The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Book 1

Romantical-comical-tragical-historical-magical-whimsical. Emma M Lion is a very engaging heroine, whose adventures are definitely worth following. 8 volumes of journals issued so far (1883-1884). Ultimately Emma will record four full years and fill 25 volumes. So if you commit following Emma and her fellow denizens of St Crispians, Primrose Hill, London, you're in for the long haul. But it will be well worth it!

This review is for the first 8 books in the series. I found it hard to know how to rate these books.. In the end I gave them 5 stars because they are highly addictive; you become fully invested in Emma and her life and you want to read the next book and the next book and the next book to find out what happens next. They are written in a fun and easy-to-read way and you can't put them down. *However*, these are not historical fiction; they are totally and completely unrealistic. The way the characters interact and speak and think is not realistic for Victorian England. There are many examples of this but the most pertinent being a 20/21 year old unmarried girl with no parents forming part of a friendship quad with three unmarried men who are 10 years and more older than her! One being a Duke and another a vicar!! Absolutely not realistic at all. Additionally, I was going to dock a star for the usual issue of an-American-is-writing-a-book-set-in-England-and-hasnt-had-it-proofread-by-an-English-person. Admittedly the author does a much much better job than many other American authors writing books set in England but there are still several Americanism in the book (fall instead of autumn being one that comes up often. But there are others). But the books are highly enjoyable to read, they draw you in and you will want to read more. Which, at the end of the day, is the whole point of reading fiction so...five stars, would recommend!

I completely fell for these books, which stole my heart on first reading and have provided so much joy on subsequent rereadings. There's so much to enjoy, from the beautiful writing that so perfectly evokes the 19th-century novel, and end-of-the-century London – Emma's particular neighbourhood of St. Crispians is so vivid I actually had to check on a map to make sure it didn't really exist. Then there's the magic in the peculiarities of the place, from the way objects tend to wander to the ancient Roman ghost who haunts the streets, but never actually appears to Emma, much to her annoyance. And there are these characters who seem to live and breathe, some who you like immediately, others whose charms take a while to reveal themselves, and some who you learn to put up with just as Emma does. Hard to pick a favourite but I'm much taken with the poetry reading vicar Young Hawkes. Then there's Emma's friend the brooding photographer Pierce and her aristocratic neighbour the Duke of Islington. Emma and these three share something she thinks of as alchemy but the real alchemy is in the pages of these books and Beth Brower's writing. They're also books that celebrate reading and literature in the most appealing way, packed as they are with quotations and bits of poetry. I couldn't love them more, and hope many others discover them and love them as much as I do. There are 8 in the series at time of writing and a major preoccupation of mine these days is wondering when the next one will come out. (They're in no way the same, they are their own perfect thing – but if a comparison is helpful they do share some of the brilliance of Georgette Heyer's best Regency Romances – not a comparison I make lightly, but if you're wondering, yes, they're that good.)

From the first page, I instantly fell in love with Emma M. Lion and all the people around her. She's smart and has a wicked sense of humor. And the neighborhood she lives in is full of interesting people that you can't wait to find out more about! This series shot to the top of my favorite books of 2019 list. Seriously so good. And even better that I didn't have to wait for the second one to come out!! :)