The Merchant's Daughter by: Melanie Dickerson

Click HERE to read my review on The Healer's Apprentice, also by Melanie Dickerson.

 Click HERE to read my author interview with Melanie Dickerson.

Check out Melanie Dickerson's website, HERE.

While Annabel is hard at work in the fields, her family slacks at home, unwilling to do their share of the work and dirty their white hands.

Of course, laziness like this cannot go unnoticed forever.

Annabel's family is faced with two choices. The disgusting and perhaps sometimes cruel Bailiff Tom wants to wed Annabel. She, however, will do everything in her power not to marry him. Unfortunately, he has promised to pay the fine that her family has been charged with because of their lack of work. The one thing he asks in exchange? engagement to dear Annabel.

She, of course, is completely against this proposition. Her sissy of a brother Edward, though, encourages it. And, while her mother does not insist on the matter, Annabel knows that she yearns for Bailiff Tom and her union. Her other sibling, Durand, claims that he is afflicted with too great a sickness to over exert himself. Thus, Annabel has no supporters. She knows that her father, had he been alive, would have sided with her all the way.

The only other option would be to send Annabel to work for Lord Ranulf while the rest of her family pays off their debt in the field.

Since her family wants to make her marry the disgusting Bailiff Tom, Annabel decides to leave them and offer herself to Lord Ranulf.

She is hired on as a field worker, but soon moved into the kitchens. Then when a fire occurs she is given the occupation of caring for Lord Ranulf, because she has some of knowledge of how to cure burns. Her lord is not as bad as she had first thought he might be. His hand is maimed, his face scarred, and his life a wreck. But somewhere in there he has a good heart.

Soon she is confronted with a problem. She is attacked by a man and when her friend rushes in to save her, they injure him seriously.  Despite the fact that he was injured in a case of self-defense, problems quickly come of this, leaving Annabel and Lord Ranulf's futures at stake.

My thoughts:

This book is amazing! It is such a sweet, fairytale romance.

I love Annabel's kind heart. I love how rough around the edges Lord Ranulf is. I love how Annabel's dream is so simple - to be able to hold and read a Bible without the priest telling her what to believe.

This story is based loosely on the classic fairytale, The Beauty and the Beast.

I love a good medieval romance, and this certainly is that! The honesty and love in these pages is truly amazing. I recommend this book for anyone and everyone (girls especially :) ages twelve and up.

Objectional Content:

Language: None.

Romance/Sexual Content: Kissing, forced marriages. Bailiff Tom tries to get Annabel to kiss him and teases her.

Violence: Fighting. Fires. People getting seriously hurt.

Drugs/Alcohol Content: None as far as I remember.

I reviewed this book for:

Team Novel Teen.

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction.

Check out other posts about The Merchant's Daughter by: Melanie Dickerson by clicking on the links below, and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen.


The Librarian’s Bookshelf • Rachelle Rea • ADD Librarian • The Book Fae • My Life with a Mission • Katie McCurdy • Terri Harr • Book Nook 4 You • My Story Shelf • Sugar Peach • Jill Williamson

If you would be interested in buying this book, click HERE.

The Healer's Apprentice by: Melanie Dickerson

Rose has been chosen to work as a healer's apprentice, at the Hagenheim Castle! This is an unlikely turn of events, as Rose is a woodcutter's daughter, so her status is rather low. While she is squeamish about the sight of blood and doesn't like sticking needles in people, especially when they scream, Rose is determined to prove herself to Frau Geruscha, the lady she is apprenticed to.

Rose originally agreed to be the healer's apprentice because she didn't want to have to marry unless she found true love. Her mother's wish is for Rose to marry an aging bachelor, old enough to be Rose's father, that is disgusting and cruel and makes Rose feel ill. Rose's wish is to remain a healer's apprentice, eventually becoming an actual healer. Her chance to prove herself comes when Frau Geruscha leaves for a little while and Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is hurt and comes to her for help. It is Rose that must sew up his wound and heal him.

During the process of healing him something very unfortunate happens. Rose falls in love with Lord Hamlin. But of course it would be impossible to marry him, her being only a woodcutter's daughter and him being the future duke. He doesn't even notice her, or does he?

After two quite unlikely meetings with Lord Hamlin, Rose begins to wonder about him. Then he invites Rose to a ball, where she meets Lord Hamlin's brother, Lord Rupert. Lord Rupert is an irresponsible young man who falls in love with every girl he meets. But Rose is different. He wants to marry Rose. Lord Rupert is quite the contrast with his brother, Lord Hamlin, who is dignified, gentle, and carries the weight of his brother on his shoulders. Both wish for Rose's hand in marriage, but Lord Hamlin is already betrothed, to a lady who is in hiding.

Then Rose finds out that her parents are not her real parents. So who are they? And where is the girl Lord Hamlin is engaged to? Who is she? Rose must search for her true identity.

Here is the book trailer for The Healer's Apprentice!




*SPOILER ALERT*

My thoughts:

This is a great book! It's a modern/medieval twist on Sleeping Beauty.

My favourite character is Rose. She showed courage when she refused Lord Reupert's marriage proposal. She also was very kind when she didn't want want Lord Hamlin to step down from his position as duke so he could marry her.
Objectionable Content:

Language: None that I can remember.
Romance/Sexual content: Lord Hamlin and Lord Rupert both fall in love with Rose. Lord Rupert comes to call on Rose every day and kisses her fingers a few times. He also kisses her lips once. Lord Hamlin calls on her a bit. They kiss on their wedding day.
Violence: Rose gets attacked by a man that wants to marry her and she refuses. He puts a curse on her so she can see demons (or something like that. I don't remember.)
Drugs/alcohol: People get drunk at the ball, and at Lord Hamlin and Rose's wedding.

9/10 stars
12 and up
Highly recommend. I could not put this book down!