Customer Reviews

A Rogue's Masquerade

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Katherine "Kate" Draycott is the beautiful daughter of an impoverished country squire. Since the death of her mother when she was a child, her father, Jasper, has kept her at arms length. With no female influence in her life, she spends much of her time riding, hunting, and tending as best she can to the family manor. But however much she implores her father to help manage the estate, Jasper repeatedly brushes her off and returns to cards and wine. The financial situation has become so desperate that Kate realizes that she must marry well, and the famed poet, Lord Ashwell, will do just nicely.

Lord Ashwell is tired of life in London, with all the young throwing themselves on him. He decides to remove to the country, but wishes to remain anonymous. So he convinces his friend to pose as Lord Ashwell, while the poet will pose as a plain Mr. Buckland. After a chance encounter with Kate, she asks for him to meet with her later, with the purpose of telling Buckland of her intention of marrying his friend. Furious, he tells her that he will thwart her at every turn. While trying to woo his friend, Kate becomes more attracted to Buckland.

This is one of my favorite romances ever. Kate and Buckland are such a great couple, very well matched. As much as he despises her schemes, he finds himself deeply attracted to her, and not un sympathetic to her situation. As a reader, you can really feel for her predicament. Her designs on Ashwell are abhorrent to her, but sees no other alternative. At one point in the story, she explains to Buckland that her only choices besides marrying Ashwell, are to either become a governess or become an author. And although she would never consent to marry Ashwell if she did not feel a true affection for him, she still exhausted by her efforts to appear as a "proper" lady.

My only slight problem with the story was the inclusion of the Luddites (a group in early 19th century England who protested against the machines of the Industrial Revolution). It was written well, I just don't care for the inclusion of that much politics when I read a romance novel.