Beautifully Written!

🌷The use of historical facts, old English, 1600's customs paired with swoony forbidden romance was amazing! I truly felt transported, along with Isla, to 1605.

🌷The love between her and Simon is all stolen glances and soft hidden touches that are sure to make you swoon and giggle.

🌷If you love a historical romance with a hint of time travel then this is 100% for you.

🌷Spice: 0

🌷Language: 0

🌷TW: 1605 Guy Fawkes, blood, violence

A Time Traveler’s Masquerade is the first book I’ve read by Sian Ann Bessey, and it most certainly will not be the last! I was hooked by this story from the first chapter and, if I’d had a choice, wouldn’t have put it down. I’ve heard of Guy Fawkes and knew the basics of the infamous Gunpowder Plot, and of the celebrations that still occur, but it was so cool to learn more about this topic.

I don’t read a ton of time travel stories, but I always love the dichotomy of a modern person in a familiar yet unfamiliar world; we experience many of the same issues today as people did centuries ago, albeit under drastically different circumstances. I liked Isla’s perspective, and also appreciated the inclusion of Simon’s point of view as a 17th-century lord.

I will definitely be devouring Bessey’s backlist as soon as I can, and am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series. Strong 4.5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I'm a big fan of books about time traveling! I love watching characters get placed in a time that pulls them from their comfort zone and has them forced to figure out how to survive as well as if choices they make will alter the course of history, or if they are meant to make those choices to make history be what it is. Such a fun conundrum of a thing! Haha!

Isla finds herself transported by to the seventeenth century and definitely is completely out of her element there! But I loved watching her acclimate and learning to trust those who found her. Especially the handsome Lord Bancroft, Simon Hartworth! And how the author was able to plot it all out and make it work was well done! I loved it so much and I'm sooooo happy that this is not the only book in the McQuivey's Costume Shop books!!! Woohooo!!! Mrs. McQuivey was a hoot! And she has perfect timing! Just saying! *winks*

You'll love the suspense, cleverness, sweet love story and how it all pans out. We get POVs from several different characters, the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm ready for more!!!

Content: Clean. Some suspense, some sweet kisses and nothing more.

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

Happy Reading!!!

4.25⭐️ This was such a sweet romance with a very interesting plot. I had heard of the history of Guy Fawkes so I was interested to see how this story would play out. I found it to be so clever and well done. I honestly had no idea how the story would unfold or how it was going to end while I was reading it. But I can now say, I was very happy with how it played out.

l loved Isla and Simon. Both individually and together. They were so sweet. This is one of those books that you just die over small touches or glances, and seriously, who knew a man saying 'okay' would be the cutest thing in the world. *Swoon* When they played that wolf game with the nephews?* Swoon * There were so many small moments between Simon and Isla that I just loved. He was such a good listener. *Swoon*

I also really loved Simon's sister Martha. She played such an integral role, and was so awesome. She was so understanding of Isla, especially when she is basically speaking gibberish. If it weren't for Martha, I think the men would have sent Isla to the loony bin lol.

The last thing I loved was the confusion of speech. When Isla said something so 2025, all of the other characters were so confused. I think that was so well written. It made me laugh a few times. Especially when Simon was confused. His reactions were so entertaining.

I will say, I was completely uninterested in Guy's perspective. I honestly skimmed over those portions. I don't think they were even necessary to the story. (If you're familiar with the history)

To end on a positive note, I really enjoyed this. Shadow Mountain has never published a book I hated. And to give you perspective, I have almost read every single book published by them. Such sweet and swoony romances.

When Chloe, Isla´s friend and coworker suggested her to go to Mc Quivey´s Costume shop in order to buy a costume for the anual year´s Fall Ball, she does not expect that after trying on a gown Jacobean style, next she would be soaking wet, shoeless and in a lawn she did not know. She is left with no other choice but to sheltered from the storm in a Tudor manor. There she discovers that the date is not 2 October 2025, but that she has traveled back to 1605, the time when Guy Fawkes was about to blow up the king and the parliament.
Simon Hartworth, Lord Bancroft is contented with his life, when one night a puzzling woman appears on his sister´s doorstep amid a fierce storm. Her speech is confusing and she is quite peculiar, but when she warns he and his family about a disastrous plot against Parliament, Simon feels like he has to take action. In the doing, Simon can not help but feels drawn to Isla. She uses her 2025´s knowledge to try to shut down Fawkes and his associates attempts to end the political system of the 1600s, but she has to do that without altering history course.
Isla and Simon must stop insurgent´s plot while they find a way for them to be together against the impossible amount of time that separates them.

I have enjoyed this story so much. Historical details are very accurate and I have found very interesting Guy´s and his accomplices talking in the book, as in "knowing" what could be going through their heads in those moments.
The characters are very well written and the scenarios and descriptions too.
Can´t wait for the next in this series, The Maid of Sherwood forest announced as a thrilling time-slip roomance where a modern-day archer finds herself caught in 12th century Nottingham face to face with Robin Hood himself!

Heading into this book, I knew next to nothing about Guy Fawkes (I had heard of Guy Fawkes Day and knew that Fawkes was a villain, not a hero), but I also knew that Sian Ann Bessey's books are awesome (I've read several and they've all been four or five star books), so I was quick to snap up the chance to read this one. I enjoyed learning more about Fawkes and his plot as well as the Jacobean Era in general. Isla and Simon were fantastic leading characters. I found myself really appreciating that they quickly came to trust each other and that Simon's family was accepting of Isla, too; while some skepticism certainly wouldn't have been unreasonable, it was kind of a relief to have them quickly accept Isla and all work together, with the conflict in the book not stemming from internal issues but rather from external. The romance was sweet and the plot was engrossing.
4.5 stars--and I'm so eager for the next book in this series to come out!

I read a DRC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sian Ann Bessey for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Time Traveler's Masquerade coming out April 1, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’m definitely obsessed with this author! I basically have all of her books and have read them. I love her historical romance plots. I’m obsessed with time travel stories. I loved that Isla was from the present day and went way back in history. I definitely wasn’t expecting a Guy Fawkes story, but I loved it! I think Isla and Simon were really interesting characters. I think it was perfect for me. If this is a series, I would definitely read more books!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys time travel stories!

This is an enjoyable time travel romantic suspense novel, which moves quickly from modern-day London to a manor house outside early 17th century London. Isla finds her transported back to 1605 with no idea how or why, and has to work with newfound friends to figure out what it all means. Events soon come to revolve around Isla’s memory from classes of Guy Fawkes and plot to blow up parliament. Some chapters are then told from Fawkes’s point of view. I’ve read several books by this author before, and here as in her other work she has a deft hand at sketches past without making it overwhelm the plot and characters. I felt that a few elements in the plot were glossed over too quickly, and the chapters narrated by Fawkes held my interest les than Isla’s narration. Overall , though, it’s a an enjoyable read and a nice way to dovetail with real events. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own and offered voluntarily.

Generally for me a 5 star story is one that draws me in completely and that I couldn't put down and this one fits the bill. I love a great Time Traveler story especially if it teaches me something about history that I never realized. Again, this one fit the bill. It's just an ordinary day for Isla. Working in Parliament and hoping to make a difference to the world (or her country), she really doesn't want to have to find a costume for a work related party but alas, she must. This is no ordinary costume shop which Isla will soon discover. She finds herself in a world she doesn't recognize and no way back. She meets Simon quite randomly and learns who she is really about, what she has to offer the world. I learned a lot about the "Gunpowder plot" and since British history is definitely not my forte, I loved how the author drew us into the story of that time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this timeslip novel by Ms. Bessey. The initial mode of travel between time periods was a little unbelievable...as is every single one I read. But it sure captured my imagination, allowing me a moment to wish that time travel was possible.

Ms. Bessey's historical research was skillfully woven through a brilliant story set against the atmospheric backdrop of 1605, a time of great political turmoil in England. As Isla confronts the reality of her travel through time, she finds that she needs to adjust everything from her attire to her vocabulary. As she makes the acquaintance of Simon Bancroft and his family, she quickly realizes she has arrived right before a momentous historical event will take place. As she warns her host family, they realize they will need to take steps to protect the King and House of Lords. I really loved the way the reader experiences the story through both Isla and Simon's POV and well as Guy Fawkes.

This story is the perfect blend of fantasy with a riveting plot filled with intrigue and danger, engaging characters and a swoony romance. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a first for me from Sian Ann Bessey and she told a fabulous story of time travel and the Guy Fawkes plot to overthrow the British government and King James. Isla Crawford needs some blue pyjamas for a parliamentary Autumn ball; her work colleague advises her to visit McQuivey’s Costume Shop as she has seen the costume there. Isla goes off to do so and while there, the proprietress recommends she try a gown from the Elizabethan / early Jacobean era first.

When she has done so, imagine her surprise to step out of the changing room into 1605 and straight into heavy rain and fierce winds. She sees a home in the distance and proceeds to make her way there only to be nearly run over by Simon Hartworth, Lord Bancroft, who is visiting his sister and her husband, Lord and Lady Maidstone and trying to get out of the rain as quickly as possible himself.

He invites the shivering Isla into his sister’s home and things take off from there. Initially, everyone thinks that Isla is insane or delusional and are keeping a cautious eye on her. As things progress and she can give them pertinent historical details related to their time, they each try to help her figure out why she has been transported to this period.

The book really takes off when she realises that they are a few days away from the Guy Fawkes plot and she proceeds to identify the key players and the critical information that is necessary to stop it. The story is told not only from Isla’s perspective but also from Guy Fawkes and several events that happen around that time, including the bubonic plague that was affecting London itself.

A wonderful story that I read in a couple of days as I could not put it down. I cannot say enough good things about it, and I am so glad I read it and would recommend it without reservation! I cannot wait for the rest of the time travel series to be released!

I received an ARC from the publishers and NetGalley and submit my honest review voluntarily.

This story was a true gem! From the start, I was curious about how time travel would work, and I was thrilled by how seamlessly it all came together. The author made jumping between different time periods feel magical, and I was hooked from the very first page.

The way the story took me back to a real historical event and showed love blossoming through time was incredible. Lord Bancroft, a noble from 1605, and Isla, a woman from 2025, seemed like they'd never fit together. Yet, their differences only made their connection stronger. Watching Isla navigate her new world and seeing the friendship and love grow between her and Bancroft was heartwarming. Their relationship developed so naturally, and it was a joy to watch.

This book had it all: rich history, family bonds, and a thrilling race against time. Every page felt like a gift, filled with excitement, romance, and adventure. I enjoyed this story from beginning to end, and I can’t wait to dive into the next book in McQuivey’s Costume Shop series!

Here’s what you can expect from this magical journey:
-> Time Travel that pulls you right in
-> A Rescue Romance that tugs at your heart
-> A Fish-Out-Of-Water story full of wonder
-> A Race Against Time that keeps you on edge
-> A Fake Betrothal that adds the perfect spark
-> Real, relatable Family Dynamics
-> The fascinating Jacobean Era (1600s)
-> Historical Events that bring the past to life
-> A delightful mix of Fantasy, Romance, and Adventure!

This was such a fantastic read, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in this amazing series!

I received a complimentary copy of this story. This review reflects my honest opinion.

Absolutely loved this time travel romance!

In search of a Wendy costume to match her work theme of Peter Pan, Isla goes to a costume shop. However, the person working at the costume shop has a different costume in mind for her. This costume just happens to be the perfect outfit for traveling back in time to 1605.

I loved Isla discovering how to live and speak during a time so different than 2025. Luckily, the people she came across gave her the benefit of the doubt and didn’t think she was crazy when she told them she came from the future.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Pub and Proper Romance for the ARC of A Time Traveler’s Masquerade by Sian Ann Bessey. All opinions are my own.

I don’t have much experience reading time traveling books, but this book sounded like it would be a lot of fun, and it explored a time period that I knew very little about before reading it.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Isla, the main female character, was so interesting, and I loved how quickly she adapted to her life in 1605. It had to be quite a big shock for her to time travel so far into the past where she had to adjust to life without modern inventions.

Simon was such a sweet male main character. I appreciated his willingness to change his opinions of Isla after getting to know her. I also really liked his sister, brother-in-law, and nephews. They were all so welcoming to Isla.

Before reading this book, I had heard of but didn’t know anything about the Guy Fawkes’s Gunpowder Plot. I appreciated the research the author did regarding this time period and historical event. I learned so much.

Besides Isla and Simon’s points of view, the author also decided to include the POV for Guy Fawkes. I honestly didn’t really like his chapters as much as theirs. They weren’t terrible, but I just wasn’t that interested in his point of view.

The ending also seemed too quick for me. I felt like the ending was rushed and not discussed enough especially considering what happens to the characters.

Overall, I thought this book was cute, and I had an enjoyable time reading it.

I'll say up front I don't get really excited about time travel as a trope or sub genre or whatever it should be called. But I got into this one from chapter one and loved the whole thing. My husband spent some of his growing up years in England so he talks about Guy Fawkes every year and has memories of the fireworks etc. in celebration of the day. I didn't know anything about his story before that. In fact I always thought my husband was saying Guy Fox instead of Fawkes. So when I started this book I had a vague notion of who he was but not a lot of details about the historic event. It was interesting to get all those details and to get some of Fawkes' POV as well.

I enjoyed the romance thread of the book. I liked Isla and Simon and I liked Simon's sister and nephews. As a matter of fact, I was a little sad that Simon never got to go back and say good-bye to his sister and nephews. It really wouldn't have worked in the story but I still wanted it to. I would not have felt sad about leaving out the plague in the story but that was part of the history and the reason Simon was there for Isla, thus an important part of the story even if we don't see a lot about it on the page.

I can tell you I would not have been able to come up with all the historical details with names etc for pretty much any historical event so I was impressed with Isla for being able to do so. I guess that is why she was the chosen one.

I enjoyed the story and rejoiced that whether it was Isla or some other person, they were able to help thwart the gun powder plot in 1605.

No sex or language
Violence: yes

What a fantastic time travel story! I loved it! The story starts off in modern day, and soon Isla is sent back in time to 1605, by means of a costume shop. When she gets there she is completely confused, she thought she was just trying on a costume and now she is back in time. She meets Lord Bancroft, Simon, and his family. After she figures out she was sent back in time, she proves to the family she is from the future. Then the question is why was she sent back? Guy Fawkes might be the reason. Like I said I loved this story! I loved Isla and Simon! I thought it fun that they had to learn each other’s ways especially their way of speaking. I also loved Simon’s family and how they were so welcoming of Isla and wanted to help her. I liked that we got a dual pov of Isla and Simon but also got Guy Fawkes’s pov! How cool! I loved the way the author incorporated Isla into what happened with Guy Fawkes’s real story. And of course the romance between Isla and Simon was great! And I loved the ending so much!! Overall a fantastic story and I definitely recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

“It will go down as one of the most infamous events in British History”

A Time Traveler’s Masquerade by Sian Ann Bessey focuses on Isla Crawford, who after visiting a costume shop finds herself in the year 1605, in the weeks leading up to November 5th, and she’s the only one who knows about the gunpowder plot. Unable to find her way home, or why she was sent back in time, she works closely with Simon Hartworth, and his family to thwart the most infamous plot in history. Despite herself, she can’t help but feel drawn to Simon, but can they be together when time isn’t on their side?

I’m going to start by saying I loved this book.

As someone who is a big history fan, this kind of book is exactly the kind of book that I can’t help but enjoy. The gunpowder plot is something that I only really knew the basics about. I grew up learning the rhyme, but it isn’t something that I’ve ever really looked into further, but I’m glad that I didn’t, because finding out so much more about in this book was really enjoyable, and it made it more fascinating to me as I was eager to keep reading and find out more. There were times where it came as a bit of a detriment to me, as I couldn’t help but look up what was happening, only to find out about pages later, but that’s more my fault than anything else.

I like Isla as a character a lot. But one of the best things about this book is Simon, and the way he and Isla interact with each other. The chemistry between them is really something else, and the banter was incredible. I liked the way she was trying so hard to teach him about life in her century and him being able to make it light hearted. The entire discourse over the word ‘Okay’ was just perfect. Their romance was also such a sweet point of the book, and because of it being in a different time, I really enjoyed the way that they were together, and I was desperate to keep reading to see if they could find a way to be together.

I do wish there had been something to have tipped Isla off to the possibility of it being the gunpowder plot being the reason she was sent back in time, as I was a little bit disappointed that it was just a case of being asked what would there in London, and her immediately going to oh the gunpowder plot, but other than that I can’t fault it. I also liked that she wasn’t fighting every one for ages to get them to believe her, the way they all believed her not quite instantly but almost, just made me happy.

One of the best things about this book is you can tell the care that went into preparing for it. There was a lot that I didn’t know going into it, and I found the amount of detail made it so much more immersive. I never realised the plague was happening at the same time, or that to this day we don’t know who sent the letter. It just made the book so much more to have all of these relatively small details explained. There is so much descriptiveness in the Jacobean era, that it really felt as though you were there and seeing the world as it was at the time.

One thing I really wasn’t expecting, but thought was such a good addition was the chapters told from Guy Fawkes perspective. It made it so much more interesting and added a whole other layer to the story. You really got that sense of foreboding with them and the kind of unrest and unhappiness that could lead to the kind of rebellion that was planned. I’m not quite sure why, but part of me always felt a bit bad for Guy Fawkes, thinking that it was a wrong place wrong time situation, but this book completely flipped that notion on it’s head. The level of planning that went into the plan, and the way that Guy Fawkes conducted himself made him a much more eerie character than I first thought.

All in all I can’t express fully just how much I enjoyed this book, but it was such an easy 5* read for me.

Isla Crawford is a modern-day woman working as an assistant to a member of Parliament when she heads to McQuivey's Costume Shop to find a costume for the upcoming Fall Ball. Mrs. McQuivey decides Isla needs to try on the perfect costume for her - despite the fact that it isn't what she came in for - and when she steps out of the changing room, Isla finds herself not in the costume shop, but on an estate in 1605.

Simon Hartworth, Lord Bancroft, arrives at his sister and brother-in-law's estate just in time to run into a very confused and slightly panicked Isla. As he and Lord and Lady Maidstone try to help Isla, she eventually confesses to them that she is from the future. After she convinces them to believe her, they work together to try to determine why she was sent back, and what she is supposed to do while she is there, eventually coming to the conclusion that she may just have a hand in preventing Guy Fawkes and the traitors he works with from blowing up Parliament and King James.

This book is very well written and researched. I didn't know anything about who Guy Fawkes was, even though I knew the name and vaguely remembered that there was a holiday in the UK with his name. Part of the story is told from Fawkes' point of view, which really ups the suspense (and stress) level. There is a romance aspect to this novel, but it is secondary to the main plot, as is usual with Bessey's work.

I enjoyed this book but couldn't quite give it 4 stars. I had a hard time picturing the FMC and MMC, and I still can't remember what Isla looks like - tall, short, thin, curvy, hair color, etc. I would have liked some more descriptions of the characters, although the clothing was often described in detail. I was also disappointed in how Bessey chose to end this tale. But this is just personal preference, and I know there are plenty of other readers who will prefer the ending she chose. I can't explain without spoilers, so I will leave you to discover it on your own.

I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the history in this book. I love learning about new things and time periods. This book centers around the Guy Fawkes plot in England, in 1605. The characters are interesting and complex. I loved the time travel aspect of the book as well. Going from 2025 to 1605 would be a very difficult and different world. Isla deals with it spectacularly. Simon, Martha and Lord Maidstone also deal with things very well. The twins are adorable. I really loved this book and would highly recommend it.

•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•

{𝑨 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆}

🕰️ Release Date: April 1, 2025 🕰️
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This book was simply marvelous! I don’t read historical fiction nearly as often as I once did, but I still recognize a well written story when I read it and this one was fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed the blend of time travel, romance, a touch of fantasy, and historical fiction found in the pages of this McQuivey’s Costume Shop Romance. I look forward to reading more in this series!

Isla Crawford spent her days working as a government employee until, in a turn of events, she finds herself stepping through a dressing room door into seventeenth-century England. She had gone to the McQuivey’s Costume Shop in search of an outfit for the upcoming Autumn Ball and was coerced by Mrs. McQuivey to try on an a late Elizabethan/early Jacobean era costume. It was only after outfitting herself that she went to exit the dressing room and found herself in England, 1605.

Lord Bancroft stumbled upon a drenched and quivering woman on his sister’s doorstep and, without hesitation, invited her inside out of the cold and rain. Very quickly the family discovered that this woman was far from ordinary and, after hearing Isla’s far-fetched tales of a time in the distant future, they sought to discover her purpose in being sent to the past.

Watching Guy Fawkes’s infamous Gunpowder Plot unfold in this book was quite entertaining. I enjoy watching history play out in a good historical fiction book and this one brought such satisfaction and joy to my reader’s heart!

The romance found in this story was tastefully written and immensely swoon-worthy! I loved watching Simon and Isla’s relationship progress throughout the story as they traversed through life in the pastures of Surrey and on their epic quest in London.
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I received a complimentary arc from Shadow Mountain Publishing. All opinions listed are purely my own.