Regency romance with some interesting twists... The Masked Baron by Anneka R. Walker (Review & #Giveaway) @covenant_comm


Welcome to my tour stop! I enjoyed this author's last book, Love in Disguise, and have
been looking forward to this one. Read my thoughts and enter the tour giveaway below...

The Masked Baron
By Anneka R. Walker
Adult Historical Romance, Suspense
Paperback & ebook, 240 Pages
March 2nd 2020 by Covenant Communications

Summary

"Romance, suspense, and the supernatural effectively intertwine in this captivating Regency." - Publishers Weekly

Andalin is accustomed to her father's frequent travels—and to being left behind. So when he returns home and instructs her to pack her belongings, she is bewildered—but there is no time for questions as she is whisked away on a mysterious journey under the cover of night. When their tense flight leads them into the forbidding Black Forest, the pair quickly finds themselves in great peril. With little hope of escape, father and daughter are spared when rescue appears in the form of the mysterious Dark Rider, a notorious deadly highwayman feared by all he meets. But his assistance does not come without a price: he is taking Andalin with him. Now her fate rests in the hands of the enigmatic masked man whose secrets are inescapably tied to the beautiful young woman now in his charge.

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My Review

THE MASKED BARON is a story of wrong assumptions, loss, justice, friendship and love. The characters are endearing and the story sweet.

This felt very much like a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast. I enjoyed the various twists and the constant underlying feeling of danger. There were several nods to the classic fairy tale, but the author really made the story her own. There was this feel of mystery throughout the story and slowly pieces of what happened and why are slowly unveiled.

I adored these characters, especially as they grew on me as the story progressed! Andalin is sweet and caring. She's also loyal, particularly to her father. Much is thrown at her all at once with a very unusual situation and she slowly grows into her role and finding her place in this new life of hers. Ellis is vague and hidden with the mask he wears and in his interactions with Andalin. He slowly finds himself opening up to Andalin and torn between what he feels is his duty and the growing romance with her. The servants were fun additions as were Ellis' friends. The romance is very sweet, but with some sparks in the end.

I had a bit of a time getting into this story. It didn't help that I found the heroine rather petulant in the beginning (she did grow on me as the story went and when she wasn't acting childish), and the plot was just so preposterous that I had quite a time believing anything was plausible. It just didn't make sense to me, and not only in the beginning and when other things came to light, but also in the end with Ellis' sister's situation. I just couldn't make myself buy it, so I think readers' would need to suspend belief quite a bit to enjoy this one, or just take things as realistic without wanting it to be logical or true to the time period. The dialogue wasn't always smooth either and I felt the chemistry lacking between the characters until towards the end.

In the end, was it what I wished for? Overall, I had issues with the story, but still enjoyed it. It's an interesting twist on a classic fairy tale. I liked the characters and the romance was sweet.

Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author


Anneka is an award-winning author who writes all things romance. She graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a Bachelor's degree in English and History. She is a wife, mother of five, and believer in happy endings.


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