1. Dear Mr. Knightley
    Katherine Reay
    Thomas Nelson / 2013 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$16.19 Retail Price$17.99 Save 10% ($1.80)
    4.6 out of 5 stars for Dear Mr. Knightley. View reviews of this product. 45 Reviews
    Availability: In Stock
    Stock No: WW689680
4.6 Stars Out Of 5
4.6 out of 5
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Quality:
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Value:
4.6 out Of 5
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4.4 out Of 5
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Displaying items 6-10 of 44
  1. Heidi
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Plenty of depth
    February 21, 2014
    Heidi
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I'm going to gush a little here- I *loved* this book. So, so good. I have to admit I judged the book by its cover and thought it would be chick-lit fluffy, but it was deep and compelling and emotional. All in good ways, though. Several times I found a tear creeping out the corner of my eye, but it wasn't because I was sad, it's because I was so touched.

    I didn't instantly connect with the main character Sam. As more of her personality and background was revealed, I became more invested in the story. The voice of the novel is very personal since it reads almost like a journal, but the author did a great job of being able to portray both the thoughts of Sam and the scenes and interactions with others. While the book is based on the classic Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster, the grittiness of the foster care system and hardships Sam endured made things more real and less fairy-tale.

    I enjoyed the relationship between Sam and Alex. Their friendship then romance developed and deepened slowly which worked well for the pacing. The relationships she developed with other characters were just as satisfying to read about. The part I liked best was that she was introduced as such a flawed person, but as she became aware of her shortcomings and unhealthy coping mechanisms, she focused on the difficult task of changing and improving. It was refreshing and interesting to watch her character progression, as well as others in the book.
  2. CharityUAusten
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    This Debut Novel Does Jane Austen Justice! :)
    December 27, 2013
    CharityUAusten
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    When Katherine contacted me asking if I'd be interested in writing an endorsement for Dear Mr. Knightley, I was ecstatic to say the least — and not just because I was writing my first endorsement, but also because finally, a book was coming that would incorporate Jane Austen and not be horrid (like the zombie and sea monster spinoffs — haven't read them but they sound awful). An early copy arrived in my mailbox this spring, and I quickly made time to delve into it. And I was not disappointed. Katherine managed to perfectly incorporate strains of Jane Austen and Jane Eyre into Dear Mr. Knightley while keeping the story moving at a good rate. I've read books before that are rather annoying, when put into letter form. This story is in epistle form and it only enhances the delightful story within! I was so caught up in this one. It's easy to read, easy to love, and most decidedly a book that I highly recommend to all Jane Austen fans. It's worth buying, y'all!

    **The author sent me a free copy of this book in addition to the advance manuscript, but I didn't have to review it positively. I wasn't paid for my review.**
  3. Fitzysmom
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    November 4, 2013
    Fitzysmom
    I am a big Jane Austen fan so when I saw the title of this book I immediately snatched it up. Imagine my surprise when I started reading and realized this was not a Jane Austen knock-off. Was I disappointed? Not in the least! In fact I think I have just added a book to my top ten list for the year.

    This is Katherine Reay's debut novel but it does not read like one. The depth of emotion that this story evokes is overwhelming at times. Through the character of Samantha Moore we are taken into the world of the foster care system. Some of it good and nurturing but a lot of it broken and damaging.

    A simple classification of this tale would be to characterize it as a love story. As with most love stories it is complex. It involves the love of a man for a woman but it also involves adults that love a child even when that child is an adult herself.

    If you enjoy deeply emotional and beautifully written literature I can almost guarantee that you will love this piece of work. Let me leave you with a couple of my favorite quotes from the book:

    "The day we forget the horror, Sam, we will repeat it. Never forget your past. It will make you less human, less than human."

    "I've heard all sorts of things about a kiss (melting, fireworks, music), but no one ever told me it's a conversation: asking, accepting, deciding, inviting, giving . . . questions posed and answered."

    I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.
  4. StoryGirl
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    November 1, 2013
    StoryGirl
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    When I first heard of this book several months ago, my reaction was something along the lines of "abcjelw itslikeDaddy-LongLegsandJaneAusten andohmygoodnessIneedtoreadthisbook!!!!" Yeah....I've been waiting anxiously for this book to come out. I may or may not have been a little overexcited. Even my sister, a self-labeled "book snob"- especially of contemporary fiction- was anxious to pick up Dear Mr. Knightley.

    When I first started, I was a tiny bit disappointed; though I liked the story, the main character, Samantha, wasn't a Christian at the beginning, and so though there was nothing grossly inappropriate in it (nothing beyond what you might find in a PG rated movie), there were still a few things that popped up that I didn't care for. But then as the story went on, it got better and I completely fell in love with it (I might as well admit I pretty much fell in love with Alex Powell, too. ;). Though I liked Samantha and her realistic struggles, she didn't quite capture my heart the way the secondary characters did. I ended up loving the secondary characters. I loved the professor and his wife, Ashley, and Kyle. The ending almost made me cry. And I adored the quotations from -literally- all of my favorite books. I especially loved the redemption themes near the end, and Samantha's thoughts on Eustace and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Over all, Dear Mr. Knightley was rather brilliant and once I got past the slow (for me) beginning, I enjoyed (almost) every moment of it.

    Objectionable content: Because Samantha grew up in foster care, there are some mentions made of physical abuse. Samantha kisses her boyfriend and almost goes further but decides not to. There are a few words that are not terrible, but I prefer not to use in my conversation.

    free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
  5. Christine
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    A Classic like Pride and Prejudice
    October 28, 2020
    Christine
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I have only read one of Katherine Reay books before, A Portrait of Emily Price and I fell in love with it, so I decided to read her first novel Dear Mr Knightly, and I am so glad that I did. Sam, who grew up in foster care had no real relationships. When she received a scholarship for Journalism she decided to change her life. The only condition is she has to write Mr Knightly letters with no return letter. Sam finds love and friendship, with a special relationship with a famous author Alex. But what of Mr Knightly? Will she ever know who he is? Will she ever meet her good friend? I love this whole story. Each character is so well written that you can't fall in love with this excellent story. What I highly recommend is to listen to this book on audiobook. The language is like poetry. So beautiful to hear. I am so glad I had a chance to read this novel and look so forward to reading more works by Katherine Reay!! 5 stars!!
Displaying items 6-10 of 44