This romcom tells the story of a wealthy girl named Emma who has lived next door to the same guy, Knightly, since childhood. Her sister married his brother, and they’ve been friends and flirted on and off for years. She’s graduating with a Masters in Art History and wants to work at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts. He runs a hedge fund that works with sustainable businesses.

I really liked the buildup as their relationship gradually changed. The plotting and characters keeps the book moving. There’s a lot of detail about living in NYC, which is much easier if you’ve got money.

There was a lot of name dropping for clothing, furniture etc. and it got tiresome. Emma has little self awareness in the first half or so of the book and it was frustrating to read at times. Overall I enjoyed it, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

A friends to lovers romance, this takes place in”old New York City society” with 2 characters, Emma Woodhouse and George Knightley who actually drove me nuts for 2/3 of the book. They, however redeemed themselves in the last 1/3. I was frustrated by their obvious infatuation with each other that they did not see. I was very glad when they each got out of their heads and saw what was in front of them. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Emma on 83rd Street is a quick and easy book to read. I found the story moved quick enough that I was never bored. I enjoyed the characters and found the dynamic between Emma and George (aka Knightley) flirty and realistic. They grew up as friends, almost sister and brother, but realized that there could be more to their friendship. Neither of them wanted to take that first step. They did not believe that the other felt the same way.



Emma’s family was a lot. They were constantly in each other’s business. The dad, he was not a good father. He did not mean to, but he held his daughter’s back from living their lives. I am not sure that the author meant to write him as an unlikable character, but I cringed every time he was making a statement. Emma’s sister was happily married and that left Emma to live with her dad and deal with his negativity. Then enters Knightley, the next-door neighbor. He is something else, but I felt from the beginning that he had Emma’s best interest at heart. He was like a little kid, if I am mean to the girl, it means I like her.



Emma of 83rd Street is a book I read in one sitting but I will admit that the characters were not overly likable. I did skim some of the pages as I felt there was too much description and not enough conversation, but that could be because everyone was always telling everyone else what they did wrong or what they should be doing.

I really, really enjoyed this dual POV, friends to lovers, slow burn Emma retelling! I don't know what it is about Jane Austen's works but her stories still hold up so well in our modern age. Set in NYC, Emma and Knightly are longtime childhood friends but they always seem able to push each other's buttons. Over the course of a year we see them grow closer and finally give in with a surprisingly spicy consummation.

Filled with all the classic reasons we love meddling, big hearted Emma and grumpy/gruff Knightly with tons of banter, humor and heart. This was great on audio narrated by two of my very fav narrators, Brittany Pressley and Teddy Hamilton. The ending hints that this author duo's next book might be a Pride & Prejudice retelling and I am here for it!

Highly recommend for any Jane Austen retelling fans! Many thanks also to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was so cute i absolutely loved it! emma and george were so perfect! i loved this friends to lover slow burn so much! the banter and tension was absolutely perfect with just the right amount of angst! once i started reading i couldnt put this book down! loved the spice at the end and just their friendship/relationship as a whole it was the perfect book!

Confession time… I have never read any of Jane Austen’s novels😬 Emma of 83rd Street is a modern retelling of the classic, Emma, and while I cannot comment on the likeness of the two, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I thought the writing had a great flow and it was a quick, easy read. Emma is such a likable character and I adored her friendship with Nadine. Knightley is absolutely swoon-worthy and I loved the relationship between him and Emma. The slow burn in this one is slowww then everything wraps up rather quickly which I am not the biggest fan of. Overall I thought this was a fantastic book and one I highly recommend!

Confession: I have never read the original Emma by Austen but have seen Clueless countless times. (That counts, right?) But the synopsis seemed cute and figured why not. And it was cute. I liked the relationship of Emma and Knightley from childhood friends to adulthood. The sunshine/grumpy and childhood friends to lovers tropes are alive and well in this book. Loved the slow burn and the book was entertaining and humorous.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this eArc. Emma of 83rd Street is out now. A great summer read!

Emma of 83rd Street is the latest modern/rom com take on a Jane Austen novel. Austen’s classic novel Emma gets a modern retelling that feels similar to Clueless but not as much fun. Emma of 83rd Street is an enjoyable rom com perfect for beach of poolside reading.

Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding is going to be a huge win for these authors. I absolutely LOVE this book! I love the retelling of the classic Jane Austen book Emma with it's modern day twist. I see so many movies in this book. From another review someone mentioned the movie Clueless and I couldn't agree more! Emma wins its readers over with humor, wit, banter, and flirtation. It leaves hopeless romantics like myself, wanting more.

This is the best Jane Austen adaptation I’ve read in a long time! Emma wins its readers over with humor, wit, banter, and flirtation. It leaves hopeless romantics like myself, wanting more. Kudos to Bellezza and Harding for an amazing debut. I can’t wait until you publish your next!

Emma is a well to-do graduate student studying art 🖼️. She lives with her father and sister in a beautiful brownstone on 83rd Street in New York City and is the epitome of fashion 👛 and grace. She has everything that she could ever want except for one thing…love.

Emma becomes known by family and friends as quite the matchmaker 💕 for setting up her sister and childhood best friend (Ben) at one of the Woodhouse’s annual Christmas parties. When Margo and Ben get married, Emma finds herself lonelier than usual and works to find a match for new friend, Nadine. Emma finds it easy to help others fall in love but can’t quite figure out the perfect equation for herself. However, handsome (and stubborn) neighbor Knightley keeps running 🏃‍♂️ through her mind. Will opposites 🧲 attract? Will Emma and Knightley let their walls down and acknowledge a good thing when they see (and feel) it?

What I loved:
💕 Emmas huge heart even if motive may be a little misplaced at times.
💕 Knightley’s stubborn and slightly grumpy demeanor.
💕 The deep connection that the Woodhouse’s and Knightley’s have had since childhood, as well as how protective they are of each other. Family dinners and other traditions are delightful.
💕 The humor that the authors plant throughout the story. The book is beautifully crafted!

Ahhhh this was so good! Most definitely one of my favorite romances of the year! I wasn't expecting to love Emma of 83rd Street so much - OH HOW I LOVE BOOKISH SURPRISES.

I haven't read Emma yet (embarrassing, I know..But I will soon) but this retelling has made me so interesting in the classic now! Fans of the timeless classic will find a new favorite in this, surely. The childhood-friends-to-lovers trope always hits! I loved the swoon-worthy dyanamic between Emma and Knightley so very much. The angst, the pining, the slow-burn - EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT. I swooned, I laughed, I screamed.

I am so impressed with the authors' writing styles! Can't wait to read more from them. ❤️

Many thanks to the publisher for the e-ARC. ✨

The slowest of slow burns. Friends to lovers. I’m going to tell you right now that you need to buckle in because the slow burn continues to about 80%. I’ve never seen or read Emma, but as someone who has watched Pride and Prejudice SEVERAL times, the MMC is giving Darcy vibes in the best way. Comfortingly predictable with a few good laughs. For a debut novel, I thought this was very good! 4/5 stars.

Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding is a spin on the Jane Austen classic, Emma. Emma has also inspired movies like Emma and Clueless.

I love this take on Emma. Emma herself was a great character. She does come off as vapid but she was a solid character who shows growth. Knightley was a great MMC. He is well written and I loved the dual POV. It is nice to see things from Knightley's perspective. The side characters really help the book come to life. I suspect that we will see a book featuring Knightley's friend, Darcy.

This book was a quick, cute read. I think that the authors did a fabulous job and I can't wait to read more things by them.

Thank you to NetGalley, Audrey Bellezza, Emily Harding, and Gallery Books. This review is my own opinion.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, sweet and held my interest. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, and it was such a fun read! Emma‘s specialty is giving makeovers, and she befriends Nadine, who just moved to NYC. She helps style Nadine and shows her all the ins and outs of New York. Enter Knightley, who is her childhood friend and next-door neighbor. Emma and Knightley couldn't be more perfect for each other. Even though Knightley and Emma are complete opposites, they are very much compatible. Between their constant bickering at each other, you can tell that they genuinely care for each other. They tell each other the hard truths even though they don't want to hear them. I loved Emma’s character development throughout the story, from her wanting to insert herself into people's situations to then truly seeing what she was doing and becoming self-aware. Emma also doesn't want handouts just because of her father's status. She goes through the emotions of finally standing up for herself. I loved the relationships within this story and not just Emma and Knightley’s. I need to find me a Knigtley ASAP talk about swoon 😍

This was the light hearted, pull at the heart strings kind of book I needed right now! We got to live in a very specific, typically unattainable part of New York City society with Emma as she navigated life as a young 20-something. I absolutely loved the relationships with all of the people in her life and really wish I could go to a Sunday dinner.

Oh my, Emma of 83rd Street was delightful! This is such a charming retelling of Jane Austen's Emma and I enjoyed every moment of it. The tension between Emma and Knightley was SO good. Emma's character growth was stellar. The side characters were just right and the NYC setting was just right too. I really loved this one! I read this a few books after Pineapple Street and I felt Emma of 83rd Street was a great complimentary story and a wonderful, lighter follow up when you are craving something similar to Pineapple Street. I'm excited to read more by these authors in the future and I really hope it's another Jane Austen retelling!

Emma of 83rd Street is out today- May 23rd! Order or request from your library now!! Thank you Gallery Books and Netgalley for my e-arc!

I loved this book! As a New Yorker, it’s everything I want in a story that takes place here.
Something new and refreshing that also feels like a touch of home!

For fans of Jane Austen and the movie adaptation, Clueless:

This book is delightful!

I tried to find flaws, but there really aren't any! The modern take on these classic characters is spot-on! I absolutely adore this iteration of Emma! She's one of my favorite Austen heroine's, especially due to her naive nature and good heart.

In this romantic debut, Jane Austen’s Emma finds love on 83rd Street in Manhattan. This story is told by childhood friends, Emma and Knightly, as they navigate their feelings with a backyard between them.

Emma of 83rd Street is a blend between the movie Clueless and Austen’s Emma. I throughly enjoyed Emma’s jaunts throughout NYC, her fashions and her commitment to doing good for others.

This romance was great fun in a modern world.

Thank you Gallery books for the complimentary copy of this novel in paperback.