Not Exactly Mr. Darcy
(The Silver Teapot Series #1)
By Carolyn Miller
Contemporary Christian Romance, Clean & Wholesome
Audiobook, Paperback & eBook, 256 Pages
December 1, 2025 by Barbour Fiction
Summary
Pride, Pemberley, and Second Chances
When history-loving Olivia Bennett’s teaching contract isn’t renewed, she is considered her family’s logical choice to care for her ailing grandmother in a tiny English village. While there, she soon finds additional work at nearby Hartbury Hall—one of England’s great houses once used as Pemberley in a filmed production of Pride and Prejudice. The head gardener there, however, proves to be anything but the gentlemanly hero of that famous book. Little does she know that behind Liam Browne’s brusque exterior is both a family tragedy and a legacy that demands truth and honor, creating a crisis that only Liv’s vivacious determination can resolve. Along the way, she may just learn that appearances count for naught. . .and that love can be found in unexpected ways.
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My Review
NOT EXACTLY MR. DARCY takes readers to a charming English town and a struggling estate that was famously used in a Pride and Prejudice film. Full of small-town quirks, delightful townspeople, one rather gruff gardener, a troublesome dog, complex family, and a girl trying to find what path God has for her makes for an endearing story. Fans of Austen's Pride and Prejudice will find some similarities in this story and will delight in how the author makes this tale completely her own!
Olivia is easy to love as the heroine of this story. She has some quirky, over-the-top caring family members and escapes to her equally quirky grandmother in England. The town and its people are so charming, as is the manor caretaker even though first impressions, and second, and third... seem otherwise. There is a nice bit of humor throughout and some lovely relationships that develop. I most loved the back and forth between Olivia and Liam and their delightfully sweet romance. I also enjoyed Olivia's relationship with her grandmother and Liam's sister. Olivia is lost in parts as she tries to figure out what she's supposed to do, but she moves forward as best she can, trusts in God, and finds that she's someone worth fighting for.
My only real complaint with this story was some of Olivia's cluelessness and subsequent reactions to finding out something. It felt like it was much too strong for the situation and made me disappointed as I thought her character was better than this. I think a slightly different circumstance could have still worked.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed just about every minute of this story. It was heartfelt, sweet, with emotional depth and likable characters. It's definitely a book to grab if you're in the mood for an inspirational romance set in a small, quaint town in England with plenty of nods to Pride and Prejudice.
Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Austenprose PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
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.
Find the author here.
Have you read any books like this where the heroine gets to work at a location that appeared in a movie? Who is your favorite leading hero?
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