Emma of 83rd Street

Sign me up for anything Austen related. I reread her books most years. I watch any and every adaptation I can get my hands on. Heck, I even have all the comics of her works.

Austen. Fangirl. Right. Here.

Emma of 83rd Street brings the classic tale of Jane Austen’s Emma to life in a modern, wealthy New York setting. Emma is a grad student who is studying to get her masters is Art History from NYU. Our modern Emma is everything her 200 years+ counterpart was: Kind, smart, independent, spoilt and loves to meddle in all matters of the heart. Knightley is the perfect brooding, strong viewed hero. This modern version still serves as Emma’s only real critic. Perfection.

The entire retelling was so well thought out. There were so many nods to the classic. It was brilliant. Fast, easy and a super fun read with a sprinkling of spice. Oh… and before I forget to swoon - WE HAVE POV CHAPTERS FROM KNIGHTLEY!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the authors for the chance to read this early. All thoughts are my own ☺️

I absolutely loved this fresh new take on Jane Austen's Emma by Bellezza and Harding. Devouring it in 2 days, it was beautifully written, fresh, funny and super sexy. Austen's characters are brought back to life in such a witty and lovable way that leaves you wanting more and more. I hope there is more to come from these authors soon!

Thanks to Netgalley for sharing this incredible book.

This novel is a charming, modern-day retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma.
Bellezza and Harding’s Emma centres around twenty-three year old Emma Woodhouse, who resides on the Upper East Side and her neighbour Mr. George Knightley.
Emma is as much charming as she is a meddler, often meddling in the personal lives of those she holds dear.
This novel is a gem as it humorously and authentically develops Emma for the modern reader. Her character development, as well as the development of her relationships over the course of the book, were intriguing and heartfelt. There were times where I genuinely wanted to hug her and say “It will all be okay.” Also, the banter between Emma and Knightley will make you laugh and swoon almost simultaneously. Overall, this novel is a treat that will pluck at your heart strings! You will find yourself cheering for Emma through her mistakes and triumphs.

I would like to thank netgalley and simon and schuster Australia for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Emma is perhaps my favourite novel of all time, so I am always on the look out for new retellings! Emma of 83rd Street was definitely a great adaptation of the original book. The writing was easy to read, I finished the book in a couple of days. Emma and Knightley are also my favourite Austen couple, and this novel definitely does them justice. The age-gap was well-adjusted to the modern setting. The romance really was so cute, I was swooning the whole time whiling reading. Overall, a truly enjoyable read!!

Yes to everything about this book! It had great characters who felt real and multidimensional. Their relationships didn’t feel forced or too neat but beautifully messy and the highs and lows all felt.

Emma was intelligent, passionate, and often not taken seriously by those around her due to her privilege and position in the family. I loved getting to see all the sides of her the book showed and having so much depth really made the book one I couldn’t put down.

Outstanding Austen modernization set in NYC. While I loved Emma and Knightly, I was especially enamoured with the world the authors created on the Upper East Side. Two large, fancy houses but with enchanting back gardens that connect our two main characters from childhood by a well-worn path. The entire book was delightful. I hope to see more from this duo of writers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this modern take on a well loved classic! Emma is my second favourite Austen novel, and this reimagining is such a breath of fresh air. Emma is a witty, fun, determined protagonist who hasn’t made the best decisions with men in the past, is determined to make her own way in life, and feels the need to matchmake everybody she meets. Knightly is portrayed just right- handsome, independent and, more often than not, alone. I’m actually glad the age gap was reduced as well. The chemistry was sizzling and the banter was spectacular. It was clear which characters were based on their original counterparts which is a great thing! It was a fun, fast paced Austen reimagining. Delightful.

There’s something extremely comforting in reading a story you know; if there wasn’t, readers wouldn’t have favourites that they read over and over again, despite knowing all the minutiae by heart. There’s something magical about reading a story you know that isn’t ACTUALLY the story you know, as with Emma of 83rd Street.

The basics of Emma are there, with some twist and updates to keep the characters current, and also some of my least favourite ones don’t feature (I’m talking about you, Mrs Elton). The important part, with updates and retelling, is that you keep the core values of the book and - thankfully - that’s what has happened here.

If you’ve read Austen’s Emma, you know how annoying she is at the beginning and how she develops and matures throughout (sometimes against her will); the same can be said for this Emma. Another key dynamic that has remained is the relationship between Emma and Knightley. I LOVED what they did with this, having some chapters from Knightley’s perspective - which just wasn’t the done thing when Austen was writing. I also really enjoyed how their relationship developed and changed as the story progressed.

In short, this was a very clever, modern version of Emma that managed to avoid falling into a Clueless remake trap. And no pressure to the authors but I can see where you’re heading and I’m ready for book two whenever you are…

Thank you to the authors, the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Love love loved this book! Thanks to NetGalley for the copy.
This was a gorgeous story, with a balanced mix of slow-burn and grumpy to sunshine romance, and a lovely story line thrown in!
Main character Emma Woodhouse is a modern-day ‘Clueless’ Cleo Horowitz. With plans of completing her degree and getting her dream job on her one merits, Emma, meets many other characters on her journey. Taking pity on the new student, she becomes fast friends with Nadine, under the guise of introducing her to being a singleton in New York. Familial relationships between her sister and widowed father are deep enough to understand the dynamics, as well as the neighbours they grew up with.
A thoroughly enjoyable endearing story of growing up, realisations, and finding HEAs.

This was such a charming read - I absolutely loved this reimagining of Emma.

The characters are all so wonderful and I found myself looking forward to all the Sunday dinners. I was even invested in Nadine's love life and Margot and Ben's marriage. Oh and Knightley (swoon)! I enjoyed the sparks between Emma and Knightley whenever they were together, which was not often enough!

Overall, it is a fun, wholesome story and I did not want it to end!

I thank NetGalley for providing the digital ARC.