This was a really interesting modern adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma." I like the coding spin on Emma's match-making and framing her as unable to "get" love was also a refreshing update to why Emma is single. While Cantor includes a lot of nods to the original story, this book is very much her own and the story reflects this.

I appreciate the diverse update, including same-sex couples, and that Emma isn't obsessed with match-making, she's just interested in creating the perfect algorithm for love so that she can win a coding competition. Emma, in this book, is very anti-romance, which made her a lot different than her original source, which I liked. I also appreciate how Cantor provided such a wide cast of characters and allowed Emma to create a friendship with Jane Fairfax.

I do miss the strong friendship with Knightly from the original story. In this book, it's a mutual respect for academic talent that grows into something more, but I think the overall romance of the story makes sense and is pretty sweet.

Ultimately, this is a pretty cute YA romance with decent writing and characters. I'd definitely recommend it for fans of romance writers like Sarah Dessen or Stephanie Perkins.

Well, it doesn't get much better than this. I know exactly nothing about coding but I love books that push the idea of online dating/dating app. Teenagers are smart as heck and giving them credit for putting this together is something I think books do a great job with.
I also adore the whole "science thinks these people are compatible but wait why do I have feelings for this person instead?" moment. Whenever characters have that "OH" moment it's one of the greatest things any romcom can do. And I think CFLAH does it well.
Oh and did I mention it's a Jane Austen retelling? Yeah, it is. And, honestly, that should make you pick it up on your own. Because this kind of sweet, cute, geeky, trope-y book is exactly what we all need right now. If you're looking for something light and good for escapism I would suggest picking it up. I gave it 4/5 stars so, I mean, clearly I liked it well enough haha.

Initial Thoughts

I was really excited to be part of this tour. Emma is one of my favorite Jane Austen novels and I’m a huge math nerd. I loved the concept of this book.

Some Things I Liked

Set in New Jersey. My home state! I loved that I could connect with the main character in this way. Everything that was mentioned felt so familiar and I just loved that.
Math as a theme. I totally understood the way Emma felt about people and numbers. Numbers make sense, numbers are logical, people are not. Again, I really connected with the main character over our mutual love of math and I was a lot like her in high school.
Emma / Clueless retelling. I love both of these and I was so pleased with this modern interpretation of the story.

Series Value

This felt like a standalone story. While I’d love to read a follow up with these characters, Emma was a standalone so it makes sense that this would be as well.

However, I’d absolutely love to see more of what Jillian Cantor writes. I loved this story and the writing style.

Final Thoughts

I finished this book all in one sitting. I really enjoyed it. I felt like I really connected with the main character and once again, this is a book that I would have really enjoyed when I was in high school.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord – if you enjoyed the idea of a technology based rom-com / retelling, try this stand alone from Emma Lord.
My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmerman – if you enjoyed the concepts of a shy main character who doesn’t totally understand relationships or love, try this stand alone.

As a Jane Austen fan I was excited for this modern day re-telling of Emma. Emma Woodhouse and George Knightly are co-presidents of coding club who create an app to match students at their school. It was a fast paced, light-hearted, and fun read. Perfect for any young Austen fans, teens interested in coding or anyone in the mood for some high school drama.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

Title: The Code for Love and Heartbreak
Author: Jillian Cantor
Genre: YA
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Emma Woodhouse is a genius at math, but clueless about people. After all, people are unreliable. They let you down—just like Emma's sister, Izzy, did this year, when she moved to California for college. But numbers...those you can count on. (No pun intended.)

Emma's senior year is going to be all about numbers, and seeing how far they can take her. When she and George, her Coding Club co-president, are tasked with brainstorming a new project, The Code for Love is born—a matchmaking app that goes far beyond swiping, using algorithms to calculate compatibility. George disapproves of Emma's idea, accusing her of meddling in people's lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works. At least at first.

Emma's code is flawless. So why is it that perfectly matched couples start breaking up, the wrong people keep falling for each other and her own feelings defy any algorithm? Emma thought math could solve everything. But there's nothing more complex—or unpredictable—than love.

This was an excellent and unique re-telling of Emma! Emma is beyond clueless about people—to the point it’s actually funny to see what she’ll fail to understand next, but she’s so likable and relatable. I felt sorry for her while wanting her to succeed and learn from her mistakes. And George is just so lovable!

The prose flows smoothly here, not getting in the way of the story. Any awkwardness is due to Emma—and maybe Jane—not author intrusion or clunky writing. This was a fun read that did not disgrace Jane Austen.

Jillian Cantor lives in Arizona. The Code for Love and Heartbreak is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.)

I am going to preface this with an I love Austen statement. I, also, love retellings.

Is this an entirely character-for-character, plot-for-plot retelling? No. And thank goodness. I appreciated the updates. Always important to integrate some diversity into classic retellings.

Does the last of communication between the teens in the story bug me? Um, yeah. But it frustrates me in every YA book. And, based on my years working with teens, it is a very accurate problem.

For libraries: If you are looking for a good clean, romantic read? You can't go wrong here.

Emma is a math nerd and has been totally dependent on her sister for any semblance of a social life through high school. This year, her sister, Izzy, is off to college and Emma must find her own way in the social realm. (That is if she wants to be social.) She convinces her coding club to make a matchmaking app and that drives her senior year. She learns all about relationships along the way.
Opinion
This is an absolutely cute book. The characters are superb and develop nicely through the story. The multiple side plots enhance the story wonderfully. I would recommend this book to anybody but teens in particular. Well done.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Code For Love and Heartbreak

Author: Jillian Cantor

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended For...: romance lovers, classic retellings

Publication Date: October 6, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, slight sexual content)

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 304

Synopsis: Emma Woodhouse is a genius at math, but clueless about people. After all, people are unreliable. They let you down—just like Emma's sister, Izzy, did this year, when she moved to California for college. But numbers...those you can count on. (No pun intended.)

Emma's senior year is going to be all about numbers, and seeing how far they can take her. When she and George, her Coding Club co-president, are tasked with brainstorming a new project, The Code for Love is born—a matchmaking app that goes far beyond swiping, using algorithms to calculate compatibility. George disapproves of Emma's idea, accusing her of meddling in people's lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works. At least at first.

Emma's code is flawless. So why is it that perfectly matched couples start breaking up, the wrong people keep falling for each other and her own feelings defy any algorithm? Emma thought math could solve everything. But there's nothing more complex—or unpredictable—than love.

Review: Overall, this was a good romance. It's a retelling thing of Emma by Jane Austen and the book does well to develop the characters and the romance. The story was also intriguing for me and it helped me get through the book.

However, I do feel like the book was a bit too slow paced and too predictable. The book also had a "meet in the middle" trope which I'm kinda bored of.

Verdict: It was cute but slow.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy!

There's a lot to love about this book! Girls in STEM, the positive message, a realistic friend group, an unpredictable slow-burn romance, a swoony male lead, and excellent writing. From the synopsis and the first few chapters, I worried that Emma might fall into an NLOG trope but Jillian Cantor does a good job of mitigating those issues with humor and solid character developement. Emma is unreliable, but the dramatic irony in her social interactions make her personality more interesting than irritating.

I also want to mention that this book has a TON of plot and character similarities with other YA contemporary romances. I found myself comparing this book to To All The Boys frequently and I would have liked some more originality in some of the plot points.

Coding + Romance = A cute story. Emma doesn’t know anything about love, but she does know all about numbers. When her older sister Izzy goes off to college she makes an offhand comment telling Emma to “code herself a boyfriend”. Emma decides to take her sister‘s advice literally deciding to create a dating app for the coding club competition. Things start out with a bang there’s lots of interest and people finally know who Emma is. Even better these couples seem to be working out. But as time goes on things start to fall apart not only between these couples set up by the app, but in Emma‘s personal life as well. But how can it be when the numbers don’t lie?

This was fun, although somewhat predictable. It is an Emma retelling. But I have to admit having not read the first Emma I would have no idea if this holds true or not? Emma was a likable character although somewhat stereotypical. I liked how she formed new friendships with the members of the coding club. The romance was sweet, and I was glad she ended up with who she did. My only complaint is I wish there was more character development and character growth in Emma. I think she saw the error of her ways, or did she?

This book in emojis 💻 👨‍👧‍👧 📱 🎓 🎒

*** Big thank you to Ink Yard Press for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

The Quick Cut: A high school senior girl tries to distract herself from her sister who left for college by focusing entirely on her school's coding team. They enter a national coding competition with a matching app for dating.  

A Real Review: Thank you to Inkyard Press for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.   
 High school is a time to learn and prepare for the future, but for many it's also about socializing, making friends, and dating. How can you know who in your social pool is the best match for you dating wise? Is it someone you've thought about confessing feelings for or someone you never anticipated? For Emma, she has found the solution by using her passion for math to create an app to match people based on numbers. 
 Emma has never been very far from her older sister Izz, but when she follows her boyfriend John to college in California, she is suddenly left in a high school for one more year without a social crowd to be around. Instead of wallowing in the feelings of her missing sister, she pours all her energy into the coding club at school and ensuring that the project they put forward is one that earns them first place. It's when she thinks back on her sister asking Emma to "code a boyfriend" that her idea for a project comes to life: create a program that uses coding to match people together for dating. Will her app idea work successfully to create happy couples AND win them the national coding competition? Or will it fail instead? 
 This is a unique retelling of the classic book "Emma" and it really does put its own spin on the classic story. Retellings can be tricky because sometimes authors stick too close to the original and don't give it a new flavor while others verge so far that they don't resemble at all what it's meant to retell. This one hits the goldilocks zone and tells a modern tale that you can see the original classic tale through. On top of all that, it also manages to tell a story that captures your heart while also staying fairly true to reality. 
 Not everything in the story is rosy. People get sick, couples don't work out, friendships go through strenuous situations, and people don't always get what they want. This story does not wrap up everything in a pretty bow and I appreciate it so much more for that. This doesn't feel like a perfectly happy place where everything works out like a Disney tale. The story here does give you the impression that it could really happen in any high school in some fashion. That realism that the story gives you only makes it even easier to put yourself in your shoes. 
 Emma is easy to relate to as the lead of the book. She's driven, determined, close to her family, and doesn't use relationships with boys to fill her time. She is such a personality that although she makes mistakes, she's someone that you can look up to because she doesn't let other people define her. Instead of focusing on relationships, she instead places her energy on projects and doing the best she can to succeed in securing a hopeful future. It's also clear that she's imperfect and like any of us, gets mad and makes mistakes. This is the type of character you want to emanate.
 A cute contemporary story that focuses on more than just relationships. 
My rating: 5 out of 5

4.5 stars

This was so fun! When I think of an Emma retelling my automatic go to is, of course, Clueless. I had fun following the story and characters in regards to their correlating character or sequence in Clueless. Obviously, not everything adds up, but it was really entertaining. I loved having the coding aspect be such a huge and important plot point of the story. It was such a unique way to modernize Emma and present the story to a new audience.

It could have been really easy to have made Emma a stuck up know-it-all who bosses everyone around, but she actually took people’s comments and points of view into consideration a lot. She was stubborn and strong in her convictions especially when it comes to love, but you could always feel the softness and care she felt for George. Can we talk about George? What a guy! Probably one of the most upstanding, understanding, and patient love interests I've read in a long time.

I highly recommend this sweet contemporary.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Inkyard Press, NetGalley, and Jillian Cantor for the eARC of The Code for Love and Heartbreak, out on 10/6/20!

The Code for Love and Heartbreak is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma. Keeping most of the character names (spoiler alert if you’ve read the original), this time Emma is a high school senior who is the co-president of the coding club, along with longtime friend George. With one last chance to advance to the nationals round of the coding competition, Emma wants to go all out and pushes for a matchmaking app that uses a mathematical model to match students in their high school with their “soulmate”. Emma has always believed in numbers over people and is sure that the algorithm won’t let them down. And…it doesn’t, for a little while at least when even Emma starts to question what to do when personal feelings and the numbers don’t match.

Overall, I thought this was a cute book (and the ending made me swoon)…but, I wanted more. Coding, especially women in coding, is such a cool concept! This book could have really been a great example of demonstrating all the things that can be done in tech, but Cantor stuck with the “nerd” narrative and just kept throwing out the terms “coding” and “app” instead of providing any depth.

I will say I loved the quirkiness of the characters, but they also felt a little flat. Having read the original, Emma is not supposed to be the most likable person in the world, and aside from a few unnecessary outbursts, this Emma was tolerable. Her dad and sister felt forced and the randomness of their appearances kind of threw me in and out of the story, I think I would have preferred more time with Emma and her friends and less time for family drama because it just didn’t fit well. There were also more than a few storylines introduced that didn’t seem to go anywhere.

Despite some of the issues I had with this book, I’d still recommend reading, especially those looking for a unique Jane Austen retelling or to those who are interested, or might be interested, in Girls Who Code.

3.5 stars

Elyse (ElyseReadsandSpeaks)
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The Code for Love and Heartbreak by Jillian Cantor
The Code for Love and Heartbreak
by Jillian Cantor (Goodreads Author)
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Read in October 2020
This was so cute!! I'm a sucker for a Jane Austen retelling (especially it's Pride & Prejudice or Emma) so I knew I had to try this one. An Emma retelling featuring a group of coding kids in high school? Yes, please!

Some things didn't translate exactly so I liked that the author tweaked it as necessary. For example, we all know the Mrs. Bates scene with Emma's rude comment. I was going to lose my mind if she had Emma be rude to someone whose husband has dementia. I'm glad that scene was adjusted with Hannah.

And I will say - I still felt the swoon with this depiction of Knightley (George). He was still a stand-up guy in this story and he had the high school version of chivalry. I also really liked that the author changed Emma from a snobby, naive girl with a good heart to a nerdy, stand offish girl who didn't understand people. She was still an Emma that only Knightley could crack and I liked the creative parallel.

I did like Emma and Jane's friendship in this book, but things fell a bit flat for me with Sam (Frank Churchill). He had the charisma, but the relationship with Laura kind of made things confusing with Jane and Emma. In the original novel, everyone thinks Frank will end up with Emma because he always flirts with her and goes out of his way to be friendly with her, which is why being with Jane was such a shock. In this book, the added layer of Laura kind of took the wind from those sails. Also, who is Ben?! And why is he with Robert?! Yes yes, creative license, but still.

Overall, total fun read. If you're a Jane Austen fan and love retellings, this one is a good time.

I have read many contemporary romances in my day, so I didn't think that this one would be anything special, but I was so wrong. First of all, Cantor really hit the nail on the head with this Emma retelling. I love the original story, and she did an amazing job at transitioning the story into the 21st century. I also love her version of the character Emma. I appreciated how Emma was a strong main character in that she was very grounded in who she was as a person, and she knew what she was good at. I felt like it made her character more likable, and also more relatable to readers. I also loved the love story between her and who she ends up with in the end. This is the first time in a long time that a book has made me squeal with happiness. Cantor has written a beautiful story with very strong characters, and I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

The Code for Love and Heartbreak by Jillian Cantor is a witty, contemporary take on Jane Austen’s classic Emma. It’s been years since I read the original story, but from what I remember, Cantor hits the mark modernizing the wayward matchmaker. I started reading this one and didn’t stop til I finished. It’s a quick read, made all the better by the author’s writing style and first-person narrative. Following two teens in their senior year of high school, The Code for Love and Heartbreak is sure to leave you smiling.

Emma Woodhouse is a self-proclaimed math wiz. Numbers make sense to her, they never fail her, and they always tell the truth. It’s people Emma doesn’t understand. With her social butterfly of a sister leaving for college, Izzy makes Emma promise that she will be more social during their year apart. Emma has zero intentions of following through on that promise, but after a few weeks being at home alone in the evenings, she decides to give it a try with her fellow classmates in the coding club.

George Knightley is Emma’s only true friend, at least he understands her like even her family doesn’t. They have the same interests, the same classes, the same goals in life really. But where Emma has no social skills, George excels in this. He tempers her remarks, making her come off as kind, even when she doesn’t realize how mean she may sound. Can you tell yet that I like George?

The story begins with a joke from Izzy to Emma: You could always code yourself a boyfriend. Well, Emma doesn’t code herself a boyfriend, but for the coding club competition she does get a brilliant, at least to her, idea to code a matchmaking program specific to her high school. As you can imagine, this devolves quickly, even if it is a smart idea. George is set against it, and suddenly the boy that has always been by Emma’s side isn’t. The story follows Emma and the club through state competition, from the beginning of the school year to sometime around Valentine’s Day. That’s a lot of time to pack into three hundred or so pages! Despite that, it flows well. I love the relationships Emma develops with her other club members, and how during Izzy’s absence, Emma finds herself doing things she enjoys instead of trying to make her sister happy.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Code for Love and Heartbreak. Emma’s character growth from the beginning to the end is extraordinary. It reminds me a little of that last year of high school, the feelings of this is the end and the beginning, being slightly terrified and unsure but also excited and ready for what life will bring. Cantor invokes all of those feelings in the reader through Emma. If you are in need of a sweet YA rom-com for your reading pleasure, look no further than The Code for Love and Heartbreak.

The classic "Emma" gets a modern, "nerd-y" twist in "The Code for Love and Heartbreak." You'll definitely recognize some characters' names. The similarities are really clever, but there are enough differences to keep the story fresh. Yes, it's a high school romance, but it's not "angst-y" and "whiny." Self-professed computer geeks/math whizzes will love this one. Thanks, Netgalley, for this arc!

I really wanted to love this, but unfortunately didn't. I love the original telling of Emma, and I loved some of the other characters within the book (especially George) but there was just something about Emma that I couldn't stand. Well written and good plot, though!

I was excited to read this story, but a bit scared due to this being a new-to-me author. I’ll admit it was a slow-starter for me. I liked the writing and the characters, even felt a connection with them. But, most likely because of me not having a history with this author, I wasn’t quite trusting the story was going to go where it needed to go. In hindsight, I wish I would have just relaxed and went along for the ride. So, I’m here to tell you to relax and enjoy instead of fretting. You’ll appreciate the story all the more for it.

From the blurb and the premise of this story, it’s obvious Emma and George are supposed to fall for one another. I definitely felt a spark with these two, but that’s where also where I had my problems in the beginning. I didn’t feel the author was giving them enough one on one time for the story to go where it needed to go. Again, this was my own issue. The author, it turns out, knew what the heck she was doing if I would just leave her alone already! Their relationship unfolded just as it needed to, not how I was trying to force it to in my own mind.

Along with George and Emma, we have the rest of the Coding Club. All wonderful characters that help the reader to see how Emma’s brain ticks. They also were a catalyst for Emma to learn to open up a bit and get out of her own bubble. They are all quite patient with her, but I think George really is the only one who truly understands Emma. I loved watching the growth Emma had throughout this story. I found myself becoming quite protective of her and crying for her confusion and pain when things started falling apart.

As a huge Jane Austen fan, I have to say I love that this story is a nod to Emma. Which I didn’t realize before I started reading, even with the main character being Emma Woodhouse. Is it any surprise George’s last name is Knightley?

I look forward to reading more by this author in the future. And next time, I’ll know to trust her and just enjoy the journey.

For me, The Code for Love and Heartbreak was a 3.5 star read (rounded down to 3 stars on Goodreads). This was a cutesy, light-hearted read. If you're looking for a deep book, this isn't it. But if you need an easy romance that you don't have to think a lot about, this is the book for you.

Some good things:
- Emma retelling (I haven't actually read Emma yet, but I'm a sucker for Austen and Austen retellings)
- Cute characters
- Fun, nerdy plot
- Social awkwardness galore
- George Knightly

Some not so great things:

This book got off to a rough start to me. As interested as I was into getting into the story and getting to know the characters, it just felt like a really weak beginning. A lot of aspects, beginning included, gave off a "debut" vibe. Note: this book is not a debut. Cantor is actually a pretty prolific author (although, it looks like her other books are adult? Maybe? Don't hold me to that). It just didn't feel like everything was really thought out that much. Even the app/coding stuff felt a little weak, like she was buzz words to make it seem like she knew what she was talking about.

Just overall this book didn't wow me. It was okay. There was nothing I absolutely hated about it, but it was hard to love, too. Which is disappointing, because I love nerdy love stories.