What do you think?
Rate this book
Mask of Scars
Christina's brother and sister-in-law were running an hotel in the Algarve, that lovely unspoiled part of southern Portugal, and when the long university vacation began it struck her as a good idea to go and visit them.
At any rate, it seemed a good idea until she realised just how unwelcome she was! Her sister-in-law was so obviously anxious to get rid of her that Christina was thankful when she was offered a job by the local lord of the manor, Dom Carolos Ramirez - but it was not long before she began to have her doubts about that too. Dom Carlos was positively feudal in his attitude to women in general and Christina in particular, and the last thing she wanted was to find herself falling in love with him.
But need she have worried, when it turned out that Dom Carlos had a higly suitable fiancee in the background - a meek Portuguese girl who was clearly going to make him a much better wife than an argumentative young English student!
At any rate, it seemed a good idea until she realised just how unwelcome she was! Her sister-in-law was so obviously anxious to get rid of her that Christina was thankful when she was offered a job by the local lord of the manor, Dom Carolos Ramirez - but it was not long before she began to have her doubts about that too. Dom Carlos was positively feudal in his attitude to women in general and Christina in particular, and the last thing she wanted was to find herself falling in love with him.
But need she have worried, when it turned out that Dom Carlos had a higly suitable fiancee in the background - a meek Portuguese girl who was clearly going to make him a much better wife than an argumentative young English student!
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
11 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Anne Mather
799 books360 followersAnne Mather is the pseudonym used by Mildred Grieveson, a popular British author of over 160 romance novels. She also signed novels as Caroline Fleming and Cardine Fleming.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 21, 2016
Broody, stiff, and scarred Portuguese Aristo meets flighty, feisty, English flower girl-child. Lots of misunderstandings and evil interfering relatives try to block the budding May-December romance. Violet Winspear did it better in The Tower of the Captive.
November 20, 2019
Another one on my quest to read the first 100 HPs. This one is numbered 92 and was published in 1973. This is the 40th one I've read. Only 60 to go. So it takes place in Portugal so that gives it a boost right there. The repressed attitudes attributed to the Portuguese seemed extreme from this far away but I feel like were fairly on point for 1973. Even when I was there in 1980 there was a definite break between those who were considered the good girls and those who were considered bad girls. Also those of a higher social class were even then very severe and IDK snooty?
Moving on. The story was interesting and moved along at the good pace. The hero and heroine as in all these older HPs do not spend a whole lot of time together but I felt it was sufficient to make the romance element fairly believable. The hero is the one with scars and the heroine's words and actions do seem to help him overcome his very negative feelings about them. She's a happy go lucky sort and does help loosen all the repressed nobles up a bit. The OW element was pretty darn lame and I think the author would have been better served to come up with a more believable was to cause the climatic break at the end. But all's well that end's well. The end was pretty satisfying long enough to give some good feels.
Moving on. The story was interesting and moved along at the good pace. The hero and heroine as in all these older HPs do not spend a whole lot of time together but I felt it was sufficient to make the romance element fairly believable. The hero is the one with scars and the heroine's words and actions do seem to help him overcome his very negative feelings about them. She's a happy go lucky sort and does help loosen all the repressed nobles up a bit. The OW element was pretty darn lame and I think the author would have been better served to come up with a more believable was to cause the climatic break at the end. But all's well that end's well. The end was pretty satisfying long enough to give some good feels.
January 27, 2019
"Oh, yes, I am, but I fear I do not care any more. I love you more than life itself, and to imagine letting you go now for whatever reason would kill me."
"Mask of Scars" is the story of Christina and Carlos.
Our h Christina is an orphan, barely getting by. When her brother Bruce invites her for a vacation in Algarve, Portugal, where he runs a small hotel, she is delighted! However, on arrival, she realizes his wife Sophia is less than pleased and is utterly unwelcoming. Christina then decides to pay her keep, and work for Bruce during her time off.
One night, she ends up skinny dipping in an isolated beach, only to be confronted by a scarred stranger who claims she is trespassing!
Soon she realizes that he is Dom Carlos, her brother's landlord and the master to everyone on the island. She ends up meeting him again, and is shocked when he offers her a job as a companion to his depressed and disabled nephew Miguel!
Despite her brother's reluctance, she accepts the job, finding herself often at loggerheads with the conservative Dom and his aunt.
But as Miguel starts responding, she finds herself falling for the dark and enigmatic Dom. Can she hide her feelings forever?
Honestly, this was an overall good read. Very Beauty and the Beast-ish theme with a vivacious young heroine, scarred older hero, OW/OM jealousy, a tragic past, potential hurdles and HEA.
If only the h and H had spent more time together, this would have been a higher rating. But Im glad she was able to heal both Dom and Miguel.
Safe
3/5
"Mask of Scars" is the story of Christina and Carlos.
Our h Christina is an orphan, barely getting by. When her brother Bruce invites her for a vacation in Algarve, Portugal, where he runs a small hotel, she is delighted! However, on arrival, she realizes his wife Sophia is less than pleased and is utterly unwelcoming. Christina then decides to pay her keep, and work for Bruce during her time off.
One night, she ends up skinny dipping in an isolated beach, only to be confronted by a scarred stranger who claims she is trespassing!
Soon she realizes that he is Dom Carlos, her brother's landlord and the master to everyone on the island. She ends up meeting him again, and is shocked when he offers her a job as a companion to his depressed and disabled nephew Miguel!
Despite her brother's reluctance, she accepts the job, finding herself often at loggerheads with the conservative Dom and his aunt.
But as Miguel starts responding, she finds herself falling for the dark and enigmatic Dom. Can she hide her feelings forever?
Honestly, this was an overall good read. Very Beauty and the Beast-ish theme with a vivacious young heroine, scarred older hero, OW/OM jealousy, a tragic past, potential hurdles and HEA.
If only the h and H had spent more time together, this would have been a higher rating. But Im glad she was able to heal both Dom and Miguel.
Safe
3/5
August 18, 2012
It was a decent novel and it was surprising to because most people with novio/novias don't break them for another woman, especially an english one to boot. This book is a prime example or fast but true love. Decent read, indeed.
October 9, 2024
This was a great read.. Old school age gap story but captivating and angsty. I have a soft spot for books where the H is called Don something and this one delivered. The Hs strength was well captured but so was his torment and vulnerability toward the heroine. She was brave and outspoken despite being only 18, and the characters were likeable, even the mean sister in law. Read this for a relaxing 2 hours and a satistfying end.
May 18, 2025
Wonderful feisty heroine (18) visits her brother in Portugal in the Summer after her first year at university in London. She’s independent and happy-go-lucky and so fortunate to meet a hot, scarred Portuguese nobleman (late 30s?) who falls crazily in love with her. He tries to resist whilst she is helping his orphaned nephew to liven up, and encounters are few, but it’s a totally sweet romantic denouement where his adoration is plain to see by everyone.
She won’t get to finish her degree, but in the scheme of things, that’s not much of a loss. A definite HEA for these two.
I’ve read this a few times and always 5 stars from me.
She won’t get to finish her degree, but in the scheme of things, that’s not much of a loss. A definite HEA for these two.
I’ve read this a few times and always 5 stars from me.
April 30, 2021
Christina's brother and sister-in-law were running an hotel in the Algarve, that lovely unspoiled part of southern Portugal, and when the long university vacation began it struck her as a good idea to go and visit them.
At any rate, it seemed a good idea until she realised just how unwelcome she was! Her sister-in-law was so obviously anxious to get rid of her that Christina was thankful when she was offered a job by the local lord of the manor, Dom Carolos Ramirez - but it was not long before she began to have her doubts about that too. Dom Carlos was positively feudal in his attitude to women in general and Christina in particular, and the last thing she wanted was to find herself falling in love with him.
But need she have worried, when it turned out that Dom Carlos had a higly suitable fiancee in the background - a meek Portuguese girl who was clearly going to make him a much better wife than an argumentative young English student!
At any rate, it seemed a good idea until she realised just how unwelcome she was! Her sister-in-law was so obviously anxious to get rid of her that Christina was thankful when she was offered a job by the local lord of the manor, Dom Carolos Ramirez - but it was not long before she began to have her doubts about that too. Dom Carlos was positively feudal in his attitude to women in general and Christina in particular, and the last thing she wanted was to find herself falling in love with him.
But need she have worried, when it turned out that Dom Carlos had a higly suitable fiancee in the background - a meek Portuguese girl who was clearly going to make him a much better wife than an argumentative young English student!
March 27, 2021
The heroine is eighteen and kind of a ninny; the hero is, as he tells her repeatedly, old enough to be her father and traumatized by a plane crash which left him with significant scarring. Most of their interactions involve her being a ninny and him treating her like a "provocative adolescent" and yelling at her which, yes. There is a subplot involving her looking after a depressed fifteen-year-old (who the narrative treats as a child despite, y'know, the three-year age difference) and of course the hero's evil aunt swanning around being evil. It's hard to get too irritated at the heroine because, again, eighteen, and the hero is made of cardboard. I don't know. There's some nice descriptions of scenery and food in here.
October 2, 2017
Carlos pulled her closely into his arms. "But yes, there will be a marriage, amada" he said, rather disturbingly. "I do not intend our relationship to last for; any thing less than life. . . ."
That about sums it up for me. It was a light read- a few hours. Definitely recommend.
That about sums it up for me. It was a light read- a few hours. Definitely recommend.
August 11, 2018
I liked it
You know a book is good when you get this tingeling feeling inside. There were actually very few scenes between H and h, but when he kissed her.....A desent book, good story, no sex, but I don`t like these new Harlequins, where there is nothing but.
You know a book is good when you get this tingeling feeling inside. There were actually very few scenes between H and h, but when he kissed her.....A desent book, good story, no sex, but I don`t like these new Harlequins, where there is nothing but.
April 14, 2025
Senhorita Christina Ashley & Dom Carlos Martinho Duarte de Ramirez
Many years ago when I was still in my teen years I read a lot of romance books and saved my favorites. This is the first book I remember wanting to keep. I still have my original paperback copy which is practically falling apart. After fifty years of reading it and re-reading it, the pages with my favorite passages are dog eared.😊 That’s no way to treat a book! I didn’t think to buy the Kindle version of MASK OF SCARS for quite some time. I’ve always wanted to look up Dom Carlos’ love language, and have it translated which is easy to do in Kindle. I love the translation feature for all my books, especially since I have translated and noted most all of the Portuguese here, et al foreign languages, and even unfamiliar English words within their pages. I research people, places, animals and birds, countries and cultures found within anything I read. I love Anne Mather’s works, but none more than the one that I fell in love with so many years ago, “Mask of Scars.” It still brings tears to my heart. So very good! ❤️
Many years ago when I was still in my teen years I read a lot of romance books and saved my favorites. This is the first book I remember wanting to keep. I still have my original paperback copy which is practically falling apart. After fifty years of reading it and re-reading it, the pages with my favorite passages are dog eared.😊 That’s no way to treat a book! I didn’t think to buy the Kindle version of MASK OF SCARS for quite some time. I’ve always wanted to look up Dom Carlos’ love language, and have it translated which is easy to do in Kindle. I love the translation feature for all my books, especially since I have translated and noted most all of the Portuguese here, et al foreign languages, and even unfamiliar English words within their pages. I research people, places, animals and birds, countries and cultures found within anything I read. I love Anne Mather’s works, but none more than the one that I fell in love with so many years ago, “Mask of Scars.” It still brings tears to my heart. So very good! ❤️
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews