Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Fairest of Heart
by Karen Witemeyer

ISBN-13: 9780764240416
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Bethany House
Released: June 6, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
An enchanting Western take on the classic Snow White fairy tale. 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 because of a beautiful, manipulative woman, Texas ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young woman found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence at his grandfather's ranch with the seven old drovers, Titus keeps 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. The evidence points to her guilt, but Titus's heart divines a different truth--one that might just get Penelope killed.


My Review:
Fairest of Heart is a retelling of the Disney version of Snow White but loosely set in 1892 in Texas. This was not an attempt to make the fairy tale realistic but fitted the main parts of the tale into a new setting and filled it out some. This made some parts (especially the beginning and the end) unrealistic. For example, a dog charged a Texas Ranger during an arrest. Titus was determined to save the dog that his teammate shot. Somehow this wound ended up on the dog's abdomen. He flipped the strange, previously-aggressive dog on it's back and pressed hard on his wound, and the dog just calmly submitted to it. Titus then abandoned his duty to help take his captives (one of whom was also shot) to jail and put this injured dog on his horse to canter several miles to the nearest doctor. The dog still didn't object. Fairy-tale, yes? And, seriously, why tear up a perfectly good blanket to make "shoes" for a barefoot Penelope to wear when Titus could have just gotten a horse for her to ride. On the other hand, the author made the effort to learn about corsets since they played a major role, so good job there.

And the core story was good. Even after Penelope was wronged, she sweetly sorrowed for the actress who was so obsessed with her appearance. Her kindness and goodness won everyone over (except the actress). I appreciate that Titus was able to see past the accusations against Penelope and his own prejudice against beautiful women when he was presented with her side of the story (as in, the truth). I like that he sincerely apologized for his behavior toward her and fought his tendency to want to doubt her again. He slowly but steadily sorted through the clues to figure out and then prove who the true criminal was.

Everyone on the ranch were better people by the end of the story, and Titus and his grandfather worked through their guilt over the death of Titus' brother. The main characters were Christian, and Penelope's faith was why she was able to forgive and not turn bitter over how she's been wronged in life. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this story to those who enjoy the fairy tale.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.