The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson

 About the Book:

The Beautiful Pretender (Thomas Nelson, May 2016)

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?

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About the Author:

Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer’s Apprentice, a Christy Award finalist and winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award for Best First Book. Melanie earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Alabama and has been a teacher and a missionary. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Huntsville, Alabama.

Margie’s Comments:

I love Melanie Dickerson’s fairy tale retellings, and her latest book The Beautiful Pretender does not disappoint. Of course who doesn’t respond well to any “Beauty and the Beast” tale? Including Disney’s rendition of the old fairy tale. But I think the most satisfying aspect of Melanie Dickerson’s books is the faith element that she includes. When Avelina is forced by her master, the Earl of Plimmwald, to stand in for his daughter at the Margrave of Thornbeck’s test for a bride she has nowhere else to turn to for help but to her faith in God. So when she finds herself in a situation with worse consequences than her failure to the Earl of Plimmwald, her only recourse is to tell the truth . . . no matter the cost. The main characters in The Beautiful Pretender are endearing, even “the beast.” And the plot is well developed, making for a very satisfying, and surprisingly quick, read.