Review: Castle of Refuge

Castle of Refuge by Melanie Dickerson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy I received. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

Castle of Refuge is a retelling of "The Ugly Duckling"... sort of. I'm not sure I really see it, but that's what the publishers and author claim.

Book Summary:
Audrey, daughter of a viscount born in late fourteenth-century England, was hurt and irreparably scarred by her sister four years ago... damaging her marriage prospects. When her father announces his plans to marry off his damaged daughter to a man much older, Audrey decides to flee in search of her true destiny. She soon finds herself attacked, sick, and in desperate need of help. She is taken in at Dericott Castle to be nursed back to health. While there, she decides to keep her identity a secret and work as a servant in the castle. But she doesn’t count on falling in love with the young and handsome Lord Dericott, who lost his arm several months earlier and bears scars of his own. Meanwhile, Edwin—Lord Dericott—is curious about the new, well-educated servant’s identity. All he knows is that he's quickly becoming smitten with her. When the man Audrey’s father wanted her to marry comes looking for her, she and Edwin must make life-changing decisions about what to believe and whether or not love is truly worth trusting.

Review:
I really enjoyed the book and read it quite quickly. I did have to wonder about some of the likelihood of some things happening based on when it was set in history. The story line and characters made me curious enough that I will go back and read the other books in the series. Audrey and Edwin were likeable characters, and you couldn't help but appropriately like or hate some of the others. Yes, the story line is completely predictable in that we all know there's a happy ending, BUT there were enough twists to keep my interest.

View all my reviews