Designing Emma

Designing Emma #1

by Clarissa Carlyle

Volume 1 in the Designing Emma series

Emma's dreams are finally coming true. With her two best friends, Daniel and Damion, in tow, Emma starts her own fashion company and life begins to fall into place for her.

Just as her new journey begins, her father's alcohol and gambling addictions wreaks havoc on her life. As his addictions spirals out of control, Emma has to wrestle with the idea of letting her dream go in order to save her father from himself or accept a solution she neither wants nor needs in her life.

With love and success right at her fingertips, how will Emma choose and who will pay the price for her decision?

Genres: Romance, M F Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

53 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 25, 2014

About the author

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New Adult Romance author. Reading was my earliest passion, often seeking the sanctuary of my room or the library to read everything I could get my hands on. I penned romantic poetry in high school and was winning school awards for my short stories at 16. In college I would hibernate in the library for days at a time, consuming every short story and novel I could find.

I probably drink too much coffee and eat too much junk food, but to compensate do like running and rollerblading outdoors when the weather is nice. I'm a hopeful romantic who prefers stories with a happy ending. You can often find me in a library or coffee shop working on my next story, or with my nose in a book.

http://clarissacarlyle.blogspot.com
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Reviews

[Destiny Unlocked · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for a short story!!

This was a great read that i finished while waiting at ny doctors office. I was so drawn into it i almost failed to hear them call my name. Only reason it did not get more than four stars is cause i would of liked to of gotten to know the characters a bit more. It seemed a bit rushed. Other than that it was great.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that the girl is the main character in this story, not a sub-character. I liked seeing a girl who has money instead of poor little girl lands the billionaire. It was a breath of fresh air to see someone who has parental unit troubles, but for the most part still has her shit together.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good start to the story. Emma and her two best friends are getting ready to start their own business. However, her father is in trouble and now she is being forced to marry some guy she's never met. It will be interesting to see how it goes. Especially, since she is dating her one friend.

[Atlanta Whitlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please do not go into this book thinking that you will start and end the story here, this is only the epic beginning of what so far is an amazing story and can I just say that I REALLY, REALLY want more. Seriously I cannot praise this book enough, it is one of the best things I have read in a while and I look forward to finding out what happens next.

Emma Delacourt knows what it's like to lose someone close to you because when she was young she lost her mother, so she goes through enough heartbreak each and every day. She lives with her father and even though she is there for him she is the one that is having to look after both of them and that's due to the fact that her father is constantly gambling and drinking.

Her two best friends Daniel and Damion have always been there for her and she knows that she can turn to them whenever she needs a shoulder to cry on. Now that Emma is living for her dreams the two guys love how amazing that she is at designing her own clothes and they both offer to help her start up her own business. After having a meeting with an impressive business plan and managing to WOW in the investors Emma gets the go ahead to open up her business once and for all.

Everything is going according to plan but the one thing that is making Emma feel bad is that recently her and Daniel have gotten into a relationship but because it's relatively new they haven't exactly told Damion about it. Emma want's to fess up to Damion whereas Daniel doesn't.
Emma ends up having a phone call from her father straight after her meeting she already has a feeling that it's not going to turn out great but will it be worth her going home to hear her dad out or is it just set for trouble. Also will Emma be able to convince Daniel to tell Damion about their relationship or will she discover that he is hiding something.

Clarissa Carlyle has delivered yet another magnificent book that I am telling you all to read, you will not regret it.

[Timothy Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving this book 5 stars only because the book thus far is well written. However it is only a 1/4 of a book. I hate when an author does that. She forces the sell of her books. I have bought book 2 so that I can see what happens. However I am not sure I will buy book 3 since the first was handled this way. I just hope that it is as well written as this little piece of a book is. There are authors that provide their first full book in a series. If the book is good enough then I will buy all of the rest in the series. There is one author that did that and I enjoyed the first book so much that I purchase the next 11 in the series and am waiting for the next one coming soon.

I like the story very much up to the point that it drops off. It is about 3 friends that are coming together to help Emma's dream come true of opening a business called Delacourt Designs. The 2 friends are Daniel and Damion. Emma is also having to deal with a father who is mourning the death of her Mother and his wife through gambling and drinking. The book ends with the father communicating to his daughter threats and promises made by loan sharks as a result of his gambling.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the start to this series! Emma and her two best friends, Daniel and Damien are starting their new business. These three have been together forever, but the dynamics have changed. Could romance be in the air? When Emma receives a phone call from her alcoholic father, all her plans and secrets are now put on hold as he lets out a surprise she won't soon forget. This turn of events definitely has set the pace for the next installment!

Laurie West performs this story with her amazing voices. I love how she figures out her characters and picks the best personality and voice for them. Each perfect, the story has finesse and excitement. Can't wait for more.

[circumspect4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

However I'm not a big fan of a 10 minute read and then having to purchase another volume to another part of the story to have to buy another volume and so on. This first volume certainly gets you hooked into wanting to get the next volume but I'd rather read all volumes in either one book or maybe two. The storyline is very good and I'd like have more story in the first book. If you aren't bothered by these types of books, this is a must read!!!!!!

[Kimberly O'connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love

This novella was cute and left you hanging at just the right spot and can not wait to read the rest

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma Delacourt had a rich life but that all changed when she lost her mother. She lives with her father and has had to take over the reins at running the house because her father is a drunk and has lost everything to gambling.

Daniel and Damion her two best friends since high school have always been there for her. The three of them are taking the next step to make their dreams come true. But that is short lived with the gigantic bombshell Emma's father has just dropped on her.

I really like Clarissa's books but the downfall is that they are very very very short stories and you have to move onto the next just as it starts to get good.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of drama

This is a great start to what is going to be an interesting story line. Best friends to lovers, secret romance. Ends in a cliffhanger. I voluntarily received and reviewed a copy of this book

[Debbie Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of six. It was a quick easy read. I enjoyed reading it as it was given to me to review. It is a story of a young lady and her two male friends and their relationships. P

[Stephenee · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. *

Author Clarissa Carlyle is a new to me author and she is one that I am looking forward to reading more from. This story was short & sweet but it packed a punch! It started off with a bang and didn't let up from start to finish. Just when the reader thought that Emma's life was finally on track and heading to a great place, the author pulls the rug out from under us and Emma literally has to choose between her dad and her longtime best friend turned boyfriend. It was an unfair choice and it had devastating consequences for everyone involved in the story.

The reason I rate this story as a 4 star is because I felt like the author could have made the book a bit longer and not leave such a cliffhanger for the reader. It was one giant lead up to nothing and as a reader, I know that I don't always want to have to "order" another book (which is also a short story) to see what happens to the characters. I felt as if the author could have resolved the issues in book one and then made another book about what happens next - the characters were fun, relatable and one in which I would buy the second book just to spend more time with them, instead of almost forcing the reader to get it so that they have answers to their questions.

The author does a great job in a short time with character development, the backstory and the current story and she draws the readers in and makes them want to stay - with that being said I will get the next book because I don't like to leave things undone, but not all readers will be happy with this option. Add this to your TBR list, but know that you will need book 2 right away so that you can see what happens next to the characters that you quickly befriend in this book. This is a good book and one that you should check out!

***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***

[Elsa Carrion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though the story is very short 53 pgs., its sets up Emma's situation very well. There are no questions as to why she's in the situation she is in and who her real friends are. There is a lot jammed in to those 53 pages so be ready. Great characters, and there's a lot of "real down to earth" issues in this story; such at are alcohol abuse, gambling addiction, and death, to name a few. The only down fall to this great story, is the length and the cliffhangers that each section/story will have. The editing was great, and I only mention this because, with stories this short most authors tend to overlook this very important part before releasing their work for others to read and review.

I gave it 3 stars out of 5

1 point because I loved the cover
1 point because I really enjoyed the story
1 point because the editing was done
Subtracted 1 point because of the length
Subtracted 1 point because of the cliffhanger

Nice quick short read, check it out.

[Debbie Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book to read for an honest review…..I read one to two books a week and I love how books take me away from real life. Had I known this book was done in several small books I’m not sure I would have read it. I have great anxiety when I’m left hanging. Having said this, I am now going to be buying all the rest in this series!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I look forward to finding out where they end up and how they get there! Such a great, easy read! I am so hoping that Emma will make the right choice for her and not just to help her dad. Ughhhh….I can’t wait to start book two!

Thanks for my latest addiction Clarissa Carlyle! Excellent story!

[_booknerd.4ever_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Designing Emma was a slow start for me. The first of the book was hard for me to get into; however, by the end, I was hooked. Of course, the huge cliffhanger helped. I couldn't wait to find out what happens in Vol 2 (which I've already read and found another cliffhanger!). Ms. Carlyle made amends by the end of the book which makes me want to read the rest of the series to find out what actually happens to Emma. She included real life issues and the characters were everyday people. I would definitely recommend reading this series. I will be searching for other books by Clarissa Carlyle.

[Cj Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have received this book in exchange of an honest review.
Designing Emma is a short story about Emma’s life and dreams and what she has to do to make sure they become reality.
For a short story, the author was able to develop the characters perfectly. A lot happens in those few pages. The situations Emma has to face are realistic and so are her emotions.
The only problem with this story is that it ends in a cliffhanger, which means I’ll definitely have to read the next book in the series because I’m very curious now.
A well-written, fast-paced, short story.

[BookSnuggle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book got my attention right away. The story was good but too short. It was like reading a few chapters in a book. It left you hanging. I prefer series over volumes because the book ends with closure for the main characters. The additional books in the series still give you a continuation of their story but each book can be read as a standalone book. So, in order to find out what happens in Designing Emma you are going to have purchase 5 additional volumes. I am giving this book three stars because the story is good. I just think that all six volumes should have been just one book.

[G. Duda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this first volume because it was free.

The story isn't bad and sounds like it has potential but it's in 6 volumes totaling 388 pages which I didn't realize when I picked it up. The prices of the 6 are $.00, $.99, $.99, $2.99, $2.99, $2.99.

Volume 1 is only 35 pages and a serious cliff-hanger. Should have been one decent book.

This is not happening for me. I'm quitting here.

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

sorry for the two stars

I hate posting low scores, but this book was not that good. It was a cliff hanger and I don't know why. The story could have been told in one book. It just didn't grab my attention and the characters were not interesting.

[Jennifer Denney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new read

For the first book in a series it wasn't bad and leaves me wanting to know more but it was also very short, only 70 pages. I feel the characters could have been developed more but it still wasn't bad.

[Angala Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review.
This was a great romance. I loved this book so much that I didn't want to put it down. I was pulled in from the first chapter. I definitely recommend.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

CLIFFHANGER - HATE CLIFFHANGERS!
Would have been a 3.5 star without the fact that it ended so abruptly.

[Mandy Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great start to this series. The storyline is addictive and the characters are very likeable. I can’t wait to see where this storyline goes. A very good performance from Laurie.

[Elayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ‘old’ rich still have to keep up appearances and thus when down in the cash they don’t invite people home – and they manage to ‘turn’ their designer dresses into a new dress through clever handiwork – and shop in discount stores far from home.
So Emma lives her life as her father has managed to gamble and drink the family fortune away.
But as we see, Emma has a talent. She can design clothes. And she has 2 friends who can help her set up a business – and so they do – but her father still manages to put a spoke in their wheel.

[Ashlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable but short

This was an interesting short read. While I enjoyed the story, so things happened a little fast and there wasn't any buildup on how they got there. Overall, the book was enjoyable.