I was so excited for this book, but unfortunately it did not meet my expectations.

Let's start with the positive: The relationship between "Annie" and "Ellis" was quite a dreamy one. They went from enemies, to friends, to in love, which is one of my favorite progressions.

Now for the negative: I think this book has the potential to be really REALLY good. Unfortunately, right now it is not. There were WAY to many plot holes. But, worst of all, the plot was just not believable. I don't want to give any spoilers, but it seemed like the writer kind of half-donkeyed the plot, if you know what I mean. There were big problems and little problems, one of which being why Ellis had to wear a mask indoors (WHY?). Additionally, the heroine just fell short for me. She cried way too much, yet somehow she was heralded as this courageous, bold-tongued woman.

All in all, this book was just "eh" for me. I will be watching for what the author puts out next, though.

Disclaimer: I was given a free ARC of this book in return for my honest feedback. Thank you to the writer and publisher for giving me this opportunity.

I really wanted to love this one but I had such a hard time getting into it. It was more of a fairytale retelling than a Regency story.
The story started very much in a hurry, and I felt like so many things didn’t make sense. I couldn’t understand why Andalin’s father would basically sell her to the Dark Rider or why the Dark Rider, aka Lord Cadogen, would want to make a girl he never knew his ward...or how it was even seen as suitable since he and Andalin were similar ages. So, that bugged me a bit.
There was just one thing after another but throughout the whole of the story, I could never figure out the motives behind the decisions made. At the very end, we do find out the motives, but they still seemed a bit far fetched. I guess the whole story felt unbelievable, especially for a Regency era book.
All that said, though, I did enjoy the banter and relationship between Andalin and Lord Cadogen.
I think this book is mainly about personal preference...it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

This story was a slight retelling of Beauty and the Beast. If you like intrigue and mystery, mingled with romance, this could be the book for you.
Things I liked: the element of mystery - figuring out character's secrets, and the hidden mysteries of the forest.
Things I didn't like: It was quite wordy- more telling than showing. Basically it is a writing style that doesn't really speak to me, but it may to others. (It reminded me a it of Anita Stansfield.)

I was mixing this author up with another author that has the same last name. As such I had really high expectations for this book and while pretty good, it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.

There were a lot of similarities to Beauty and the Beast in the beginning, but took many twists and turns to be its own story. I think it had a bit much going on and some things in the latter half didn’t get the development I would have liked.

It is a clean, fast read if you are looking for something to fill your quarantine time.

This is such a unique and intriguing Regency romance! I was hanging with anticipation with every chapter! I love it when a story keeps me guessing while entertaining me! This one delivered witty banter, a brooding yet charming hero, and a mysterious element that truly was intriguing until it’s reveal! I absolutely plan to read more from this author!

This is a Regency retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a little My Fair Lady thrown in and even a smidge of Rapunzel toward the end. It’s very uniquely and creatively put together. Definitely not your typical Regency romance.

My main problem with it was the tedious pacing. It was difficult to get through. The characters are good with satisfactory growth. There was some melodrama deployed during the climax, which dragged the conclusion out a bit more. I didn’t find the mystery to be very compelling. Everything is kept too vague for too long. I had to suspend disbelief to get through this story.

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this book. The prose was lyrical and reminiscent of a fairy tale, which is appropriate. It felt about 20% too long with just one too many villains/conflicts. That said, I enjoyed reading it and thought that the development of the romance over time was believable and satisfying.

What a captivating story. This was one that took me a little bit to get in to, but once I got past the first few chapters, I was hooked! Even though the story was a little bit choppy in parts, I still fell in love with Annie and Ellis. Watching their relationship develop was enjoyable.

I will admit, I expected a bit more from the bad guy scenes at the end...it felt like they were a bit rushed, just so we could get back to the relationship part of the story. (I like the relationship part, but I like a good bad-guy scene too.)

All in all, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more from this author.

The cover art for The Masked Baron caught my eye and the storyline was promising, but for me, this novel was just ok and a bit flat at times. It was a sweet story but I actually found it way to much like the Beauty and the Beast story (even down to wearing a yellow ball gown) even though I knew it had this theme to it, I was hoping for something a little more imaginative. The setting also threw me a bit, I couldn’t place the story, the use of The Black Forest usually conjures up Germany but this was on the English/Scottish border and then there was Andalin’s last name which was Durante? It just didn’t make sense to me, but that aside, I did enjoy the story and thought the author did a good job on it. Yes, it did skip around a bit and in the e-book version lines of who was speaking ran right behind the other so it was hard to pick apart who was saying what. It did have some nice twists which I could not predict and the unmasking could have been better. Overall I would recommend if you are looking for a sweet, clean romance with no heat, no explicit scenes but just want to read a story. Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

A creative Regency retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Andalin is beautiful, curious and stronger than she thinks. She has heard stories of the Dark Rider and all the embellishments that people add along the way. She is not sure what is true, but she is determined to find out. Seeking the truth leads her to more than she bargained for, but this is what creates the enchantment and magic in this story. The supporting characters in this version do justice to their counterparts in the original story. The story felt a little choppy at times, but I was able to look past this and just enjoy the tale.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions offered are my own and freely given.

The Masked Baron was my first book by Anneka R. Walker. Whooeee, it won't be my last! Ms. Walker has provided readers with a well-written book populated with a stellar cast of characters. This spectacular historical romance has made me an instant fan. Andalin worked in her father's small shop until he left her with the Baron, Lord Ellis Cadogen, also known as the Dark Rider. Ellis and Andalin's story is loaded with drama, humor, spice, action and suspense along with unexpected twists. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover and look forward to my next book by Anneka R. Walker. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

FIVE STARS! This is a superb story. Beauty and the Beast meets Regency era. Wonderful storytelling! I sure hope there are two more stories planned to round out the characters :)

(3.5 stars) - Beauty & the Highwayman Beast 

I was glad to read the acknowledgement explaining that this was a rewriting of one of the author's earlier efforts because it does have more of an amateur author vibe than the previous book I read by her.

Knowing that minimized the distraction that it would otherwise have been for me as I read, as I would have been trying to figure out the change from her last book to this one. So I was better able to sit back & immerse in the story.

It's a really well done "Beauty and the Beast" premise where the Beast is a noble rumored to have become a notorious disfigured highwayman.

Andalin is the Beauty in this story, & her father gives her to the nobleman after the man agrees to take her on as his ward following some mysterious negotiation between the two.

The beginning of the story has a fun, gothic sort of atmosphere, but it takes a turn more towards normal trimmed with some angst once his friends come to visit. I'm not generally a fan of creepy suspense, but it lost some of its dramatic force as some of the mysterious was revealed & it wasn't really sufficiently clear as to why it was all so hushed up.  It's an engaging & enjoyable tale overall, though there are some moments of weakness & occasional clunkiness. 

Andalin is bit too immature, initially. She knew Crow was trying to get her & that he had gone after her father. You'd think her vaunted intellect would have picked up on some sense of gratitude that Ellis had taken her in so her father would be safe from Crow. 

Ellison's character seems a bit inconsistent in spots as well, but I still had no problem sympathizing with both of them & rooting for their happily-ever-after. It's hard to go into more detail without spoilers, but if you like Beauty and the Beast tropes as I do, you'll probably enjoy this, too 

*Clean romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic

Review copy received through NetGalley.

I’m torn with this one and having difficulty finding words to review this. On one hand, it was a super sweet regency novel and I found myself hooked to the page reading it. It was a cute story that I wanted to continue with. On the other hand, it wasn’t very detailed. I found very little description of the setting or characters. It seemed like a lot of the book was a narrative. I read somewhere, I think, that this is the author’s first novel ever written, so maybe this is why. So I found it hard to completely enjoy the novel and feel wrapped up into it.

The story line was a bit confusing too. All the stuff with his sister and the witch, and then her family. I see how it all links, but much of it I found brushed over until it mattered. The character was being secretive but the whole belief of the witch and stuff just threw me. He of all people should know that stories and rumors are just that.

Overall, it was enjoyable, just not a book I’d read again.

There were some fun and unexpected things about this book! While I can't say it became a new favorite, I did enjoy it. I think perhaps I just wasn't quite prepared for how fairy tale-ish it ended up being. I knew there was an element of that, but I guess I would've enjoyed more time spent with the hero and heroine together. I didn't quite feel the romance or emotion.

That said, I know I've read another book by this author and enjoyed it, so I'll look forward to seeing what she writes next.

The Masked Baron is a delightful retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in the Regency Era. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this new to me author.

A rewrite of the classic Beauty and the Beast. The supposedly well educated and sensible female protagonist goes from being terrified by the love interest to finding him desirable almost from one page to the next. In a not sensible way. The big reveal/unmasking was underplayed and lacked the emotional punch it deserved. It was an easy read but not memorable.

I would give this book 4.5 stars because it was a bit unexpected and the mystery evolved unexpectedly.
This is a Beauty and Beast retelling with a paranormal twist. Andalin was thankfully discerning and not given to fear which lead to great interactions in the book. The Dark Rider is resolute in his mission and is a strong character. There were twists and turns such that this retelling is refreshing, unique and a wonderful surprise.
This is very entertaining and a hidden gem. Thank you!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a version of beauty and the beast with a bit of my fair lady in there. I liked Ellis from the beginning. He tried to be gruff but the reader could always see he cared. Annie was a bit rough around the edges at first but through the story she developed into a lady. Overall a great book and I highly recommend it.

The Masked Baron starts out with such a great setting and atmosphere, it almost came across as a gothic mystery. There were some elements of a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but the author definitely made the story her own. I was interested to find out how the mystery of the witch would unfold and who would ultimately solve it and really enjoyed seeing how the secondary cast of friends and servants rallied around the hero and heroine. (I hope the author does another story that gives Ellison's best friend a book of his own!)

Unfortunately, I had a really hard time enjoying the romance in this one. "Annie" is Ellison's ward and she seems very young throughout the story. The romance with her guardian, who seems much older, just didn't work for me at all. There were also quite a few story elements that just didn't make sense and were not believable, which I think could have been solved with one more thorough edit. With that said, however, I do have to say the author does a wonderful job with the mystery and the setting portion and I wouldn't mind trying another book by her.