I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure what genre I was reading until the end. There were some twists and turns that left me guessing.

Oh my goodness! What a thrilling adventure this book was!
The beginning had a 'fairytale-ish' feel to it ~ with the lurking Black Forest, and the dashing 'Dark Rider'. Kind of like a mixture of 'Beauty and the Beast' and SnowWhite - (without the dwarves). But then it got really interesting, and just took off - and became quite suspenseful! It was hard to put it down and kept my thoughts occupied even when I wasn't reading.
Andalin (Annie) is a sweet girl who longs for adventure, and boy does she get her share of it! She is naturally curious and finds herself in one situation after another.
Ellis is so misunderstood, and has so many secrets! He is truly kindhearted, but is dealing with so much loss, that he doesn't know who he is anymore. The mask hides more than his face...
This book had so many twists and turns! And so many things that I did NOT see coming!
I enjoyed it all the way through and especially loved the end!
Satisfying sweet romance and great chemistry.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I am not required to leave a review.
I highly recommend this book if you love adventure and suspense! It was worth my time to read!!

3.5-4*

I love Beauty and the Beast! It's one of my favorites. And Cinderella. They take me back to my childhood when I only had like 5 movies to watch and I rewatched them a million times. One of those was Cinderella. Then when I was still really young, my mom took me to see Beauty and the Beast at the movie theater. It was beyond magical for me and I couldn't get enough. For Christmas that year my grandparents and parents and siblings all gave me B&B paraphernalia. It was the best!

This was a fun Regency spin on this beloved classic. The mystery of the Dark Rider, the Black forest and its secrets, the witch, the man after Andalin's hand in marriage, her father's fears, and the secret that the staff is continuing to protect.

It took me a little bit to get into the story but I really felt like it took off and kept my attention when Andalin started feeling settled into Ellison's home and befriending the staff as well as not feeling so lonely. The romance was slow paced as Ellison was Andalin's guardian and was trying to pursue a marriage match for her and help her to learn how to become a lady. Of course, once they start to interact more and Ellison isn't disappearing on his secret excursions into the Black Forest, the friendship between he and Andalin starts to grow and develop further. I felt like Andalin's character seemed a little young for him but the author shows their ages at one point that I didn't feel like their age difference was so big. But then again in that time period there were marriages between men and women that were a lot bigger of an age gap.

I kept anticipating the ending and trying to figure out how the author was going to tie it all together. I thought it was very creative. I wasn't expecting one part of it, although I had a similar thought but in a more round about way than what it ends up being.

I'm looking forward to more books by this author. My daughters and I loved her book, Love in Disguise. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Content: Clean.

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast to me even though there was no mention of this in the snippet provided by publisher. This was an sweet read and recommend for readers who enjoy retellings or happily ever after romances.

I'm not sure if it was the writing style or the character development, but this book didn't ring true for me. I felt it lacked a lot of foundation that is required to draw the reader in and become connected to the characters. The heroine didn't make much sense to me, particularly how she reacted to the whole situation of being placed with the Baron. I didn't understand why she was placed there, and she questioned it briefly and then went about her life. It felt too neat, and there wasn't enough explanation as to why she was there. The Masked Baron also seemed really off to me - is a villain? Is he her guardian, her fiance, her worst nightmare? I don't know. Neither does she. She spends part of her time standing up to him and fighting her fate, and the other half she's enjoying what the situation brings her. Her character seemed very surface-level to me, and I think it would have made for a more enjoyable read if she had been developed further. Better explain her history, her way of life before the baron, and her decision making real-time. Instead we're told what happens, rather than shown. Not my idea of an enjoyable story to read.

Romance, clean, period;
This was a clever retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. Andalin/Annie and Ellison/Ellis (the Dark Rider)'s story is a clever re-imagining of the Beauty and the Beast story without the magical elements although they are hinted at in the novel.
My only wish for this was a bit more coherence and could have used just a bit more editing to get the story to intensify and help you engage a bit more. The premise, story line/plot, setting, characters, and all were good though, and the novel was well-done other than that bit of intensity that makes me want to re-read, savor details and race to the finish of the novel (the all-nighter kind of read).
Still a fun re-imagining, and I hope to read more by this author as she finds her voice more.

The Masked Baron posed an interesting dilemma. Could the mask really not be hiding a disfigured beast. What appears to be a story based on the famous, Beauty and the Beast, this book begins with Andalin, taken by Ellis, the Masked Baron, after an agreement he makes with her father.
The relationship between Andalin and Ellis grows slowly, and it was delightful to see it unfold. Ellis’ strength of character, having faced many hardships, make him a fascinating character. Andalin’s youth is evident at the start but she matures as her relationship does. This is a story immersed in mystery and revenge, yet the romance never diminishes.
This is a story that will have you turning the pages very quickly to uncover the story behind the mask. I look forward to more books by this author.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

#TheMaskedBaron #NetGalley

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Andalin must leave her life with her father and live at the edge of the black forest, with a masked man, most call the dark rider, who lives as a baron. The baron-Ellison and his servants, attempt to make Adalin into a lady. The baron is trying to prepare Adalin to be introduced into society, and ready her for marriage. The baron mouns the loss of his family and roams the dark forest, looking for the witch who destroyed his father and mother. Adalin longs to solve the mystery, surrounding the baron, and will stop at nothing to find out his secrets.

I enjoyed this interesting take on Beauty and the Beast. It read far differently than a standard regency romance, which was a fun change! The plot line was incredibly intriguing, and I thought the resolutions were creative. The romance, once it started, was so sweet and the little snippets of humor had me laughing at parts. And, I cannot give a review for this book without praising that gorgeous cover!

Unfortunately, some parts of the book dragged for me, and I did not get into the storyline until about 40% of the way in. I felt like the first half of the book was all setting the stage, and the story didn't really grasp me till all of that concluded. During that first half, I was a little confused as to the motivations behind most of the character's actions and some scenes did not fully feel developed. Then, Andalin's personality revamps almost overnight, and once it did (about halfway through), I enjoyed being in her head and seeing from her perspective. The romance was satisfying and swoon-worthy once the story picked up, and I thoroughly enjoyed the second half of thus book! For that reason, I have rated this 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for a copy of this book.

A cute and fun alternate telling of Beauty and the Beast, with highwaymen and HUGE misunderstandings. I enjoyed it, but felt both the hero and heroine’s reasoning needed to be deeper and more fleshed out.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book will draw you in from the very first page! I loved the mystery of the mask and the situations that the characters find themselves in-- SO. SO. SO. GOOD! Loved this book! It is amazing!

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales, especially for retellings! This book definitely brought the moodiness and uncertainty to life as Andalin's small world is upended and she comes to live at the neglected estate of a reclusive masked baron. 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. It didn't feel predictable or cliché. I especially enjoyed watching Andalin and Ellis warm up to each other and begin to understand the nuances of their personalities. There were a few things that didn't quite add up for me, and some scenes where I thought more development would have been beneficial, but overall it was an intriguing story with a cast of characters that were vibrant and memorable. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

This is my first book by this fairly new author but if all of her books capture and hold my attention like this one did, it won't be my last. I didn't want to put it down. There's so much to love about this story. First, there's the Dark Rider--is he a highwayman to be feared as the stories in the surrounding towns say he is? There's Andalin, whose father brings her to the home of the Dark Rider to live, but why does he do it? And there's a Beauty and the Beast feel to the story for all of us who still love fairy tales.

Andalin/Annie is a far braver girl than I would ever hope to be. She willingly goes with her father to the home of a man who she discovers is the infamous Dark Rider. At first she doesn't know why Ellison/Ellis wants her there so she makes things a little harder on him (and herself) until she realizes she's been acting like a child, then she starts changing her attitude. There's no way I would've followed anyone into the dark forest at night; just reading about it was enough for me.

Ellison/Ellis was so mysterious. From the beginning I doubted that the stories about the Dark Rider were true. That's the only thing I got right in this story. The reason why Ellison wears a mask isn't what you'd think. One of my favorite scenes is when Andalin sees him without the mask. He's a wonderful character and I fell in love with him before the end of the book.

I was surprised at the twist towards the end of the book. I call it a twist because it wasn't what I thought was going to happen and it took me completely by surprise. One of the best parts is there's a happily ever after for more than one character. *sigh* I look forward to more wonderful stories by this author.

I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts expressed in my review are my own. I enjoyed this book so much I bought a copy for my personal collection.

Andalin grew up with her father as a shopkeeper's daughter, until one day, soon after a most undesirable proposal, he spirited her away to the Black Forest, where she was left with a masked man known as the 'Dark Rider', stories of whose exploits she had been telling kids to entertain them for years. He says he is making her his ward and has her taught to be a lady - but can she trust him? And why does he wear a mask and go riding out in the forest at full moon?

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but didn't really love it, due to semi-occasional errors/inconsistencies sprinkled throughout (more comments below). There was an interesting bit of mystery that gradually unfolded over the course of the story, and I enjoyed getting to know some of the characters. Note that the content is clean, which was good.

As far as the errors mentioned above are concerned, I give one example below, though it wouldn't be hard to find others. It's the sort of thing that isn't critical to the story, but was enough to disturb my enjoyment of it by distracting me from the point with incorrect word usage (like a shout 'rifling' though a forest) or situations that didn't quite make sense (a good editor could probably have made all the difference to my enjoyment of the story). All in all, if you're not fussed by such small problems, you might really enjoy this story - but if you are, you might find it annoying. 3.5 stars.

** Examples of things that annoyed me: I noticed two particular occasions in this book where people were hurt. In the first case, being thrown from a wagon tore Andalin's father's sleeve and damaged his arm/shoulder in places 'to the bone' (which seems extreme in itself), but apparently there was no blood - certainly there was no attempt to stop any bleeding, and the bone must have been visible, which likewise suggests an illogical lack of blood. I read this passage three times to try to make sense of it all, and ended up giving up. On the second occasion, someone had been hit on the head and blood was 'oozing' from the cut - in which case there seems to have been considered urgent need for a 'heavy bandage'. **

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

A great mix of mystery and romance. Sweet story of loves healing power, finding redemption and forgiveness.

Regency Beauty and the Beast? Sign me up!

This is such a unique story. While it technically takes place in the Regency era, the details of the area are sparse enough that it still manages to maintain a fairy tale atmosphere -- especially since it also contains many elements from the Beauty and the Beast storyline.

One of my favorite elements that sets this one apart from other B&tB imaginings is that most of the "beastly" elements are found within Ellis' mind. Yes, he wears his mask and masquerades under his "Black Rider" persona, but the darkest elements lie internally; his anger, anguish, bitterness, and despair from the past 10 years - have all turned him into a difficult individual.

At first, I found Ellis' character to be confusing. His unpleasantness feels a little forced -- but then I remembered that it actually IS forced -- this isn't his natural nature. It also doesn't help that he's worn the "Black Rider" facade for so long, sometimes it seems like he forgets that it really isn't him. He snaps and snarks on occasion in part because he feels ugly - he feels despair - and he just needs to bark at someone. I love seeing that aspect of his character soften as the story progresses.

Andalin/Annie shines as an obstinately cheerful counterpart to Ellis' broody nature. She feels "real" as she begins navigating social circles she never lived in before her time as Ellis' ward. We see her uncertainty and her shortcomings as much as we see her strengths and successes. The peripheral characters are also delightful (love those servants) and I desperately want to see a sequel that follows Kerrigan. The story wraps up nicely but would have benefited from an epilogue.

Blush Factor: Non-Existent. Just a few chaste kisses- nothing more.
Language: Squeaky Clean
Violence: It's there, but very mild and non-graphic.

I look forward to reading this again at a later date -- it's a keeper!

Thank you, author and publisher, for sharing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have to say that usually I would shy away from this kind of book, but I am glad that I read it because I did enjoyed it, and it was a nice departure from the books that I usually read.

Andalin and her father have always lived in the small village of Corbridge, and one day they leave the village in a hurry and travel into the Black Forest.. As they are about to be attacked by wolves, Lord Cadogen, the Dark Rider, appears and saves them from men traveling with wolves. The Dark Rider, is known throughout the land as a highwayman. Much to her dismay, she soon discovers that her father and Lord Cadogen have arranged for her to become the ward of Lord Cadogen, and to eventually become Lord Cadogen's heir. Lord Cadogen plans to prepare her to enter society and find a husband. Her father has agreed to this arrangement in order to save her from Lord Crow, a true rake who has asked for Andalin's hand in marriage, and her father has refused.

Secrets abound at Braitwood Hall, and Andalin would like to discover them. This book has a lot going on it: an evil suitor, a lost sister, secrets about Andalin's past, a "witch,"and a highwayman. The novel reminded me of reading a fairytale, and it had a sweet ending.

Andalin is basically forced to leave her father, her only family, to live with the infamous Dark Rider. His mask is the least of her misgivings when so many stories of his reputation plagued her mind. Ellis is grieving for the loss of his family and believes making Andalin his ward to help but she doesn’t trust him and he doesn’t blame her. He has too many secrets and a curse follows him. Can he really help her or will she be cursed too?

Such intrigue had me guessing throughout the whole story. I loved the Beauty and the Beast pieces but this was so much more than the regular story. And Ellis was perfect, plus I pictured him like Westley aka the dread pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride, so how can that be bad?

Walker weaves a mesmerizing story with endearing characters from the household staff to friends. Every character is perfect and even the Black Forest is as misunderstood and just as much a character like Ellis.

I couldn't put this down and kept my attention from the very beginning. I can't wait to read more from Walker in the future! Thank you to Net Galley and Covenant Communications for the chance to read this!

2.5 stars

I received at an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Masked Baron intrigued me, between its straighforward, yet suspenseful title, to the blurb which conveyed a semi-Gothic atmosphere and a lot of intriguing questions that needed answering. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me.

The setting is incredibly atmospheric, and I felt the evocative nature of the Black Forest was well conveyed. And the central mystery, surrounding the titular character, concludes in a satisfying way, exploring why Ellis chose to adopt the masked persona and providing closure for the demons of his past.

However, in other aspects, the story felt very confusing. Others have mentioned the story being a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but I did not find tho aside from Ellis’ overall arc. And I felt nothing for Annie, finding her more frustrating in her stubbonrness than anything else, but given my mixed experiences with Gothic heroines, this is not surprising.

I did feel like some of the secondary characters, especially the loyal servants, redeemed the story to an extent, and I think I would have liked a story exploring them and their relationship with Ellis a little more, especially since it would amplify the Beauty and the Beast connection, particularly with some of the more modern and well known incarnations.

This was a bit of a disappointment, but perhaps another reader who likes Gothic and fairytale inspired stories will like this a bit more. It seems to have garnered a mixed early reception, based on some of the reviews I read after finishing for comparison, so it’s very possible some people will enjoy it.

This story is a nod to Beauty and the Beast. While it doesn't follow the fairy-tale exactly it is obvious enough to see likenesses in it. But instead of having a mystical castle with enchanted servants the mystical part lays in the story of the witch and the dark forest. The servants are all normal humans that are loyal to their master. Things like that are stark differences that make the story Ms. Walker's own instead of copying the fairy-tale.

The story takes most of the book to unfold. There are secrets that the reader doesn't get to know about before the reveal to the characters so I really couldn't guess how it was all going to play out. Kept me wondering the whole time. I kept trying to guess the last secret and I was pretty much all wrong. The secret stayed a secret until it was revealed.

There are multiple villains in the book and a number of side characters that added to the story. There could be additional books about some of those characters in the future. They were rounded out to be real people enough to make me want to see their happily ever after too. I can guess how things went for two of them but Miss Dubois is mysterious enough to have anything happen in her story.

I enjoyed the story overall though I think I liked the hero better than the heroine. But I kinda find that to be the case in the fairy-tale too so it pretty much fits.

Sex: kisses
Language: no
Violence: yes
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book through Netgalley and voluntarily chose to review it.