This is the second Emma adaptation I've read in the past few months (I recently read Alexander McCall Smith's Emma), and, while it might take more liberties with the story than the first did, it's also infinitely more enjoyable!
I'm excited to be partnering with JustRead Publicity Tours for A Match for Emma's blog tour and giveaway! (So be sure to scroll down to find out how you can enter.)
I'm excited to be partnering with JustRead Publicity Tours for A Match for Emma's blog tour and giveaway! (So be sure to scroll down to find out how you can enter.)
Emma Mitchell may enjoy sprinkling romance into the lives of others, but her own plans involve a single first-class ticket to culinary school in Europe. When her best friend, Jon Noble, suddenly moves back to Ransom, Emma’s fairly certain her life can’t get any better…until her matchmaking schemes nosedive, her culinary future falls flat, and a life-long friendship begins to teeter on the brink of something unexpected. With a little inspiration from Jane Austen’s classic and a touch of Blue Ridge charm, will Jon and Emma discover that what they need the most may be the last thing they’re trying to find?
Title: A Match for EmmaGenre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 21, 2019
I have enjoyed Pepper Basham's books in the past, but I found a new level of enjoyment with A Match for Emma! The main reason is this: of all the Austen heroes, Mr. Knightley is by far my favorite, and Jonathan Noble makes for an excellent Knightley!
A Match for Emma is romantic, amusing, and heart-rending. I love a good friends-to-more romance, and A Match for Emma does the trope well. Emma and Jon have chemistry in spades, and I loved their gradual awakening to their feelings for each other.
I'm not a huge fan of Austen's Emma (the character), and the things that bug me about her also bugged me about this Emma. But that's certainly not an indictment of Basham or her writing; I just don't always enjoy Emma (no matter the adaptation I'm reading or watching). In the same way, I loved Jon, just as I always love Knightley. Basham's Jon is probably my second favorite Knightley, after Jonny Lee Miller's Knightley in the 2009 BBC adaptation.
So, the bottom line: Even when I wasn't loving Emma herself, I was loving this book! I stayed up far too late in order to finish it, and I keep thinking about it. Readers who enjoy Austen adaptations will find much to love in this novel—I know I did! 5 stars.
Buy the book: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository (affiliate links)
Read my reviews of Basham's Mitchell's Crossroads novels A Twist of Faith (3-1/2 stars) and Charming the Troublemaker (4-1/2 stars) and her Pleasant Gap novel Just the Way You Are (4 stars).
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her most recent historical romance, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge, showcases her Appalachian heritage and family history, as well as her love for humor and family.
She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. Her upcoming release, A Match for Emma, is the third book in her popular Mitchell’s Crossroads series.
Pepper loves getting to know readers and other authors through social media. You may also learn more about her on her website!
Connect with Pepper: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a Paris cube decorative tote, paperback copy of Jane Austen's Emma, paperback copy of A Match for Emma (or another one of the Mitchell's Crossroads books, if preferred), a 'love' ornament, a mug that reads "You're my cup of tea", and Misty Mountain handcrafted soap (made locally) - the scent is Mountain Berries!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight November 9, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on November 16, 2019. Open internationally except where prohibited by law or logistics. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
Disclosure of material connection: I received this book from the author through JustRead Tours. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
BECKY!!!!! Thank you SO much for this!! It totally touched my heart that you enjoyed Jon and Emma's story (and especially Jon :-) He's my fav Austen hero too!! I wanted to do him justice in my own way
ReplyDeleteYou definitely succeeded, Pepper. There aren't enough heart eye emojis to properly express my feelings about him ;-)
DeleteI'm with you on that!! And my fav cinematic version of Emma is the Johnny Lee Miller version!! So good!
DeleteYay! Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I really want to read Jane Austen's Emma before I read this, but this book sounds great!
ReplyDeleteIt's so good! Also ... can I admit that I've never actually read Emma? I've read adaptations and watched movies, but I've never read the original!
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