A Time Traveler's Masquerade: A McQuivey's Costume Shop Romance by Sian Ann Bessey is an excellent historical fiction and romance that is the first in a time travel series. This book is amazing!

I am going to be honest, I had given up on time travel, multiple time frames, and anything of that sort for quite a while…but something about the cover or the summary just intrigued me. I am so glad I took a chance. This will undoubtedly be one of my favorite books this year. I am not sure how anything can measure up to this!

This novel is based on the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, and the author has taken immense time, effort, and dedication to create a story that is real, emotional, legitimate, romantic, gripping, and just awesome. I went through all the emotions…I even found myself gripping my sweater and my heart racing at several points. The pacing, content, and outcome were spot on. Isla and Simon are wonderful MCs and their chemistry was perfect. There was romance without the ick, history to boot, and small messages of hope, faith, and the promise that we are more to Someone than we ever thought possible.

I am so thrilled that this is the first in a new series, and I cannot wait to see what Ms. Bessey cooks up next.

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing for this wonderful physical arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/1/25.

This book lived up to the hype! I loved learning more about Guy Fawkes' plot and the culture in England at the time of the Black Death. The comparisons to 1605 England with modern day highlighted contrasts - I felt that the time slip element was handled well. I enjoy Bessey's writing style and this fun story did not disappoint!

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

I love a good time travel and this one did not disappoint. It is s set in a century and during a time that is so rich with history. Well written, with interesting and clever characters. Highly recommend and interested to see where and when the costume shop will send the next traveler!

A Time Traveler's Masquerade follows a woman who finds herself unexpectedly thrown back in time, caught in a world of intrigue, hidden identities, and, of course, romance. As she navigates this unfamiliar era, she must unravel secrets, blend into high society, and figure out if the love she's found across time is worth the risk of never returning home. I loved, loved, loved this book! I've always adored time-travel romances, but lately, I haven't picked up many because they tend to be so long. This one? The perfect length! The pacing was spot on—no slumps, no moments where I wanted to put it down. It completely captured my attention from start to finish. I also loved the characters, both the main and the secondary ones. They were so well-written and added so much to the story! If you love time-traveling historical romance with the perfect balance of adventure and romance, this one is a must-read!

In A TIME TRAVELLER’S MASQUERADE, SIAN ANN BESSEY has given us an interesting timeslip novel, that takes place in London, with characters moving between 1605, the time of Guy Fawkes and the gun powder plot, and the present day.
It is an enjoyable read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Shadow Mountain Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

A great story you won’t want to miss
This is a wonderful book to introduce you to time-slip novels. It is a fantastic book by a very talented author. Isla is an assistant to a politician in present day England who had been talked into going to a masquerade ball with her fellow employees. After deciding that the group would go as Peter Pan characters, Isla needed a Wendy costume. Luckily her co-worker Chloe knew of a costume shop. Arriving at the shop the owner encourages her to try on a Jacobean costume while waiting for the Wendy costume to be located. After dressing, Isla opens the dressing room door to find herself outside a manor in Surrey in 1605. As she navigates the intricacies of Jacobean England with the help of Simon, they find themselves falling in love. But will she vanish when her time there is done? Will she have the opportunity to stay? And how long until they could be torn apart? A truly excellent book you will not want to miss.

After going to find a costume for her company's theme at a party, Isla finds herself in a storm with no shoes. She makes her way to a nearby manor and runs into Lord Bancroft who is leaving London to avoid the bubonic plague. In a turn of events, Isla NEEDS to be in 1605 to stop a disaster from unfolding. In this time traveling historical fiction romance, Isla tells the family that she is from the future and they work together to make the events that Isla read about in her history classes happen to avoid a plot to overthrow the government.

This book was outside the normal books I pick up but it was one I didn't want to put down. It truly brought so many genres together and was an enjoyable story.

I loved this romantic time slip story. The history kept it interesting and the wonderful details and descriptions made it almost tangible. You may find yourself wondering about how you might react if put in a similar situation.
I love series that exist in the same world but can be read as stand alone books. This book promises just that.
It makes you wonder if Mrs McQuivey would have a special costume for you as well.

This was an interesting time travel/slip novel. How does someone from 2025 move back in time to 1605 and make it work? I guess if you had a good history background, that would help.

Isla has walked into a costume shop in London, and after appeasing the owner, finds herself in 1605 England. She realizes after a while that she must have a purpose for this travel, and comes to understand that she is close in time to an event that could have changed England forever.

As she works with others to stop the terrorism, she finds romance also. Can she stop the plot and still have love too?

This was fun. The characters were enjoyable, the history good, and the story is worth the time to read. All plusses!

#ATimeTravelersMasquerade #NetGalley
A different genre for Sian Bessey.
Isla steps into a costume shop to purchase an outfit for a company Christmas party and finds herself transported in time to 1605. A time when Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot are taking place. Sian Bessey did a lot of research on the subject. It was an interesting read.

The time travel element of this story is interesting and the characters are engaging. The author goes into great historical detail about Fawkes, which is interesting, but overdone.