As with any short story collection, there were some I loved and some I didn't care for. Individual reviews and ratings below. :)
Chocolate Surprise - 4 stars
Took me a little bit to pin this as an Emma retelling, but I was impressed at the way the key relationship/twist from the novel was condensed down to a short story while keeping most of the essential elements. The only thing I didn't really understand was how Heather's misunderstanding had come about. But the one line that explained Ida and the chocolate started a whole waterfall of feels! <3
Gently Pursued, Finally Persuaded - 3.5 stars
A sweet Persuasion retelling that I really enjoyed. There were some definite differences from the original (for example, a much stronger reason that they hadn't gotten married), but that wasn't a weakness, and the setting of a second-chance love story in a retirement home was unique and delightful. My only (small) complaints were that a few of the details that carried over seemed a little strained. Overall, a very cute story.
The Secret of Pemberley Estate - 2.5 stars
This was an interesting concept, but maybe a bit too complex for a short story. The mystery felt rushed, and some of the conclusions (even the correct conclusions) didn't seem to be based on much evidence. Parts of the story seemed rather far-fetched, and I couldn't figure out where the accusation at the beginning came from once the mystery was explained. Also, the dialogue seemed a bit strained at times, and parts of the ending were a bit cliched. I did like the focus on Georgiana and her relationship with her brother and Elizabeth, though, and the bits with the flower messages were interesting. :)
Emma's Irritation - 3 stars
I could definitely see the callbacks to certain conversations in Emma here, and the attitudes of the characters were reflected pretty well overall. I didn't quite understand the apparent change in Mr. Knightley's attitude toward Emma's matchmaking (or the specific match in question), and obviously with it being a prequel story, we can't get a lot of lessons learned on Emma's part. :S Still, I thought it did a pretty good job of keeping consistency with the original.
Mother's Day - 3.5 stars
This was a nice modern take on Sense and Sensibility. My only complaint was that it was so short that pretty much all we got to see was the wrap-up, and most of the story was taken up with talking/thinking over what had happened in the past. But still sweet--and I did like the kittens! :)
The Mansfield - 4.5 stars
Definitely my favorite of the collection! This story hit just about the perfect balance of being a recognizable retelling without straining to hit every piece of the original. The setting was unique and compelling, and the characters were very understandable, and Faith especially was wonderful. I liked the way the relationship between Faith and Erik left off with plenty of promise, but not a too-quick resolution.
Content--mentions of finding new species on other planets
Elaina - 2.5 stars
This one wasn't my favorite. I didn't connect well with the style, and it stuck way too close to the original for my preference. Although I did like the way Henrietta's portion of the plot was tweaked. ;) Unfortunately, trying to squeeze the entirety of Emma into the space of a short story made things feel very rushed and surface-y.
Peace in the Orchard - DNF
Skipped for personal convictions regarding magical fantasy. ;)
Maid in Houston - 1.5 stars
I had a hard time with this one, and not just because of the randomly-scattered Spanish. The story felt rushed, and the characters were hard to like. Even Francesca, who's supposed to be our heroine, didn't get enough depth to really have me rooting for her, and I still can't figure out why I'm supposed to be the slightest bit happy about her ending up with Ernesto. I literally can't come up with one good quality that he demonstrated through the whole story, and his change was too out-of-the-blue to be believable, especially since we didn't get to watch it lived out. Also, I wasn't sure what purpose his bouncing back and forth between religions was supposed to serve, but it wasn't at all comfortable, especially since it wasn't resolved in any significant way.
Content--several uses of "heck"; mentions of drugs and drinking; mention of uncomfortable touches and a man romancing a married woman; mentions of trying out various religions
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