Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Chili-Slaw Dogs

A delightful 'Austenuation', if a little rough around the edges - the Deep South (of my limited fictional experience) really lends itself to an update of Jane Austen's Emma. And I love how Mary Jane Hathaway doesn't stick rigidly to the plot and characters of the original, like most reworkings, but weaves a new story around the frame of the old.

Caroline Ashley (Emma) has returned home to the sleepy southern town of Thorny Hollow, abandoning a successful career in journalism to take care of her recently widowed mother. Her only comfort is neighbour and lifelong friend Brooks Elliot (Mr Knightley), an eternal bachelor with a steady academic career, who is always there when Caroline needs him. The little details that tie this story to Emma show more are cute - antebellum mansions, Regency parties, and 'borrowed' lines from my favourite adaptation (I suspect) - but what kept me reading was the author's taste of the South, from the eponymous chili-slaw dogs to pink lemonade and chocolate cake. I was drooling throughout, and could almost feel the humidity dripping off the page. Caroline is nicer than Emma - the twist on the Harriet plot was clever, though not carried through, bizarrely - and Brooks is more chick-lit hero than earnest Mr Knightley, yet I couldn't help but like them both. Nobody can craft a romance like Austen, and I didn't feel like there was enough tension between Caroline and Brooks, but the upgraded friendship was convincing enough. Also, making the 'Frank' and 'Jane' characters even sneakier was a neat touch!

Really the only part that let the story down was the editing - typos (including switching back to 'Fairfax' from 'Fairfield' with Lauren's surname) and plot holes make for dropped stitches in an otherwise enchanting yarn. show less

I don't usually write reviews but for this I make an exception. This is a 3.5 star rating.
I picked it up as a Freebie and all through maybe the first 40% of the book I kept telling my husband that I would drop it and not continue reading because there was so much stuff that annoyed me. But... I kept reading. And starting to really, really like Brooks. And the Austen thing was so cute (I have read Emma but can't remember much of it so I can not comment on that). The minor characters were cute too. Did I say cute? It was a light and happy read, just what I needed.
I'm glad I picked it up. Now I'm curious about the Pride & Prejudice retelling!

Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Chili-Slaw Dogs is a contemporary re-imagining of Jane Austen’s Emma. It is not a strict re-interpretation, but takes the basic story and sets it in the Deep South amid the insular society of a small town. This actually works. I can think of no better contemporary setting for Highbridge than a nosy, everyone-knows-your-business, stuck-in-the-past small Southern town. Although it is a quick read with romance front and center, I don’t think this will be a perfect fit for strict Jane Austen fans. There are too many deviations from the original. But it should appeal to those who like a good contemporary romance and who enjoy the movie adaptations of Jane Austen. And while this was not my favorite Jane Austen show more knock-off, I will probably read the other books in the series. show less

Jane Austen's Emma is transported to the South as an unemployed former Washington Post writer and her best friend discover that there is more to their relationship than platonic affection. The author cleverly adopts some of Austen's characters and plot points while saving room for her own Southern filigrees. Recommended. (55)

Anyone who loves Jane Austen and present day renditions of classics like I do will enjoy Emma, Mr. Knightley and Chili-Slaw Dogs. Hathaway delivers a clean romance with splashes of faith and humor. And lordy, what a kiss! I can't wait to read the next Hathaway--who also writes as Virginia Carmichael--title.