overstepping boundaries, and give his opinion on her decisions. I liked that he also wasn’t afraid to apologize if he felt he’d gone too far with what he’d said. For me, the back and forth between them—especially the last misunderstanding—happened too many times. I found myself asking why Adam put up with her as he seemed to get very little back from her.

I liked many of the minor characters and thought they added a lot to the story.

The last 20% of the book was much better than the first 80%. It was good that Emma got some closure about her mother and from her father. I liked the changes she made in her life after the emergency. I think she was on her way to becoming a better person, but I wish there had been more growth. It might have been enough to convince me she wasn’t the monster she was for much of the story.

Though I’m an Austen fan, Emma wasn’t one of my favourites so to those who love it, this book would be perfect for you!

I cannot deny it, I am a sucker for an Austen adaptation. Now admittedly they usually centre around Pride & Prejudice or Persuasion. The remaining ones, you can empathise, would be a little harder to adapt in some ways to modern times. So whilst this book was good, to make that transition from past to present, you have to let go of some traditional preconceptions.

As her friend, you need to watch out for her feelings, not think about how great you’ll feel and how much you’ll be patted on the back if—and that’s a big if—they get together.”

This book is well written and easy to read - you will get through it quickly - it’s light and entertaining. Some of the changes are obvious, others less so - for example: Emma rather than devoted to her father, is estranged from him and our dashing hero Knightely is divorced - heaven forbid! On the flip side, there are sensible alterations such as the whole fiasco surrounding the family business which I very much appreciated. You will recognise characters and scenarios and, for me, that is what the essence of an adaptation is about.

"You’ve spread lies that could ruin lives! Juliette’s for one.”
Yes, he was angry indeed. “You have got to stop meddling in other people’s lives.”

Now to Emma herself. Emma is not one of my favourite Austen tales due to her behaviour. In Austen’s classic she may interfere but on most occasions, her heart was in the right place. For the modern adaptation, the author has really amped it up - alot! Personally, she has gone too far and created a really unlikeable character - selfish, snobbish and most definitely obnoxious! She is the classic ‘mean’ girl and therefore, not a true reflection of what Austen was working towards. Do not despair! The other characters more than make up for it! Adam Knightley is wonderful and a fabulous dashing hero, but heroic because he still tells Emma exactly as it is. Add to that the likes of Belinda Bates even naive Hailey and they bring the a lovely modern twist.

Another problem I have concerns the ending. Whilst I loved reading it, I felt that the acts of Emma redeeming herself were too easy and that was a little disappointing. Make her work for it people! She upset so many people and it could not all be forgiven so easily. I also quickly got over the many steamy scenes and the lewd language; for me, they were detrimental to the overall package, Emma shouldn’t be describing people as ‘stupid, insecure b****’.

"Her blatant hedonism was there for all the world to see."

Overall I found this to be a satisfying contemporary adaptation set in NYC. I whizzed through it very quickly which is always a good sign. If you liked Austen’s original, give it a try but leave all assumptions at the door.



This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

As a huge Austen fan I was excited to receive an ARC of this book. I remember reading "Emma" as a teenager and loving the story (in fact, it might be my favorite Austen book ever) so I was hopeful about this one as well. The original Emma did get on my nerves but in the end she had a good heart and always hoped for the best - even when it did not necessarily mean that others thought it was best too.

"Emma and the City" tells the story of Emma Worth, a blogger and IT girl, navigating life in the Big Apple. She lives in an apartment building with an eclectic crew of characters and loves to meddle in other peoples lives. She is insecure and it is very visible throughout the book. She thinks nobody loves her and tries to constantly show everyone that she has worth and value. Unfortunately she comes across as selfish and very self involved. She thinks about everything in the terms of what it will offer HER. Every time she tries to help someone it ends in a disaster. However, I do think that everyone was too easy on Emma about her actions and there should have been more repercussions about her behavior. In the end the character does redeem herself somewhat and I was glad for the way it ended.

My favorite character was Adam, the love interest. I remember loving the original Knightley and I was impressed with the modern one too. He cares deeply for Emma , and is overall a good man. He helps the ladies in his apartment building, cares for his brother and his family and has his life together. I was surprised how he was always there for Emma, even when she did not deserve it. He is also honest with her and tries to push her into becoming a better person. But , as we all know, change can only happen when a person really wants it.

I thought that the book was written well. I got some British chick lit vibes from the writing so I often found myself surprised that it actually took place in the NYC. I thought the characters were pretty similar to the original "Emma" characters, but of course more modern. I think the author did a good job with the retelling and would recommend it to other "Emma" fans.

I am a huge fan of Austen retellings because they are my favorite classics and I love them interpreted for a modern audience. But Emma is actually not one of those favorites, because it's hard to empathize with the main character for the most part and I always thought it would never work in a contemporary setting. I still loved the idea and wanted to give this one a try.

Emma in the classic is a meddlesome young woman with a good heart but the Emma in this book, however, is very patronizing, selfish and judgmental. She covers up her own insecurities about abandonment by her parents, by putting up a false confident image and uses this to project a certain version of herself for her blog and to her friends. She also uses people to further her needs, whether she realizes it herself or not. She thinks quite highly of herself, judging others for their beauty, social status and worthiness and ends up finding them lacking or in need of her intervention.

It's the side characters that really made this book a good experience for me. Adam Knightley is definitely the swoony hero worthy of the classic. He is a good person who deeply cares for Emma and only wants best for her. He is also very compassionate and understanding, lending a shoulder for Hailey to cry on when Emma's plans for her backfire; always looking out for Belinda and her mother; even looking out for Juliette when Emma's completely ruins her reputation. I liked that he never backed out from telling Emma the truth about her behavior, even when he couldn't express the depth of his true feelings. I also loved the characters of the slightly naive Hailey who gains self confidence through the novel and the lovely Juliette who may feel aloof, but is just a strong woman minding her own business.

I enjoyed the writing of this book very much. It was very easy to read and I could get through it very quickly. I also liked the changes to the original, like Emma's estranged relationship with her father and addition of the whole celebrity and gossip magazine angle. I just feel Emma is probably not a very easy protagonist to adapt for our current sensibilities, and trying to do that just made her more unlikable. I'm glad that she realizes her mistakes and works to better herself, but I also think we should have gotten more of her working towards forgiveness from everyone she has wronged. Even though I enjoyed the overall story, I just feel her redemption came too easy.

If you really like the story of Emma, you should definitely give this a try. It also sticks quite close to the original, so you should be prepared for an extreme slow burn with almost no romance till the end. But the conclusion is definitely very satisfactory.