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Winner of the Big Red Reads Fiction Award 2011 and short-listed for the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance in 2011

Mark Knightley – handsome, clever, rich – is used to women falling at his feet. Except Emma Woodhouse, who’s like part of the family – and the furniture. When their relationship changes dramatically, is it an ending or a new beginning?

Emma’s grown into a stunningly attractive young woman, full of ideas for modernising her family business. Then Mark gets involved and the sparks begin to fly. It’s just like the old days, except that now he’s seeing her through totally new eyes.

While Mark struggles to keep his feelings in check, Emma remains immune to the Knightley charm. She’s never forgotten that embarrassing moment when he discovered her teenage crush on him. He’s still pouring scorn on all her projects, especially her beautifully orchestrated campaign to find Mr Right for her ditzy PA. And finally, when the mysterious Flynn Churchill – the man of her dreams – turns up, how could she have eyes for anyone else? 

With its clueless heroine and entertaining plot, this modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma stays true to the original, while giving fresh insights into the mind of its thoroughly updated and irresistible hero.

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Previous cover! 2nd in Series

The Importance of Being Emma is the first in the Darcy & Friends series.

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New cover released September 2011.

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Review from Joanna Trollope, June 2009
“This is a very very difficult genre to write. This is a novel based as a loving tribute to the sacred Jane Austen’s Emma. And it really is an extremely brave attempt to echo her novel . The trouble is about doing anything in the aura of Jane Austen.  Is not only do the fans of Jane Austen know every single word of her novels but they are also extremely possessive about them. But this is more, I have to say, than a brave try of updating a sacred classic. It’s an ingenious and often effective, very affectionate tribute to a great predecessor with some witty contemporary versions of characters that I think Jane Austen herself would have loved.
And I also very much appreciated the chance to get inside of Mr Knightley’s head, which turned out to be a much livelier place than I had ever supposed the originals to be. So huge congratulations Juliet, well done and I look forward, very much to seeing what you do with the interior life of Captain Wentworth in your next”.
Joanna Trollope

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