Mornings at Character Cafe — Fanfiction Interviews

Amy: Good morning, Olivia. Welcome to Character Cafe! You look like you are in need of a tasty treat and a good cup of tea.

Olivia: Thank you, Amy. Yes, I admit I could use a little pick-me-up.

Amy: Oh, I could feel your angst from the opening lines of your novel. And I wanted to reach into the book and give those snakes who went behind your back to give a job to someone far less deserving than you a good shake. I’m a teacher too, and I can tell you that my principal would snatch you up — seeing all your energy and the wonderful clubs you started to keep students engaged. You are an awesome teacher.

Olivia: Thank you for saying those kind words.

Amy: Readers, this is Olivia Bennett, former history teacher, reluctant caretaker, and—if rumors are to be believed—temporary resident of a tiny English village while your grandmother is recovering from hip surgery. Olivia, did you ever imagine this is how your life would look?

Olivia: Oh, absolutely not. I imagined lesson plans, orderly timelines, and perhaps a sensible cardigan collection. I did not imagine being “the logical family choice” to relocate my entire life.

Amy: Logical choices often lead to the most unexpected adventures. What was it like arriving in the village?

Olivia: Quaint. Picturesque. A bit judgmental in that way small villages can manage. Everyone knows your business before you’ve unpacked your suitcase. Fortunately, I have an in since my grandmother is a resident. Hence, almost everyone has been friendly. Mostly everyone…

Amy: Oh, I know just who you are referring to… that grumpy gardener who gave you such a hard time when he found you in the gardens at Hartbury Hall. He’s handsome, I have to say, but a tad surly. That’s why I’m surprised that soon after arriving, you took a job at Hartbury Hall. Be honest—how much did Pride and Prejudice factor into that decision?

Olivia: I would like the record to show that I am a serious historian.
…That said, the fact that Hartbury Hall once stood in for Pemberley in a P & P movie may have caused a small internal squeal. Just a tasteful one. Entirely dignified.

Photo of the Lyme Park Dutch Garden by Linda Craven CC BY-SA 2.0

Amy: Yet that grumpster of a head gardener there, Liam Browne, is not exactly a Mr. Darcy…

Olivia: If Mr. Darcy had scowled at me over a wheelbarrow and implied I was standing in the wrong place, then perhaps I could get past it. [giggles] Liam is… brisk. Prickly. Possessed of an impressive ability to make silence feel like criticism.

Amy: First impressions, then, were not favorable?

Olivia: I thought he disliked me intensely. Later, I realized he simply dislikes most people intensely. It’s almost comforting, really.

Amy: Readers love a gruff hero with hidden depths. Do you suspect there is more beneath his brusque exterior?

Olivia: I suspect something. No one carries that much restraint without a reason. History teaches you that façades, whether grand houses or guarded men, rarely tell the whole story.

Amy: Speaking of history, how does your love for it shape your journey?

Olivia: History reminds me that truth matters. That legacies can wound as much as they can inspire. And that ignoring the past, either personal or otherwise, has a way of resurfacing when you least expect it.

Amy: Preferably during tea, right?

[They both laugh.]

Amy: You’re described as having vivacious determination. Do you see yourself that way?

Olivia: Vivacious sounds far more glamorous than “too stubborn to walk away even when you probably aren’t wanted,” so I’ll take it. I suppose I do believe that things, people included, are worth understanding before being dismissed.

Amy: And love? Do you expect to find it in such an unexpected place?

Olivia: No. Love rarely arrives when one is exhausted and unemployed. But I’ve learned that appearances don’t count for much—villages, great houses, and even gruff gardeners included.

Amy: Here’s a question: if you could offer readers one piece of advice?

Olivia: Don’t assume the story is over just because a chapter ends badly. And never underestimate what can happen when determination, truth, and a slightly muddy heart collide.

Amy: Um… What do you mean by a muddy heart?

Olivia: Sorry. Spent a lot of time teaching my students to use figurative language this spring. It isn’t anything tragic. A muddy heart is just one that’s lived a bit. A heart that’s been shaped by disappointment and responsibility. Mud means you’ve been standing in real ground, not floating above it. And the lovely thing about mud is that it’s exactly where things grow.

Amy: When it’s dried out a bit. [laughs] I know you are talking about Liam and perhaps the history of Hartbury Hall — but I sense your heart is a little muddy and hurt right now, as well.

Olivia: I will be okay. Things are already looking up — just looking at this menu. [chuckles]

Amy: What was the one thing that cheered you up when you had the hard news that you hadn’t got the teaching position of your dreams?

Olivia: Oh you must mean the custard tart Mum said had my name on it at the Silver Teapot, Mum and Dad’s cafe. Yes, I’m always a fan of custard– but especially on the worst days.

Amy: Well, even though I have a feeling things are going to work out wonderfully for you, I decided the cafe would feature a custard tart today in your honor. We even prepared it using a recipe from BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/custardtart_83910

Olivia: Is that the wonderful smell from the kitchen? I thought I smelled buttery crust and a rich and creamy vanilla scent.

Amy: It’s not just the pastry you smell, it’s the tea we made. Since you love custard so much, I decided we’d also try some custard tea. Check this out! https://allthattea.com/custard-milk-tea/

Olivia: I will have to share that recipe with my parents. I think it would be a big hit at The Silver Teapot.

Amy: Readers, you will love this book! Here is my review.

Not Exactly Mr. Darcy was such a delightful escape, and I enjoyed every minute of it. From the moment I stepped into this cozy English village, I felt right at home—like pulling on a favorite sweater and settling in with a cup of tea.

Liam tugged at my heart from the start. He’s gruff on the outside, tender underneath, and carrying more heartache than he lets on. As his story unfolds, it’s easy to see why he keeps his guard up—and even easier to cheer him on as hope slowly finds its way back in. Liv, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air. She’s figuring out her future, caring for her grandmother, and trusting God to guide her steps, even when life doesn’t look the way she planned.

Hartbury Hall stole the show for me. The history, the gardens, the whispers of romance—it all felt so vivid I could practically hear the old floorboards creak under my feet. Watching the village come alive as everyone pitches in to restore the Hall was pure joy.

This story is sweet, heartfelt, and full of faith without feeling heavy-handed. If you love gentle romance, community spirit, and a reminder that God can turn old hurts into fresh beginnings, this one is a real treat.

About the Book

Book: Not Exactly Mr. Darcy

Author: Carolyn Miller

Genre: Romance/Contemporary/Christian Fiction

Release Date: December, 2025

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.

Click here to get your copy!

About 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.