From the book: “Sophie has long wished to get away from her stepmother’s jealous anger, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be her chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe?
“Gabe knows he defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the orphan girl has stolen his heart. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother’s future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises to himself he will keep her safe, no matter what.
“When the pair are forced to run to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Can they find a way to protect Sophie while also safeguarding their hearts?”
This was a sweetly-told story, perfect for young ladies. Dickerson managed to stir together a lovely blend of not too much Disney and not too much Grimm. Sweet, but not saccharine; adventurous, but not dark, The Fairest Beauty is a wonderful retelling of the classic fairy tale. And it’s a story that I would gladly share with my god-daughter (and god-son, although he might think it was too “girly”
