Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson Publisher: Thomas Nelson (2020)
eARC (336 pages)
Via: NetGalley
Rating:
Reading Challenges: Read 2020
Synopsis
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, as well as his dangerous mission.
Trapped by not only the duty to her country but her limited options, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her illegitimate son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. 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. Afraid of what Lord Torrington might do if he learns of her son’s true identity, Elizabeth must remain one step ahead of her fragile heart, her uncertain future, and the relentless mystery person bent on her new family’s ruin.
Find the book: Goodreads, Amazon
My Review
The book opens with a scary scene as Elizabeth regains consciousness after her carriage has been run off the road by bandits. She is frantic as she finds her son, Isaac, and then confronts the bandit. The bandit turns out to be Adrian Radcliff, Lord Torrington, the elder brother of her son’s father.
In his attempt to keep his cover as a British spy and to give him a reason for being in Elizabeth’s coach, Adrian marries Elizabeth and brings her and Isaac to his home at Middlecrest Abbey.
This is where it gets really interesting. Adrian has two teenage daughters who aren’t too keen on having a new mother and the eldest daughter is actually to be married within the fortnight. But that isn’t the only drama here. Elizabeth is also greeted by Adrian’s mother-in-law who has lived with him since his first wife’s death years before.
If this doesn’t sound like enough drama, let’s throw in a murder and espionage. Yep, Elizabeth isn’t going to get a quiet life in the country to start her hasty marriage.
Into all of this, Elizabeth finds herself thrust with the goal of convincing everyone that she and Adrian married for love. Except Elizabeth isn’t the best actress. And could it be that her heart is getting involved as well? What will this all mean for her son Isaac?
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It had some twists that I did not expect. It was great to see Elizabeth and Adrian change as the story progressed and they both needed to confront their own feelings about each other and about the situation they find themselves in. If you enjoy historical romance, I highly recommend this book.
Elizabeth and Adrian marry for the sake of his espionage mission for England. What would you be willing to do if you were a spy for your country?
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley for
review consideration. This in no way affects my opinion of the title
nor the content of this review.
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