Emma Mitchell may enjoy sprinkling romance into the lives of others, but her own plans involve a single first-class ticket to culinary school in Europe. When her best friend, Jon Noble, suddenly moves back to Ransom, Emma’s fairly certain her life can’t get any better…until her matchmaking schemes nosedive, her culinary future falls flat, and a life-long friendship begins to teeter on the brink … the brink of something unexpected.
With a little inspiration from Jane Austen’s classic and a touch of Blue Ridge charm, will Jon and Emma discover that what they need the most may be the last thing they’re trying to find?
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Brace yourselves because I’m about to go into extreme fangirl mode over Pepper Basham’s third novel in the Mitchell’s Crossroads series- A Match For Emma.
There’s so much I can gush about. First off, I was grateful for the opportunity to revisit the charming town of Ransom and the fun cast of characters I’ve grown to love! (And maybe even obsess over. LOL) It was like ‘coming home’ in a way because this author always invites us readers into the heart of her stories. Mama Mitchell’s sage advice. Daphne’s cafe. That fabulous smiling dog, Haas. It’s all in there!! And in this book, the spotlight shines on the youngest Mitchell sibling, Emma.
Having met Emma in the previous stories I thought I had a pretty good capture of her character, but I was wrong. In a good way! This gal had some depth to her! In fact, her character arc is one of my favorite elements of this story. It was heart-strengthening to read.
Okay, now I need to devote some time to gush over Jon Noble. Now note that this amazing story is inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma, and George Knightley is my favorite Austen hero ever! That being said, Jon Noble was just as admirable and swoony!!! His tender affection toward Emma, his soul-touching endeavors at romancing her, all of it made my romance-lovin’ heart swell to epic proportions.
From the engaging first page to the sigh-inducing epilogue, this story just brims with witty banter, charming humor, and tons of heart.
*I received a copy from the author. All opinions are my own.
A Match for Emma, by Pepper Basham, is the third book in the Mitchell’s Crossroads series. This charming novel is a cleverly fresh retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma. Complete with contemporary plot twists, genuine humor, and sweet romance, this book is incredibly entertaining.
The enduring themes of trust and second chances are sincerely heart-felt and deeply inspiring. The pacing of the plot is seamless, thoroughly engaging the reader page after page. The characters are very well-developed and their dialogue is full of real-life wit and wisdom. The characters are truly relatable and intriguing as they pursue their dreams, reflect on their goals, and soften their hearts to unexpected possibilities and priorities. At all times, this novel finds the perfect blend of comedy, romance, faith, and even a bit of suspense, making the story wholly readable and enjoyable.
This novel is funny, romantic, surprising, inspiring, and utterly endearing. It is a remarkable addition to a fantastic series. A Match for Emma is delightful from the first paragraph to the last, and I enthusiastically recommend it to all readers.
*I was given a copy of this book from the author/publisher. A review was not required. The review I have written is voluntary and contains opinions that are entirely my own.
I will leave a full review soon. For now, I will say, A Match For Emma is one of the best ‘friends to more’ books I have ever read, (I’ve read hundreds)
I also think this is the best Jane Austen’s Emma inspired book that I have ever read.
*Fuller review. I can’t find all the right words, I loved this book SO much!
This book is full of heart, fun, witty banter, a little mystery, truth, faith, and a whole lot of love.
I loved this return to Mitchell’s Crossroads, though you can read this as a stand-alone story, you will want to read the first two books.
The build-up to Jon and Emma discovering their feelings for each other is excellent! I cheered them on at every moment.
I thought the spiritual struggles and personal challenges were so truthful. I liked how the author used them for growth. I appreciated when Emma said, “…sometimes being a Christian was just plain hard.” Of course, Mama Mitchell is here giving the most wonderful life advice (I love her so much!)
There are many very poignant moments in this book and I had to wipe tears from my eyes a time or two. But the fun of this story had me reading it again right away.
This is one of my favorite books of the year and I highly recommend it!
Pepper Basham has crafted a heartwarming story, inspired by Austen’s Emma, and set in the cozy modern-day community of small-town Ransom, nestled in the Blue Ridge.
Emma Mitchell is relatable, loyal, and endearing. She is young and starry-eyed. Emma has dreams and plans and princess-like hair and a seemingly endless supply of optimism. I love that Emma is driven yet teachable.
Jonathan Noble fits the role of modern Mr. Knightley in all the best and swoony ways. He’s a hard-worker, a good son and friend, and completely adorable when he’s flustered by an unexpected newfound attraction.
I love the teachable moments, family relationships, and friends to more romance. Basham takes all the best things about Jane Austen’s Emma and adds a healthy dose of southern charm on a foundation of genuine faith to create a truly challenging, entertaining, and inspiring story. I highly recommend this latest installment of the Mitchell’s Crossroads series!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Pepper Basham continues her reign as the queen of romantic comedies and heartfelt romances. What I wouldn’t give for the entire Mitchell Crossroads series to be made into movies or better yet, a TV series. This third novel in the series returns us to the Mitchell family while focusing on the youngest daughter of the bunch, Emma. And although it’s based off of Jane Austen’s novel, the Blue Ridge Mountain setting and cast of colorful characters, brings a fresh spin and true appeal. If there were such a thing as feeling a hug from a book, it’s in these pages.
A fun story about a pair of lifelong friends in Appalachia, each of them chasing a dream that may not be quite what they thought it would be. The story loosely follows the plot points of Jane Austen’s Emma, although with its own particular twist. I found it enjoyable and well-written, and I recommend this story.
(I read it as a standalone even though it’s part of a series, and I had no trouble jumping right in.)
It took me a while to get into this somewhat leisurely-paced story and connect with the characters, but by the halfway point I was invested and eager to see Jon and Emma finally realize what they have. The plot follows Jane Austen’s Emma so it felt too predictable, but it was fun to match up the characters and see how the author put her own twist on the story with the details. There is a strong sense of community in Ransom, and especially at Daphne’s cafe, where Emma practices new recipes on unwilling locals. There is a nice balance of humor and heart, with Emma and Jon’s friendly banter and teasing, but also holding each other accountable for their flaws. There is a unique level of loyalty and devotion in their friendship, and my favorite parts are when they began to be attracted to each other on a romantic level (this author excels at kissing scenes!) The supporting cast of family and friends gives depth to the story and I hope to see more of Liam and Kayla in future books! The inspirational message comes across pretty strongly in the latter part of the book, and Emma and Jon both encourage and support each other in overcoming their weaknesses.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions expressed in this review are my own)
After meeting Emma and her family in the first two Mitchell’s Crossroads books, it was fun to read Emma’s love story. Though five years younger, Emma has been best friends with Jon Noble for most of her life. When Jon and his father return to Ransom for his father to heal, he and Emma are happy to see each other often after three years apart, though they continue as best friends. She continues in her matchmaker ways, trying to help a young co-worker, with some disastrous results. Her contentious relationship with her cousin also comes to a head, causing Emma to face some uncomfortable truths about herself. Jon was also doing some self reflection, coming to grips with his mother’s death years ago and the reasons he stayed away from Ransom so long. I really enjoyed this latest visit to Mitchell’s Crossroads. Dare we hope for another visit, this time with a love for Trigg? I certainly hope so.
I am so thrilled to be able to return back to Mitchell’s Crossing! Jon and Emma are such delightful characters and their banter between one another is fantastic! It’s such a witty, fun book filled with romance! Oh and of course there’s some growth for the characters and we get to visit other Mitchell’s! It’s always great to read a book by this author and her love for Appalachia and story is evident. I received a copy of this book from the author. All views stated here are my own.
A Match for Emma is a special story that speaks to my heart. No matter the location or time period, Pepper Basham spins a great story, but nowhere does she shine more than with Appalachian settings. Southern mores and phrases add to the story’s charm, taking me back to my growing up years in the mountains of north Georgia. Basham paints pictures with her words and creates rich, memorable characters.
A Match for Emma is the story of Emma and Jon – close lifelong friends, reconnected after a three-year separation during which they kept in constant contact. Their story is full of southern charm, snappy dialogue, brilliant humor, and spiritual gems applicable to our daily faith walk. In an effort to escape the expectations placed upon him, Jon moved to New York and became a counselor. The town of Ransom was everything to Emma and she loved playing the role of matchmaker.
The friends-to-something-more theme is a favorite of mine, for what better foundation upon which to build a lasting relationship is a true friendship? The pacing of Emma and Jon’s journey is perfect. And as in real life, conflict came from seemingly different life goals and from trying to direct their own paths rather than humbly seeking God’s guidance. Fans of Jane Austen will love the connection, but the story works well even if you’re one of those rare individuals (like me) who have never read any of her classics.
I hated to see A Match for Emma end and hope for more Mitchell’s Crossroads stories. 5 stars because I enjoyed Jon and Emma’s story so much! Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through JustRead Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Emma Mitchell is notorious for her penchant for matchmaking and her previous successes have only encouraged her continued attempts to match her friends. In this story her best friend, Jonathan Noble, returns home to assist his father who has had some recent health issues. Neither is quite prepared for the changes that take place in their relationship. Their journey from friends to more-than-friends is well-told by masterful storyteller Pepper Basham. Highly recommend!
“The only person who can give you what you need most is the one who can love you forever and always.”
I’ve been hankering for another visit to Mitchell’s Crossroads, so I was excited to dive into Pepper Basham’s new book, A Match for Emma. It was such fun to revisit the Mitchell clan for Emma’s story.
Some things I loved about this book:
I loved the characters. Emma and Jon had been best friends for years, and it was entertaining to see their relationship grow and change. Basham is a master at creating endearing, realistic, and flawed characters and wrapping them up in a story that brings them out the other side much better than they were. I enjoyed seeing characters from previous books in the series return in this book.
I loved the setting in small-town Appalachia where everyone is neighborly and knows everyone else’s business and are willing to jump in and help when needed—and sometimes when it’s not needed or wanted!
I loved the quotes from Jane Austen’s Emma at the beginning of the chapters. They added a little hint as to what was going to happen.
I loved the story which is based loosely on Jane Austen’s character of the same name. It’s imaginative, witty, romantic, and charming. “She’s Emma. She just moved her fairy tales and dolls to real people. God help us.”
I love Pepper Basham’s writing. It flows naturally, and her delightful sense of humor shines through her stories. The dialogue is witty and amusing, and she scatters the tale with inspirational messages so seamlessly that they aren’t preachy or overbearing. “A man isn’t going to solve the real problems in your heart, no matter how rich or handsome he is. He can never really complete you. You have to recognize who you are before God, before you’ll be really ready to share your heart well with another person.”
I love that this is a clean, wholesome, humorous story. It was such fun to read that I didn’t want it to end. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
A Match of Emma is the third installment from Mitchell’s Crossroads series. Pepper D Basham’s talent once again shines through in this tale. She writes a fun romance and I enjoyed adventuring into the lives of Emma and Jon. And in my opinion, you can never go wrong with reading a beautiful love story set in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
A Match of Emma is getting a well deserved five stars from me. I would give it one hundred if I could.
I received this book from the author, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
What a wonderful novel! Pepper Basham is one of my favorite authors and her amazing writing talent is showcased in this lovely book! Friends to more is one of my favorite tropes, and the author featured it beautifully in this story, I love love LOVED IT! Jon was such a fabulous hero, sweet and selfless and entirely swoon-worthy! I could definitely relate to Emma, I loved her character growth throughout the story, it touched my heart and served as a reminder of Whose I am and that He will always love me no matter how many mistakes I make!
This was my first time meeting the Mitchell family and I absolutely adored them, especially Trigg, can’t wait for his story!
A Match for Emma is a wonderful story that I so enjoyed! I highly recommend it! I have the first two books of the series in audio and I’m so looking forward to making a return visit to Ransom very soon!
I received an ebook copy of this book from the publisher which did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.
I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this delightful, faith-filled, romance by Pepper Basham. Charming, laugh out loud funny, sweet, tender, and sassy all crossed my mind while reading Emma and Jon’s story. Ms. Basham takes a page from Jane Austen’s classic, Emma, and adds her renown Appalachian background and flavor, as well as, her strong Christian faith to the story leaving the Austen fan and general reader satisfied and yet wanting more of the Mitchell’s Crossroads series. The Christian elements are not overdone, but serve in the transforming of Emma’s character, and giving hope to other characters who are in need of grace. Readers who love to feel immersed in characters and community will find themselves right at home in this series.
Pepper Basham never fails to disappoint! The #QueenofSwoony delivers kissable characters and tantalizing kisses. #allthekisses Her love for the Blue Ridge Mountains shines all throughout the story with lovely and vibrant descriptions, inviting the reader to visit via the pages of the story.
Of course it’s human nature but don’t you just want to clobber people, fictional or otherwise, when they can’t see what’s good for them right in front of them plain as the nose on their face?
Such was the case with both Emma and Jon.
Emma’s efforts were all well intended, but sometimes the best laid plans fall far short. Mice and men and all that! It crushed me that Emma felt herself a failure—a sentiment this reader once knew far too well. Ms. Basham takes Emma on a rigorous heart journey to discover her own worth.
Jon, too, comes face to face with a grief he thought was buried.
Ms. Basham has a magical way with words, casting a story-spell that brings the story to life and invites the reader right into the midst of the action. Personally, I could go for one or ten of those swoony kisses!
ROBIN’S FEATHERS
FOUR FEATHERS
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.
#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day-on-Saturday, #TRD, Book Review, A Match for Emma, Pepper Basham, JustRead Publicity Tours
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Emma Mitchell was so busy trying to find a match for everyone else, she didn’t think about needing the man of her dreams. And her long time friend Jon Noble just surprised everyone by moving back to Randsom, so she can resume her friends relationship with him. But their journey doesn’t exactly as planned.
Thought this book started out a little slow for me, but then the story gets better and better. I really like Emma’s character, she just so full of life and enjoys helping others. And her matchmaking skills are really, good, that is until she made a mess of one couple. And Jon is a sweetheart! But I did get annoyed at him for being so secretive sometimes. But that all said, Pepper Basham does an awesome job of writing this book to make people keep reading it until it end. She deals with several different issues that are realistic, describing each scene so vividly it seems like reading about my neighbors. There are a lot of characters in this small town of Randsom, and the way the author introduces them to the story, they are easy to remember and soon felt like old friends. There is a lot of love in Randsom, but theres sometimes a lot of tensions flying around sometimes too. And all in all, it is a great third book in the Mitchell’s Crossrodes Series, and even though I didn’t read the first two stories, this one was fine for me as a stand alone. This is a good clean read. If this is what you like to read, it’s an awesome story.
A copy of this book was given to me by the author or publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions here in this review are totally mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Author Pepper Basham has written an absolutely charming retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma. This is an absolutely delightful read from the charm of the wonderful characters to the southern small town feel and a back drop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Basham brings plenty of emotions and heart in her story. Readers will find the characters easy to connect to with their real-life and relatable experiences. This is definitely the story of Emma, but with a vibrant Basham twist, making it all her own. This story is about finding oneself and allowing for forgiveness and grace. Readers will absolutely adore and fall in love with the beloved re-telling from Basham.
Series: Mitchell’s Crossroads
Genre: romance, contemporary, retelling, Christian
Publisher: Woven Words Publications
Publication date: November 21, 2019
Number of pages: 340
Other books in the series:
1-A Twist of Faith
2-Charming the Troublemaker
A review copy of this book was provided by the author, as well as a copy purchased for review. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
A Match for Emma is the latest in the Mitchell’s Crossroads series by Pepper Basham, and it’s delightful. As the title suggests it’s about Emma Mitchell and her best friend since childhood Jon Noble. Both main characters are well developed, likeable, and interesting. Each wants only the best for the other even if it means sacrificing what they want most. It’s a friendship to love storyline and the romance builds slowly finally culminating in a wonderful closet scene that makes the buildup all worthwhile. A Match for Emma is funny, tender, and faith filled. It’s a five star read you’re sure to enjoy.
“She told me yesterday that sometimes God’s paths are too dark for us to see, but that we don’t need to be afraid, because God can see in the dark. He knows the way.”
Such a heart-rending story of loss, owning the grief, and finding hope in the midst of grief. With her sharp sense of humor and great banter, Pepper Basham livens up the predictable plot that closely follows Jane Austen’s Emma with the lovable characters of the Mitchell clan. Jon and Emma’s past grief and how they deal with it presently gives hope for the future and really brings home what a lived-out faith looks like. Their close-knit friendship takes a while to shift to romance but walking through their lifelong camaraderie as Jon returns home to Ransom feels like being wrapped up in a favorite blanket. And returning to the small town of Ransom, with the nosy but loving neighbors and the hustle of Daphne’s cafe where everyone gathers to eat, is always fun and heart-warming. Though this is book 3 of the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. But having read the previous two books will add to better understanding the other members of Emma’s family who play vital roles her story.
If you enjoy contemporary romance, you will enjoy this book. If you’ve been a fan of Pepper Basham and Mitchell’s Crossroads series, this book will hit a sweet spot as Emma finally sees her match and lands in love without even realizing it. Now we need a gut-wrenching story about the oldest Mitchell sibling Trigg….
I received a copy of the book from the publisher/author via JustRead Publicity Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.