This was a cute book. I liked that it was dual POV, something I hadn’t known in advance that ended up being a nice surprise. I liked the way all the side characters had formed a solid group (though I wouldn’t qualify this as “found family”) and would hang out with and support each other. And though I’m going to get into things I didn’t like about their relationship later, the fun banter between them and how much they clearly cared about each other was nice. And this was definitely a lot more interesting than the original Emma.

As for what I didn’t like, I’ll start with Emma and Knightley’s relationship. Obviously an age gap is kind of a given in an Emma retelling, but I just was not a fan at all of that aspect of Emma and Knightley’s relationship. The way he would correct her about things and hold the fact that he was a “real” adult over her head (whether on purpose or not) felt too much like parenting for me to be comfortable while reading it. There’s even a line somewhere that says something like “Emma’s dad never was the one to discipline/yell at her when she does things wrong, Knightley was the one who did that.” I’m sorry but I just can’t get over knowing someone from when they’re born then getting together when you’re 30 and she’s 23. Also I felt like I wasn’t really seeing their relationship developing that well. I am the biggest sucker for childhood friends to lovers, but a big reason for that is because I like seeing long time pining. That was not the case here, as both of them realized their attraction to each other was more serious within the plot of the book. But somehow I wasn’t really seeing where that had come from and I wished we could’ve seen more of a backstory (but also with that 7 year age gap, it’s a good thing they didn’t realize too much earlier). It felt like the second they both realized they had real romantic feelings, they were miscommunicating, avoiding each other, etc.

I didn’t love Emma’s character, which was also part of the nature of an Emma retelling. She was either too pushy or a pushover, no in between. And I felt like Knightley was kind of frustrating to read about because of the whole parenting type dynamic he had with Emma, and how he seemed to unintentionally look down on her.

There were randomly time gaps and events were talked about later that should’ve been written on the page. It was jarring when a chapter would start with events happening two weeks after the events of the previous chapter. Obviously if nothing important to the plot had happened in that time it would be fine, but that wasn’t always the case and I felt kind of left out as a reader.

I feel like this review is really negative but honestly my main problem was with Emma and Knightley’s relationship dynamic, and most of the things I didn’t like were subjective problems. Honestly, I would likely read something from these authors again if I could tell from the start that the romance would be different from the one in this, especially considering the clear set up for a P&P retelling at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book!

What an absolutely adorable twist on one of my favorite Jane Austen stories. I was immediately hooked and loved the main character, Emma, and her friendship with her long time neighbor George. The banter was top notch, and while I'm not always fond of the miscommunication trope, this story was so fun to zip through while the main characters figured out what we already knew!

RUN and add this to your upcoming 2023 TBR line up

5/5 stars and thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced digital copy for my honest review.

Run don’t walk to add this book to your TBR list! I absolutely loved this new modern day Austen twist!! Emma as a NYC socialite (in a sense) really worked! I loved how they tied in the MET (one of my favorite places). Knightley was my favorite character and I read this book almost in one setting. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy. I will definitely be purchasing this book when it comes out. 5 out of 5 stars!!

Hehe! I LOVED this Austen remake and all its cuteness and romance!
Modern-day Emma is busy as ever and the next-door neighbor Knightley is both annoyed and intrigued by her. Her matchmaking skills get her into a mess yet we all know how Emma is and her friends understand her. A cute novel and a fun idea for a story!

I was hesitant about reading this, since I am a huge Jane Austen fan, and sometimes dislike modern retellings. But I was pleasantly surprised by this book! Emma as an NYC socialite worked really well. And I liked that the authors for the most part kept to the original story. Knightley was a perfect modern-day version of the original. I do think that this book will be more enjoyable for people who have read or watched the original Emma. But overall, I would recommend!

Thank you to Net Galley for this advanced reader copy!

Holly moly! How did I miss this splendid, addictive novel? This is most intelligent, entertaining, absolutely sexiest version of Emma! The high chemistry between Knightley and Emma leaves you breathless! Enemies to lovers and friends to lovers tropes blended in modern Manhattan elites’ lives where Emma is trying to find her life purpose, dealing with Knightley’s criticism to learn to be more mature: a grown up as her sister Margo and Knightley’s hot chef brother Ben start their own family.

Emma is sweet, smart, somewhat spoiled but still has good heart and good intentions. She is about to graduate with honors from NYU in art history, planning to apply her dream job at Met without using her father’s connections.

In the meantime she becomes wingwoman of Nadine who is her new classmate from Ohio. She helps her makeover, convincing her ditch her boyfriend, finding her own love story with Big Apple but in the meantime her sister pushes her to date with successful businessman/ entrepreneur Montgomery Knox however Emma cannot get the big boy next door out of her head. She realizes she has feelings for Knightley. And Knightley also hardly resists his feelings about her but instead of coming clean, he prefers to run away as always.

Emma has to find what she truly wants from the life and embrace with by making more honest mistakes and learn from them. And Knightley has to leave his past burdens, his problematic relationship with his father behind, living a little, opening his heart for love!
Oh boy! I loved the dual POV! I loved the characterizations!

Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the book:

"They're not perfect, are they?
And that's kind of the point. Even the masterpieces have flaws. Mistakes the artist tried to fix or hide. But that's not a bad thing. Those flaws don't detract from art's value. If anything, they add to it. They make them more real. More human. And no human is perfect, just like no work of art is perfect. The mistakes and idiosyncrasies are what make them unique. It's what makes them worth something."

Overall: if I could give 10 stars to this book, I would give them or donate the entire galaxy for this book! After release day, I plan to reread it! And after learning Knightley’s colleague Will’s full name, I am expecting another brilliant sequel! I cannot wait to read Elizabeth and Will’s love story!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books, Tyrinne Lewis for sharing this incredible book’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

This book was fantastic! As a fan of Jane Austen and the movie "Clueless", I could not imagine a better rendition of the beloved classic. It was smart, funny, witty, and embodied the essence of Emma. Would recommend this book to those who read Emma and those who did not.

Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding is an enjoyable contemporary romance that has threads of the classic Emma woven throughout.

I enjoyed this modern take and twist of Jane Austen’s Emma. The authors take the timeless characters, add modern surroundings, concepts, ideas, and thoughts to bring us a NYC-based telling of the classic.

I always enjoy reading new takes on classics as long as it is done right, and I feel that this held true to the former. The characters were new (obviously I will never be able to compare any to the epic classic), but one can tell the inspirations for each.

It was a nice, relaxed read that was a nice break from the heavier-handed books that I have been reading.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Gallery Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/23/23.

This was a solid debut! I was immediately hooked. At times Emma was immature but she’s young and she’s learning. Coming of age. Kingley was swoony!! Add this one to your list!

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review

Emma of 83rd Street is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, which I never read but immediately looked up summaries after to see the similarities. It follows 23-year-old Emma Woodhouse as she searches to find friendship, love, a career and ultimately, her place in life. Emma was a likable character who I immediately connected with, probably due to all the NYC activities/ references (which were spot on). She truly wanted what was best for everyone, even if it meant inserting herself right into the lives of those closet to her. I really liked how this book was not strictly a romance, but explored Emma’s many relationships, like with her sister Margo, her new friend Nadine, her father and her next door neighbor Knightly. Her growth from the start to the end gave off coming-of-age vibes. I will say there were a few times I got frustrated with Emma and wished she would just talk to Knightly, but then I had to remember that she was only 23 and had a lot of growing up to do. Overall, a very strong debut!

Read if you like:
-Best friends to lovers
-Coming of age vibes
-All things NYC
-The Met/ art history
-Slow burn romance
-Jane Austen retelling

Thank you Gallery for the ARC! Pub date 5/23

Alright, so this is a fresh retelling of Emma by Jane Austen, and the new conflicts are both cheeky and modern. Most of the characters are likable, with two opposing outliers. Nadine shows much more growth than anyone else, and following her love story would be a great sequel. On the other hand, Margo could easily be placed back in the regency era with her overbearing and meddlesome attitude- your sister is 23/24, stop pushing men on her and let her speak!

Big respect to Emma's character development though, as she pushes aside her privilege, apologizes for her mistakes, and genuinely supports everyone she loves while pursuing her dream career.

Did not love Knightley's 'fatherly' vibes

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher

Thid was a dnf might pick it up later but i found this book lacking in character. I wanted more from the main character than what we saw in the story

I really anticipated this book. I love most things Austen. I however did not love this book. It’s not bad, just not my cup of tea.

A tale as old as time…..Jane Austen’s Emma meets modern day Emma in Manhattan.

Emma Woodhouse is known for living life to the fullest with her friends and family. But her sister just got married and moved out and her friends are traveling abroad and she’s feeling lonely.

Sure, she’s known her good friend and neighbor George Knightly all her life but he drives her crazy at times and she needs more, right? Then, she just happens to find a new friend in her grad school art history program. Nadine is clearly a fixer-upper and just what Emma needs to get out of her doldrums. And then they all embark on fun and adventures for better and worse. And through it all, Emma and Knightly realize that what they’ve both needed was right there all along.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVE Jane Austen, and I love when authors do spins of her work. Emma of 83rd Street was such a cute read, I loved it.

This rendition of the beloved, Emma, was close to the original story except Emma of 83rd Street was written in the 21st century. Emma has always been a character that I just couldn't help but to love, so I was going into this reading some pretty high expectations. I was not disappointed at all, this was actually refreshing and just fun! Something I wasn't expecting but loved was we got Knightley's POV every now and then. I thought that was perfect, I love dual POV's and getting inside his brain was perfect.

Emma of 83rd Street 4/5 ⭐️
💘 Jane Austen Retelling
💘 Friends to Lovers
💘 Dual POV (just a few)

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

4.5 stars for this contemporary version of Austen's Emma! Really enjoyed it as a bit of a "Janeite", myself. Appreciated that it still retained the structure and basic narrative of the source material & yet was contemporary, but without having too many glaring call-backs to our current times. Hope this duo does more - totally down for their P&P next! My thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the complimentary DRC - rating & opinion are my own

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Twenty three year old Emma Woodhouse has lived a privileged life on the Upper East Side. About to start her final year of grad school everything seems to be changing. Her friends are studying abroad, and her sister has moved downtown with her new husband, and former neighbour. The only constant is her father's strange ideas about health, and her love-hate friendship with Knightley. But the dynamic has changed between the pair, and it's soon apparent that their feelings for each other go way past friendship and family, and into lust and perhaps even love. Emma's plans for her final year of school are about to go haywire.

When I heard there was a new Emma adaptation being released, I had to request it immediately! I adore the original, and can't get enough of any and all retellings, so a modern day one set in New York was bound to be good. I was hooked from the first moments, where we see Emma and Knightley bantering about their siblings, and whether they will get together. Flash forward to their wedding, and it's clear that the affection between the pair has grown, and though Knightley regularly is exasperated with Emma's actions, he's also amused and won't let others tell him otherwise. I wondered how Emma of 83rd Street would deal with some of the issues of the original book, such as Frank Churchill, and Mrs Bates, or the falling out that Emma and Knightley had. Well, Audrey and Emily handled them all perfectly, but also in keeping with the situation of a modern book. The way that Emma and Knightley's relationship built up to a culmination in the feelings and the tension, was beautifully done. I read the last 40% or so in one sitting, because I couldn't bear to put my kindle down until I saw them together, and knew all was well. An utterly fantastic debut, and one I can't recommend enough!

Emma of 83rd Street' is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Emma. I loved this story so much. I found Emma to be so delightful, and she is someone that I would love to be friends with. I was swept up in the love story and romance of the book. I would definitely recommend this book.


**Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review**

Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza & Emily Harding is stunning romantic debut novel!

Woah! One of the best slow-burn romance reads I've read all month!
A quick and easy read recommended for anyone who is looking for a lighthearted book.
A brilliant modern retelling of Jane Austen. And this duo did an outstanding job.
To me everything was perfect!
The storytelling, the genius plot, the engaging characters, the phenomenal writing to the greatest ending!
I honestly ADORED & LOVED every moment of this novel.
It is so much fun, & just so damn adorable, but also SO REALLLL.
Emma of 83rd Street is a brilliantly written debut with a fully fleshed-out whirlwind new romance, and so much more.

I can't wait to see what is created next!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Even though they live just a yard and a gate apart, the hearts of Emma Woodhouse & George Knightley take a meandering, swoon-worthy slow burn paced walk (with many stumbles) through Central Park to fall in love.

Emma & Knightley are frustratingly obstinate and charmingly considerate throughout. Its rather brilliant that truly no one is perfect no matter the privileged life they exist in.

Also, I'm certain its a form of sorcery when oblivious love interests insist on calling eachother by their last names. I. Am. Weak. For. It. I don't care if they do it for politeness or tradition or habit. Its the best.

Readers may want to be mindful of the age gap relationship, and the privileges of wealth on display here. While it didn't detract from the quality of the story, personally, I was rolling my eyes at every brand or fashion house name drop, and the 'lazy' schedule one can afford when family wealth pays the tuition and makes work unnecessary.