The NerdHerd Reads: Mini Reviews: A Daring Sacrifice, The Beautiful Pretender

Title: A Daring Sacrifice
Author: Jody Hedlund
Series: An Uncertain Choice, #2

Genre: Christian fiction
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Source: publisher

The only thing harder than fighting for what’s right…is fighting their feelings for each other.
For three years, the Cloaked Bandit has terrorized Wessex, robbing the nobility by knifepoint and a well-placed arrow. But little dos anyone know, this bandit is in fact Juliana Wessex, the rightful ruler of the land and a girl her tyrannical uncle—the current Lord Wessex—believes was killed along with her father.
Juliana has become skilled at hiding from Lord Wessex in the forest, using her stolen goods to provide food and shelter to the peasants her uncle has taxed into poverty. But when she robs Collin Goodrich, her red hair betrays her true identity. Lord Collin remembers Juliana from their childhood—and challenges her to stay on his estate for a week in hopes she will leave her thieving ways and become a proper lady once more. Juliana is intrigued by Collin and his charms, but only time will tell if he can overcome her distaste of the nobility—as well as win her heart.

I love my Jody Hedlund books, and am very glad that she has ventured out into the world of YA. I adored the first book in this series, but unfortunately this one did not quite cut it for me. There was just something lacking, and it was not up to par to what I have come to expect from one of her books.

I did wish, after reading the first one, that we would get stories about the other two knights, and so I am glad that we got that. It was fun to see a story about Collin, get to know him a little more. As for Juliana...I liked her, I did. However, we were told that she was basically a female Robin Hood and yet I did not see that. I'm not sure how she survived as the Cloaked Bandit for years, because Collin seemed to rescue her at every turn.

I also did not really connect to either of the characters. Collin was nice, and funny, but also arrogant. I was very bothered by his ideas of needing to show Juliana that she "belonged" with the nobility and protect her, not taking into account what she wanted. It came from a good heart, sure, but very overbearing. I think both of them had the potential to be great characters, but they felt a little flat.

There was some insta-love, which led to some plot points that I felt were too fast/too much for the point these characters were at, but its Christian Fiction and that's how it goes so I won't even touch on that.

It was a fun, enjoyable read, although it could have been so much more. Of course, our favorite Sirs Derrick and Brennan also made an appearance, which was nice. Although this book felt a little short, I will be continuing with this series, because I do very much enjoy this author, and I am excited to continue Sir Brennan's story.

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Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson

Title: The Beautiful Pretender

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Series: Thornbeck #2

Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating:4 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Source: publisher

What happens when a margrave realizes he’s fallen in love with a servant?
The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble-born ladies from around the country to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.
Avelina is only responsible for two things: making sure her deception goes undetected and avoiding being selected as the margrave’s bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.
Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences. Will Avelina be able to stop the evil plot? And at what cost?

I love Melanie Dickerson's books, and this one was no exception. From the medieval setting, to the Bachelor-esque feel of the book, and just how cute it was. I didn't get a particular fairy tale vibe from this one - I could see Beauty and the Beast elements, I guess? Although I felt more Queen Esther-vibes, actually.

Lord Thornbeck is a gruff, angry, and generally reserved. But when the King commands him to find a bride, he has no choice. So, he invites the daughters of ten nobles to his castle, to get to know them. Unbeknownst to them, he also puts them through a series of tests to see who would be the best fit for his bride. Then we have Avelina, who has been sent in the place of one of the ladies, and is only trying to make it through without anyone noticing her deception.

I really liked all the characters, especially Avelina. I felt as if they were fleshed out, and that we got to know them individually. The friendship Avelina forms with Magdalen, the deep conversations between Avelina and the margrave, and even the soft side of himself that the margrave showed sometimes all led to help create complex and interesting characters.

I would also say that the climax happened sooner than I would have thought it would, or what we would assume would be the climax, leaving room for more things to happen in the story, which I very much enjoyed. We got to see more of them, working together, and I loved that the story did not end where we thought it would.

This can be read as a standalone, although our favorite Jorgen and Odette from book 1 are recurring characters. I fully enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one.

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