Not Precisely Mr. Knightley

The Silver Teapot #2

by Carolyn Miller

Can the Matchmaker Find True Love?
Emma-Jane (EJ) Bennett and Jordan Knight are longtime best friends who codesigned the immensely successful dating app, Dream Match. Success starts to go to EJ's head when she gets caught up in the famous and money-hungry social circles and starts dating the son of a TV mogul. But Jordan's feelings have grown from friendship to more. He determines to protect her by exposing Eric Churchill for the two-timer he is, finally agreeing to attend a function with her at the Sydney Opera House. But his best intentions go awry when EJ is embarrassed and runs for the security of home, small-town roots, and The Silver Teapot Café, feeling like Jane Austen's chastised Emma--only without her Mr. Knightley.
Don't miss book 1 in The Silver Teapot series, Not Exactly Mr. Darcy

Genres: Retellings

256 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 1, 2026

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. A longtime lover of romance, Carolyn loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her bestselling, award-winning Regency and contemporary novels are stories that offer hope, heart, and a twist of Aussie humour. Connect with her at www.carolynmillerauthor.com where you can find our more about her books, and sign up for her newsletter to be the first to know her book news.

Reviews

[LA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely ENJOYED this second story of the Silver Tea Pot series. I can’t wait to get my hands on a paperback copy!

Once again, Carolyn Miller strikes it out of the park with her Jane Austen inspired contemporary novels. This isn’t one of those re-tellings, but there are many Easter eggs that are simply a treat to read that any Austen fan will love.

This time, we catch up with EJ, or Emma-Jane, and her best friend, Jordan Knight. The success of a dating app she created with Jordan is a result of hard-work. But EJ wants to take it a step further, and list it on the stock exchange. But in order to do so, she’ll have to find investors that believe in her Christian dating app as much as she does.

What follows is a journey reminiscent of Emma Woodhouse in Jane Austen’s Emma. It’s a beautiful story about the cost of success, of fame and chasing fortune. It’s a story of family-ties and of friendship. A friends-to-more story that has readers on edge thinking that this relationship just turned from friends-to-enemies…

But it’s a story of faith – of God’s faithfulness to us and of his forgiveness. Yes – this story digs into the faith aspect and I’m so grateful for authors who write faith-filled stories.

This is definitely one of my top reads of 2026.

I can’t wait for the next story in the Silver Teapot series.

I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Lisa M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, my Jane Austen lovers, if you guessed that this second book in The Silver Teapot series was a nod to Emma--well you would be right. ;) Emma-Jane--or EJ as she prefers to be called--is the next oldest sister of the Bennett clan. And if you know the Emma story, you will easily follow this tale...but there ARE some twists of course. However, Mr. Knight and Mr. Churchill, as well as Mr. Elton and Harriet are 100% present.

Just as with the book, EJ is a matchmaker--even owns a matchmaking app that she designed and created with her best friend Jordan Knight. But EJ wants to be recognized. She wants to be acknowledged. She wants to leave her small town roots behind and LIVE the high life she was "destined" to find.

Along the way she decides to put God and her faith on the back burner. And this book is a lesson in pride and chasing the world's treasures. There are many excellent messages woven throughout the book. Including not being afraid to tell your friends the truth--even when they don't want to hear it.

And if you know how the actual book Emma ends...you will be very satisfied indeed.

Now I'm eager for Katie and Elinor's story--as it will CLEARLY be based on Sense & Sensibility, which means we are going to have a Colonel Brandon character!

4 stars
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel. All opinions are 100% my own.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a faith-filled retelling of Jane Austen's novel Emma. Most of the plotline follows Emma's very closely, with some lines that you will recognize from the original. There are a few notable differences; Emma does not consider herself either "handsome" or "rich" here, and there is also no age gap between EJ & Jordan in this adaptation. Emma-Jane's questionable choices here result in even slimier behavior from the Frank Churchill character than in the original, and Gwen is way less sweet than Jane Fairfax. It's too bad Harriet didn't get more time in the story, but this is a more focused retelling with an interesting plot point (Emma's matchmaking tendencies have manifested in a Dream Match app). Jordan Knight's pining throughout the novel, rather than a later realization, adds some additional complexity to the relationship, and readers who enjoy the "he-falls-first" or "friends-to-lovers" tropes will enjoy this contemporary Christian retelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour for the free eARC! I post this review with my honest opinions.

Content warnings: non-consenual kiss, dubious-consent kiss

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever retelling of Austen’s ‘Emma’, capturing the characters and plot in a modern Australian setting.

Miller avoids the lazy and criminal (in my book) mistake when people take Austen’s work and re-jig a few things to claim it as their own. Instead, she gives us a fresh approach to Austen’s least lovable heroine, whilst preserving the beautiful aspects of the original.

It’s always easy to get wonderfully lost in a Carolyn Miller novel.

I was delighted to be offered this read through NetGalley but have also ordered my own hard copy for keeps

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved these 2 characters - and the main character - EJ - got caught up in her own success. She fell into a money group and forgot her priorities.

Great story and great series. I love this author how she always reminds you what is important.

Highly recommend!

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this contemporary romance inspired by Austen's Emma. It's book two in The Silver Teapot Series and you bet I'll read book one ASAP, and every other release by this wonderful author!