Excerpt + Giveaway with Author Kelly Miller!!!

November 17, 2025 • Author Features, Giveaways • 59 Comments

Hi friends! I’m so excited to welcome back Kelly Miller to Austenesque Reviews today! 🤗

Kelly has just released a new Pride and Prejudice variation titled – The Impoverished Orphan – which, if I counted correctly is her 1️⃣1️⃣th release!!!  🎉

In this variation it sounds like there has been some tragedy and intrigue which I suspect will take our characters on a completely different course… 🎩

Kelly is here to share an excerpt from The Impoverished Orphan. We hope you enjoy!  🙌🏼

 

It’s a pleasure to be here with you, Meredith! My new “Pride & Prejudice” Regency romance, The Impoverished Orphan, puts Elizabeth in an entirely different setting from Canon. She and Mr. Darcy will cross paths in Salisbury, near the Barton family estate where Elizabeth resides.

~ Book Description ~

After a virulent illness takes the lives of Elizabeth Bennet’s parents and elder sister, she is raised at the Barton family estate in Salisbury. Unlike her Barton cousins, Noah and Cassandra, Elizabeth is penniless. Furthermore, she must be shielded from her uncle, a dissolute tradesman.

Whilst Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy stays at an estate near the Barton property, he seeks possible suspects for the murder of his London neighbour. Although Darcy is attracted to Elizabeth, he cannot overlook the disadvantages in her situation. To complicate matters, his impulsive act incurs Elizabeth’s hostility, whereas Miss Cassandra Barton’s preference for him is unmistakable.

In this sweet Pride and Prejudice Regency romance with a touch of cozy mystery, Mr. Darcy uncovers a web of lies that complicates his pursuit of Elizabeth. Will he find his way into Elizabeth’s heart?

~~~

The following excerpt from The Impoverished Orphan, is in Darcy’s POV and shows his first sighting of Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

~ Excerpt from The Impoverished Orphan ~

Later, when my friend lingered in the tannery to inspect the saddles, I parted from him to enter the nearby haberdashery. I often purchased small gifts for Georgiana when I travelled, and I strolled the aisles with her in mind. A display of colourful scarves drew my notice. Georgiana might like one of them, but which one?

“Good day, sir. I am Mr. Crew. May I be of assistance?”

I shifted towards the short, smartly dressed man whose hair receded high above his forehead. “Perhaps. I hope to find an item my fifteen-year-old sister would find desirable. Which of these do you think would be the most suitable?” I indicated two striking silk scarves, one in a green-and-yellow floral pattern, the other in blue-and-white stripes.

“Ah, both of those are pretty. Is your sister dark-haired like you?”

“No, her hair is blonde.”

He spread both scarves out on the table. “I think either one would make a delightful gift. It is a shame my female clerk is not in today, for she has exquisite taste in these matters.” His gaze locked upon a sight behind me. “Ah, pray allow me a moment, and I shall have an answer for you.”

Before I could articulate a response, he snatched the two scarves and strode towards a female who browsed an aisle with gloves and handkerchiefs. Did he mean to intrude upon another customer for such a trifling matter? If he had voiced that intention, I should have forestalled him.

Out of curiosity, I took a meandering course to acquire a clear view of the lady and the haberdasher from a sheltered position behind a group of cloaks.

“Good day, Miss Bennet. Are you in need of assistance?”

The lady beamed at the manager. “Good day, Mr. Crew. No, thank you. I am passing the time whilst I await my cousin, who stopped at the post office.”

The radiant smile Miss Bennet directed at Mr. Crew illuminated far more than herself; indeed, her presence brightened the area like the warming rays of the sun emerging through dark clouds on a bleak day. I found myself in the inexplicable state of envying the man for being the recipient of her attention. Her dulcet voice—confident, yet distinctly feminine—in combination with the captivating picture she made, summoned me closer as might a siren’s call.

Miss Bennet’s charms defied her unremarkable features. Her small nose lacked character, she stood at an unfashionably short height, and with her average-sized bosom and narrow hips, she lacked the symmetry and curves of the ideal female form. And her attire, of a commonplace cut and mediocre fabric, did nothing to embellish her looks. Yet her sparkling brown, or maybe hazel, irises had a fascinating allure, even from six yards or so away. I had to lock my feet in place to resist the inclination to shorten the distance; if I ventured any nearer, I should be caught staring.

“Ah, in that case I should appreciate your opinion of these two scarves.” Mr. Crew held them up for her perusal. “Which would you choose for a fifteen-year-old blonde lady?”

“Both of these are lovely and elegant, so I imagine she would be pleased to receive either.” Her expressive brows shifted to emphasise her speech in a most charming manner. “If the young lady has blue eyes, I should choose the striped scarf, and if she has brown or green eyes, the green-and-yellow one.”

I had become so engrossed in the melodious tone of her speech, it took a moment for the gist of her words to strike me. Why had that point not occurred to me? The blue one would enhance the colour of Georgiana’s eyes. Moreover, what explained my peculiar attraction to this lady, a stranger? Never before had I experienced anything similar to this phenomenon.

“Thank you very much.” Mr. Crew bowed to her. “I appreciate your help.”

“The pleasure is mine.” She glanced towards the window. “Ah, I see my cousin has finished his business, so I must go.” With a nod, she quit the shop in a light, graceful gait.

In her absence, the room faded to a dull lustre. Rather than indulge my disposition to follow Miss Bennet’s progress until she moved out of sight, I lowered my head to feign interest in the display of snuff boxes before me as Mr. Crew approached. I ought to be thankful she left before I drew attention to myself.

Elizabeth’s situation is so intriguing – I’m looking forward to these new characters. 

And I love premises like this that have Elizabeth’s and Mr. Darcy’s first encounter so altered.

New circumstances, new setting, new possibilities… 

~~~

~ Connect with Kelly ~

Facebook   ❧   Twitter   ❧   Threads   ❧    BlueSky    ❧    Instagram    ❧    TikTok

~~~

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Kelly Miller is generously giving away 2️⃣ ebook copies of The Impoverished Orphan in conjunction with her visit today!  

To enter this giveaway leave a comment, a question, or some love for Kelly!

  • This giveaway is open worldwide.  Thank you, Kelly!
  • This giveaway ends December 5th!

~~~

Disclaimer: The Amazon links used in this post are affiliate links. 

59 comments

  4. Finished reading this on KU over the weekend, and absolutely loved it.
    Congratulations on yet another book release

    Reply

  5. Oh no! Mr. & Mrs. Bennet both gone, and Jane as well? And I’m guessing the dissolute tradesman might be Mr. Gardiner (which would be a major alteration of his character from both canon and most JAFFs)? This is certainly going to be a very different P&P variation!

    Reply

  6. The cover is absolutely beautiful! I love the play of light and the details of the woman’s dress and the horse; they have an almost ethereal glow.

    And having a cozy mystery element sounds intriguing!

    Reply

  7. What an intriguing set up. I have enjoyed your other books, so I am sure I will enjoy this one as well. I will add this to my TBR and look forward to reading it.

    Reply

  8. I’m currently reading this book, and it stands up to the quality of Kelly Miller’s other books. The dialogue is just amazing! Thanks, Meredith, for hosting!

    Reply

    1. I am NOT enemytoofb88abcdf2 and cannot seem to get Meredith to correct this. Don’t know where that name came from or how it got assigned to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Reply

      1. Hi Sheila,

        I am sorry you are experiencing some trouble with your display name on comments. This is not something I am doing or can control on my end through my blog. It probably has something to do with how you are logged in to comment. Maybe try logging out or looking into your settings to delete this other Display Name?

        Your comment on the 11.15 Giveaway post, 10.12, and 10.6 author posts all have your Display Name correct…but again, I have no control over what comments look like and how commenter’s Display Names appear.

        I’m sorry if you were trying to reach me through the comments, but emailing me is the better way to get my attention with questions like this…

        If I had more time on my hands, I would google it for you and see if I can help you figure out how to fix this on your end, but I’m sorry to say that my blog/email time is limited at the moment.

        I hope you can resolve this issue soon – sorry you are dealing with something so frustrating.

        Reply

        1. I didn’t read this comment as I don’t mark to receive replies. I will unsubscribe and try resubscribing. As a79 year old I am not very adept at all this. Thanks for getting back to me. I even tried sending you a letter, but it came back as undeliverable.

          Reply

  13. Please don’t enter me in the giveaway. I’ve read this book and totally enjoyed it! Elizabeth was happy despite her reduced circumstances. Alas Darcy unwittingly upset her but did his best to correct his error once he knew. I was wrong in my assumptions re her uncle and I absolutely loved the ending!

    Reply

  14. This is an interesting premise and I enjoyed the excerpt. True to Darcy’s character, he evidently upsets Elizabeth—hopefully he will amend the impression before too much time elapses. I look forward to reading this story and to learn about the mystery. Congratulations on publishing a new book.

    Reply

      1. This sounds like a very interesting spin on Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Will definitely be an interesting read. Thanks for sharing!

        Reply

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