5stars

If you love Emma by Jane Austen, you will love this book. Audrey and Emily have done an amazing job at bringing Emma to the modern world.

Emma is such a sweet character, she makes a few mistakes but her heart is always in the right place. Knightley has been her best friend forever. Their friends to lovers story is incredible, filled with chemistry, drama, passion and tension. I loved every minute of it.

This is a modern retelling of Emma. The plot and characters are pretty similar to the original which made the book very entertaining,

This book has a dual POV.
I really hope this book becomes a series of Jane Austen retelling!!

A massive thank you to the authors, publishers and netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Cute and romantic but a little overdone. Though considering the source material, perhaps it was meant to be. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This was a cute retelling. I loved the setting and all the descriptions of the characters. Wouldn't say it was the best reading ever sadly but a cute fun read if thats what you are in the mood for.

This was a cute slow burn fluffy rom-com retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma. Emma is by fav of Jane Austen works and this story gave me college Clueless vibes and I loved it. The age gap isn’t too much between Emma and knightly. I liked all the quirky characters and the setting of the upper east side NYC and the friendship between knightly brothers and the woodhouse sisters. It was really cute that knightlys lived right behind them and they shared a backyard that they just went between each other houses as they were growing up. This was cute and an easy read and if you love Emma you will like this.

Thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

Emma lives in a beautiful Upper East Side townhome with her father. Just across the garden, her sister found love with the boy next door. Emma meanwhile, found a sparring partner. When Ohio transplant Nadine comes into her life, Emma starts to learn that maybe the best intentioned plans may not always work out happily ever after.

****

I've definitely been trying to branch out more this year. Reading too many thrillers can really mess with your head! Emma of 83rd Street is a breezy romantic comedy that plays out the friends/playful enemy to lovers plotline in a slow burn (emphasis on *slow*) that also reads as a love letter to NYC. I'm not an Austen lover myself, so you can definitely enjoy this with zero background from the book or its movie adaptations. In fact, I had no idea it was even based off the Austen novel until I read some reviews after my initial read.

While it does move along quite slowly, it's definitely a fluffy read for romance or Austen lovers that will be released just in time for beach read season.

I will preface this by saying that I have never read Austen’s Emma…but holy smokes was Emma annoying!! This book was just ok for me. I was bored through a decent portion of it. I skimmed a lot of pages, and I felt it was incredibly slow. The last 10% of the book I found myself reading faster/enjoying more, but it took a while to get there. It may have been because it takes FOREVER for Knightley and Emma to get together…or even realize they liked each other apparently. Honestly not sure if I would have finished this one if it wasn’t an ARC I received. Maybe if I read the original, I would have felt differently? But I’m not sure. I’m the end, it just wasn’t for me.

2.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

OMG THAT WAS SO GOOD
As a big fan of the OG Emma and it’s various movie adaptations, I was very excited for this book and it fulfilled my expectations!! I loved the romance and trying to figure out which character was which from the original.
For more come check out my book blog where i review new books that are very exciting https://redheadreadsalot.blogspot.com/2023/02/emma-of-83rd-street-by-audrey-bellezza.html

Emma of 83rd Street was one of the books I have most been looking forward to this year. An adorable cover, a Jane Austen retelling, "Clueless" vibes? I'm all in. While it was a fun read, it didn't live up to the hype for me. Everything felt a little contrived, and a little predictable (I know it's a retelling, but hopefully you get my drift). I wanted more between the main characters -- I really wanted to root for them, but everything felt surface level.

2.5 stars - this concept of a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Emma started strong, but as it moved along, it was really dull. By the last few chapters, it felt like the authors were just dragging out the ending to include more sex scenes, and I never felt major chemistry between Emma and Knightley. All of the characterizations fell flat, and being familiar with the area of Manhattan that the story focuses on, I found that this portrayal of New York also felt one-dimensional for a book that inserts the setting into its title.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

I received an ARC copy for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone.

I am one of the biggest Jane Austen fans and let me tell you this book does not disappoint! It is told from two points of view and all my favourite characters from Emma make an appearance. I loved how the authors kept to the true spirit of the Jane Austen classic and gave it a modern twist. I laughed and I cried! This book was so amazing and if your a Jane Austen fan you won't want to miss this book!

Clever story with entertaining characters. I loved loved loved the annoying-friend-turned-love-interest trope. The authors wrote it well and made me laugh as well as warmed my heart. Here’s to alllll the kinds of love.

Y'all... this book is Slooooooow Burn deliciousness.
Great characters, and great tension.
It does have the miscommunication trope, which y'all know I hate, but I'll give this one a pass because everything else was wonderful.

Emma of 83rd Street is one of those terrific novels that does double duty as both an engaging story and a travelogue for New York City. As a 21st Century take on the Jane Austen classic, the change of scenery and circumstances for the characters make it fresh for a new audience, while still familiar to die-hard Janeites.
In similar fashion to the OG Emma, this Emma Woodhouse has also been raised in a protected bubble of wealth and privilege in New York's Upper East Side. A young lady in her last year of an MFA, Emma could be dismissed as another shallow socialite, more concerned with the labels on her designer clothes than humanity at large; but underneath the polished veneer, Emma has a tender heart that she reveals to those she cares about-namely her eccentric father, her older sister, and the Knightley brothers who've been friends to the Woodhouse girls for (literally) ever. After Emma meets new classmate (and NYC newbie) Nadine Pittman to her circle, she uses her designer wardrobe and connections to help her new friend-including in the field of romance. Trouble ensues when lines of communication get crossed and feelings are hurt- will Emma be able to sort out her own mess?
Similarities to "Gossip Girl" and the original Emma make this an enjoyable trip through an upper-crust world most of us only see from the outside.

I absolutely adored this Jane Austin Emma retelling. I personally think that this is the best one out there. This reads like a good movie. Loved it
. I just reviewed Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza; Emily Harding. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

A cute retelling of Emma, but I honestly didn't think that it added much of anything by way of a retelling. Ultimately, I've read better, but I've read worse. A good way to get your mind off things, romantic and silly.

Fun read! I really enjoyed this modern day retelling of the Jane Austen classic Emma. It takes place in my favorite location- New York City and presents a cast of quirky, likeable characters. I recommend this to anyone looking for an enjoyable, fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to preview this book!

Emma Woodhouse seemingly has it all. Growing up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, she has a doting father, a carrying older sister, and a killer closet. But at the age of 23 Emma finds herself bored. Her sister is newly married, her oldest friends are travelling abroad, and thanks to careful planning Emma's last year of Grad School has an extremely light schedule. All the free time leaves Emma with room to meddle in the lives of everyone around her. From her newest Grad School friend Nadine, a sweet and slightly clueless Ohio transplant, to her oldest friend and neighbor George Knightley. George is the older brother to her sister's husband, and has always seem Emma as the little kid that tagged along with the three of them. But suddenly he realizes the kid next door has turned into a woman.

This book had a little bit of everything. A young woman trying to find herself. A fun setting in the Upper East Side. A grumpy male MC who is secretly the sweetest. Charismatic supporting characters. And a little bit of spice.

As someone who has a deep love for NYC and fashion, I adored the setting of this book as well as the focus on Emma's wardrobe. I know the focus on her clothes was to make her sound superficial so that she could grow, but I was just living vicariously through her the whole book!

Knightley (he goes by his last name in the book) was the perfect opposite for her. Even though they grew up next door to each other, they are seemingly so different. But their comfortability with each other throughout the book was endearing. They were the only people who they could really be themselves around, as well as the only people who would call each other on their crap.

I enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the digital ARC.

Classics are such for a reason, and a good retelling adds new dimensions (and hopefully new fans) to beloved stories. Emma of 83rd street is a zippy, modern retelling of the Jane Austen classic, Emma. Readers of a certain age will know that the movie Clueless was another zippy retelling of the same story. I think that this iteration is an admirable effort for the 2020s.

Wealthy 20 something Emma has lived a charmed life on the Upper East Side. She's surrounded by her loving family, great friends, and generally a life of ease. But, it seems like everyone important to her is moving on: her best friends are all off on their own adventures, and her beloved older sister is newly married and has moved out. She's left at home with her high-strung but loving dad, and her grumpy neighbor, George Knightley.

Even though George and Emma have grown up together, and are now related by marriage because of their siblings' marriage (his brother to her sister), they can't seem to find common ground. Emma is too flighty and George is too serious. Can they find a way to get along? Why does it suddenly matter?

Since we all know what happens in the end, I think it's more worthwhile to note that this story is both a faithful retelling of the story and has an on-the-nose perspective of life on the UES and the various characters who make up life in Manhattan.

One of the best elements of this story is Emma's character growth throughout. In this version, Emma enrolls in and succeeds in a competitive art history program. I like that she defines success on her own terms - she's both following a passion (art) and making choices that can help build a career.

I also appreciate the way George Knightley's inner thoughts are shared - in this version we see much more about his motivations and what he is really struggling with. This added dimension created a more rich and realistic character.

All in all, this is a fun version of a classic.



Thank you to the authors and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Adorable and very perfectly a true NYC rom-com. Charming characters and voice. A promising debut and totally delightful friends-to-lovers story!