Letty has been hidden from her uncle for fifteen years. He wants her fortune and will do anything to get it. Even to the point of killing Letty. Pinkerton agent Philip has been hired to find her. As he travels to find Letty, he comes to the conclusion all is not as it seems. Letty agrees to accompany Graham to see her mother and claim her inheritance. Along the way they encounter many difficulties. This is a good story and I had trouble putting it down.

I was given this book by Bethany House Publishing via Net/Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Karen Witemeyer is one of my all-time favorite historical Christian fiction writers. So with this in mind and knowing I was in for a treat, I jumped at the chance to read Cloaked in Beauty.
If you are a fan of Little Red Riding Hood, I think you will get a kick out of Witemeyer’s take on this Fairy Tale. The nods to the original tale and the author’s twists on the story was a whole lot of fun to read! I think I have to say my favorite character is Rusty, Letty Hood’s red wolf. His personality certainly added a great mix to the story & his devotion to Letty was admirable. Of course, the human characters are just as great! Philip & Letty grew quite close as danger surrounded them while traveling many days to get back to her mother’s after being in hiding for fifteen years. I enjoyed watching them work together and greatly anticipated the moment they fell in love. Of course, there’s many obstacles along the way to keep the reader turning pages and anticipating that fairy tale ending of living happily-ever-after!
What a great story to get lost in and characters to cheer for! The strong faith thread ties this all up in a neat bow for me. I’m definitely putting the other two novels in the Texas Ever After series on my must-read pile…they are not to be missed in my book (pun intended)!

*I received a complimentary copy through Bethany House via NetGalley and Interviews & Reviews. I was not obligated to leave a favorable review; all opinions are my own. *

4.5 stars
This was an exciting retelling! Cloaked in Beauty is the third book in Karen Witemeyer’s Texas Ever After series. I couldn’t wait to see how this fairytale would turn out and it was a lot of fun. I love how there were hints of the story of Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty in it.
Letty was a lovely main character. I loved her kindness and her strength. She was forced into hiding but she still remained brave and trusted God. It was sweet to read about her interactions with Philip and how she came to fall for him. They were so cute together. I liked Philip. He tried so hard to be honorable as he sought to protect Letty. I liked getting to know him better and see what made him tick. He didn’t expect to fall for Letty but she broke down his walls.
It was interesting to read about them as they traveled to see Letty’s mom. I didn’t know what was going to happen and I didn’t want to put the book down. I really like the nods to the fairytales while still creating a new story. I also loved Rusty, Letty’s pet wolf. He was such a wonderful addition to the story and his relationship with Philip was so funny. The romance was sweet and it fit the characters. It was more of a slow burn, as Letty and Philp got to know each other and then fell in love.
I enjoyed this book and I would totally recommend it. The characters felt real and I love how faith was sprinkled throughout the book. It was the perfect mix of adventure and romance. Cloaked in Beauty is a clean Christian historical romance.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

Cloaked in Beauty is a reimagined version of Little Red Hiding Hood and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Letty Hood was sent away as a child to live in hiding with her grandmother after her uncle tried to kill her. Now that she's about to turn 21, her mother has hired Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael to bring her home. I loved all of the little nods to the original story, which never veered into cliche. This was a quick read that kept me invested. Karen Witemeyer remains a favorite Texas author of mine.

This was another fantastic adventure from Karen Witemeyer!! Cloaked in Beauty is a fairy tale inspired western story with nods to both Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood. It is so much fun picking out the little elements that are part of the classic fairy tales, but it's also it's own unique story! A red cloaked heroine, a charming Pinkerton Agent, a pet wolf and even a guillotine are just some of the elements in this story and it's definitely an adventure you don't want to miss! Definitely 5 stars!

I also highly recommend the entire Texas Ever After Series because each one is fairy tale inspired, but totally unique!!

I was given this book to read and review- all opinions are my own!

Another incredible read from Karen Witemeyer! This Texas Ever After fairytale retellings western style series has been such fun! In “Cloaked in Beauty” Karen has done a masterful job at blending two beloved fairy tales: Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty to create a story I could not put down. Letty is fantastic and I loved Phillip. The prologue is wonderful at setting up the story to come and I was all in for every turn the story took. Straight to the keeper shelf for this one along with every other book Karen has written.

I received a copy of this from the publisher, but also ordered my own audiobook copy as well. I was not required to post a positive review and all thoughts are my own.

"How had she burrowed into his heart so deeply after such a short acquaintance? Like a bullet ricocheting off a metal sign and diverting to a new target, the trajectory of his life had taken a sharp, completely unanticipated turn" (location 3518). I think the writing in this book is delightful. I enjoyed the imagery and the play in the words. It was fun reading.

Letty is an amazing character. Despite some deep losses as a young child, she has grown to be a strong, wise, beautiful, fearless woman. She is not thrown by adversity but handles it with a positive outlook head-on. While her affections for Philip grow quickly, I could understand it based on their experiences. I thought Philip was wise in how he handled things with Letty.

If Letty is like Little Red Riding Hood, her uncle is the wolf. He is truly a cunning villain who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
He surprised me at one point. I always like an unexpected twist.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. I'd highly recommend it. All opinions are my own.

Scarlett is forced into hiding for the past fifteen years due to her uncle who wishes death upon her, as she is the heiress to her father’s shopping business. She is turning twenty-one soon and that brings her into a more precarious situation as her uncle ramps up his search for her to prevent her from finally getting her inheritance.

Scarlett’s mom hires Philip, a detective with the Pinkerton agency to find and protect her as he escorts her back to claim her inheritance. As they travel together, they learn more about each other. I especially enjoyed the way she narrated her parents’ love story in a unique retelling of the Red Riding Hood.

Despite their mutual attraction, they face many challenges in their relationship; from the dangers chasing after them, their differences in status and so forth. I liked that here we have a strong, independent heroine who also step in to save the day occasionally. Philip’s heroic moments were also memorable especially the one in the rain.

On a separate note, thanks for the reminder that “There’s no problem bigger than our God”. In the busyness of live, sometimes we forget this and this was a timely reminder.

Cloaked in Beauty is purely delightful and utterly enchanting, and fairy tale lovers will be thrilled to dive into this western romance! It combines the Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty fairy tales, with countless allusions to the Walt Disney Sleeping Beauty movie we all know and love. It made my nostalgic Disney heart very happy!

Letty is a strong and sweet heroine with spunk and heart. She is perfectly paired with Philip— the protective and smitten hero with princely methods of saving the day! Their budding relationship and happily ever after was so perfect! And that kiss to awaken the princess in Sleeping Beauty? NOTHING compared to the sweet and swoony romance arc in this book!

Karen Witemeyer retold these fairytales in an incredibly clever and creative manner with her trademark mix of romance, adventure, heartwarming faith, and entertaining characters. The dangerous trek across Texas included some of my favorite tropes, like forced proximity, she-saves-him, and others that I can’t mention without spoilers— so I won’t! Let’s just say it was incredibly exciting! Karen Witemeyer never fails to provide exciting, romantic, angst-free, and fun western romance that wins five stars from me, and this one might be my favorite one of her Texas Ever After series! So don’t miss it!

Thank you to Bethany House and Karen Witemeyer for my copy of this book for review purposes. My thoughts are my own, and I truly did adore it!

4.5 stars

I adored Witemeyer’s Snow White retelling in Fairest of Heart, and I loved her reverse Cinderella in If the Boot Fits, but y’all… Cloaked in Beauty is my very fave of these standalone western fairy tale retellings. Which I wasn’t expecting because the fairy tales it covers are typically my least preferred. But there’s something just so endearing about Philip and Letty as individual characters, as a team, and as a couple… and I couldn’t help but fall head over heels for their story.

From the moment we meet a scared-but-brave little Letty in the novel’s prologue, she captured my heart. And as we reacquaint ourselves with her as a young woman who has been sequestered in the Texas backwoods, hidden away from everyone except her grandmother for her safety, I continued to admire her courage as well as her resilient spirit and sweet heart. The uncle who wants her dead has no clue who he’s up against, and I loved it. And whether she’s galloping through the forest with her trusty wolf Rusty at her side or stepping into her role as heiress, she stays true to herself and to God, and I loved that too.

And then we have Philip… oh goodness, I adored him. This Pinkerton agent hired to find Letty and bring her safely home remains a man of integrity from beginning to end, and I would not have wanted her to be paired with anyone else. His wry sense of humor, particularly seen in his inner commentary, had me grinning besottedly as did his honor of Letty during some less than ideal travel conditions. I loved his heart of gold, his valiant spirit, and his quiet steadiness. And yes, while I of course swooned over the romance that grows between he and Letty (including his reactions to her unrequested shows of affection toward him lol), it was the begrudging friendship between Philip and Rusty (Letty’s pet wolf) that completely endeared me to Philip in the long run.

Bottom Line: Part Little Red Riding Hood and part Sleeping Beauty (with a small nod to Beauty & the Beast too), Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer is wholly swoonworthy, emotionally layered, and so much fun! Letty and Philip had me cheering for them all the way through, whether it was for them to reach safety (and then stay safe) or to acknowledge their feelings for each other, and I loved discovering all the fairy tale nuggets that Witemeyer so cleverly tucks into their story. A special shout-out to the side characters like Rusty and Flora and Fellows who so delightfully steal their scenes (“I thought the knocker might be broken.”) and add such personality to this novel. Fabulously entertaining from prologue to the final word!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

“How was a girl supposed to guard her heart against such a man? Handsome, protective, honorable to the core.”

A red cloaked heroine, trusty wolf, dashing Pinkerton agent hero, a dragon & much more! I loved this reimagining of Sleeping Beauty & Little Red Riding Hood. In Cloaked in Beauty, Karen Witemeyer delivers another favorite, delightful fairytale twist with Western flair.

After her father’s death, Scarlett Radcliffe becomes a target when her greedy uncle Draco wants to prevent her from inheriting her father’s company on her 21st birthday. To protect her until she comes of age, Scarlett’s grandmother takes her far into the woods & changes her name to Letty Hood. As her birthday approaches, a handsome Pinkerton agent sets out to find her to help her travel safely back to Houston to claim her inheritance. But, the woods are fraught with dangers & her uncle’s determined to find her first. With her loyal wolf Rusty, honorable protector Philip Carmichael, & faith in God, she sets out on a perilous journey home.

I adored this story! It was so fun finding all the clever nods to both fairytales & the creative way they were spun throughout. Letty is such a darling heroine. She’s strong, kind, & quick witted. Philip is her equal in every way. He’s the embodiment of Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty with more depth & honor. I also loved Rusty, Letty’s wolf. He has a personality all his own & I enjoyed his fierce protectiveness of Letty. Letty’s mother makes the ultimate sacrifice when she has Letty go with her mother at the age of five. I admired her desire to protect her daughter & selfless love. Letty’s grandmother is a lovely hybrid of the good fairies & Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother. Her wonderful advice to Letty had me constantly underlining.

The romance was so good! Ahh, all the swoony situations close proximity brings. I enjoyed every moment where they grow closer while evading all sorts of dangers. Letty’s affectionate, & I loved how her automatic response is to kiss Philip when he does something heroic. This causes all sorts of worry for Letty who thinks she’s being too forward. And I’m sure you can guess how Philip really feels…

This heartwarming story is filled with sweet romance, exciting action, overcoming all odds, & faith. I’ve adored this fairytale Texas Ever After series & hope there might be more in store. Highly recommend! Though part of a series, each book is easily read as a standalone. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author & publisher. All opinions are my own & voluntarily provided.

Letty Hood lived life free from obligations and societal rules. She had no one but her grandmother and her trusty friend, Rusty. Letty loved Rusty with all her heart. What was strange was that Rusty was a wolf. She was hidden away from others because she was in danger. Her mother went to great lengths to protect her. Her grandmother gave up everything to keep her safe.

Philip was hired by Letty's mother to bring her home and to keep her safe. But was she even safe from Philip and his affections?

The story was quite similar to Red Riding Hood. But in this story the Big Bad Wolf wasn't bad. The red cloak was her protection. She wasn't in danger when she was with grandma but when she left her.

The woodsman, Philip, was still the one who saved her. He was there to protect her and bring her home.

It was an exciting book. I loved it. You never knew what to expect from one page to another. Letty's grandmother often quoted Bible verses that gave Letty wonderful advice. It gave her strength and courage to go forward.

I loved her grandmother the most. She made sure that Letty knew that GOD had plans for her and was by her side at all times.

This cover of this book is absolutely beautiful! And the story inside is so beautiful, too.

The main characters in Cloaked in Beauty were such genuinely nice people, who both loved God. They were honorable and kind and it was fun to see romantic feelings bloom between them on their journey to return Letty to her mother.

I loved the way this story captured the essence of Sleeping Beauty, with nods to Red Riding Hood in it, as well. It was similar enough to facets of both fairy tales, while retaining its own personality, too.

Cloaked in Beauty pretty much had it all! There was budding romance, a solid faith thread, some danger and adventure, an historical western setting, a canine companion in the form of a wolf, all wrapped up within a fairy tale theme. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

(4.5 stars)

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A fantastic addition to the series, and my personal favorite, is a wild west mash-up of Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty, full of heart, courage, faith and love.

Raised away from the typical trappings of wealth, Letty Hood isn't your typical heiress. Now the time has come for her to claim her rightful place as heir of her father's companies, but the road is far from easy with danger at every turn. Pinkerton Agent Philip Carmichael has been entrusted with ensuring her safety, he is a man of noble character, protective of her and impressed by her capability. I liked how he always wanted the best for her, fighting for her to have options, and protecting her at every turn.

I liked how Letty was confident and competent, despite her sheltered life, she knew what she believed and how to stand up for herself. Her grandmother and mother are both strong women of faith who have instilled values in Letty and are brilliant at whatever they put their mind to.

A captivating read that swept me away into a western fairy tale adventure romance that I never wanted to end! An engaging and original take on classic inspirations, along with strong likeable protagonists who are pure perfection together. Truly one of my very favorite reads this year, and a stand out in the series. Highly recommend!


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a lovely retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Sleeping Beauty” with a Texas twist. I loved it!

I was immediately drawn to Philip Carmichael a man of faith, conviction, and honor who is dedicated to the job. He’s the Pinkerton agent tasked with finding the hidden heiress Scarlett Radcliffe, keeping her out of the hands of her dastardly uncle, and returning her home to her mother.

Little does he know he will find a beautiful spirited woman with a pet wolf who is sheltered and comfortable in a small cabin in the woods with her grandmother. She’s known as Letty Hood and the longer he’s acquainted with her the more he’s drawn to not just her beauty, but her character.

I jumped right into their journey with them as the author wove a tale of trials, fortitude, growth, love, and finding your purpose. This was a well written tale, that touched my heart and painted a different picture of the Pinkerton agency. An excellent book that I recommend.

I received a copy courtesy of Bethany House through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked both main characters equally and I was invested in their narrative from the beginning. Even the creative inclusion of a wolf and the spin on the traditional fairy tale felt delightful. However, toward the end of the book the plot seemed to get more and more dramatic so that by the time they are actually facing the villain of the story I was rolling my eyes a little about the sheer incredulity of it. I reminded myself it was a fairy tale retelling and remembered the melodrama theater engagements that we went to as a family when I was a child. This definitely fit the boo-hiss audience participation and over-the top drama of one of those long ago performances. It fit well with the western “Texas” theme and it didn’t diminish the enjoyment that I had in the story itself. It did feel like a significant shift in the tone of the tale that I wasn’t expecting though so I’ll mention it to you.

I recommend the book to you. I received a free digital copy and offered in exchange to give my honest opinion.

This was like Sleeping Beauty met Little Red Riding Hood! I adored this story and really liked how Letty came to grow in her true identity in Christ. Alongside Philip, who came around to being naturally protective of her, the romance aspect was cute too. This was such a fun journey with a splash of thrill and I loved the setting where it all went down!

Ms. Witemeyer artfully weaves both "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Sleeping Beauty" into a brilliant fairy tale retelling set in Texas in 1896. With a swoony prince-like hero named Philip and the mysterious red cloaked Letty Hood, readers will find themselves smiling as they spot the many nods to both fairy tales. Expertly plotted, fast-paced and full of adventure, this multi-layered story grabbed my attention from the very first page.

Phillip's mission is to safely deliver "Letty" back home alive. After living in hiding for 15 years, Letty has grown into a woman full of grit. Without giving away the plot, I found the blend of the two fairy tales quite clever. As Phillip and Letty face one challenge after another, the attraction between the two is undeniable. I found the inner monologue and romantic angst between the two quite amusing.

Witemeyer has penned a delightful cast of characters that fit the expected tropes with a few delightful twists. Readers will love Rusty the wolf and will love to hate the villain, the evil uncle. Everything leads up to Letty's 21st birthday. Will love conquer all as in the fairy tales of old, or will evil prevail?

Ms. Witemeyer's trademark attention to historical detail makes this story full of western charm and humor impossible to put down!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Another beautiful fairy tale retelling from Karen Witemeyer! Though this is the 3rd book in the Texas Ever After series, each book is a stand-alone, so you don't need to read the others in this series before reading this one. This book has a mash-up of Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood, and I enjoyed the nod to each one. If you're unfamiliar with either or both of those stories, this is still an enjoyable tale, however. This one follows Scarlett Radcliffe (aka Letty Hood), who has spent the last 15 years in hiding from one who wants her inheritance. When Pinkerton detective Philip Carmichael accepts the assignment to find her and bring her home to her mother, he accepts this as just another job. Until he meets Letty. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this book, the journey that Letty and Philip undertook, both physically and emotionally, as well as spiritually. The faith thread in this story was solid as both of them depended on their faith and also grew in their faith throughout the story. The romance was sweet as well, and the character development was solid. There was also a bit of suspense along the way as we watched and waited to see if those after Letty would catch up to them. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and all of its elements, and would definitely recommend to fans of historical fiction, inspirational fiction and fairy tale re-tellings. Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

“There is no problem bigger than God. Remember that.”
A wonderfully creative retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with a Texas twist.
Letty Hood/ Scarlet Radcliff, with her grandmother, is in hiding from her Uncle Drake aka The Dragon. But in this story, the wolf is a pet and protcts her. Enter our hero, Philip Carmichael, a Pinkerton Agent, tracking Letty who is very well hidden. As her birthday grows closer-so does danger. Uncle Drake does not want her to reach her 21st birthday when she gains controlling interest in the company her father left to her. Drake wants it all!
Clever, exciting, complicated story with a solid faith message that showcases honorable Philip championing Letty. “She need not fear the evil stalking her, for her Shepherd was with her. Along with her Pinkerton. She would trust them both to see her through whatever came.”
I am really enjoying these fairytale re-imaginings from a talented author.
* I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House on behalf of the author as well as a digital copy via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*
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