Huge Historical Romance Giveaway from your favorite authors!

Who's ready for a book GIVEAWAY!?! Do you like historical romance? Then this is the giveaway for you! 10 authors have teamed up to bring you a fun giveaway -- just in time for your spring reading. Enter to win one of the books pictured here -- there will be 10 winners in all, each winning 1 book. You may need to log into Facebook again. This contest is not endorsed, administered, or sponsored by Facebook. Open to US residents only. GOOD LUCK!

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“The Merchant's Daughter" by Melanie Dickerson

{Elizabeth’s Review}

I am such a hopeless fairytale romantic. Knowing that this book by Melanie Dickerson is loosely based on Beauty and the Beast, I knew I would be captivated. It is the third novel I've read (and loved!) by this author. I am very pleased to find that The Merchant's Daughter is just as enjoyable as her other work!  

Our classic 'beauty' takes character form in Annabel, a lovely heroine as beautiful on the inside as she is in her outward appearance. Rejected by her destitute family and forced to work off their debt for the new lord of the area, I greatly appreciated seeing a working "Belle" do hard labor. This leading lady has a character depth that's perfectly suited for the target audience of Young Adult readers. Annabel is pursued by a repulsive and unwelcome bailiff who seems to derive a wicked pleasure from making her uncomfortable with his advances. The unlikely hero arises in Lord Ranulf. Our 'beast' is an emotionally crippled man of title and wealth. His wounds on his face and hand reflect the deep scarring in his soul inflicted by a past love. I have to be honest, I love a dark anti-hero. The more brooding and damaged they are, the more entranced I become. When a character is so jaded and messed up, their cathartic change into a hero is so strong and much more moving.  

Melanie Dickerson has this amazing ability to write in a way that goes beyond the 'Young Adult' label. Enjoyable for any age, I can honestly see mothers and daughters being able to read her novels together. She has this gift for taking beloved fairytales and spinning them into a new light. Filling each book with a Godly presence, her characters are life-like in their struggles and reactions to change.  

This book is actually the second novel written by Dickerson. I backtracked after reading and being very pleased with The Fairest Beauty. Bequeathing her with another 5 stars, I hope that this author never tires of breathing life into the fairytale classics.

{About The Merchant’s Daughter}

An unthinkable danger. An unexpected choice. Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf's bailiff---a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past. Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff's vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf's future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart.

{More books by Melanie Dickerson ~ click on the photos to read our reviews}

P.S. I've heard that there will be a new novel by Melanie Dickerson coming out next fall based on Cinderella! Learn more about this Melanie and her upcoming books at www.melaniedickerson.com.

“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
 

A Writer's Review of “The Healer's Apprentice" by Melanie Dickerson

I’ve never been one to read young adult fiction or romance. Not even when I was a young adult, in fact. And actually, I didn’t realize this book was listed as young adult until I picked it up from the hold shelf at my local library.  But hey, since I had it in my hand... and it is such a beautiful book, and I’d heard such good things about it, I decided I would read my first “young adult” novel... at the age of 34. Wow. I’m literally TWICE as old as a young adult. How depressing.

Well, even if I’m old, there is something about fairy tales that I still love. The fact that Melanie Dickerson’s The Healer’s Apprentice is based on the tale of The Sleeping Beauty is what made me want to read it in the first place... no matter that I’d never heard of the author before. 

As long as I’m in the mood for admitting things like my age, I also want to confess something else. I’ve been getting into the awful habit of opening a book to a random page in the middle and reading a few pages in order to determine whether I want to read it or not. I know. This doesn’t seem very fair to the authors I’ve never heard of or read anything of before... but you must understand how many books there are in my TBR pile. More than I can keep up with while trying to write my own books, manage this blog, and baby-sit a two and a half-year old and her nine month old brother (but only until June! PTL!).

When I reread those pages (which convinced me that I really SHOULD DEFINITELY read the book), I love them even more once I’d got to them in the order of the story. Yeah, big surprise, huh? I was actually enchanted by the entire story world, the characters and then plot... even though I pretty much already knew the basics of it. Melanie Dickerson is a master at making her characters connect in ways that make you feel God made them for each other. I also loved that the scene on the cover was from a very important scene in the book. It was perfect matched, which isn’t often done so well as on the cover of this book. Covers really do matter, you know. A cover of a book is often what convinces me to become interested in a book in the first place.

Quite frankly, I loved everything about this book.  It wasn’t quite as passion-filled or angsty as other books I like, but the ending was just plain heart-meltingly adorable. I definitely look forward to reading her second book, The Merchant’s Daughter, which is a retelling of the fairy tale The Beauty and the Beast.

I don’t happen have a copy of The Healer’s Apprentice to give away, but I do have a giant pile of books listed under My Give Away Books at the top of my blog for my weekly winners to choose from. To win, leave a comment answering the question at the end of this post (including your email so I can contact you), follow my blog or re-post my book review on your Facebook page. The winner will be announced next Monday.

*What is your favorite fairy tale and why?