I enjoyed this book and the shifting time periods. The characters were interesting and engaging and I liked the simplicity of one love story and the complexity of another.

Thanks for letting me review this book.

Emma Koehler is a widow, her husband, Otto, had been murdered by one of his two mistresses, also named Emma. At the end of her life she decides to advertise in the papers for someone to write her memoir. Mabel is having a bad day in Baltimore. The war is on, one of her brothers has been killed and another MIA, her fiance stationed in England breaks up with her and her father is missing on the streets. On the bus she sees the newspaper ad and decides to apply for the job.

Emma was quite remarkable. Even being confined to a wheelchair she continued to run the brewery that she helped build with her husband. They were childless but she would sponsor relatives from Germany and help them make their way in America.

I enjoyed Mabel. Even with all that went wrong in her life she didn't become bitter but kept looking for the good around her and grew to love Emma.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest opinion.

This book tells the story of Emma Koehler. I hadn’t really heard of her, nor had I read any of the authors previous works. This book is full of action, murder, infidelity and manufacturing success and it’s well written. However I d this very hard to get into and I’m not sure why.
For me it was ok but not great.

The First Emma is an enjoyable read. I adore historical fiction based on real people. Emma Koehler was one hell of a woman. She saved her brewery from closeure during Prohibition by being creative and innovative. She also steered her business through the dark days of the Great Depression while keeping her employees. Di Maio skillfully blends fact and fiction seamlessly. I enjoyed her historical note. I also enjoyed reading more about someone I had never heard about. Although her husband had three Emmas in his life, his wife was THE Emma.

This was my first book by this author so I had no expectations at all

I found the book really hard to get intp. i had to restart the story twice. For my the story moved to slow and it was really confusing to have so many Emma’s.

It wasn’t the book for me.

An engaging historical fiction narrative, based on the story of Emma Koehler, and one I enjoyed,

Murder, Infidelity, and one woman's journey to accomplishment through the history of the San Antonio Beer Industry.

Terrific book. Absolutely loved it. Compelling characters and story line. Kept me interested the entire time.

After reading Camille Di Maio's previous book Beautiful Strangers, I knew I needed to get my hands on this book. I am so glad I got to read this book, I think I even liked it better than Beautiful Strangers. The author has a wonderful way of weaving the story of both Emma and Mabel together, creating one story instead of two choppy ones. The story of Emma shows determination and finding loves in unexpected ways. While her story does show heartbreak, it tells of taking the heart break and turning it around to find something even better. Also knowing that it is based on a true story makes it even more inspiring. Similar to Emma, Mabel has found her own heartbreak during WWII. Though by jumping head first into a surprising opportunity she finds her own love in an unexpected place. The love interest that Mabel finds down in Texas is wonderful and romantic and fun to follow along. I found myself routing for the two characters and couldn't get enough of their story. I absolutely loved this book and recommend it to anyone who not only loves historical fiction, but also to anyone looking for a good under-dog story.

I received this book "The First Emma" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. I could not wait to read this book! I've read all of Camille Maio's books and they have all been five stars. This book is also a five star book. I love the writing style and the storyline. I always learn something when I read historical fiction. Based on a true story and Emma Koehler. This was an amazing story that had me wanting more!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing,Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for providing me with an ARC.

This is the first novel to me by Camille Di Maio.

I don't know how to describe it because i have multiple opinions about the novel. I loved that the author taken it from real events but it's little slow, i wish that it little faster. The characters names made me confused because all of them named Emma and i don't why she not changed them.
I loved Emma Koehler character and the way she stared over to stand up again.

Erik and Mabel characters are so light and funny for me and i loved the happy ending to them.

OMG, OMG,The Cover is so amazing, delight and wonderful. I loved so much especially the dress that the model is wearing , It's Stan and I adore this kind of fabric.

Historical fiction at its best mixing truth and fiction to make a addicting read.I was drawn in by the characters the time highly recommend.#netgalley#thefirstemma

The First Emma by Camille Di Maio was a thoroughly enjoyable historical read, based on true facts. Ms. Di Maio has a true talent for taking facts and creating a story that seeps into you with characters that seem as real to you as your closest friend. A must-read for those interested in knowing people who played a part big or small in history. You’ll love this book as much as her others.

This is a historical fiction set in San Antonio about the couple that started Pearl Brewery. I knew very little going into this book and I'm so glad I did (and I will not reveal too much so that you will have that joy.) If you have any interest in strong women, San Antonio's history for the last century, or just a good historical fiction- read this book! I cannot wait to give it to friends and family as my husband's family is from San Antonio. This is well-written, interesting, and an unique story. I love that it's based on historical fact and I cannot wait to go visit some of the places I knew in the book.
4 stars for story plus 0.5 star for my historical connection.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free, advance copy. This comes out in May 2020- please read it!

I liked this book but I wasn't in love with this book. The part I liked the most was the author's note about the real Emma and what was real and what was fiction. Di Maio did a great job filling in the gaps of the story. It was an interesting story of grit, determination, marriage, love, and murder. I think I just wanted the highs to be higher and the lows to be lower. There were a lot of Emmas and I did get a little confused by all of them and their parts in the story. I still don't think it was really explained why one Emma killed Otto or maybe I missed it? Camille Di Maio does have a gift for writing and she writes beautifully. I will continue to read every story she puts out.

THE FIRST EMMA by Camille Di Maio is a beautifully-written work of historical fiction based on the true story of Emma Koehler, an intriguing woman who, against all norms of the time, rose to the powerful position of CEO of the Texas brewing empire started by her husband. Her husband, Otto Koehler was murdered by one of his two mistresses in a brutal crime that captured the attention of the nation and world in the early 1900s. As Emma K. nears her own death in her eighties, she hires a young woman, Mabel Hartley, to record her remarkable life. The story switches back and forth seamlessly from Emma’s past to 1943 when she is relating her fascinating tale to Mabel. As her history unfolds, the reader learns how Emma’s resilience and sharp business sense kept the brewery in business even through Prohibition and the Great Depression. The characters are brought to life with a touch of mystery, romance and family drama that had me totally immersed in the story. I enjoyed how the author crafted such a compelling tale despite the lack of detailed historical records pertaining to Emma Koehler. I have read and loved all of Camille Di Maio’s books and this new one is no exception. I highly recommend it! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a chance to read an early copy.

This was a sweet and easy read. I really enjoyed the mixing in of a real historic person with a fictional story. And then finding out that so much is really unknown about Emma Koehler---wow! I will definitely be looking at the Pearl Brewery area in San Antonio with a different eye the next time I visit the city.

The First Emma was an incredibly enjoyable read!

Camille Di Maio has managed to write a book that completely stands out in the historical fiction genre. Based on true events, Di Maio has introduced us to Emma Koehler and woven a semi-fictional story around her. Emma was a truly inspirational woman who not only survived the murder of her husband but went on to continue his legacy. She became the head of a brewery and kept it running through the years of prohibition and war. Emma was determined that no employee would lose their jobs during these unstable years and she succeeded with this goal.

Emma’s story is dictated to Mabel, a young girl who finds herself in unfortunate circumstances, as she is coming to the end of her life. Through their new-found friendship, Mabel begins to piece her life back together and realize there is always room for hope and love.

Personally, I like to learn something when I read historical fiction based on a true character/event. This book totally hit the mark. If you are looking for an untapped topic, this is definitely one you are going to want to pick up!

This book was full of intrigue, drama, history and strong women! One of my favorites from this author!

What an interesting topic! Sure, this is historical fiction set in and affected by the great wars. But it is not a boots on the ground in Europe book. This book is set in San Antonio, Texas, in the world of Otto and Emma Koehler and the life they've built around their brewery. All are affected by the war, but this tells a tale of those back in the US and the true grit required to survive during those times...with a little redemption and romance added.
I enjoyed reading this book. The descriptions of the places and food are spot on. I even made some of Frieda's pfeffernusse cookies because they sounded scrumptious. The characters are easy to like (and dislike) and are solidly written all the way through. It was interesting to do a little digging into this story while reading it.
This author tells a good story that keeps you turning the pages. I was hooked with her first novel and have kept up with her creations. I am glad to have received an ARC of this book through NetGalley for my honest review. I've got a hard copy on order to add to my physical bookshelf.

This book was richly told and the characters were so real. I loved how the story was told and the setting. The timeline was fabulously done and I will have to check out other stories by this author soon.