Review: The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson

 

Release Date: November 4, 2014

Publisher:  Zondervan
Pages: 352
Source: eARC from publisher(Thanks!)

ISBN-10:   0310730988

Rating: 4 Hearts

Book Description

"Margaretha has always been a romantic, and hopes her newest suitor, Lord Claybrook, is destined to be her one true love. But then an injured man is brought to Hagenheim Castle, claiming to be an English lord who was attacked by Claybrook and left for dead. And only Margaretha---one of the few who speaks his language---understands the wild story. Margaretha finds herself unable to pass Colin's message along to her father, the duke, and convinces herself 'Lord Colin' is just an addled stranger. Then Colin retrieves an heirloom she lost in a well, and asks her to spy on Claybrook as repayment. Margaretha knows she could never be a spy---not only is she unable to keep anything secret, she's sure Colin is completely wrong about her potential betrothed. Though when Margaretha overhears Claybrook one day, she discovers her romantic notions may have been clouding her judgment about not only Colin but Claybrook as well. It is up to her to save her father and Hagenheim itself from Claybrook's wicked plot."

Review

Short and Sweet:

This is such a sweet fairy tale retelling with an awesome setting, and I really liked it!

To Elaborate... 

Margaretha is tired of the same type of suitor. They continuously treat her with no respect and hate how much she talks. Her newest suitor, Lord Claybrook, doesn't seem quite as awful, but she still doesn't feel herself around him. When an English stranger named Colin stumbles into her home, injured and confused, he tells her of his mission to bring justice to a fallen friend whom he says Claybrook killed. Though she is hesitant to believe him at first, she soon discovers the evil Claybrook  is hiding, and she must work with Colin to save her family.

I've had my eye on Melanie Dickerson's novels for quite a while, and I was finally able to read this one! Though I had hoped to see a little more inclusion of the Frog Prince story, I still really enjoyed the new twists and turns this novel takes. 

The romance is slow, and while there were several times I just wanted to yell at Colin and Margaretha to kiss already, the slower pacing of their relationship made it so sweet. Because of Claybrook, they are both facing tough personal challenges, and their encouragement of the other to help them grow and face those challenges made me root for them all the way through. 

Their overall journey going against Claybrook is beautifully plotted. The climax builds tremendously, and all the big questions are answered at the end. For anyone looking for a more gentle fairy tale retelling, I would definitely recommend this one!

4 Hearts!