Description

‘I hoovered up these books in a matter of days. I am obsessed’ JENNIE GODFREY, author of The List of Suspicious Things

‘Bridget Jones meets every classic novel you’ve ever loved … This is like finding an unearthed Jane Austen book you never knew about’ STYLIST

‘Strange, considering it all now after a night’s sleep, that I’d had no premonition of what awaited. That seems to be the nature of life, however. Things that ought to come with warnings rarely do.’

The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. It is The Season she must help Arabella secure a husband, while navigating the threat of Aunt Eugenia, the unflagging adoration of Charles Goddard, and the amusing unpredictability of St. Crispian’s. But the secrets of her trusted friends are what might very well bring about disaster.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Publisher Review

The uniqueness makes it fresh and utterly charming. Emma is a sprightly, winning and witty protagonist who you root for from the off as she spars with Archibald and Matilde, the loathsome cousins she is forced to move in with. There are thrilling scrapes, escapades and mysteries to solve, but for all the fun and fizz there is a weight, too * Bookseller * I hoovered up these books in a matter of days. I am obsessed -- JENNIE GODFREY, author of The List of Suspicious Things Satisfied my craving for a relatable heroine after enjoying the TV adaptation of The Other Bennet Sister * RED MAGAZINE * Bridget Jones meets every classic novel you've ever loved ... With a feisty heroine navigating society on her own terms, this is like finding an unearthed Jane Austen book you never knew about * STYLIST * Fresh, cheerful and fizzing with fun * DAILY MAIL * Each new diary-day brings delights, grief, vengeance, odd social interactions - with a hot vicar, the shadowy neighbour, her vile cousin and outrageous friends * SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE * Loved the BBC's The Other Bennet Sister? May we introduce Emma M Lion, a period heroine with gumption * GRAZIA * Emma might share the sunny wonder of Anne Shirley, but her wit and modernity are pure Elizabeth Bennett ... Brower plots the books like a long-running television show ... Think Gilmore Girls in Victorian England * NEW YORK TIMES * If Austen and Bronte had a baby with Bridget Jones, she'd be Emma M. Lion. Super charming, super moreish, super short - ~150 pages each - this series has garnered a mega following for a reason * MAMAMIA * Written with the lightest of touches and keen wit * NEW ZEALAND LISTENER * A delightfully witty and charming historical novel, this story sparkles with memorable characters and an irresistibly quirky heroine. Emma's sharp observations and self-deprecating journal entries make every page entertaining, while the eccentric residents of St Crispian's add warmth and whimsy. Fans of Sybil from The Correspondent will be thrilled to spend time in this wonderfully imagined world. A laugh-out-loud read with plenty of heart * WOMAN'S OWN * Every now and then, a novel comes along and is completely addictive ... I found myself becoming more than a little obsessed with Emma M. Lion and her small but quirky world ... Lovely, escapist fiction that will appeal to young and old * NEW ZEALAND WOMEN'S WEEKLY *