The Importance of Being Emma

Book excerpt: An “ingenious” contemporary twist on the classic romance Emma, with characters “Jane Austen herself would have loved” (Joanna Trollope). True, Emma Woodhouse crushed on her ridiculously sexy brother-in-law, Mark Knightley, when she was a clueless schoolgirl. But with an MBA from Harvard and a burgeoning career as marketing director for the family food business, she’s become a self-assured young woman who is totally immune to the Knightley charms. Besides, the man of Emma’s new dreams is television chef Flynn Churchill. When Mark is hired as Emma’s new company advisor, he likes the idea of getting closer to the girl he once dismissed as a “little sister.” Especially now that she’s grown into a woman so irresistible—not to mention obstinate, exasperating, and totally impervious when it comes to the rules of attraction and desire. Emma only thinks her heart is set on Churchill. Now it’s up to Mark to reset. “Juliet Archer has reinvented [Emma] for a 21st-century audience . . . with breathtaking charm and verve.” —Jane Austen’s Regency World magazine “Perfect for reading on a hot, lazy afternoon. Like a single piece of good chocolate, it’s a sweet treat that you won’t regret later.” —Austenblog