Katherine Reay Books

Katherine Reay writes romance and historical fiction. She has become one of my favorite fiction writers, especially clean fiction. Today, I am sharing a list of Katherine Reay’s books with links to full reviews.

I love clean fiction, but I am picky when it comes to clean fiction.

Clean fiction is often cheesy and unrealistic. It is also often set in the U.S.

When it comes to clean fiction, I want it clean but also realistic and believable. I want it to teach me something and take me to a world I do not know much about.

Katherine Reay does a great job of writing interesting, clean fiction. She has written both romance and historical fiction.

The writing in her romance books is creative and fun. Her romance reads more like real life than most clean romance books.

The writing in her historical fiction is so well done. It draws you into the characters and setting. Her two most recent historical fiction books were five-star reads for me.

Katherine Reay Books

Katherine Reay Clean Romance

Dear Mr. Knightly was published in 2013. This is the first Katherine Reay book that I read and it is still one of my favorites.

This book is about a modern-day girl who has had a rough life. She receives a grant to go to college. As part of the grant, she has to write letters to the donor detailing how life and school are going. Through the letters, you learn about her life, her hardships, and how she overcomes them.

Lizzy and Jane was published in 2014. It is about family, especially the relationship between sisters. Elizabeth, a chef, returns home to Seattle to help care for her sister,, who has cancer. And, of course, there is a love story mixed in.

This isn’t my favorite Katherine Reay book, but I still enjoyed it.

The Bronte Plot was published in 2015. This is one of Katherine Reay’s books that I have not read. It is on my to be read list, but I have not gotten to it yet. I need to read this one because it is a book about books.

A Portrait of Emily Price was published in 2016. It is about an artist, Emily Price, who dreams of opening her own gallery show. This is another one that I have not read, but want to.

The Austen Escape was published in 2017. Mary, an engineer, travels to England for a two week stay in an English Manor. Gracelyn read this book several years ago, and thought it was a fun, relaxing read.

The Printed Letter Bookshop was published in 2019. I loved this book about a bookshop in a small town. This is one of my favorite Katherine Reay books.

Of Literature and Lattes was published in 2020. It is a follow-up to The Printed Letter Bookshop, but it can be read alone. You don’t have to read The Printed Letter Bookshop to enjoy it.

It is set in the same small town, but this book is about a coffee shop and two people who find themselves in a place they never thought they would be.

Katherine Reay Historical Fiction

The London House was published in 2021. It is Katherine Reay’s first historical fiction book. The book has a dual timeline: the present-day and WWII. It is about family, a house in London, and letters that reveal a family secret.

I have now read all three of Katherine Reay’s historical fiction books, and this is my least favorite. I am in the minority of this, though, because this book has great reviews.

A Shadow In Moscow was published in 2023. I loved this book about Russia and the U.S. during the Cold War. It is now my favorite Katherine Reay book.

The writing was great, but what I loved most was that it was set during the Cold War, a time period that not a lot of fiction is set during.

The Berlin Letters was published in 2024. This book is about Germany after WWII and about a family divided not only by borders but also by beliefs.

It is about family and family secrets, but it is also about spies and the lengths people in East Germany went to after the Berlin Wall went up. This was a recent read for me that I enjoyed.

If you have read Katherine Reay, I would love to hear which book is your favorite.