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The Dericott Tales #6
Lady of Disguise
England, 1388
All her life, Louisa has dreamed of finding the rumored “Giant’s Treasure,” a collection of ancient, lost riches said to be hidden on a mountaintop in Scotland, guarded by a fierce monster. It’s a story her father used to tell her, and when he dies and she and her younger sister have to go live with their shiftless, greedy uncle, Louisa is determined to find that treasure. It’s the hope that has kept her defying her uncle’s efforts to marry her off to the highest bidder.
After her uncle starts to parade Louisa’s twelve-year-old sister Margaret in front of potential husbands, Louisa realizes she has no time to waste. She disguises herself as a boy and takes off for Scotland. But the road is a harsher place than she’d imagined, and she is relieved to find a friend in the knight, Sir Charles, who goes along with her on her journey.
Charles is intrigued by this young woman who claims her name is “Jack” and is set on going to Scotland. He goes along, pretending to believe she is a boy, in order to make sure nothing bad happens to her. As they meet new friends along the road, and as Louisa comes clean about her identity, the pair find themselves falling in love. But what will happen when they reach Scotland? Will they find their independence and the freedom to marry in the form of a buried treasure, or will the monster from Louisa’s own past keep the young couple apart?
A delightfully charming reimagining of "Jack and the Beanstalk" from New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson.
All her life, Louisa has dreamed of finding the rumored “Giant’s Treasure,” a collection of ancient, lost riches said to be hidden on a mountaintop in Scotland, guarded by a fierce monster. It’s a story her father used to tell her, and when he dies and she and her younger sister have to go live with their shiftless, greedy uncle, Louisa is determined to find that treasure. It’s the hope that has kept her defying her uncle’s efforts to marry her off to the highest bidder.
After her uncle starts to parade Louisa’s twelve-year-old sister Margaret in front of potential husbands, Louisa realizes she has no time to waste. She disguises herself as a boy and takes off for Scotland. But the road is a harsher place than she’d imagined, and she is relieved to find a friend in the knight, Sir Charles, who goes along with her on her journey.
Charles is intrigued by this young woman who claims her name is “Jack” and is set on going to Scotland. He goes along, pretending to believe she is a boy, in order to make sure nothing bad happens to her. As they meet new friends along the road, and as Louisa comes clean about her identity, the pair find themselves falling in love. But what will happen when they reach Scotland? Will they find their independence and the freedom to marry in the form of a buried treasure, or will the monster from Louisa’s own past keep the young couple apart?
A delightfully charming reimagining of "Jack and the Beanstalk" from New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2024
71 people are currently reading
4395 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Dickerson
41 books6,561 followersMelanie Dickerson is the New York Times bestselling author of happily-ever-after romance. She believes in love, laughter, afternoon tea, and the power of story.
With a million books sold and numerous awards, including two Christy Awards, two Golden Quills, a National Readers Choice Award, Christian Retailing’s Best, and Book Buyers’ Best Awards, her books have hit #1 in her category on the New York Times bestseller list.
When she’s not writing, Melanie can be found watching Pride and Prejudice for the hundredth time, cozying up to her handsome hero husband, or shaking her head at her slightly unhinged Jack Russell terrier. She lives in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachians near Huntsville, Alabama.
With a million books sold and numerous awards, including two Christy Awards, two Golden Quills, a National Readers Choice Award, Christian Retailing’s Best, and Book Buyers’ Best Awards, her books have hit #1 in her category on the New York Times bestseller list.
When she’s not writing, Melanie can be found watching Pride and Prejudice for the hundredth time, cozying up to her handsome hero husband, or shaking her head at her slightly unhinged Jack Russell terrier. She lives in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachians near Huntsville, Alabama.
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February 11, 2024
Lady of Disguise by Melanie Dickerson (Book 6 in The Dericott Tales, but can be read as a Standalone) - 4 Stars
BLOG REVIEW POST HERE
Another great retelling in the Dericott Tales! This is a Jack and the Beanstalk retelling and I really enjoyed this one! Set in 1388 England and Scotland, Louisa dreams of finding the rumored "Giant's Treasure" in Scotland. After her father has died and Louisa and her sister go live with their greedy uncle, Louisa is determined to find the treasure. She wants to run away from her Uncle's home and take her sister with her to keep her safe and away from forced unwanted marriages. She runs and disguises herself as a boy, using the name "Jack", and encounters a young knight, Sir Charles, who accompanies her on her journey. Charles knows she did pretending to be a young boy but does not reveal this knowledge as he wants to help her along the way as much as possible. However, things come to a head along their trip and they find themselves starting to care for one another once everything is revealed. The story goes on from here as her Uncle is on the hunt for her and they continue their journey for the hidden treasure.
This is one of my more favorite ones in the series. I loved Louisa and how she would do anything to protect her sister. I love how determined Louisa was in her journey and is always wanting to help others along the way. Sir Charles was an honorable man and I love a good protector in a story and he sure was a great one!
My favorite part of this story though has to be the scenes with the giant - very good faith and prayer content in this section and very heartwarming.
The romance was fast but sweet. Overall I recommend this one to anyone who loves a good Christian fairy tale retelling and romance and wants a sweet, light read.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
BLOG REVIEW POST HERE
Another great retelling in the Dericott Tales! This is a Jack and the Beanstalk retelling and I really enjoyed this one! Set in 1388 England and Scotland, Louisa dreams of finding the rumored "Giant's Treasure" in Scotland. After her father has died and Louisa and her sister go live with their greedy uncle, Louisa is determined to find the treasure. She wants to run away from her Uncle's home and take her sister with her to keep her safe and away from forced unwanted marriages. She runs and disguises herself as a boy, using the name "Jack", and encounters a young knight, Sir Charles, who accompanies her on her journey. Charles knows she did pretending to be a young boy but does not reveal this knowledge as he wants to help her along the way as much as possible. However, things come to a head along their trip and they find themselves starting to care for one another once everything is revealed. The story goes on from here as her Uncle is on the hunt for her and they continue their journey for the hidden treasure.
This is one of my more favorite ones in the series. I loved Louisa and how she would do anything to protect her sister. I love how determined Louisa was in her journey and is always wanting to help others along the way. Sir Charles was an honorable man and I love a good protector in a story and he sure was a great one!
My favorite part of this story though has to be the scenes with the giant - very good faith and prayer content in this section and very heartwarming.
The romance was fast but sweet. Overall I recommend this one to anyone who loves a good Christian fairy tale retelling and romance and wants a sweet, light read.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 19, 2024
Due to space limitations on Goodreads, I am unable to post my entire content review of this book. Please click here to see the review in it's entirety with more content details and spoilers properly marked.
This book may be an easy “yes” for some families, but I wanted to note some content that some other families may not want their pre-teen daughters reading with actual quotes from the book. I’ve enjoyed many other books by this author, but this series hasn’t been my favorite due to insta-love (attraction based typically on physical appearance) and some unnecessary comments or detailed added in. Buckle in for a long review full of content details or read my summary below.
Series: Book #6 in the “The Dericott Tales”. All of the prior books in the series have been reviewed on BFCG.
Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned & quoted; Many Prayers & Thanking and Praising God; Going to churches, lighting candles, & praying; Louisa’s aunt tells her that it’s her “duty to God and to [her] husband to bear children and baptize them”; There is a friar that joins Louisa and Charles & is very opinionated and shares many judgmental things (such as stained glass on churches are for the “uneducated” people to feel God’s presence, shoos away a beggar child and comments on the child going to becoming a thief, begging being “idleness and is of the devil”, that Louisa rebelling is a sin of witchcraft and needs to repent for that and wearing a man’s clothing, telling Charles and Louisa that they are committing a graven sin by traveling alone together, comments on the way for a soul to go to hell is broad, and fears for Louisa’s soul if she doesn’t repent); The friar shares about the dangers for a woman alone and other “various tales of woe” which are not in the Holy Writ, which Louisa knows because she’s read the Holy Writ herself; Charles comments to the friar about Jesus traveling with women during his ministry & the friar has nothing to say about that; Charles thinks that the friar is condemning Louisa because she showed more Christian charity and compassion to orphan children than he did; Charles tells the friar that Jesus only condemned Pharisees and the teachers of the law, adding that Jesus care more about mercy towards others and He said to not judge others or they will be judged in the same way; Because of the friar’s words making her feel like “the worst kind of sinner”, Louisa prays and asks God if the friar is right; Louisa has a moment where she wants to tell the friar that he is being pharisaical and not Christlike at all; Louisa prays about finding the treasure & thinks that God would bless her with it if she believed it was real; Charles thinks that people are too fearful of the devil & forget that God is more powerful; A woman wants to pray at a church and put a penny in the poor box at every church she sees because “who knows where one might meet the very Spirit of God and gain His favor for a miracle?” (Louisa has never thought of it this way before and has a desire to pray where many others have prayed before her); Louisa has had a couple of times where God appears to her with a thought appearing in her mind; Louisa prays for a sign from God about a decision & recalls a conversation with a priest (the priest discourages her from asking for a sign, she asks why not because Gideon asked for a sign, & he only answers with “you are not Gideon” which wasn’t good enough for her; Louisa believes she’s more justified in asking for a sign compared to Gideon because she “didn’t have the benefit of hearing from God first”, but understands that “asking for a sign was not something to be done lightly or in any and every situation. She had to truly believe and not doubt, and to go against what God was telling her would surely be a grave sin”; She later sees something that makes her wonder if it is a sign or just her trying to see what she wants); When Louisa takes part in a ritual about dreaming about her future husband, she thinks that while she believes in miracles “surely God did not let people manipulate Him into telling her who she would marry by placing herbs under their pillows on certain night of the year. However, just as she’d argued with her priest, perhaps Gideon using the fleece was simply an example of a child of God asking Him to confirm what they believed God had told them” & she asked God to let her dream of the man she would marry; *Spoiler* ;
*Note: Louisa thinks she sees a unicorn & is excited about it (thinking that it may be a sign from God); A child that was born with one arm is called cursed by a village leader and is casted out of the village (Charles has read the Holy Scriptures are knows that the child isn’t to be blamed for misfortunes); A man (who is called a “giant”) says that people want to know if he made a deal with the devil or if he was “cursed by a witch or a demon” to look the way he does; With many mentions of the Viking treasure, there are also mentions of magical beans, giants, fairies, elves, & unicorns; Mentions of curses & people calling others cursed because they are different than “normal” (including a child with one arm and a man who is very tall); Mentions of a ritual about young women putting certain herbs under their pillows & dreaming about their future husbands (Louisa takes part of this); A mention of a child being born with only one arm being considered as a “sign of the devil’s curse”.
Negative Content- Eye rolling & Sarcasm; A mention of a curse (said, not written); Being attacked by robbers, Being attacked with arrows (& shooting one that injures another), Being slapped, Fighting, Fighting back, & Pain (up to semi-detailed); Being surrounded by wolves, attacked by them, & killing them (up to semi-detailed); Louisa behaves badly with potential suitors to keep them from choosing her (scowling, crossing her eyes, and “generally saying and doing anything that might make a man not choose her for his wife” when her aunt and uncle weren’t looking); Louisa disobeys her aunt and uncle when she thinks their commands are unreasonable (“which was often” she adds); Louisa runs away from home to find a rumored treasure (to be able to live with her sister without the pressure of marriage or her uncle’s ways); Louisa lies about being a boy to others (including Charles; which she hopes will be forgiven because she’s only trying to save herself and her sister & she hates deceiving him; He realized right away that she was a girl); Louisa feels guilt about potentially stealing someone else’s treasure; A giant is said to have skinned & killed people that come after his treasure & threatens Charles and Louisa (*Spoiler* ); Charles thinks about killing someone, but knows he wouldn’t because the man was unarmed and that vengeance belongs to God; Charles threatens someone about harming him if Louisa is hurt at all (saying that if she is harmed or touched, he will kill the man and even adds that the man will wish he was never born; Louisa takes comfort in his words and is soothed by picturing it); A man threatens Louisa with slitting Charles’ throat and burying his body if she doesn’t listen to him (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of killing, murders, & being held hostage for ransoms; Mentions of women being beaten and flogged for disobeying a man above them (implied that this would happen to Louisa when she’s found);
*Note: Louisa thinks about how woman have no more power than in Jesus’ lifetime (thinking about the women that followed Him and went where they pleased); Louisa’s aunt and uncle threaten and manipulate her to do their bidding (typically by threatening to marry off her younger sister); Louisa’s aunt calls her selfish and ungrateful, which Louisa doesn’t think she’s any more selfish than more people as she just wants to protect herself and her sister; Louisa wants to rebel against the “duties” her aunt says she has to do (such as getting married and bearing children specifically) because the aunt has made marriage to be “something distasteful that was done out of duty, not a joyful relationship of love and choice” (this makes Louisa thinks that most men didn’t have such distasteful duties and could do whatever they pleased; She also thinks that she wants to rebel more the more her aunt talks); A man is called a “giant, misshapen beast of a man” because of his height and appearance; Mentions of those with afflictions being treated as if having a curse (a women with difficultly walking and a child being born with one arm).
Sexual Content- Two almost kisses (one in a dream), two hand kisses, two hair/forehead kisses, two cheek kisses, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and six semi-detailed kisses (including two of him kissing her neck); Remembering kisses & almost kisses (up to semi-detailed); Staring at another’s lips & being tempted by the thought of kissing the other (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Being held, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (up to semi-detailed); Swooning; Blushes; Noticing (including muscles, up to semi-detailed); Louisa recalls when a potential suitor (who was drunk) sneaked into her room and tried to force himself on her (also called trying to steal her “virtue”; she was able to knock him out and she had nightmares of it for weeks after, mentioned a few times, barely-above-not-detailed); Both Louisa & Charles aren’t interested in marriage due to past events; Charles thought he was in love with a wealth woman and entered her bedroom to find out that she’s been stringing him and other knights along (she’s engaged to someone else and tells the knights they can love her from afar; Charles says he doesn’t want to spend his life in love with a married woman; They had prior shared kisses); Louisa disguises herself as a boy on her trip (including by binding her chest), but Charles realizes she’s a girl right away; When Charles helps her, Louisa is afraid that he’ll want something in payment that not money (she doesn’t think he’s that kind of man, but is distrustful towards men because of a prior event); Louisa starts to wish that Charles could see her as a pretty and feminine woman; A friar asks if there is something between Louisa and Charles that “would be considered fornication” (which they both quickly deny); Louisa and Charles sleep close to each other on the ground when a storm keeps them in a shelter/cave (they both think about how much they want to kiss the other, but Charles definitely won’t kiss her when she’s asleep because that would be unchivalrous); Louisa’s uncle comments on her running off by saying that bad things would happen to her and that she “would be with child and then [she] would be no good to him anymore”; Louisa’s uncle asks if she’s with child & she answers that she is not and asks him if he is (he says that would be impossible and she responds that it is the same for her); After one kiss that leaves them breathing hard, Charles comments on needing to be “a bit more restrained until we’re married and alone with a lock on the door”; Many mentions of Louisa’s uncle trying to marry her and her twelve-year-old sister off to man (ranging in age from 16 to 60 and some are called “disgusting” and “perverted”) for the highest amount (it’s also said that some of the men will just “use [Louisa and Margaret] and not care about them”); A few mentions of men leering at Louisa with greedy and disgusting smiles & make her feel as if there were bugs “crawling on her”; A couple mentions of men trying and succeeding in taking advantage of servant girls; A couple mentions of men “blustering about their conquests or making ribald jests” about women;
*Note: Margaret (Louisa’s younger sister) comments on her lack of breasts and sticks out her flat chest to Louisa; A man comments on Louisa being “well proportioned”; Mentions of women being forced to marry & bear a man’s children (Louisa mentions this for herself and her younger sister & being “used” by a man who only care “about having a boy child to carry on his name”); Louisa is concerned about falling into the same “trap” that her aunt and uncle set for her about “marriage and a life of having babies until her body was so worn down that it gave up”; A mention of Margaret not being able to bear children yet, but would be able to soon.
[Some of those semi-detailed kissing scenes are described as such: (marked as spoilers to protect young eyes) ]
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
After some…concerns with content in a couple other books of this series, I was pleasantly surprised that this one did not have an insta-love attraction between the main characters. They fell more for the other’s personality than their physical appearance (though, they did notice the other’s physical assets) which was better to see after said prior books in the series.
I’m learning with a lot of fairytale retellings, that you really have to suspend your disbelief for a lot of the book. At least, that’s how I’ve been feeling with the series. Louisa is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. I don’t understand her logic of wanting to protect her sister and then goes off to find the treasure which means she’s leaving her 12-year-old sister alone with the people that are trying to marry her off?? She estimates that she would have a week to stop a wedding from happening if she comes back to that, but that’s way too close for my comfort and events can come up to alter travel plans—especially in this time period when plans get derailed easily.
I liked the Charles wasn’t fooled by her disguise at all, that he instantly knew that she was a girl. He did have about the same personality though as his brothers in the prior books especially because they all really want to do is rescue damsels in distress and be all knightly. There really hasn’t been much difference in their thoughts, compared to the prior main characters of this series.
I wasn’t a fan of the message of asking God for a sign and then Louisa brushing off a priests’ comment on the topic. In this series, I have noted that if there are priests or any type of clergyman (friars even) their comments get pushed to the side because the main characters know what the Bible says about such topic they’re discussing. (Because they’ve been privileged enough to have been able to read the Holy Writ for themselves.) And while I think the author is trying to point out that you should read the Bible for yourself and just the overall the judgmental era of the history with the Catholic Church, but it also puts those supposed to be men of God in a bad and judgmental light. I could go much more in depth on my thoughts about both of those elements, but this review is long enough.
Honestly, it wasn’t terrible. It wasn’t fantastic either, in my opinion. I liked it more before all the kissing happened. I feel like it’s just a bit too much kissing to be read by preteens. And that’s what I feel like fairytale retellings are really for—or should be aimed for—especially in the Christian Market when the plot is very fluffy like in this book. Older teens would probably be absolutely fine with that amount of kissing, but the storyline may be too simple and cheesy for some. Definitely better than the prior books of the series in terms of plot and characters, but I still just didn’t love it, unfortunately, and would not give it a wide age recommendation.
Link to full content review with spoilers properly marked & more content info:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
This book may be an easy “yes” for some families, but I wanted to note some content that some other families may not want their pre-teen daughters reading with actual quotes from the book. I’ve enjoyed many other books by this author, but this series hasn’t been my favorite due to insta-love (attraction based typically on physical appearance) and some unnecessary comments or detailed added in. Buckle in for a long review full of content details or read my summary below.
Series: Book #6 in the “The Dericott Tales”. All of the prior books in the series have been reviewed on BFCG.
Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned & quoted; Many Prayers & Thanking and Praising God; Going to churches, lighting candles, & praying; Louisa’s aunt tells her that it’s her “duty to God and to [her] husband to bear children and baptize them”; There is a friar that joins Louisa and Charles & is very opinionated and shares many judgmental things (such as stained glass on churches are for the “uneducated” people to feel God’s presence, shoos away a beggar child and comments on the child going to becoming a thief, begging being “idleness and is of the devil”, that Louisa rebelling is a sin of witchcraft and needs to repent for that and wearing a man’s clothing, telling Charles and Louisa that they are committing a graven sin by traveling alone together, comments on the way for a soul to go to hell is broad, and fears for Louisa’s soul if she doesn’t repent); The friar shares about the dangers for a woman alone and other “various tales of woe” which are not in the Holy Writ, which Louisa knows because she’s read the Holy Writ herself; Charles comments to the friar about Jesus traveling with women during his ministry & the friar has nothing to say about that; Charles thinks that the friar is condemning Louisa because she showed more Christian charity and compassion to orphan children than he did; Charles tells the friar that Jesus only condemned Pharisees and the teachers of the law, adding that Jesus care more about mercy towards others and He said to not judge others or they will be judged in the same way; Because of the friar’s words making her feel like “the worst kind of sinner”, Louisa prays and asks God if the friar is right; Louisa has a moment where she wants to tell the friar that he is being pharisaical and not Christlike at all; Louisa prays about finding the treasure & thinks that God would bless her with it if she believed it was real; Charles thinks that people are too fearful of the devil & forget that God is more powerful; A woman wants to pray at a church and put a penny in the poor box at every church she sees because “who knows where one might meet the very Spirit of God and gain His favor for a miracle?” (Louisa has never thought of it this way before and has a desire to pray where many others have prayed before her); Louisa has had a couple of times where God appears to her with a thought appearing in her mind; Louisa prays for a sign from God about a decision & recalls a conversation with a priest (the priest discourages her from asking for a sign, she asks why not because Gideon asked for a sign, & he only answers with “you are not Gideon” which wasn’t good enough for her; Louisa believes she’s more justified in asking for a sign compared to Gideon because she “didn’t have the benefit of hearing from God first”, but understands that “asking for a sign was not something to be done lightly or in any and every situation. She had to truly believe and not doubt, and to go against what God was telling her would surely be a grave sin”; She later sees something that makes her wonder if it is a sign or just her trying to see what she wants); When Louisa takes part in a ritual about dreaming about her future husband, she thinks that while she believes in miracles “surely God did not let people manipulate Him into telling her who she would marry by placing herbs under their pillows on certain night of the year. However, just as she’d argued with her priest, perhaps Gideon using the fleece was simply an example of a child of God asking Him to confirm what they believed God had told them” & she asked God to let her dream of the man she would marry; *Spoiler* ;
*Note: Louisa thinks she sees a unicorn & is excited about it (thinking that it may be a sign from God); A child that was born with one arm is called cursed by a village leader and is casted out of the village (Charles has read the Holy Scriptures are knows that the child isn’t to be blamed for misfortunes); A man (who is called a “giant”) says that people want to know if he made a deal with the devil or if he was “cursed by a witch or a demon” to look the way he does; With many mentions of the Viking treasure, there are also mentions of magical beans, giants, fairies, elves, & unicorns; Mentions of curses & people calling others cursed because they are different than “normal” (including a child with one arm and a man who is very tall); Mentions of a ritual about young women putting certain herbs under their pillows & dreaming about their future husbands (Louisa takes part of this); A mention of a child being born with only one arm being considered as a “sign of the devil’s curse”.
Negative Content- Eye rolling & Sarcasm; A mention of a curse (said, not written); Being attacked by robbers, Being attacked with arrows (& shooting one that injures another), Being slapped, Fighting, Fighting back, & Pain (up to semi-detailed); Being surrounded by wolves, attacked by them, & killing them (up to semi-detailed); Louisa behaves badly with potential suitors to keep them from choosing her (scowling, crossing her eyes, and “generally saying and doing anything that might make a man not choose her for his wife” when her aunt and uncle weren’t looking); Louisa disobeys her aunt and uncle when she thinks their commands are unreasonable (“which was often” she adds); Louisa runs away from home to find a rumored treasure (to be able to live with her sister without the pressure of marriage or her uncle’s ways); Louisa lies about being a boy to others (including Charles; which she hopes will be forgiven because she’s only trying to save herself and her sister & she hates deceiving him; He realized right away that she was a girl); Louisa feels guilt about potentially stealing someone else’s treasure; A giant is said to have skinned & killed people that come after his treasure & threatens Charles and Louisa (*Spoiler* ); Charles thinks about killing someone, but knows he wouldn’t because the man was unarmed and that vengeance belongs to God; Charles threatens someone about harming him if Louisa is hurt at all (saying that if she is harmed or touched, he will kill the man and even adds that the man will wish he was never born; Louisa takes comfort in his words and is soothed by picturing it); A man threatens Louisa with slitting Charles’ throat and burying his body if she doesn’t listen to him (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of killing, murders, & being held hostage for ransoms; Mentions of women being beaten and flogged for disobeying a man above them (implied that this would happen to Louisa when she’s found);
*Note: Louisa thinks about how woman have no more power than in Jesus’ lifetime (thinking about the women that followed Him and went where they pleased); Louisa’s aunt and uncle threaten and manipulate her to do their bidding (typically by threatening to marry off her younger sister); Louisa’s aunt calls her selfish and ungrateful, which Louisa doesn’t think she’s any more selfish than more people as she just wants to protect herself and her sister; Louisa wants to rebel against the “duties” her aunt says she has to do (such as getting married and bearing children specifically) because the aunt has made marriage to be “something distasteful that was done out of duty, not a joyful relationship of love and choice” (this makes Louisa thinks that most men didn’t have such distasteful duties and could do whatever they pleased; She also thinks that she wants to rebel more the more her aunt talks); A man is called a “giant, misshapen beast of a man” because of his height and appearance; Mentions of those with afflictions being treated as if having a curse (a women with difficultly walking and a child being born with one arm).
Sexual Content- Two almost kisses (one in a dream), two hand kisses, two hair/forehead kisses, two cheek kisses, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and six semi-detailed kisses (including two of him kissing her neck); Remembering kisses & almost kisses (up to semi-detailed); Staring at another’s lips & being tempted by the thought of kissing the other (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Being held, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (up to semi-detailed); Swooning; Blushes; Noticing (including muscles, up to semi-detailed); Louisa recalls when a potential suitor (who was drunk) sneaked into her room and tried to force himself on her (also called trying to steal her “virtue”; she was able to knock him out and she had nightmares of it for weeks after, mentioned a few times, barely-above-not-detailed); Both Louisa & Charles aren’t interested in marriage due to past events; Charles thought he was in love with a wealth woman and entered her bedroom to find out that she’s been stringing him and other knights along (she’s engaged to someone else and tells the knights they can love her from afar; Charles says he doesn’t want to spend his life in love with a married woman; They had prior shared kisses); Louisa disguises herself as a boy on her trip (including by binding her chest), but Charles realizes she’s a girl right away; When Charles helps her, Louisa is afraid that he’ll want something in payment that not money (she doesn’t think he’s that kind of man, but is distrustful towards men because of a prior event); Louisa starts to wish that Charles could see her as a pretty and feminine woman; A friar asks if there is something between Louisa and Charles that “would be considered fornication” (which they both quickly deny); Louisa and Charles sleep close to each other on the ground when a storm keeps them in a shelter/cave (they both think about how much they want to kiss the other, but Charles definitely won’t kiss her when she’s asleep because that would be unchivalrous); Louisa’s uncle comments on her running off by saying that bad things would happen to her and that she “would be with child and then [she] would be no good to him anymore”; Louisa’s uncle asks if she’s with child & she answers that she is not and asks him if he is (he says that would be impossible and she responds that it is the same for her); After one kiss that leaves them breathing hard, Charles comments on needing to be “a bit more restrained until we’re married and alone with a lock on the door”; Many mentions of Louisa’s uncle trying to marry her and her twelve-year-old sister off to man (ranging in age from 16 to 60 and some are called “disgusting” and “perverted”) for the highest amount (it’s also said that some of the men will just “use [Louisa and Margaret] and not care about them”); A few mentions of men leering at Louisa with greedy and disgusting smiles & make her feel as if there were bugs “crawling on her”; A couple mentions of men trying and succeeding in taking advantage of servant girls; A couple mentions of men “blustering about their conquests or making ribald jests” about women;
*Note: Margaret (Louisa’s younger sister) comments on her lack of breasts and sticks out her flat chest to Louisa; A man comments on Louisa being “well proportioned”; Mentions of women being forced to marry & bear a man’s children (Louisa mentions this for herself and her younger sister & being “used” by a man who only care “about having a boy child to carry on his name”); Louisa is concerned about falling into the same “trap” that her aunt and uncle set for her about “marriage and a life of having babies until her body was so worn down that it gave up”; A mention of Margaret not being able to bear children yet, but would be able to soon.
[Some of those semi-detailed kissing scenes are described as such: (marked as spoilers to protect young eyes) ]
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
After some…concerns with content in a couple other books of this series, I was pleasantly surprised that this one did not have an insta-love attraction between the main characters. They fell more for the other’s personality than their physical appearance (though, they did notice the other’s physical assets) which was better to see after said prior books in the series.
I’m learning with a lot of fairytale retellings, that you really have to suspend your disbelief for a lot of the book. At least, that’s how I’ve been feeling with the series. Louisa is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. I don’t understand her logic of wanting to protect her sister and then goes off to find the treasure which means she’s leaving her 12-year-old sister alone with the people that are trying to marry her off?? She estimates that she would have a week to stop a wedding from happening if she comes back to that, but that’s way too close for my comfort and events can come up to alter travel plans—especially in this time period when plans get derailed easily.
I liked the Charles wasn’t fooled by her disguise at all, that he instantly knew that she was a girl. He did have about the same personality though as his brothers in the prior books especially because they all really want to do is rescue damsels in distress and be all knightly. There really hasn’t been much difference in their thoughts, compared to the prior main characters of this series.
I wasn’t a fan of the message of asking God for a sign and then Louisa brushing off a priests’ comment on the topic. In this series, I have noted that if there are priests or any type of clergyman (friars even) their comments get pushed to the side because the main characters know what the Bible says about such topic they’re discussing. (Because they’ve been privileged enough to have been able to read the Holy Writ for themselves.) And while I think the author is trying to point out that you should read the Bible for yourself and just the overall the judgmental era of the history with the Catholic Church, but it also puts those supposed to be men of God in a bad and judgmental light. I could go much more in depth on my thoughts about both of those elements, but this review is long enough.
Honestly, it wasn’t terrible. It wasn’t fantastic either, in my opinion. I liked it more before all the kissing happened. I feel like it’s just a bit too much kissing to be read by preteens. And that’s what I feel like fairytale retellings are really for—or should be aimed for—especially in the Christian Market when the plot is very fluffy like in this book. Older teens would probably be absolutely fine with that amount of kissing, but the storyline may be too simple and cheesy for some. Definitely better than the prior books of the series in terms of plot and characters, but I still just didn’t love it, unfortunately, and would not give it a wide age recommendation.
Link to full content review with spoilers properly marked & more content info:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
February 16, 2024
Update: I have forgiven Thomas Nelson for the mismatched cover because the spine matches the rest of the series, and that makes up for it a little.
Also, this is one of Melanie’s best. I can’t wait for her next stories!
——— (original review)
WHY DOESNT THE COVER MATCH
Also, this is one of Melanie’s best. I can’t wait for her next stories!
——— (original review)
WHY DOESNT THE COVER MATCH
March 12, 2024
3⭐️
While this was a cute Jack & the beanstalk fairy tale retelling, It felt very similar to the rest of the author’s backlist. I don’t know if my taste is shifting, but I’m starting to find these books very formulaic…they all seem to follow a young maiden who is resisting an arranged/forced marriage….i would love some variety from these books!
1 abuse of God’s name
While this was a cute Jack & the beanstalk fairy tale retelling, It felt very similar to the rest of the author’s backlist. I don’t know if my taste is shifting, but I’m starting to find these books very formulaic…they all seem to follow a young maiden who is resisting an arranged/forced marriage….i would love some variety from these books!
1 abuse of God’s name
February 6, 2025
I love Melanie Dickerson's fairytale Retellings. This was such a fun twist on Jack and the Beanstalk.
February 27, 2024
In her latest Medieval Dericott Tale, Melanie Dickerson weaves a creative, romantic retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. Lady of Disguise is a sweet hidden identity romance with a loving sister, handsome knight, treasure hunt, a giant, and plenty of adventure. As with all of Melanie Dickerson’s books, I enjoyed her clever twists on beloved fairytales and this book is no exception. It’s a sweet story of learning to trust in God and others while forging your own path and finding love along the way.
After Louisa’s parents died, she and her younger sister are forced to live with their ambitious aunt and uncle determined to find wealthy matches for the girls in order to increase their own standing. The gentleman they parade before the girls are often much older and unsavory. Determined to protect her sister and save them both from unwanted marriages, Louisa runs away seeking an ancient treasure guarded by a giant. She disguises herself as a boy and goes by the name of “Jack.” When she meets the handsome knight, Sir Charles on her journey, he joins her quest desiring to protect “Jack” who he clearly recognizes is a girl from the dangers that lie ahead. Along the way, they meet new friends, fierce foes, and even the fabled giant.
This was such a sweet story with lots of romance, action, and faith. I loved all the nods to Jack and the Beanstalk. Like Jack, Louisa is a bit naive in her quest to find the giant’s treasure. I loved the way Sir Charles took her under his wing and how their romance grew. Charles is recovering from a bitter betrayal and is not looking for a romantic relationship, but Louisa captures his heart and brings out his protectiveness. I loved how they worked together and helped not only each other but new friends in their quest. Their meeting with the giant offered a heartwarming twist.
Definitely recommend this cute YA Medieval romance to those 14 and up and to anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.
After Louisa’s parents died, she and her younger sister are forced to live with their ambitious aunt and uncle determined to find wealthy matches for the girls in order to increase their own standing. The gentleman they parade before the girls are often much older and unsavory. Determined to protect her sister and save them both from unwanted marriages, Louisa runs away seeking an ancient treasure guarded by a giant. She disguises herself as a boy and goes by the name of “Jack.” When she meets the handsome knight, Sir Charles on her journey, he joins her quest desiring to protect “Jack” who he clearly recognizes is a girl from the dangers that lie ahead. Along the way, they meet new friends, fierce foes, and even the fabled giant.
This was such a sweet story with lots of romance, action, and faith. I loved all the nods to Jack and the Beanstalk. Like Jack, Louisa is a bit naive in her quest to find the giant’s treasure. I loved the way Sir Charles took her under his wing and how their romance grew. Charles is recovering from a bitter betrayal and is not looking for a romantic relationship, but Louisa captures his heart and brings out his protectiveness. I loved how they worked together and helped not only each other but new friends in their quest. Their meeting with the giant offered a heartwarming twist.
Definitely recommend this cute YA Medieval romance to those 14 and up and to anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.
April 10, 2024
Read my full review: https://penspagesandpulses.wordpress....
Lady of Disguise is the sixth book in Melanie's A Dericott Tale series. It is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. I haven't read many Jack and the Beanstalk retellings, so I was excited to discover a new one!
Louisa loves her little sister and would do anything to protect her, but she still doesn't want to marry just to increase her uncle's social standing. She is determined to ensure safety for herself and her sister and find her way out of her uncle's influence. Louisa is always willing to help others and has such a big heart. I love how Louisa wants to be independent but still accepts help when she needs it.
Charles is eager to make his own way in the world. He is a noble and honorable knight and a big sweetheart. I love seeing how Charles protects Louisa. And he is so good with kids!!! It's so adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved the parts with the giant! I love how Melanie shows the characters interacting with him! Melanie's expertise and compassion from working as a special ed teacher really shone in those scenes.
The subplot with the merchant and the widow was so sweet!!!! I loved watching them interact and how their story mirrored Charles and Louisa's story!!!!!!!!!!
There were some great sister moments in this book! I loved seeing how protective Louisa was of her sister and how her little sister would help Louisa believe in herself. I love when books portray sister relationships in a positive light.
Melanie's Lady of Disguise is a beautiful, inspiring retelling! I highly would recommend it to anyone who loves Christian romance and fairy tale retellings!!!
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book. My opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.
Lady of Disguise is the sixth book in Melanie's A Dericott Tale series. It is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. I haven't read many Jack and the Beanstalk retellings, so I was excited to discover a new one!
Louisa loves her little sister and would do anything to protect her, but she still doesn't want to marry just to increase her uncle's social standing. She is determined to ensure safety for herself and her sister and find her way out of her uncle's influence. Louisa is always willing to help others and has such a big heart. I love how Louisa wants to be independent but still accepts help when she needs it.
Charles is eager to make his own way in the world. He is a noble and honorable knight and a big sweetheart. I love seeing how Charles protects Louisa. And he is so good with kids!!! It's so adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved the parts with the giant! I love how Melanie shows the characters interacting with him! Melanie's expertise and compassion from working as a special ed teacher really shone in those scenes.
The subplot with the merchant and the widow was so sweet!!!! I loved watching them interact and how their story mirrored Charles and Louisa's story!!!!!!!!!!
There were some great sister moments in this book! I loved seeing how protective Louisa was of her sister and how her little sister would help Louisa believe in herself. I love when books portray sister relationships in a positive light.
Melanie's Lady of Disguise is a beautiful, inspiring retelling! I highly would recommend it to anyone who loves Christian romance and fairy tale retellings!!!
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book. My opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.
February 9, 2024
I really enjoyed this sweet story! Louisa was a delightful character who wasn't afraid to risk everything to protect her and her younger sister. Even dressing up as a boy and going in search of a guarded treasure. I loved her spunk and determination!
Sir Charles, is a knight setting off trying to heal his broken heart when he and Louisa stumble upon each other. I loved their initial meeting! It was so fun! These two are a bit of a mismatched pair trying to travel together but Louisa thinks she's safe disguised as a boy and no one will know who she is or question a young woman traveling with a knight. Boy, oh boy is she in for a surprise!
And Charles truly is a knight in shining armor so to speak! He stands up for the downtrodden and lowly and needy. Which made for such a great addition to this story. I love the band of travelers that they become in their adventure.
The sweet love story blooms and is just darling and full of heart! I loved it! Even when peril abounds and they are separated!
I listened to the audiobook version of this one and thought the narration was well done. I was pulled into the story and captivated by the way the narrator brought these characters and story to life!
Content: Clean. Some moments of mild peril but nothing graphic. Some kisses but nothing further.
I received a copy from HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Thomas Nelson Fiction, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Happy Reading (Listening)!!!
Sir Charles, is a knight setting off trying to heal his broken heart when he and Louisa stumble upon each other. I loved their initial meeting! It was so fun! These two are a bit of a mismatched pair trying to travel together but Louisa thinks she's safe disguised as a boy and no one will know who she is or question a young woman traveling with a knight. Boy, oh boy is she in for a surprise!
And Charles truly is a knight in shining armor so to speak! He stands up for the downtrodden and lowly and needy. Which made for such a great addition to this story. I love the band of travelers that they become in their adventure.
The sweet love story blooms and is just darling and full of heart! I loved it! Even when peril abounds and they are separated!
I listened to the audiobook version of this one and thought the narration was well done. I was pulled into the story and captivated by the way the narrator brought these characters and story to life!
Content: Clean. Some moments of mild peril but nothing graphic. Some kisses but nothing further.
I received a copy from HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Thomas Nelson Fiction, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Happy Reading (Listening)!!!
December 29, 2023
"..He knew he had to help them. People were so fearful of the devil that they often forgot that God was more powerful. Had the Lord not admonished His people many times, “Do not be afraid”?"
So this was a nice read. A tale of knights, fair maidens, selfish men and a quest to help those who cannot save themselves.
The main female character Louisa loves her little sister Margaret dearly, and would do most anything she could to see her live a happy life. So when her vile uncle starts trying to set Margaret up with one of many unscrupulous and old suitors, Louisa strikes out to find a way she and her sister can break free of her uncle's clutches for good.
While this wasn't my absolute favorite in this series, it was a pretty good read.
I really loved the cover design.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers for the complimentary e-book I received to review through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and the thoughts above are my own.
So this was a nice read. A tale of knights, fair maidens, selfish men and a quest to help those who cannot save themselves.
The main female character Louisa loves her little sister Margaret dearly, and would do most anything she could to see her live a happy life. So when her vile uncle starts trying to set Margaret up with one of many unscrupulous and old suitors, Louisa strikes out to find a way she and her sister can break free of her uncle's clutches for good.
While this wasn't my absolute favorite in this series, it was a pretty good read.
I really loved the cover design.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers for the complimentary e-book I received to review through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and the thoughts above are my own.
February 8, 2024
I was given a copy to review by Thomas Nelson and Zondervan and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio.
Louisa has had a hard life. Her Uncle wants to marry her and her sister off to the highest bidders. She will do anything to keep her sister safe, including disguising herself as a boy and going on a quest to look for the Viking treasure which is said to be guarded by a giant. On the way, she meets up with Sir Charles of Dericott who decided he needs to travel with her to keep her safe.
This is a loose retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. It is a clean, magic free, young adult Christian fiction story. As always, Melanie Dickerson has woven a great tale. It is solidly done. The audio book narrator does a great job of bringing the character alive.
I would recommend this book to the young and old alike who love fairytales. If you don’t care for the fairytale type stories this would not be the story for you.
Louisa has had a hard life. Her Uncle wants to marry her and her sister off to the highest bidders. She will do anything to keep her sister safe, including disguising herself as a boy and going on a quest to look for the Viking treasure which is said to be guarded by a giant. On the way, she meets up with Sir Charles of Dericott who decided he needs to travel with her to keep her safe.
This is a loose retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. It is a clean, magic free, young adult Christian fiction story. As always, Melanie Dickerson has woven a great tale. It is solidly done. The audio book narrator does a great job of bringing the character alive.
I would recommend this book to the young and old alike who love fairytales. If you don’t care for the fairytale type stories this would not be the story for you.
September 10, 2024
Lady of Disguise by Melanie Dickerson is the sixth installment of the Dericott Tales, a series of medieval fairy tale retellings, and it is a (very loose) retelling of “Jack and the Beanstalk.”
I think my problem with this series as a whole is that the fairytale elements seem much lighter than in her earlier Haggenheim series. This one didn’t have hardly anything to do with the fairytale until the last third of the book. I liked the beginning okay, with Louisa fleeing her uncle who is determined to marry her off. Louisa has heard of treasure guarded by a giant and wants the money so she can take care of herself and her kid sister Margaret. Since women don’t normally travel alone, she disguises herself as a boy named Jack.
However, the middle seemed to add almost nothing to the plot and felt like filler. Random side characters showed up, were in the story for a few pages, and then disappeared, and none of them really seemed to have a point.
Louisa was an okay character but didn’t really stand out to me. She had no trouble standing up to people (which really felt out of place in a medieval story) but she also seemed to burst into tears on every other page. I lost track of the number of times she cried. It was a lot. Charles was more likable. Overall, they weren’t my favorite couple but they were fine.
My favorite part of the story was definitely the spin on Jack and the Beanstalk. It went in an interesting direction. I would also say Allistor was my favorite character.
Overall, this wasn’t my favorite by this author, but it was a quick read and if you have enjoyed other books by her, you will probably like this one as well.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I think my problem with this series as a whole is that the fairytale elements seem much lighter than in her earlier Haggenheim series. This one didn’t have hardly anything to do with the fairytale until the last third of the book. I liked the beginning okay, with Louisa fleeing her uncle who is determined to marry her off. Louisa has heard of treasure guarded by a giant and wants the money so she can take care of herself and her kid sister Margaret. Since women don’t normally travel alone, she disguises herself as a boy named Jack.
However, the middle seemed to add almost nothing to the plot and felt like filler. Random side characters showed up, were in the story for a few pages, and then disappeared, and none of them really seemed to have a point.
Louisa was an okay character but didn’t really stand out to me. She had no trouble standing up to people (which really felt out of place in a medieval story) but she also seemed to burst into tears on every other page. I lost track of the number of times she cried. It was a lot. Charles was more likable. Overall, they weren’t my favorite couple but they were fine.
My favorite part of the story was definitely the spin on Jack and the Beanstalk. It went in an interesting direction. I would also say Allistor was my favorite character.
Overall, this wasn’t my favorite by this author, but it was a quick read and if you have enjoyed other books by her, you will probably like this one as well.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
March 22, 2024
Wow, just wow. This book. Amazing!! The way he loved her!🤭🤭 I almost started sobbing at the library because of how beautiful this was. It just reminds me that I'll never find a guy because of my high standards. I love this book and the author! It's probably one of my favorites now.❤️❤️
I can't wait for the next book in this series.
I don't think I'm ok after reading this, to be honest. I didn't cry, but I almost did several times, though. I know they will get together, but it's still fun to watch them fall in love and how they tell each other they love the other. It's just all out magical. Freaking out all the time over this book!!
~Quotes~
"He had such a strong chin, the way it was squared off, and the stubble on his jawline was so rugged and masculine." 🤭🤭
"Loved. Yes. She loved him, and at this moment she felt he loved her too, but only as friends, of course. But even to be loved as a friend by someone as good and noble as Sir Charles was more than she had expected in her life." 🤭😭
" "I love you, Louisa, and I want to marry you." "You... love me?" "I do." " Litterly dying!❤️
The ending was perfect!!
Thank you, Mrs. Dickerson for an amazing story and an amazing relationship in this book!! ❤️
Thank you for taking the time to read this chaotic review!
I can't wait for the next book in this series.
I don't think I'm ok after reading this, to be honest. I didn't cry, but I almost did several times, though. I know they will get together, but it's still fun to watch them fall in love and how they tell each other they love the other. It's just all out magical. Freaking out all the time over this book!!
~Quotes~
"He had such a strong chin, the way it was squared off, and the stubble on his jawline was so rugged and masculine." 🤭🤭
"Loved. Yes. She loved him, and at this moment she felt he loved her too, but only as friends, of course. But even to be loved as a friend by someone as good and noble as Sir Charles was more than she had expected in her life." 🤭😭
" "I love you, Louisa, and I want to marry you." "You... love me?" "I do." " Litterly dying!❤️
The ending was perfect!!
Thank you, Mrs. Dickerson for an amazing story and an amazing relationship in this book!! ❤️
Thank you for taking the time to read this chaotic review!
September 19, 2023
The way women have been treated down through the years is abominable. Instead of being treasured, so many (including myself) have suffered being demeaned and abused.
In this tale, two young women are seen only as a means of money to their uncle.
The oldest sister (I relate) will go to any length to protect her younger sister.
Along comes a knight who will protect women and children from the injustices of the time.
I love the quiet romance that lends hope that some good men can still be found.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
In this tale, two young women are seen only as a means of money to their uncle.
The oldest sister (I relate) will go to any length to protect her younger sister.
Along comes a knight who will protect women and children from the injustices of the time.
I love the quiet romance that lends hope that some good men can still be found.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
April 2, 2024
Story Enjoyment Rating: 8/10 Christian Faith Rating: 2/3
Lady of Disguise by Melanie Dickerson is a Christian young adult medieval fiction novel. It is a reimagining of the fairytale Jack and Beanstalk.
The book follows Louisa, who is an orphan. Her uncle tries to marry her and her 12-year-old sister to older men. Louisa runs away to Yorkshire to find a hidden Viking treasure in order to protect her sister from this fate. She ends up travelling with a knight who has left his castle because he was jilted by another woman.
I liked how the author incorporated the fairytale into this story and twisted it. I enjoyed this book more than the last one. It had more action and a little less romance, although I still found some of the romance a bit cheesy.
The style of writing is more simplistic than other historical fiction I have read and I would say it is written for younger teens. Content wise, it contains descriptions of violence and kissing.
There is some faith content in the book and the characters question whether their behaviour is right before God.
Lady of Disguise by Melanie Dickerson is a Christian young adult medieval fiction novel. It is a reimagining of the fairytale Jack and Beanstalk.
The book follows Louisa, who is an orphan. Her uncle tries to marry her and her 12-year-old sister to older men. Louisa runs away to Yorkshire to find a hidden Viking treasure in order to protect her sister from this fate. She ends up travelling with a knight who has left his castle because he was jilted by another woman.
I liked how the author incorporated the fairytale into this story and twisted it. I enjoyed this book more than the last one. It had more action and a little less romance, although I still found some of the romance a bit cheesy.
The style of writing is more simplistic than other historical fiction I have read and I would say it is written for younger teens. Content wise, it contains descriptions of violence and kissing.
There is some faith content in the book and the characters question whether their behaviour is right before God.
December 20, 2025
I was initially a bit sad this cover looks different than the others, though it kind of checks since this book feels different than the others
I did enjoy it. Like the others, they are simple, yet enjoyable reads that are nice to relax to and not be demanded to think so hard. I do hope the series is continued as I notice a new book has not come out in nearly 2 years? Not all of the siblings have received their happily ever after so I do hope that Dickerson finishes the series ansd rectifies that!
I did enjoy it. Like the others, they are simple, yet enjoyable reads that are nice to relax to and not be demanded to think so hard. I do hope the series is continued as I notice a new book has not come out in nearly 2 years? Not all of the siblings have received their happily ever after so I do hope that Dickerson finishes the series ansd rectifies that!
March 10, 2025
This was not my favorite in this series, but I still enjoyed buddy reading it with my sister!
I really enjoyed the appearance of Merrick in this book and seeing more of the brothers!
I really enjoyed the appearance of Merrick in this book and seeing more of the brothers!
November 27, 2023
Lady of Disguise was a fun read that gave me an evening of entertainment. It’s been too long since I’ve curled up with a Melanie Dickerson book. Reading this one made me want to go reread the whole Hagenheim series. I love those ones so much🥰
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The story was fast paced enough to keep me interested and turning pages later than I should be. It was a fun adventure story with a cast of interesting characters and sweet romance. I was rooting for the main characters the whole time.
I have not read the rest of the Dericott Tales so this can be read as a standalone.
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*I received a free copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts expressed are strictly my own.*
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The story was fast paced enough to keep me interested and turning pages later than I should be. It was a fun adventure story with a cast of interesting characters and sweet romance. I was rooting for the main characters the whole time.
I have not read the rest of the Dericott Tales so this can be read as a standalone.
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*I received a free copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts expressed are strictly my own.*
February 12, 2024
Set in 1388, the Middle Ages, a tale of errant knights, an innocent maiden, with robbers, thieves, a giant and a wicked uncle, all thrown into the melting pot.
Eighteen year old Louisa Lenton didn’t want to marry the rich older men her miserly uncle kept presenting her with. Now he’s turning his eyes and plans towards her twelve year old sister, Margaret! Louisa has to break free, and find the hidden Viking gold their father had always talked to save them both.
Having grown up hearing about the giant and his Viking treasure up in Scotland, Louisa disguises herself as a boy and sets off to track down the treasure, the key to their freedom.
That’s when she meets a young, disillusioned knight who ignores the fact that Jack’s really a girl. He’s determined to protect her.
Off they go, Sir Charles Raynsford armed with his sword and knightly integrity, Louisa with her faith in Jesus, her prayers, and her goodness. Of course she keeps escaping bad situations by the skin of her teeth. The various people they meet include a widow making a pilgrimage to Canterbury (to my mind a character who could have been straight from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales). She’s by herself and of course the ever knightly Charles includes her in his protective orbit.
The tale is supposed to be based on Jack and the Beanstalk. I think the connection is somewhat tenuous.
A slightly otherworldly read where goodness naturally triumphs.
A Thomas Nelson ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
Eighteen year old Louisa Lenton didn’t want to marry the rich older men her miserly uncle kept presenting her with. Now he’s turning his eyes and plans towards her twelve year old sister, Margaret! Louisa has to break free, and find the hidden Viking gold their father had always talked to save them both.
Having grown up hearing about the giant and his Viking treasure up in Scotland, Louisa disguises herself as a boy and sets off to track down the treasure, the key to their freedom.
That’s when she meets a young, disillusioned knight who ignores the fact that Jack’s really a girl. He’s determined to protect her.
Off they go, Sir Charles Raynsford armed with his sword and knightly integrity, Louisa with her faith in Jesus, her prayers, and her goodness. Of course she keeps escaping bad situations by the skin of her teeth. The various people they meet include a widow making a pilgrimage to Canterbury (to my mind a character who could have been straight from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales). She’s by herself and of course the ever knightly Charles includes her in his protective orbit.
The tale is supposed to be based on Jack and the Beanstalk. I think the connection is somewhat tenuous.
A slightly otherworldly read where goodness naturally triumphs.
A Thomas Nelson ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
February 4, 2024
"None of us get what we deserve," Louisa was quick to say, "because God is merciful and forgiving, and He has forgiven you."
Lady of Disguise is the sixth installment of Melanie Dickerson's The Derricott series. I really enjoy the series she writes because of how relatable her characters. I love that she does retellings of fairy tales, even some that you wouldn't expect, like Jack and the Beanstalk. This was an easy to read, fun book that I couldn't put down from page one. I finished it in a day. Louisa was such a sweet, brave soul who truly deserved to find happiness and I loved how protective and honorable Charles was. And, as much as I loved the two main characters, I think my favorite character was Allistor. He truly melted my heart. I hated how difficult of a life he had lived and was glad that he has the hopes of better now. I only wish the other Derricott siblings could have been featured more in the story. It would have been good to be able to "visit" with the rest of the family some. That said, Dickerson truly does introduce some amazing new characters in this story. Some of them, I loved and some I absolutely hated. I really did like the cover design even though it doesn't really match the rest of the series.
Lady of Disguise is the sixth installment of Melanie Dickerson's The Derricott series. I really enjoy the series she writes because of how relatable her characters. I love that she does retellings of fairy tales, even some that you wouldn't expect, like Jack and the Beanstalk. This was an easy to read, fun book that I couldn't put down from page one. I finished it in a day. Louisa was such a sweet, brave soul who truly deserved to find happiness and I loved how protective and honorable Charles was. And, as much as I loved the two main characters, I think my favorite character was Allistor. He truly melted my heart. I hated how difficult of a life he had lived and was glad that he has the hopes of better now. I only wish the other Derricott siblings could have been featured more in the story. It would have been good to be able to "visit" with the rest of the family some. That said, Dickerson truly does introduce some amazing new characters in this story. Some of them, I loved and some I absolutely hated. I really did like the cover design even though it doesn't really match the rest of the series.
February 1, 2024
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Historical / Medieval / Young Adult
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Melanie Dickerson's Lady of Disguise is the Sixth installment in the authors The Dericott Tales series. This medieval retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk" is filled with romance, action, and adventure and showcases a strong, determined young woman, Louisa Lenton, and a chivalrous knight, Sir Charles Raynsford of Dericott on a quest for treasure. Charles is one of the Dericott siblings that this series has focused on. All her life, Louisa has dreamed of finding the rumored “Giant’s Treasure,” a collection of ancient, lost riches said to be hidden on a mountaintop in Scotland, guarded by a fierce monster.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Historical / Medieval / Young Adult
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Melanie Dickerson's Lady of Disguise is the Sixth installment in the authors The Dericott Tales series. This medieval retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk" is filled with romance, action, and adventure and showcases a strong, determined young woman, Louisa Lenton, and a chivalrous knight, Sir Charles Raynsford of Dericott on a quest for treasure. Charles is one of the Dericott siblings that this series has focused on. All her life, Louisa has dreamed of finding the rumored “Giant’s Treasure,” a collection of ancient, lost riches said to be hidden on a mountaintop in Scotland, guarded by a fierce monster.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
October 8, 2024
This was a fantastic Historical Christian fiction book in the Dericott Tales series! The fairy tale portion was very well orchestrated, and I loved the story and characters! I was able to read a copy of this book via Hoopla, but it did not in any way affect my review. All opinions are my own.
November 26, 2024
Definitely a fairy tale as there was much about this book that was unrealistic, but I did like the characters and enjoyed the adventure. It is a great story about kindness and friendship. There was action, drama, and romance so it was a good read.
March 4, 2024
Sweet 🎂
December 18, 2024
I loved this book!!! This book was definitely by far my favourite of the series, and if it were not for the fact that I’ve loaned the book out to one of my friends I would be rereading it at this very moment!
Read
April 9, 2024Delightfully different from some of the other storylines! My 14 year old daughter enjoyed it tremendously.
February 14, 2024
A goodly (and heartbroken) knight (Sir Charles) becomes the traveling companion and protector of a motley crew of vulnerable and downtrodden travelers including a damsel in drag disguise (Louisa, aka Jack), and mother and child with congenital limb difference. The yellow brick road this group is heading towards is a mythical treasure supposedly guarded by a giant, á la Jack and the beanstalk.
It starts with good pacing and character development, but drags in the middle as the two main characters agonize over but don’t do anything to advance their love interest, tangled up in propriety and failing to read each other’s cues.
This is described as both a “sweet historical medieval romance” and “Christian fiction” book. While the characters discuss the meanings of bible stories and Christian values,it’s not done in a preachy way and mostly is held up to show the hypocrisy of a pastor and various townsfolk who claim Christianity but fail to live the value of taking care of the downtrodden. And ultimately it’s the (Christian) kindness of the two protagonists that ties the whole story together and provides a clever and earnest twist.
I received an ARC audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It starts with good pacing and character development, but drags in the middle as the two main characters agonize over but don’t do anything to advance their love interest, tangled up in propriety and failing to read each other’s cues.
This is described as both a “sweet historical medieval romance” and “Christian fiction” book. While the characters discuss the meanings of bible stories and Christian values,it’s not done in a preachy way and mostly is held up to show the hypocrisy of a pastor and various townsfolk who claim Christianity but fail to live the value of taking care of the downtrodden. And ultimately it’s the (Christian) kindness of the two protagonists that ties the whole story together and provides a clever and earnest twist.
I received an ARC audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 1, 2026
Wow. I think that every book I read by Melanie Dickerson keeps getting better and better.
When I first read what the book was about, I was hesitant to read it because I have read so many books about a girl disguising herself as a boy for this reason or another (mainly because she wants to join the military or she hates dresses) and the troupe has gotten so old, so I was hesitant to read this one. But the spin that Melanie Dickerson put on this tale was so refreshingly original and it worked. It worked so well, especially considering the times back then.
This story was so well done. I think I heard that she was doing a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. What a way to retell it! This was better than the original telling by so far!
I'll start with the characters. One thing that I love about Melanie Dickerson is that she gives her characters things to overcome such as faults, challenges and otherwise, without making them far-fetched. The POVs of her characters in this one were splendid and exciting. Lousia's POV was one where I felt like I could settle in. Reading her thoughts was like cozying up in a soft bed under a warm quilt. A very comforting, warm and safe POV, even though she was on high adventure. One thing I loved about Louisa was that she wasn't running away out of rebellion. She was doing it for her and her sister. And the troupe of "running away because my uncle/father/guardian wants me to marry someone I don't love" still worked in this one because it tied in with the medieval times. I felt like it wasn't a troupe at all, it was a story of a young girl whose life circumstances led her to this.
Charles? If you read my journal entry, you know how I feel about Charles. I always thought Merek was my favorite of the Dericotts but then I met Charles. I don't say this about very many guys of late, but Charles is one of my favorite fictional men. I absolutely love chivalry, and Charles had chivalry running through his veins more than blood. Charles was a very safe man, who upheld honor and knew his limitations, thus refusing to cross them. What I really liked about him was the way that he wasn't overly happy or overly emotional. His realness is what drew me in. I could practically hear the gentle tones threaded through each of his lines.
And the other characters! When Melanie kept bringing in more exciting characters, the story came alive. Richie made me laugh, the others awakened my compassion. I really, really enjoyed watching the arcs of each character. If you're looking for a read with a good, solid cast of characters, this is it.
I'm going to talk about some spoilers so if you haven't read this tale, please, please don't read further because I encourage you to enjoy it for yourself.
Now for the story. I haven't read an adventure this exciting in a minute. I have to say that Melanie Dickerson is very skilled at making a journey exciting. There was something new and fresh in every chapter. Characters came and went. The end goal was still the same, even with some side quests along the way. The adventure was exciting, and as it drew closer to the end, it was quite literally breathtaking.
I also have to say this is one of the most romantic things I've read in a long time, and I read a lot of medieval romance. (And other romance, too.) It was, to me, very real. I loved both characters, I cheered for both characters, their lovestory made me cheer. The swoon was strong with this one. One of my favorite romances.
And there was even a story about redemption. Jesus' name was mentioned as Salvation in this book, which makes me want to rate it even higher than the five-star allowance on this site. The way Jesus' forgiveness was woven in was so natural, it was done in a way that wasn't forceful, preachy or a random side note like most Christian fiction, it was beautiful. I cried. I actually teared up multiple times reading this book.
And another cheer worthy moment was all the cameos from prior books. A few of them had me nearly squealing with delight.
I really can't say anything negative about Lady of Disguise, except for the fact that it ended. If I had to describe it in three words, it would be exhilarating, satisfying and marvelous.
When I first read what the book was about, I was hesitant to read it because I have read so many books about a girl disguising herself as a boy for this reason or another (mainly because she wants to join the military or she hates dresses) and the troupe has gotten so old, so I was hesitant to read this one. But the spin that Melanie Dickerson put on this tale was so refreshingly original and it worked. It worked so well, especially considering the times back then.
This story was so well done. I think I heard that she was doing a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. What a way to retell it! This was better than the original telling by so far!
I'll start with the characters. One thing that I love about Melanie Dickerson is that she gives her characters things to overcome such as faults, challenges and otherwise, without making them far-fetched. The POVs of her characters in this one were splendid and exciting. Lousia's POV was one where I felt like I could settle in. Reading her thoughts was like cozying up in a soft bed under a warm quilt. A very comforting, warm and safe POV, even though she was on high adventure. One thing I loved about Louisa was that she wasn't running away out of rebellion. She was doing it for her and her sister. And the troupe of "running away because my uncle/father/guardian wants me to marry someone I don't love" still worked in this one because it tied in with the medieval times. I felt like it wasn't a troupe at all, it was a story of a young girl whose life circumstances led her to this.
Charles? If you read my journal entry, you know how I feel about Charles. I always thought Merek was my favorite of the Dericotts but then I met Charles. I don't say this about very many guys of late, but Charles is one of my favorite fictional men. I absolutely love chivalry, and Charles had chivalry running through his veins more than blood. Charles was a very safe man, who upheld honor and knew his limitations, thus refusing to cross them. What I really liked about him was the way that he wasn't overly happy or overly emotional. His realness is what drew me in. I could practically hear the gentle tones threaded through each of his lines.
And the other characters! When Melanie kept bringing in more exciting characters, the story came alive. Richie made me laugh, the others awakened my compassion. I really, really enjoyed watching the arcs of each character. If you're looking for a read with a good, solid cast of characters, this is it.
I'm going to talk about some spoilers so if you haven't read this tale, please, please don't read further because I encourage you to enjoy it for yourself.
Now for the story. I haven't read an adventure this exciting in a minute. I have to say that Melanie Dickerson is very skilled at making a journey exciting. There was something new and fresh in every chapter. Characters came and went. The end goal was still the same, even with some side quests along the way. The adventure was exciting, and as it drew closer to the end, it was quite literally breathtaking.
I also have to say this is one of the most romantic things I've read in a long time, and I read a lot of medieval romance. (And other romance, too.) It was, to me, very real. I loved both characters, I cheered for both characters, their lovestory made me cheer. The swoon was strong with this one. One of my favorite romances.
And there was even a story about redemption. Jesus' name was mentioned as Salvation in this book, which makes me want to rate it even higher than the five-star allowance on this site. The way Jesus' forgiveness was woven in was so natural, it was done in a way that wasn't forceful, preachy or a random side note like most Christian fiction, it was beautiful. I cried. I actually teared up multiple times reading this book.
And another cheer worthy moment was all the cameos from prior books. A few of them had me nearly squealing with delight.
I really can't say anything negative about Lady of Disguise, except for the fact that it ended. If I had to describe it in three words, it would be exhilarating, satisfying and marvelous.
September 30, 2025
Lady of Disguise is a fairytale retelling of “Jack and the Beanstalk”. Louisa lives with her greedy uncle. She dreams to one day find the “Giant’s Treasure” that her father told her about when she was young. When her uncle tries to marry Louisa’s younger sister, Louisa decides it is time for her to escape from her uncle’s clutches. She disguises herself as a boy named Jack and searches for the “Giant’s Treasure”. Along the way, she meets a knight named Sir Charles. He accompanies her on the quest.
I found Louisa to be a fun character! She is a very caring woman and loves her sister. I also like how she is very headstrong and tough! I like how Louisa was highly idealistic and is determined to carry out her quest! Therefore, she was an enjoyable character, and I could not help rooting for her to succeed! I also love Louisa’s relationship with Sir Charles. It was a slow-burn romance. Sir Charles was very protective of Louisa. He was a true gentleman and a hero! I enjoyed their love story and wanted them to be together!
Overall, this novel is about redemption, forgiveness, and love! The moral of the story is that if you repent of your ways, through God’s mercy, you will be transformed! I thought that all of the characters were likable, though the uncle was a cartoonish villain! I also liked the setting of medieval England and Scotland! I thought Lady of Disguise was a very unique and creative retelling! Lady of Disguise was a very light and breezy read! The story was simple and sweet! It is a perfect novel to read on a Sunday afternoon! I recommend this book to fans of Jody Hedlund, Karen Witemeyer, and Brittany Fitcher!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
I found Louisa to be a fun character! She is a very caring woman and loves her sister. I also like how she is very headstrong and tough! I like how Louisa was highly idealistic and is determined to carry out her quest! Therefore, she was an enjoyable character, and I could not help rooting for her to succeed! I also love Louisa’s relationship with Sir Charles. It was a slow-burn romance. Sir Charles was very protective of Louisa. He was a true gentleman and a hero! I enjoyed their love story and wanted them to be together!
Overall, this novel is about redemption, forgiveness, and love! The moral of the story is that if you repent of your ways, through God’s mercy, you will be transformed! I thought that all of the characters were likable, though the uncle was a cartoonish villain! I also liked the setting of medieval England and Scotland! I thought Lady of Disguise was a very unique and creative retelling! Lady of Disguise was a very light and breezy read! The story was simple and sweet! It is a perfect novel to read on a Sunday afternoon! I recommend this book to fans of Jody Hedlund, Karen Witemeyer, and Brittany Fitcher!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
February 8, 2024
'Lady of Disguise' by M. Dickerson is a gentle romantic read set in England 1388 that has a soft fairytale vibe, it's also about adventures, brave knights, fair maidens, greedy individuals and common folks. It would also be correct to name it a Jack and the Beanstalk retelling.
I enjoyed reading the dual perspectives of the story. The pacing was a bit slow at the start and slightly repetitive towards the middle. But I do understanding the point of this as it shows insights into both of the characters thoughts and respective growth. The female lead Louisa is a very brace, kind and loving sister who risked it all to escape the life her greedy relatives wanted for her. It still astonishes me to this day about the way the womenfolk were treated in the past... (we still have a long way to go). May I also add the male lead, being the actual 'knight in shining armor', Sir Charles, is such a sweetheart and chivalrous man and I was rooting for all to go well for him from the very start. I found this story very straightforward and doesn't twist and turn like some of the books I had read before, and it was refreshing and positive! While I haven't read any of Dickerson's works before, I read this without knowing it was a series - it was still enjoyable.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers for the complimentary e-book I received to review through Netgalley. All thoughts above are my own.
I enjoyed reading the dual perspectives of the story. The pacing was a bit slow at the start and slightly repetitive towards the middle. But I do understanding the point of this as it shows insights into both of the characters thoughts and respective growth. The female lead Louisa is a very brace, kind and loving sister who risked it all to escape the life her greedy relatives wanted for her. It still astonishes me to this day about the way the womenfolk were treated in the past... (we still have a long way to go). May I also add the male lead, being the actual 'knight in shining armor', Sir Charles, is such a sweetheart and chivalrous man and I was rooting for all to go well for him from the very start. I found this story very straightforward and doesn't twist and turn like some of the books I had read before, and it was refreshing and positive! While I haven't read any of Dickerson's works before, I read this without knowing it was a series - it was still enjoyable.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers for the complimentary e-book I received to review through Netgalley. All thoughts above are my own.
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