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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 realisation 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.
Listeners 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.
Listeners have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.
Audible Audio
First published August 29, 2023
About the author
Beth Brower
23 books6,059 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 4,755 reviews
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March 31, 2026it's always bittersweet finishing another journal! bitter because we're getting to the end of the 8 books that are out, but sweet because we get to know and love these characters more and more! diving RIGHT into book 8 because i just have to know how June goes for our girl in Derbyshire!!
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!
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!
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February 4, 2025OOOOOHkay, I was all in on this one.
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.
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!
January 16, 2026
I’m nervous to start the next book…… WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN
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."
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.
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.
July 9, 2026
Love this series and can’t wait for book 8!
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.
May 7, 2026
This is a fun one in the Emma Lion series. Just as she and Pierce start to get closer, Aunt Eugenia and cousin Arabella show up at her house, intent to stay while repairs are completed at their home in town. And Aunt Eugenia is adamant she must meet Emma’s chaperone, who Emma has made up. Adventures continue with Islington and Hawkes, and she discovers some family secrets. Secrets that will tie her to these two. As well, she and Pierce must decide whether they want to move through the obstacles in their way in order to move their relationship forward.
Emma is a fun character, surrounded by a group of people who care about her and protect her. Still, others pester her and make her life more difficult. And we’re reminded of the difficulties a young woman faces during this time, and how difficult society makes it for her to maintain independence. It looks like I’m nearing the current end of the series (#8 is last published), but apparently the author is working on another.
Emma is a fun character, surrounded by a group of people who care about her and protect her. Still, others pester her and make her life more difficult. And we’re reminded of the difficulties a young woman faces during this time, and how difficult society makes it for her to maintain independence. It looks like I’m nearing the current end of the series (#8 is last published), but apparently the author is working on another.
May 19, 2026
May 2026:
I loved it! Of course I did. The audiobooks are even better than reading them myself, and I almost never think that. A few stray thoughts:
On to book 8! I hate that I'm almost finished listening to this series. Book 9 can't get here soon enough.
December 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!
I loved it! Of course I did. The audiobooks are even better than reading them myself, and I almost never think that. A few stray thoughts:
On to book 8! I hate that I'm almost finished listening to this series. Book 9 can't get here soon enough.
December 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💞
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.
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!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+❤️
May 16, 2026
“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.
May 27, 2026
So many shenanigans and developments in this one, and I was intrigued by all of them. Impeccable storytelling, really. This series has officially found its way into my heart.
I do have to complain about one minor but very persistent tic that bugs me: the recurring play on words where someone reacts to a two-part statement and the other amusingly attributes it to the wrong part and is then corrected with a roll of the eyes. MY eyes, that is. People in this series are generally often more droll or eloquent (or pointedly INeloquent) than is believable. But I forgive you, Emma/Beth Brower, because there’s so much believableness under all the fun.
I do have to complain about one minor but very persistent tic that bugs me: the recurring play on words where someone reacts to a two-part statement and the other amusingly attributes it to the wrong part and is then corrected with a roll of the eyes. MY eyes, that is. People in this series are generally often more droll or eloquent (or pointedly INeloquent) than is believable. But I forgive you, Emma/Beth Brower, because there’s so much believableness under all the fun.
June 27, 2026
On to the 8th and final volume. I think I will weep at the end of that one, but the loss will be softened by the knowledge I can start all over again. (ETA:: Not the final volume! Thanks for correcting my misunderstanding , Anne. New volumes will be here, and lots of them.).
In this volume we learn more about Pierce, about secrets Hawkes has held onto, and we come to respect Islington even more. There is not much this merry band will not do to help Emma reach her stratospheruc potential in an England bent on holding her back. She is female, young, has a past fulled with blessings and tragedies, and very little money. But she has lots of hopes and dreams, notable beauty, a wonderful sense of humor, a kind heart, a prodigious intellect, a thirst for knowledge and adventure, and friends who know how precious that all is. Her future is bright.
In this volume we learn more about Pierce, about secrets Hawkes has held onto, and we come to respect Islington even more. There is not much this merry band will not do to help Emma reach her stratospheruc potential in an England bent on holding her back. She is female, young, has a past fulled with blessings and tragedies, and very little money. But she has lots of hopes and dreams, notable beauty, a wonderful sense of humor, a kind heart, a prodigious intellect, a thirst for knowledge and adventure, and friends who know how precious that all is. Her future is bright.
July 5, 2026
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 7 was such a charming read. Emma’s wit is still the heart of the story, and I loved how the book balanced humor, social maneuvering, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. The writing has a warm, clever tone that makes even the smallest moments feel entertaining. Some of the humor and wit made me laugh out loud!
I was very happy to spend time with these characters, and the atmosphere was a big part of the appeal.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“My life’s current disaster required a good deal of philosophical consideration.”
“You’re speaking to me? Voluntarily? Remarkable.”
“I do have a real profession, Jabberwocky.” Heavens! I cleared my throat in an effort not to laugh.”
“What had it been? Three, maybe four full sentences said without irony, sarcasm, snap, or profanity? A record, to be sure.”
“Have you ever kissed anyone before, Mary?” “Albert Charles from Stoicism. It was rushed and in the school barn.” “You kissed Albert Charles!” “It inspired no confidence in the practice.” “Ha! Never fear,”
Overall, this is a great pick for readers who enjoy smart, character-driven historical fiction with a playful edge. It’s full of personality and easy to enjoy.
I was very happy to spend time with these characters, and the atmosphere was a big part of the appeal.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“My life’s current disaster required a good deal of philosophical consideration.”
“You’re speaking to me? Voluntarily? Remarkable.”
“I do have a real profession, Jabberwocky.” Heavens! I cleared my throat in an effort not to laugh.”
“What had it been? Three, maybe four full sentences said without irony, sarcasm, snap, or profanity? A record, to be sure.”
“Have you ever kissed anyone before, Mary?” “Albert Charles from Stoicism. It was rushed and in the school barn.” “You kissed Albert Charles!” “It inspired no confidence in the practice.” “Ha! Never fear,”
Overall, this is a great pick for readers who enjoy smart, character-driven historical fiction with a playful edge. It’s full of personality and easy to enjoy.
June 30, 2026
Wot?! What did I think of this volume? I found this one fine…strike that…good…strike that….delightful. ☺️
June 7, 2026
If there’s any sapphic justice in this world, Arabella and Silver will be soul mates
April 6, 2026
We’re still at that part of the typical mystery book where the few answers we get make us ask even more questions. However, the story gave a big leap forward compared to the slower previous book - the guardianship, the agreement with Pierce, the Irish connection, the introduction of Titania.
The plot thickens and enriches, and despite all the humour, we realize the stakes are high for these characters, and that one of the inevitabilities of a “Golden Age” is that it ends.
For the second time in the series Emma annoyed me, and it’s always in her attitude towards Jack - she’s judgemental in a way her own conduct makes hypocritical. She’s showing her age and social status, but it’s these faults that prevent her from becoming a Mary Sue.
Since Brower seems to have an uncanny way of giving me what I want (country house - yay!), here’s my current top wish: I want more Arabella - she’s one of the most insightful and intelligent characters, but a mystery. What's going on in her head as she’s paraded around London by her mother? I want an honest conversation between her and Emma where it’s not all about Emma, please!
The plot thickens and enriches, and despite all the humour, we realize the stakes are high for these characters, and that one of the inevitabilities of a “Golden Age” is that it ends.
For the second time in the series Emma annoyed me, and it’s always in her attitude towards Jack - she’s judgemental in a way her own conduct makes hypocritical. She’s showing her age and social status, but it’s these faults that prevent her from becoming a Mary Sue.
Since Brower seems to have an uncanny way of giving me what I want (country house - yay!), here’s my current top wish: I want more Arabella - she’s one of the most insightful and intelligent characters, but a mystery. What's going on in her head as she’s paraded around London by her mother? I want an honest conversation between her and Emma where it’s not all about Emma, please!
May 29, 2026
oh, what can i say about this volume? so many reveals, so much insight into pasts and traumas. i'm going to be thinking about this one for a bit.
there's a part where emma explains the state of her mind and heart to pierce and like him, i flagged the three metaphors as very interesting and telling. oh, emma i can't wait to see where your story goes.
on the topic of pierce, his age absolutely sent me into the ether. i had a feeling but the shock of hearing the number had me laughing.
i'm so pleased we got more of hawkes and islington's stories. i desperately need more because they're both so fascinating. hawkes is hiding so much up his sleeve.
also can i say how obsessed i am in the way emma and her three husbands show up for each other? it's beautiful!
and another thing! emma's dad was kinda goated.
there's a part where emma explains the state of her mind and heart to pierce and like him, i flagged the three metaphors as very interesting and telling. oh, emma i can't wait to see where your story goes.
on the topic of pierce, his age absolutely sent me into the ether. i had a feeling but the shock of hearing the number had me laughing.
i'm so pleased we got more of hawkes and islington's stories. i desperately need more because they're both so fascinating. hawkes is hiding so much up his sleeve.
also can i say how obsessed i am in the way emma and her three husbands show up for each other? it's beautiful!
and another thing! emma's dad was kinda goated.
May 6, 2026
Still a lot of fun, still priceless lines and scenes, but I have come to the realization I am not going to read 24 volumes of this, and my patience with love rectangles/squares (pentagons? hexagons?) is getting eroded fast. (Particularly if all is pointing to the wrong man! And is it just me, or am I seeing far more chemistry between the men than between Emma and current person she is kissing?) Though I am totally invested in Mary and the professor. (Unnecessary book recommendation but I can not help myself, that plotline reminded me of a secondary just mentioned plotline in a A Countess Below Stairs. In fact Emma reminds me a lot of Anna Grazinsky, countess and below stairs housemaid, and I think Eva Ibbotson's adult books might be the closest in charm and characters to this universe)
But still more tantalizing hints about mysterious names, and mysterious beauties, and nemesis moving in.
The bookbinding porn, and yes, pornographic (not literally pornographic you know) descriptions of bindings and papers and OMG, that workshop is incredible as is this great speech on friction maxxing (about bookbinding) that I got to note down somewhere (obviously I should have a journal? I have tried several times already ...)
But the impatience with the multiple story lines is growing and I think the delays here, misunderstandings were much too forced.. I have started the 8th one already, the only one left already published, but I know myself and I am just not seeing myself reading all 24 volumes (unless there is a ton of external plot coming up and the love interests come to a conclusion soonish....)
But still more tantalizing hints about mysterious names, and mysterious beauties, and nemesis moving in.
The bookbinding porn, and yes, pornographic (not literally pornographic you know) descriptions of bindings and papers and OMG, that workshop is incredible as is this great speech on friction maxxing (about bookbinding) that I got to note down somewhere (obviously I should have a journal? I have tried several times already ...)
But the impatience with the multiple story lines is growing and I think the delays here, misunderstandings were much too forced.. I have started the 8th one already, the only one left already published, but I know myself and I am just not seeing myself reading all 24 volumes (unless there is a ton of external plot coming up and the love interests come to a conclusion soonish....)
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."
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