I can't say this is my favorite book by Jody Hedlund but it was wonderful nonetheless. From the cover to the last page, you'll be hooked!

I initially reviewed this book for Novel Crossing but, unfortunately, that site is no longer active.

I very much enjoyed the fairytale elements of the book pitted against the gritty terrain of Michigan and its many weathering elements. Karl is very much a prince-in-disguise (both in character and in circumstance), avoiding certain death due to a crime of which he is innocent. Annalisa Werner is reluctant to let anyone into the carefully constructed wall she forged after her husband's death.

What I particularly enjoyed about this novel (other than a male on the cover of a CBA romance! Hallelujah!) was that he was the romantic one while Annalisa pragmatically and sternly navigated the waters of widowhood. It was nice to see this role reversal in a genre that commands the ultimate alpha. Yet, while Karl was, indeed, a masculine protector, it is the layers of his character that made him sympathetic and set apart from other heroes of his ilk.

I suppose my other takeaway from this book (other than Hedlund's carefully crafted narrative), is the setting: Michigan may seem like the least fairytale state in the United States; but Hedlund knows how to write its passion, heart and integrity. Her love of the State shines through each page.

Hero and heroine with life tragedy surrounding them. No wonder this book is so captivating.