ARC Review: The Code for Love and Heartbreak by Jillian Cantor

From bestselling author Jillian Cantor comes a smart, edgy update of Jane Austen’s beloved classic Emma.

Emma Woodhouse is a genius at math, but clueless about people. After all, people are unreliable. They let you down—just like Emma’s sister, Izzy, did this year, when she moved to California for college. But numbers…those you can count on. (No pun intended.)

Emma’s senior year is going to be all about numbers, and seeing how far they can take her. When she and George, her Coding Club co-president, are tasked with brainstorming a new project, The Code for Love is born—a matchmaking app that goes far beyond swiping, using algorithms to calculate compatibility. George disapproves of Emma’s idea, accusing her of meddling in people’s lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works. At least at first.

Emma’s code is flawless. So why is it that perfectly matched couples start breaking up, the wrong people keep falling for each other and her own feelings defy any algorithm? Emma thought math could solve everything. But there’s nothing more complex—or unpredictable—than love. 

Release Date: October 6th, 2020

*I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review! Thanks to Inkyard Press for the opportunity!*

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Jane Austen’s Emma is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was really excited about the chance to read a modern re-telling. The Code for Love and Heartbreak was an adorable and light-hearted quick read. In this version of the classic story, Emma is a socially awkward math and computer nerd who creates an algorithm to match-make her classmates in order to win a coding contest. I thought this was such a clever way to bring the classic Emma’s meddling into modern times. I enjoyed Emma’s awkwardness, and her lack of experience in relationships was a perfect explanation for her misunderstanding of human emotions. I had a great time comparing the modernized versions of all of the characters to their original counterparts. They all had a fun, contemporary twist while staying true to the essence of the classic character. The relationships felt realistic and romantic, and I appreciated the diversity in all of the couples. The story was sweet and enjoyable to read, and while it isn’t the deepest of plots, there was still a nice journey and growth for our characters. The Code for Love and Heartbreak is a solid YA Rom-Com that both new readers and Emma fans alike will enjoy.

Emma by Jane Austen Review

Goodreads Summary: Charming, willful Emma Woodehouse amuses herself by planning other people’s lives. When her interfering backfires, she learns a bitter lesson: well-intentioned busybodies are as resented as those motivated by ill will, and everyone should learn to respect the individuality of others.

My Thoughts: I have a new favorite classic.  I fell in love with Emma. It is for sure my favorite Austen to date, and I had no idea that I would love it as much as I did.  I have always been curious about this book because I love the movie Clueless so much, and the movie is based on the book.  I was not disappointed.  The plot was fun and engaging, the characters were all colorful, dimensional and different, and it had the perfect amount of shade that I live for from Jane Austen.  Emma Woodhouse quickly worked her way into my heart and became one of my favorite heroines of all time.  She is so stubborn, self-confident, pushy and meddling and I just loved her.  Her relationships with everyone were so well developed and it was fun to see how they played out.  There was a twist with every event that kept me on my toes and waiting to see how Emma would react.  I was a reluctant Austen fan, but I think I am finally getting used to her style and I get the hype.  I can’t wait to read the rest of her works because I am 100% a fan now.  I almost want to go back and re-read Pride and Prejudice and give it another shot.  Until now, my favorite classic, by far, has been Jane Eyre.  I can’t believe I am saying this, but I think Emma has surpassed Jane Eyre in my heart.