book review: "the beautiful pretender" by melanie dickerson

The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride. Fast. He invites ten noble born ladies who meet the king's approval to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.

Avelina has only two instructions: keep her true identity a secret and make sure the margrave doesn't select her as his 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. 

I was so excited to read this book because Beauty and the Beast is my absolute favorite fairy tale! I'm a huge fan of Melanie Dickerson and loved The Golden Braid. This book was full of action, twists, humor and romance. This was a book I had a hard time putting down because I wanted to keep reading, needing to know what happened next! I liked Avelina and how Reinhart was drawn to her, not because of her name but her character. When she wanted the orphans to have something to eat or wasn't constantly demanding his attention. It reminds me of Proverbs 31:30: "Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD will be praised." I love how Melanie can take the basis of a fairy tale and breathe new life into it. She does a fantastic job of incorporating pieces of what we know (like not going in the West Wing or Reinhart being gruff and grumpy and rescuing Avelina from the wolves) but adding more to it. This was such a great read!

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. You can read other reviews in the book tour by clicking here.

You can also enter a giveaway by clicking here!