MY REVIEW:
“Moonlight Masquerade” is sure to appeal to fans of Regency era romance novels. Its heroine is Celine, a young French widow of an English earl. Bored with her privileged lifestyle, Celine agrees to a bit of “innocent” espionage for the French. In turn, Rees Phillips is sent into her household as a butler to spy on her just in case she is passing along sensitive information to the French. Yet another group of French men are also watching Celine to make sure she does nothing to interfere with their own plans. All these spies spying on each other result in danger for Celine and Rees finds himself torn between proving that she is a spy or finding a way to protect her.
Overall “Moonlight Masquerade” was a good story but at times I became confused about exactly who Celine was working with and the difference in objectives between the two French groups. I really liked Rees and his integrity and would have enjoyed a bit more interaction between him and Celine. I also liked Celine and her lack of arrogance toward those who were in service to her. For my personal preferences, there was just a bit too much thinking going on and not enough action or real danger to keep things moving along.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In this new Regency Romance, Ruth Axtell deftly creates a world where black and white burst into a confusion of colors and no one is who they seem. Axtell’s expert storytelling and attention to historical detail bring the Regency era alive with intrigue and romance.
Lady Celine Wexham seems the model British subject. French by birth but enjoying life in 1813 as a widowed English countess, she is in the unique position of being able to help those in need–or to spy for the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte. When Rees Phillips of the British Foreign Office is sent to pose as the countess’s butler and discover where her true loyalties lie, he is confident he will uncover the truth. But the longer he is in her fashionable townhouse in London’s West End, the more his staunch loyalty to the Crown begins to waver as he falls under Lady Wexham’s spell.
Endorsements for Moonlight Masquerade
“Intrigue, romance, a clandestine kiss . . . all cast in a Regency setting so magnificently detailed I could see the fabrics and feel the glow of another era. Secrets and past disappointments keep Céline and Rees apart, not to mention the largest chasm of all—class. A wonderfully romantic and memorable read!”—Maureen Lang, author of Bees in the Butterfly Garden
“The first paragraph drew me into the story, and the next twist held me there to the end.”—Laurie Alice Eakes, author of A Flight of Fancy
“Moonlight Masquerade is a wonderful romance, graced with expert detail of the Regency period, as well as with Ruth Axtell’s usual flair for intensely romantic situations between characters so real I couldn’t stop thinking about them. Moonlight Masquerade is an exciting romantic adventure of spies, forbidden love, and happily-ever-after that I thoroughly enjoyed.”—Melanie Dickerson, two-time Christy Award finalist and author of The Healer’s Apprentice and The Merchant’s Daughter
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ruth Axtell is the author of thirteen novels, including Wild Rose, one of Booklist‘s Top Ten in Christian Fiction. Currently a resident of Downeast Maine, Axtell has lived in the Canary Islands, Miami, and the Netherlands.
