The Beautiful Pretender was such a good story! I enjoyed the storyline of his testing the women to see their true character and which one would be best to marry. I liked both main characters and enjoyed seeing their romance blossom.

The story had danger and I didn't expect that. I couldn't believe what certain characters did...

All in all, The Beautiful Pretender was worth the read and I recommend it to fans of this genre.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

(Written in 2016, presently submitting to NetGalley)

For many, the search for one’s spouse can be a tricky endeavor, and this is no less true for the Reinhart Stolten, the Margrave of Thornbeck in Melanie Dickerson’s The Beautiful Pretender. In him we find a 14th century nobleman in search of a bride, similar to many a plot in classic fairy tales. His method of choosing a wife is managed much like we see in today’s television show, “The Bachelor”, in that he invites ten women from around his Germanic realm as candidates. At the end of their two week stay in his castle, he plans to ask one of them to marry him. Unbeknownst to Reinhart, one woman is an impostor, a mere servant girl named Avelina who is standing in for a lady who has run off with a knight. For reasons revealed in the book, she must obey the Earl of Plimmwald or face dire consequences for her family and her community. Not only must she attend this gathering of potential brides, but she must also remain inconspicuous and avoid being chosen. To be selected would bring negative political consequences to Plimmwald. Unfortunately, as time goes on, she and the Margrave find themselves drawn to each other. Complicating matters, Avelina stumbles upon a conspiracy that could not only threaten the balance of power, but her very life as well.

The Beautiful Pretender was a quick and light read which I enjoyed very much. Many of the story themes were familiar, but I relished the way that Melanie Dickerson drew out her narrative. There were several themes which I found interesting in particular. I liked the allusions to classic fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast and The Princess and the Pea. Like Princess and the Pea, Avelina’s nobility is questioned, as is her character. As the other bridal candidates were, she was put through tests to judge her character and worthiness to be Stolten’s wife. Despite her actual lack of noble-born blood, she is found to be one of the most upstanding of the women in the group.

The Beauty and the Beast allusion was a thought-provoking one, and for the first time I found myself questioning the values behind it. Reinhart Stolten is a wounded warrior, one who is grieving the loss of loved ones and is also earnestly looking for a mate. Like the “Beast”, he can be grumpy, has a bit of a temper, and has secrets within the west wing of his castle. As Avelina is drawn to him, part of her wants to get close to him so that she can help heal his broken heart.

“Avelina would be good for him. She could make him stop scowling, could make him believe in love and goodness. She could love him out of that dark thought pattern he seemed to be in, thinking about his lame ankle and about his poor dead brother and how he could not save him.” (p.162)

As I read this passage, I found my married self balking at this notion. After over twenty years of marriage, I’ve come to understand a few things about what makes a successful union. While I’m not a perfect wife, I’ve learned over the decades that we must not enter into a relationship with the idea that we are going to “fix” our loved one. This is especially true when looking for a spouse. We need to do as James Dobson suggests, to “Keep our eyes wide open before marriage and halfway closed thereafter.” Our spouses can be our better halves in the sense that we can encourage one another on to love and good deeds, but starting a relationship with the idea that we would “fix” them can be very risky. Yes, we should be very aware of our future mate’s flaws. But are they flaws that we are willing to live with for the rest of our lives? Through God’s influence they might change, but they might not. We need to love them regardless. Fortunately, I don’t see Avelina as a stringent fixer-type. She seems to care about Reinhart and just wants to love him in his pain. He also seems to open to her opinions, which she was more than willing to share, and were not always in line with what he expected in a woman. My guess is that given her temperament, she would be an encouragement to him, and not a pestering wife.

Another interesting theme dealt with the issue of self-respect. In this I could see shadows of Cinderella, in that Avelina is a servant girl who dons fine, tailored clothing and is one of several choices for a noble bride. And although she is a mere hireling, she learns along the way the value of respecting herself regardless of her position in life. Even a servant can command and deserve respect, given how they carry themselves and expect to be treated. This life lesson was something I saw growing in this character as she spent time in Thornbeck Castle, and I respected Melanie Dickerson for including it. Not all of us can be princesses or be noble-born, but we can all have dignity and treat ourselves accordingly. This is not about haughty pride. It’s about being a creation of God and worthy of care.

Given the main premise of the novel, Avelina’s true identity was sure to be revealed at some point. This is a bit of a spoiler, but any savvy reader would expect that the Margrave would discover the truth eventually. While I expected this plot point, I was surprised at how soon this revelation occurred in the story. It was approximately halfway through the book when the truth is revealed. I wondered how Dickerson would keep the story going, with about half of the title left to go. Fortunately, I was rewarded with an exciting tale of power struggles, chases, injuries, romance, and even a little bit of Christian faith thrown in. The second half was more riveting than the first, and the conclusion was delightful.

Melanie Dickerson is an author I have wanted to read for some time now, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read The Beautiful Pretender. In this novel I was entertained in a lighthearted and refreshing fashion. Dickerson’s writing is very accessible and family friendly, while still bringing some passion to the love scenes. It might not have fairies and magical creatures, but the storytelling was quite magical and a delight to enjoy. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Dickerson in the future.

I enjoyed this book. What a great love story. It read just like a fairy tale. Avelina was such a sweet girl and I was rooting for her from the start. There were some characters that I don't like at all. I thought it was a great story about love , forgiveness and second chances.

I recommend this book to my family and friends.

I received this book from the publisher to read and give my honest review. I also purchased this book for myself.

Title: The Beautiful Pretender

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Series: A Medieval Fairy Tale

Chapters: 30

Pages: 312

Genre: Fairy tale retelling

Rating: 5 stars

The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson the second in the A Medieval Fairy tale. To me it seemed like a fairy retelling of both The Princess and the Pea and Beauty and the beast, but it was more of a Beauty and the Beast retelling that anything else. When the Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride he invites noble ladies from neighboring kingdoms. In order to figure out which one has the best character his friends come up with different contests to test the girls characters. (the princess and the pea aspect.)
Avelina isn't a noble woman instead she is a servant, to Lady Dorothea. Sent to Thornbeck by her mistress's father in order to keep it a secret that Dorothea ran off. She is suppose to keep attention away from herself. But because of her character and her beauty within as well as out draws the scared Margrave to her. (The beauty and the beast aspect). They are other aspects and people trying to keep them apart other than Avelina being a servant and his scars and past.

Will this two find happiness? But more importantly will they both learn to trust God. I enjoyed this book. It was a fairly quick read but then again I am a sucker for Beauty and the beast retellings. This was my favorite of the trilogy.


I received a complimentary copy of The Beautiful Pretender from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

The servant with a heart of the lady. The gruffy markgrave with a heart of the true knight.

Avelina is a pretender, sent to the Thornbeck to represent her teritory, Plimmwald, on behold of the real lady. She is to participate in the bride-to-be contest organized by the markgrave of Thornbeck, based on the king's order for him to marry. And if he remains the friend of her country, he can protect the land against the evil duke who set his eyes to rule over Plimmwald. So she will just direct his attention towards the only true lady here, lady Magdalen. She just didn't realized that the markgrave is so handsome and good and that he himself can direct his attention to...her.

The best i have read from Melanie Dickerson yet!
True YA, with bravery and romance, knights and noble spirit fighting for the truth, friends and loved ones. A bit of The beauty and the Beast and a bit of The Bachelor with a side of Jane Eyre, the book is to satisfy your medieval tastes and midnight dreaming about a swashbuckling knight sweeping you in his arms.

The last chapters are a bit slower than the rest of them, but the grand finale saves the day.

I very much enjoyed reading this novel.

About this book:

“After inheriting his title from his brother, the margrave has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for a lovely servant girl in disguise?
The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble born ladies who meet the king’s approval to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.
Avelina has only two instructions: keep her true identity a secret and make sure the margrave doesn’t select her as his 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”


Series: Book #2 in the “Medieval Fairy Tale Romance” series or also known as the “Thornbeck” series. (Review of Book #1 Here!)


Spiritual Content- Many, many prayers; Talks about God, faiths & chapels; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Many mentions of God; Many mentions of prayers; Many mentions of chapels; Mentions of those in the Bible; Mentions of sins & judging; Mentions of Jews; A few mentions of Bible reading; A couple mentions of Heaven;
*Note: A mention of d*mning information.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: four forms of ‘stupid’; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); A bit of sarcasm; Wolf attacks (along with killing wolves), blood, pain, injuries & wounds (lots of all, semi-detailed); Almost dying & being killed (semi-detailed); Nightmares (up to semi-detailed); Hitting & wanting to hit someone; Many, many, many mentions of deaths, murders, killing, fires, threats & executions (up to semi-detailed); Many, many, many mentions of rumors & gossip (including that Reinhart killed his brother, which he didn’t); Many mentions of pain & injuries; Many mentions of wolves, their kill & shooting them (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of hunting & killing animals; Many mentions of drunks, strong drinks, drinking & wine; Mentions of battles, fighting & killing; Mentions of the pillory, being beaten & shamed; A few mentions of a poacher (Book #1); A few mentions of horse manure & the smell; A couple mentions of self-harming & suicide; A mention of a woman falling to her death; A mention of breaking someone’s limbs; A mention of a threat of cutting someone’s tongue out; A mention of rat droppings.


Sexual Content- a hand kiss, two cheek kisses, two hair kisses, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, four semi-detailed kisses; Remembering kisses (barely-above-not-detailed); Lots of Touches, Embraces, Warmth & Nearness (semi-detailed); Attraction & Butterflies; Noticing & Smelling; Wanting to be kissed & loved; Wanting to kiss, touch & embrace; Wanting someone; Dorothea had trysts with a knight & is now with child (and many, many, many mentions of that and rumors); Many, many, many mentions of lovers & mistresses; Many mentions of Reinhart’s brother, his brother’s lover & their unborn child; Mentions of bare ankles & a man’s bare chest (along with trying not to stare, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of flirting & jealousy; Mentions of wooing & loving a woman; Mentions of kissing & kisses; Mentions of Reinhart’s parents’ unhappy marriage (they hated each other, both had lovers & those facts make Reinhart wonder how he and his brother came out of that marriage); A few mentions of unfaithful spouses; A few mentions of temptations; A couple mentions of men who impregnated different women; A couple mentions of a maidservant & her lover being alone together at night and having a good time; A mention of a 15year old boy taking advantage of any girl that would let him; A mention of molestation; A mention of a newly married couple going to their bedroom; Love, falling in love & the emotions.

-Avelina Klein, age 20
-Reinhart Stolten
P.O.V. switches between them
Set in 1363 {Medieval}
307 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
A retelling mix of The Princess and the Pea and the Beauty and the Beast, Melanie Dickerson brings us back to Thornbeck and we get to learn the mystery behind the Margrave's past. While “The Beautiful Pretender” can be a stand-alone, it will be enjoyed much more if “The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest” is read prior to reading this one. Odette and Jorgen are still in this one, which I was so excited to see! This novel got kind of kissy near the end, but I did like all the prayers. I really liked Avelina (that name is fabulous!) and her personality. Reinhart (again, fun name!) was a good hero for this story and I found it very touching how protective he was near the end.
Overall, this was another great Melanie Dickerson book and I can't wait to learn more about the next book in this series! :)


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this honest review.