A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter
Hawthorne House Series Book One
Lady Miranda Hawthorne is in her fourth London Season. It's not that she's a wallflower, more that she wants a man who loves her...not what her brother's title offers them. The woes of being the daughter and sister of a duke. Suddenly, there are two men in Miranda's life. One of them would be against the rules of society to love. The other one, she may be too embarrassed to actually meet.
Ryland Montgomery, the Duke of Marshington, has an unusual life. A path he chose nine years ago has kept him out of society. The time has come for him to return. The problem is that his past keeps getting in the way of the future he wants.
I was pulled into this book and it wouldn't let me go. Loved the story and the characters. Romance that is surrounded with intrigue. The first novella in this series is A Lady of Esteem, Amelia's story.
**Received from Bethany House for an honest review
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/2011/10/bethany-house-publishers.html
Hawthorne House Series Book One
Lady Miranda Hawthorne is in her fourth London Season. It's not that she's a wallflower, more that she wants a man who loves her...not what her brother's title offers them. The woes of being the daughter and sister of a duke. Suddenly, there are two men in Miranda's life. One of them would be against the rules of society to love. The other one, she may be too embarrassed to actually meet.
Ryland Montgomery, the Duke of Marshington, has an unusual life. A path he chose nine years ago has kept him out of society. The time has come for him to return. The problem is that his past keeps getting in the way of the future he wants.
I was pulled into this book and it wouldn't let me go. Loved the story and the characters. Romance that is surrounded with intrigue. The first novella in this series is A Lady of Esteem, Amelia's story.
**Received from Bethany House for an honest review
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/2011/10/bethany-house-publishers.html
4.5 stars
I fell in love with this book and its characters.
And like any lasting love, it was not insta-love. In fact, I almost put it down and labeled it DNF. Thank God for persistance and a sense of obligation. It was the narrator's voice- not first person, yet infused with personality, and one that I was almost ready to dismiss as ditzy. Miranda, starting her story briefly as a child, seemed silly and immature to me. Marlow's story was set up in an unnecessarily confusing way. I thought I could see where it was going, but it was presented in a way that I felt like I -should- know what was going on, but I wasn't 100% confident that I did. As I had little to draw me in to either of their stories, I was just about to write it off when something changed.
What happened? Marlow, the valet/spy, stumbles upon a journal-like entry of Miranda's. His discovery and attitude threw doubt (albeit, ever so slightly, but just enough to keep me turning pages) on my understanding of the current plot outline. I just wanted to see what would happen next.
When "next" turned out to be mailing those private thoughts and then openly admitting it to Miranda, I was hooked. This guy was not who I thought he was going to be. And how was she going to deal with the consequences of what he did?!
After that I really began to appreciate the distinct character voices and frequent, intelligent humor. Especially as Marlow was a little cocky, a little rough around the edges, and you knew just enough to understand why. I loved that he didn't always do what was "right." Sometimes he was mischievous or an instigator. Realistic and entertaining, for sure. Just the way the book was written was enjoyable. For example: *very small spoiler*
"He glared at Ryland. 'Find yourself another lackey. I won't do it.' Time stretched on, the clicking of the mantel clock the only sound as the two men stared at each other. -Chapter 25- 'My lady, Mr. McCrae has arrived.'"
Maybe that's the kind of thing that you have to read up to, to appreciate, but I burst out laughing. And that's rare for me with books.
Neither was built up as the epitome of feminine or masculine perfection. There wasn't a bizarre immediate obsession. At one point, Marlow thinks, understandably, that Miranda is trying to casually fish for information as if she's considering marriage to him, the valet. His thoughts are natural. But before the bad taste could settle in my mouth, her true train of thought was revealed and both Marlow and I felt a bit the idiot for going there. I appreciated what I perceived as a set up and set down for my presumptions by the author. In fact, Miranda really teeters back and forth between her options, including embracing being single, and isn't entirely sure what she wants until the end. And that was well done too. It was in line with her character. Her objections and doubts were understandable, not just the product of trying to make the plot more suspenseful.
I thought the undertones of faith were perfectly done. It's not preachy or pushy, but natural; mentions of God are casual enough that you get an idea of the character's upbringing and faith without having to be told. Miranda turns to prayer when she's at the end of her rope. God doesn't necessarily speak to her or provide divine intervention, but He fills her with calm and clears her mind, allowing her to face her circumstances. Things like that.
I think the biggest compliment I can pay this book is that it reminded me a lot, in style and quality, of Regina Jennings' work. I can't wait to get my hands on another of this author's books!
I fell in love with this book and its characters.
And like any lasting love, it was not insta-love. In fact, I almost put it down and labeled it DNF. Thank God for persistance and a sense of obligation. It was the narrator's voice- not first person, yet infused with personality, and one that I was almost ready to dismiss as ditzy. Miranda, starting her story briefly as a child, seemed silly and immature to me. Marlow's story was set up in an unnecessarily confusing way. I thought I could see where it was going, but it was presented in a way that I felt like I -should- know what was going on, but I wasn't 100% confident that I did. As I had little to draw me in to either of their stories, I was just about to write it off when something changed.
What happened? Marlow, the valet/spy, stumbles upon a journal-like entry of Miranda's. His discovery and attitude threw doubt (albeit, ever so slightly, but just enough to keep me turning pages) on my understanding of the current plot outline. I just wanted to see what would happen next.
When "next" turned out to be mailing those private thoughts and then openly admitting it to Miranda, I was hooked. This guy was not who I thought he was going to be. And how was she going to deal with the consequences of what he did?!
After that I really began to appreciate the distinct character voices and frequent, intelligent humor. Especially as Marlow was a little cocky, a little rough around the edges, and you knew just enough to understand why. I loved that he didn't always do what was "right." Sometimes he was mischievous or an instigator. Realistic and entertaining, for sure. Just the way the book was written was enjoyable. For example: *very small spoiler*
"He glared at Ryland. 'Find yourself another lackey. I won't do it.' Time stretched on, the clicking of the mantel clock the only sound as the two men stared at each other. -Chapter 25- 'My lady, Mr. McCrae has arrived.'"
Maybe that's the kind of thing that you have to read up to, to appreciate, but I burst out laughing. And that's rare for me with books.
Neither was built up as the epitome of feminine or masculine perfection. There wasn't a bizarre immediate obsession. At one point, Marlow thinks, understandably, that Miranda is trying to casually fish for information as if she's considering marriage to him, the valet. His thoughts are natural. But before the bad taste could settle in my mouth, her true train of thought was revealed and both Marlow and I felt a bit the idiot for going there. I appreciated what I perceived as a set up and set down for my presumptions by the author. In fact, Miranda really teeters back and forth between her options, including embracing being single, and isn't entirely sure what she wants until the end. And that was well done too. It was in line with her character. Her objections and doubts were understandable, not just the product of trying to make the plot more suspenseful.
I thought the undertones of faith were perfectly done. It's not preachy or pushy, but natural; mentions of God are casual enough that you get an idea of the character's upbringing and faith without having to be told. Miranda turns to prayer when she's at the end of her rope. God doesn't necessarily speak to her or provide divine intervention, but He fills her with calm and clears her mind, allowing her to face her circumstances. Things like that.
I think the biggest compliment I can pay this book is that it reminded me a lot, in style and quality, of Regina Jennings' work. I can't wait to get my hands on another of this author's books!
Really good Regency novel. Highly recommended!
Lady Miranda Hawthorne has a passionate nature which she has learned to conceal behind an acceptable ladylike veneer while in polite society. As a catharsis for her true emotions, Miranda pens letters addressed to her oldest brother's friend, yet she never mails them to this man she has never met. One day Marlow, her oldest brother's new valet, efficiently collects the letters to be mailed and, unknown to Miranda, includes her latest healing tirade. The letter's recipient, Ryland Montgomery, Duke of Marshington, responds to Miranda's inadvertent confessions, thus beginning a lasting correspondence.
Miranda longed for a husband and family of her own but sometimes struggled with trusting God for her future. Marlow determined to locate and eliminate the spy ring. Ryland avoided his only remaining blood relatives because of unresolved issues while growing up. These very human struggles made the story true-to-life. But there were other instances, including word choices and phrasing, that I felt were not true to the time period. Also, at one point Miranda and a male were escaping some of the spies and were out overnight together unaccompanied. To be true to the time period, I would have expected Miranda's brother to insist upon marriage but he didn't.
I loved the idea of this book. The spy-searching-for-the-traitor storyline was intriguing, Miranda and her family were mostly endearing, and Ryland and his generosity with his cohorts was heartwarming. There were parts where I laughed out loud, segments where I cried in sympathy, and portions where I trembled with tension. But sometimes I was also confused; I simply couldn't follow the logic of the characters. This debut novel by Kristi Ann Hunter was a bit predictable and was not always clear, but it was a pleasurable story to read. I would recommend A Noble Masquerade as a clean, fun novel, and I look forward to finishing the series in the future.
I received a copy of this book through The Book Club Network in exchange for my honest review.
Miranda longed for a husband and family of her own but sometimes struggled with trusting God for her future. Marlow determined to locate and eliminate the spy ring. Ryland avoided his only remaining blood relatives because of unresolved issues while growing up. These very human struggles made the story true-to-life. But there were other instances, including word choices and phrasing, that I felt were not true to the time period. Also, at one point Miranda and a male were escaping some of the spies and were out overnight together unaccompanied. To be true to the time period, I would have expected Miranda's brother to insist upon marriage but he didn't.
I loved the idea of this book. The spy-searching-for-the-traitor storyline was intriguing, Miranda and her family were mostly endearing, and Ryland and his generosity with his cohorts was heartwarming. There were parts where I laughed out loud, segments where I cried in sympathy, and portions where I trembled with tension. But sometimes I was also confused; I simply couldn't follow the logic of the characters. This debut novel by Kristi Ann Hunter was a bit predictable and was not always clear, but it was a pleasurable story to read. I would recommend A Noble Masquerade as a clean, fun novel, and I look forward to finishing the series in the future.
I received a copy of this book through The Book Club Network in exchange for my honest review.
Lisa G. (plum-marie) -
This had all my favorite elements from this genre, the kind that make me want to read the book in one sitting and forget about sleep and other important things. Adventure, wit, the dancing and still a little of life in the country, memorable characters, laugh out loud scenes, sweet romance, clean content.
Got a little slower towards the end, when I started to wonder if just maybe the author was dragging out their getting together a little much. Also some confusion on who was responsible for what "Marlow" was trying to figure out from the beginning.
Other than that really enjoyed my first read from this author. Religious parts were scattered and not too preachy. One scene reading from scripture but otherwise just a lot of heaven sent pleas or prayers. Didn't feel out of place with everything else going on.
Got a little slower towards the end, when I started to wonder if just maybe the author was dragging out their getting together a little much. Also some confusion on who was responsible for what "Marlow" was trying to figure out from the beginning.
Other than that really enjoyed my first read from this author. Religious parts were scattered and not too preachy. One scene reading from scripture but otherwise just a lot of heaven sent pleas or prayers. Didn't feel out of place with everything else going on.
