Cloaked in Beauty: (A Christian Western Historical Romance Fairy Tale Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty) (Texas Ever After) 

352 pages Bethany House Publishers December 17, 2024 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Trust no one in the shadows of the piney woods . . .

Letty Hood has spent the last fifteen years of her life hidden away with her grandmother in the backwoods of east Texas to escape the deadly schemes of an uncle who wants her dead. Now, with her twenty-first birthday on the horizon, she is forced to accept the escort of a stranger and return to Houston in secret so she can claim a birthright that will make her one of the wealthiest women in Texas. If she lives long enough to inherit.

Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael has one duty: get the Radcliffe heiress home alive. Expecting a spoiled girl, Philip is surprised to encounter a woman of rare strength with a kind soul and keen wit. As they journey together, Letty’s resilience wins his admiration, breaking through his hardened cynicism. Yet the threat to her survival grows more menacing with every mile, and Philip fears that keeping Letty out of harm’s way may be just as impossible as keeping her out of his heart.

MY THOUGHTS

Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer is the author’s retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story. I’ll admit I liked her version much better, with the author’s usual laugh out loud humor added her quirky characters and we can’t forget the wolf (Rusty) is it okay to have a wolf as a favorite character and the fairytale like settings the story is magical. From the mansion to going into hiding and the magical forest to roam in with her wolf I was totally captivated.

I think we all need a Philip Carmichael in our lives, a Pinkerton agent he is tasked with finding Letty after she has been in hiding for many years and escorting her home safely. Though he tries not to show it he is captivated by Letty and will do everything in his power to keep her safe.

As the danger unfolds mile after mile with their perilous journey the only one who can keep them safe is letting God take control of this situation.
Will Phillip be free to admit his feelings for Letty or will his formal training keep them apart?

I loved this retelling and greatly look forward to more books in the series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Voted #1 Readers’ Favorite Christian Historical Author in 2023 by Family Fiction Magazine, Karen is a multiple award-winning author and a firm believer in the power of happy endings. She is an avid cross-stitcher, tea drinker, and family board game player who makes her home in Abilene, TX with her heroic husband who vanquishes laundry dragons and dirty dish villains whenever she’s on deadline. Learn more about Karen and her books at http://www.karenwitemeyer.com.

Thank you for stopping in. Peaceful dreams.