Book Review

 

a.k.a. The Book That Made Me Invent a New Word

You know how sometimes a book (or a series) becomes more than a read? It becomes a place? A small corner of the world I can slip into, where the kettle is always just beginning to simmer and someone eccentric is about to knock at the door with a problem that is none of their business, yet somehow now entirely mine?

For me, that place is Emma M. Lion.

I’ve been holding onto the last three volumes like emergency chocolate in the back of the cupboard. As if finishing them will somehow mean losing them. But I find myself needing treats at all times lately. Especially here in the U.S., where the national pastime seems to be endless stress.

So, I opened Volume 7 straight after finishing Volume 6.

Emma M. Lion is, well, she’s Emma-esque.

Emma-esque (adj.): cozy, sharp, hilariously understated, emotionally stealthy, with a whisper of Austen and a wink of mischief.

Volume 7 has that familiar blend I’ve come to rely on: witty social observations, eccentric friends, quiet romance emerging in sideways glances, nearly-unsaid confessions, and now a kiss. Ooo! Things are getting a touch romantical, but in the Emma Lion way. Slowly. Unexpectedly. Full of small, satisfying surprises. Like a pastry you thought was plain until you hit the center and find the most heavenly chocolate cream.

What continues to amaze me is how these journals manage to be both:

• comforting: warm, familiar, like being invited in
• fresh: unpredictable, layered, and surprising

It’s a tightrope, and Emma walks it in excellent boots.

Emma doesn’t just tell her story; she lets you live inside her thoughts. The charm is in the small details: the tea, the odd neighbors, the complicated friendships, the relatives you’d never want to call your own, and the secrets not voiced. There is humor, but there is also ache. And a slow unspooling of truths that feels earned.

And then there’s the voice.
That clever voice that sees everything and often speaks it.

“Emma M. Lion reads as if someone crossed Jane Austen with the best kind of chaos.”

I finished Volume 7 and immediately launched into Volume 8. Because restraint is for people not already elbows-deep in Emma’s life, trying to guess how everything will unfold.

If you love:

• Jane Austen’s social nuance
• Cozy-but-clever storytelling
• Characters who feel like friends
• A little eccentric charm mixed with emotional depth

…you will adore this series.

What are you reading?