Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Review - The Beautiful Pretender


Thomas Nelson; 320 pages; $15.99; Buy Link; Blog Tour
I believe almost everyone has read at least one fairy tale story or has watched one of those classic Disney cartoons during their lifetime. Though many fairy tales are aimed for a female audience, for some reason these stories happens to be one my guilty pleasures.

Released this week to bookstores is the medieval fairy story The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson.

Set in 1363, the novel centers on ten noble born young women being invited to spend two weeks at the Thornbeck Castle, where the girls would be tested to see who would be the best bride-to-be for the Margrave of Thornbeck.

This is where Avelina comes into the picture, a maidservant who is instructed by Earl of Plimmwald to go to Thornbeck Castle and stand in for his daughter, Dorothea. Sounds easy enough at first, but Avelina must keep her true identity a secret from everyone and make sure she doesn't get picked as the bride-to-be.


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Final Thoughts: This fairy story is more of an updated version of The Princess and the Pea with a bit of The Bachelor tossed into the mix. I had previously read The Golden Braid by the author, so I was well aware that she would spin an older fairy tale into the novel.

While the book is well-written, it took me awhile to get into the plot; though I eventually became interested in it around chapter 5 or 6. The main character, Avelina, is a likeable, strong character. Overall, I did end up liking The Beautiful Pretender. Yes, there are a few flaws here and there, but it was still a decent read.


*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.


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.

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