Monday, June 5, 2023

Karen Witemeyer: Fairest of Heart

By Kelly Bridgewater

Once upon a time in Texas . . .

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 lady 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, and all evidence points to Penelope's guilt. But Titus might just be convinced that the fairest woman of all has a heart as pure as her last name . . . if only he can prove it.


 

My Thoughts:

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer is a Snow-White remake set in Texas alongside a traveling theater troupe. Many similarities between the two, but Witemeyer took creative license with her story. With a penniless heroine with a heart of gold, Penelope Snow is a quirky character to follow and enjoy. With determination and strive, Titus is on the hunt for justice and retribution because of an episode that occurred to his brother, Tate, a long time ago. Of course, romance is a must when readers enjoy a Witemeyer novel. Nothing flashy and gushy. A little bit of feelings flying across the page the longer the two are in each other’s presence. Instead of seven dwarves, Witemeyers uses seven old ranchers. Kind of like grandfather figures. They developed a love for her because of how well she treated each individual character. Her sweetness and kind heart won over even the grumpiest old rancher. As for the plot, I liked the idea of an old theater trope crossing the countryside and having a mystery element that showed the horrible character of the villain. Maybe she should have spent more time with her maid, Penelope, and learned some behaviors. Overall, Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer was a nice twist on Snow White, but even if this was not the case, the story was nicely woven together and a delight to read.

I received a complimentary copy of Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

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