Masquerade

[Cheryl]

I would like some book recommendations with the Masquerade Theme in them. I would like it to play a big part in the book, not just one scene. It can either be a Masquerade Ball or one of the characters in disguise.

[Adrienne]

What level of 'hotness' do you require? LOL

[Cheryl]

Adrienne wrote: "What level of 'hotness' do you require? LOL"

Oh, I like them good and steamy!! Of course if it is an excellent book, I can overlook the lack of steam!

[Adrienne]

I know have two on my TBR but could only find 1 at the moment Dante's Inferno Haven't read it so can't vouch for hotness or story content. The other book is romantica too but unfort. title author escape at present will post back when I remember:)

[new_user]

Hmmm... that does sound like a good theme. I could have sworn I read something like that...

[Adrienne]

Appeals to me too! From my POV it's all the secrecy and pretending not to know who the other person is....adds a sense of intrigue to the story.

[Fani *loves angst*]

The first that comes to mind is Midnight Pleasures, because the masquerade plays a huge part in the story until the end. The hero however was completely unlikable to me and you might want to check reviews first.

Also, in Enslaved there is a masquerade at the beginning of the book where the hero and heroine meet, though I don't think it rather important to the story. The book is lovely though, and pretty hot, so I couldn't help recommending it.

Another one is One Forbidden Evening, where the forbidden evening on the title is the one where the masquerade takes place and is quite important to the story.

St. Raven by Jo Beverley, has the hero and the heroine attending together as a couple a masquerade=orgy.

An Offer From a Gentleman is a retelling of the Cinderella story, where the heroine attends a ball and meets the hero but quickly leaves dropping her glove behind. A lovely book.

Something Wicked has the heroine seducing the hero, who otherwise hates her family, during a couple of masque balls. I love that book.

In One Wicked Night, the hero and heroine do not meet in a masquerade but a ball, not knowing each other's identity and after spending a night together she disappears and the hero tries to find her. Liked that book.

And though I'm pretty sure I've read more like that, I can't think of another right now.

[Angelc]

Oh man, this is such a great theme!! I just read one actually, Kathryn Smith's When Seducing a Duke. (I didn't really like it that much though...) But, doesn't the Raven Prince have a masquerade theme??? If you haven't read that one yet, Cheryl, you have to!! It's fantastic!

[Cheryl]

This is so great!! Thank you all for giving me these recommendations!

Adrienne- I added Dante's Inferno, it sounds very intriguing! I like this theme due to the same reason as you, the secrecy! I haven't read very many books with this theme, but the ones that have it I usually really like.

Fani- thanks for all the recommendations! I have a questions about Enslaved- I hate it when in time-travel, the h/h fall in love and then get separated and she ends up with a descendant of his, it makes me sad for the hero left back in time. Is this one of those?
I added St. Raven, Something Wicked and One Wicked Night. I have read An Offer From a Gentleman- loved it of course, I have a slight obsession with the Bridgerton's!!

Angelc- I added The Raven Prince, I thought I already had it in my pile, but I did not! I look forward to it! I also added When Seducing a Duke, thought I might give it a whirl!

[new_user]

Hm, yes, I guess you could say a masquerade does have a big role in The Raven Prince. ;)

[Fani *loves angst*]

Cheryl wrote: "I have a questions about Enslaved- I hate it when in time-travel, the h/h fall in love and then get separated and she ends up with a descendant of his, it makes me sad for the hero left back in time. Is this one of those?"

I hate to say it but yes. Though it's not bad like A knight in Shining armor. In this case it's more like re-incarnetions, so the man she goes back to is somewhat closer to the man she knew, although I don't think he shares the same memories she does about their past. I for one, fell totally satisfied with the way the things turned out; which is not something I can say about AKISA. And the way they part in the past... is way too dramatic. But I love that book so much it's hard to judge it objectively:)

[Cheryl]

Fani wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "I have a questions about Enslaved- I hate it when in time-travel, the h/h fall in love and then get separated and she ends up with a descendant of his, it makes me sad for the hero l..."

Ok, I might give it a try. I read A Knight In Shining Armor and I hated it because it made me so sad!! I cried and cried while reading it and the end did not make me feel good at all! It left me feeling very sad for quite some time. I just kept thinking about how terrible it was for Nicholas to have to go through the rest of his life without Dougless while living with the memories of her and their love for each other! So, if this book is like that, I don't want to read it.

[Fani *loves angst*]

Ok, I had to go and find the book first because I had to ckeck the details again. The way their past is abruptly cut, it is not quite clear what happens to the hero in the past. However, there are over 100 pages still left when the heroine is transported back to present time (regency era in her case) where she meets the reincarnation of the hero and she has to convince him that they're meant to be together. She is convinced he is the man she loved -and not just a relative- and, because of that, so was I. I did feel sorry for them for the way they had to be separated in the past, but I was convinced they did get their HEA after all, so in the end it was a satisfying and even a happy read. I have to say though, that the moment of their separation is heartwrenching to say the least, but luckily it doesn't last long.

I don't know if I convinced you to read it after all, but I'm going to re-read it myself now that you brought it back to my attention. Thanks!

[Verity]

Mary Balogh = A masked deception
Jo Beverley = A lady's secret ; My lady notorious ; Secrets of the night
Candice Hern = Just 1 of those flings
Victoria Alexander = The lady in question
Brenda Joyce = The masquerade

[Cheryl]

Fani- thanks!

Verity- Thanks for the suggestions, I added some of them!