Format: eGalley
Published: November 29th 2011 by Zondervan
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Christian fiction
Amazon|Goodreads
Rating: 5/5
I loooooved it!
Goodreads:
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.
Man, it's been awhile since I've read a good Christian fiction novel. You really don't realize how heavy and blogged down you can get by reading so many dystopian and paranormal YA books... It was so refreshing to read something that was so good, in every since of the word.
It's funny that I really don't read very many Christian fiction novels anymore. My all time favorite book that started my love for reading is a book called The Knight and the Dove, by Lori Wick. I guess that I've been telling myself that all Christian fiction is cheesy and targeted toward Grandma's, but that is simply not true.
The thing is, I have been really convicted about the kind of stuff I been filling my head with lately. Not just books, but music and television too. Not that what I entertain myself with is bad--it just simply doesn't do anything for me.
Think about it-- you spend hours reading a book, only to be left with what? The accomplished feeling of having read three hundred pages of fluff? Don't get me wrong, I love mindless reading. I love being entertained. But there comes a point when I ask myself, why am I wasting my time on this? Even the best books only leave you feeling entertained for a moment, and then we move on to the next thing. See what I mean?
So, after feeling this way for a while, I'd thought I venture back to my roots of Christian fiction, and see if maybe I could find something that would encourage me in my faith, and stay with me longer, like The Knight and the Dove did way back when I was 13 years old.
Let me tell you...God is good. This book right here is exactly what I needed to read, and I don't think it was a coincidence that I picked it up.
Wow, did you really read all that? Haha. You are awesome! I'll get to the review now. :p
The Merchant's Daughter is a loose retelling of the one of the best fairy tales of all time: Beauty and the Beast. Now, I'm not lying when I say that I am the type of person who would rather listen to Disney sounds tracks versus today's pop hits... So once I read the summary, I was sold.
Annabel comes from a wealthy family, a merchant's daughter. Her father has always gotten the family out of having to help out during the Harvest her whole life--something that every person in her village is required to do. When her father loses their fortune and dies, three years later her family still isn't helping with the Harvest. Since they haven't paid off their work this time, they are put on trail and ordered that one member of the family go to work as an indentured servant for the village lord for three years to pay off their debt.
Annabel's family are a bunch of sorry people. They lazy and selfish, and have no desire to get their family back on track. When Annabel is being pursued by a nasty man demanding her hand in marriage, her family sees it as an opportunity to sell her off and maybe get themselves out of their legal troubles.
But Annabel has no desire to marry this man, so she decided to take her families punishment upon herself and go and work for the dark, scary, beastly, Lord le Wyse.
Ahhh, this book was so good. No insta-love, no perfect couples, no empty plots, no cheesy Christian elements, it was simply a fantastic book. I loved the characters Dickerson creates. They are all so well developed and brimming with, well, character (Who's being cheesy now? Haha). From Annabel to Ranulf, I loved them all. And even though I don't know very much about medieval history, the world was rich and colorful, and I felt like I was learning something by reading about these people.
And the romance was...smoldering. But not in the way that you would think about "smoldering" romance. It was quiet, reserved, and very real. I love it when something as simply as a hug can make me melt. I think that the sweetest thing about the book was when Ranulf would get Annabel to read the Bible to him at night. Oh, my. Can I have my own Ranulf, please?
Another thing I loved about this book was how it made me think about my own faith. Annabel has such a reverence for the Word, and it made me think about how easily I have access to it yet most days I never even bother to read it. I want to have such a passion and zeal for the Bible like she does.
Also, I love how Annabel was so focused on being a sincere and honest person, and really wanted to make things right for her family. She handled bad situations with dignity, and sought strength from God rather than herself. She isn't flirty or fake. She is who she is. Beautiful inside and out.
Okay... I'll stop now. I think that you get how much I adored this book. It was so good. I want to read it again very soon!
--V
Here is the super awesome book trailer if you'd like to see it.
