“I’ve arrived in London without incident. There are few triumphs in my recent life, but I count this as one. My existence of the last three years has been nothing but incident.”

The Year is 1883, and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

I had heard so many readers talk about this novella series that I finally decided to see what all the hype was about. After finishing the first installment, I have to admit I’m feeling a bit underwhelmed. I went in knowing it would be slow and more of a slice-of-life story, and I’m usually fine with that kind of pacing. Still, the first 70% struggled to hold my attention. It wasn’t until the final portion of the novella that the story started to feel more engaging.

There isn’t much of a traditional plot here. The story follows Emma M. Lion as she moves back into her old family home and settles into her daily life, interacting with relatives and becoming reacquainted with friends. Much of the book is written in journal entries, so the narrative reads like a personal diary. While this format fits the tone of the story, I didn’t find many of Emma’s day-to-day observations particularly compelling until later in the book.

Emma herself is a pleasant protagonist. She has a sharp sense of humor and a bit of sass that makes her entertaining to read about. However, I never fully connected with her as much as I hoped I would. The supporting characters also felt a little distant at this stage. Since we only get brief glimpses of them, I didn’t feel strongly attached to any of them yet.

One thing I did enjoy was the audiobook narration. I followed along with the audiobook while reading the digital copy on Kindle Unlimited, and the narrator did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life with distinct accents and voices. At just around three hours long, this novella is very easy to finish in one day or even a single sitting.

Overall, I wish the story had a bit more momentum, as parts of it felt slower than necessary. That said, I’m still curious enough to continue the series. I’ve heard that the story becomes more engaging in later installments, and I’m hoping that’s the case. The setting also gives off lovely springtime vibes, with the story unfolding in England during March and April, which makes it a fitting seasonal read.

While this first novella didn’t quite live up to the hype for me, I can still see why many readers enjoy its gentle, cozy tone. For now, I’d call it a decent introduction to the series, and I’m interested to see where the story goes next.