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The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion #5
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 5
I took Treasure Island to church with me as a talisman.
“What a lovely bible,” Mrs. Tribly said.
“Isn’t it just?” I replied, hoping she would not ask me to read a favorite verse aloud.
I do not believe the psalmist wrote,
Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.
The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.
Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.
“What a lovely bible,” Mrs. Tribly said.
“Isn’t it just?” I replied, hoping she would not ask me to read a favorite verse aloud.
I do not believe the psalmist wrote,
Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.
The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.
Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 21, 2021
About the author
Beth Brower
25 books8,617 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 8,933 reviews
October 15, 2025
Audiobook really took it to a new level for me.
May 5, 2025
besties I fear I have fallen in love with the duke of islington and I cannot get up 😌 I don't even know that I like him best for emma but I like him best for me 😌
November 30, 2023
I love the ending of this one, just after Christmas. There is a hush to the ending that is so fitting to the quiet stillness of Christmastide and the turn of the new year. Emma has been through a lot of grief and her healing in this book, with the help of a varied group of friends, is so poignant. This volume seemed to have the most depth and profundity to it so far. A lot of that comes from Young Hawkes and from Emma’s own contemplation, especially about what happened at the end of the last volume. We learn just a little more about all the characters and they become ever more endearing. I just adore Agnes! Of course there are hijinks in this too. The scene when Mrs Penury comes to tea is oh so good! I can’t wait to see what delights are ahead.
P.S. I have a theory about The Roman.
P.S. I have a theory about The Roman.
June 8, 2025
I plan to read these on an endless loop for the rest of my existence. Life is better with Emma🫶🏻
Read
January 25, 2025Finished this book in bed this morning while snow fell outside - perfect reading experience!
Edited to add: I've been re-reading the whole series with an eye on Hawkes since so many people told me a re-read made him the dark horse love interest for them and. . . I don't see it.
Edited to add: I've been re-reading the whole series with an eye on Hawkes since so many people told me a re-read made him the dark horse love interest for them and. . . I don't see it.
November 14, 2024
"I can almost hear them. Footsteps on the stairs"
April 25, 2026
emma and her husbands
July 25, 2026
It's actually impossible to dislike these books💜
October 17, 2026
There are so many things to love about Emma's journal entries for November and December, 1883.
Here are a few bits I especially enjoyed:
💰Emma's banker is MR. PENURY. His wife has taken a vow of silence, but her nonverbal skills are top notch. When Emma has her over for tea, we are the ones who get a treat.
🍰When AGNES is trying to tempt Emma with cake before she goes out, Emma rightly exclaims: "One cannot eat cake in the street without good reason." Indeed!
🫶Emma coins her three friends THE GEOMETRY OF BROTHERHOOD (The Duke, The Vicar, and The Tenant). They are most certainly a solid source of support.
🗺MAPPING THE ROMAN! Emma decides to collect sightings of their friendly St. Crispian spirit and try to discern a pattern. She discovers an unexpected ally at Lapis Lazuli House.
🌸LORD WEST loses a precious sweet pea and Emma arranges a funeral at her home to help keep Arabella in his sights. Her efforts may give her more than she bargained for.
And there is so much more like the Mount Krakatoa sunsets, Emma's gifted luck for the month, and Latin phrases embroidered on Christmas gifts.
This was my last volume on Chirp. Joy of all joys, my Libby holds have just come through on Volumes 6, 7, & 8. I'll be back with more Emma.
Here are a few bits I especially enjoyed:
💰Emma's banker is MR. PENURY. His wife has taken a vow of silence, but her nonverbal skills are top notch. When Emma has her over for tea, we are the ones who get a treat.
🍰When AGNES is trying to tempt Emma with cake before she goes out, Emma rightly exclaims: "One cannot eat cake in the street without good reason." Indeed!
🫶Emma coins her three friends THE GEOMETRY OF BROTHERHOOD (The Duke, The Vicar, and The Tenant). They are most certainly a solid source of support.
🗺MAPPING THE ROMAN! Emma decides to collect sightings of their friendly St. Crispian spirit and try to discern a pattern. She discovers an unexpected ally at Lapis Lazuli House.
🌸LORD WEST loses a precious sweet pea and Emma arranges a funeral at her home to help keep Arabella in his sights. Her efforts may give her more than she bargained for.
And there is so much more like the Mount Krakatoa sunsets, Emma's gifted luck for the month, and Latin phrases embroidered on Christmas gifts.
This was my last volume on Chirp. Joy of all joys, my Libby holds have just come through on Volumes 6, 7, & 8. I'll be back with more Emma.
January 11, 2026
I love this series so bad
June 28, 2026
Oh how I adore miss Emma
August 3, 2025
I’m actually being so serious when I say… Emma has changed my life 🥹
January 24, 2024
So very lovely...I haven't a clue how this series will end and keep hoping for 2 different ones...I could probably be happy with either.
"And I think that was the moment I began to suspect that the luck Hawkes spoke of might really only be an awareness, an awareness of grace."
"And I think that was the moment I began to suspect that the luck Hawkes spoke of might really only be an awareness, an awareness of grace."
September 22, 2026
Fuck Pierce, marry Islington, kill Cousin Archibald obviously
October 12, 2026
"The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 5" is a fabulous addition to this wonderful series. Filled with an unusual funeral, captivating luck and a touch of magic, a heartwarming gift of the sea, and a beautiful Christmas memory, it is a delight from start to finish. Genevieve Gaunt's narration brings the story and characters to life brilliantly. This series is an absolute treasure, and I can't wait to listen to the next volume!
February 20, 2022
Oh no!!! My heart is drifting/floating towards #teamislington and I can foresee heartbreak in the future for me ...
Read
October 7, 2026I love hanging out w my best friends
August 18, 2026
The best four-way will-they-won’t-they.
Okay, fine not technically as it’s three potential suitors (or rather love interests as no one is admitting to this being anything other than ‘mostly’ proper).
What makes this even more delicious? The four of them are great friends. They all chip away at each other’s masks, so that, around each other, they’re vulnerable, fun, and peaceful.
Per usual, Brower manages to capture a charm, humour, and cheek that encapsulates Emma’s character wonderfully. This is complemented by the amazing audiobook narrator.
I have been doling these out like the last packet of Christmas chocolates since March and I can confidently say, they get better with each instalment.
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Okay, fine not technically as it’s three potential suitors (or rather love interests as no one is admitting to this being anything other than ‘mostly’ proper).
What makes this even more delicious? The four of them are great friends. They all chip away at each other’s masks, so that, around each other, they’re vulnerable, fun, and peaceful.
Per usual, Brower manages to capture a charm, humour, and cheek that encapsulates Emma’s character wonderfully. This is complemented by the amazing audiobook narrator.
I have been doling these out like the last packet of Christmas chocolates since March and I can confidently say, they get better with each instalment.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
June 1, 2026
Cannot put this series down. I think Vol. 4 remains my favorite, but this one—set around Christmas—was delightful. Ready for Vol. 6!
February 17, 2025
I’m now at the point where I am *tearing* through these books cause I can’t get enough, but I’m scared of finishing them all because I love living in this world so much 💕
October 26, 2025
I love you, Emma. And all of the residents of St. Crispian's. Plus Mary. Plus Mary's professor.
January 7, 2022
In order to adequately express my love for this series I would need to go hunt down reams of quotes, so in the interest of laziness I'm going to make a list of notes instead.
Notes
* Brower shares the unique distinction with Phoebe Waller-Bridge of managing to make me attracted to a member of the clergy. The Mighty Nigel Hawkes can hold his own against the Hot Priest from Fleabag.
* I read all five volumes in under 48 hours, didn't sleep, felt like garbage, was a zombified failure at work, and I don't regret it.
* Emma is fabulous. Her self-deprecating humor is fabulous. The Foursome is fabulous.
* I am in love with Islington, and in particular, in love with Emma's interactions with him. I feel like he brings out Emma's wittiest, most fabulous and hilarious self. Brower seemingly effortlessly writes the kind of slightly antagonistic repartee with undercurrents that so many writers of enemies-to-lovers romance can only dream of. I ship them unabashedly.
* I adore the emphasis on friendship that has been building up over the last few volumes. While I can't help developing ships, I find reading about the friendship between the foursome equally rewarding and would not mind Emma not ending up with any of them as long as their friendship stays strong.
* The strange blend of late victorian London with hints of magical realism / magical elements is masterfully done. I love St. Crispian's eccentricities and how well they complement Emma's personality. Items magically wandering, the neighborhood ghost, Young Hawkes' premonitions -- all of it is brilliant.
* The series has a surprising amount of emotional depth to counterbalance the humor and fluff.
* I had actual steam coming out of my ears in the first volume when Emma discovered what Cousin Archibald had done.
* I have no idea what genre this series falls into. It's not historical fiction because of the magical realism, it's too light and funny for Serious Literature, too profound to be classified as fluff. Women's lit, perhaps? Men will miss out if they don't read it because of that.
I recommend!
Notes
* Brower shares the unique distinction with Phoebe Waller-Bridge of managing to make me attracted to a member of the clergy. The Mighty Nigel Hawkes can hold his own against the Hot Priest from Fleabag.
* I read all five volumes in under 48 hours, didn't sleep, felt like garbage, was a zombified failure at work, and I don't regret it.
* Emma is fabulous. Her self-deprecating humor is fabulous. The Foursome is fabulous.
* I am in love with Islington, and in particular, in love with Emma's interactions with him. I feel like he brings out Emma's wittiest, most fabulous and hilarious self. Brower seemingly effortlessly writes the kind of slightly antagonistic repartee with undercurrents that so many writers of enemies-to-lovers romance can only dream of. I ship them unabashedly.
* I adore the emphasis on friendship that has been building up over the last few volumes. While I can't help developing ships, I find reading about the friendship between the foursome equally rewarding and would not mind Emma not ending up with any of them as long as their friendship stays strong.
* The strange blend of late victorian London with hints of magical realism / magical elements is masterfully done. I love St. Crispian's eccentricities and how well they complement Emma's personality. Items magically wandering, the neighborhood ghost, Young Hawkes' premonitions -- all of it is brilliant.
* The series has a surprising amount of emotional depth to counterbalance the humor and fluff.
* I had actual steam coming out of my ears in the first volume when Emma discovered what Cousin Archibald had done.
* I have no idea what genre this series falls into. It's not historical fiction because of the magical realism, it's too light and funny for Serious Literature, too profound to be classified as fluff. Women's lit, perhaps? Men will miss out if they don't read it because of that.
I recommend!
March 25, 2026
Healing from grief. Hope for the future. Living in grace. Lots of A Midsummer Night's Dream undertones. And I love the air of magic and mystery surrounding Hawkes.
September 29, 2026
This is such a delightfully entertaining series. Emma is a fun character and her group of male friends are wonderful in different ways. This story takes place at Christmas and is festive and heartwarming. I really enjoy the narrator.
I listened via Chirp.
I listened via Chirp.
August 24, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
they feel like my friends
they feel like my friends
September 13, 2026
Always a fun and enjoyable read!
“And I think that was the moment I began to suspect that the luck Hawkes spoke of might really only be an awareness, an awareness of grace.”
I’m really liking Young Hawkes!
“And I think that was the moment I began to suspect that the luck Hawkes spoke of might really only be an awareness, an awareness of grace.”
I’m really liking Young Hawkes!
October 26, 2026
This is my favorite book so far in the series. It’s also been the lengthiest so far, it will only get longer from here and I’m so excited!!! More of Emma M. Lion? Yes please.
This book was very warm and adventurous. She reminds me of Eloise from Bridgerton but with more freedom to do as she pleases. There’s a trope here that I love and it was executed perfectly. It’s around Christmas time and the gifts were very meaningful. The bits of jealousy!!! Will continue as soon as I get the next book.
This book was very warm and adventurous. She reminds me of Eloise from Bridgerton but with more freedom to do as she pleases. There’s a trope here that I love and it was executed perfectly. It’s around Christmas time and the gifts were very meaningful. The bits of jealousy!!! Will continue as soon as I get the next book.
August 20, 2026
This might be my favorite installment so far
August 12, 2026
What am I going to do when this series ends?? Loving every second of it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,933 reviews