Masquerading the Marquess (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "What was a caricaturist to do when she ran out of material?..." (more)
Key Phrases: Lady Simpson, Madame Giselle, Miss Stafford (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Calliope Minton is never far from scandal. And her greatest pleasure is capturing the nobility at their worst. Donning a daring disguise, she poses as a society courtesan to get closer to London's leading bachelor. However, her ruse might have brought Calliope too close to her favorite target: James Trenton, Marquess of Angelford, a man who appears less foolish and more dashing with every meeting ...

James is certain the enchantress is hiding something -- and she is driving him mad ... with desire and curiosity. Already occupied with trying to expose the "artist" who has been humiliating him in the papers, James does not need another mystery! But all the lady's secrets will be revealed when they are forced to join together to find a vanished mutual acquaintance -- and perilous circumstance tosses the marquess's bewitching, irresistible adversary into his arms.

About the Author

Debut author Anne Mallory divides her time between herfamily home in Michigan and her current residence in California, where she works as an information analyst for a technology firm. When not working, she spends time reading for the blind in her community. In addition to being a talented author, Anne is also anaccomplished musician and athlete. Masquerading the Marquessis her first novel and was a Golden Heart finalist for best short historical manuscript.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (September 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060587873
• ISBN-13: 978-0060587871
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #288,687 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Decent Effort For A Debut!!!, September 25, 2005

By	Kristi Ahlers (Illinois) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ms. Mallory's debut effort demonstrates that she does have what it take to be a good author, but there are still some kinks that need to be worked out. One thing that was a problem was the over population of characters.

Calliope Minton is not your average Regencey miss. She is a Caricaturist who just so happens to also play at being a ladies companion, and later a courtesan all with the effort to get scandalous "on-dits" for her next cartoon. Her plan, take down one member of the "Ton" at a time. But, instead she gets more than she bargained for. Now she has stepped into a mystery that tied to national security and her friend Stephen has gone missing and the bain of her existance the Marquess of Angelford is now forced to work with her in order to find out what happened to Stephen. The fact that these two strong willed people set sparks to flying everytime they're in a room together escapes no one except for...Callie and James. Will these two people manage to work together before they kill each other or will they finally admit to the attraction that they can't keep ignoring?

This story had a lot of potential but what kept it from being "great" was the convoluted connections between so many of the characters with little ryhme or reason for the reader to follow. It looks as if she was laying the ground work for a series and this would have been fine except again...too much with little connection. As a result this romance between James and Callie felt forced and was not truly believeable for the reader. One can hope that her next effort will be a tad scaled down with more attention to the "romance" and less attention to building toward a series. Still this was a decent read and I will pick this author up again in the future.

Official Reviewer for Romance Designs

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Funny and a fast read, December 22, 2004

By	Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

MASQUERADING THE MARQUESS by Anne Mallory
December 22, 2004

I read this debut novel by Anne Mallory, and loved it! MASQUERADING THE MARQUESS was a fun romp set in England's regency era. Main character Calliope Minton disguises herself to work her way into the world of the "ton", to help with her career as a successful caricaturist. Her latest caricatures are all aimed at the handsome Marquess of Angelford, and to her dismay, she finds her path crossing with his more often than she'd like (except that he's great material for her drawings!)

The book is funny but along with it there is romance and danger as the two get involved in finding their missing friend Stephen, who had been helping Calliope on the sly with infiltrating the balls and fancy parties. This is one book that could possibly be read in one sitting. I found myself enjoying MASQUERADING THE MARQUESS a lot, and gave it 4 stars. Recommended for those who love regency romances with a lot of humor mixed in with mystery and intrigue.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Muddled. ** Grade: C **, December 12, 2004

By	MaryGrace Meloche (Ontario, Canada.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The House of Avon continues to move forward with light humorous romances. MASQUERADING THE MARQUESS is no exception. It seeks to be amusing and pleasant. However, too many characters and too much scrambled detail fill this storyline!

Calliope Minton is a motivated Regency caricature artist - incognito of course! Her target is England's upper class and culture. She loves to trouble and demean the rich and highborn. Her number one victim is James Trenton, the Marquess of Angelford. Why is Calliope so ruthless? Because she and her mother were once victims of a scheming rogue -- or so Calliope remembers!

Angelford may be a marquess, but he is also a member of an elite society. Men who serve England's foreign office; men who protect the British Empire from distress . . .

For Calliope and James, their attraction radiates and heated sparks fly. Everyone, IN the story, can feel the pull - everyone except James and Calliope. Antagonistically, the two are forced to work together to solve the disappearance of a mutual friend which only leads further into the depths of a dark mystery.

Disappointingly, a contemporary weight is felt throughout the story. And although Anne Mallory tries to convey a heated attraction between the main characters, the warmth is just not felt! Regrettably, this romance is too reserved and too congested! Grade: C

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.