I love that I've been able to read about Dream Match, a dating app, in some of Carolyn Miller's other books and that I get to find out more about the origin story in this book.
Not Precisely Mr. Knightley is the second book in The Silver Teapot series, and it's exactly the type of modern world I can see Emma thriving in, complete with the opportunity to matchmake virtual strangers on a scaled up basis. Offering both potential and pitfalls, it's only a matter of time before we see Emma discover what true matchmaking is all about.
Many thanks to Barbour Books and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Book Synopsis
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.
Source: Amazon
Book Thoughts
Oh, this book had me feeling all the emotions, including irritation, frustration, contrition, and joy. In other words, all the things that make us human. It's no secret that the author is able to evoke such responses based on how real she gets in her stories. Characters are three-dimensional and they become people whom you want to hug and sometimes offer a hard truth to at the same time (in love, of course). Emma-Jane, or EJ as she prefers to be called, is no exception. Seeing her gradual descent into hurtful thinking and behaviours, I couldn't help but want her to see just what she was doing to herself in her pursuit of the good life. That's the same attitude that Jordan, her best friend, has adopted, which allowed me to step into his shoes while witnessing EJ in her actions. Yet, it wouldn't be a Carolyn Miller book without that mirror being turned around on us as readers where we can witness the very same things happening in our lives that we need deliverance from.
I love that this isn't an easy story to read because it shows how quickly things can escalate when we operate in our own strength instead of the Lord's. With many nods to Jane Austen, including a touch of the Crawford siblings in the form of new advisers and potential investors, there are an incredible amount of Easter eggs to unearth in this modern rendition of Emma. Even when we are at our most unlikeable and stubborn, God still pursues and redeems us when we call out to Him. Readers looking for books that don't gloss over seemingly innocuous sins will appreciate the end result of God refining us through the help of His people, especially when they become the Mr. Knightleys who care enough to say something and to lovingly offer correction. Those scenes alone in this book will strike your heart while expounding biblical truths about who we really we and who we belong to.
Book Summary
- Format of book: 📱
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Recommendation: 👍
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