The Beautiful Pretender

After inheriting his title from his brother, the new margrave has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for a servant girl in disguise?

The Margrave of Thornbeck is under orders from the king to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble born ladies who meet the king's approval to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test the ladies and reveal their true character. But one of the guests is not who she pretends to be . . . and not everyone in attendance is there with good intentions.

A commoner, Avelina has only two instructions: keep her true identity a secret and make sure the margrave doesn't select her as his bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.

Despite Avelina's best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can't deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse--and far deadlier--consequences. Will there ever be a wedding at Thornbeck Castle?

• Full-length, clean fairy tale retelling inspired by Beauty and the Beast and The Princess and the Pea
• Stand-alone novel in the Medieval Fairy Tale series
  • Book 1: The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest
  • Book 2: The Beautiful Pretender
  • Book 3: The Noble Servant
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer's Apprentice, a Christy Award finalist and winner of the National Reader's Choice Award for Best First Book. Melanie earned a bachelor's degree in special education from the University of Alabama and has been a teacher and a missionary. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Huntsville, Alabama. Visit her on line at melaniedickerson.com Facebook: MelanieDickersonBooks and Twitter @melanieauthor