"The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest" by Melanie Dickerson

About this book:

  “A Beautiful Maiden who Poaches to Feed the Poor.

    A Handsome Forester on a Mission to Catch Her.

    Danger and Love Are About To Unite in Thornbeck Forest.

  The margrave owns the finest hunting grounds for miles around—and Odette Menkels spends her nights poaching his deer to feed the hungry orphans of Thornbeck. By day, Odette is a simple maiden who teaches children to read, but by night this young beauty has become the secret lifeline to the poorest of the poor.

  For Jorgen Hartman, the margrave’s forester, tracking down a poacher is a duty he is all too willing to perform. Jorgen inherited his post from the man who raised him...a man who was murdered at the hands of a poacher.

  When Jorgen and Odette meet as the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries.

  The one man she wants is bound by duty to capture her; the one woman he loves is his cunning target...What becomes of a forester who protects a notorious poacher? What becomes of a poacher when she is finally discovered?”


Series: Book #1 in the “Medieval Fairy Tale Romance” series. {This is Swan Lake meets Robin Hood.}

Spiritual Content- Praying & Praying at a Cathedral; Going to Church and crossing; Talks about God & discussing Scriptures; Scriptures are quoted & mentioned; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Bible reading & mentions of; Mentions of Saints, those in the Bible & stained glass picturing them;

Negative Content- Animals (birds, deer and hares) are shot & killed for food (up to semi-detailed); Blood & a mention of someone who was trampled by horses (barely-above-not-detailed), Blood & fist fighting (semi-detailed); Arrows & Blood (semi-detailed).

Sexual Content- almost hand kisses & hand kisses, a couple not-detailed kisses, Five barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and Four semi-detailed kisses; Remembering kisses (barely-above-not-detailed); A men asks to kiss Odette and she says not tonight (it never happens); Noticing & Staring; Touches, Nearness & Embraces (barely-above-not-detailed to semi-detailed); Dancing & brushing shoulders (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to kiss & embrace; Noticing two couples kiss (one not-detailed and the other being barely-above-not-detailed); Rutger teases & says if a wealthy woman won’t marry him, he “shall get her with child and then she will have no choice”; Anna mentions that she heard her parents laughing at night and doesn’t “have ten brothers and sisters for nothing”; Mentions of and going to a brothel (or prostitution house) and saving a young girl there (no mentions of what happens there, only asking if someone is okay and later overhearing men talking about girls there. Nothing sexual); A discussion (between Odette and a monk) on whether it’s women or men’s fault for temptation; Love, falling in love & the emotions.

-Odette Menkels, age 21

-Jorgen Hartman, age 24-25
                                P.O.V. switches between them

                                              Set in 1363 {Medieval}
                                                        306 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating- 

{Add ½ to a full star for girls who hunt or live on a farm.}

*happy sigh* Ohhhh, I just adore Melanie Dickerson novels. Even though I am not a hunter (at all) I would still say this is probably my third favorite novel by her. Right after “The Merchant’s Daughter” and first spot being claimed by “The Princess Spy”. What can I say, caring for orphans is near and dear to my heart. Odette was a great heroine and I’m looking forward to all the new books Miss Melanie will be coming out with! (The Fall cannot get here soon enough! So excited for “The Golden Braid” :D)

See y’all on Wednesday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this review.