The Emma Project: A Novel

Written by Sonali Dev

Narrated by Soneela Nankani

Emma gets a fresh Indian-American twist from award-winning author Sonali Dev in her heartwarmingly irresistible Jane Austen inspired rom com series.

No one can call Vansh Raje’s life anything but charmed. Handsome—Vogue has declared him California’s hottest single—and rich enough to spend all his time on missions to make the world a better place. Add to that a doting family and a contagiously sunny disposition and Vansh has made it halfway through his twenties without ever facing anything to throw him off his admittedly spectacular game.

A couple years from turning forty, Knightlina (Naina) Kohli has just gotten out of a ten-year-long fake relationship with Vansh’s brother and wants only one thing from her life…fine, two things. One, to have nothing to do with the unfairly blessed Raje family ever again. Two, to bring economic independence to millions of women in South Asia through her microfinance foundation and prove her father wrong about, well, everything.

Just when Naina’s dream is about to come to fruition, Vansh Raje shows up with his misguided Emma Project... And suddenly she’s fighting him for funding and wondering if a friends-with-benefits arrangement that’s as toe-curlingly hot as it is fun is worth risking her life’s work for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: May 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063051867

Sonali Dev

USA Today Bestselling author Sonali Dev writes Bollywood-style love stories that explore issues faced by women around the world. Sonali’s novels have been on Library Journal, NPR, Washington Post, and Kirkus’s Best Books of the year lists. She has won the American Library Association’s award for best romance, the RT Reviewer Choice Award for best contemporary  romance, multiple RT Seals of Excellence, is a RITA® finalist, and has been listed for the Dublin Literary Award. Shelf Awareness calls her “Not only one of the best but one of the bravest romance novelists working today.” She lives in Chicagoland with her husband, two visiting adult children, and the world’s most perfect dog. Find more at sonalidev.com.

Reviews for The Emma Project

[Mark Allman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story with a lot of emotion and feeling the reader great with the voices this whole series has been enjoyment have a listen

[Andrea Author · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Vansh Raje—handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition—has lived twenty-six years in the world with very little to vex him. Naina Kohli, a sensible woman of eight-and-thirty, is an intimate friend of the family—so intimate, in fact, that she pretended a ten-year romantic relationship with Vansh's older brother.

Now, Vansh and Naina find their professional lives entangled as they work on a charitable project together. An attraction develops between them, and they agree to indulge it in secret until Vansh leaves town on his next adventure. When Vansh catches feelings, Naina is having none of it. Falling in love is not in her life plan. Can Vansh convince her to take a chance on him?

I love the gender reversal in this Desi twist on Jane Austen's EMMA. Vansh is upbeat and optimistic. He doesn't let the challenges of his dyslexia stand in his way. He believes others can overcome obstacles just as he has, as long as they've got support and believe in themselves. Naina is more realistic. She's seen the darker side of life. Her mother has stayed in an abusive marriage for forty years. Some problems don't have simple solutions.

It's satisfying to see how Vansh's unconditional love fills the empty places in Naina's heart—how he helps her connect with her feelings. This is an emotional, sometimes heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting story. The audiobook was well done and added to the enjoyment of the novel.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Becki · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Masterful ending to the series. I was little worried how I would like Naina as romantic lead when I didn't like her in the last book. But she was beautifully fleshed out in this book and I fell in love with flawed damaged heroine. Vansh made for dashing leading man. I found the subplot romance so interesting I wish we got a whole book telling their story. There was a few times I felt like Rajas sounded out of character given the previous characterizations in other books. But if you stick with the story all is explained. The ending felt a little rushed but I forgive that because the book was so good.

Once again Soneela Nankani does a beautiful job narrating

[Ashley Abraham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So so so good!! It was a perfect end to a perfect series. I was hesitant about their relationship but it was so well done and worth the wait. It was so good to see Isha’s story and the epilogue with everyone else too! Loved it!!!!

[Tina Porter · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

DNF halfway through. I like the first two books in this series, but the third one was a slog to finish and this one became a chore. I just wasn't excited to listen to it, despite really liking the narrator. Honestly I liked the female lead alright but the story just wasn't doing it for me.

[Yorda Ghebremedhin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you were thinking about reading this series but don’t want the hassle of reading all four books, skip the others and read this one!! It is by far my favorite.