Review: "The Orphan's Wish" by Melanie Dickerson

Ah, Hagenheim. I absolutely love every chance I get to visit Melanie Dickerson's medieval kingdom! When I learned that her latest Fairy Tale Romance would be about Aladdin, well, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. You see, Aladdin is my favorite Disney movie, so I already knew I loved the basic story—I just didn't know how Dickerson would adapt it!

2017 Mini Reviews

I write a lot of book reviews. (Many of you are saying, "duh," right now.) But did you know that I read more books than I review? Over the past year, I've read a handful of books that, for whatever reason, I didn't review. But I do have thoughts about them (of course I do!), so I thought I'd do a mini review wrap up of the ones I remember reading.

"The Noble Servant" by Melanie Dickerson

I love Melanie Dickerson's medieval novels! They all take one (or maybe two) fairy tales and give them a twist. Dickerson's Hagenheim/Fairy Tale Romance series, which I'm still working my way through when I have a spare reading moment, is absolutely fantastic. The Noble Servant is the third book in Dickerson's other medieval series (admittedly, it gets a little confusing keeping all the books straight!), the Thornbeck/Medieval Fairy Tale series. I loved the second book, The Beautiful Pretender, so I was quite eager to get my hands on this book.

"The Healer's Apprentice" by Melanie Dickerson

The Healer's Apprentice begins Melanie Dickerson's excellent Fairy Tale Romance series. These books can be read in any order; I didn't start until The Princess Spy, book five in the series, so now I've decided to go back and read the ones I missed!

Best Books of 2016: Top Ten (Plus Two!)

So ... I'm a little embarrassed to even post this now. It's March 1. I have never been so late with my "best of" list before. I don't even have an excuse; I just kept procrastinating!

"The Silent Songbird" by Melanie Dickerson

Author Melanie Dickerson continues her tradition of adapting classic fairy tales with The Silent Songbird, based on The Little Mermaid.

"the beautiful pretender" by melanie dickerson

Fans of Beauty and the Beast and The Bachelor will love Melanie Dickerson's latest fairy tale romance, The Beautiful Pretender!

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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? 

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Melanie Dickerson's The Beautiful Pretender has just about everything you could want in a romance: flawed yet likable main characters, forbidden love, a touch of danger, and a happily ever after.

Avelina, lady's maid to the Earl of Plimmwald's daughter Dorothea, must take Dorothea's place when the Margrave of Thornbeck, Reinhart Stolten, invites noble ladies to spend two weeks at his castle. He plans to choose a bride at the end of the period, and Avelina knows that choice cannot be her, but she needs to impress the Margrave enough for him to look favorably upon Plimmwald. This becomes more difficult than she imagined when she finds herself drawn to the Margrave ... and he seems drawn to her, too.

Avelina and Reinhart's romance is so sweet! I pulled for their happily ever after from the very beginning, but I also appreciated that the story continued after they fell in love. In fact, some of my favorite portions of the novel came after Reinhart had chosen his bride. Another wonderful aspect of this novel is the friendship between Avelina and Magdalen, one of the potential brides. I don't know if Dickerson plans to continue this series, but I would love to revisit Magdalen in a future novel.

The Beautiful Pretender is not just a simple love story—it also drives home several important points: every life is precious, each person has innate worth and deserves respect, and prejudice is a cancer that tears people apart. And it does all this wrapped up in a beautiful, captivating plot.

I've read and enjoyed a few of Melanie Dickerson's other books, but The Beautiful Pretender is by far my favorite. I highly recommend it! 5 stars.

See what others are saying.
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of Dickerson's The Golden Braid (5 stars) and The Princess Spy (5 stars).

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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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Inheriting the new title of margrave means Reinhart has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for a lovely servant girl in disguise? Find out in the new medieval fairy tale, The Beautiful Pretender, by Melanie Dickerson. 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?

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.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

best books of 2015: top ten

Yesterday, I posted my "honorable mention" list of books I read in 2015, and today it's time for the main event: my top ten favorite reads of 2015! (Remember, these are books I read in 2015; a few were released in previous years.)

10. The Imposter by Suzanne Woods Fisher (my review)

Amish novels don't often make my list of favorite reads, but this latest release from Suzanne Woods Fisher is simply spectacular. Full of humor, romance, and intriguing characters, The Imposter also deals with problems within the leadership of an Amish church district, making it unusual and fascinating.

9. The Inn at Ocean's Edge by Colleen Coble (my review)

Colleen Coble is at the top of her game with The Inn at Ocean's Edge. I find that often romantic suspense falters on either the "romantic" or "suspense" part—but The Inn at Ocean's Edge has both romance and suspense in spades. It's easily the best book I read in the genre in 2015.

8. The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson (my review)

Hands down my favorite YA read of the year, The Golden Braid is a wholly entertaining retelling of Rapunzel. It's one of those books you could hand off to your preteen daughter with no concern, yet you'll fully enjoy yourself. I can't wait to read more from Dickerson!

7. The Lost Garden by Katharine Swartz (my review)

Easily my favorite book cover of 2015, The Lost Garden is beautiful and literary and gently romantic. I had never heard of Katharine Swartz before picking up this novel, but I'll definitely be watching for her work now!

6. For the Love by Jen Hatmaker (my review)

The only non-fiction book on my list, For the Love was truly life changing, in more ways than one. The content of the book caused me to reevaluate several things in my life; the community that sprung out of the book's launch team also changed me. I'm ever so grateful for this book!

5. A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade (my review)

It's no surprise to find a Becky Wade book on this list: I have yet to come across something she wrote that I didn't love. In A Love Like Ours, she gives readers two romances for the price of one: Lyndie & Jake and Amber & Will. Both are charming.

4. The Wonder of You by Susan May Warren (my review)

Another year, another Christiansen family entry in my top ten list. (It could just as easily be Always on My Mind, Casper Christiansen's story, on this list, but I decided long ago to only include one book per author on my top ten lists!) The Wonder of You tells Amelia Christiansen's story, and it also checks back in on Max and Grace, whose story began in It Had to Be You, which made my top ten list last year. I have loved this series so much, and I'm sad that it's nearing its end.

3. Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin (my review)

Sarah Sundin kicked off her new Waves of Freedom series with Through Waters Deep, a novel just as engaging as all of her previous ones. While I usually gravitate toward contemporary fiction, I have a soft spot for the World War II time period, and I don't think there's anyone who writes better World War II fiction than Sundin. The characters, romance, and plot of Through Waters Deep are all top notch, and I eagerly await the next book in the series!

2. The Bound Heart by Dawn Crandall (my review)

I read the first three novels in The Everstone Chronicles in 2015, and while I enjoyed them all, I loved, loved, loved The Bound Heart. Lawry and Meredyth's romance is sweet, frustrating, and passionate. I started reading The Bound Heart one evening and stayed up way too late so I could finish it. Easily my favorite romance of 2015!

1. A Broken Kind of Beautiful by Katie Ganshert (my review)

I don't even have the words to describe how much I loved this novel! Though it's marketed as a romance, I didn't find it that romantic, at least in the conventional way. Instead, it felt like a romance between God and His children. One of the themes of the novel is forging ahead with faith when life doesn't turn out as planned—something I think we all can identify with! I know I haven't done an adequate job of describing just why this novel is special, but take my word for it: you want to read A Broken Kind of Beautiful.

So there's my list. What about yours? If you posted a top books list this year, please leave a link in the comments so we can all check it out. And if you didn't, you could just list your favorites in a comment. I'd love to know if we loved any of the same books!

See my lists from 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.


Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"the golden braid" by melanie dickerson

We're all familiar with the story of Rapunzel—especially after the success of Disney's Tangled a few years ago. In her latest book in the Hagenheim/Fairy Tale Romance series, Melanie Dickerson gives us another welcome take on the age old fairy tale.

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The one who needs rescuing isn't always the one in the tower...

Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man. She paints beautiful flowering vines on the walls of her plaster houses. She sings so sweetly she can coax even a beast to sleep. But there are two things she is afraid her mother might never allow her to do: learn to read and marry.

Fiercely devoted to Rapunzel, her mother is suspicious of every man who so much as looks at her daughter and warns her that no man can be trusted. After a young village farmer asks for Rapunzel's hand in marriage, Mother decides to move them once again—this time, to the large city of Hagenheim.

The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knight—Sir Gerek—Rapunzel, in turn, rescues him farther down the road. As a result, Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to him than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position?

As Rapunzel acclimates to life in a new city, she uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life. In this Rapunzel story unlike any other, a world of secrets and treachery are about to be revealed after seventeen years. How will Rapunzel finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?

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My introduction to Melanie Dickerson came last year when I read The Princess Spy. It was a delightful retelling of The Frog Prince, and I immediately added Dickerson to my list of authors to watch. When I heard of The Golden Braid (and, let's be honest, first saw that gorgeous cover), I knew I wanted to read it.

Dickerson's Rapunzel is a young woman who knows her own mind and longs to chase her dreams—specifically, her dream of reading and writing—yet she has a deep respect for and devotion to her mother, who insists on sheltering her from the world. It's not until she meets Sir Gerek that she realizes her mother's rules and demands may come from a place of fear, rather than love.

Rapunzel and Gerek together are a great couple, and Dickerson clearly shows how they make each other better people—Rapunzel becomes brave enough to step out of her mother's shadow, and Gerek realizes the shallowness and selfishness of his own dreams.

The novel is full of action, adventure, and intrigue ... and, of course, love. It's listed as fiction (not YA fiction), but it's perfectly acceptable for a teen audience. It's a fast, easy read that is incredibly enjoyable! 5 stars.

Note: While The Golden Braid can be enjoyed without having read any of Dickerson's other novels, my favorite part came from reading about certain events from The Princess Spy from a new perspective, as The Golden Braid is set at the same time with several overlapping characters.

See what others are saying.
Buy the novel.
Read my review of Dickerson's The Princess Spy (5 stars).

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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.

Connect with Melanie: website, Twitter,Facebook, YouTube

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"the princess spy" by melanie dickerson

Who doesn't love a good fairy tale? With their resurgence in popularity, thanks in no small part to Once Upon a Time and Frozen, Melanie Dickerson's retold fairy tales series fits right in.

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Margaretha has always been a romantic, and she hopes her newest suitor, Lord Claybrook, is destined to be her one true love. But then an injured man is brought to Hagenheim Castle, claiming to be an English lord who was attacked by Claybrook and left for dead. And only Margaretha—one of the few who speaks his language—understands the wild story.

Unable to pass his message on to her father, the duke, Margaretha convinces herself “Lord Colin” is just an addled stranger. But when Colin asks her to spy on Claybrook as repayment for retrieving a lost heirloom, Margaretha discovers that she might be very wrong about both Colin and her potential betrothed.

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In The Princess Spy, Melanie Dickerson takes "The Frog Prince" and adapts it into a compelling novel about deceit, treachery, faith, and love. After reading three or so pages, I was completely hooked. The point of view shifts between Margaretha and Colin, and it's nice to see the events developing from both of their perspectives. Their relationship is sweet, moving first to friendship, then to love.

The villain is sufficiently evil, and the danger is real, yet nothing is graphically described, making this novel appropriate for even young teens. Adults, too, will enjoy this novel. It's one of the only YA novels I've read that I can wholeheartedly recommend to everyone.

Some of the protagonists of Dickerson's other novels appear in The Princess Spy, but I didn't discover this until I'd finished reading. I had no knowledge of her other novels when I read this one, and it functions completely as a stand alone novel. But now I would like to go back and read the others in the series—if they're anything like The Princess Spy, reading them would be time well spent! 5 stars.

See what others are saying.
Buy the book.
Learn more about Melanie Dickerson and her novels.

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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.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."