Andalin is accustomed to her father’s frequent travels—and to being left behind. So when he returns home and instructs her to pack her belongings, she is bewildered—but there is no time for questions as she is whisked away on a mysterious journey under the cover of night. When their tense flight leads them into the forbidding Black Forest, the pair quickly finds themselves in great peril. With … little hope of escape, father and daughter are spared when rescue appears in the form of the mysterious Dark Rider, a notorious deadly highwayman feared by all he meets. But his assistance does not come without a price: he is taking Andalin with him. Now her fate rests in the hands of the enigmatic masked man whose secrets are inescapably tied to the beautiful young woman now in his charge.
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One of my favorite fairy tales is Beauty and The Beast. This adaptation is not like others I have read. The magic and twists in this story make it fresh and original and completely delightful.
I was absolutely enthralled in this story. Andalin and Ellis have amazing chemistry and are well written. They take some time to get a long and know each other which makes for a beautifully written story.
The Masked Baron brings elements of the supernatural, the importance of family and the sacrifices that people will make for family, and of course romance.
Once I picked this story up, it was nearly impossible to put down. I am eager to read anything that Anneka Walker writes.
There’s not much better than a strong hero who is enshrouded in secrecy and this devilishly sweet highwayman was more than I hoped for. The mask and all it encompassed was so attractive and intriguing.
This author is fairly new to me, but I devoured her first book and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are threads of the beloved tale, Beauty and the Beast, woven throughout this marvelous story, which immediately endeared it to me. As the tale progresses and the reader is taken through the mists of mystery, danger, revenge, and love, my whole heart was captured. That mask had me so attentive to the story and I was desperate for Andalin and the Dark Rider to connect and let it fall.
Andalin is such a curious girl, but she’s determined, willing, and accepting. While the Dark Rider has an agenda and leads a home of extreme loyalty and big secrets, his character is completely protective and upstanding, and I fell hard for this peculiar man and his heart of gold. In fact, I loved every character and interaction in this mystical story.
Walker magically transported me into a world that I didn’t want to leave and I’m anxiously awaiting more great books from her!
Content: mild romance; moments of peril/danger; very mild violence
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
Wow! The Masked Baron, by Anneka R. Walker is a fantastic story! I loved the Beauty and the Beast retelling with such flair. The subtle nods to the movie made me smile. I love the movie and it’s so fun to get to picture these little details in this lovely book. The characters were so well-written! There’s a lot depth to them and so much mystery involved. Such strong elements of revenge, fear, endurance, kindness, faith, and strength through love and truth. I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who loves beautiful clean love stories with storybook endings!
I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions are my own and are expressed voluntarily.
The Masked Baron was a unique take on a retelling of Beauty and the Beast during the Regency era with a mystery weaved throughout that I really enjoyed.
At the beginning of the story, Andalin seemed a little spoiled to me. She understood why certain security measures were necessary, yet she spent a whole lot of time complaining about them to people who were only ever nice to her. While it took me a bit to warm up to Andalin due to her childish behaviour, I did end up liking her and her curious, forthright, spunky personality.
“Fear is natural. But ye shouldn’t dwell on it. It can be consuming. It’s better to look for solutions, for peace, for answers. Ye seem like someone who would want answers.”
Ellison is the dark brooding mystery man that everyone wants to know more about. The stories about him as the masked rider continue to grow more elaborate, but how much of it is really true?
“Do not let the bitterness of the past leave no room for reconciliation.”
This book shows us the consequences when people spread stories about other people that aren’t true and how important it is to get to know people for who they really are.
“The only person you will hurt by not forgiving is yourself”
The Masked Baron was such an enchanting novel, I really enjoyed this book! While there is definitely a Beauty and the Beast vibe, I loved all the mystery in this romance and the way the plot unfolded surprising me at times. The Baron, Lord Ellis Cadogen, was such a great character. I love his loyalty and determination. Andalin was a well written female lead and I enjoyed how the story was told from both main characters’ perspectives. There is this fantastical element to this Regency romance that I found to be so unique and added depth to the story. Seriously, such a fun book to get lost in.
I received an advance copy of this novel, this review is being left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.