Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

3 1/2 ⭐️ rounded up

As a love of all things Austen and hockey, I wanted to love this more than I did. It was a fast, fun and cute read and I did enjoy it, but the going back and forth between first and third person narrative for the two main characters made it a little awkward. I think I would have preferred both to be in first person so we got more insight into Gale’s thoughts and emotions, like we did with Harriet’s. Is this the next Jane Austen? No. Was this a fun read, and like watching one of those cheesy rom-coms that just make you happy? Yes, and I will definitely read others in this series, because sometimes you just need some fun.

The book has a lot to offer! Although there were a few elements that didn’t fully connect with me, I can still recognize the craft and care that went into the story.

It’s clear the author put heart into this book, and for that reason, I’m glad I gave it a read. I would definitely recommend :)

2.5ish! 😅

I was excited for this one and slowly lost interest until I was struggling to finish.

I unfortunately compare STEM novels to Ali Hazelwood’s work (especially when it’s marketed as Ali Hazelwood meets Jane Austen) and this just doesn’t hold a flame. It was messy and tried to tackle too many different topics and conflicts, making the cadence really choppy and all over the place.

What made it really difficult to read was Harriet’s chapters being in first person and Gale’s chapters being in third person. I haaaaated that. I also think it could’ve been much shorter because the first half of the book was really slow moving.

Maybe I need to referesh myself on Jane Austen, maybe this books just sucks… I don’t see where Jane Austen comes into play other than the fact that Harriet’s AI model is named after one of her novels.

Unlike Ali Hazelwood’s STEM romances, this was incredibly boring. I just do not think it was executed well at all. It should not be marketed as Jane Austen meets Ali Hazelwood!

The point of view is another issue I had with the book. Harriet’s perspective is told through first-person, while Gale’s perspective is third-person. It makes no sense to me, and was honestly confusing to read. Additionally, the chapters stopped stating the POV after chapter 3 (I am aware that this most likely will be fixed prior to publishing).

I just did not enjoy this book. The E.M.M.A Effect did not pull me in (beyond the fact that it’s supposed to be Jane Austen inspired), and at no point while reading this book did I have a hard time putting it down.

Tropes: Hockey, Friends to Lovers

Spice: 3/5

Oh boy, I have a lot to say about this book and unfortunately it is not good. This hockey romance follows a Harriet, our FMC, who is a coding scientist that is hoping her new sports forward AI software can receive funding. She is coerced into testing the software out on her secret crush and best friend's younger brother, Gale, who also happens to be the town's hockey star. Gale, our MMC, has been in a slump for his season and is ready to try anything to improve his performance. The catch of the AI is that while it is supposed to give statistical feedback and improvements towards athletes, the software feels that a romantic match up between Harriet and Gale is the only solution for his improved game and overall mood.

This story includes the heartbreak of a family member, the lack and growth of self esteem, the acknowledgment of familial failure, and the appearance of newborn kittens. As readers, we bounce back and forth between the viewpoints of the FMC and the MMC.

I am aware that this is an unpublished story and that it will (hopefully) go through more rounds of editing before printing. For my first critique, I never felt drawn in by this story or its characters. The hook did not exist; I could have put this book down at any time and would not have wondered about the ending. Everything felt too perfect or formulaic from the get go. I felt that the plot for the story was laid out too quickly and should have been drawn out over numerous chapters. More on that point following the Spoiler Alert. After learning the name of the AI software, I forgot it by the next page. There was nothing to draw me in and I love a good STEM story. This just lacked character development or intrigue.

Secondly, the grammatical and spelling errors were numerous throughout the entire book. When reading Harriet's view point, we were in first person and in the present tense. When reading Gale's view point, we were in third person and in past tense. I personally dislike any first person and any present tense writing; it feels unrefined and everything could be conveyed in third person. Here, it made me wonder if there were two authors or if AI was actually writing one of the view points.

To expand on the grammatical errors, an instance that cropped up all the time and even on the same page, would be in regards to E.M.M.A. When it would provide feedback to Harriet, sometimes there would be a line break and then italicized text before the response. But later, there would not be a page break and the response would be in all caps. Or, there would be quotation marks and proper punctuation. I repeatedly reread the paragraph, believing that Harriet was conversing with a real human. There is a lack of consistency with the fictional software.

For my third critique, I feel that the author forgot what the characters were wearing or holding or doing within numerous scenes. The action would go from Point A to Point D without covering anything in the middle. For example, Harriet is outside and holding an umbrella in a downpour. That umbrella is the only way that Gale is able to identify her while in the parking lot. But only a handful of pages later, her arms are otherwise occupied and the umbrella has mysteriously disappeared. This occurs when the characters are supposedly sitting down for a meal but all of a sudden the counter is digging into her back. Or she is wearing a skirt on one page but then pants a few pages later?

Finally, there are a lot of loose ends and plot holes. The secondary characters lack development and relatability; any conflict that could develop between Harriet and her supposed enemies is lost to the ether. The end of the book came out of nowhere, I still feel that three major points to the story were never wrapped up.

I cannot recommend this book in its current state.


*******************Spoiler Alert*****************



In regards to the plot being laid out too quickly, this happens in Gale's first chapter. He makes a comment about wanting someone to just tie him up. As soon as that was stated, my hackles were raised. I am all for BDSM and exploring sexual tendencies. But when it is this early into a story, I feel that I am essentially about to read a low tier porn. I would like to see his first three or four chapters exploring his lack of control in his daily life vs the demands that society puts upon him. Only then do I want his admission of wanting to be taken over by someone else. That is development and character relation. And of course Harriet craves control in the bedroom! This is a book where everything happens exactly as it should without any obstacles.

I want to feel Gale's anger and grief regarding his father. I grew tired of reading through the memory of his dad's failure; I enjoyed the chapter when Gale was truly seeing his dad's reflection instead of his own. As a reader, I want to read about Gale confronting his dad's death for a few chapters. I want to see Gale and Brooke talk about that immediately. We never got that, we only read about Gale fighting an opposing teammate and being suspended for two games.

2.5⭐️
The E.M.M.A. Effect was a fun nod to Jane Austen’s Emma that didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It almost had too many things going. The mythology, hockey, a.i. matchmaking, best friend’s brother trope and the Austen storyline it was trying to mash in there was all too much. I know these were two characters that had history but it read very insta-love since none of the relationship building really happened on the page. Also, the switching from first person POV in Harriet’s chapters to third person POV in Gales’ seemed like a weird choice.

Overall, I feel similarly about this book that I did about Lia Riley’s Puck and Prejudice and that’s that it was written for a certain audience and that audience just isn’t me. I probably won’t pick up another one of her books.

Thanks NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy of this book!

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

What a lovely book! I enjoyed the dialogue between Harriet and Gale; it was outstanding and the highlight of the book. I also enjoyed Harriet's quirky character and Gale's sensitivity. For me, the pace of the story was bogged down a bit by the talk about E.M.M.A. This could just be me, though, as I did not really understand it, so I was more interested in more back and forth with Harriet and Gale. This book is such a delight, and I had such a great time reading. Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

This book is a fun, fast-paced read with charming banter and emotionally satisfying moments. While it may not break new ground, The E.M.M.A. Algorithm offers enough swoon and science to make it worth the time for rom-com fans looking for something smart and sweet.

So happy to have this arc from NetGalley! I ate this book up and thoroughly enjoyed myself! Loved the unique storyline and the mmc/fmc I fell for pretty quickly. I'm not the biggest fan of friends to lover but I couldn't put this one down! E.M.M.A. was an amazing additional and I adored when our fmc was interacting with 'her' lol so much fun. Definitely rec picking this book up!

The E.M.M.A Effect by Lia Riley is a friends-to-lovers, opposites-attract steamy STEM romance. Harriet's team has developed an AI assisted product to optimize elite athletes performance, she just needs to convince her best friend's younger brother to be her test subject. Gale was the star for his hockey, but has been struggling during the recent season. When Harriet asks him to participate, he jumps at the chance, especially since he has had a crush on her since forever! This book was so fun and different! I really enjoyed learning about how AI was being utilized in sports and I felt like the author did a great job of weaving this into the storyline. Harriet and Gale had great chemistry and their relationship was fun to see progress. This is a great book for fans of Ali Hazelwood.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon & Harper Voyager, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The E.M.M.A. Effect
By Lia Riley

Harriet is the brilliant mind behind EMMA, an advanced AI sports training program designed to optimize athletes’ performance in everything from workouts to nutrition. What Harriet doesn’t realize is that EMMA has quietly developed matchmaking skills, and it’s found the perfect match for her: Gale, a struggling hockey player who just so happens to be her best friend’s younger brother… and longtime crush.

Gale is grappling with the shadow of his father, a once-celebrated hockey player whose life spiraled into tragedy. Now, with his father’s health failing and his own career on shaky ground, Gale turns to Harriet for help getting back on track. But EMMA has its own ideas—and they don’t involve keeping things strictly professional.

Despite the AI’s match alert, Harriet chooses to keep the truth from Gale, instead setting him up on dates with other women while trying to suppress her own feelings. As romantic tension builds between them and the EMMA system starts operating on its own, Harriet must decide: will she hide behind her code, or take a chance on love?

I gave The E.M.M.A. Effect 3.5 out of 5 stars. It’s a clever and fun read with a fresh take on romance and technology. While the pacing toward the end felt a bit rushed and some of the dialogue could have been stronger, the premise was charming and the characters had great chemistry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Meet Harriet and Gale.
Harriet is a computer scientist. Gale is a pro hockey player.
Harriet is testing the E.M.M.A. program for athletes and needs a pro to be her beta tester.
Gale is her best friend's younger brother and has been having a hard time with performance. So Gale becomes the beta tester for E.M.M.A.
E.M.M.A. suggests that Gale needs a romantic relationship with Harriet. Harriet, of course, tries to set Gale up with someone else, but that doesn't work out as Harriet and Gale have undeniable chemistry.
It doesn't help that Harriet is harboring a long-ago crush on Gale.
I thought this was the cutest book!
The plot is well structured, and the pace of the writing is good.
Characters are developed for the most part, and their chemistry was great! I found it easy to connect with Harriet most of the time.
Gives the reader a little spice and everything nice as well!
I like that this book isn't super heavy on the hockey part of the plot and has more story than game.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC and review!
Happy Reading!

I'll admit I'm a sucker for a best friend's sibling romance, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. I've read Lia Riley before, and enjoyed her work, but had a hard time connecting with this. While multiple POVs in a story usually add something, I had an issue with the fact that they were in different person (1st and 3rd).

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Emma Effect” by Lia Riley was a good and entertaining read, the story kept me engaged throughout. I especially appreciated the unique combination of a STEM-focused female lead and a professional hockey player—it was a refreshing dynamic that added depth and charm to the plot. The character development stood out, making it easy to connect with the main characters and care about their journey. It was a really fun read. The concept was fun and felt different from other romances I’ve read. Overall, I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a light, enjoyable, and character-driven romance.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an engaging read! I enjoyed the plot and would read it again.

Best friend’s younger brother (hockey player with injury) and computer nerd AI techie. SO cute! Writing is great, the tension is high, and I couldn’t put it down. Spice 2/5 but perfect. Would read anything she writes!

While this book has potential for me it just kind of fell flat. I did enjoy some of the romance aspects but I didn’t feel like a zing between the mc and fmc. I also wasnt the biggest fan of the switching povs and one being 1st and one being 3rd. overall the story was fun though.

Overall the story was cute. The switch between POVs was a bit off for me and I don't believe EMMA proved to have helped Gales performance so that was lacking for me personally. I did overall enjoy Gale and Harriet's relationship as well as Brookes acceptance of their relationship plus the kittens were a win in my book. EMMAs spunky AI personality was great as well.

This book had its moments—some genuinely cute scenes and a few funny lines that made me smile. The light tone and sweet interactions between the characters gave it an easy, breezy feel, and it worked well as a casual, low-stakes read. The romantic setup had potential, and while the chemistry wasn’t always electric, there were enough charming moments to keep things moving.
That said, I found the point-of-view choices distracting. The female lead’s chapters were written in first person, while the male lead’s were in third, and the inconsistency made it harder to stay immersed in the story. I wish the book had committed to one style or the other—switching back and forth pulled me out of the narrative and made the pacing feel uneven.

Set in Austin, Texas, Harriet Smythe is a computer scientist that needs a pro-athlete to beta test The E.M.M.A., her AI testing program for elite athletes. Her best friend's younger brother and NHL forward Gale Knight fits the bill. Gale has been struggling recently and could use help with his performance. But when The E.M.M.A suggests the best solution is a romantic relationship with her, Harriet's long crush comes back into play. As she tries to set Gale up with someone else, they find their chemistry more and more difficult to resist.

This is the second in a hockey + Austen rom com series from Lia Riley. I really enjoyed the first and found this one to be even better. It was super quick and fun to read. I definitely see the Ali Hazelwood comparisons (and will through in Susannah Nix's Chemistry Lessons series). I liked seeing her and Gale in each of their elements and how they loved to see the other one succeed.

Read this for:
🏒 PhD x Pro Hockey Player
💻 Sibling's best friend
🏒 Age gap (she's five years older)
💻 Austen references (loved the various nods to Emma without being overwhelming)
🏒 Grief and forgiveness

Open door / spicy!

4.75 / 5 stars

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this eARC!