The Merchant's Daughter - Melanie Dickerson

THE BOOK:

An unthinkable danger. 

An unexpected choice. 

Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf's bailiff---a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past.

Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff's vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf's future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart. 

MY REVIEW: 

Star Rating: ****

This book kept me burning the midnight oil! After enjoying Melanie Dickerson’s The Healer’s Apprentice, I have been eagerly looking forward to this next fairytale retelling, The Merchant's Daughter. And I was not disappointed! Taking The Beauty and the Beast fairytale(which is my favorite!), Dickerson spins a delightful story set in medieval England. Get ready for an enchanting adventure (though without any magic or spells! ;-)

When Annabel’s family is condemned to send one of them to work for Lord Ranulf  le Wyse For three years to pay a debt, Annabel jumps at the chance to escape a forced marriage to an undesirable suitor. She was a very intricate character—displaying both a wary, shy, scared side, but also at times responding to a situation with a strong, sure, determined attitude. Very easy to like her! And, funny enough, grumpy Ranulf also grew on me pretty quickly. Sure he was gruff and short-tempered, but I could see right off, much like Annabel did, that there was something much more behind it all.  

The Merchant's Daughter not only has a sweet romance within its pages, but also is a story of one woman finding herself. Lost in a world where she is unappreciated and only wants to study God’s word to know Him more, the reader is enraptured the first time she reads from a bible. Often, we take our bibles for granted, but reading from Annabel’s point of view the first time she sees a bible…its so touching, special, and renewing. 

Within the story someone attempts to rape a girl, but even that is vaguely described and stops before anything happens. Besides that, this book was clean and an enjoyable read from cover to cover. I highly recommend for all readers, old and young alike. Melanie Dickerson talent shown bright in The Merchant's Daughter and I can’t wait to see which fairytale she takes on next! 

I reviewed this book for Team Novel Teen Blog Tour. Special thanks to the author for sending me a review copy. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.

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