Book Review of
Emma of 83rd Street

Lynn's Review

Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding is a Jane Austen retelling published in 2023.

I picked up this book after listening to an interview with the authors. I don’t read many Jane Austen retellings, but this one sounded like a fun one. 

It is a modern-day version of Emma, set in New York City. Emma comes from a wealthy, upper-class New York Family. George Knightley, also from a rich, upper-class family, has lived next door for years and feels like part of Emma’s family. 

Emma is a graduate student who loves to shop, and Knightly is a successful businessman. They are friends, but they often disagree on various topics. 

I have mixed thoughts on this book, mainly because I did not realize it was a PG-13 romance book. I liked the book but could have done without a few overly descriptive sections. 

I liked the modern New York setting, the family dinners, and the close-knit family and friends. I also liked the rom-com part of the story. 

I wish they had used slightly different names than Emma’s exact names. The other retellings that I have read used different names or at least slightly different names. But that is just a minor thing that I would have changed. 

What I did not like was the spiciness of the book. 

I enjoyed the first three-fourths or so of this book for a light, fun read. However, several scenes towards the end of the book were very open door, or at least they were for me. 

I ended up skimming multiple sections at the end of the book. I don’t like books with very descriptive, PG-13 love scenes. So that makes it hard for me to recommend this one.