Book Review of
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion

Lynn's Review

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 1 by Beth Brower is a historical fiction book published in 2019.

Set in 1883, this book is the journal of Emma M. Lion as she returns to London. Her plans do not go as planned thanks to her eccentric cousin Archibald. 

This book is written like you are reading a journal, so in many ways it reads like a nonfiction memoir or journal-type book.

This is book one in a series that has been all over social media for the last year or so. I have seen so many people rate this book as a new favorite and a five-star read. Many people are comparing it to Jane Austen and L.M. Montgomery. 

The popularity of this book is why it took me so long to read it. I often don’t love books that receive a lot of hype. 

After a vacation that did not go as planned and a bit of a reading slump, I needed something quick and easy to read that would help get me out of my reading slump. 

This book was perfect for that. At just over one hundred pages, it was a quick, easy, fun read. 

However, it wasn’t a five-star read for me or a new favorite. It was good. I am glad I read it. I will probably keep reading the series. I think they would make great books for when I need a quick comfort type of read, but I don’t think the writing is quite the same quality as Jane Austen’s. 

Yes, I know you might disagree with me on that, and that is fine. I get why people love this book. I liked it, I just didn’t love it.