MY REVIEW:
I am not certain how I happened to miss out on Melanie Dickerson’s faith-based fairy tales before now but if “The Beautiful Pretender” is a good example of her novels, I hope to have the opportunity to read more of them. Although described as A Medieval Fairy Tale, this novel was not written with children in mind. Any adult who enjoys such books should enjoy this one but it is also innocent enough that one would not object to their young teens reading it also.
In this story, The Margrave of Thornbeck has been ordered by the king to find a wife. Having been mostly reclusive and with no particular lady in mind, Reinhart agrees to invite ten unmarried ladies as guests to his castle with the intention of secretly testing them to choose the one who meets his requirements in a wife. Avelina, a maidservant is sent to pose as her master’s daughter with instructions to avoid being selected as the bride. Although that seemed easy enough to avoid, nothing turned out as planned.
I thoroughly enjoyed “The Beautiful Pretender”, especially Reinhart and Avelina’s characters. One of Avelina’s strengths was her honesty and her inner struggles over obedience to the Earl or her deception to Reinhart was just one trait that made me like her so much. Her actions throughout the story emphasized her integrity and worth. The story was so well written that it was a joy to read. The plot moved along at an excellent pace with plenty of drama, action, danger, suspense, and of course romance. Numerous twist and surprises were scattered throughout the tale and the strong ending was quite satisfying.
I highly recommend this book and plan to go back to read the first book of this series “The Hunter of Thornbeck Forest” as soon as possible. I also look forward to the next installment. Oh my, I think I just added yet another author to my list of favorites.
A copy of this book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
What happens when a margrave realizes he’s fallen in love with a servant?
The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble-born ladies from around the country to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.
Avelina is only responsible for two things: making sure her deception goes undetected and avoiding being selected as the margrave’s bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.
Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences. Will Avelina be able to stop the evil plot? And at what cost?
Learn more and purchase a copy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melanie Dickerson is the author of “The Healer’s Apprentice,” a Christy Award finalist and winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award for Best First Book. Melanie earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Alabama and has been a teacher and a missionary. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Huntsville, Alabama.
Find out more about Melanie at http://www.melaniedickerson.com.
Join Melanie in celebrating the release of The Beautiful Pretender by entering to win her Once Upon a Kindle giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:
- A copy of The Beautiful Pretender
- A Kindle Fire tablet
- A $25 Amazon gift card
- The choice between a Funko POP Disney Beauty or Beast doll
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on June 7th. The winner will be announced June 8th on Melanie’s blog.
