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Emma: The Wild and Wanton Edition
Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley won the literary world’s heart 200 years ago when Jane Austen first penned the story of their friendship-turned-love.
Emma is the young, rich, beautiful heroine with too much time on her hands and an overactive imagination; Mr. Knightley is her long-suffering friend who is always trying to steer her in the right direction. Their love story is one of deep, dedicated affection blooming into passion.
But what about all of that sexual tension that crackles in the subtext? In this Wild and Wanton edition of Austen’s classic, Emma and Mr. Knightley burn up the pages as they give in to their baser natures. Discover the sexy scenes that readers of Emma have been imagining between Austen’s lines since 1815.
Emma is the young, rich, beautiful heroine with too much time on her hands and an overactive imagination; Mr. Knightley is her long-suffering friend who is always trying to steer her in the right direction. Their love story is one of deep, dedicated affection blooming into passion.
But what about all of that sexual tension that crackles in the subtext? In this Wild and Wanton edition of Austen’s classic, Emma and Mr. Knightley burn up the pages as they give in to their baser natures. Discover the sexy scenes that readers of Emma have been imagining between Austen’s lines since 1815.
550 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2013
35 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Micah Persell
19 books160 followersAward-winning and Amazon-bestselling author of 11 romances. Pet addict. Wife and Mommy. Bibliophile.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 13, 2013
This is one of the best saucy adaptations of Jane Austen I've ever read. Micah Persell's inclusions were true to the language and tenor of one of my favorite stories, which really impressed me. What a delight to get that extra dash of the already dashing, Mr. Knightly. Here I didn't think I could honor him more. I was very much mistaken.
Emma is wonderful, both in the original and in this thoughtful yet thought-provoking update. Absolutely perfect for a woman like me who appreciates the classics yet absolutely loves to be tantalized. If I can be so bold as to paraphrase dear Jane's last line; All of my wishes and hopes were fully answered in the perfect happiness of this union.
Emma is wonderful, both in the original and in this thoughtful yet thought-provoking update. Absolutely perfect for a woman like me who appreciates the classics yet absolutely loves to be tantalized. If I can be so bold as to paraphrase dear Jane's last line; All of my wishes and hopes were fully answered in the perfect happiness of this union.
March 30, 2013
Get ready! It's going to get hot in Hartfield!
Emma is one of my all-time favorite books that I always set aside time to read every couple of years. When I heard this adaptation was being released by Crimson Romance, I knew this would be a fun way to get reacquainted with Mr. Knightly, Emma, Harriet, and of course, Frank Churchill and Todd Martin. I didn't hesitate to dive in.
I'm so glad I did. It's just fabulous. Micah does such a wonderful job weaving in seamlessly several sultry scenes throughout the book. The scenes were super hot, and some of them actually made me laugh out loud. Toward the middle of the book, I started guessing which points in the story Micah would raise the heat level, which was super fun.
If you're looking to reconnect with this classic, this is the perfect book to do so. If you've never read Emma, consider this the classic with a lot of wonderfully delicious spice mixed in!
Emma is one of my all-time favorite books that I always set aside time to read every couple of years. When I heard this adaptation was being released by Crimson Romance, I knew this would be a fun way to get reacquainted with Mr. Knightly, Emma, Harriet, and of course, Frank Churchill and Todd Martin. I didn't hesitate to dive in.
I'm so glad I did. It's just fabulous. Micah does such a wonderful job weaving in seamlessly several sultry scenes throughout the book. The scenes were super hot, and some of them actually made me laugh out loud. Toward the middle of the book, I started guessing which points in the story Micah would raise the heat level, which was super fun.
If you're looking to reconnect with this classic, this is the perfect book to do so. If you've never read Emma, consider this the classic with a lot of wonderfully delicious spice mixed in!
April 21, 2013
Such a fun read! You've never seen 'Emma' like this before... it's enough to make Jane Austen's cheeks redden profusely! I thoroughly enjoyed this spicy twist on an old classic, Micah did a great job adding some serious steam heat without overdoing it.
The relationship between Emma and Mr. Knightley soars to scalding temperatures thanks to Micah's seamless additions to the novel. Micah's wonderful voice adds a steamy, grown-up element to the book that I'm sure our English teachers would never have allowed in grade school!! Screw 50 Shades the Movie: can we see Emma: Wild & Wanton now?
**reposted from a review I left on Amazon.com
The relationship between Emma and Mr. Knightley soars to scalding temperatures thanks to Micah's seamless additions to the novel. Micah's wonderful voice adds a steamy, grown-up element to the book that I'm sure our English teachers would never have allowed in grade school!! Screw 50 Shades the Movie: can we see Emma: Wild & Wanton now?
**reposted from a review I left on Amazon.com
July 24, 2013
I have not read Jane Austen's "Emma" for many years. Nonetheless , this edition seems to have kept all scenes ( that I can remember ) from the original - just adding the naughty scenes in between. The transition from original prose to explicit scenes was done seamlessly. Also, those scenes began fairly early ( 2% read on my kindle) that wasn't as jarring as I was expecting them to be . I would say there were about 5 scenes added -- well done -- wording of scenes were appropriate for the time period . Overall I did enjoy this adaptation . Mr. Knightly's solo scene in his bedroom make reading this book worth it :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2026
It was an Emma-inspired murder mystery of all things that prompted an impulsive hunt for stories offering a more sensual take on Emma and Knightley’s romance (think Emma meets Bridgerton). Almost immediately, that search steered me toward Emma: The Wild and Wanton Edition, a provocative reinterpretation that fully commits to the spice while still preserving many of the qualities I love about Austen’s original work.
Granted, it has been some time since I last read the source material, but from what I could tell, the integrity of Austen’s story remains largely intact, with the more heated moments woven in between. While this premise may sound like a recipe for disaster, the author integrates the steamy scenes into the narrative with surprising ease, resulting in an experience that, for the most part, feels natural rather than forced. The language, while erotic, still reflects the decorum of the time and avoids feeling cringey or contrived. That said, readers will need to suspend their disbelief slightly when it comes to just how scandalous such intimacy would have been during the Regency era. Still, one could argue that it is precisely this forbidden nature that makes these romances all the more enticing.
I will admit, however, that I could have done without the excerpts detailing the Westons’ honeymoon phase. Their romantic scenes pulled me out of the narrative and felt awkwardly placed, particularly given their status as secondary characters. By contrast, the moments in which Harriet recounts her stolen, passionate encounters with Mr. Martin worked far better, largely because we are able to witness Emma’s own shocked, flustered, and fascinated reaction.
I also loved how the novel highlights the delicious, unresolved tension between Knightley and Emma through longing looks, lingering touches, and forbidden thoughts. Shifts into George’s perspective further heighten that tension, allowing readers to observe his internal struggle as he grapples with newly awakened desires for his dearest and oldest family friend. And unlike the original, this retelling does not end abruptly with the mere mention of their marriage. Instead, readers are treated to a tender yet undeniably smoldering glimpse of Emma and Knightley’s wedding night—one that rewards the torturous slow burn with a satisfying balance of simmering desire and emotional intimacy.
Granted, it has been some time since I last read the source material, but from what I could tell, the integrity of Austen’s story remains largely intact, with the more heated moments woven in between. While this premise may sound like a recipe for disaster, the author integrates the steamy scenes into the narrative with surprising ease, resulting in an experience that, for the most part, feels natural rather than forced. The language, while erotic, still reflects the decorum of the time and avoids feeling cringey or contrived. That said, readers will need to suspend their disbelief slightly when it comes to just how scandalous such intimacy would have been during the Regency era. Still, one could argue that it is precisely this forbidden nature that makes these romances all the more enticing.
I will admit, however, that I could have done without the excerpts detailing the Westons’ honeymoon phase. Their romantic scenes pulled me out of the narrative and felt awkwardly placed, particularly given their status as secondary characters. By contrast, the moments in which Harriet recounts her stolen, passionate encounters with Mr. Martin worked far better, largely because we are able to witness Emma’s own shocked, flustered, and fascinated reaction.
I also loved how the novel highlights the delicious, unresolved tension between Knightley and Emma through longing looks, lingering touches, and forbidden thoughts. Shifts into George’s perspective further heighten that tension, allowing readers to observe his internal struggle as he grapples with newly awakened desires for his dearest and oldest family friend. And unlike the original, this retelling does not end abruptly with the mere mention of their marriage. Instead, readers are treated to a tender yet undeniably smoldering glimpse of Emma and Knightley’s wedding night—one that rewards the torturous slow burn with a satisfying balance of simmering desire and emotional intimacy.
August 6, 2022
This took forever! It was like the book was copied and pasted with the naughty parts added in. Another thing was pages and chapters of Miss Bates' dialogue drowning on and on that I had to skim through.... it added NOTHING to the story. I could do without the Westons' naughty parts, not really sure what they added other than the sex.
April 9, 2013
Ever wondered about the passion behind Ms. Austen's characters?
EMMA by Jane Austen is one of my favorite of her works simply because of Mr. Knightley and the way he stands back and allows Emma her lead. Of course, he does so while keeping her check without her notice, until she makes a fool of herself and then scolds her out of fear of losing her to Frank Churchhill. Micah Persell has taken this beautiful story with its lively banter and unspoken attractions and filled in the blanks for us bringing EMMA to life in a way that I’m sure Ms. Austen would surely have approved - if it would not have shocked her into a blushing silence. Keeping true to the voice of Jane Austen, Micah has improved upon a classic. She has made it even more romantic, if possible. She's filled in the gaps for us. From Mr. Weston’s proposal to Miss Taylor and her wanton acceptance in the garden clear through to the Knightley’s wedding night, which was just as I would imagine it to be since Emma was most assuredly a virgin, when she married her Mr. Knightley. As Ms. Austen ended her own edition, there was most certainly a perfect happiness in the union.
I highly recommend EMMA: The Wild and Wanton Edition by Micah Persell and Jane Austen to every fan of Ms. Austen’s works who has ever wondered about the true romance hidden between those lines of expert and exquisite prose. Mr. Knightley has always been my favorite Austen hero but now I’m totally in love with this most honorable, noble and sexy man.
***eARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.
EMMA by Jane Austen is one of my favorite of her works simply because of Mr. Knightley and the way he stands back and allows Emma her lead. Of course, he does so while keeping her check without her notice, until she makes a fool of herself and then scolds her out of fear of losing her to Frank Churchhill. Micah Persell has taken this beautiful story with its lively banter and unspoken attractions and filled in the blanks for us bringing EMMA to life in a way that I’m sure Ms. Austen would surely have approved - if it would not have shocked her into a blushing silence. Keeping true to the voice of Jane Austen, Micah has improved upon a classic. She has made it even more romantic, if possible. She's filled in the gaps for us. From Mr. Weston’s proposal to Miss Taylor and her wanton acceptance in the garden clear through to the Knightley’s wedding night, which was just as I would imagine it to be since Emma was most assuredly a virgin, when she married her Mr. Knightley. As Ms. Austen ended her own edition, there was most certainly a perfect happiness in the union.
I highly recommend EMMA: The Wild and Wanton Edition by Micah Persell and Jane Austen to every fan of Ms. Austen’s works who has ever wondered about the true romance hidden between those lines of expert and exquisite prose. Mr. Knightley has always been my favorite Austen hero but now I’m totally in love with this most honorable, noble and sexy man.
***eARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.
March 29, 2013
I'm always wary of adaptations of classics because they usually end up belonging in one of two categories: very good or very bad. I had those same worries for this retelling of Emma. I must admit up front that Emma is not my favorite Jane Austin novel (that distinction belongs solely to Pride and Prejudice). I always found it to be a bit more difficult to sink into the story than with Ms. Austen's other works. So, I was extra wary of this edition. I was, however, pleasantly surprised to find how seamlessly Micah Persell works her scenes into the story; as if they were penned by Ms. Austen herself. The new scenes, while quite steamy, were crafted in such a tasteful way that they did no harm to the original story and, in fact, livened things up a great deal. What I had once found to be a rather drab, black and white novel now had delightful splashes of color sprinkled throughout the text. I looked forward to discovering each new scene! I would recommend this book to Austen fans and romance lovers alike.
April 27, 2013
A more explicit Emma sent my thoughts in two directions. The first was that Jane Austen, spinster, could never have written a book with sexy scenes, as it was totally outside her experience. That thought is kind of depressing, actually – even a genius can’t overcome a stumbling block as large as virginity. As much as I would like to think that Jane could have snuck a dirty book (Fanny Hill was published in 1748, after all), it’s unlikely. The second, more cheerful thought is that, by making it more like a contemporary novel, the wild and wanton version of Emma made it more accessible to a modern audience in the sense that it it was similar to modern ideals of courtship. Jane’s characters find relationships in the meeting of compatible minds, but the modern romance reader expects zing. The zing made me think of Emma and Harriet more as the very young women they are, and also added an extra level of complication to the story. As much as Jane would, I think, be flummoxed by it, I rather liked the new wild and wanton angle.
May 3, 2013
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I am definitely a fan of books that are rewrites of classics, especially when the book is upgraded to a sexier version! This “wild and wanton” rewrite of Jane Austen’s Emma did not disappoint.
I particularly enjoyed that the original text was not changed completely, Persell uses Austen’s original text and adds to it. The transitions are seamless, the writing styles matched extremely well. I like to think that Austen (after getting over a bit of shock) would have welcomed these spicy, but tasteful, additions to her story. I know that I certainly did
“His hands came up to wrap around her wrists, and he pressed her hands more firmly against his skin. “Your fingers burn me,” he whispered briefly before pressing another more desperate kiss to her mouth. “Want to feel more of your skin,” he breathed against her lips. And the her shift was gone-lifted up over her head and fluttering to the floor.”
*I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I am definitely a fan of books that are rewrites of classics, especially when the book is upgraded to a sexier version! This “wild and wanton” rewrite of Jane Austen’s Emma did not disappoint.
I particularly enjoyed that the original text was not changed completely, Persell uses Austen’s original text and adds to it. The transitions are seamless, the writing styles matched extremely well. I like to think that Austen (after getting over a bit of shock) would have welcomed these spicy, but tasteful, additions to her story. I know that I certainly did
“His hands came up to wrap around her wrists, and he pressed her hands more firmly against his skin. “Your fingers burn me,” he whispered briefly before pressing another more desperate kiss to her mouth. “Want to feel more of your skin,” he breathed against her lips. And the her shift was gone-lifted up over her head and fluttering to the floor.”
*I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 26, 2013
I am a big fan of the classics and Jane Austen is one of my favourites, so I was intrigued by a version that shows exactly what happened between Emma and Mr. Knightley, and Harriet and her farmer. I wasn’t disappointed! This is a delicious romp of a story that stays true to its original characters and style whilst adding a marvellous touch of naughtiness. I thoroughly enjoyed it and had problems working out which parts were written by whom. Micah Persell’s writing seamlessly wove into the Austen text. I thought I knew the book, and even I couldn’t always tell, until it got a bit hot! It wasn’t just heat that author added either; she also deepened the characters, adding emotions to the events in a way that enhanced the original beautifully. I recommended this book whole-heartily.
November 8, 2015
Emma is the liveliest of Jane Austen’s novels and because of this I couldn’t wait to be a party to Emma’s and Mr. Knightley’s naughty thoughts and moments. It sounded like it would be fun, and Micah’s version did not disappoint! Sultry, hot, and FUNNY scenes and thoughts are seamlessly woven in throughout the original. Everything just clicked. I could totally imagine our misguided heroine and our steady hero battle and embrace their lusty tendencies. This is my favorite naughty retelling of a classic to date!
April 14, 2013
This was a fun adaptation of Emma. I enjoyed getting "behind the scene" so to speak with Emma and Mr. Knightly and the other couples in the story. If you enjoy other Jane Austen adaptations you'll enjoy this story. If you're a traditionalist who doesn't like taking liberties then the love scenes may be to much for you. But if you're ready to dive into the desire behind the relationship then this version of Emma is for you.
March 28, 2014
Ok. This is the last WaW I'm going to read! I swear! This one wasn't as bad as some of them, but it wasn't great either. Still a bit amateurish and awkward during most of the sex scenes, though some of the later scenes between Mr. Knightley and Emma held a little promise. They were still disappointing over all, but there were some slight moments of sensuality, even a little sweetness.
Read
October 14, 2013No. Just No.
July 22, 2016
I think I expected more. So I felt a little cheated but overall it was a good read.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews