Beauty and the Beast is my absolute favorite fairy tale retelling. The Masked Baron by Anneka Walker, while different, definitely gives off a Beauty and The Beast vibe! This story takes place during the Regency time period and includes a brooding hero and a bit of mystery. This is such a unique story! It will definitely keep you turning the pages long into the night.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A very beautiful and unique Beauty and the Beast retelling! I've always been a fan of fairytale retellings especially BnB ones, so I was quite excited to read this one! Quite surprised as this was a pleasant read from a new-to-me author. I really loved the characters especially the protagonist - Andalin! Would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for something different in a Regency Romance!

Love this Beauty and the Beast retelling! I am always a sucker for fairy tale retellings and this is no exception. Andalin (Annie) is a great character. We learn to love her, flaws and all. Ellis is very interesting, as is their love story.

This was fun! And I did not expect it to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling of sorts, which made it even better.
There's mystery, intrigue, and romance. What else could you want? Also, respect for the era and characters that you can't help but adore.

I had a hard time getting into this book... probably because of my mood. But it was cute and I ended up enjoying it.

Delightfully unique regency

This was a delightfully unique regency that I enjoyed! There was intrigue and just enough mystery to keep me interested. This was a complex story that came together well. I look forward to reading more from Anneka Walker!

I liked this story but didn't love it. At times I felt like it was to much like Beauty and the Beast. I also get incredibly frustrated with the heroines stubbornness. Overall, it was a quick and easy read that is very easy to get into right from the start.

After finishing this book I have to admit, my feelings were mixed. I liked the plot, but then I missed so much from the plot. I liked the flow of the story, yet sometimes I felt it was too slow. Overall it was a good book to read. I just wish the story flew faster and had more spark in it. 3.5 stars here.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher via NetGalley. My opinions about the book are my own.**

I’m not sure what happened to the review I had written for this book, but here’s another attempt.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book, and was so caught up in the story that I missed that it is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast fairytale.

The end wrapped up far too quickly and easily for me. I wonder if the author had more details?

The Masked Baron was a beautiful read. I thoroughly enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast retelling, with a Hero that is part Beast(ly) and part Zorro (or highwayman. I only say partly because the Dark Rider is never well-loved by the people from town). I loved having both Ellis's and Andalin's POVs, though the former were so short at the beginning, they left me wanting more. Now, while the beginning took me a bit to warm up to, the story had enough humor and swoony scenes to make up for it (they certainly gave me *the feels * at pretty much all the right moments). I liked the twist on the curse (yes, there's mention of witches and/or witchcraft, though there's also mention of Scripture and prayer), and the fact that there's not only one villain, but at least two.

All in all, this is a clean regency romance retelling of Beauty and the Beast, that also has a side mystery plot, but which doesn't take away from getting to see Lord Ellison Cadogen and Miss Andalin Durante slowly fall for each other. ~4.5 stars

The beautiful cover and mysterious premise intrigued me. I fully expected to enjoy this story. The secrets kept me curious, but unfortunately, I just couldn't believe the romance. The entire guardian/ward situation confused me, even once the reason for it was explained. This had a bit of a gothic vibe to it, and the inclusion of a witch made me think this was more of a fantasy than a historical romance, so I really tried to suspend my disbelief. Solid writing, unusual plot, but the character development and backstory just didn't go deep enough to move me. I never felt immersed, never laughed or cried. I readily admit that I have high expectations for historical romances. I've been spoiled by some masterful storytellers in this genre. This story had good bones, just felt like it needed more fleshing out for believability and stronger characters. An entertaining read, nonetheless.

Yes please!! I will devour anything that has even a hint of a Beauty and the Beast retelling in it, and the Masked Baron does not disappoint. There are similarities but more differences to make the book a unique read as well. It also a bit of Pygmalion thrown in for good measure. I loved both Andalin and Ellison as characters and as love interests. While The Masked Baron is a romance it is quite PG so if your expecting sexy version of Beauty and the Beast, do not go in thinking The Masked Baron is going to deliver on that.
Overall, The Masked Baron is a romantic regency read with a dash of Beauty and the Beast and sprinkle of Pygmalion to make this a fun read.

This was a fun and unique Beauty and the Beast retelling with several twists I don't often see in regency novels! The mystery of the Dark Rider had me intrigued from the very beginning - but like any good mystery there's more to the Dark Rider than I originally thought. Andalin was a fun heroine to cheer for as she tries to navigate her way through a world she has been thrust into by no choice of her own. My only complaint - and as an avid romance reader, this is not a complaint I often have - is that things tied up too nicely in the end. And the ending honestly made me like some of the character less.

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communications for the eARC!

An odd and intriguing Beauty & the Beast type of tale where the magic and beastlibess are all a matter of perception...

Andalin’s life is taking care of her father and his shop and reading stories and telling takes to local children. Her life is simple, sure she’s dreamed of a more fancy luxurious life but knows that us unlikely to happen for her. Despite what the wealthy Mr. Crow thinks as he has set his sights on her a fate she is doing her best to avoid. To protect her and give her a chance for a better life her father strikes a deal with the infamous Dark Rider, also known as Ellison a baron with a dark past and even darker present. The takes about him inspire fear in all so the last place Andalin wants to go is to his home and worse is the deal her father made. In exchange for giving up her old life she can life t TV he life of a society lady with fancy clothes and nice dowry to help her attract a respectable husband.

With little choice she is stuck in a big empty manor house with a skeletal staff of kindly meddling people and she is the ward of a baron who is wrapped in darkness and secrets. And learning to be a proper lady and dressing like one isn’t quite what she imagined. But Andalin is determined to make the best of her new circumstances even as she starts to unravel the mysteries of her new home and the people in it.

Ellison is a man on a mission that has taken up the last decade of his life. Tragically losing his family and then later himself he has only one goal. Until Andalin comes into his life, one good deed with a big of an ulterior motive gets him more than he bargained for. He can’t afford distractions and yet he can’t seem to stay away from the distracting young woman residing in his home picking at his secrets. She might be the key to everything he desires most of he if willing to accept her help. But even as they grow closer there might be a betrayal to big for them to get pass.

The story was interesting and cute and it kept you guessing. Nothing was ever what If seemed and it was nice having the mystery not actually be magical but more about perception and the things people do to survive. It was kind of crazy but very good.

A refreshing new twist on my favorite story, Beauty and the Beast. The backstory is very detailed but easy to understand and the characters unfold very genuinely. There are twists and turns in the story that I didn't see coming, so it was very nice to be surprised. I won't go into to many details as to not ruin the book. But it is a must have, especially if you love fairy tale retellings.
Andalin fears Lord Cadogen, due to his reputation as the Dark Rider and the mask he wears to conceal half his face. Her father suddenly packs her up with her belongings and leaves her with Lord Cadogen; due to a "business deal." Through time, she slowly unravels the mystery of the past and learns to see Lord Cadogen for who he truly is. But will it all be enough to set the past to rest and move on finding a happily ever after?

I loved this book! I will admit that I am a sucker for a good fairy tale retelling, but this one hooked me in. The scenery, the characters, the tension, witchcraft, this had it all! I had trouble putting it down.

There was so much to love about the premise and initial storyline of this book. A mysterious masked baron with the reputation of a ruthless highwayman, some kind of curse/deep family secret, and a beautiful girl who is immediately thrust into it all. I loved the way the story began to unfold, and the mystery pulled me in. It was definitely not your run-of-the-mill Regency romance, and the suspense and romance kept me reading. The romance between the heroine, Andalin, and Ellis was swoony yet clean. I stayed up way too late to finish this story. That being said, I was very let down with the climax and ending of the book. I won’t write any spoilers but suffice it to say it felt way too anticlimactic after the buildup of the plot. Still a good read though, just not my favorite.

It has been a long time since I wouldn't put a book down. This book is a true page turner. There are so many scenes between Ellis and Andalin that are new favorites. Your heart aches for both of them and their encounters always made me hold my breath, wondering what would happen next.

There were two parts of the story that I still can't wrap my head around. First being, who issued the warning in the forest:“Leave! Leave my forest! A curse be on you for every minute you remain near. Leave, and never return!” If there is truly no witch, then who said this. It seems completely against what they claim later in the book, which is my second plot twist that I have a hard time accepting. 10 years? And after the death of her parents, she just leaves? Her rift with her brother needed to have been more drasticn I could have a accepted witchcraft easier than that turn of events and I was still waiting for the author to write they had some secret agenda. And why would there be three beds if the recently returned and the mother had truly been gone for years. Ultimately I felt so deflated after all the built up witch tales and I had a hard time accepting what was written.

Still the scenes of the first kiss, or Eliss rescuing Andalin on multiple occasions and the shared tension between the two keep me wanting to go back a reread.

I was deeply submersed in this book! It created its own world and it was hard at times to come back to reality :) The Masked Baron was a very unique story, while some of the concepts (i.e.: Beauty and the Beast) were from inspiration the direction the novel goes is its very own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review. The opinions are my own. ( and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!)

In all honesty, this book started a little slow for me. However, once the story progressed, I found i loved the characters and the action and mystery was highly entertaining. I enjoyed the details that made the story its own, including the Regency setting that grounded the fantasy-like feeling and the mystery behind the Black Forest and Ellis' family.