The Peasant's Dream was a fun read. It definitely seemed like a reverse Cinderella story. I liked the characters and how he risked his life to protect her. I was surprised by the twist and liked how a certain character reacted to news that he had a secret child.

The romance was fine. It was a light read and not too deep, which was what I was expecting.

All in all, if you like fairytale retellings, you will probably enjoy The Peasant's Dream.


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

I'm totally obsessed with this whole series. Whenever I need a cute romance this is my go to. The characters faith in God is always inspiring and finding live based on faith is so beautiful.

I just want to read Melanie Dickerson books everyday. They are so well written, so captivating, and ones I can easily read with my daughter or other young adult. The Peasant’s Dream is another home run from Dickerson.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Peasant's Dream is a YA fairytale retelling from HarperCollins Christian Publishing. it is a take on the Cinderella tale, although very loosely, with the roles reversed. Likely anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings will enjoy it. This is apparently the last in a series, although from what I can tell they can all generally be read as standalones. The others in the series retell other various fairytales. This is one parents can give their teens without worry.

It was interesting to read a reverse Cinderella retelling, especially about Adela's character. I've been excited to read her eventual story ever since meeting her character early in the series. I do have to say that I was surprised to read that it was written as a 'reverse Cinderella' - I kind of mistook it as a sort of "Prince and the Pauper" type when I started reading it, but there are definite Cinderella hints in there as well. I also have to admit that I was more taken by Frederick's story than Adela's; certainly, both characters have interesting character arcs, but Frederick's side has higher stakes and you just want to root for him to be happy in life. Adela almost seemed a bit flat -- repetitive in her reasoning and dialogue, which I was a little disappointed in, but I can't give the book a very low rating because I enjoyed it quite a bit nonetheless thanks to Frederick's story and its twists. The story was vivid and well-paced as usual, and I also enjoyed reading about Frederick's mother. Loved seeing how every little loose end was tied in a neat bow by the end of the novel -- I can't explain without spoiling, but if you read it, you'll see what I mean. Overall, it's a good book and one that I would consider re-reading.

Adela is the youngest of Duke Wilhelm's daughters and they never let her leave the castle walls unattended. She loves her family but all of her older siblings have had grand adventures that led to their meeting the love of their life. So, Adela sneaks away to the market in the town center. She dresses as a servant in the hopes that nobody recognizes her as the Duke's daughter. Her parents do have someone in mind for Adela to marry but when she meets a handsome, young man in the market, she begins to wonder what it would be like to marry a kindhearted farmer instead. Frederick earns all the income that takes care of his family. He also protects his mother from his stepfather's drunken rages. He is, also, an incredibly talented woodcarver, using his talents to create figures, animals and scenes in wood. He's even getting the opportunity to carve Biblical scenes in the cathedral doors and his talent is definitely being noticed. Frederick is inspired by the sweet, beautiful Adela, but he has no idea of her true identity. He accidentally gets swept up in a plot to kidnap the Duke's daughter. They are both heartbroken at what they discover about each other as a result.

I absolutely love fairytales and fairytale retellings. I've loved the entire Hagenheim series and adore this delightful family. Can I, please, be adopted by the Duke and his wife? Adela is the absolute sweetest and Frederick is a perfect match for her. Are we really at the end of this lovely series or are there younger children that can be written about? I love the lessons that both Adela and Frederick, and Adela's family learn through the course of this story. Adela and Frederick learn that things aren't always as they appear. Frederick learns the cost of not standing firm against what he knows to be wrong. Adela also probably learns that not all adventures are good. I dearly loved every moment of this book and am sad to be seeing the series come to a conclusion.

I have enjoyed many books by Melanie Dickerson, so I was looking forward to reading The Peasant's Dream. I enjoy re-imagined fairy tales and twists on classic stories so Ms. Dickerson's fairy tale series has been fun and interesting to read. I don't know what it is about this book in particular, but it felt like it came short of the others book in the series, and others that Ms. Dickerson has written. This is supposed to be a twist on the cinderella story, but I didn't really get that overwhelming vibe to it. The story started off strong but just lacked the pull to keep my attention. The dialogue felt like it was between young teenagers and not adults about to be married and was often repetitive and redundant. It was nice to see returning characters from other books in the series and to glimpse a little bit into life after their stories. There was a twist and mystery to the story, but other than that, it just wasn't super engaging for me.

The final book in a beautiful historical fiction series, The Peasant’s Dream is a sweet and engaging story! I have been waiting for this book for months! Ms. Dickerson’s fairytale retellings have been some of my favorite books, and I have read all of her Hagenheim books.
Finally, we get to Adela, the baby of the family. She has grown up loved and protected. She knows that she has lived a quiet and blessed life. However, after she sneaks out of the castle to go to the market, she meets Frederick. Frederick is a poor farmer and aspiring carpenter. He has a talent for it and upon being noticed by the local cathedral, is asked to carve their doors. At the market, he meets Adela and is charmed by her sweetness and kindness, however he is unaware that she is the duke’s daughter. As they continue to meet and grow in their friendship, their relationship is shaken by an attempt on Adela. In tulmolt, she resigns herself to her noble suitor,while Fredrick must discover who he is and what he will sacrifice for love.
I really enjoyed this book! I was a little nervous, because this is the last book and the others were so good, but it was great! I loved Frederick, he was so sweet! He was the provider for his family, and he tried so hard to care for them, especially his mother. Even though he loved carving, his priority was always to take care of his family. Frederick was a much gentler hero than most of the ones in this series. He was not a warrior, he was an artist. That connected him and Adela. She was gentle and more introspective. She was aware that she was well-loved and had many privileges, and struggled with the balance of that with her dreams. I loved how they encouraged one another and how knowing each other caused them to try things they might not before and be courageous.
This book was really engaging, it sucked me back into the world! I loved seeing Adela as a grown lady, though I would have liked to see the rest of her family more. Wilheim and Rose were lovely and noble as always, it is nice to see loving and good parental figures.All in all, this was a pretty satisfying conclusion to the series. I would definitely recommend it to those looking for a clean historical fiction novel, though I would recommend reading the other books in the series as there are mentions of the characters and stories in this book.

Melanie Dickerson's book are amazing. AMAZING. They are my to go books when I feel a book slump is drawing near. And this one just did this. It is incredible. SO so good! The romance, the Adventure and the drama is just otherworldy, Highly recommend

I love Melanie Dickerson’s novels. However, this one was my least favorite on the series. This is because there was not much of a plot in this story. Most of the events happening seems like a filler. Therefore, this really did not seem like an ending to a wonderful and long series.

Another amazing story! I really enjoy this series and appreciate the diversity of the storytelling. There’s a wonderful balance of adventure and discovery mixed with a little romance. Excellent story!

Melanie Dickerson takes readers back to Hagenheim for her final installment in the Hagenheim series in this reverse re-telling of the Cinderella story.

Adela, youngest daughter of the Duke of Hagenheim, has been protected all of her life, due mostly to the abduction of her older sister before she was born. Rarely allowed to leave the castle walls, and never allowed to leave without at least two guards, Adela longs to mix with the "common people". Longing for the freedom they experience on a daily basis, Adela dons her servant's clothes and sneaks out to the market where she encounters Fredrick, and admires his woodcarvings.

Fredrick longs to carve and support his mother and sisters with his craft. Unfortunately, his drunk, abusive father keeps him on a very short leash, and beats him and his mother regularly to keep him afraid and in line. When his carvings come to the attention of the Bishop of Hagenheim, Fredrick is thrilled to be offered the job of carving new doors for the cathedral. The new job comes with a salary ample enough to support his mother and his sisters if they are willing to leave his father. His friendship with the lovely Adela gives him hope that he can also find love in this new life.

When a powerful man sees the marriage of his duke's son to Adela going up in the smoke of her attraction to the peasant Fredrick, he throws Fredrick in the dungeon on a trumped-up charge. As Fredrick's world collapses all around him, will his faith and Adela's faith see them through. When secrets are revealed, will Adela's father accept her final choice?

I always enjoy these fairy-tale re-tellings. It's fun to mentally compare the characters in this re-imagining to the originals, and even the situations the characters find themselves in to the original storyline. It's kind of fun that Cinderella is actually a Cinderfella, and that the peasant girl is actually a Duke's daughter. Instead of a wicked stepmother, there is a wicked (step)father.

The Peasant's Dream is a quick, easy read that would probably be suitable for young teens to adults. It's clean, it's sweet, it's kinder than a lot of actual fairy tales. I can definitely recommend this!

Can they bridge the chasm between them?

It's the end of an era. For around a decade now the Duke and Duchess of Hagenheim and their children have my companions nearly each year. I have eagerly anticipated each new Fairy Tale Romance and I almost hoped that I could just kind go on reading them happily ever after. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end and The Peasant's Dream is just that for Melanie Dickerson's amazing series set in medieval Germany (and England).

I will admit to some reluctance to start reading The Peasant's Dream. Not because I expected to dislike it but because I just didn't want to say goodbye to Melanie Dickerson's wonderful characters. But, at last I decided on bravery and cracked open my gorgeous hardcover copy...

The Peasant's Dream was a bit of a fun story to read. Frederick and Adela seem so young, says the girl who left the YA target age of this series well over a decade ago, and full of life and creativity. Sure, there is still plenty of Melanie Dickerson's trademark danger and adventure, not to mention some very wicked villains, but light and love still win out and the characters do get their somewhat unexpected, at least by them, happily ever after.

Melanie Dickerson did a great job with this reverse Cinderella tale and in concluding her Fairy Tale Romance series with such a strong note. You won't want to miss Adela and Frederick's story in The Peasant's Dream....

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

I loved the idea of this much more than the execution, it was a bit dull and overly religious for my taste. Probably would refrain from trying any more books from this author in the future.

I enjoyed this reversed retelling of Cinderella with a duke’s daughter and a farmer’s son. The plot was interesting and had several complications that flowed well and were well incorporated into the overall story. My only complaint about the is novel was the large number of biblical references and religious content. It often detracted from the story and I found it was often overdone.

4.5. This was a pretty good read in the Hagenheim series. The writing was clear, concise and easy to understand. There were no noticeable grammatical errors. Character development was okay.

I would recommend reading the previous books in the series before reading this one as there are things mentioned from said previous books in this book.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I originally got this copy because I had joined a book club that no longer exists and was supposed to be part of the book tour. Hence, why it is really late reviewing this because I was waiting for the whole thing to die down a bit.

This book is okay. It is very slow in the beginning with the MC going on about the wedding. To be honest, as much as I loved the premise and it sounded like a reverse Prince and the Pauper with a slash of Cinderella. The point is this is normally the kind of book that I am an absolute sucker for, but I found myself just not really caring about what happened in the book or to the characters.

3 out of five stars.

This one just wasn’t for me - not my style, and I found the plot and dialogue lacking depth. I struggled to connect, which was frustrating as I loved the premise of a role reversal Cinderella!

I was sad to see this end. This who series has been amazing, I must say the first one was my absolute favorite. With that being said, this caught my attention from the beginning. All of the characters new and old were thoroughly interesting. The “godtalk” was appropriate and not in your face. It moved me. Ms Dickerson has become one of my favorite authors. I hope she does a story on Toby, but in the meantime, on to the next one.

Melanie has crafted the perfect finale to one of my favorite series. I really enjoyed this story with a twist on the Cinderella story we all know and love. Frederick and Adela were fun characters that I really liked. The story was super good and I loved how Melanie wove all the threads together. I am sorry the series is done but this was a great way to say goodbye to these characters.