Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
The Peasant Queen was my first by author Ashton E. Dorow and CERTAINLY is not my last! Ashton’s storytelling abilities are magical and I was sucked in from page 1! Everything about this book was amazing - the characters, the setting, the writing, the romance, the faith elements, and the character growth. The book, set in medieval times, was hard to put down. Between the deliciously intense enemies-to-lovers storyline and the vengeful war battles, there was enough going on in this book that I almost read it in one sitting. I did read it all in one day!
The faith elements in this book were so beautifully written. They didn’t feel forced or awkward. Nothing felt “preachy.” It felt real and natural and was very moving! On more than one occasion I felt myself emotionally moved or involved with this well-written tale. I went on a roller-coaster of emotions from sorrow to joy, conviction to praise - and everything in between! Any book that can stir such strong emotions in me as I read certainly deserves a 5-star rating.
If you love grumpy and protective men, excellent enemies-to-lovers romance, strong elements of faith that feel as natural as breathing, and characters that feel as real as the people sitting next to you, then you’ll love Ashton’s The Peasant Queen!
The faith elements in this book were so beautifully written. They didn’t feel forced or awkward. Nothing felt “preachy.” It felt real and natural and was very moving! On more than one occasion I felt myself emotionally moved or involved with this well-written tale. I went on a roller-coaster of emotions from sorrow to joy, conviction to praise - and everything in between! Any book that can stir such strong emotions in me as I read certainly deserves a 5-star rating.
If you love grumpy and protective men, excellent enemies-to-lovers romance, strong elements of faith that feel as natural as breathing, and characters that feel as real as the people sitting next to you, then you’ll love Ashton’s The Peasant Queen!
The style of writing seems like it is more fitting for a younger audience. There is a lot of skipping and skimming over scenes that seem like they could be used for character development. Can tell that I will not enjoy finishing it so I decided to set it aside.
A retelling of the story of Esther set in an unusual time period, this book contains the many elements that create a great story. Marriage of convenience, being one of the common tropes, but based off of a traditional biblical story, this one had great promise and did not disappoint. I found myself rooting for the story to come to a climax, yet not wanting it to end. The story filled with a search for love for themselves before they could truly love one another made this story worth reading.
Cute reimagining of Queen Esther. I think it would have been better with less crying and running away to avoid having actual conversations (honestly I wish I’d kept time of how many times she burst into tears or ran away—it was A LOT), but it was a cute love story nonetheless. 3.5 stars.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
I really liked this book! I read in in only a few days, which is something I don't do very often (it usually takes me a week or two to finish a book). This book has a perfect mix of action-filled moments, sweet romantic moments, and humorous moments that kept my attention the whole time.
My favorite thing about this book has to be the characters, especially the protagonist, Arabella. I found her extremely relatable. It was easy to imagine myself in Arabella's shoes, when she had a hard time adjusting to royal life. I also totally understood her struggles with letting go of hurt and actively forgiving. My heart truly broke for her when she experienced heartache and sorrow.
Now as for Rowan, I did have some mixed feelings about him. He made me sooo mad sometimes!!! His relationship with Arabella could be super toxic at times, so much so that I wondered how he could redeem himself. Thankfully, he had a great redemption arch. I cried when he finally let go and let God take ahold of him. The scene where he finally made things right with Arabella also made me quite emotional!
Overall I found this to be a wonderful Esther retelling. If you are looking for a great story of redemption and forgiveness and are a fan of authors like Melanie Dickerson and Lisa T. Bergren, you should totally check this book out! Please also check out the author's bookstagram! She is so nice!!!
I really liked this book! I read in in only a few days, which is something I don't do very often (it usually takes me a week or two to finish a book). This book has a perfect mix of action-filled moments, sweet romantic moments, and humorous moments that kept my attention the whole time.
My favorite thing about this book has to be the characters, especially the protagonist, Arabella. I found her extremely relatable. It was easy to imagine myself in Arabella's shoes, when she had a hard time adjusting to royal life. I also totally understood her struggles with letting go of hurt and actively forgiving. My heart truly broke for her when she experienced heartache and sorrow.
Now as for Rowan, I did have some mixed feelings about him. He made me sooo mad sometimes!!! His relationship with Arabella could be super toxic at times, so much so that I wondered how he could redeem himself. Thankfully, he had a great redemption arch. I cried when he finally let go and let God take ahold of him. The scene where he finally made things right with Arabella also made me quite emotional!
Overall I found this to be a wonderful Esther retelling. If you are looking for a great story of redemption and forgiveness and are a fan of authors like Melanie Dickerson and Lisa T. Bergren, you should totally check this book out! Please also check out the author's bookstagram! She is so nice!!!
OMG, I loved this book. From the cover to the fact it was a retelling of one of my favourite books of the Bible. I loved how it covered each base of the Esther story with a plausible, dynamic and creative angle.
I loved how Rowan and Arabella grew to love each other. Every part of the book was great and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves Christian fiction and story retellings.
I loved how Rowan and Arabella grew to love each other. Every part of the book was great and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves Christian fiction and story retellings.
This book was amazing! Ashton perfectly wove in the Esther narrative into Arabella and Rowan’s story, and you could see the parallels immediately!
•
Rowan - holy cow. He was either extremely sweet or extremely volatile! I sometimes had a hard time keeping up with his mood pendulum. But I liked how wee could see his internal struggle. His “why God” moments were relatable and you could see how not having God in his heart was affecting those he claimed to love.
•
Arabella - man was she relatable! From the moment she ends up at the palace, you’re cheering her on! You want her to marry the king (despite her resistance). You want her to connect with him and then you want her to put him in his place. You celebrate her little victories and cry when she does. There were a couple moments toward the end that I didn’t understand why she did what she did, but I was still so very happy with the end of this book!
•
If you love retellings of fairytales and Bible stories, I’d recommend Peasant Queen! There are a couple intense parts, but nothing to graphic or traumatic.
•
Five stars!!!
Ages 16 & up!
•
Rowan - holy cow. He was either extremely sweet or extremely volatile! I sometimes had a hard time keeping up with his mood pendulum. But I liked how wee could see his internal struggle. His “why God” moments were relatable and you could see how not having God in his heart was affecting those he claimed to love.
•
Arabella - man was she relatable! From the moment she ends up at the palace, you’re cheering her on! You want her to marry the king (despite her resistance). You want her to connect with him and then you want her to put him in his place. You celebrate her little victories and cry when she does. There were a couple moments toward the end that I didn’t understand why she did what she did, but I was still so very happy with the end of this book!
•
If you love retellings of fairytales and Bible stories, I’d recommend Peasant Queen! There are a couple intense parts, but nothing to graphic or traumatic.
•
Five stars!!!
Ages 16 & up!
As an Esther retelling, I was intrigued by this story, but it ended up not quite being my cup of tea.
The switching between first and third person for Arabella and Rowan was a hard adjustment to make, but I was tired at the time so it could have just been my brain. :)
Character wise, Arabella came across as a bit high-strung. And Rowan… this man gave me emotional whiplash with his moods. I found it hard to really empathise with either of them.
The plot itself was well paced and interesting. The familiarity of the Esther story gave me an idea of what to expect while still providing some original twists.
My favourite part of the book was Uncle Matthew and Favian. There’s just something to be said for wise mentor figures—so heart warming!
Content: Rowan forceful kissing Arabella even as she clearly doesn’t want it (2x), though he does eventually apologise
The switching between first and third person for Arabella and Rowan was a hard adjustment to make, but I was tired at the time so it could have just been my brain. :)
Character wise, Arabella came across as a bit high-strung. And Rowan… this man gave me emotional whiplash with his moods. I found it hard to really empathise with either of them.
The plot itself was well paced and interesting. The familiarity of the Esther story gave me an idea of what to expect while still providing some original twists.
My favourite part of the book was Uncle Matthew and Favian. There’s just something to be said for wise mentor figures—so heart warming!
Content: Rowan forceful kissing Arabella even as she clearly doesn’t want it (2x), though he does eventually apologise
From the moment I started this, I could not hardly put it down. I did debate the rating, but ultimately, I really enjoyed reading it. It was fairly predictable since it mirrors a well known story, but that didn’t stop me from engulfing it in a couple of sittings.
Rowan and Arabella were great characters, and I enjoyed their developing relationship. I do think the misunderstanding towards the end of the book was a little dramatic; however, it was pretty in character for Rowan to be mistrusting, so it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. And of course, it had to happen some way for the plot to work alongside the story of Esther.
The other thing that I thought was a little jarring was the switch from Arabella’a first person POV to Rowan’s third person POV. I wish they’d both been in first or third for the entire book.
I do look forward to reading the second book!
Rowan and Arabella were great characters, and I enjoyed their developing relationship. I do think the misunderstanding towards the end of the book was a little dramatic; however, it was pretty in character for Rowan to be mistrusting, so it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. And of course, it had to happen some way for the plot to work alongside the story of Esther.
The other thing that I thought was a little jarring was the switch from Arabella’a first person POV to Rowan’s third person POV. I wish they’d both been in first or third for the entire book.
I do look forward to reading the second book!