The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble-born ladies from around the country to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.

Avelina is only responsible for two things: making sure her deception goes undetected and avoiding being selected as the margrave’s 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. Will Avelina be able to stop the evil plot? And at what cost?

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My Thoughts

All my fellow book fanatics are going to adore the Beauty and the Beast twist on this medieval Princess and the Pea romance! Who wouldn’t fall head over heels for a love story with a huge library?

Avelina is stuck between a rock and a hard place when a ruling authority forces her into a deceptive position. She must obey in order to save her family and their home. Avelina strives to maintain her integrity as much as possible while fulfilling her dubious mission. I most love her compassion and willingness to express her thoughts and opinions.

Reinhart, Margrave of Thornbeck, has a brooding, growling, gruff exterior but deep down he’s intellectual and compassionate. Personally, I love a man of few words (completely biased, I am married to one). When the quiet ones do have something to say, you make sure to listen! In defense of all the margrave’s growling, he obviously feels forced into marrying a stranger and that’s bound to put anyone in a foul mood.

Since I haven’t had a chance to read the first title in this series yet, I’m super excited to pick it up ASAP! The Beautiful Pretender was thrilling as a stand alone and I’m looking forward to finding out more about all the happenings in Thornbeck!!

I requested the opportunity to read and review this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Melanie Dickerson is a two-time Christy Award finalist, two-time Maggie Award winner, Carol Award winner, two-time winner of the Christian Retailing’s Best award, and her book, The Healer’s Apprentice, won the National Readers Choice Award for Best First Book. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA).

Melanie earned a bachelors degree in special education of the hearing impaired from The University of Alabama and has worked as a teacher in Georgia, Tennessee, and Ukraine.

She lives with her husband and two children in Huntsville, Alabama.

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