The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 2

By Beth Brower, published 2019

In talking with my mother about this series and why it works for some people but doesn’t for others, we think it is because it sits at the intersection of historical fiction and fantasy: it is set in a real place and time (London, 1883), but the setting is not quite real (a fictional neighborhood with quirky characters, a neighborhood ghost, the protagonist’s close friendship with three single men, copious cozy stops for tea, etc.). It appeals to readers who like books and who don’t mind flights of fancy. But readers who prefer serious grounded storytelling may bounce off this series. 

I thought the second installment was a bit stronger than the first: Emma has established herself in the neighborhood and we have met many of the main players, and her adventures have begun. If you don’t care for the series at this stage, there’s no point in going further. 

Emma gets to know her tenant, the photographer Mr. Pierce, a bit better and they jointly temporarily adopt a cat, Tybalt, to catch the mice in their house; Emma accidentally reads the private journal of a neighboring duke (who happens to be young, handsome, and who verbally spars with Emma); she adores the poetic sermons of the neighborhood vicar, Hawkes; and she joins a confidence man on an adventure to recover a beloved copy of Jane Eyre.

Light, delightful, good bedtime reading. Excellent as summer reading when it’s a zillion degrees outside. I recommend the audio books. 

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 3

By Beth Brower, published 2020

We march on…Emma continues her scrapes and adventures and enjoys a neighborhood scavenger hunt for tickets to see Julius Caesar (resulting in a horrible accident for her loathsome cousin Archibald); rents studio space to her tenant, increasing their contact; discusses Ralph Waldo Emerson with said tenant; and becomes a mascot for a group of young men who call themselves The Reprobates Ten. She is also conscripted by her imperious Aunt Eugenia to assist in attracting a suitably rich and titled husband for her daughter (Emma’s cousin), the golden Arabella.

This book was 200-something pages, so it is a bit longer, but still fun and charming. I read these in such quick succession (due to a complicated library holds situation/ game) that it’s hard to review them individually. 

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 4

By Beth Brower, published 2021

We finally learn more about Emma’s first love, Maxwell, as she attends his burial (he died in war in Afghanistan three years before the story begins, but his body has just now been brought back). Emma finally really grieves his loss, and I found that portion of the book a little more grounded and touching than other sections of the book. 

Emma also has various shenanigans (including pretending to be a dancing girl at a nightclub and tea with a woman who has decided she no longer wishes to speak), and firmly cements her place in the bffs-four: Lion, Islington, Pierce, and Hawkes. 

At just over 200 pages, this felt like a perfect length for the two months described (each Volume covers two months of Emma’s life), and is maybe my favorite installment so far. I hope that novellas and short stories will make a comeback in general, as I appreciate the compact format.