The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

 About 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:


Set in the 1300s in England, this re-telling of Beauty and the Beast will capture your attention and your heart.  Annabel is the main character, forced to be an indentured servant to Lord le Wyse or marry the foul Baliff Tom, a friend of her father's, who instills fear in her.  She chooses to be a servant to the Lord, even though others have claimed he is accursed and a beast. Lord Ranulf le Wyse is the other main character, scarred from an accident when he was a teenager.  His outward scars however, are not nearly as bad as the scarring of his heart.  Will Annabel be the one to soften his heart of stone?

If you are looking for a historical christian romance story, this is the book for you!  Melanie Dickerson weaves a captivating re-telling of a classic fairytale.  You find yourself hurting when they hurt, cheering for them in their triumphs and fearing for them when they are afraid.  You will come away asking yourself if you judge others based on their appearance or on who they truly are on the inside.  A great look into the life of the middle ages in England, The Merchant's Daughter shows how different life was then, and how rare it was for someone to actually have access to a Bible.

 You can pick up the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Merchants-Daughter-ebook/dp/B004PYDM4I/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1330914833&sr=1-1

http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310727613&QueryStringSite=Zondervan

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/merchants-daughter-melanie-dickerson/1102560512?ean=9780310727620&itm=1&usri=melanie+dickerson





I received this book for free as a first readers copy through Goodreads First Reads and received no compensation for this review.
Source:  Publisher