There’s just something about Rosen’s writing that is so addictive yet soothing? I always love diving into his new stories and Emmett proved to be no different.
Emmett is pitched as a modern-day gay Emma retelling. We follow Emmett Woodhouse, who has a lot going for him. He’s handsome, clever, and of good fortune, and is generally a happy guy who loves to spread the wealth, whether that means letting an irritating person infiltrate his lunch table or setting up his ex-hook up with a new guy. Because as nice as Emmett is, he has absolutely no desire to be in a relationship before he is older and his brain has developed completely, otherwise the feelings wouldn’t be real—or so he thinks. After watching his father be devastated when Emmett’s mother died, he knows that he doesn’t want that kind of pain in his life, no matter how sweet the idea of romance may sound. But just because he doesn’t want a relationship, he’s not opposed to helping others get what they want. And when setting up his ex-friend-with-benefits proves to be a tougher nut to crack and constantly throws him together with no other than Miles, his childhood best friend, Emmett quickly learns that drawing lines only works as long as his heart isn’t on one of them. And what started out as a matchmaking quest may turn into a real love for Emmett himself.
At its core, this book really is about grieving and healing. Emmett is still reeling from the loss of his mother, even if he pretends he isn’t, and has to deal with his father who has adopted some unconventional methods to make sure his son is healthy and won’t get sick like his wife did. It’s a different way to express love that will make sense to anyone who’s ever loved a lost one.
Lest you think it’s a sad book, though, Rosen delivers a fun spectacle of young shenanigans, hilarious over-the-top romance moments, an adorkable cluelessness. and some moments that make your heart soar.
I loved Emmett as our protagonist. Emmett’s internal struggle was incredibly relatable. He’s doing everything in his power to be nice and be considered a kind person, even though he—as we all—has these internal thoughts that make it clear that he would love to just growl at people sometimes. Meanwhile, his flawed logic about not engaging in any type of relationship with actual feelings before his brain has finished developing just really hit home for me. Emmett is determined to not be romantically involved with anyone because he just couldn’t stand to handle the pain of losing them if something were to happen. I thought that was such an interesting coping mechanism and it kept me completely entranced in the fast-paced story. We know these moments in romances where people give up before they get hurt but here Emmett takes himself out of the game completely, refusing any emotional connection that might break his heart and leave him as sad as his dad. There’s much to say here about emotional growth and maturity and Rosen did it so perfectly.
Add to that the secondary characters that fleshed out this fun romp in the best of ways. From Emmett’s (ex-)hook up that he tries to set up with someone perfect, his fellow classmates and friends and his strained relationship with Miles just all added a lot of depth to the story. Also, some of the over-the-top romance was just hilarious. The way Emmett constantly stood on the outside looking in as his best friend and her boyfriend were swept up in their love and got swept up in cinematic-worthy moments made me cackle. Not to mention that the setting up fails also had me grinning because it was so obvious to everyone but Emmett that you can’t script love, you can only follow what your heart wants.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a refreshing tale to cleanse their palate.
An upbeat, modern gay Emma-retelling, Emmett will have you smiling like a Cheshire cat while also feeling all the feels. Perfect for fans of Jason June and Robbie Couch!
Emmett is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of November 7th.
Will you be picking up Emmett? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A modern-day gay Emma , with the spikey social critique of Austen plus the lush over-the-top romance of Bridgerton.
Emmett Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence and had lived nearly eighteen years in the world with very little to distress or vex him.
Emmett knows he’s blessed. And because of that, he tries to give from charity work to letting the often irritating Georgia sit at his table at lunch, he knows it’s important to be nice. And recently, he’s found a new way of giving matchmaking. He set up his best friend Taylor with her new boyfriend and it’s gone perfectly. So when his occasional friend-with-benefits Harrison starts saying he wants a boyfriend (something Emmett definitely does NOT want to be), he decides to try and find Harrison the perfect man at Highbury Academy, the candy-colored private school they attend just outside Los Angeles.
Emmett’s childhood friend, Miles, thinks finding a boyfriend for a guy you sleep with is a bad idea. But Miles is straight, and Emmett says this is gay life – your friends, your lovers, your boyfriends – they all come from the same very small pool. That’s why Emmett doesn’t date – to keep things clean. He knows the human brain isn’t done developing until twenty-five, so any relationship he enters into before then would inevitably end in a breakup, in loss. And he’s seen what loss can do. His mother died four years ago and his Dad hasn’t been the same since.
But the lines Emmett tries to draw are more porous than he thinks, and as he tries to find Harrison the perfect match, he learns that gifted as he may be, maybe he has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to love.
Modern and very gay, with a charmingly conceited lead who is convinced he knows it all, and the occasional reference to the classic movie Clueless, Emmett brings you lush romance all while exploring the complexities of queer culture—where your lovers and friends are sometimes the same person, but the person you fall in love with might be a total surprise.
