Not Precisely Mr. Knightley

This book is loosely based on Emma by Jane Austen and I enjoyed the retelling. EJ is a strong willed character that is determined to do things her way without seeking advice through prayer or her best friend Jordan who is trying to help her see the wrong choices she is making. The problem is he goes about it all wrong although his heart is involved and jealousy rears its ugly head. I loved that it shows how easily we can fall into bad decisions when we are searching for the wrong things and how deceptive people can be. A great reminder to guard our hearts and minds. The storyline has a lot of push and pull conflict and at times I wanted to shake the characters and say straighten up. All in all it was a very good contemporary read and I was happy to revisit The Silver Teapot Cafe and the Bennett family. I look forward to more in this series. I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit/Barbour Publishing. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.

I enjoyed this book and the challenges EJ faced with promoting her app and choosing between Jordan, her best friend, and Eric, a possible investor in Dream Match.

Are you ready for a trip down under? Carolyn Miller takes us to Australia in an enjoyable story loosely based on a classic Jane Austen novel. Austen's Emma had trouble recognizing what was important, and Miller's Emma Jane Bennett has that same problem. She designed a dating app to help Christian singles find perfect matches, but its success is fueling her desire for wealth and prestige. Will EJ's faith suffer, along with her relationship with her lifelong best friend, Jordan Knight? Miller does a wonderful job with the character development. I loved Jordan, and his deep devotion to both EJ and God. And then there's EJ! Couldn't she see what she was throwing away? I was often aggravated until I realized it was because her behavior was so realistic! Wasn't EJ reflecting our society's obsession with fame and success? Don't we allow those obsessions to alter our standards and beliefs? I loved the friends-to-more romance and a return visit to The Silver Teapot Café. This may be a rom-com, but it also has a strong element of faith. I recommend Not Precisely Mr. Knightley to all who enjoy Christian contemporary romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. These are my own thoughts.