In this new Regency romance, Elizabeth knows she must protect her heart from the charm of her new husband, Lord Torrington. She is not, however, prepared to protect her life.
When the widowed Lord Torrington agreed to spy for the crown, he never planned to impersonate a highwayman, let alone rob the wrong carriage. Stranded on the road with an unconscious young woman, he is forced to propose marriage to protect his identity and her reputation, as well as his dangerous mission.
Trapped not only by her duty to her country but also by her limited options as an unwed mother, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her infant son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. There she is met by Torrington’s beautiful grown daughters, a vicious murderer, and an urgent hunt for the missing intelligence that could turn the war with France. Meanwhile she must convince everyone that her marriage is a genuine love match if her new husband has any hope of uncovering the enemy.
Determined to keep her son’s true identity a secret, Elizabeth will need to remain one step ahead of her fragile heart, her uncertain future, and the relentless fiend bent on her new family’s ruin.
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Author: Abigail Wilson
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Historical Fiction; Romance
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 336
Date of Publication: May 26, 2020
My Rating: 4 Stars
Lord Adrian Torrington has good intentions, but make a mistake that brings him to a warm and promising future, but not before more than one problem along the way. Adrian set out to spy for the crown, but instead posed as a highwayman, which resulted in a very serious carriage accident that nearly cost three lives, including that of Elizabeth Cantrell and toddler son Isaac. On the one hand, Adrian seeks to prove it was all a misunderstanding, but on the other hand, he cannot reveal the real reason he was on the road in the first place.
Just before Elizabeth fades into unconsciousness, all she cares about is her son. For a brief second she thinks she recognizes the highwayman, but that just can't be so. When she awakens, she is certain she knows who is is, it is the brother of her son's father. As her son is illegitimate, she could not be more panicked. Before long she meets Adrian , and cannot wonder why in the world would the impressive, quiet man would be a highwayman! The last thing she feels can happen is that he discover who she is and of her former relationship with his brother.
Adrian not only reluctantly begins to explain to Elizabeth why he was playing the role that he did, his secret work for the crown, and his solution to their present circumstances, and his solution that protects his prior purpose - he has told his staff at Middlecrest Abbey that she is his wife. Elizabeth can hardly believe the man! Even more, Adrian strongly suggests that the ruse continue, because his work for the crown is critical and must remain secret at all costs.
How will they keep this ruse up? How will they act madly in love as he further suggests? And what of Adrian's grown daughters? Won't they know that something is amiss with their father and the sudden appearance of a woman and a baby?
What a great premise for this story! I definitely appreciate how this book is categorized - historical fiction first, then romance. This is quite appropriate because this story is much more a mystery than romance. Adrian and Elizabeth must find a way to work together to identify the dangers surrounding his family, even as those dangers get closer and closer. At the same time, Elizabeth finds it necessary to keep mum about the fact that Adrian's brother is actual the father of her son. That itself is a very good layer to this excellent story.
I truly enjoyed this book. I loved all of the characters and the excellent pacing. I also loved watching the evolution of the relationship between Adrian and Elizabeth, and loved the drama that I knew would ensue when it came to him discovering her former relationship with his brother. The story was exciting at times, especially the thrilling conclusion. Abigail Wilson is a new name for me, and I am pleased that I got to read this book.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson, HF Virtual Book Tours and to NetGalley for this ARC for review/ This is my honest opinion.
Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, May 26Review at Bitch Bookshelf
Review at The Green Mockingbird
Wednesday, May 27
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Thursday, May 28
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Friday, May 29
Review at Heidi Reads
Review at Amy's Booket List
Saturday, May 30
Feature at Journey in Bookland
Feature at What Is That Book About
Sunday, May 31
Review & Excerpt at Robin Loves Reading
Monday, June 1
Review at Probably at the Library
Interview at Jorie Loves A Story
Tuesday, June 2
Feature at I'm All About Books
Feature at Just One More Chapter
Wednesday, June 3
Review at Rhodie Girl Reads
Review at Rejoice in Reading
Thursday, June 4
Review at Jessica Belmont
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Friday, June 5
Review at View from the Birdhouse
Review at Foals, Fiction and Filigree
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away 5 paperback copies of Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
Middlecrest Abbey
Direct Link: https://gleam.io/competitions/d0CbF-middlecrest-abbey
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I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for being on the tour!
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HF Virtual Book Tours
Thanks, Robin!!! I'm appreciate it so much!
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