There's always a bittersweet taste when you reach the end of a series. Especially one as long as the Hagenheim series. I have been so excited to read the story of the youngest sibling and to catch up with the other siblings. Melanie Dobson definitely writes each one as their own person and own personal, which is impressive and makes it for an exciting read.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

DID NOT FINISH! Stopped around 100 pages in.

I was quite excited for this novel because of the description of it being a Cinderella re-telling and I thought it was neat that it was going to be a gender swap story too! As I started the novel I instantly was feeling quite uncomfortable as it felt quite preachy and that I was being proselytized to and that I am NOT a fan of. Come to find out, this novel is considered Christian fiction. If I had known that I would have NEVER requested it. I am not a fan of being preached at. In addition, this novel was not at all feeling like a Cinderella type swap and it was just slow and boring. This novel felt very much like a middle grade novel as well, very simplistic and not a coherent storyline. Boring and a disappointment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As, always all opinions expressed are my own. The Peasant's Dream is a gender-swapped retelling of Cinderella. As someone who enjoys fairy tale retellings, this sounded very interesting to me. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I really liked the characters and the storyline. However, I felt that the book was paced too slowly for me. I would still recommend this book for people looking for a fun and clean YA fairytale romance. I also felt the main characters, Adela and Fredrick, were very loveable characters. All in all, this is an okay book: good but a bit boring.

I had mixed feelings going into this one... Why? Well, while I haven't read the complete series yet, I have read a handful of the last few, and really enjoyed them. So this one being the final Hagenheim series title had me torn...do I want to love it, or just be happy with a satisfying read?


Oh well, too bad I didn't get to choose in the end! I couldn't help but love these characters, and while there was a couple things that kept me from listing it as a Top Favorite, it was still a fun read, and deserving of a solid 4/5 if I was asked to rate it. I really enjoyed this spin on the Cinderella story, and liked seeing the characters grow both in faith, and in their reactions and relationships with those around them.

I felt the writing style is reminiscent of Jody Hedlund's The Lost Princesses series, in that the characters must find their own way and struggle with doubts and with matters of faith, but soon find that what they were raised to believe, and what their were truly meant for are often unexpected surprises!

This was not my favorite bool, but I enjoyed the Christian romance aspect! I will be picking up other Melanie Dickerson books in the future but this novel just fell a bit flat for me. I read it as a standalone but I may come back to it after reading her other novels!

A reverse Cinderalla retelling. I love this concept! Not the outside of the box I was expecting, but certainly a predictable young adult read for those who love all things Cinderalla.

Wonderfully romantic, Dickerson continues to engage readers with her penchant for clean fairytales chockful of interesting historical research and dazzling characters.

I always enjoy being swept into Dickerson's world and catapulted back several centuries in pursuit of a time that while bereft of our modern conveniences was ripe with valour, virtue and the pursuit of true love

I love fairy tale retellings and I love gender swaps, so this was a must read for me. Cinderella is one of my favorite's and I feel like this is a perfect story for any fan.

Did not finish. The writing didn’t connect with me. There was a sentence that said something like “Was there anything he could do to help her” that just didn’t feel natural and I lost interest

In this reverse Cinderella fairy tale, complete with step-sisters and a wicked stepfather, I thought it created a realistic view of abuse without being graphic for teen readers. The life that faced young women, being bandied about as objects in marriage, made this book a happy one when her parents were encouraging her that she did not have to marry if she did not love the man.

I loved and savored each chapter as I read, hoping that it would last forever, but alas, it did not. I will be looking forward to other books by Ms Dickerson in the future, but if you have not read her books, start at the beginning of the series and enjoy!

This book is a great addition to this series and features the Duke of Hagenheim’s family. It’s a wonderful twist on a fairytale and is entertaining reading. I loved reading about the sweet and clean romance between Adela and Fredrick. As with all of Melanie Dickerson’s books, there’s an emphasis on faith; loyalty to family; and serving others. This book can be read on its own, but I think if you enjoy this one, you’ll want to go back and read the other books in this series.

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

My guess is that teens who have enjoyed Melanie’s previous novels in this series and others will love or at least enjoy this book. This reserve Cinderella retelling that I have to admit if I was younger I would have loved myself. I think it’s safe to say that I have out grown Melanie’s target readers. But it is nice that there are authors out there writing clean fiction for teens. Too much of what’s out there for young adult is actually New adult sold under the guise of YA.

I cannot stress how much I love Melanie's books. There is something about them that gives me the perfect medieval feeling, and I cannot get enough of them!

This was a beautiful story! At first I wasn't really connecting to the story, but that ending and the connection of this with the story of Joseph was beautiful. Melanie Dickerson truly has a way of weaving scripture and faith into these beautiful fairy-tale reimagining in a historical setting.

The Peasant's Dream is a gender-bent reimagining of Cinderella mixed with the tale of Joseph. The romance was well written, even though it seemed like insta-love to me. The characters were all dynamic in their own way -- I never got a character confused with another. The real life issues that were going on pulled at my heart.

Adela is the daughter of the Duke of Hagenheim. She is spunky and knows that she doesn't want to marry a man of privilege, but rather someone of heart and with faith. I loved seeing her sneak out and do innocent things. I loved seeing her think beyond her "riches" and "wealth." She was, at times, annoying, but I quickly began to love her as the romance intensified.

Frederick is the protector of his family who farms. He's the brother of two twin sisters and a the son of a loving mother and a terrible father. I loved how genuine he was from start to finish. He was soft-spoken, intelligent, honorable and kind. His faith was impeccable at that!

The romance felt like insta-love to me, but I still enjoyed seeing the obstacles arise between Adela and Frederick. I think they were a perfect match for one another.

The family drama and secrets revealed made this an extremely gripping read. Not as action-packed as the other two books I've read in the series, but still a well-rounded story.

Definitely need to read books 1-8 in this series! Highly recommend for both adults and teens!!

I just couldn’t get into this book. It sounded really good! I hadn’t read anything by this author before and was really interested. I loved the idea a fairy tale retellings. I’m sure this book would be a better fit for younger audiences than me.

The Peasants Dream is a reverse re imagining of Cinderella, fairy tale romance. Sweet wholesome story of friendship, sacrifice and finding and developing a gifting. Adela is in search of true love and torn in fulfilling her duties and doing the right thing. She has a duty to marry and that does not guarantee a love match. But Adela wants more of a relationship, a kinship, a love match. Adela youngest daughter of Duke of Hagenheim, is artistry gifted, meets her soul mate, a talented wood carver named Frederic.

Frederic is a hard worker, protector of his family and has a dream to be a wood carver. He honors his abusive father by working the land for his family. He also watches out for and protects his mother and sisters from their father. Shows Frederic doing the right thing even though it is beyond hard.

Then Adela meets Frederic. She sees his beautiful wood carvings. Adela is amazed at how he understands the way she sees the world. They have an instant kinship and joy of the arts. She keeps her identity a secret as to stay on his level. Adela does not want to scare him off.

This is an engaging, delightful read, with themes of family, faith, hard work, love, spousal abuse, and forgiveness. Has a gratifying ending with a complex well developed plot and characters root for. This is the 11th book in the Hageniterm saga series. But reads as a satisfying stand alone.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

I think the plot picked up later on as the book progressed, so it was not bad in general. The part I felt a bit iffy about was the writing style. I’m not sure if it’s to mimic a certain era’s talking and communication style, but the quality of writing and syntax was very basic, and a bit off-putting to read. Other than that and the cliche meet-cute, the storyline was nice.

I have loved this series. Yes, it’s gear toward young adult or teen readers but I really have liked every book in this series. I loved this one with the Cinderella twist.

Adela and Frederick are great characters with flaws or doubts about themselves that make them likable. I can’t say too much about the ending but I am glad it ended happily for everyone.

If you enjoy a fairy tale with a twist I am sure you will enjoy this read. a twist this is a read I am sure you will enjoy.


A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Frederick dreams of a better life. Raised to support his family since his cruel stepfather can't be bothered, he hones his artistic talent when he can. A whole new world opens to him on the day he hears that the bishop of Hagenheim is looking for a woodcarver to make new cathedral doors.

Lady Adela, the youngest daughter of the Duke of Hagenheim, wants to see life from a different perspective. Donning her servant's gown, she sneaks out of the castle to visit the marketplace. The young woodcarver Frederick captures her attention right away. Is he truly as kind and interesting as he appears? She loves to paint, and feels a true connection with a fellow artist.

Social standing and events are primed to keep these two apart. This story is a reverse Cinderella loosely retold. While I thought both Frederick and Adela were okay as characters, I never really connected with them, so this story wasn't as captivating as some of the earlier Hagenheim stories. I look forward to Melanie's new series coming out next year.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I was quite excited for this, reverse fairytales always sound interesting to me but unfortunately the writing style just wasn’t for me