Item: Dear Mr. Knightley
Rating: 2.00
Author: whitney

by Katherine Reay

Bookish Samantha has always hidden behind the words of others-namely, her favorite characters in literature. Now, as she discovers love beyond the pages of her favorite novels, she will learn to write her own story.

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 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, Katherine 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.

Praise for Dear Mr. Knightley

"Katherine Reay's Dear Mr. Knightley kept me up until 2:00 a.m.; I simply couldn't put it down." -Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon a Tower

"Dear Mr. Knightley is an emotional, haunting tale of hope and perseverance in the face of adversity. With depth and honesty, Katherine Reay's debut novel will grip your heart in the very first pages and not let go." -Sarah E. Ladd, award-winning author of The Governess at Penwythe Hall

"Katherine Reay's touching debut novel made me cry in all the right places. For joy." -Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

Sweet and thoughtful contemporary readStandalone novelIncludes a reading group guide, a Q&A with the author, and Sam's reading list

Fond of:

I liked that Dear Mr. Knighley used aspects of Jane Austen as I am always a sucker for that. Also, while it was almost a flutter I thought the incorporation of Eunice's time as a dragon in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was nice.
I also liked reading the story in letter format, being written as if Samantha was speaking to the reader.

Not Fond of:

Even though I enjoyed the format, it did seem a little 90s era teeny-bob, which was a bit of a downfall for me. I also got a little annoyed with her squealing over romantic issues and had me thinking, does Mr. Knightley actually care about this drivel or do I for that matter?
The Alex/Samantha relationship felt stilted, with Alex coming off as the rebound guy after her horrible break-up with Josh. It was a coupling you wanted to happen, but when it was revealed that Alex was kind of a dud too I felt the build up to the crescendo was all for naught.

Final Thoughts

Mr. Knightley felt like fan fic and had to put it down several times. For me, Samantha was an annoying baby sister who I wanted to stay out of my room.

Dear Mr. Knightley

by Katherine Reay

Reviewed by Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews on Oct 29, 2014

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