A modern retelling of Jane Austen’s classic Emma, this is a Hollywood-inspired take on the story. Now, before I start, I’m going to say that Emma was actually my least favourite Austen novel and in my opinion, Emma Woodhouse was Austen herself’s least favourite heroine. Pretty, rich and spoiled? You bet Miss Austen really quite enjoyed writing that scene where Knightley takes Emma down several dozen pegs.

That said, there have been some great retakes on Emma over the years, the movie Clueless being the best-known example, where Alicia Silverstone managed to charm all of us with her pretty, charmingly naive Cher. It’ll definitely help if you imagine the same actress playing the lead character of this novel with that same energy; it’ll help you like a character who could come off as a spoiled little rich girl a lot better.

This isn’t a straight ‘plug and play’ of characters from the original into the modern setting. Here Emma has an older brother, Harlan, whose best friend Liam is her love interest. Emma and Harlan are child TV stars growing up into full on Hollywood megastars, buffered from the real world by their wealth and privilege. Emma’s matchmaking is more targeted at helping people find stardom than love. Social media plays a big part in the story, and so does the very timely topic of sexual predators in the entertainment industry, as Emma mentors her assistant Brittany and explains ‘the rules’ all women in the industry abide by as a matter of course… but shouldn’t have to.

It’s easy to write Emma and her friends off as shallow and entitled, unaware of the real-world struggles faced by the rest of us every day, and I admit I struggled to feel much sympathy for her as a Poor Little Rich Girl until the big reveals started coming later on in the book. But come they did, and by the end of it, I really cared about Emma and wanted her to get her happy ending with Liam, who seemed like a real sweetheart.

The book does need trigger warnings for grooming, sexual predation by those in power, parental gaslighting and financial abuse. If these are difficult topics for you, you might need to give this one a miss, but I do recommend it as both a timely read in this age of #MeToo and a charming romance. Five stars.

Look, I know absolutely nothing about Jane Austen and her stories but every time I read a Kate Watson book, I get a little more curious. Not going to lie, Off Script in combination with the latest Emma movie trailer has me even more intrigued!

We live in an era of Instagram influencers and the #MeToo movement, which Kate appropriate explores in her story. Yes, Emma is a celebrity and comes from celebrity, but she feels equally as down to earth and real as someone who lives next door. She could be your best friend (Emma, call me) yet she has some work to do (oh, and does she do the work) as a precocious young adult. Perhaps what I love most about this story is that Emma has actual thigh muscles on the cover and the diet to match. I’ve never read a female character who goes through a muscle growth period. As a person who has been in a growth period for almost 3 years, I can tell you: it’s fucking hard. The stigma around having muscles as a female is real so to have Emma as a role model for youth is *chef’s kiss*.

Oh, and that last chapter? Seeing old favorites will never get old. Thanks for keeping these stories in the same universe!

This is a Netgalley ARC review. All opinions are solely my own.

This book was just kind of ok for me. I think part of the problem is I hadn’t read the other 2 books in the series. The other problem is I really don’t like the busybody that is Emma. I realize that’s the point of her character but I think it co7ld have been done differently.

Overall, the writing & story are good. I think if I read the other 2 books I might enjoy this one more.

You must remember this is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's "Emma" or you are not going to be a fan of Emma Crawford in this story.

I feel like this book started a few chapters later than it did - I felt a bit dropped in the middle of a whole lotta drama llama but not quite enough backstory. That being said, this is a really great modern retelling of Emma.

Deserving it's own paragraph/section thing of my review: Kate Watson has put a really important message in here whilst staying really true to Jane Austen's novel. I'm not going to say what the topic is because that's part of the plot, but it is important and it was a brilliant addition to an otherwise well-known story. I think because the plot is so well-known, the reader can focus on this message even more intently. Good job doing that!

Thank you to the publishers for a copy of this in advance of publishing.

Okay, why didn't i read this book before? This was one of my late netgalley reads and honestly... i'm beating myself about it because it is so so good.

This book is a retelling of Emma by Jane Austen (which i haven't finished but as a Jane Austen fan i can say that Kate Watson captures the essense that makes Austen what she is) set in Hollywood, we follow two siblings that are stars since they were kids and now, after a disaster with their parents, they are back at the acting scene.
This book also deals heavily with topics such as sexual assault and eating disorders so if you a triggered by any of this topics please go with caution, as they are discussed plenty in the novel.. The MeToo movement and the Eating Disorders i think are handled very well, although sometimes it feels a little bit in your face, i really loved it anyway.

Now, what did i like about it? My favorite part is probably the characters. All of them (even the ones you are not supposed to root for) are real people, each of them represent a person that even if you are not in the Hollywood space you can pin point. Emma, our main character, falls under the morally gray spectrum and i love her for that. She is also one of the few female protagonists that has made me feel like i'm understood? It was a breeze of fresh air to read about someone who isn´t perfect and who makes mistakes but also that wants to be better.

Some highlights on the characters: Liam (my precious baby), Britt (must be protected at all cost) and KeyAra (our favorite classy hoe).

The other thing that i loved about this book so much is how it handles the topics of family divorce and breakup, the grief and healing of recovering from you family, how it changes you. I haven't ever read something that could nail exactly what i was feeling towards my parents and my family, It had my CRYING at 2:00 am because it hit too close to home. I'm serious. I'm so thankful for this book and the moment it came into my life. Am i bias because this book made me feel at home? Yes. But, isn't that what books are supposed to be about?

DNF; the setup and writing isn't working for me unfortunately but YMMV. Check out the excerpt and other reviews to see if the book interests you.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read Off Script by Kate Watson. This is a YA modern retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, and although it is book 3 in the Seeking Mansfield series, it can be read as a stand alone. Emma Crawford is preparing for the role of her career, when she meets Brittany while searching for an assistant. She knows that Brittany can be a star; but can the two of them make it to the top in Hollywood? I must admit, I couldnt really get into this book. Whether it is because I am not a Jane Austen fan, the writing style, or because I just couldnt like the characters, I don't know. It was almost a DNF

I couldn't get into this one. I usually adore this trope, but the characters weren't likable enough for me.
I am sure it will be a lot of people's cup of tea though, because it was well written.

Jane Austen's Emma meets the #metoo movement. I was sceptical, but I have to admit that it does work. But I nearly gave up on it twice. It took me a few weeks to get through the first third of the story. I wasn't interested in reading about how hard life is for a famous young actress, and the main character Emma was pretty obnoxious most of the time. I also had issues with the writing style and the pacing, with scenes either being dragged out or characters suddenly jumping from one scene to the next within a few lines.

But I pushed through. I somehow managed to finish the rest of the book in 3 days, which is all to do with the story moving away from Emma's career and her meddling in other people's lives to sexual harassment and abuse in the movie business. The story picked up pace, it became relevant to our current culture, and the harassment and abuse was tackled in a fairly nuanced manner. On top of that, the story also focuses on the exploitation, gossip and lack of privacy celebrities have to deal with.

My main issue with this book is the casualness with which eating disorders were used as some sort of comic relief. Even the more acceptable disordered eating pattern Emma has to follow to bulk up for her next movie role is never really examined as harmful. It just feels like such a let-down, especially in comparison to the way sexual abuse and harassment is discussed.

There is a romance aspect to this story too, of course. The chemistry between Emma and Liam was great, but they mainly worked because they challenged each other and they helped each other face some hard truths. I also adored the friendships and the found family elements of the story. Emma has a troubled relationship with her relatives, but she does have a family around her.

This is the third book of the series, and I haven't read the first two, but there are plenty of references to what happened before the events of this book to sort of piece together enough of a backstory. I never felt truly lost without all the information of the first two books, which proves that this one can be read as a standalone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flux for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Off Script by Kate Watson is a modern retelling of Emma by Jane Austen. It takes the well-known story and places it in Hollywood, taking on misogyny (internalized and societal), emotional abuse, and #MeToo. I liked the take on this story but struggled at times.

I have to admit that I struggled through about 50% of this book. It took a long time to get a handle on the characters, who was who and how they knew each other. Likewise, the plot didn't really take off until about halfway through as well. I don't remember Emma very well, but maybe it's a similar situation in that. I'm not sure.

I think this was a good attempt at a modern retelling and most people will like it.

There wasn't really anything wrong with this, it just was not holding my interest in the slightest. The writing felt off to me - just very simple and stilted, so it wasn't pulling me in either. A miss for me, but I'm sure other will fnd this story fun.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Emma is one of my favorite Jane Austen stories, so I was really excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of this book, which is a modern day retelling of Emma.

The third book in the series, it could definitely be read as a stand alone, which was great because I have a terrible memory when it comes to books.

I did enjoy the story overall. Emma is an actress who has been raised in the industry, being exploited by her parents and others along the way. And, very timely on the author's part, a nice dose of the "me too" movement is mixed in.

With how seriously she tackled the topic of sexual assault, I was surprised at how casually eating disorders were approached. I almost felt like they were thrown in as comic relief at some points, and I wish that it had been addressed as well as the other difficult topics.

That being said, it was pretty fun to read, and I would definitely check out Kate Watson's future work.

This is my first novel by Kate Watson and it was really enjoyable! This was easy to read without having read any of the previous books.

Emma and Harlan Crawford are sibling actors, the children of famous but now divorced parents who view them as a meal ticket. Emma and Harlan protect one another above all else, sometimes blindly.

Emma has returned to NYC to prepare for an upcoming role. Harlan is in training to portray a young soccer star & is paired with a professional soccer player Liam. Problem is, Liam and Harlan already know each other - Harlan dated (and subsequently broke up with) Liam’s sister Finley. And Emma allowed her own friendship with Finley to peter out in deference to Harlan but misses her so.

Things become tricky when Emma begins to enjoy the company of Liam, a little too much. There’s also a third wheel in Alecki, who is Emma’s mentor’s nephew. And Harlan isn’t happy about either.

Parallel storylines revolve around Emma’s friendships, new and old and her role as matchmaker (and this the re-telling of Austen’s Emma). Emma believes everyone has skeletons in their closet and that generally truth is not worth the risk. So she tends to avoid conflict and tries to manage friendships whilst not always being true to them or herself.

This is a contemporary YA fiction novel with all the complexities that go with success, fame and infamy at a young age. Emma tends to be a little self-absorbed but her heart is in the right place. As a reader you might raise an eyebrow in relation to her woe-is-me attitude but in my opinion the growth of Emma’s character is what makes this book appealing.

Thank you to Kate Watson, netgalley and fluxbooks for an eARC if this book. This book is the third instalment in the Seeking Mansfield series - something I was not aware of at all, proving the book can be read as a stand-alone. One iffy area for me was Harlan’s character (he was quite shallow) and I wondered about his being the next instalment which would explain not too much being given away.

A solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 for me (it will round up on @goodreads). Out in January 2020.

First, thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book!

In this, the third book in Watson's re-telling series about this particular group of friends, Kate Watson shows off how she has grown as a writer, presenting more mature topics and complicated characters. Watson delves deep into the topics of Hollywood privilege, abuses of men in power, and navigating how those two topics are intertwined. Getting to know a deeper side of Emma was really fantastic and I loved watching her grow from the bubbly actress she was in Seeking Mansfield to where she is in Off Script, dealing with big issues and the consequences of her actions. I'll add more when I read the final product in a few months.

But...Harlan's book has to be next...right?

Lastly, I would absolutely characterize this book as NA over YA, despite the lack of sexy times (which seems to be a qualifier of NA books?).

I struggled with this book. The opening chapters include a very thinly veiled episode of the Ellen DeGeneres show and the characters are neither likeable nor relatable. A really strong edit would strengthen this book tremendously.

Jane Austen meets Hollywood in this new retelling of Emma. Off Script is about Emma Crawford, who is a successful actress preparing for her latest role. She gets a new assistant and wants to give her a makeover and turn her into a star. This book focuses a lot on being a woman in the entertainment industry and talks a lot about the #metoo movement which I thought was very important. Overall, this is a cute Emma retelling that it is sure to be a popular new YA book.

Jane Austen meets Hollywood #metoo movement in this brilliant and timely retelling of EMMA.

Emma Crawford (who you might remember from SEEKING MANSFIELD) and her brother Harlan are preparing for their new film roles. Emma has a new assistant Brittany whom she wants to turn into a star. But she has to first avoid her old rival Vic and her aunt Kelly. But the path to stardom is never easy and both girls experience the darker side of entertainment industry.

Like her literary predecessor, this Emma has plenty of flaws and but her heart is in the right place. She definitely makes mistakes but learns from them. Liam is a great Mr. Knightly but is saved from the original’s sanctimonious-know-it-all-ness (totally a word) by his tragic past and his own mistakes.

You don’t have to be a Jane Austen fan or have read SEEKING MANSFIELD to adore this female empowering, kick-butt book!

I love Jane Austen's original text and every single adaptation highlights a fresh element of the novel that I just loved! This reinterpretation was so much fun and wonderfully refreshing

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. Having not read the first two books in the series, the author does a good job of introducing the main characters and background. You could certainly read the book as a standalone.

If you like reading quirky books about actors and their daily lives as well as romances, you will like the book. Emma thinks what she is told, that she's sparkle but no substance, that her talent is skin deep. She is only 19 and has some growing up to do. Thia book is a clever modern retelling of Emna. I just got a little bogged down at times with some of the minutiae of Emma's days training for her movie role and secondary characters I didn't care about like KeyAra and Bryce. The ending was quite sweet and there was a good MeToo moment that was timely, and didn't feel contrived or out of place. 3.3/5 ☆