Emma of 83rd Street

by Audrey Bellezza

Brittany Pressley (Narrator) and Teddy Hamilton (Narrator)

In this witty and romantic debut novel, Jane Austen’s Emma meets the misadventures of Manhattan’s modern dating scene as two lifelong friends discover that, in the search for love, you sometimes don’t have to look any further than your own backyard.

Beautiful, clever, and rich, Emma Woodhouse has lived twenty-three years in her tight-knit Upper East Side neighborhood with very little to distress or vex her…that is, until her budding matchmaking hobby results in her sister’s marriage—and subsequent move downtown. Now, with her sister gone and all her friends traveling abroad, Emma must start her final year of grad school grappling with an entirely new emotion: boredom. So when she meets Nadine, a wide-eyed Ohio transplant with a heart of gold and drugstore blonde highlights to match, Emma not only sees a potential new friend but a new project. If only her overbearing neighbor George Knightley would get out of her way.

Handsome, smart, and successful, the only thing that frustrates Knightley more than a corked whiskey is his childhood friend, Emma. Whether it’s her shopping sprees between classes or her revolving door of ill-conceived hobbies, he is only too happy to lecture her on all the finer points of adulthood she’s so hell-bent on ignoring. But despite his gripes—and much to his own chagrin—Knightley can’t help but notice that the girl next door is a woman now…one who he suddenly can’t get out of his head.

As Emma’s best laid plans collide with everyone from hipster baristas to meddling family members to flaky playboy millionaires, these two friends slowly realize their need to always be right has been usurped by a new need entirely, and it’s not long before they discover that even the most familiar stories still have some surprises.

• ISBN10: 1797157175
• ISBN13: 9781797157177
• Publish Date: 23 May 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Edition: Unabridged
• Format: Audiobook
• Duration: 10 hours and 32 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[The Romantic Comedy Book Club]

Enthralling. Captivating. Hard to put down. All of these describe the charm that is captured in Emma on 83rd Street. Whether you are a fan of Jane Austen’s Emma or one of the many cinematic captures of Jane’s classic tale (i.e. Clueless. If you didn’t know that was based on Emma – now you do and you are welcome), this modern day twist takes us into the heart of New York where the Woodhouse and Knightly clan take on nuisances of the 21st century.

 

Determined, driven, beautiful, and creative are a just a few ways to describe the youngest daughter of the Woodhouse family. Adored by the residence of 83rd Street, Emma Woodhouse knows how to throw a party, bring people together, and help two people find love. At the age of 23 with only one year remaining of graduate school, Emma is trying her hardest to make the most of her single life in New York. While she is proud to have helped her sister Margo find her forever relationship, with her gone and her close friends abroad – Emma finds herself lonely, with only her overbearing neighbor George Knightley to keep her company. That is until she meets Nadine, a midwest transplant that seems so out of place, it would be a disservice not to step in and help her!

 

Contrary to the objections of Knightly that this is only another hair-brained hobby, Emma sets her focus on helping her friend, yet again – find love in the big city – not realizing that love has other plans in mind.

 

For a debut duo novel, hats off to Audrey and Emily. This was a beautifully crafted story for anyone who enjoys a good romance with a classic twist. I can’t wait to see what these two come up with next!