Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

If there were ever an antithesis to Mr. Darcy, it would be Mr. Knightley. At least at the beginning of Austen’s novels, that would be the case. In my heart, there is no truer gentleman than Mr. Knightley. While loving Emma as a pseudo-brother, he never revealed his deepest heart’s desire to be her soulmate, too. If you haven’t read Emma, I implore you to stop everything right now and get to it!! At the very least you must see the movie (the one with Gweneth Paltrow is my favorite.) Normally a debut author would have me just a bit skeptical, but Dear Mr. Knightley is top notch.

The book is a compilation of a series of letters. I almost typed “complication” then realized that it would be an appropriate word, too. It might seem like a boring way to get through a novel, but it really helped to build suspense in my heart.   Think “You’ve Got Mail” Austen style. In comparison with the confused character Emma, Sam finds herself trying to figure everything out.  When she’s nervous, she resorts to using quotes from classis literature.  It reminds me of my husband and me, since we also use Austenese as our own personal language.  Upon first glance, the main character “Sam” (short for Samantha) seems like your average grad student.  Only later do you realize how many obstacles she had to climb to get where she is today.  All the while, her silent but ever-present Mr. Knightley is her confidante.  Through her letters, you get to know the real Sam.  I found myself cheering for her, scolding her, and crying over her.   Mr. Knightley, on the other hand, seems to be the silent brooding type.  Did he get himself confused with Mr. Darcy?  No.  At one point in the book, he warns her that “Everything will change. The decision is yours.” Leaving the ball in her court, Mr. Knightley is still ever the gentleman. This is a sweet, charming read that I’ve just got to share with my sister. She’ll love it and I think you will, too!