Rose is the daughter of a poor woodcutter but has had the fortune to be named the healer's apprentice. When Lord Hamlin, the oldest son of Duke Wilhelm, is gored by a bore during a hunting trip, Rose happens to be minding the shop when he arrives to be stitched up. Lord Hamlin and the beautiful Rose connect instantly, but both know they have to fight their mutual attraction because Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a princess from another kingdom. When Lord Rupert, Hamlin's less reputable younger brother, starts courting Rose, Lord Hamlin reluctantly gives his blessing and goes in search of the evil sorcerer who has been threatening the betrothed princess he has never met. Rose allows Rupert's attention, but never lets go of her hope that somehow God can help her and Lord Hamlin find a way to be together.
This was the first of Dickerson's Christian romance reworkings of fairy tales, and she doesn't really have her feet under her yet. She is trying to make the stories feel like historical fiction, rather than fantasy, but (spoiler alert) then she throws in this evil sorcerer who tries to curse Rose with demonic possession. If she had left out the evil sorcerer and the demons, the story would have worked just fine and could still have resembled the Sleeping Beauty story. Sigh. Really, the book was fine, it just could have been better.
(261 p, 2010)
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