An Emma retelling with an age gap and childhood friends to lovers trope set in New York perfect for fans of Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne.

Prefacing this review to say that I DNFed the original Emma by Jane Austen and had Clueless as the only adaptation that I’ve seen so far. Being a retelling, this may contain some comparisons with the two.

Emma was obviously my least fave Austen book and it’s safe to say that I enjoyed this more than the original. Both main characters are a lot less condescending and insufferable, HA. Tension was also more palpable.

This was well-written and felt cinematic with the 90s romantic comedy films vibe, I guess, given that both authors are TV producers. It’s just that the story itself, while entertaining, may not be for me. Knightley also proved to be too unbearable as this went on for a book boyfriend and for my liking that I almost came to a point that I wanted Emma to even end up with no one and just be happy by herself. This could have benefited from a bit more groveling.

I’m looking forward to the authors’ take on my fave Austen book, Pride and Prejudice, though.

My thanks to Gallery Books, NetGalley and the authors for my copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

Emma of 83rd street is a delightful and modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma. Bellezza and Harding perfectly capture the charming characters and scenes and imbue them with witty observations regarding modern society. This is a great read for Austen fans and contemporary romance readers.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an early copy of this ebook!

Admittedly, I have not read the original ‘Emma’ from Jane Austen, but I have read various retellings of Jane Austen’s works from other authors. I was excited to read this unique retelling of a modern Emma taking place in NYC (one of my favorite settings to read from!).

I absolutely loved the friends to lovers trope and the recurring theme of friendship we followed throughout the novel. However, I found myself often annoyed by our main character while reading (which, due to reader error, I’m not sure if this is consistent with the original novel or not).

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with a cute romance!

Unfortunately, it was difficult for me to connect with this story and the main character. Emma rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn't finish the book.

AMAZING!! This book was beyond adorable!! Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book !! I was completely captivated from the beginning.

Emma Woodhouse and George Knightley have been best friends and neighbors since childhood. The friends-to-lovers, slow-burn romance between them is filled with angst, banter, tension, chemistry, and some spice. I would say the last 10% of the book has steamy scenes !!

Overall, this was a sweet and heartwarming read that deserves ALL the stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I cannot recommend this book enough

This was okay! It was interesting idea, but overall quite forgettable. its not a book where the plot or characters will stick with me.

I thought this was an enjoyable story and even though the romance was barely there, I enjoyed being in their world.

Thank you Net Galley for the copy of this book! I loved this sweet story! Total Clueless vibes through the whole story. I loved Emma and Knightley and their whole entire crew. I want to be invited to Sunday dinner!! I want to start my own Sunday dinner too! Just all around a sweet story and a fun retelling of a classic story.

Emma of 83rd Street is a fun and funny spin on a classic story. It moves along quickly, so I never got bored. I liked the characters, especially Emma and George (aka Knightley). Their relationship feels real and flirty. They've been friends since they were kids, almost like brother and sister, but they start to realize there might be something more between them. It's a quick and easy read that I enjoyed.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Cute story and a great twist on a classic. I enjoyed the banter and the characters. Loved the setting.

Unputdownable adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma that will please Austen experts and also lovers of well-written romance. Emma of 83rd Street is true to the original Emma but updated and relocated to the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This book would be an amazing teaching tool for students to get a grasp of the culture and socioeconomics of Jane Austen's world.

Replacing the society of Victorian England with modern day and fast paced New York does not change the story, but enhances it and makes it so relatable and fun. Also transformed are the roles of Emma and Knightley. Instead of a gentleman's daughter, this Emma is a grad student majoring in Art and her friends are drawn from NYU. I think Jane Austen would be thrilled that this modern Emma is pursuing higher education and a niche career in the Arts while still caring for her needy and opinionated father. Knightley becomes a modern day philanthropist instead of a wealthy gentleman. The writing in this book is modern yet classic. The authors must have fully researched Jane Austen to be so authentic.

The setting of Emma of 83rd Street closely follows the status, cultural gaps, and issues facing the original. especially the matchmaking and not fully appreciating the boy next door's worth as a man and romantic partner. It really captures the light-heartedness and the humor of the original too. Readers could read the original and get a treat by then reading this version as I did. Or they could read this adaptation first and have a deeper understanding of the original. Also a reader could easily read this alone and be thoroughly entertained.

I read deep into the night to see how the book ended, even though I knew how the book ended by reading Emma. I am grateful to have received a free copy of this lively book from NetGalley and Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster and this will be a much treasured book in my Austen collection.

I love stories set in New York City, and having lived on the Upper East Side for a number of years, this book really hit. The writing style wasn't quite by favorite but a NYC retelling is an enjoyable read.

This was an unfortunate DNF for me pretty early on, I just didn't enjoy the writing style at all. The pitch of the story was good but I couldn't get into it.

4.25 stars, rounded down

I love a good Jane Austen retelling and this did not disappoint at all!! Honestly, I wish I would've read this earlier! It took me a while to pick this up because I love Emma and Clueless was just so good, that I was afraid this wouldn't live up to the bar the other two set. Well let me just tell you, I was wrong. This was perfect!

Honestly might like this as a retelling better than Clueless as I felt it stuck to the characters and plot better. Don't get me wrong, I love Clueless, but Emma of 83rd Street didn't have as many deviations from the original plot and characters. I love how they made all of the characters modern without truly changing how Austen had created them.

Emma and George aka Knightley are perfect! I was kind of suspect at the age gap at the beginning, but as the story continues and you see their friendship, it didn't bother me as much. I loved their character development, both as individuals and their relationship. They truly made each other be better people.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a Jane Austen fan since middle school, however, Emma has never been my favorite of her works. Enter a modern retelling where Emma lives in the Upper East Side neighborhood of NYC and while finishing up grad school is bored. She meets another student, Nadine, who will be her latest project/distraction. Her frustrating childhood friend/neighbor, Knightly, likes to remind Emma that adulthood is more than her shopping, hobbies, and throwing parties. Together, the two lifelong friends discover sometimes, you don't have to search farther than your backyard for love.

I love a friends-to-lovers story so I don't know why Emma has never been it for me but this was a fun retelling and I loved all the modern twists especially Emma's love for art as someone who spent a lot of college in Art History courses. I am never going to love a miscommunication trope but this was a very quick read and a sweet retelling. If you love Emma or the early 2000s romcoms set in NYC I think you would love this book.

I am excited that there is going to be a P&P retelling out this August - Elizabeth of East Hampton!

⭐⭐⭐/5

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Usually, I find Emma to be the most annoying of Austen's characters, and my least favorite to read about. But this modern Emma retelling had me changing my mind.

For once, Emma is depicted as naive, sheltered, and young - trying to do better but not knowing the best way to grow into her adulthood. It was a refreshing take on the story, which was so fun to see adapted to modern-day Upper East Side Manhattan.

Why We Liked it: Nadine, George, Emma, and the rest of the crew came to life in a way that felt fresh - a true accomplishment given how well-known the story is.

An Emma retelling is always a dicey prospect, since not only is there the bar set by the original, but by Clueless as well. I enjoyed this book and appreciated how it hit the beats of the original the plot while not just trying to be the Manhattan version of the 90s classic. Emma herself had a good mix of spoiled, well-intentioned, and unsure, and the supporting characters helped to flesh out the story. I’m not quite sure how I feel about Emma and Knightley’s ages, but their relationship dynamic was an interesting mix of chemistry with a tinge of angst. Though he was a bit sharper or meaner than I expected at times compared to the idea of Knightley we’ve come to know. This is a fun interpretation of a classic, especially if you love reading about NYC (I do).

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

It took me a while to pick this book up because Emma is my least favorite Austen character. I wish I'd picked it up sooner, because this was a fantastic retelling that I thoroughly enjoyed. There seemed to be a hint that another retelling of Pride and Prejudice was in the works, and I wait impatiently to find out if my assumption is true.

This was such a delightful read. Emma Of 83rd Street is the modern version of Jane Austin's novel Emma.
This is a laugh out loud comedy that will tug at your heartstrings. I loved the banter between the characters -- it flowed well, and I had to keep turning those pages. Can't wait for the next book!