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The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion #7
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 7
"The image of Pandora’s Box being opened by my own hand flashed across my mind. A sobering and somewhat disappointing realization when one understands they are their own worst enemy."
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.
Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.
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.
Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.
313 pages, Paperback
Published August 29, 2023
1211 people are currently reading
5018 people want to read
About the author
Beth Brower
18 books2,898 followersLike many of my siblings, I would sneak out of bed, slip into the hallway, and pull my favorite books from the book closet. I read my way through the bottom shelf, then the next shelf up, and the shelf above that, until I could climb to the very top shelf, stacked two layers deep and two layers high, and read the titles of the classics. My desire to create stories grew as I was learning to read them.
Subsequently, I spent my time scribbling in notebooks rather than listening to math lectures at school.
I graduated with a degree in literary studies, and have spent several years working on the novels that keep pounding on the doors of my mind, as none of my characters are very patient to wait their turn. I currently live in Orem, Utah, with my wonderful chemist husband, and books in every room of the house.
Subsequently, I spent my time scribbling in notebooks rather than listening to math lectures at school.
I graduated with a degree in literary studies, and have spent several years working on the novels that keep pounding on the doors of my mind, as none of my characters are very patient to wait their turn. I currently live in Orem, Utah, with my wonderful chemist husband, and books in every room of the house.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,955 reviews
December 20, 2024
I am outraged.
Outraged that I couldn’t put this book down and devoured it in less than 24 hours.
Outraged that I finished it on an airplane flying over the Atlantic, where I did not have service or Wi-Fi, and could not immediately drown everyone I know in my plentiful thoughts and feelings.
Outraged that I guessed what would happen in this book and was ABYSMALLY wrong (okay, I’m overjoyed with what I read; my pride just hurts a little).
Outraged that upon closing the back cover (metaphorically, since I read it on my phone), I faced the cruel reality that I do not live in St. Crispian’s and that my life is excessively mundane compared to the escapades and dalliances of Emma’s life.
Outraged that this series has once again taken over my life and I don’t want to do anything except look out a window and think about Pierce, Islington, Hawkes, Emma, and my other favorite people.
And lastly, I am obsessed. This book was hilarious, absurd, swoony (there you go, everyone who wanted “more romance”), and addictive. My heart is happy. I trust Beth Brower unreservedly to bring me joy with everything she writes.
Outraged that I couldn’t put this book down and devoured it in less than 24 hours.
Outraged that I finished it on an airplane flying over the Atlantic, where I did not have service or Wi-Fi, and could not immediately drown everyone I know in my plentiful thoughts and feelings.
Outraged that I guessed what would happen in this book and was ABYSMALLY wrong (okay, I’m overjoyed with what I read; my pride just hurts a little).
Outraged that upon closing the back cover (metaphorically, since I read it on my phone), I faced the cruel reality that I do not live in St. Crispian’s and that my life is excessively mundane compared to the escapades and dalliances of Emma’s life.
Outraged that this series has once again taken over my life and I don’t want to do anything except look out a window and think about Pierce, Islington, Hawkes, Emma, and my other favorite people.
And lastly, I am obsessed. This book was hilarious, absurd, swoony (there you go, everyone who wanted “more romance”), and addictive. My heart is happy. I trust Beth Brower unreservedly to bring me joy with everything she writes.
September 2, 2023
This is the kind of book you simultaneously want to savor and rush through. The little London universe that Beth Brower has created has me completely head over heels for nearly everyone in it—Emma herself, her sparring partner the duke, her always-got-your back vicar, her brooding boarder, her grumpy but unexpectedly redeemable bookbinder… everyone comes to life on the page in a way I’ve never felt from any other author! Volume 8, come on!
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February 4, 2025OOOOOHkay, I was all in on this one.
December 18, 2023
Mysteries abound. It’s driving me mad in a very pleasurable way. 😂
I'm going to write a list of things that are rattling around in my head after finishing this (spoilers included so beware!):
1. Agnes Dowd. Of course it would be Jack who supplies her. Hilarious!
2. I was laughing so hard when it turns out that The Pirate and Saffronia know each other and Emma writes that she was AGOG over their conversation. I really enjoy The Pirate and his exquisite book-binding craftsmanship and his integrity at not reading Emma's journal. Did Pierce save his life?
3. The fight at The Cleopatra...stressful! But also I love how Islington and Hawkes stand up for Pierce. Pierce is such an interesting mix...On the one hand, he's confident and skilled and able to meet with poise whatever craziness Emma (inadvertantly) throws at him. On the other hand, he has the physical vulnerability of his limp that corresponds to the emotional vulnerability of his life experiences, most of which we don't know. I really like this about him, but it also makes me nervous for him and Emma. Will his vulnerability draw them together or make it impossible for them to connect on a deeper emotional level?
4. I love how each of the four has an individual relationship with each of the others. Islington and Hawkes go back a long way, and I love the glimpses that Emma gets of how forthright they are with each other when it's just the two of them. Hawkes and Pierce are building a relationship, which I love. If there's anyone who can minister to Pierce's wounded soul, it's Hawkes!
5. So many mysteries though...Who is Hannah? I got the impression that she's dead because of the reference to Hamlet. Islington and Emma are so intensely opposed to the idea of any romantic attachment between them. Why is that for Islington? We know why for Emma, of course. What is the deal with Hawkes and Emma's father and the whole guardian thing? And Aunt Eugenia's Great Secret?
6. What on earth is Hawkes' story? Why does his jacket smell like pears? From the letter, I know, but who is writing it? What happened in Ireland??
7. Literary references abound and now I'm dying to read more Shakespeare. Oh to have the perfect apt quote at any moment!
8. Is the fact that Islington's estate in Derbyshire a direct connection between him and Mr. Darcy? Is he supposed to be a Darcy-like figure? It sounds like the next volume will take place partly at Stonecrop...how perfectly thrilling! I want to meet these puddle-jumping, toad-collecting nieces of Islington's!
I'm going to write a list of things that are rattling around in my head after finishing this (spoilers included so beware!):
1. Agnes Dowd. Of course it would be Jack who supplies her. Hilarious!
2. I was laughing so hard when it turns out that The Pirate and Saffronia know each other and Emma writes that she was AGOG over their conversation. I really enjoy The Pirate and his exquisite book-binding craftsmanship and his integrity at not reading Emma's journal. Did Pierce save his life?
3. The fight at The Cleopatra...stressful! But also I love how Islington and Hawkes stand up for Pierce. Pierce is such an interesting mix...On the one hand, he's confident and skilled and able to meet with poise whatever craziness Emma (inadvertantly) throws at him. On the other hand, he has the physical vulnerability of his limp that corresponds to the emotional vulnerability of his life experiences, most of which we don't know. I really like this about him, but it also makes me nervous for him and Emma. Will his vulnerability draw them together or make it impossible for them to connect on a deeper emotional level?
4. I love how each of the four has an individual relationship with each of the others. Islington and Hawkes go back a long way, and I love the glimpses that Emma gets of how forthright they are with each other when it's just the two of them. Hawkes and Pierce are building a relationship, which I love. If there's anyone who can minister to Pierce's wounded soul, it's Hawkes!
5. So many mysteries though...Who is Hannah? I got the impression that she's dead because of the reference to Hamlet. Islington and Emma are so intensely opposed to the idea of any romantic attachment between them. Why is that for Islington? We know why for Emma, of course. What is the deal with Hawkes and Emma's father and the whole guardian thing? And Aunt Eugenia's Great Secret?
6. What on earth is Hawkes' story? Why does his jacket smell like pears? From the letter, I know, but who is writing it? What happened in Ireland??
7. Literary references abound and now I'm dying to read more Shakespeare. Oh to have the perfect apt quote at any moment!
8. Is the fact that Islington's estate in Derbyshire a direct connection between him and Mr. Darcy? Is he supposed to be a Darcy-like figure? It sounds like the next volume will take place partly at Stonecrop...how perfectly thrilling! I want to meet these puddle-jumping, toad-collecting nieces of Islington's!
August 31, 2025
While I enjoying reading these as much as anyone, I can’t help feeling a little worried this will be like the TV show Lost, with lots of hints and clues and books and ideas but not much payoff.
I also feel a little put off by soooo many men. It just feels a bit idealistic to have so many men and very little romance but if it is ultimately just a romance that will be really frustrating too.
I also feel a little put off by soooo many men. It just feels a bit idealistic to have so many men and very little romance but if it is ultimately just a romance that will be really frustrating too.
January 16, 2026
I’m nervous to start the next book…… WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN
November 5, 2025
Hmmmm. I greatly enjoyed the backstory of Young Hawkes. Also, the Duel. Also, the Debacle with Islington. But . . . Pierce. The man needs therapy, not romance! I'm sorry, but there it is!
September 30, 2025
My Quick Takes:
- 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Genre 📚 regency romance/magical realism
- Language 🤐 infrequent mild
- Spice ❤️🔥 none/kisses only
- Content 🤔 past death of family members, grief
Oh Emma 🥹 I tried to take my time with this one as I near the end of the published works. However, once I started reading it, it became all consuming.
Some books in the series have felt more happy than others, while some are more somber in tone. This has a good mix of both. The emotions ebb and flow like waves. I stayed up until 1am laughing out loud at the antics Emma found herself in and then finished the book the next day unsure of what was to come. So I jumped straight into the next one 😅
While this series is, as a whole, lighthearted, I’ve continued to be impressed by how Brower handles the topic of grief in her writing. I’ve never encountered it in such a way before in fiction and it’s a successful portrayal of the tides of grief.
- 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Genre 📚 regency romance/magical realism
- Language 🤐 infrequent mild
- Spice ❤️🔥 none/kisses only
- Content 🤔 past death of family members, grief
Oh Emma 🥹 I tried to take my time with this one as I near the end of the published works. However, once I started reading it, it became all consuming.
Some books in the series have felt more happy than others, while some are more somber in tone. This has a good mix of both. The emotions ebb and flow like waves. I stayed up until 1am laughing out loud at the antics Emma found herself in and then finished the book the next day unsure of what was to come. So I jumped straight into the next one 😅
While this series is, as a whole, lighthearted, I’ve continued to be impressed by how Brower handles the topic of grief in her writing. I’ve never encountered it in such a way before in fiction and it’s a successful portrayal of the tides of grief.
November 28, 2024
It's not the destination, it's the journey.
Emma 7 is everything I've loved about the previous volumes, as it keeps pushing against its previously established edges to add depth, intrigue, and surprises to bend the shape of the arc. (And don't forget moments of utter hilarity.)
In this volume, the recently come-of-age Emma has a struggle on her hands to maintain autonomy. And the unconventional friendships she's formed with Pierce, Hawkes and Islington are all fair game for shifting the narrative.
If you haven't read this series yet, I promise you it's an absolute home run if you love books that are wittily, romantically turn-of-the-century.
Emma 7 is everything I've loved about the previous volumes, as it keeps pushing against its previously established edges to add depth, intrigue, and surprises to bend the shape of the arc. (And don't forget moments of utter hilarity.)
In this volume, the recently come-of-age Emma has a struggle on her hands to maintain autonomy. And the unconventional friendships she's formed with Pierce, Hawkes and Islington are all fair game for shifting the narrative.
If you haven't read this series yet, I promise you it's an absolute home run if you love books that are wittily, romantically turn-of-the-century.
October 24, 2025
5/5
10/24/25: audio reread. what a delight. this just solidifies my bid for a Hawkes endgame. also I need a girl gang that we can get shirts made that say, "They would have burned us as witches."
10/24/25: audio reread. what a delight. this just solidifies my bid for a Hawkes endgame. also I need a girl gang that we can get shirts made that say, "They would have burned us as witches."
October 26, 2025
Another solid installment in the series! Felt a bit more developmental than those swoony moments we want and need from Emma and Pierce, but I still loved the audio so much!
December 28, 2023
Eagerly awaiting Vol 8
I binged all 7 volumes in about a 2 week period. These are very, very addictive. I’m both elated and concerned about the romance that Emma has embarked on. Brower has a disconcerting but strangely satisfying habit of whipping everything up to a froth of frivolity and then hitting you in the heart.
I binged all 7 volumes in about a 2 week period. These are very, very addictive. I’m both elated and concerned about the romance that Emma has embarked on. Brower has a disconcerting but strangely satisfying habit of whipping everything up to a froth of frivolity and then hitting you in the heart.
August 3, 2025
July 31, 2025
The only edit to my review of last year is to say that I have spent, not the whole summer, but just July reading these novels.
Am I slightly embarrassed by the way my reading time has been consumed by Emma? Maybe.
Do I regret it? Not at all.
August 2024
I am someone who feels a particular kinship with those of another age - specifically the age of the English 1800s. That being said, I am predisposed to feel endeared to Emma M. Lion. She is absolutely charming, full of wit and creativity. I spent the summer ravenously flying through these journals while simultaneously wishing they would never end.
I venture to say that Emma’s unique voice, her humor, her ingenuity in the face of grave familial and financial disaster is one to be admired & envied. She has a “natural pluck”, an ability to find happiness in the most mundane and unusual things, and a keen eye for discerning the deepest parts of a person. Her life “sports a good deal of the ridiculous” and she chronicles it delightfully for her readers.
Her town of St. Crispian’s is a most unexpected and peculiar place, full of slight superstitions and unusual happenings. She gathers a band of friends & characters who each possess a certain charm. There is bedlam, there is spectacle, there is delight. And there is comfort & a feeling of home found in the Value and Necessity of Friends, Tea, & Books.
I should dearly love to sit with Emma over a cup of tea, trading clever quips and eccentric stories. From her, would come many of these. From me, far too few.
But alas, this cannot be. So, I must be content to enjoy my time within the pages of her journals, getting to know the vast array of eclectic characters, admiring her pluck and positivity, and slowly discovering which gentleman will be her Intended…if any of them.
Now in Emma’s words, “There is no feeling quite like finishing a book that you’ve loved.”
I do believe I’ll begin again…and I think you should too.
The only edit to my review of last year is to say that I have spent, not the whole summer, but just July reading these novels.
Am I slightly embarrassed by the way my reading time has been consumed by Emma? Maybe.
Do I regret it? Not at all.
August 2024
I am someone who feels a particular kinship with those of another age - specifically the age of the English 1800s. That being said, I am predisposed to feel endeared to Emma M. Lion. She is absolutely charming, full of wit and creativity. I spent the summer ravenously flying through these journals while simultaneously wishing they would never end.
I venture to say that Emma’s unique voice, her humor, her ingenuity in the face of grave familial and financial disaster is one to be admired & envied. She has a “natural pluck”, an ability to find happiness in the most mundane and unusual things, and a keen eye for discerning the deepest parts of a person. Her life “sports a good deal of the ridiculous” and she chronicles it delightfully for her readers.
Her town of St. Crispian’s is a most unexpected and peculiar place, full of slight superstitions and unusual happenings. She gathers a band of friends & characters who each possess a certain charm. There is bedlam, there is spectacle, there is delight. And there is comfort & a feeling of home found in the Value and Necessity of Friends, Tea, & Books.
I should dearly love to sit with Emma over a cup of tea, trading clever quips and eccentric stories. From her, would come many of these. From me, far too few.
But alas, this cannot be. So, I must be content to enjoy my time within the pages of her journals, getting to know the vast array of eclectic characters, admiring her pluck and positivity, and slowly discovering which gentleman will be her Intended…if any of them.
Now in Emma’s words, “There is no feeling quite like finishing a book that you’ve loved.”
I do believe I’ll begin again…and I think you should too.
December 7, 2024
Volume 7 of Emma M. Lion's journals is quite simply delightful, full of humor, warmth, friendship, quirkiness, romance, and fun. The further I get into Emma's world, the more I love her and her endearing circle of friends, most especially (of course!) the endlessly wonderful Islington, Hawkes, and Pierce. Very much looking forward to volume 8 - and kind of wishing I hadn't read this installment quite so quickly!
June 23, 2025
inject this series into my veins!!!!!! i can feel that emma is getting older and facing more complicated issues and i am so proud of her! i’ve heard that the next volume gets even more serious and i cannot wait to watch this found family continue to change & grow💞
September 1, 2023
Delightful, but knocking off one star out of protest-PROTEST, I tell you- over the romantic interest. And this book is largely Emma working through her feelings about him. But she works through them humorously, charmingly, awkwardly, with all of the overthinking and honesty that you'd hope for from her.
September 16, 2024
UNHINGED.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
Y’all. I love this series with my whole heart and am so grateful it was put on my radar from bookstagram friends. These are GEMS. Every dang one of them. This is my favorite of the series (so far, I am saddened I’m now caught up).
I adore Emma. I love how much these make me laugh and smile. I love how much my heart feels squeezed and feet kicking giddy. There’s such incredible subtlety to every move made in the plot and I love watching it all slowly take place and seeing Emma grow.
I love the entire cast. Seriously, not one poorly crafted character. I am charmed, I am giddy and I beg of you to pick up these books.
Overall audience notes:
- Historical Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: low
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
Y’all. I love this series with my whole heart and am so grateful it was put on my radar from bookstagram friends. These are GEMS. Every dang one of them. This is my favorite of the series (so far, I am saddened I’m now caught up).
I adore Emma. I love how much these make me laugh and smile. I love how much my heart feels squeezed and feet kicking giddy. There’s such incredible subtlety to every move made in the plot and I love watching it all slowly take place and seeing Emma grow.
I love the entire cast. Seriously, not one poorly crafted character. I am charmed, I am giddy and I beg of you to pick up these books.
Overall audience notes:
- Historical Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: low
November 29, 2024
2024 (second time):
I know, I just read this volume five months ago, but I had to brush up on all the little details before starting volume 8. So many small details touched, amused, and moved me again. Like Jane Austen, Beth Brower can be read and reread and reread. I don't say that lightly.
2023:
I had so many feelings at the end of book 6, and volume 7 did not disappoint. This series is so good for the soul. One thing I realized while reading this is that Emma's male friends are so incredibly delightful that her female friends get short shrift. I still don't feel that I know Mary, Saffronia, or Arabella as I ought. We get glimpses of them in this installment, and all of them gave delightful insights, but I definitely want more of them all. That's the downside of so many lovely characters!
Seldom have I enjoyed a group of gentlemen as much as I do Emma's male friends, but I have been steadily falling more in love with Hawkes especially as the series progresses, and the little nuggets of backstory we learn about him here are so tantalizing. The scene where he calls Emma and Islington into his office after they were whispering during his sermon! The big reveal near the end! I laughed, I gasped, I sighed. While I was surprised at the direction many things went in this volume, I trust Beth Brower implicitly to bring happiness to these characters she's led me to love.
I know, I just read this volume five months ago, but I had to brush up on all the little details before starting volume 8. So many small details touched, amused, and moved me again. Like Jane Austen, Beth Brower can be read and reread and reread. I don't say that lightly.
2023:
I had so many feelings at the end of book 6, and volume 7 did not disappoint. This series is so good for the soul. One thing I realized while reading this is that Emma's male friends are so incredibly delightful that her female friends get short shrift. I still don't feel that I know Mary, Saffronia, or Arabella as I ought. We get glimpses of them in this installment, and all of them gave delightful insights, but I definitely want more of them all. That's the downside of so many lovely characters!
Seldom have I enjoyed a group of gentlemen as much as I do Emma's male friends, but I have been steadily falling more in love with Hawkes especially as the series progresses, and the little nuggets of backstory we learn about him here are so tantalizing. The scene where he calls Emma and Islington into his office after they were whispering during his sermon! The big reveal near the end! I laughed, I gasped, I sighed. While I was surprised at the direction many things went in this volume, I trust Beth Brower implicitly to bring happiness to these characters she's led me to love.
September 10, 2023
Oh, the thickness of Journal 7. I’m a little obsessed with St Crispian and the Dies Sanctus. Is it too soon to reread this?
A few fun quotes:
A peek inside the pages of Mixing in Society confirms I am Most Decidedly Failing the expectations for a young woman of my age. Alas. Alack.
Hawkes knows how to speak moonlight as well as anyone.
“Setting the question of our ages aside, you still have a reputation to consider.” This concern struck dead center. As did the next dart I threw.
“I don’t wish to be kept awake at night by the sound of your journals weeping.”
“Emma, I can’t imagine God giving you an acquaintance He did not mean for me to make use of.“
I pulled the bell cord and tried not to think how I despise bell cords—we would all be better to remain a nation of people with enough confidence to bang on a door.
“But Roland,” I tried, “have you ever, ever seen a Greek statue with a mustache? Don’t say a bearded Zeus. Being a god comes with privileges.”
They say that in moments when one’s butler finds one kissing one’s boarder, time does not rush; rather, it stretches like a judgmental cat, giving ample space to consider how absolutely foolish one has been, and that the only way to carry the day is with misplaced confidence.
I can now confirm this to be true.
From my own experience.
It all began when I was prodding the jellies.
A few fun quotes:
A peek inside the pages of Mixing in Society confirms I am Most Decidedly Failing the expectations for a young woman of my age. Alas. Alack.
Hawkes knows how to speak moonlight as well as anyone.
“Setting the question of our ages aside, you still have a reputation to consider.” This concern struck dead center. As did the next dart I threw.
“I don’t wish to be kept awake at night by the sound of your journals weeping.”
“Emma, I can’t imagine God giving you an acquaintance He did not mean for me to make use of.“
I pulled the bell cord and tried not to think how I despise bell cords—we would all be better to remain a nation of people with enough confidence to bang on a door.
“But Roland,” I tried, “have you ever, ever seen a Greek statue with a mustache? Don’t say a bearded Zeus. Being a god comes with privileges.”
They say that in moments when one’s butler finds one kissing one’s boarder, time does not rush; rather, it stretches like a judgmental cat, giving ample space to consider how absolutely foolish one has been, and that the only way to carry the day is with misplaced confidence.
I can now confirm this to be true.
From my own experience.
It all began when I was prodding the jellies.
December 7, 2024
Oh Emma. I’ve been waiting patiently for this book for months, and honestly getting it in the mail felt like Disneyland or Christmas. I haven’t felt this way about a book series since Harry Potter! My one complaint with this installation was the Islington was virtually missing from the first half! But that was *drastically* resolved in the latter part of the book. What a turn of events! Agnes Dowd? Phenomenal. Lady Spencer? Ridiculous. Pierce? Perfect. I’m also so grateful for the new newsletter Brower is putting out, with little tidbits and short stories from other characters—I think it just really highlights all the incredible characters and deepens the story and world. Oh, to live in St. Crispian’s. Until next time!
Update: the books are going to end up well worn and loved, as the reread was just as enjoyable as the first. I am In Love with Emma and her troupe. I’ll have Emma 8 in my hands in two days and I couldn’t be more excited.
Update: the books are going to end up well worn and loved, as the reread was just as enjoyable as the first. I am In Love with Emma and her troupe. I’ll have Emma 8 in my hands in two days and I couldn’t be more excited.
May 1, 2025
“If you want quality, you must work for it. You wake and you strive and you make decisions to sacrifice.”
Beth Brower's The Unselected Journals series truly has me in a chokehold.
It is so good, and it has gotten better and better! I hope it will continue to maintain that pleasantness as the series goes on. I love the friendships, the humor, and the shenanigans (and the bits of romance)!
And the mystery! The reveal! Oh, I was not expecting that to happen, but it did, and now I am very intrigued to learn more about it! It was something I was not expecting to happen. Of course, for Emma's sake, I'm glad it did.
Beth Brower's The Unselected Journals series truly has me in a chokehold.
It is so good, and it has gotten better and better! I hope it will continue to maintain that pleasantness as the series goes on. I love the friendships, the humor, and the shenanigans (and the bits of romance)!
And the mystery! The reveal! Oh, I was not expecting that to happen, but it did, and now I am very intrigued to learn more about it! It was something I was not expecting to happen. Of course, for Emma's sake, I'm glad it did.
November 27, 2025
March 2025 edit:
This was my third time reading this in the last seven months. I cannot think of any other book that I’ve repeated so quickly. The EML series is definitely my comfort/go-to read.
2024 review:
The absolute chokehold this series has on me. It’s unreal.
I need more books released STAT. After all this time together, Emma feels like a friend (as do all of the characters) and I’m sad to have reached the end of the available books.
This was my third time reading this in the last seven months. I cannot think of any other book that I’ve repeated so quickly. The EML series is definitely my comfort/go-to read.
2024 review:
The absolute chokehold this series has on me. It’s unreal.
I need more books released STAT. After all this time together, Emma feels like a friend (as do all of the characters) and I’m sad to have reached the end of the available books.
January 21, 2024
Binged the entire series (up to what has been released) and loved every minute! I usually dislike when series drag with too many books… but these are perfection. Clever, funny, and heartwarming.
February 1, 2024
I need vol. 8 IMMEDIATELY!
October 13, 2024
Utter perfection! I adore this series to the moon & back.
August 3, 2024
"I can see my gravestone once I’ve died of the subsequent mortification. Emma M. Lion Not Equipped to Navigate Her Own Life"
"I followed, casting about for any aspects of my life that would prove dire were Aunt Eugenia to encounter them. I realised there wasn’t anything that did not fit that description."
“Handsome men are like beautiful architecture.”
"When I recall that with the light of God comes the abundance of God, I take courage"
"If I hurt you in such a way, I walk.” He lifted both his hands in surrender, taking a half step back, increasing the distance between us. “I will not leave you worse than before you."
"Saying nothing, Pierce sat down on the chair beside me. He reached his hand out and brushed a strand of hair from my face just as thunder sounded. It was my favourite moment of the day."
"I followed, casting about for any aspects of my life that would prove dire were Aunt Eugenia to encounter them. I realised there wasn’t anything that did not fit that description."
“Handsome men are like beautiful architecture.”
"When I recall that with the light of God comes the abundance of God, I take courage"
"If I hurt you in such a way, I walk.” He lifted both his hands in surrender, taking a half step back, increasing the distance between us. “I will not leave you worse than before you."
"Saying nothing, Pierce sat down on the chair beside me. He reached his hand out and brushed a strand of hair from my face just as thunder sounded. It was my favourite moment of the day."
August 29, 2023
It just keeps getting better
I love getting all the tiny puzzle pieces that are oh, so gradually yielding a picture of the backstory of the main characters. I also love that Emma continues to find herself embroiled in hilarious misadventures. The fun just goes on and on!
I love getting all the tiny puzzle pieces that are oh, so gradually yielding a picture of the backstory of the main characters. I also love that Emma continues to find herself embroiled in hilarious misadventures. The fun just goes on and on!
October 23, 2024
This may be my favorite entry yet in Emma’s story. I love the tone and wit of these books and how bookish they are. And our romantic plot takes a decided turn in this volume and it was everything I could have hoped for and more. Volume 8 can’t be published soon enough!
November 6, 2025
Ahhh! Brilliant! The more I read The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, the more I'm hooked. I've dug myself in deep with this amazing story!! There's not many books which can grab a hold of you from the very first page and keep you ABSOLUTELY RIVETED until the very end, but this series by Beth Brower has done just that for me! Although I just started Volume 8, I'm already in love (naturally)!
I'm thrilled that there will be at least Volumes 9 and 10 and, in all honesty, I wish they could go on forever!
There's not much more I can say except that I'm continually impressed by the quality of the story and the depth of the characters. I find myself alternately chuckling, smirking, heart clenching and shoulders tensing off and on from the first page to the last.
If you haven't tried Emma M. Lion, what are you waiting for?!? It's time, dear reading friend!
I'm thrilled that there will be at least Volumes 9 and 10 and, in all honesty, I wish they could go on forever!
There's not much more I can say except that I'm continually impressed by the quality of the story and the depth of the characters. I find myself alternately chuckling, smirking, heart clenching and shoulders tensing off and on from the first page to the last.
If you haven't tried Emma M. Lion, what are you waiting for?!? It's time, dear reading friend!
November 21, 2023
Alas.
Alack.
I have read all of dear Emma M. Lion's journals published thus far.
What, what, what?!
I've had a ball! I am absolutely beside myself waiting to find out what happens next 😭 This is THE most fun I've had in my reading life - EVER. Yes, ever.
I'm in a dream state in which I am part of the Reprobates Ten. I want to go on an adventure with Jack, be a fly on the wall with Mary and the Professor, sit in one of Hawkes the Fox's sermons, spar with Islington, and receive some lessons from Agnes via her mother. Please keep me away from Aunt Eugenie, but Parian and even Cousin Archibald are welcome in my alternate-reality existence. Look, here comes Tybalt! And a note from Pierce just slipped through...
I need to know what happens next!
YOU DO?
Yes, I simply must!
THEN, YOU MUST WAIT.
Fac Fortia Et Patere
*****
Final thoughts (for now): Shakespeare, Plutarch, Whitman, latin... My education absolutely feels faulty. I request half a garret immediately where I can go about remedying this immediately.
THESE ARE MUST READS!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+❤️
Alack.
I have read all of dear Emma M. Lion's journals published thus far.
What, what, what?!
I've had a ball! I am absolutely beside myself waiting to find out what happens next 😭 This is THE most fun I've had in my reading life - EVER. Yes, ever.
I'm in a dream state in which I am part of the Reprobates Ten. I want to go on an adventure with Jack, be a fly on the wall with Mary and the Professor, sit in one of Hawkes the Fox's sermons, spar with Islington, and receive some lessons from Agnes via her mother. Please keep me away from Aunt Eugenie, but Parian and even Cousin Archibald are welcome in my alternate-reality existence. Look, here comes Tybalt! And a note from Pierce just slipped through...
I need to know what happens next!
YOU DO?
Yes, I simply must!
THEN, YOU MUST WAIT.
Fac Fortia Et Patere
*****
Final thoughts (for now): Shakespeare, Plutarch, Whitman, latin... My education absolutely feels faulty. I request half a garret immediately where I can go about remedying this immediately.
THESE ARE MUST READS!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+❤️
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