Stacking the Shelves #9

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's a place to share the books bought, borrowed, and received during the past week.

I was pretty good this week and controlled myself. Since the past few weeks have been full of books and I'm feeling swamped, I only got two books from the library. I've been on hold for both of them for awhile and they finally came in. Hopefully, I can get them read soon.

Borrowed: 
Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
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.


Hearth Fires by Dorothy Keddington
Mackenzie Graham's ideal assignment - writing an article on storybook homes - takes a dangerous turn when she photographs a clandestine meeting between a prominent judge, a black-market kingpin, and a crooked cop. Rescued from harm's way by a rugged cowboy-attorney, Mackenzie finds her career and life forever changed.
 
Flying bullets and wild bulls team up with romance and suspense in the classic Keddington tradition. This exciting new novel will warm you on the coldest of nights.