I enjoyed this creative retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. The author immediately captures readers’ attention and had them connecting with Louisa and her twelve-year-old sister Margaret as they plotted to derail their uncle’s plans to sell them off to the highest bidder. There were so many interesting side characters, as well as twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I stayed glued to the page awaiting the next turn.

Sir Charles is both a loyal knight and honorable hero. Louisa is so determined to find a means to free her sister that she hasn't considered the dangers she might encounter. She must do more than simply disguise herself as a boy. Sir Charles comes to the rescue. She was grateful to meet him but felt strange trying to act like a boy.

I liked how the cast grew as Sir Charles and Louisa neared their destination. Each encounter added to the plot; some were fun while other encounters made me wonder if this would all end well.

If you’re looking for a thrilling escape filled with knights, giants, and surprises, as well as characters you can relate to and root for, go no further. This book is for you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley. 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 https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

This is a sweet historical romance and an interesting take on the fairytale of Jack and the Beanstalk - a girl trying to avoid an arranged marriage by masquerading as a boy and searching for rumoured treasure that is guarded by a giant with a noble knight. However, at times the characters seemed one-dimensional and I would have liked to see more depth in their characters.

I love the way that Melanie Dickerson transforms the familiar fairytales we all know and love into medieval stories of love and adventure. This book was engaging with the adventure, romance and Christian themes. I couldn't put the book down.

Another loose retelling by Dickerson. Well-written and thought out characters.
Definitely Christian fiction and I will be reading more by this author.

This is the 6th book in the series and it follows a very formulaic plotline tied to a fable or fairy tale. The main character is a damsel in distress, while there is a knight in shining armor waiting to rescue her. In this book, Jack and the Beanstalk is the tale the author is following more or less–in this case, the reader doesn’t get to the fable part until the last third or fourth of the book which was unfortunate. For me, this author is not my favorite. I have read the other books in this series and each one was a chore to get through. The writing style is slow, repetitive, and basic. The setting and character development lack depth and the Christian moments are pedantic. In this book, I do appreciate the journey, the slightly stronger female character, and the way Charles viewed Christians. Overall, I would only recommend this to readers who are fans of this author and who like fairy tale retellings.

I wanted to like this book - I typically enjoy the heroine disguising herself as a man to survive trope - but sadly, this story just didn't do it for me. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters, and the challenges that the characters went through were just resolved too quickly and easily. The story had potential, but it just didn't quite reach it.

Jack and the Beanstalk – a story retold where the treasure is not a hen and gold, but the gift of forgiveness. This is a sweet story for the YA audience or a reader looking for a clean and simple tale of adventure and love.

I found it clever how the author did in fact tell rather than show. We hear, “Show don’t tell” the reader for modern audiences. Yet, this is an updated version of a fairy tale. It is fitting to feel as if a parent or elder is recounting the events.

My favorite bits and pieces were with Allistor the Giant, and his journey. Much like C.S. Lewis presented faith and forgiveness in the actions of his characters, this author wove in the process for salvation. She presented both sides of humanity, the kind and the cruel.

Near the end, we witness this beautiful scene, “He raised his brows, a small smile spreading over his face. ‘I feel lighter, as if the big stone that was sitting on my shoulders has lifted.’”

This is a case where for me I might have posted three stars. Yet I am not the target audience. For YA, it seems a four star read.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for a digital copy to read for an honest review.

Melanie Dickerson is the Fairy tale retelling Queen! I absolutely adored this Medieval retelling of Jack in the Bean stock! I really enjoyed the dynamic between Louisa and Charles! Can't wait to see what comes next!

I received an ARC through Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

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

This was my first book by this author. I was drawn in by the beautiful cover and missed the fact that it was book 6 of a series. It was fine as a standalone, however.

This is a medieval, Christian romance. Our female lead, Louisa, plots to gain her freedom as well as her twelve-year-old sister from the tyranny of her uncle who is trying to marry both of them off to the highest bidder. She dresses as a boy and heads off to find a treasure that her deceased father had told her about. Along the way, she meets Sir Charles, a knight who has written off love and marriage after his affections were played upon by a woman who was marrying someone else.

Our couple journey together, meeting different people along the way. Charles is protective of Louise (her disguise never fooling him) and the two grow close and fall in love. There is a slight "Jack and the Beanstalk" feel to the story. Predictable outcome, but still enjoyable story.

3 stars

Another fun book to add to this collection! I have really enjoyed each and every tale of these brothers and Sir Charles included. I love a good re-telling and Melanie Dickerson has such a fun way of making each one very unique. You feel as though you are a part of the story.

This is the first Fairy Tale retelling that I have read. I must admit I am not really the target audience for this, I think it is aimed at YA. Saying that I did enjoy it. It is a nice sweet story, engaging characters. The main characters are Louisa & Charles. It is not a time period I am used to reading but was a nice change. I liked the part that Louisa changed her appearance whilst they were on their travels. (I don't want to spoil it for others). Charles was a handsome Knight and a protector, to Louise especially. Charles was such a nice man from the start. There is Romance in this, but mainly just kissing, so is fine for the age the book is aimed at.
Adults who are looking for a nice, easy read, would love this. There are some references to Christian aspects, but I wouldn't say it was overtly Christian Fiction. Thank you to netgalley for giving me a copy of this to read. The review is all my own words.

I really enjoyed this fairytale retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. I liked how it was different from the original story but we could see elements of the fairytale. I love the characters of Louisa and Charles and I loved how they fell in love on their journey. I also loved how kind they were to those around them. I thought this story was well done and was a great addition to this series.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

I received an ARC of Lady of Disguise from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lady of Disguise is an interesting retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, which is not one that you see done often, especially with no magic. I'm always surprised by how Melanie Dickerson is able to take such magical tales and turn them into stories that have no actual magic in them. I actually like that about her fairy tale retellings because they show just how much thought the author put into the story because she doesn't use magic. All of the magical elements have become rumors people know can't be true, but they are circulating anyway because no one has ever found the treasure. I found that to be a very creative way of putting the tale's elements in without resorting to actual magic.

While the story and plot were interesting, as I was curious to see how the author would tackle making magical things non-magical, I found the characters lackluster. They didn't feel set apart enough from the characters from the rest of the series. I could have placed any of the other couples here, and they would have said and done the same things. While parts of their personalities differed, there weren't enough differences to distinguish them. The story did not have the insta-love that I've seen from most of the books in the rest of this series, which was a nice change. But because of its short length, it did feel like everything moved very fast, especially the secondary romance that evolves. In barely any time at all, both Charles and Louisa's perspectives on marriage do a complete 180, and I was left feeling whiplash from how fast their minds changed. I was also confused about how long everything was taking. I thought their journey was far longer than it turned out to be, and then there was one point where they made it back in around four-ish days, so I was confused why the initial journey took so long when they could have been back much quicker. The timing wasn't adding up.

Lady of Disguise wasn't bad, but the cookie-cutter characters and simple writing didn't stand out. This book would be perfect for younger audiences looking for a cute read, but its lack of depth left me wanting.

Sir Charles is SWOON worthy! This is a great YA Jack and the Beanstalk retelling.

Louisa is a brave older sister who desperately wants to protect her very young sister from being married off. The suitors her uncle is attracting are not ideal. Especially when it comes to marrying off a 12 year old.

There is action, adventure, and found families.

Give it a read if you’re into fairy tale retellings and historical fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“He wanted to grab her and hug her. Wonderful, brave, selfless, extraordinary girl! The world would have been a much worse place without her. Thank you, God. Thank you. Thank you.” ☕📚

This is a new release for February 13, 2024, by Melanie Dickerson.

While this is book #6 of the Dericott series, I did not read the previous books in the series and never felt ill-equipped to proceed with this one. I honestly didn't notice at all.

[The Dericott Series 1: Court of Swans; Book 2: Castle of Refuge; Book 3: Veil of Winter; Book 4: Fortress of Snow; Book 5: Cloak of Scarlet; Book 6: Lady of Disguise]

When I jumped into this sweet historical medieval romance, I had forgotten that it was a YA fiction book. After a bit, I realized it quickly because the lengthy explanations of the simplest of things and simple wording gave it away (and not in a bad way).

While I didn’t enjoy the details of young girls as young as 11 or 12 being married off to much older men, I began to enjoy this charming reimagining of “Jack and the Beanstalk” as soon as our main character, Louisa, escaped the icky situation, dressed as a young man. So, hang in there.

WHAT’S THERE TO LOVE? I enjoyed the gentle faith content in this story and the kindness and compassion Louisa and Charles individually showed to other people. I also liked the childlike love for God that Louisa showed. Her underlying wish to please the Lord was endearing.
I adore it when an author can transport me into a historical time and place, and Melanie Dickerson was able to do just that.
I’m realizing that the medieval era is one of my least favorite periods because of the sheer crudeness of how they had to live - I simply don’t like to read about it. However, this book was a bright spot for me for that era because it went very light on the jarring realities of the time. For that, I’m appreciative!
I think it is a very interesting storyline - especially for young women - because of what a gentleman Charles turned out to be.

ANY CAUSE FOR PAUSE? The attractions and romance felt a little fast, but it was super clean and sweet. I appreciated that very much. I found no fault with any of the scenes whatsoever.

CONSIDER READING IF… you want super clean romance whose gentle faith content feels very natural, and you love medieval times and fairytale retellings. 😀

MY RATING 🌟🌟🌟 This was released on February 13, 2024.

☕📚 Thanks to Thomas Nelson, the author, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ☕📚

Lady of Disguise is a medieval romance novel written by Melanie Dickerson. It is book six in the Dericott tales, and while it is not necessary to have read all of the previous books in the series to read this one, I do recommend at least reading the first one as it provides quite a bit of backstory.

Summary: Louisa grew up hearing her father tell her the tale of the lost Viking treasure.

But now her parents have died, leaving her and her younger sister to live with their mean-spirited relatives that just want to marry them both off to the highest bidder-no matter how vile the suitor.

Desperation drives Louisa to run away. If she can just find the treasure, she and her sister can live the quiet life her heart desires.

Disguised as a boy, she sets off for Scotland and a chance to change her future.

When Knight Sir Charles meets Louisa, he is not deceived by her poor disguise. He decides to travel with her-if only to protect her along the way.

Can Louisa find the treasure she seeks before it’s too late, or will her greedy uncle find her first?

My Thoughts: This book definitely has more of a fantasy element to it with a lost treasure and a giant.

I liked how both Sir Charles and Louisa were written. Both were pretty selfless, and I liked how they ended up caring for others they met in their travels.

I do wish the romance part would have had a lot less angst. It gets old to read “does she like me” and “does he like me” and “it could never work, so I better not let it show I like him/her” over and over. I could have done with a lot less of that.

Otherwise though, there are good “good guys”, and some great “bad guys”, and it is a fun adventure story with a decent romance.

I really liked the giant, and enjoyed the damsel-in-distress ending as well.

Overall, I would say this is my favorite from the series, and if you enjoy medieval romance, this was a good one.

I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you.

If you like cozy, sweet MG fiction, you'd like this series by Melanie Dickerson! Lady of Disguise is #6 in the Dericott Tales series following the lives of a dozen brothers as they sort out their lives after a massive plot against their family.

This novel follows Louisa Lennon as she goes on the hunt for a Viking treasure to save her and her sister Margaret from being married to weird old men. Loosely based on Jack and the Beanstalk, Louisa sets off in disguise as a young man and meets some friends along the way, including Sir Charles.

The story was predictable, hence the 4, but it really was an enjoyable read! This is a series I would gladly recommend to younger siblings and cousins, as the books are full of good morals and examples of seeking Christ in all situations.

Worldview is 4.5 because the novel surprised me in so many ways. The characters call out religion over true charity, and some characters beg God to help them forgive those who have wronged them. I was also not expecting one character to pray for salvation and truly talk about accepting Jesus as their savior, but they did! It was great! The only hiccup was that there were moments when characters presented worldly mindsets: induce dreams with herbs to "find your future husband," and a bit hint at the prosperity gospel/works from other characters.

Overall, this is the best novel I've read from Dickerson in terms of worldview, but also the one with the most awkward romances. The love interest once excused his behavior with "we aren't doing anything wrong."

The combined rating is 4.5, and I am definitely seeing this series through to the end!

Another enjoyable, light retelling of a beloved fairytale in the Dericott Tale series. This fun story is based on the Jack in the Beanstalk fairytale with a likable cast of characters and themes of trusting God and goodness triumphing over evil. An easy to read entertaining addition to a good series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for the opportunity to read for honest review.

In her latest Medieval Dericott Tale, Melanie Dickerson weaves a creative, romantic retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. Lady of Disguise is a sweet hidden identity romance with a loving sister, handsome knight, treasure hunt, a giant, and plenty of adventure. As with all of Melanie Dickerson’s books, I enjoyed her clever twists on beloved fairytales and this book is no exception. It’s a sweet story of learning to trust in God and others while forging your own path and finding love along the way.

After Louisa’s parents died, she and her younger sister are forced to live with their ambitious aunt and uncle determined to find wealthy matches for the girls in order to increase their own standing. The gentleman they parade before the girls are often much older and unsavory. Determined to protect her sister and save them both from unwanted marriages, Louisa runs away seeking an ancient treasure guarded by a giant. She disguises herself as a boy and goes by the name of “Jack.” When she meets the handsome knight, Sir Charles on her journey, he joins her quest desiring to protect “Jack” who he clearly recognizes is a girl from the dangers that lie ahead. Along the way, they meet new friends, fierce foes, and even the fabled giant.

This was such a sweet story with lots of romance, action, and faith. I loved all the nods to Jack and the Beanstalk. Like Jack, Louisa is a bit naive in her quest to find the giant’s treasure. I loved the way Sir Charles took her under his wing and how their romance grew. Charles is recovering from a bitter betrayal and is not looking for a romantic relationship, but Louisa captures his heart and brings out his protectiveness. I loved how they worked together and helped not only each other but new friends in their quest. Their meeting with the giant offered a heartwarming twist.

Definitely recommend this cute YA Medieval romance to those 14 and up and to anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

I enjoyed this story! I am a sucker for a good story with a knight and his lady. I loved Charles and Louisa! I thought they were great characters who I rooted for from the first page. The secondary characters were fantastic (I want to know all of their stories)! I loved Allistor and wish there was more of him in the story. The faith content was woven naturally throughout the story, which is always refreshing to read. Highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.