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Melanie Dickerson has a gift for crafting engaging and entertaining fairytales for adults. Her second Thornbeck novel, The Beautiful Pretender, is perhaps my favorite of everything she’s written thus far (and I’ve enjoyed every single one of her stories).

Perhaps the peasant girl pretending to be a noble woman is not a new concept but the way Dickerson handles the nuances of the stories are pure genius. The Margrave of Thornbeck is being forced by the king to find a wife, but unwilling to succumb to a marriage similar to the one his parents had, he decides to test the character of the ladies in question. His chancellor and his wife (Jorgen and Odette from The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest) will setup scenarios in which to test the ladies’ reactions in certain situations.

Lady’s maid Avelina is forced to spend time in Thornbeck Castle under the guise of being Lady Dorthea. She is given two objectives. First, strengthen the alliance between Thornbeck and her home and second, don’t attract the Margrave’s attention or affections.

Both Avelina and Lord Thornbeck have preconceived ideas of what they’d prefer in a future spouse (and of course, neither of them is what the other is looking for) but as they spend time together and watch each other, their mutual admiration grows. But what will happen when Avelina’s secret is reveal? And can she save Lord Thornbeck from an evil and vindictive enemy? One who has murdered before?

A beautiful story of love—the kind Avelina tells Thornbeck upfront she’s looking for—and sacrifice, The Beautiful Pretender is one I will come back to when I’m craving a happy ending.

***Thomas Nelson Publishing provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Jubilee Stallings ekes out a living on her small Indiana farm in 1850. Whenever her abusive husband disappears, she is left to fend for herself, but that’s the way she prefers it. When Rafe Tanner shows up saying he purchased the farm from his cousin, eighteen-year-old Jubilee has nowhere to go. Rafe’s news of her husband’s death doesn’t frighten her as much as the prospect of losing her only home. In sympathy for the young orphan girl, Rafe offers a proposal: a business marriage. The two of them will work together to keep the farm running smoothly. When he learns how his cousin treated Jubilee, he is irate. The girl is skittish and uncomfortable around him despite his best efforts to earn her trust.

The pair visit Rafe’s large family and masquerade as a love-struck couple, sharing a room and long talking into the evening getting to know each other. Throwing a wrench into everything is Rafe’s ex-fiancée who married his best friend but still wants Rafe’s attentions. But Rafe sees how miserable life with her would have been, and how wonderful life with Jubilee could be. Will she ever trust him enough to speak what’s on her heart?

A book makes an impression when I can’t stop thinking about the characters when I put it down (and I wouldn’t have put this one down if it hadn’t been such a long week). Jubilee’s plight is heartbreaking. A young girl, barely a woman, who has experienced more tribulation in her life than anyone should finds herself without a home. There’s really no option for her when Rafe proposes the business marriage. Rafe is a good guy—one you want in your corner. His intentions are good and he’s nothing like his cousin, but he has to work hard to prove himself to his new wife. I loved Rafe’s family—even with their meddling. The heart of the book lies in letting go of the past and trusting (both others as well as God). Raw and real, this debut from Peggy Trotter is one that will captivate you from the first pages.

Available now

historic romance

The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson

Year of Jubilee by Peggy Trotter