Badly Done, Emma Lee

I think it must be a signature of Brown’s – to write characters that are self-absorbed and unusually naïve as to the ways of the real world, for the early pages of this book were eerily similar in feel for me to the one other title I’d read from this author. But, despite the Emma references (my least favorite Austen title) and the cheerleader-esque approach to life, this Emma Lee did have a heart, a sense of her place in the world and a true desire to make people feel better – like a cute little puppy turning circles and posing in ‘cute’ mode. It wasn’t a wearing sort of cute though: Emma Lee truly believes in her ability to make friends and be a flash of sunshine for others, seeing her friends finding happiness does truly make her shine, even as she is afraid of allowing anyone too close to her. See, with her father’s death after losing her mother as a baby, and the subsequent loss of everything else to unpaid taxes, she’s moved from spoilt princess waiting for the next big thing to a young woman who must find her own way in the world, apart from her go-getting elder sisters and her friends. An unexpected bequest left her a house in the Cotswolds, and after her coup de grace of an engagement and wedding for one of her best friends, she believes that matchmaking is her particular gift – and taking her meager savings, a pair of shiny new red wellies and a suitcase full of hopes, she heads off to England to grab her dream. In England, she is met by Kingsley, the son of her mother and aunt’s best friend, with his two younger brothers, stately home and abbey ruins, the people of the village: a germaphobe pharmacist and neighbor, the organic farmer with her half-sister, a model she doesn’t get on with, the candy shop owner and manager, a young woman with a Victorian obsession and a mother who is manipulating and dependent on her. Instantly believing she needs to match Kingsley and his brothers with women, and that she could be the spark that sees everyone matched out: she’s ignoring (or trying to ) the connection between she and Kingsley, and missing EVERY literary reference made from near everywhere. C’mon .. popsugar is the last thing she read? Fortunately her mother’s friend is able to share books, family secrets and hope with Emma Lee, and throughout the book Emma never really loses her ability to make people smile, even as she is horrible at matching. Lighthearted and quick to read, this was a wonderful fun and easy read that fit the bill for some quiet hours of entertainment and laughs with a unique and ultimately sweet character. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was nor compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.