Saturday, November 30, 2013

Dear Mr. Knightley


Enter Today | 11/14 - 12/3!
Dear Mr. Knightley Katherine Reay




Book Info and review
Title: DEAR MR. KNIGHTLY
Author: Katherine Reay
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
November 2013
ISBN: 978-1401689681
Genre: Contemporary

About the book:

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.

Includes Reading Group Guide
Plus Bonus Material: Q & A with Katherine Reay and Sam’s Reading List

My thoughts:

Wow, wow, wow. DEAR MR. KNIGHTLEY was a story I wasn’t sure what to think of at first. Samantha had a very rough childhood. The stuff of nightmares, and like Anne of Green Gables, she retreated into her books. She can’t seem to communicate without quoting lines from the old classics.

Okay, it seems weird that most of the people Sam comes in contact with has also memorized all these lines and can tell you what book they came from. I mean, my guys can do that with movies. But I never heard women do it. And Sam was very rude sometimes, though I can understand where she’s coming from and why. I also thought that sometimes Alex was a big jerk as well. But then, they are flawed and human. Who among us isn’t?  It made them more real.

I did absolutely love her honesty in writing to Mr. Knightley. I figured out the truth of that relationship long before the end of the book, but it made the ending no less sweet.

This was just a totally awesome book, it’s going on my keeper shelf, and I am anxious to read more by this author. 5 stars. $15.99. 336 pages.




Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/qDEkp

Meet the author: Katherine Reay has enjoyed a life-long affair with the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries. After earning degrees in history and marketing from Northwestern University, she worked as a marketer for Proctor & Gamble and Sears before returning to school to earn her MTS. Her works have been published in "Focus on the Family" and the "Upper Room." Katherine currently lives with her husband and three children in Seattle. "Dear Mr. Knightley" is her first novel.

Learn more about Katherine at: http://katherinereay.com/

 Blog Tour Schedule

1 comment:

Between the Pages with Katrina said...

Wonderful debut author. Wonderful book. Great review. Thank you.

This Special Blessing for You Hardcover – Picture Book #childrensbook

  This Special Blessing for You  Hardcover – Picture Book, February 20, 2024 by  Eric Schrotenboer   (Author),  Meredith Schrotenboer   (Aut...