DMKSamantha 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.

This is the letter I sent to Katherine Reay: I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your novel. I’ve been a reviewer with the Booksneeze program for a couple of years now, and am routinely surprised and disappointed in the books being published. As a freelance writer and editor (as well as aspiring novelist) I’m ruined as a reader – I can’t read bad writing, even if it is a NYT best seller. I haven’t been able to finish the last couple of novels I received from Booksneeze because they were so poorly written. Yours, however, I couldn’t put down. I loved the new spin on women’s fiction and romance. It was truly a pleasure to read your novel. Looking forward to the next.

With well-crafted characters, a believable story line, and a new approach to women’s fiction, Dear Mr. Knightley was a pleasure to read. I’ve even gone back and re-read some of my favorite passages.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchanged of an honest review.