This was a wild and beautiful retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I loved Tansy's character. At times she seemed fragile and naive, but other times she was so strong and wonderful. My heart really went out to her. I wanted her to get all the answers she sought. Marcus was such a great guy. You couldn't help but love him, as all the women in this book quickly discovered. I loved Tansy's family. They added so much to this story and endeared you even more to Tansy and Marcus. There were some crazy twists and turns in this story and the suspense and mystery made it hard to put it down.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Annika Walker has been a favorite for quite a while. She has an incredible ability to pull you into the story as if you are there. The Dreaming Beauty is no exception. I loved every page. I have always loved historical fiction but have never read anything quite like it. It has a very unique setting and story line and quickly became one of my new favorite books. I highly recommend it!!!

Once upon a dream, two cursed people fell in love.

This one was a bit tough for me to get into but by the end, I was FULLY invested, to the point of ignoring my 5 year old's attempt at a knock knock joke.

If you are interested on fairy tale inspired stories, mysteries, fairy houses, friends to more, and a strong family presence in the romance, you will adore this read!

Book Review: The Dreaming Beauty by Anneka R. Walker
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I received an eARC via NetGally. All opinions are my own.
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Oh man, talk about a book hangover. This book was perfection. Anneka really outdid herself on this one. The sleeping beauty theme, the mystery and secrets, the swoony romance…literal perfection. I was engaged during the whole book because I had to know what would happen next and I had to discover the secrets. The plot twists and turns kept the book from getting stagnant. Marcus and Tansy made my heart melt! They are a couple truly made for each other. I also adored Simon and I strongly believe he needs his own book too. So I hope that one is in the works soon. I would read absolutely anything in this book series!
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My rating: a resounding ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content: clean

I love fairytale retellings and Anneka Walker does a brilliant job reimagining the classic story of Sleeping Beauty! I enjoyed the way she incorporated so many things from the classic tale yet put her own unique spin on it. From the get go I was invested in Tansy and Marcus and the mystery surrounding both their lives. It’s a magical fresh take on a favorite fairytale combined with a sweet Regency romance.

Tansy is beautiful, thoughtful, yet haunted by her dreams in which she sees both the past and future. After a hurtful betrayal, she and her aunts return to the mysterious Rose Cottage where her mother died hoping to find answers surrounding her past. Finding herself out in the middle of the night lost in a thunderstorm, she seeks shelter at the nearest estate and promptly falls asleep.

Marcus is often unable to sleep and plagued by dreams as well. As a professor, he’s made it his personal study. He’s used his skills to help crown and country and is now caring for his brother’s estate while he’s away. When he finds a beautiful woman asleep in the library, little does he know how she will change his life and unravel his own secrets.

There are so many things to love about this book, from the three lovable aunts to the beautiful imagery of the stars to the palpable attraction between Tansy and Marcus. I also enjoyed Marcus’s brother Simon and his persistent yet carefree personality. I have fond memories of making fairy houses when my daughter was little and loved the way the author used this as another nod to the fairies in Sleeping Beauty. The story kept me enthralled and I couldn’t wait to find out what really happened to Tansy’s parents and what Marcus’ dreams meant. I loved the twists and surprises in this story. Some of my favorite scenes were: the mud fight, the aunts admiring Marcus working, sharing the evening stars, and those amazing kisses.

Definitely recommend to Regency Romance fans and especially fans of fairytale retellings. This book can definitely be read as a standalone however fans of The Masked Baron will enjoy seeing appearances from familiar characters. Can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.

The Dreaming Beauty is a charming take on Sleeping Beauty with tons of twists and turns that you will love! Not often am I surprised by a story line, but this one had so many ‘things’ going on that I did not want to put it down. I appreciated the ‘clean’ aspect of this sweet story allowing the story line to be what is important.

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐫 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝.”

“𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬? 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫.”

“𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫…𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦.”

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This book was an absolute delight. If you are a fan of regency romances, Bridgerton, Pride and Prejudice, and novels by the Brontë sisters then this story was absolutely MADE for you!!

Tansy is approaching her 20th birthday but has been plagued by nightmares for as long as she can remember. As an orphan living with her 3 aunts, they suggest time away at a family home known as Rose Cottage to clear her head and help her find some peace. Rose Cottage is a place Tansy knows well enough to paint, but has never actually seen for herself outside of her dreams. What she does not know until they arrive is that the Cottage itself is believed to be haunted by the surrounding neighbors, and that her family has a hidden curse that no one dares speak about.

Marcus is a professor tending to his brother, the newly appointed Duke’s, estate in his absence. Plagued by his own nightmares he is startled one night to find none other than Tansy asleep and deathly ill by a fireplace inside the house. He quickly sees through the explanation of sleepwalking and decides to befriend her in the hopes that maybe her experience with nightmares will hold the key to unlocking his research into his own nightmares.

The closer Tansy and Marcus grow to each other, however, the more they realize their feelings run deeper than they first thought and that maybe the secrets hidden in plain sight around them run deeper still. A beautiful story of romance, love, family, dedication, loyalty, lies, betrayal, murder, and ghosts, this book will walk the fine line between dreams and reality and make you catch your breath on more than one occasion right up till the most satisfying of endings.

The story itself is strong and set in a beautiful fusion of Pride and Prejudice and Bridgerton-esque worlds. The plot is steeped deep in reality with the most beautiful whimsical elements and a dark thread I haven’t seen pulled off in a regency setting this well since reading Jane Eyre. The characters are absolutely wonderful!! Tansy’s aunts Aster and Iris remind me of a regency twist on a fusion of the Golden Girls and Steel Magnolias. Her aunt Daisy is an absolute gem!! She’s described as much younger with anxieties surrounding large crowds and an avid belief in fairies, and she is the sweetest most innocent and beautiful character I’ve read in a long time.

Tansy is tenacious and deep while also innocent and desperate to find answers and a place where she fits in the world, but still avoids being naive or dull. Marcus is absolutely adorable and charming and he and his brother Simon have a relationship that reminds me so much of Darcy and Bingley. The romance between Tansy and Marcus is sweet, slow, and passionate. Given the setting and historical period you won’t find any spice here, but their chemistry and banter causes sparks to FLY off the page every time their paths cross and I couldn’t get enough of them!!

The mystery aspect wasn’t entirely what I expected and some reveals were a bit on the rushed and cheesy side against others that were very profoundly sad and deep, but overall this book was excellent and hit all the right notes to make it a “new” classic. If you are a lover of historical and/or regency romances, or even if you’re just in the mood for a solid romance with an air of mystery definitely pick up this book. You won’t regret it!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Covenant Communications, and the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was enchanting! I was interested to see how Sleeping Beauty would be written as a regency. It was very mysterious and dream like. Both Tansy and Marcus suffer from nightmares and they develop a friendship. Tansy has three eccentric aunts which makes them not do well in society. They are so funny with their own quirks. Marcus quickly develops feelings for Tansy but is fighting for her attention with his brother, the Duke. I loved whenever Tansy and Marcus were together: hello secret meetings under the stars and willows. There was a lot of questions and mysteries throughout the book but they were all nicely answered.

Enchanting!

I loved the loose threads of Sleeping Beauty in this story. Tansy White is being raised by her three aunts. She knows a little about her mother, and nothing about her father. She has dreams of the past and occasionally premonitions of the future. When her aunts bring her to Rose Cottage, she hopes to find answers about her mother, but seems to keep hitting dead ends.

When Marcus Taylor meets Tansy he feels like she's part fairy. She's put him under her spell. Being plagued by nightmares himself, he's been making a study of other's experiences with vivid dreams. He wants to know Tansy's secrets, but some secrets seem too dangerous to share.

I loved the friendship between Tansy and Marcus. It bloomed into a beautiful romance. I loved the aunts, especially Marcus' gentle care with Daisy. This book was full of mystery. Some I saw coming, some I did not. I loved how everything built up and was revealed in the end. This book was addicting from start to finish!

This was a very unique regency retelling. I loved all the nods to the fairy tell and was surprised by the magic and mystery woven through out. Silly aunts, fairies, ghosts, curses, the kiss, and I’d even say there was a nod to the dragon in a castle.

My favorite part was trying to figure out the mystery and there was even a surprise extra mystery I wasn’t expecting. The romance was slow and light. Their chemistry was sweet and loyal. A fun read if you like retellings! There was an appearance of the masked barren from a previous book, but this could be read as a stand alone novel.

4.5* Prepare for a gently superstitious cast of characters in this delightful story that takes you through many plot twists and turns! I especially appreciated and enjoyed the natural way the romance unfolded, the respect the characters had for each other, and the unique premise of the story. This follow-up to The Masked Baron in Anneka Walker's Enchanted Regency Romance Series can stand alone, although having a reference point for who the Masked Baron is was helpful.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

This was such a fun retelling of Sleeping Beauty! It felt both familiar and unique. The mystery of their dreams and the curse kept me guessing until the very end. I couldn't help but love the characters. Tansy's aunts were each quirky and fun in their own right, Tansy's loyalty to her family and her fear of being vulnerable were very relatable, and the way Marcus was able to befriend and look after everyone while always remaining calm made him one of my favorite regency heroes this year!

This book is definitely better than the first of this "series" but there is still something about it that is just confusing. I haven't yet put my finger on what exactly. The end was really strange and I am glad it all worked out, but it was kind of weirdly done. I do love Marcus's sweetness and his character was well done. Tansy was also a fun character to get to know!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

The Dreaming Beauty
by Anneka R. Walker
Pub Date: 11 Jul 2022

I think this book may be part of a series, but it did not detract from the reading of this book. It was fine to read as a standalone...

I really enjoyed this book. But honestly, from the description (or what I had in my mind) I was expecting magic to be part of the storyline and the hero and heroine sharing their dreams by being a part of the others dream world. Not the case! However, the book was still good. The writing was lovely, filled with quirky characters, mystery, and a sweet romance. I really appreciated how Marcus not only was invested in his relationship with Tansy, but also her aunts! He is patient and hardworking with a servant's heart so big...it makes him a great book boyfriend! I will definitely check out the rest of the series and this author's other work.

I found the setting and history interesting, and it gave a fresh spin on a fairy tale retelling. I was also pleased that it was more inspired by Sleeping Beauty and didn't follow the well worn path of that story too closely.

That said, I didn't connect much with the story or the characters. The whole premise of how Tansy and Marcus met was unbelievable to me. I am not a fan of love triangles in general, but I have a particular distaste for when they involve siblings. I appreciated that Simon showed such care and respect for his younger step brother - it was so refreshing! And then, like a page later, Marcus does not remotely show him the same love and loyalty in return. Not cool. Made it hard for me to root for them.

I didn’t know going in that this book was meant to be a sleeping beauty retelling. Reflecting on the book, I see the comparison. That is a nice element of the book.
I don’t really like to be an outlier but I didn’t react as positively as other reviewers.
So what did I think:
- Tansy White was a good character. She is compassionate and by the end she comes out strong.
- Marcus Taylor was a helpful man who often came off wishy-washy. He had this hidden part of himself that finally came to the fore at the end that was really who he was meant to be all along.
- The author put too many pieces into the story so some didn’t feel well resolved. There is the mystery of Tansy’s parentage. There is some mystery surrounding her dreams. There is a mystery involving Marcus and his dreams. There is a playboy brother, Simon, who doesn’t want any responsibility. There are threatening notes. There is an evil stepmother who turns out to be someone totally unexpected. There are all the secrets the aunts keep. There is a mysterious dowager duchess.
- I read a large number of mysteries and found myself frustrated with the pacing of the ones in the book. There was so much focus on Tansy’s background that the mystery with Marcus’ dreams just sort of pops into focus at the end. That mystery really deserved more time.
- I wish there was less angst in Marcus and Tansy getting together. I saw so much strength in Marcus that it was slightly irritating to have him be less than forthcoming in his actions with Simon and Tansy. He wasn’t clear and then ruminated over the situation for far too long.
- The pacing of the story goes so slowly until suddenly everything wraps up quickly. Like the author was running out of word count for the book. I would have preferred a bit less detail at the beginning and middle rather than a rushed ending.
I have been thinking about how to write this review for nearly 24 hours. I liked the story, but there were a number of elements which make it only 3 stars for me rather than the glowing 4 - 5 star reviews that I see for most reviewers.

Based on Sleeping Beauty it is not a fairytale. No need to be disappointed though! It’s so good & written so well. While the main heroine, Tansy, isn’t asleep the whole time she and the others are very much stuck in their places trapped by secrets of the past. One of the things I loved about this book was that it wasn’t totally predictable. There were surprises clear to the end.

The Dreaming Beauty written by Annika R. Walker is a sweet feel good story. It is a fairytale retelling of Sleeping Beauty.

One of my favorite things about this book were the characters. The heroine of the story, Tansey is sweet and loving. She is so patient with and protective of her aunts who raised her. The Hero of the story is Marcus. He is a true gentleman, he is always watchful of others needs and does everything he can to make life easier for others and always tries to put Tansey’s needs before his own. . But the best characters in the book are Tansey’s aunts. They are delightful and a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed Daisy. She is such a fun character!

The plot of the story was a lot of fun. It really keeps you guessing. It had an ending I didn’t see coming!

This was an enjoyable read. I highly recommend reading it!

This book brought magic to the Regency Era in the most fantastic, realistic ways. I loved the nods to the original fairytale, especially the emphasis on dreams. The aunts were a hoot! I related to every character in this book in one way or another. About halfway through the book I thought, "well, this is a little predictable" but the ending still managed to catch me off guard. It took a few chapters to really get into the book, but by the end I was willing to give up my beauty sleep to finish the story. Four stars, definitely recommend!

Thanks to Anneka Walker, Covenant Communications, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Dreaming Beauty is a sweet, wholesome love story with lots of mutual pining, misunderstandings, and secret identities. It’s a lovely, quick read with lots of endearing characters and a good heart. I was hoping for a little more than just some kisses, but if you’re looking for a clean, Christian-leaning historical romance, you’ll like this one.