Louisa and her sister, Margaret, are sent to live with their aunt and uncle following their parents' death. The girls are treated barely better than the servants in the castle. The uncle has resolved to marry them off quickly and of course, the girls will receive none of the estate to which they are entitled. Louisa has always dreamed about the "Giant's Treasure" and resolves to run away, find the treasure and return and save her sister. So she sets out. In the 1300s a female traveling alone could find herself in a lot of trouble, so she camouflages herself and travels as "Jack." Along the way, she meets Sir Charles. He was fooled only briefly by her disguise and decides to travel with her to meet the Giant. Along the way they help several others who also travel with them.

This is another installment in the Dericott Tales (Sir Charles is the Dericott in this story). The budding romance between Louisa and Sir Charles is sweet and the kindness they share with their fellow travelers adds a lot to the story. We come to learn that the Giant is not the villain he is made out to be.

Another hit from Melanie Dickerson! I would absolutely recommend this book to any friends and family!

This book teaches you to think of others. Even if they are cruel or monsters. It is the perfect example of kindness to others. It displays how even when we are not like someone else we can still appreciate them and in situations where we are treated badly we can not return the favor.

"Lady of Disguise" is the 6th book in Melanie Dickerson's "The Dericott Tales" series. While I haven't read the previous books in the series, I was still able to jump right in to this book without missing anything. Louise and her sister are under the custody of their Uncle, who is determined to make a lot of money off of their marriages. Upon learning of her uncle's evil schemes, Louise runs away to achieve independence and get help for her younger sister. Charles, a knight, encounters Louise while she's on the run and offers to help her. When her Uncle discovers her deceit, he sends his men to capture her and Charles and Louise must fight for their lives.

I appreciated the themes of sisterhood, sacrifice, and loyalty in this book. I was a little disappointed that the storyline was rather simple and straightforward, but that's due to it being a YA-focused book which I did not realize upon requesting it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

An arranged marriage, A skimming uncle, and A buried treasure guarded by monster! Lady of Disguise is another wonderful medieval romance and adventure from Melanie Dickerson!

This is a sweet story. Louisa is caring and compassionate, wanting to help those in need, a good example of true Christian values. Charles is honest and noble, taking seriously his duties as a knight and faithfully serving both his earthly and heavenly king. The most beautiful part of the story is Morten, Sybil and Elias. Although the acceptance that Louisa and Charles show Allistor is also quite special.

Four stars based on this being geared for Young Adult/Middle Grade literature. Lady of Disguise is book #6 in the Dericott Tales. And (gasp) I read this out of order as part of the advanced copy I received. I never read things out of order--especially in a series, but from experience with other books by Melanie Dickerson, I suspected it could be a pretty good stand alone. My ONE concern was that it would be like book 1 which I never finished because i got annoyed with it.

And the answer is...yes. You could easily read this out of order and not be left high and dry with any holes. There are things mentioned in passing, but they are more background events and not pertinent to the current story.

Okay now the plot. So Lady of Disguise is a VERY loose rendition of Jack and the Beanstalk. In this case, Louise (aka Jack) is escaping her uncle's house in order to try to find the legendary Viking treasure which is guarded by a supposed giant. But even though she dresses as a boy and lops of her hair--it doesn't take her long to realize she made a mistake thinking it was going to be easy. she quickly meets Sir Charles...

And the rest of the book is about the journey she and Sir Charles take to the legandary location of the giant and his treasure--as well as the journey their relationship takes. Neither of them desire marriage--louise dreads one to an unknown man to be used as a babymaking machine--and Sir Charles was fooled by a vapid self-centered noble lady and believes all women are the same. So they learn a lot about each other and the role that faith can have in someone's life.

It's a fun story. And it's a good reminder about what life was like for women during the time period. It's not a deep story. No big things to overcome. But it's written for the under 18 crew so that's okay. It does still have a great message of faith.

As a YA middle grade book, I give it 4 stars. I may go back and catch up the other 5 books now.

*I received a copy of this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. i wasn't required to write a positive review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

Melanie Dickerson is one of my most favorite authors. I may own all of her YA books, and to read Lady of Disguise was just the icing on the cake. She is a master of all fairytale retellings and historical fiction (and beautiful book covers). Loved this book so much.

Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC of Lady in Disguise.

I understand this is a YA novel, but I decided I wanted to read the series anyway. I have very much enjoyed the whole series of The Dericott Tales Series. Great stories bas3d in fairy tales.

This story was based on Jack and the Bean stalk.

This are good stories that anyone can read.

I just reviewed Lady of Disguise by Melanie Dickerson. #LadyofDisguise #NetGalley

I was given an e copy of this book, to give my honest opinion, the following is my honest opinion.
I really enjoy Melanie Dickerson's books, and this one is no different. This beautiful heart warming story of the love between Louisa and her 12 year old sister who live in England during the middle ages. Louisa is determined to do whatever it takes to protect her sister, even if she has to face a "Giant".
I absolutely loved this book. It is inspirational and encouraging. I highly recommend this book.

3.5

I did not realize this was a part of the Dericott Tales series when I requested it but thankfully I wasn’t lost. This can be read as a stand-alone.

It’s cute. Not as obvious of a retelling as some of her other books which was in its favor actually. But I feel like it lacked spark. Nothing grabbed me. I was also hoping there would be a lot more Scotland than there was. And Yorkshire is not even in Scotland so what is up with that? I was kind of disappointed.

Still, it was a cute story and I’m not sad I read it. If you’re looking for a sweet story you might want to pick this up.

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in return for my honest review. I love the way Melanie Dickerson re-imagines fairytales. It's an engaging, fun take on Jack and the Beanstalk with romance mixed in. It was a really nice, clean, easy read- didn't take me long to finish at all. Well suited to the target audience of teens/YA with a male main character who is everything you'd want a chivalrous knight to be!

A retelling of Jack and the beanstalk, this book which is the sixth book in the Derricott tales series was a great read. It can be read as either a standalone or as part of the series. I liked the twist that the author put on the traditional tale and while I am not in the target demographic - I wouldn't have enjoyed it anymore if I was - meaning it's suitable for anyone interested.

I liked most of the characters - you'll see the exceptions as you read it. It was nice getting to see characters from previous novels and for that reason, I'd suggest going back and reading them. Looking forward to book 7.

I receive complimentary books for various sources including, Netgalley, Authors, and other such sources. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received compensation.

I have read a handful of books by this author so I was excited to read her up and coming novel. It is considered to be young adult which I think holds true. The main plot point is the romance and I didn't find it to be inappropriate for teens. The book starts off with a bang and I truly had no idea what would happen. There is a lot that takes places right at the start that had me cheering. By the middle of the novel I slowly started to lose interest mostly due to the fact that I didn't love Louisa who is the main character. The best part of the story is the collective group of people who end up on a journey together. I loved the secondary characters and they add SO much to the middle of this book. Sir Charles is a decent hero and all that you would expect in such a retelling. The setting is delightful and the ending wrapped up rather quickly. It is a fluffy easy read that will take you to another world for a short time. It is not my favorite story but still an entertaining read.

Three Stars.


"I received this book from NetGalley for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

Lady of Disguise
Melanie Dickerson
Feb. 13, 2024
Thomas Nelson
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
It is #6 in the series and I enjoyed it. This one takes place in late 14th Century England and is told in alternating views between Charles and Louisa. I will be recommending this book to readers where good triumphs over evil. I enjoyed the positivity.
4 stars

I did not realize that this book is marketed toward a teen/YA audience. That was my mistake. Nonetheless, I found the novel to be super entertaining. LADY OF DISGUISE covers a time period I wasn't previously familiar with, and I enjoyed how the author weaves her historical research into the narrative. The characters, especially the main character, are captivating. While the second half of the story drags a bit in terms of pacing, overall the plot moves well. The ending provides a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.

I received a complimentary e-galley from the publisher; all opinions are my own.

I have read all of the Dericott Tales, and when I started this book, I didn't realize it was in the series. This book has a pretty good plot, but for some reason is just not my favorite of the series... It seems a bit juvenile in places. I like Sir Charles, one of the main characters! He's the Dericott in the story.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book!
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

While I've out grown Melanie's books I do still think her historical fairy tale retellings are great for teens. Because even though they have romance in them. There is also a good faith element in them.

Louisa and her sister have lived with their cruel aunt and uncle since their parents died . The uncle is ready to marry Louisa off to the highest bidder .
Louisa hears about a treasure in a far off land and is off to get the treasure so she can pay for her sister and her to live on their own.
Sir Charles comes riding into the story rescuing Louisa many times . He doesn’t want to fall in love but can’t help falling in love with Louisa.
The first of third of the book held my attention. It’s a good story with love and adventure . The second and third parts seemed to drag and had too many side stories with added characters .
Saying that - I love a good fairy and clean romance story and this was that.
Thanks for Netgalley for the free download in exchange for an unbiased review.

The way women have been treated down through the years is abominable. Instead of being treasured, so many (including myself) have suffered being demeaned and abused.
In this tale, two young women are seen only as a means of money to their uncle.
The oldest sister (I relate) will go to any length to protect her younger sister.
Along comes a knight who will protect women and children from the injustices of the time.
I love the quiet romance that lends hope that some good men can still be found.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.