Arthur, Lord Claremont finds himself unexpectedly in need of an heir, but loathes the idea of putting himself publicly on the Marriage Mart. When a masquerade provides the opportunity to survey the crop of eligible ladies whilst in disguise, he cannot resist. Phoebe Cartwright was forced to live with her aunt during her mourning for her father. Unfortunately, it was during the Season when her cousin was to make her debut. Fearing competition, her aunt tries to keep her hidden away. However, when her cousin becomes ill, Phoebe finds herself pretending to be her cousin at a masquerade. Arthur finds his ideal bride at the masquerade, but appearances can be deceiving.
♡ THEIR MASKED SECRET by Jen Geigle Johnson
A duke’s ultimatum carries power. James Holbrook and his fellow lords in London have one more ball before they must tow the line and find wives, wealthy wives—One more chance to be frivolous, to flirt, to outrageously flaunt themselves about without a care until the dawn when they can never do so again. With masks on, everything will be done in complete anonymity. And even though James has reservations about such a jaunt, he agrees to at least keep the others’ secrets.
♡ MASQUERADE A-LA-MODE by Annette Lyon
When Charles Ballam returns from war, his former commander, Doughty, is determined to see him happily wed—the least he can do after Charles maimed his hand saving his life. The first attempt leads to a humiliating spectacle involving Charles’s injury. He’s loath to ever attend a ball again. Doughty convinces him to try a relatively new, scandalous method: lonely hearts advertisements.
Mr. Amesbury doesn’t approve of such things, but that doesn’t stop his daughter Clarissa or her companion, Mary, from reading them secretly and then strolling past meeting places in hopes of finding the individuals mentioned in them. When an advertisement with striking details appears, Clarissa is certain that the man behind it is one she could have a love match with. She answers, suggesting they meet at an upcoming masquerade. But identities aren’t what they seem, and her future happiness—or spinsterhood—may rest on the man who placed the advertisement . . . or on his mate, who assumes his identity. Instead of being the man of her dreams, he may be nothing more than a deception.
The mystery that surrounds a masquerade is intriguing enough, but dressing up in costumes that hide your identity is always a treat, especially as we are currently in Halloween season. The freedom of dressing up like someone or something other than yourself is so fun, especially when your inhibitions lower, and things you never thought could be possible suddenly become possible. It’s in this spirit we find three entertaining stories that all surround a masquerade.
The collection starts off with A Double Masquerade by Elizabeth Johns. I was instantly smitten with this story but really fell in love when Phoebe chose her costume, which just so happens to be one of my favorite creatures. The secrecy of the masquerade ball and how obvious fate was in the meeting between Arthur and Phoebe was nothing short of magical. Everything about their relationship is unconventional and I am here for it! A play off of Cinderella, A Double Masquerade is teeming with wit and charm as we see a peacock and a fox play a game of cat and mouse in this utterly charming novella.
Every single moment of this story was my favorite part and I didn’t stop reading for one single second. Can a fox and a peacock find love? You’ll just have to read it and find out!
Next is Their Masked Secret by Jen Geigle Johnson. This novella starts out with a very cute premise and my heart instantly went out to poor Jamie. Who would ever want to marry out of duty when you can marry for love?
Jamie and Merry’s story has a lot more romantic moments that had my swoony heart going pitter-patter. Their first meeting is so sweet and simple yet at the same time holds so much fire and meaning. A very powerful connection binds them to one another, so much so that neither really understand it themselves.
This was such a wonder story that I loved it so, so much!! If I had to choose a favorite of the three I believe this would be it. It truly has it all and I fell so hard that I wish this could’ve been a full-length novel. When it ended I was not ready for the magic to end!
The third and final novella is Masquerade A-la-Mode by Annette Lyon. Sadly, this was my least favorite of the three, though it still was a fairly charming read. In this novella the masquerade doesn’t start out at a ball but in an advertisement for Lonely Hearts, which is an interesting premise, especially for the time period. The author was able to work a masquerade ball later into the story in a very creative way, which I quite enjoyed, and it got better from there.
This novella had more of a sweet and subdued feel to it, which was opposite of what I was expecting, but overall it’s a cute story that I did enjoy.
I must end this review by saying just how much I love this series! It gets better and better with each volume and I am living for it. This is how an anthology is supposed to be written! It is chock full of likable characters, masquerade mix-ups, and love compounded. What more could you want?
Elizabeth Johns
Like many writers, Elizabeth Johns was first an avid reader, though she was a reluctant convert. It was Jane Austen's clever wit and unique turn of phrase that hooked Johns when she was "forced" to read Pride and Prejudice for a school assignment. She began writing when she ran out of her favorite author’s books and decided to try her hand at crafting a Regency romance novel. Her journey into publishing began with the release of Surrender the Past, book one of the Loring-Abbott Series. Johns makes no pretensions to Austen’s wit but hopes readers will perhaps laugh and find some enjoyment in her writing. Johns attributes much of her inspiration to her mother, a retired English teacher. During their last summer together, Johns would sit on the porch swing and read her stories to her mother, who encouraged her to continue writing. Busy with multiple careers, including a professional job in the medical field, author and mother of small children, Johns squeezes in time for reading whenever possible.
Connect with Elizabeth by visiting elizabethjohnsauthor.com to follow her on social media and to sign up for email updates.
Jen Geigle Johnson
An award winning author, including the GOLD in Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards and LDSPMA Praiseworthy's top award for Romance, Jen Geigle Johnson has more stories circulating in her brain than can possibly be told. She discovered her passion for England while kayaking on the Thames near London as a young teenager. History is her main jam. Her literary heroes include the greats: Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. But she has modern sensibilities as well. Six children and an inspiring husband keep her going and make certain she doesn't stay glued to a keyboard or lost in obscure fascinating details of old castles. She once greeted an ancient turtle under the water by grabbing her fin. She waterskis like a boss and hits the powder, falling down steep moguls with grace. During a study break date in college, she sat on top of a jeep's roll bars up in the mountains and fell in love with the man who would become her everything.
Now, she loves to share bits of history that might otherwise be forgotten. Whether in Regency England, the French Revolution, or Colonial America, her romance novels are much like life is supposed to be: full of adventure.
Connect with Jen by visiting jengeiglejohnson.com to follow her on social media and to sign up for email updates.
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Annette Lyon
Annette Lyon is a USA Today bestselling author, an 9-time recipient of Utah’s Best in State medal for fiction (three times for novel-length works and five times for short fiction), and a Whitney Award winner for BAND OF SISTERS. She's the author of over a dozen novels, at least that many novellas, a cookbook, a popular grammar guide, and over a hundred magazine articles.
She’s a founder and regular contributor of the Timeless Romance Anthologies line of sweet romance stories, which she served as editor for its first three years. She's also one of the four co-authors of The Newport Ladies Book Club series. She graduated cum laude from BYU with a degree in English.
Connect with Annette by visiting annettelyon.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
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