Book Review: Dear Mr. Knightley, by Katherine Reay

“Samantha Moore has always hidden behind the words of others—namely, her favorite characters in literature. Now, she will learn to write her own story—by giving that story to a complete stranger.

“Sam is, to say the least, bookish. An English major of the highest order, her diet has always been Austen, Dickens, and Shakespeare. The problem is, both her prose and conversation tend to be more Elizabeth Bennet than Samantha Moore.

“But life for the twenty-three-year-old orphan is about to get stranger than fiction. An anonymous, Dickensian benefactor (calling himself Mr. Knightley) offers to put Sam through Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism. There is only one catch: Sam must write frequent letters to the mysterious donor, detailing her progress.

“As Sam’s dark memory mingles with that of eligible novelist Alex Powell, her letters to Mr. Knightley become increasingly confessional. While Alex draws Sam into a world of warmth and literature that feels like it’s straight out of a book, old secrets are drawn to light. And as Sam learns to love and trust Alex and herself, she learns once again how quickly trust can be broken.

“Reminding us all that our own true character is not meant to be hidden, Reay’s debut novel follows one young woman’s journey as she sheds her protective persona and embraces the person she was meant to become.”

I loved this book! As an avid reader, loving historical fiction as well as contemporary fiction, this book was the best of both worlds.

Although the story was pretty predictable, I loved it anyway.

Having a special place in my heart for foster care and adoption, loving a clean romance, and enjoying a fun read, this book was perfect. I appreciated the subtle Christian theme without it being overbearing as a lot of Christian novels are.

I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a quick escape from reality for a weekend. It’s an easy read, and the sweet romance that blossoms in the story gets you sighing at the end.

Definitely one of the better books I have read recently!

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book through the Booksneeze book review website.