Charmed and Beguiled by "The Merchant's Daughter" by Melanie Dickerson ~ Review

To read a medieval novel is to be there and on those occasions when I want to read a medieval novel, I want it to be such as “The Merchant’s Daughter.”

            I was incredibly impressed with the fact that there wasn’t a great deal of overwhelming facts about the setting or customs of the time period, and yet the setting was masterfully crafted through the entire novel. I could have been standing in that square, or scrubbing that floor in the castle, because without a great deal of “thinking about it” I stepped into this enchanting world.

            Loosely based on the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast, I was caught up in the unlikely romance between Ranulf and Annabel. Right from the beginning they both have so much going against them, and yet the closer they become, the more the rift seems to want to pull them apart.

            I wouldn’t call the romance simple. It was definitely sweet, but with an edge that left me breathless as to whether that edge would destroy what little ground Ranulf and Annabel had claimed.

            “The Merchant’s Daughter” charmed and beguiled me and in the end left me hopeful and content, though wishing for a few more pages, just to enjoy the wonder of the story.

            This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the Amazon Vine program for my copy to review.

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More about the novel...

An unthinkable danger.

An unexpected choice.

Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf's bailiff---a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past.Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff's vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf.

As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf's future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart.