The Beautiful Pretender

A Medieval Fairy Tale #2

by Melanie Dickerson, Jude Mason (Narrator)

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?

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Historical, Young Adult, Fantasy

9 pages, Audiobook

First published May 17, 2016

About the author

Melanie 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.

Reviews

[Rachel McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

(note: if you are expecting any kind of eloquence, I direct you elsewhere. Herein, you shall be privvy to my squeals and bouncing in my chair and finger-tip tingling delight! )


Guys!!! THIS BOOK! THIS GUY! YUMMO!

The sexy "we're hiding in a false wall behind a book case and there may be beetles but let us hold each other for body warmth!"

The kinda-maimed-Beast-like-guy who saves the HEROINE from WOLVES !


The dresses and historical detail. THE BALLS! The Queen Esther trope of having a man in a position of power audition women to be his lady for life.


I die, Horatio!


Basically, Reinhart is Rachel-catnip and is by far my favourite Dickerson hero since the gruff and gentle Ranulf in The Merchant's Daughter who I am still pining for.

Now, The Beautiful Pretender is tied with the aforementioned for RACHEL'S FAVOURITE MELANIE DICKERSON BOOKS


I guess you guys want some plot or recap.

Avelina is ladies' maid to beautiful Dorothea. But Dorothea is a bit of a *ahem* scandalous woman and has found herself with child and unmarried having run off with a knight ( this is totally a story I would also read, fyi ). This is rather inconvenient because Dorothea was to be on a medieval episode of the Bachelor and go to Thornbeck Castle for two weeks to audition as bride to the Margrave of Thornbeck: one of the king's favourites and a powerful political alliance.

The Earl of Plimmwald demands that Avelina go in his missing daughter's place. Avelina is all: but I am a servant. Earl is all: I don't care and you better not get him to choose you but find out if there is a threat to Plimmwald or I will hurt your family and not give you pork.


Avelina goes. While there, she is resplendently unique and herself and befriends another auditionee, Lady Magdalen, while slowly thawing the cold exterior of THE HOTTEST TORTURED MARGRAVE IN THE HISTORY OF UNSHAVEN TORTURED MARGRAVES! His brother died, he has a mad woman ( and secret ) in the West Wing and he doesn't believe a woman can heal a soul fettered by the wounds of the battlefield.


OMG! But .... then... Avelina speaks her mind and is gentle and is even playing the game so that her friend Magdalen can win the Margrave's love and this unintentional "hard to get" act just makes her more appealing. And someone tries to sabotage her horse saddle and he catches her! And someone tries to throw her off a balcony --- AND HE CATCHES HER !

and there is a lot of physical being and touching and caressing and holding in this book and I feel warm like a cup of mulled cider with the spicy pheasant they always seem to be eating.


Also, Avelina likes cherries which are sweet and tart and that is just a stroke of character genius!

Also, private tunnels and false doors and hidden dungeons and lots of PLACES FOR THE MARGRAVE AND AVELINA TO HIDE AND HOLD AND SNUGGLE when the palace is under attack ( but I will leave that for you guys to find out)


Also, there is Odette and Jorgen and we love those guys from a previous book ( but you can read this standalone)


What we have here, kittens, is a beautifully-rendered world, lush with moral pragmatism, gorgeous language and a romance unfurling in the trope of preternatural kinship. These two are equals! And I love that she loves him but wants what is best for him and he loves that ( may I mention again) HE SAVES HER FROM WOLVES

and he has a big library.

QUOTES:

"If my mother has taught me anything, it's that a woman must demand respect."


"And even though this love was painful, it was worth it to remember how the sight of him and the sound of his voice had made her heart beat faster, that feeling of wanting what was best for someone else even if it broke her heart."

[Shantelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aww ... :') Another adorable historical medieval fairy tale retelling from Melanie Dickerson. Always look forward to a new book from her!

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just as the lovely cover implies, this was a beautiful book. I loved the storyline of "she's-beneath-him-and-not-good-enough-he's-the-margrave-she's-a-servant-girl", etc., etc. Ahh! It was wonderful!! :D

Avelina was a really sweet character. Not perfect, and she did some deceitful things that I don't believe she would have done under normal circumstances, but she was lovable. :) She offen struggled with being 'good enough' and, ahhh! *clutches heart* How she realized that in Christ was would always be 'enough'... Amazing. <3

I have to say that, originally, I did not like Lord Thornbeck. Especially in book one. He was so gruff and rude!! Thankfully, he changed. Softened up some. Showed his good side. And I was able to enjoy his character too. ^_^ (Sidenote here – the wolves. That whole like *flaps hands* chapter was. so. like. amazing. gah.)
I also liked the 'minor storyline' of his limp. Not overpowering with the rest of the stuff going on, but still there. And I loved how that turned out too...hehe. ;)

All the side characters were amazing too!! Odette and Jorgen from book one, Lady Magdalen (such a sweet heart!! <3), Avelina's siblings, and even the King! (Though his part was extremely minor... XD)

As far as 'warnings' go, there is one thing I didn't agree with. There is mention of an unmarried couple who slept together there at the castle. (This took place previously. Both are dead at the time of the book .) It's mentioned that it's wrong because of the lack of social status of one of the people, but it's never clarified that it's morally wrong. I honestly don't think Mrs. Dickerson intended to insinuate that it's 'okay', so I was able to overlook it.

Overall, 4.5 stars!!

I'm really looking forward to reading book three, The Noble Servant, in May of 2017. (Psst! It's about Lady Magdalen! :D)

[ChildOfGod&#x1f49c;&#x1f64c;&#x1f3fd; (for God I live and for God I die) ~ in my Christian pop era · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 🌟

First reaction:

So cute..so cute..so cute…so cute..so cute!!! 🥰 🎵

Full review:

Okkkkkkkkkk so I’m a big sucker for the rich/poor romance trope with the forbidden love. Gahhhh just take my money now 🤣 (no I’m just kidding kinda). And well this book delivered that trope beautifully. I wish the book summary on the back of the book said which fairytales this book is but I believe it’s a Beauty and the Beast + Princess and the Pea retelling. It can’t beat Melanie Celliers but I enjoyed it a lot nonetheless!

The characters were so cute. I adored Avelina from the start, she was so sweet and selfless! And the Margrave of Thornbeck was just so gruff and sweet gahhh. Their romance was even cuter especially when Avelina was trying to make him chooses a noble lady over her. Her friend Magdalen (that might be spelled wrong 😅) was a darling too! Gah I loved all the characters. Magdalen was so kind and sweet and supportive and took things into her own hands. I loved it! 🥰 And I’ve heard she’s the FMC of the next book so I’m excited 😄.


For content warnings: there were multiple conversations about having a child out of wedlock

For christian content: mentions of praying, asking God to protect family and friends and loved ones, asking God for forgiveness, having conversations with God

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“After inheriting his title from his brother, the margrave has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for a lovely servant girl in disguise?
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”


Series: Book #2 in the “Medieval Fairy Tale Romance” series or also known as the “Thornbeck” series. (Review of Book #1 Here!)


Spiritual Content- Many, many prayers; Talks about God, faiths & chapels; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Many mentions of God; Many mentions of prayers; Many mentions of chapels; Mentions of those in the Bible; Mentions of sins & judging; Mentions of Jews; A few mentions of Bible reading; A couple mentions of Heaven;
*Note: A mention of d*mning information.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: four forms of ‘stupid’; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); A bit of sarcasm; Wolf attacks (along with killing wolves), blood, pain, injuries & wounds (lots of all, semi-detailed); Almost dying & being killed (semi-detailed); Nightmares (up to semi-detailed); Hitting & wanting to hit someone; Many, many, many mentions of deaths, murders, killing, fires, threats & executions (up to semi-detailed); Many, many, many mentions of rumors & gossip (including that Reinhart killed his brother, which he didn’t); Many mentions of pain & injuries; Many mentions of wolves, their kill & shooting them (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of hunting & killing animals; Many mentions of drunks, strong drinks, drinking & wine; Mentions of battles, fighting & killing; Mentions of the pillory, being beaten & shamed; A few mentions of a poacher (Book #1); A few mentions of horse manure & the smell; A couple mentions of self-harming & suicide; A mention of a woman falling to her death; A mention of breaking someone’s limbs; A mention of a threat of cutting someone’s tongue out; A mention of rat droppings.


Sexual Content- a hand kiss, two cheek kisses, two hair kisses, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, four semi-detailed kisses; Remembering kisses (barely-above-not-detailed); Lots of Touches, Embraces, Warmth & Nearness (semi-detailed); Attraction & Butterflies; Noticing & Smelling; Wanting to be kissed & loved; Wanting to kiss, touch & embrace; Wanting someone; Dorothea had trysts with a knight & is now with child (and many, many, many mentions of that and rumors); Many, many, many mentions of lovers & mistresses; Many mentions of Reinhart’s brother, his brother’s lover & their unborn child; Mentions of bare ankles & a man’s bare chest (along with trying not to stare, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of flirting & jealousy; Mentions of wooing & loving a woman; Mentions of kissing & kisses; Mentions of Reinhart’s parents’ unhappy marriage (they hated each other, both had lovers & those facts make Reinhart wonder how he and his brother came out of that marriage); A few mentions of unfaithful spouses; A few mentions of temptations; A couple mentions of men who impregnated different women; A couple mentions of a maidservant & her lover being alone together at night and having a good time; A mention of a 15year old boy taking advantage of any girl that would let him; A mention of molestation; A mention of a newly married couple going to their bedroom; Love, falling in love & the emotions.

-Avelina Klein, age 20
-Reinhart Stolten
P.O.V. switches between them
Set in 1363 {Medieval}
307 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
A retelling mix of The Princess and the Pea and the Beauty and the Beast, Melanie Dickerson brings us back to Thornbeck and we get to learn the mystery behind the Margrave's past. While “The Beautiful Pretender” can be a stand-alone, it will be enjoyed much more if “The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest” is read prior to reading this one. Odette and Jorgen are still in this one, which I was so excited to see! This novel got kind of kissy near the end, but I did like all the prayers. I really liked Avelina (that name is fabulous!) and her personality. Reinhart (again, fun name!) was a good hero for this story and I found it very touching how protective he was near the end.
Overall, this was another great Melanie Dickerson book and I can't wait to learn more about the next book in this series! :)


Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...


*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.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this honest review.

[Jaye Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that I’m reviewing The Beautiful Pretender is surprising. You see, I never finished the first book in the series, The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest. For some reason, it just didn’t grab me at all and I had to put it aside. I didn’t expect to read any further in the series, however, after seeing the glowing reviews of The Beautiful Pretender that my friends were sharing, I was intrigued. I still didn’t think I would take the time to check it out, but, on a whim, I picked it up. I was very pleasantly surprised. This one drew me in very quickly held my interest all the way through. I really liked the characters and enjoyed the storyline. I’m so glad I took a chance with this one.

I received a copy of this book free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

[Tricia Mingerink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally read this in one day start to finish. I hadn't planned on that. I'd planned to pick it up as a slow, pick and up set down sort of book.

But this one just scooped me up and took me away. It has more action than many of the other Melanie Dickerson books I've read before, and I like action. I also really connected to the main characters.

Even though I haven't read the first book in this series, I figured out things quickly enough. Now I really want to go back and read it. I also can't wait for the next book in the series!

[Courtney Ranger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this Beauty and the Beast/Princess and the Pea fairy tale retelling more times than I can possibly count. The conflicts in the book feel real. And the love interest is just SO SWEET!!! This is definitely one of my favorites from Melanie Dickerson.

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very sweet romance/fairytale retelling from Melanie Dickerson. This book is the sequel to "The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest".

I truly did not mean to take so long to get around to this book! The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest was the very first book I read in January of this year, and here I am at the end of December, just now getting around to the next book. To clarify, I wasn't putting this book off by any means, it simply happened by chance that I read a bunch of other books before I finally got to this one. Still, I think it's kind of funny that I unintentionally bookended (with actual books!) 2017 with two Melanie Dickerson stories. And, since I do enjoy her stories, I say that's a pretty good way to begin and end what, all things considered, was a pretty good year for me, especially in relation to my having read a lot of really good books.

Things I liked about this book: The margrave of Thornbeck (a.k.a. Reinheart). Reinheart was a secondary character in THoTF and I liked him even then. He's an ex-knight who can no longer fight because of an injury to his ankle that never healed completely. He's very intelligent, and though he can come off gruff (not mean, just a little grumpy and maybe even just plain introverted, which I understand as a fellow introvert.) he clearly had a good heart beneath it. I particularly appreciated how he actively strove to have a better marriage than his parents did (as opposed to succumbing to the notion that a marriage full of love and mutual respect is impossible), and wanted a partner who was not just beautiful, but had good character.

Avelina. While I did not personally relate to her as much as some other Dickerson heroines, she was still likable and I thought it was both funny and cool that her special talent was picking locks, LOL. I also appreciated her loving heart, opinionated nature, and bravery towards the end of the story.

Jorgen and Odette. It was great seeing these two again, even though they were secondary characters in this story. They're just so cute how they work together so well and are so in love. I just wanna squeeze 'em both. XD

Somehow I thought this was a twelve dancing princesses retelling, but while there may have been a light touch of that, it was definitely more a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Melanie has done of retelling of this tale before, so it was interesting to see her try a different angle on it. I honestly liked the other retelling she did better, but this one had good qualities too.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding Reinheart's brother's death. This added some intrigue, and it was interesting to slowly find out what really happened.


Things I didn't like: The main reasons I'm giving this book the rating I'm giving it is because I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book in the series, and, like I said above, I didn't relate to Avelina quite as closely as I have some of Dickerson's other heroines. That's not to say she was unrelatable, but simply that I didn't relate as closely.

There were also times I thought she was being a tad dense about some things (and she was otherwise pretty intelligent, so that added to my frustration). One of those things was her being in total denial about Reinheart's attraction to her. Yes, sometimes it can be hard even in real life to see when someone is attracted to you because you being you are too close to the situation, but when literally everyone is trying to tell you "hey, this guy seems really into you!" maybe, just maybe it's time to consider the possibility that he really is into you.

There was also one moment where something traumatic happened to Avelina. I can't detail this too much because of spoilers, but first off, I thought she should have at least suspected that this person was up to something bad. Maybe it's just because I've read and watched a lot of murder mysteries, but when someone who doesn't like you wants you to lean over the railing THAT badly, there's a strong possibility that they may want to shove you over it. Just saying. Secondly, this bad person told Avelina something critical to the plot just before the traumatic thing happened. This was something that Avelina should have immediately gone and told someone about, but she didn't because...she forgot what it was. ._. The reason for her forgetting was supposedly because of the trauma, and I *guess* it's possible that that could happen, but...I dunno. It kind of stretched my suspension of disbelief and I found it a bit frustrating. She did remember it again later, so that helped lessen my frustration, but still.

So, while there were some flaws/frustrations that took away from the story for me, and I didn't necessarily find myself wanting to hug the book at the end, I did still overall enjoy "The Beautiful Pretender" and I give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Content Advisory for those who want to know:

Note: Some people have marked this book as YA, but if I understand correctly, this "Medieval Fairytale Tale" series is supposed to be adult. This, I believe is mainly because of the ages of the main character. Avelina is 20 and Reinheart, while I don't recall his exact age being mentioned, is only a little older. Otherwise, this is still what I personally consider clean Christian romance that I personally don't have a problem with reading. Now for the details.

...You know what? There's enough to put here that it would take me way too long trying to type it all out on my phone as I am currently having to do, and the lovely Lindsey of Books for Christian Girls put the content section of her review for this book together so well, I'm not sure I could do it better, so just this once I will simply link to her review, if that's okay: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Thanks, Lindsey!

[Lucy Buller]

OH
MY
GOODNESS.
THAT COVER IS SO BEAUTIFUL. EEEE! I SO CANNOT WAIT.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know how she does it, but each of Dickerson’s fairytale retellings are wonderful stories that keep getting better and better! The Beautiful Pretender only took about three chapters to grab my full attention and then I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up WAY past my bedtime eagerly turning the pages on my kindle with this one. Loved Avelina right away and was amazed by her strength, discernment, faith, and courage throughout. This is the SECOND time Dickerson had my heart melting for a beastly/gruff character, this one named Lord Thornbeck, the first time was Lord Ranulf in The Merchant’s Daughter. I highly recommend BOTH books!!

No one writes heroes like Dickerson does and it’s crazy how much I enjoyed The Beautiful Pretender from START to FINISH; she remains one of my favorite authors with her incredible storytelling skills filling the pages with intrigue, danger, betrayal, courage, faith, adventure, and romance. Avelina and Reinhart risk everything to do what’s right and my heart was with them the whole time.

I want to thank the author and publisher for my review copy via netgalley. I was given a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh! How unexpectedly delightful this book was. I didn't particularly enjoy the other books in the series but the premise of the plot and promise of the Princess and the Pea (my favorite fairytale EVER) overcame my hesitations.
Comfortable, romantic, and fluffy...this was a perfect read for a Sunday afternoon. I did find the obsession with kissing a little much, but I suppose you go in expecting it with books like this. I also could not take seriously every time the heroine nearly froze to death and gets saved by someone else's body heat. That doesn't actually work...
Ah well, this book is charming despite its quirks. I think this might be my favorite Melanie Dickerson book yet!

[Moriyah Cordova · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A person’s heart should be what she was judged by, rather than whose blood ran in her veins.” ― Melanie Dickerson, The Beautiful Pretender

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cleanness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Beautiful Pretender is a medieval romance following Avelina Klein and Reinhart Stolten, Margrave if Thornbeck. Reinhart must choose a bride and fast as commanded by the king. To choose, he prepares tests to find the lady with the truest character.
When Avelina, a servant, is sent in her Lady’s place, all she has to do is not be picked by Reinhart. But what happens when feelings begin to bloom? A love as theirs would be impossible. They will learn that nothing is impossible with God.

A blend of Medieval fiction, the princess and the pea, and beauty and the beast, Melanie Dickerson creates a beautiful romance sure to have you on the edge of your seat. You can’t help but root for the wonderful characters in this novel.

This is a perfect read for young teens. I recently got my sweet sister to read this and it has quickly become one of her new favorites (she read it twice this year)! If you are a young teen or have young teens or know young teens, definitely check this book out!
If you like sweet clean historic Christian romances then you will love this book! <3

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

review coming soon :)

[Carrie Turansky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairytales come to life and characters step right into your heart in Melanie Dickerson's books, and The Beautiful Pretender is no exception. This is a page-turner that will delight readers!

[lyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute! For sure one of my new favorites!!
It's a mix of the story of Esther in the Bible, Ever After, and beauty and the beast.

[Jacquelyn &#x1f490; {This Rapunzel Reads} [Jesus Christ, my Living Hope] · Rating 5 out of 5]

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

A retelling mix of The Princess and the Pea and the Beauty and the Beast centering about the Margrave of Thornbeck Forest. Avelina is one of my favorite of Melanie Dickerson’s FMC! She is sweet, brave and delightful! She is kind and humble! An admirable character! Reinhart is rough on the edges and mean at times. It takes me a bit to really like him, but once I did, he’s amazing! He gives Mr. Darcy vibes at times…haha! Avelina is just what he needs! The two of them are so good for each other! I loved watching them fall in love and it was so swoon worthy and satisfying!! I really liked Odette and Jorgen in this book a lot more than I did in the first book! It’s so nice to see them married! This is action packed and swoon worthy! I absolutely loved it!! It’s so good!! One of my favorites by Melanie Dickerson!! 5 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Quotes that I liked:

♥️ "A woman wishes to be swept up by a man's fervent feelings for her, by love and longing and depth of feeling. She does not wish to be married for her father's coin or her noble birth or because she is a sensible choice. She wants to be wooed, even after she is married, to be cherished and loved for her very self, not just because she has a beautiful face, long after she has passed the age of freshness and youth."

♥️ "I'm just curious. Do you think a God who sent His Son to be born in a lowly stable to poor people, announced to shepherds in a field, could care about gold and ivory and jewels? Perhaps God cares about our hearts, not our wealth." Avelina smiled very innocently.

♥️ "You are safe now. I have you. You are safe." He held her even tighter.

♥️ People had often warned her, when she was a poor maiden and a servant, that romantic love would be ground under reality's heel, that true love was only something invented by minstrels and poets, that she should not be so naive and fanciful as to believe in romantic love. As it turned out, the reality of her love story with Lord Thornbeck was much more satisfying than any of her romantic stories and imaginings. She no longer had to dream about love. God had given her a love all her own, one that the troubadours would sing about for years to come.

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Melanie Dickerson pleases her readers. The boys and I read this one together. They enjoyed it as much as I did.

This is the fairly tale retelling mix of the Princess and the Pea and Beauty and the Beast. We met the Margrave in The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest and learned that he took over after his brother died. He's being blamed for the death of his brother and that does not help Reinhart's guilt of not getting his brother out of the fire safely. Now the king has decided that Reinhart needs a wife. He sends him a list of 10 eligible women who would make a good wife. Reinhardt invites them to his castle and the contest begins.

Avelina is a maidservant. When Lady Dorothea runs off with her lover, her father convinces Avelina to take his daughters place. He needs the help of Reinhart to keep his lands but doesn't expect Avelina to win his heart, just to make her presence known. Adeline tries her hardest to get Reinhart to fall for Lady Magdalen, a very sweet and deserving lady. No matter how hard she tries though, Reinhart keeps finding his way back into her thoughts.

There is a lot of adventure. Some evil works against Reinhart, and plenty of mysterious happenings. And through it all we see the beauty within Avelina. And we find that Reinhart is a bit of a softy after all. The book is entertaining and well written. There are happy times and intense moments

I received a pre-release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. We (the boys and I) all give this one 5 stars and look forward to Ms. Dickerson's next book.

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed being immersed in medieval Germany with political intrigue and hidden identities. As a young adult novel this is written with a lighter tone, and I smiled at the nods to Beauty and the Beast that popped up throughout the story. Avelina's strength of character and compassionate personality shine as she stands out from the crowd of pampered ladies. I was glad that her isolation was offset by a friendship with one of the young women, which proved to help her cause later on. The beginnings of their attraction for each other is awkward, but then develops into a more natural rapport. There is plenty of action during the climax as they defend Thornbeck against those plotting against him. A great addition to the author's Medieval Fairy Tale Romance series!

(Thank you to Litfuse Publicity and Thomas Nelson Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

[Susan Snodgrass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melanie Dickerson writes fairy tales for grown ups with a Christian theme. She does it very well, too! As a child, I adored fairy tales, so it's wonderful to be able to read them in more depth as an adult. This one is set in sixteenth century Germany and is a retelling of The Princess and the Pea with a bit of Beauty and the Beast thrown in.

Melanie has created a cast of characters that will appeal to anyone! The reader is just swept away as the story unfolds! She adds romance, intrigue, danger, and brings it to a satisfying finish, although I did NOT want it to end. Every time I read one of her fairy tales, I'm wanting another to begin right away!

* I was provided a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review, which I have given. All opinions are my own.

[Hannah Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful story filled with intrigue, challenges, sweet friendships and the journey of a woman finding her worth as a person and child of God. I really enjoyed the love story and all the incredible descriptions of medieval life. Reading it truly felt like being transported back to a medieval castle. Can’t wait for the next one!

[Lorelei Angelino · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If you die fighting, I want to die fighting with you.”

(I don’t remember the last time I read a book in a day. 😅) This is one of my favorites by Melanie Dickerson, and if you read one series by her I’d recommend this one. A bit repetitive but worth the re-read! 💕

[Vivian Chen (Vivian's Book Pavilion) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is post originally on Vivian's Book Pavilion

After inheriting his title from his brother, the margrave has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for a lovely servant girl in disguise?

Really? Again? Melanie Dickerson has once again proves herself the queen of fairytale retelling author!!!! Yeahhhh!!!!!! THIS BOOK IS SOOOOO GREAT!!!! I devoured it within…four hours? I just can’t put the book down! It’s so great!!!! My only problem is that this book isn’t made in Hardcover…although I think it’ll have a hardcover edition at August…but how can I wait that long? It’s already tortured to wait till now! But sadly…The Beautiful Pretender didn’t match so well as The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest. You know…one hardcover, one paperback!!! Ahhh!!!! It’s frustrated! But, enough for the edition!!! You must read the book!!! it’s so fantastic!!!!!! Ahhh!!!!!!!!! (Someone is crazy…)
I announce—this is so far the best book in Melanie’s books!!! Among all her series!!!! Although…I still like Valten and Gisela a bit more than Avelina and Reinhart…but only characters. I love the story!!! It’s well written!!! Ahhh!!!! This is a retelling of Princess and the Pea and Beauty and the Beast. (Is that fairytale called Princess and the Pea?? Well…I’m not sure, but you know, with something…pea under bed to make sure you’re a true princess…) Yet…, being a fairytale retelling series isn’t what I want to say about this book. It’s true that you can see some of their point…actually…it turns out only a little. I can hardly see Beauty and the Beast…I know there are…but not as much as The Merchant’s Daughter, as for Princess and the Pea…it actually became a tale told by Reinhart’s mother. However, would you be disappointed that there isn’t enough retelling? NO!!! This is where Melanie Dickerson improves her every story and makes them better: The Beautiful Pretender actually becomes one. Yes, it is so great that her book deserves to be put into fairytale series!!! (Perhaps some day we’ll see “Dickerson’s Fairy Tale complete series”?) This is how The Beautiful Pretender makes me feel—reading a wonderfully organize fairytale. A better one, a great modern version fairy tale for both girls and boys, for all ages to enjoy. You want a fairy tale with strong heroine, clever, brave, and compassion? You swoon for hero to protect, to stand with his heroine? A romance with love, respect, affection, and passion? Here you get it. In Melanie’s The Beautiful Pretender, all of your desire can be fulfilled.
When I was reading this book…my heart was like
(i still don't now how to put gif on Goodreads...so check my blog for that part...)
You know? It squeezed!!! And in some part of the book…I needed to hold my tears for the Avelina and Reinhart!!! It’s such a hard thing to do when you’re in public…so I screamed to myself.
What I like about this book is that it doesn’t end in Reinhart found out Avelina’s true identity as a maidservant. (well…that part really reminds me the scene in Ever After, when Daniel ran away from the ball when her identity was reveal.) What fun will that be? So the story continues! And it excellently shows the brave side of Avelina!!!! Ahhh!!!!! And their time together!!! Ahhh!!! Oh wait! Remember one scene in Beauty and the Beast that the Beast saved Belle from the wolves pack? You can read in this book!!! And it comes with a great betrayal!!!! A great story always come with betrayal…who said that? Well…someone wise and clever…ME!!! (Thank you very much for your compliment…I know I’m extremely smart.) (Or the “betrayal” part might only because I’ve waited The Beauty of Darkness for too long…but you can’t deny that some twists give book something extra.) And when I was reading the book, well…at the beginning, I was like “It’s her!!! She must be the one to reveal secret!!!” and as it turned out…I’m right!!! As I mentioned…I’m a smart girl! (Someone is coughing…back to the book.)
Here I’m not going to talk much about Avelina and Reinhart…since…well…they didn’t impress me as much as the plots. Indeed they’re great, but not as great as Valten and Gisela. (Someone is pretty sure about that…) (Don’t get me wrong…I never said they aren’t good characters…just the story is too great, compared to the characters.) (By the way…when Avelina first talked about her opinion about marriage…I know she will be the one for Reinhart…even though it’s always obvious.) However, although I’m not talking about the protagonists…I’m about to tell you a great friendship in this book. Lady Magdalen is a kind young girl who Avelina met in the ball. She is sweet and friendly, not to mention kind-hearted. Though she was hurt after she found out Avelina’s identity, she forgave her and treated her as usual. She is one of the few person in the castle didn’t treat her like a servant, not even after everything reveal. She might not stand with the margrave when the battle was there, but she gave her assistance in any possible way. Avelina and Magdalen really have the purest friendship in this book. I think friendship is one of the few things I read in Melanie’s books…the most memorable one is A Spy’s Devotion. I think it’s great that Melanie added this part into the book, I love great friendship, especially since it’s hard to find. Besides Magdalen, remember Odette and Jorgen? They appeared frequently in the book!!! It’s always a nice thing to read the previous protagonists in the other books, you know…happily ever after? It’s great!! I love that!!! And as it appears…Odette and Avelina will becomes great friends in the future…I assume they already have. Well…Odette and Jorgen might face bit difficulties…but all went well. That’s wonderful!!!
By the way…I always wonder…what’ll happen if Hagenheim and Thornbeck meet? Isn’t that great??? I hope it’ll come true one day!
I really love this book…see the large review? WOW. So, I here declare the Queen of Medieval Fairy Tale—Melanie Dickerson!!!

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[Teri-K · Rating 1 out of 5]

The cover of this book is fantastic - it made me think I was getting a story with a strong historical element. Since I love historical fiction and enjoy fantasy novels, I really wanted to read it. Once I got into the book I was disappointed to find it wasn't at all what I'd expected.

From the very beginning I was puzzled as to what kind of book I was reading. There were a few mentions of the Holy Roman Empire, a period which covered over 1000 years in Central Europe, but though there were castles and nobles, the book had no identifiable setting and I couldn't tell exactly when it was taking place. So I decided to go with the subtitle "A Medieval Fairy Tale" and read it as a fantasy, but there were no traditional fantasy/fairy tale elements in it, either. Ultimately it's just a novel with a vaguely Medieval setting.

Then there's the question of the target audience's age. The story that unfolded was too simplistic to hold my interest. The plot moved in a straight line from young Avelina's original problem to the ending, with no obstacles or twists along the way. Though their situations as the book opens were interesting, all tension quickly disappeared and I never had any reason to doubt that Avalina and Reinhart would end up together. It didn't help that Avelina's rivals were stereotypes, because I never thought for a moment that Reinhart would fall for the vain, empty headed young Fronika or her friends. The story was so simplistic I felt it was more appropriate to kids, though I'm not an advocate of romances for youngsters.

I couldn't help but wonder what, other than his position and money, made Reinhart such a great catch, as he displayed none of the positive virtues I expect in a good mate. In fact he frequently talked down to his servants, which should have made Avelina's position precarious, and there was no chemistry or developing relationship between them. I really liked the minor characters of Jorgen and Odette, who it turns out were featured in the first book, though, and Magdalen was also an interesting addition to the story.

This is one of those books with a lot of good potential that didn't get fulfilled. There were complications such as Avelina's family that were mentioned and then forgotten. In the same way, all the background of Reinhart's brother and the surrounding politics of the area was discussed but never followed up on. Instead there were many scene's with Avelina thinking how awful it would be if Reinhart fell in love with her. I often wished for more plot and less repetitive ruminating. A lot less.

The writing, especially the dialogue, lacked the strength I want in a book. Sometimes the characters sounded old-fashioned, other times very modern. The spiritual elements were unconvincing, also. Avelina would suddenly mention God and I'd think, "Oh, yeah. I forgot this is supposed to be Christian."

All in all I was disappointed in this book, though it might please readers who are looking only for a simple romance. (I hesitate to say "YA" because there are a lot of complex, well-written "YA" novels out there.)

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review. This review also appears, in a shorter form, at http://www.fiction411.com/.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is only the second Melanie Dickerson book that I have read. You can be sure that I am going to go back and read all of the books she has written! Wow!!! Previously I read The Golden Braid and loved it, but The Beautiful Pretender took fairy tale stories to a whole new level for me!

The Beautiful Pretender is book two in a series, however, I had not read the first book and had absolutely no trouble following along. The two main characters from the first book are also in this story as supporting characters and I had no trouble understanding how they were connected in this book.

With nods to Beauty and the Beast, which happens to be my favorite fairy tale, The Beautiful Pretender had absolutely everything that I desired in a story. The romance was perfect, beginning slowly and growing into an undeniable attraction between two people who were in different social classes and therefore unable to be together.

I also liked the temperaments of both Avelina and Lord Thornbeck. Avelina was a strong young lady without being pushy or obstinate. She had opinions and shared them, but had a kind and loving heart and was trying her best to be as truthful in the difficult situation she was in. Lord Thornbeck was at times gruff and had a few angry outbursts. But his attitude was realistic when viewed through the losses and injury he had recently suffered. I loved watching him change and become a wonderful man for Avelina as the story progressed.

The Beautiful Pretender also had plenty of danger, intrigue, and secrets to keep me on the edge of my seat hoping that everything would work out and that these two complex characters would indeed get their happily ever afters! I absolutely loved this story!!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You can read this review and enter a kindle giveaway (through 6/7/16) on my blog at:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...

[Daniella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Word. I cannot express how much I LOVE this book!!

But I shall try ;)

"The Beautiful Pretender" is my favorite Melanie Dickerson novel (if not my favorite novel altogether)! I’ve read it a thousand times, and still can’t get over it. Allow me to fangirl as I give a brief character analysis on the two main characters.

The heroine, Avelina, is such a loveable protagonist and I felt drawn to her from the very beginning. I just felt like I could relate to her so much, I saw characteristics in her that I strive to achieve and am. Not only is she kind and humble (strive to achieve), but she is also dedicated to her duties, loves her family, and loves to READ and WRITE STORIES (am). She's also a hopeless romantic, who has the strongest views on love, which I found very relatable (as a hopeless romantic bibliophile myself 😊).

I could rave about Reinhart all day. He is just such a great love interest! He loves Thornbeck and is determined to be the best margrave and protector he can be. At the beginning of the story, I felt as though he was such a Darcy figure towards Avelina, he was soooo prideful. But I just loved seeing his character development throughout the book. He becomes so caring, considerate, and protective over Avelina. Reinhart is definitely one of those fictional male characters that raised the bar on what I want in my future husband, but I digress 😂.
The character depth and personality of both Avelina and Reinhart is just awesome and made the read 10 times more enjoyable. I was swept up in their story.

This book is so beautiful and satisfying from the beginning to the very end. I mean, just read its closing line!

“She no longer had to dream about love. God had given her a love all her own, one that the troubadours would sing about for years to come.”

It’s just too beautiful 😭. Do yourself a favor and read this piece of literary art. 5/5 stars!

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another MUST read by Melanie Dickerson!

What a wonderful story! I think The Beautiful Pretender is my new favorite Melanie Dickerson novel! I think I fell in love with Avelina's wit and candor even faster than the Margrave did. This was one of those rare stories that I became so totally immersed in that I felt like I was right there experiencing everything alongside the characters.

Reading book one in the series, The Huntress Of Thornbeck Forest, will definitely give some background to the story but I felt that The Beautiful Pretender could be read standalone as well. If you haven't read book one yet, by all means do, but don't let it stop you from reading this book. Melanie Dickerson is very good at connecting her stories while still making each one complete on its own.

I honestly can't say enough about The Beautiful Pretender and how much I enjoyed it. Melanie Dickerson has a real winner in this one. It is a truly delightful and satisfying story. One that is richly detailed and with enough danger and romance to keep any reader completely enthralled. From its gorgeous cover to the very last page you just won't want to miss The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson!

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.)

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but did not love it. (I love the title though!) However, taken for what it is, a simple light fairytale, it was a cute. This was my first book by Melanie Dickerson. It was a steady and consistent story, well-written in that manner. Overall, it felt a bit juvenile to me and I would probably not seek out to read her books consistently. As always, it’s a matter of preference and what you like to read. The story was sweet and engaging enough. I enjoyed the tale that was told. It kept you curious about what would happen next, wondering how the story would end.

[L.E. Levens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite Melanie Dickerson book, and that's saying something!

Well paced, full of fall-feels and chivalry, I reread this book every fall and I never get tired of reliving the princess and the pea meets medieval bachelorette storyline!

Cws: mild romance, implied romantic immorality of another character, Avelina is accused of being pregnant.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Beautiful Pretender was such a good story! I enjoyed the storyline of his testing the women to see their true character and which one would be best to marry. I liked both main characters and enjoyed seeing their romance blossom.

The story had danger and I didn't expect that. I couldn't believe what certain characters did...

All in all, The Beautiful Pretender was worth the read and I recommend it to fans of this genre.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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.*