A Must Read for Lovers of Fairy Tale Retellings and Disney!-"The Orphan's Wish" by Melanie Dickerson Review

O my goodness, I’m so excited about this book! (flails arms in excitement and squeals!)  If you didn’t already know, Melanie Dickerson (also known as the “Queen of fairy tale retellings”) has long been one of my favorite authors.  I always eagerly anticipate her next release.  The book I’m reviewing today is called “The Orphan’s Wish” and is an Aladdin retelling and it’s amazing!  Okay, enough fan-girling.

“The Orphan’s Wish” is a fantastic Aladdin retelling!  Even though it’s a fairy tale retelling, Ms. Dickerson sets her stories in realistic settings, choosing not to use the fantastical elements some would equate with the words “fairy tales.”  She uses great historical details and I felt like I was transported to medieval Europe and the Holy Land.  While reading, I was in the midst of a bustling German town with ornate doors, I could smell the fresh bread, and see the old churches so vividly.  She uses great descriptions of the culture, clothing, and it’s obvious that she possesses a vast knowledge of the time and place.  I also enjoyed picking up on the nods to the original Aladdin fairy tale and the Disney version.

I love the main characters in this book, especially their faith and their love story.  I’m a sucker for stories with childhood friendships that later lead to something more, so this one melted my heart from the very beginning.  Our main characters, Kirstyn and Aladdin, start off with a strong friendship at a young age.  It’s so sweet how protective Aladdin is of Kirstyn and how kind Kirstyn is to Aladdin.  They are both great characters who have both dealt with trauma in their past and are forced to grow in their faith separately before they are able to be together.  I love the way God teaches both of them through their trials.  It’s great watching how they grow stronger through those trials instead of becoming bitter.  They pray a lot and God is such a huge part of their lives.  The Gospel message is also clearly conveyed, which I love!

This is such a great book for all ages!  Parent and child alike will relish this retelling with strong faith aspects and lessons such as depending on God, knowing His peace, and trusting Him through trials.  I highly recommend this book!

Content: This is a clean read, with a PG to PG-13 rating for some content.  Some examples of the content are: a man threatens to beat a boy if he doesn’t do what the man says; a man is abusive towards a child; someone mentions an illness could be caused by a demon; Aladdin is met with prejudice and racism because he’s Palestinian; men are described as drunkards; some violence; an evil man beats and handles women roughly; mention that a boy has tried to molest a girl in the past; a woman is in an abusive relationship; a girl is abducted and held prisoner.

Rating: I give this book 5 stars!

Genre: Christian fiction; Historical; Fairy tale retelling; Romance

I want to thank Melanie Dickerson, Thomas Nelson, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melanie Dickerson is an award-winning author who earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from The University of Alabama.

 

She has taught in Georgia, Tennessee, Germany and the Eastern European country of Ukraine. 

A member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA), she now spends her time writing and taking care of her husband and two daughters near Huntsville, Alabama.

To visit the author's website click here
To purchase the book click here

"Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I" by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb ARC GIVEAWAY!!!

Hello dear readers!  I received two advanced paperback copies of "Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I" by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, so I decided to give one of you the chance to win it!  This is my first giveaway I'm doing personally since I've started my blog up again (I did get permission from the publisher to giveaway an ARC.  If you win, you cannot sell the ARC).  I'm so excited, I'm even throwing in a scarf and some swag.  Please be sure to read the rules before entering.  Be sure to read my review and interview with the authors here.

Details: 

• 1 paperback advanced copy of "Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I" by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, the pictured scarf and some swag
• US residents only please due to shipping
• Only valid entries will be counted (I will be verifying entries)
• Contest will be held for a week (12/8-12/15)
• Winner will be contacted via e-mail
• If winner does not respond after 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen

 

 Click here to enter via Rafflecopter

An Adventure Filled Next Installment to the Ashford Chronicles!--"True As Fate" Review by Laurie Alice Eakes

 

Goodreads Blurb:  Lady Chloe Ashford detests going to balls, loathes social pretense, and finds the very idea of hunting for a husband obscene. But she has an even more scandalous secret: she once helped an American—the enemy—escape from Dartmoor Prison. Now it’s three years later, and Ross Trenerry is back—and in trouble again. So is her traitorous heart. He doesn’t know she’s the one responsible for sending him to a second prison, and she has no intention of telling him.

A former privateer, Ross’s legendary luck has finally run out. Only one woman lies between him and freedom. He desperately needs Chloe’s help to prove he hasn’t committed treason, but he’s distracted by the passion that flares between them.

They set out on a cross-country adventure together to prove Ross’s innocence, but peril soon dogs their heels. As they race to reach their appointed rendezvous on time, they must fight their growing attraction and focus on discovering who is behind this deadly plot. Will they finally admit their love and put the pieces together before it’s too late?

 My Review:  I have been reading books by this author for many years and always look forward to her next book releasing. The first book in the "Ashford Chronicles," "My Enemy, My Heart" is very exciting and left me wanting more. I looked forward to Chloe's story! This book, "True as Fate," is the second book in the series and takes the reader on quite the adventure!

"True as Fate" tells the story of Chloe, the sister of the main character from the first book in the series. I would definitely recommend reading the series in order.  The story is told from two different points of view. Chloe's view is the main focus, but once in a while the author switches to Ross's point of view (Chloe’s love interest and the other main character). This story of Ross and Chloe and their adventures together is full of rich historical detail and descriptions. Ms. Eakes obviously knows a lot about the Regency time period. She adds little tidbits here and there to really make you feel like you are transported back in time. She does use some terms that readers not familiar with the Regency era may not know, but they are used in a context where one can get the gist of what Ms. Eakes is talking about (e.g. blunderbuss and attaché). She also has a scene on a boat with a lot of ship and nautical terms that history buffs will really appreciate.

The main characters in this book are supporting characters in "My Enemy, My Heart." It is also fun to see the two main characters from "My Enemy, My Heart" make an appearance and have a roll in Ross and Chloe's story. Chloe, our heroine, is a strong female character who defies the norms of society. She loves adventure and can hold her own with any man. She drags a man to safety with the armed enemy in pursuit, escapes out of a window and climbs across a roof with an untreated wound, and she often carries a pistol. She's not afraid to help Ross even if it puts her in danger and knows it will possibly ruin her reputation.

This book is filled with mystery and adventure, privateers and possible traitors on every side. Who is guilty and who is innocent? It is an exciting read filled with secrets and travel across breathtakingly beautiful landscapes. I especially enjoy how many chapters end in cliffhangers or intense moments. It has great characters.

Finally, I would want some of my readers to be aware that this book would be on the edgier side, content wise. I did highly enjoy it and would recommend to those who love the Regency time period and history buffs.

 My Rating and Content:  I give this book 4.5 stars. It is a clean read per say, but does have some more "edgy" content. As stated above, I truly enjoyed this novel!

Link to Laurie Alice Eakes's website: http://lauriealiceeakes.com/

Link to purchase this book: https://www.amazon.com/True-As-Fate-Ashford-Chronicles/

I want to thank Laurie Alice Eakes and Waterfall Press for the complimentary advanced copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.

A Clever Fairy Tale Retelling You Won't Want to Miss--Review of the "Noble Servant" by Melanie Dickerson

Blurb from Goodreads:

She lost everything to an evil conspiracy . . . but that loss may just give her all she ever wanted.

Since meeting Steffan, the Duke of Wolfberg, at Thornbeck Castle, Lady Magdalen has not been able to stop thinking about him. She knows—as a penniless lady with little to offer in terms of a dowry—she has no real hope of marrying such a highly titled man, so it comes as a great surprise when she receives a letter from him, asking for her hand in marriage.

But all is not what it seems at Wolfberg Castle. Steffan has been evicted by his scheming uncle, and his cousin has taken over the title of duke. Left for dead, Steffan is able to escape, and disguised as a shepherd, hopes to gain entry to the castle to claim the items that will prove he is the true Duke of Wolfberg.

Journeying to the castle, Magdalen has no idea what awaits her, but she certainly did not expect her loyal maidservant to turn on her. Forcing Magdalen to trade places with her, the servant plans to marry the duke and force Magdalen to tend the geese.

Without their respective titles—and the privileges that came with them—Steffan and Magdalen are reunited in the shepherd’s field. Together they conspire to get back their rightful titles. But they must hurry . . . or else they risk losing it all to the uncle’s evil plan.

My review:

Melanie Dickerson has been a favorite author of mine since I first learned she was going to be writing a Christian fairy tale retelling!  I love fairy tale retellings (hence my blog name) and it's not always easy to find clean ones without a lot of mature content.  Ever since her first book, I have been devouring everything she writes.  I love that young girls and adults alike can enjoy these stories.

The Noble Servant is a fun twist on two fairy tales—The Goose Girl and The Prince and the Pauper!  This is the third book in Ms. Dickerson's A Medieval Fairy Tale / Thornbeck series.  You don't have to read the first two books to understand this story.  It is fun to discover the way Ms. Dickerson weaves the traditional fairy tales into this story and then puts her own spin on it.  My favorite aspects of this story are the characters and the spiritual content.

The two main characters are both very likable and relatable.  Even though they live in medieval times I find I can very much relate to them and their struggles.  It is refreshing that Magdalen, the heroine, isn't a super bold, "kick butt" type.  I love those female characters in stories (and Ms. Dickerson does have some of these heroines in her other books), but let's be real, not everyone is like that.  Magdalen, instead, is very strong spiritually. She also has great kindness, gentleness and compassion.  She does stand up for what she believes in, like when she stands up for a mute boy.  Magdalen feels compassion for Agnes, the girl who has taken everything away from her.  Steffan, the hero, also defends the helpless when he takes the beating for a man caught stealing bread.

The spiritual aspect of this book is very well written.  I feel like Magdalen and Steffan both really learn to incorporate faith into every aspect of their life and they rely on God in hard situations.  Magdalen goes right to God in prayer when she doesn't know what to do.  She also quotes Scripture.  Both characters have their world turned completely upside down and come out of their hardships with a stronger faith.  I really love the strong faith thread that is woven into this story.

This is a great book with well written characters and a great faith theme.  It isn't my favorite of Ms. Dickerson's stories but I still love it and would recommend it!  I give this book four stars.  It is a clean read.

Releases May 9th!!

Pre-order on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Noble-Servant-Melanie-Dickerson/dp/0718026608/

Melanie Dickerson's website: http://www.melaniedickerson.com/

I want to thank Thomas Nelson, Melanie Dickerson, & NetGalley for the complimentary advanced copy of this book.  I received this book for free.  No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.