Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Review ~ Fairest of Heart (Texas Ever After #1) by Karen Witemeyer


Bethany House Publishers, June 2023
352 Pages, Paperback

About the Book

Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the West, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters--and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.

After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young woman found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather's ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope's acting troupe. The evidence points to her guilt, but Titus's heart divines a different truth--one that might just get Penelope killed.

An enchanting Western take on the classic Snow White fairy tale, Fairest of Heart will sweep you away from once upon a time to happily ever after.

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My Review 5 STARS!!!

Of all the fairytale retellings I have read, Fairest of Heart is by far my favorite! Witemeyer, in my humble opinion, has raised the bar in this genre.

I felt as if I was transported into the re-release of the first fairytale I ever saw on the big screen in 1967. I can remember the excitement of seeing the characters come alive and as then, today my attention and emotions were fully engaged with Penelope, Titus, Doc and ALL of the old drovers, aka the graybeard brigade, at the Diamond D Ranch. They played across my mind’s eye with ease, bringing great affection for this well written re-telling.

At the same time, I thought it was brilliant to have several POV instances from the seductive villainess Narcissa LaBelle. Boy howdy, she is wicked to the core. Witemeyer perfectly describes her cunning mind and conniving ways. I could not wait to see how Ranger Titus Kingsley was going to catch her and what a great sting it was!

With fabulous descriptions of…well…everything, I can see this becoming one I reread many times! Of course, no one writes western quite like this author so when a beloved classic fairytale meets a pen like Witemeyer wields, it is bound to become a classic in its own right among Christian fiction fans. Truly, the faith thread was so well done for both Penelope and Titus, and their romance is as delectable as apple cider.

I received an early copy of the book from the publisher through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. No compensation has been received.

Have you read any fairytale retellings? If so, let me know in the comments.



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