Blog Tour: Emma: A Latter-day Tale by Rebecca Jamison (review, excerpt, guest post, giveaway)

Emma: A Latter-day Tale
written by Rebecca Jamison
published by Bonneville Books, an Imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.

find it here: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Goodreads

Why did I pick this book: I participated in the blog tour hosted by the author. (I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)

Did I enjoy this book: I will admit, I have not read Jane Austen’s Emma. I know, I know…for shame! How could I not?! It is on my list to read, and soon. I have read a number of modern retellings of Ms. Austen’s Emma and I have enjoyed all of them. This one being no exception. Emma: A Latter-day Tale was a good story that kept me wanting to see how it ended. It took a bit longer to get through than I was expecting but it was a good read nonetheless.

While I did enjoy the book, I really didn’t like Emma all that much throughout the entire thing. I was surprised by that. She came off as childish, naive, selfish, and lacked a filter for the comments she made at very inopportune times. She had her friends at heart but her execution with helping them was off the mark. So off the mark that it was comical. I laughed quite a few times at the things she did or said. I’m surprised she had any friends at the end.

Justin is a wonderful guy – sweet, kind, caring, and romantic. He’s that guy that most girls dream of. I liked that he did let Emma know when she wasn’t being very nice. He was a good friend. Harri was also a good friend. She was a bit young and immature but she found her way. She changed the most in the story in my opinion…and she changed for the better. I enjoyed watching her evolve. Phil was a bit of a jerk. Jena was a mysterious character. You knew there was something going on with her besides of the struggles of fame. I thought she was stuck up at first. Hank was my least favorite of all of the main characters. I thought he was arrogant and kind of mean. I get why now that I have finished the book. I couldn’t believe Emma wanted to be with him. However, once I finished this book and had some answers, it reinforced the old adage – you can’t judge a book by its cover – or in this instance, you can’t judge a person based on first impressions.

All-in-all, I enjoyed this book. It was a good story that had me laughing in parts, shaking my head in parts, and wanting to see how it ended.

Would I recommend it: If you enjoy modern retellings, then yes, this was a good story. It is a bit heavy on the religious aspects (LDS) but that didn’t bother me.

Will I read it again: I probably won’t, but who knows. I may once I get to reading the original Emma. I would be interested in seeing  how Ms. Jamison retells Ms. Austen’s other great works.

About the book: NOT Looking for Love: Single woman (23) seeks best friend to chat on the phone, shop the clearance racks, watch chick flicks, try out messy cooking projects, and eat Dove dark chocolates.

Emma isn’t so good at the whole life-coaching thing. Her first client ended up with a broken heart and is threatening to relapse in her bad habits. Now Emma has problems of her own to deal with, and all those problems start with one name: Justin.

Justin is her best friend, so it’s hard for Emma not to feel betrayed when she suspects he is falling for her childhood rival. And she knows she’s losing him despite her best efforts. No matter how much she tries, she keeps running up against obstacles. How is she supposed to help other people when she’s drowning in her own failures?

Fans of Jane Austen’s Emma will love this modern retelling of the classic romance novel. Fall in love with Emma’s latter-day tale of redemption, forgiveness, and the quest for true love.

Please enjoy the following excerpt from Emma: A Latter-day Tale.

It was amazing how much more snow Phil could pick up with his shovel than I could with mine. He cleared three feet of the driveway before I was done with one.

“When we’re done, if you have time, you should come in and meet Harri. I think you two will get along.”

Phil stopped and looked at his watch. “I’m planning to do a couple more driveways before it gets dark.”

“I’ll go get Harri now if you’re in a hurry. She wants to meet you.”

Phil leaned on his shovel. “Harry is a she?”

“Her real name is Harriet. She moved here a couple months ago and she’s hardly met anybody. I think you’ll like her.”

Phil threw his head back, laughed, and started shoveling again. “I thought you were trying to introduce me to your new boyfriend.”

“You think I would be out here shoveling snow while my new boyfriend stays inside?” I grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at him. I didn’t mean to hit him in the face, but that’s where it landed.

Phil wiped the snow off his face and grinned. “I wondered why you were dating such a loser.” I expected him to throw a snowball at me, but he just stood there. “So you don’t have a boyfriend?”

I giggled a little at his awkwardness. “Nope. Harri doesn’t either.”

Phil threw another shovelful of snow away from the driveway. “So you . . . I mean, you and your friend are . . . available?” Phil didn’t open his mouth enough when he talked. That was the one thing about him that always distracted me. I couldn’t help staring at his mouth.

I had to force myself to look into his eyes. “Why is that a shock, Phil? Every woman in that house right now is available. You can take your pick—Harri, me, or Barbara. You’re surrounded by single women.” It was safe to assume Phil wouldn’t pick me. I was at least three inches taller than he was, and it was a rare man who dated a taller woman.

Every Free Chance Book Reviews is pleased to welcome Rebecca Jamison, author of Emma: A Latter-day Tale, to the blog today. She has written the following guest post about the things that make her laugh.

Laughing is good for you! It’s scientifically proven to improve our health. Here are a few things that make me laugh:

1. Macho men who put those metal girly silhouettes on each side of the back bumper . . . even when they’re driving a mini van.
2. Reciting this quote by Sam Walton, the founder of WalMart, while walking through his store: “The key to success is raising your expectations.”
3. Jokes from Boy’s Life magazine, like this one from June 2013:

Joe: What does your father do for a living?
Jon: He’s a magician. He performs tricks, like sawing people in half.
Joe: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Jon: Yep, four half-sisters and a half-brother.

1. The fact that my husband won’t kiss me after I’ve eaten cookie dough because he’s afraid he’ll get salmonella.
2. Stuff little kids say: When my son was five, we decided it was time he learned some manners. When he asked for more food without saying please, we prompted: “What’s the magic word?”  He quickly replied, “Beans, beans the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot.” So much for our manners lesson!

How about you? What makes you laugh?

 

About the author: Looking for love? Rebecca H. Jamison would love to set you up with that special someone, but you’re better off reading her books. She has a terrible track record as a matchmaker.

Rebecca grew up in Virginia. She attended Brigham Young University, where she earned a BA and MA in English with an emphasis in creative writing. In between college and graduate school, she served a mission to Portugal and Cape Verde.

Rebecca enjoys running, dancing, reading, and watching detective shows. She and her husband have six children.

Find Ms. Jamison here: blog, Facebook, Goodreads, YouTube

And now for the GIVEAWAY!! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win!

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Happy reading wherever you are and whenever you get a free chance!!!