Wednesday, February 27, 2013

“The Fairest Beauty” by Melanie Dickerson

{Elizabeth's Review}

Melanie Dickerson weaves an enchanting tale of courage, honor, and the deepest desires of the heart in this retelling of the classic Snow White. Set during the 15th century, I love that The Fairest Beauty is a twist on a well known and recognizable fairy tale. She definitely knows her way around emotional suspense and her descriptive style captures the thrill of first love and the internal reservations of a forbidden romance. The setting and characters come alive, leaving a lasting impression and the desire to read the story over and over again.


I don't typically read books classified as Young Adult because many of them tend to be filled with a little too much angst for my taste. I've always loved fairy tales, so I decided to give this one a try. And then I ended up finishing it in less than a day! I fell in love with the main characters, Gabe and Sophie.  All in all, I give this book 5 stars. This book is the third by Melanie Dickerson. She is also the author of The Healer's Apprentice (based on Sleeping Beauty) and The Merchant's Daughter (based on Beauty and the Beast).

{About The Fairest Beauty}

Sophie has long wished to get away from her stepmother's jealous anger, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be her chance at freedom---but can she trust another person to keep her safe?

Gabe knows he defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the orphan girl has stolen his heart. Though romance is impossible---she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else---he promises to himself he will keep her safe, no matter what.


When the pair are forced to run to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help---but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Can they find a way to protect Sophie while also safeguarding their hearts?


{Meet The Author}

Melanie Dickerson is an award-winning author who earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from The University of Alabama. She has taught in Georgia, Tennessee, Germany and the Eastern European country of Ukraine. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA), she now spends her time writing and taking care of her husband and two daughters near Huntsville, Alabama.

Find out more about Melanie at: http://www.melaniedickerson.com
 

5 comments:

Dawn Crandall said...

Welcome to A Passion for Pages, Liz!!!! Your review rocks! I can't wait until you bring the book over so I can read it too!!!!

Melanie Dickerson said...

Thanks for the great review, Liz! :-) I have a Cinderella story coming out in October, The Captive Maiden, and Valten, Gabe's brother, is the hero in that one! :-) He gets to rescue his own damsel in distress!

Hope you like the book too, Dawn!

Dawn Crandall said...

I didn't know about that fourth book!!! I can't wait!

Elizabeth Coulston said...

I was hoping Valten would get his turn to come to the rescue! I am very much looking forward to the October release!

Brandi Boddie said...

Great review, Dawn. This book looks like a winner. I love fairy tales told from a Christian perspective. I'll look for this one in stores this weekend.