Not Precisely Mr. Knightley - Carolyn Miller

 

Book Stats:

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance              Publication Date: 7 May 2026

Series: Silver Teapot, Book 2                                 Pages: 258

Format:  E-book                                                      Source: ARC

My Review: 

    This book was a fun twist on Jane Austen's Emma. I have been wanting to read Emma for a while as it is one of the Jane Austen books I have not read yet, Pride & Prejudice being my favorite so far. This book really inspired me to go and read the original. This book was delightful and really gave such family vibes. I absolutely adored that this family loves all things Jane Austen and the tie-ins with the names. 

    I definitely went on the emotional ride with these characters. I felt frustrated at times when they were making poor choices, which shows how invested I was into what happened to them. As a person who met her husband online this was such a fun take on a dating app. I loved that the focus was more than just swiping for looks. There was such an intentionality in the idea which I loved. I think it also showed how easily someone can get caught up in the worldly without realizing it. 

    The Australian setting added some flair, as I don't know much about the country, but got to know at least a little more in this story.     

    I can't wait to go back and read the first in the series, as well as see what happens in the next book. 

You can find out more about the book here: Carolyn Miller's Books

          A solid four star read. 

Quote Time: 

Our first quote hit me hard, because it rings with so much truth. It's why I believe God tells us to so carefully watch our tongue and the words which we use. 

"Words weren't like water you could wash off. They had the power to brand forever."

           This quote definitely rings true:

"It was funny how in this world people were encouraged to be different, to own their own truth, to follow their heart and explore and exploit their identity so that what felt good trumped all else. But as soon as someone pointed to ancient truths or mentioned faith or pointed to a Bible, well whoa Nelly, those people got excluded and cancelled faster than Ex Olympian James Magnussen could swim a lap of the pool."      

          I loved that although this book was a lighter easier read, it still had so much depth.  

              

I want to thank the author and publisher for a copy of this book to read, with no expectations of a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Meet the Author: 

Carolyn Miller is an inspirational Regency and contemporary romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband, she has pastored a church for ten years and worked as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher.  

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives.

 

More from Carolyn: 

 Do you know someone who has found love online?

I do. I have numbers of friends and even a family member who have found love and married thanks to dating apps and the like. This newer form of meeting people is something I’ve referenced in several of my books (including Only You Can Love Me), as several of my characters have used an app called Dream Match, a romance matchmaking app for Christian singles around the world. But when I first mentioned Dream Match years ago I didn’t realise at the time that I’d end up writing a story about how the inventor of Dream Match would finally meet her match.

And it seemed perfect to me that Jane Austen’s Emma Woodhouse, known for her matchmaking skills, should be reflected in a modern day context as being the ultimate matchmaker, EJ Bennett, who is responsible for helping hundreds of people find love online. Even if she doesn’t think she needs or wants love for herself.

Playing with Jane Austen’s characters and putting them in a modern setting is a lot of fun. So not only does Emma Woodhouse become EJ Bennett, but George Knightley becomes EJ’s best friend and app co-designer Jordan Knight, the straight shooter she needs. And Frank Churchill, the man Emma starts to fall for, becomes Eric Churchill, son of a TV mogul squillionaire.

The first book in The Silver Teapot series, Not Exactly Mr. Darcy, also played around with some of Austen’s settings, placing the story in a small town in Australia called Wattle Vale. I had fun further developing the Australian connections by setting other key scenes in iconic places like the Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach, which naturally meant I had to visit for “research.”

So I hope readers enjoy this little taste of Australia, and all the fun references to Jane Austen’s Emma. Be sure to check out my website and follow me on social media for more Jane Austen inspiration and fun, and get ready to enjoy Not Precisely Mr. Knightley, a sweet and swoony best friends-to-more romance that shows the path to true love is never smooth – even for the professional matchmaker.

Happy reading!

 

 

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carolyn is giving away the grand prize of $25 Amazon e-Gift card and a print copy of the book!

Commenting on the different blog stops earns you extra entries into the giveaway! 

Enter Here

Blog Stops

This book is on tour with Celebrate Lit so I encourage you to blog hop to see what others have to say about this book. 

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I want to thank you for taking the time to read my words and I hope you enjoy reading, and hearing about books as much as I do. 

        I pray you have a blessed day! 

        Sincerely, 

        Melanie