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bhnmt61's review against another edition
2.0
The obvious literary allusions are called out early and often in this book— Austen, the Brontes, Dumas— but the more direct model of this story is Daddy Long Legs, a 1912 novel by Jean Webster told in letters written by a young orphan to a mysterious benefactor. I read it close to 50 years ago when I was about 12 and I loved it.
But as an adult, looking back on what I could remember about it, it seemed like a pretty strange premise, so I re-read it a couple of years ago. Yes, it is just as weird and inexplicable as adult-me was thinking it would be. Penniless orphan falls in love with an older wealthy man who is funding her education. She has been writing long, breathless, charming letters to him. The whole setup is just kind of creepy if you ask me, and it is copied almost exactly in Dear Mr. Knightley.
Reay solves some of the problems by making Samantha a little older (24) and the benefactor, Alex, a little younger (35- ish?), and wealthy because of his successful suspense novels, not because he was born and raised wealthy. They are both writers, so they at least have something in common, and she is on her way to being a successful journalist, so it’s not quite such an imbalance of power.
But it’s still an iffy proposition if you ask me, and I was not sold on this pairing, especially not on the way it ended. He is a creeper, and she is unbelievably naive. He has been lying, manipulating, and preying on her trust for months, reading dozens of her private letters but never letting on, and then after two minutes of apologies at the end, they’re good. Ugh.
Also, and this is probably just me with my individual peeves, I was resentful of the religious agenda. There’s not enough that it should be marketed as a religious novel, but it’s enough that if you’ve got a huge chip on your shoulder about the evangelical church (as I do), it’s a deal breaker. It feels sneaky and underhanded. I have zero interest in reading further books by this author.
So, all in all, this one wasn’t for me. I did finish it, so according to my own scale I should give it three stars, but I can’t.
But as an adult, looking back on what I could remember about it, it seemed like a pretty strange premise, so I re-read it a couple of years ago. Yes, it is just as weird and inexplicable as adult-me was thinking it would be. Penniless orphan falls in love with an older wealthy man who is funding her education. She has been writing long, breathless, charming letters to him. The whole setup is just kind of creepy if you ask me, and it is copied almost exactly in Dear Mr. Knightley.
Reay solves some of the problems by making Samantha a little older (24) and the benefactor, Alex, a little younger (35- ish?), and wealthy because of his successful suspense novels, not because he was born and raised wealthy. They are both writers, so they at least have something in common, and she is on her way to being a successful journalist, so it’s not quite such an imbalance of power.
But it’s still an iffy proposition if you ask me, and I was not sold on this pairing, especially not on the way it ended. He is a creeper, and she is unbelievably naive. He has been lying, manipulating, and preying on her trust for months, reading dozens of her private letters but never letting on, and then after two minutes of apologies at the end, they’re good. Ugh.
Also, and this is probably just me with my individual peeves, I was resentful of the religious agenda. There’s not enough that it should be marketed as a religious novel, but it’s enough that if you’ve got a huge chip on your shoulder about the evangelical church (as I do), it’s a deal breaker. It feels sneaky and underhanded. I have zero interest in reading further books by this author.
So, all in all, this one wasn’t for me. I did finish it, so according to my own scale I should give it three stars, but I can’t.
forestidylls's review against another edition
5.0
I have to admit I went into this with skepticism. It takes a lot for a book to impress me if it is related to Jane Austen because I am far too much of a purist. But this book was excellent. Rather than being a version of one of the stories in the form of a Daddy Long-Legs story, it was more about the main character's love of Austen (and all literary characters), and I loved hearing quotes or paraphrases from my beloved stories scattered throughout. Beyond that, however, it was a well-written, compelling story. I sympathized with the main character almost more than I would care to confess to, and, whereas I was not a huge fan of Daddy Long-Legs, this version of the story may become one of my new favorites.
paopuleaf's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.0
ellacat11's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Great literary references
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Minor: Car accident
Descriptions of abuse within foster homes, issues with foster system, cycles of violence, extreme child abuse, violent attackthesimplereader's review against another edition
2.0
I sincerely tried to finish this book, but I simply could not get into it. The protagonist is searching for her voice in school and life, but I believe the author is too. I know the story is about following the main girl as she finds that voice, her confidence and where she belongs, but it really felt as though the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen and a few other long-dead authors had their writing stitched together with mere scraps of Katherine Reay's own material. It was a disappointment.
eggjen's review against another edition
3.0
it took awhile to warm up to this book. initially I was irritated by the main character and the whole thing was too similar to Daddy Long Legs (which I loved) but the book picked up in the second half and I ended up enjoying it.
deanneestelle's review against another edition
4.0
I adored this book, but I wasn't completely satisfied by the ending.
I got very attached to Sam as a main character. She has a very special story, and I found myself relating to her in surprising ways, despite how different our circumstances are. The romance is cute and fun, the side characters are (for the most part) rich and interesting.
SPOILER
The only thing that marred the book for me was the reveal at the end. I honestly think the story would have been better if Mr Knightley and Alex remained unconnected. As it was, the reveal and subsequent forgiveness and ending felt abrupt and unsatisfying.
I got very attached to Sam as a main character. She has a very special story, and I found myself relating to her in surprising ways, despite how different our circumstances are. The romance is cute and fun, the side characters are (for the most part) rich and interesting.
SPOILER
The only thing that marred the book for me was the reveal at the end. I honestly think the story would have been better if Mr Knightley and Alex remained unconnected. As it was, the reveal and subsequent forgiveness and ending felt abrupt and unsatisfying.
emmasbookdiary's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This book. It was a journey. I feel so many emotions right now. It was sad. It was beautiful. It was happy too. My goodness, I loved it!
To be honest, when I saw it was told through letters, I wasn’t sure how I was going to like it but it worked soo well! I loved it!
Sam was a kindred spirit for me from the very beginning. I loved her character so, so much. My heart broke for her but I loved watching her character grow. I loved how this book felt like I was reading her diary. She was raw, real, and broken.
And Alex… my goodness, I loved his character! Yes, he was flawed but that’s why I loved him. He melted my heart just a little. Seriously, he was really sweet.
Oh, and I loved the Muirs!!
The love story… my heart.❤️ It was so sweet. It was slow-burn, friends to more— my favorite kind of romance. I adore books where the characters fall in love through letters. I just loved watching Alex and Sam have a good friendship before they fell in love. It was beautiful. Also I so appreciate that it’s clean!
This book… it’s a lot of things. It’s about relationships, letting go of your past, faith, love, and hope. Hope most of all. It’s about finding family and friends. It’s about learning to stay even when things get hard. It’s about surrendering and letting go of your past to pursue a brighter future.
It’s a sad read at times. It’s real. It touches on foster care and all Sam went through during her years in it. Physical abuse, etc… But it also has it’s happy moments without glossing over the sad.
I loved all of the classic book references so, so much. It made me so happy to find a fictional character who loves fictional characters like I do. I LOVED all of the Jane Austen, Anne Shirley, and Jane Eyre references.🥰
It just really touched me in a way I didn’t expect. I cried… quite a few times in fact. I smiled. I swooned. Laughed. Cried again. Swooned some more. It gave me all the feels.
I’d recommend to older teens and up. 💗
2024 reread-
I love this book! It’s unique and fun, deep and emotional and inspiring. It has such a sweet romance and great character development. It’s just a really good book! Every bookish girl will get Sam and her love for books. I loved reading about Samantha’s journey again— the friends she makes and the family and love she finds. I also loved reading about her overcoming obstacles and growing because of them. It’s also fun reading about her pursuing a career in writing. It was so cozy revisiting this story and I’m really glad I did.💗
To be honest, when I saw it was told through letters, I wasn’t sure how I was going to like it but it worked soo well! I loved it!
Sam was a kindred spirit for me from the very beginning. I loved her character so, so much. My heart broke for her but I loved watching her character grow. I loved how this book felt like I was reading her diary. She was raw, real, and broken.
And Alex… my goodness, I loved his character! Yes, he was flawed but that’s why I loved him. He melted my heart just a little. Seriously, he was really sweet.
Oh, and I loved the Muirs!!
The love story… my heart.❤️ It was so sweet. It was slow-burn, friends to more— my favorite kind of romance. I adore books where the characters fall in love through letters. I just loved watching Alex and Sam have a good friendship before they fell in love. It was beautiful. Also I so appreciate that it’s clean!
This book… it’s a lot of things. It’s about relationships, letting go of your past, faith, love, and hope. Hope most of all. It’s about finding family and friends. It’s about learning to stay even when things get hard. It’s about surrendering and letting go of your past to pursue a brighter future.
It’s a sad read at times. It’s real. It touches on foster care and all Sam went through during her years in it. Physical abuse, etc… But it also has it’s happy moments without glossing over the sad.
I loved all of the classic book references so, so much. It made me so happy to find a fictional character who loves fictional characters like I do. I LOVED all of the Jane Austen, Anne Shirley, and Jane Eyre references.🥰
It just really touched me in a way I didn’t expect. I cried… quite a few times in fact. I smiled. I swooned. Laughed. Cried again. Swooned some more. It gave me all the feels.
I’d recommend to older teens and up. 💗
2024 reread-
I love this book! It’s unique and fun, deep and emotional and inspiring. It has such a sweet romance and great character development. It’s just a really good book! Every bookish girl will get Sam and her love for books. I loved reading about Samantha’s journey again— the friends she makes and the family and love she finds. I also loved reading about her overcoming obstacles and growing because of them. It’s also fun reading about her pursuing a career in writing. It was so cozy revisiting this story and I’m really glad I did.💗
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Physical abuse
disabledbookdragon's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75