What do you think?
Rate this book
Warrender Saga #12
Masquerade with Music
She couldn't reveal her true identity
Nor could Kate reveal it had been her ambition to become an opera star that prompted her to take a job in London with her famous uncle, Oscar Warrender.
Two men were prepared to help her: Carlo, a handsome baritone who saw Kate as a way of furthering his own career; and Van, a musical journalist who seemed to want the best for her -- but on his own terms.
She needed them both... but her heart could choose only one.
Nor could Kate reveal it had been her ambition to become an opera star that prompted her to take a job in London with her famous uncle, Oscar Warrender.
Two men were prepared to help her: Carlo, a handsome baritone who saw Kate as a way of furthering his own career; and Van, a musical journalist who seemed to want the best for her -- but on his own terms.
She needed them both... but her heart could choose only one.
188 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1982
25 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Mary Burchell
162 books84 followersIda Cook was born on 1904 at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland, England. With her eldest sister Mary Louise Cook (1901), she attending the Duchess' School in Alnwick. Later the sisters took civil service jobs in London, and developed a passionate interest in opera. The sisters helped 29 jews to escape from the Nazis, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honored as Righteous Gentiles by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel.
As Mary Burchell, she published more than 125 romance novels by Mills & Boon since 1936. She also wrote some western novels as James Keene in collaboration with the author Will Cook (aka Frank Peace). In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: "We followed our stars". She helped to found the Romantic Novelists' Association, and was its president from 1966 to her death on December 22, 1986.
As Mary Burchell, she published more than 125 romance novels by Mills & Boon since 1936. She also wrote some western novels as James Keene in collaboration with the author Will Cook (aka Frank Peace). In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: "We followed our stars". She helped to found the Romantic Novelists' Association, and was its president from 1966 to her death on December 22, 1986.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 12, 2022
An entertaining story and a great way to wind down the series. Interestingly enough, this is the one book where the author allows you to get close to Oscar. The more I got to know him, the more I liked him; surprisingly, I liked him a lot. He was the next best character in the story - the first being Anthea.
I loved how Oscar accepted Olga , that is Kate, and was committed to helping her get started. I liked that he recognized and accepted Kate's mom (even though she was a bit of a train wreck) for who she was. She made his brother happy and that was good enough for him. He accepted her on her terms, which isn't what we all would like in life?
The only negative was Olga , that is Kate, and her love interests. All three characters were annoying.
I loved how Oscar accepted
The only negative was
August 15, 2016
This is the twelfth book in the Warrender Saga and a re-read for me. The book opens and closes with scenes of Oscar and Anthea Warrender. In the opening scene they are discussing Oscar's brother - his gossip columnist wife and his stepdaughter (the heroine). Oscar has never met his sister in-law and doesn't want to, but the stepdaughter is on her way to England and he's expecting a visit. The heroine, knowing her mother's pushy ways, has altered her name and is going to work as his temporary secretary. She hopes she can get to know him and then have him hear her sing.
Hence the "masquerade" in the title.
Heroine meets two men on first day on the job. The hero, who is a music journalist and the OW, who is a flirty baritone taking part in Oscar's latest production of Don Giovanni. The hero is writing a biography of Oscar and knows that heroine is his step-neice because he has a picture of as a teen with her parents. Heroine steals the photo before Oscar can see it. Hero doesn't give her identity away. He also has an ax to grind since he was involved in a libel case against heroine's gossip-columnist mother. (His sister had that same name as the person in the gossip column.) So there's lots of hostility and suspicion on both sides - yet attraction and some interesting banter.
The baritone is interested in the heroine because the secretary of the great conductor is a useful contact. She is called to sing during a rehearsal where they need a stand-in and the baritone is interested in her singing. He invites her to the opera and takes her out to supper and hero sees them and seethes with jealousy.
The last scene is Oscar reflecting that Anthea is the best thing that ever happened to him as a man or an artist.
I found this interesting in light of the entire series. Oscar Warrender is going to be included in a book of composers - he's thinking about his past life - both private and public. Even family life wasn't as important to him as his art and it's evident in the opening scene. He's very dismissive of his brother and his brother's choices, but when he looks at photos, he's transported back in time. He shows some growth in this story. He goes out of his way to help his family (his words) at the end of the story and Anthea acknowledges the change in him.
That final scene felt like the perfect ending to the saga, where love transcends art in an unexpected way and the main character has grown and changed. It will interesting to see what the last book is like.
Hence the "masquerade" in the title.
Heroine meets two men on first day on the job. The hero, who is a music journalist and the OW, who is a flirty baritone taking part in Oscar's latest production of Don Giovanni. The hero is writing a biography of Oscar and knows that heroine is his step-neice because he has a picture of as a teen with her parents. Heroine steals the photo before Oscar can see it. Hero doesn't give her identity away. He also has an ax to grind since he was involved in a libel case against heroine's gossip-columnist mother. (His sister had that same name as the person in the gossip column.) So there's lots of hostility and suspicion on both sides - yet attraction and some interesting banter.
The baritone is interested in the heroine because the secretary of the great conductor is a useful contact. She is called to sing during a rehearsal where they need a stand-in and the baritone is interested in her singing. He invites her to the opera and takes her out to supper and hero sees them and seethes with jealousy.
The last scene is Oscar reflecting that Anthea is the best thing that ever happened to him as a man or an artist.
I found this interesting in light of the entire series. Oscar Warrender is going to be included in a book of composers - he's thinking about his past life - both private and public. Even family life wasn't as important to him as his art and it's evident in the opening scene. He's very dismissive of his brother and his brother's choices, but when he looks at photos, he's transported back in time. He shows some growth in this story. He goes out of his way to help his family (his words) at the end of the story and Anthea acknowledges the change in him.
That final scene felt like the perfect ending to the saga, where love transcends art in an unexpected way and the main character has grown and changed. It will interesting to see what the last book is like.
May 12, 2023
Finally a jealous H!
July 4, 2020
Nothing much wrong with the story per se. But its obvious that the Warrender series has run out of steam for the author, by this stage. An upcoming female artist and 2 male protagonists vying for her attention during her path to artistic glory. Mary Burchell has milked this theme too many times for it to stand out any more.
This one is almost indistinguishable from the last few equally mediocre ones. I hope this was the last one in the series. I immensely enjoyed a few of them but lets leave it at that !
In this one, the author comes back to Oscar Warrender and his personal life. The female in this story is his so-called niece. An aspiring singer, she comes to work for Oscar under pretense of being his secretary.
The hero is a boring unremarkable writer cum piano accompanist. He gets the girl, but deserves no credit for that achievement. The OM is a flashy male singer who doesn't do anything wrong or wily but loses out of the heroine's affection all of a sudden, without a single reason.
And I am not particularly fond of stories where there is palpable chemistry and quite a few kisses between the OM and the girl. And pathetically poor sexual magnetism in the hero. What the hell is the point of reading such a story , I wonder !?@!@??!@
This one is almost indistinguishable from the last few equally mediocre ones. I hope this was the last one in the series. I immensely enjoyed a few of them but lets leave it at that !
In this one, the author comes back to Oscar Warrender and his personal life. The female in this story is his so-called niece. An aspiring singer, she comes to work for Oscar under pretense of being his secretary.
The hero is a boring unremarkable writer cum piano accompanist. He gets the girl, but deserves no credit for that achievement. The OM is a flashy male singer who doesn't do anything wrong or wily but loses out of the heroine's affection all of a sudden, without a single reason.
And I am not particularly fond of stories where there is palpable chemistry and quite a few kisses between the OM and the girl. And pathetically poor sexual magnetism in the hero. What the hell is the point of reading such a story , I wonder !?@!@??!@
January 16, 2015
The book is not as well polished as some of the others in the series. I have been saving the first book in the series until the very last, others have told me it is the only way I would not hate Oscar. However, I got a good glimpse of how manipulative Oscar really is based on this book. I am not looking forward to read his own book. He had the nerve to judge his brother's wife and her daughter like a nasty gum that happened to be under his shoe. His words and attitudes toward them before and after he met them was very contradictory. I found Kate/Olga and Van very boring. Carlo was the one character that intrigued me. He was good-looking, passionate, and shrewd.
November 13, 2022
I am dreading the end of this series. I have enjoyed it so much. I love the links between the books and this one has Warrender's niece who sings. I love that they are such a fast read, I am always sad that the end so soon.
January 14, 2019
I really enjoy these books and wish there were more of them.
January 29, 2023
Slight slight slight. Barely a story. Almost no conflict, no resolution, and too short. I expected more!
March 18, 2025
Me encanta lo muchísimo que aparecen Oscar y Anthea en este libro (como es lógico, dado su argumento).
April 14, 2025
I spent all night reading this wonderful book. Oscar Warrender and his wife Anthea (my favorite character) appear throughout in a way they haven't since their story, "A Song Begins." This one was IMPOSSIBLE to find to read for free online, so I decided I would have to buy it. And if I was going to buy it, I might as well get the entire series. So I did. By looking here and there on the internet, I found all 13 books in very good or good condition
.
Kate is Sir Oscar's niece by marriage. He is not entirely thrilled by this part of his family. His brother married Kate's mother, Lucy, and lived out his life in New Zealand. Lucy is a gossip columnist, and Kate is a singer. She writes to Sir Oscar, telling him she wants him to hear her daughter sing. He's listened to MANY, MANY people's daughters whose parents thought were more talented than they were. So he was reluctant.
Kate has two love interests, an opera singer and an author. There are what seem to be side plots, but they are woven into the storyline. I will say no more because I don't want to spoil the story.
This is the first time I've read this book, and I reread all 11 of the previous books in order to get to this one, which was entirely unknown to me. Next, I'm reading the final book, #13, "On Wings of Song", which was written 19 years after the first story in the series. It's been well-worth the hunting I've had to do to find all of these books.
Edit, April 2925: I found this book to read online for free on Internet at Internet Archive. However, I'm still not sorry to have bought the set of books.
.
Kate is Sir Oscar's niece by marriage. He is not entirely thrilled by this part of his family. His brother married Kate's mother, Lucy, and lived out his life in New Zealand. Lucy is a gossip columnist, and Kate is a singer. She writes to Sir Oscar, telling him she wants him to hear her daughter sing. He's listened to MANY, MANY people's daughters whose parents thought were more talented than they were. So he was reluctant.
Kate has two love interests, an opera singer and an author. There are what seem to be side plots, but they are woven into the storyline. I will say no more because I don't want to spoil the story.
This is the first time I've read this book, and I reread all 11 of the previous books in order to get to this one, which was entirely unknown to me. Next, I'm reading the final book, #13, "On Wings of Song", which was written 19 years after the first story in the series. It's been well-worth the hunting I've had to do to find all of these books.
Edit, April 2925: I found this book to read online for free on Internet at Internet Archive. However, I'm still not sorry to have bought the set of books.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews