The Mask

by Elizabeth A. Lance

Miss Henrietta Moore’s life is about to get Mysterious. When Sally, Henri’s maid, comes across a Mask in a trunk of old costumes, Henrietta is entranced and transformed. She secretly wears the mask at the first of October’s masquerades, hoping to catch the attention of the man she thinks she loves. Instead, she finds herself the talk of the town. When her mother gives her an ultimatum to be engaged by All Hallows Eve or be forced into an arranged marriage, Henrietta continues her rouse in the hopes that the man of her dreams will recognize her. In a dance of mystery and disguise, love finds her when she isn't looking, and luckily for her, the heart sees through any mask.

Genres: Regency, Historical

107 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 22, 2013

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mask by Elizabeth A. Lance

Henrietta Moore, according to her Mother needs to find a husband by All Hallows Eve.....or her mother will find someone. Henrietta wants to marry her childhood friend. But he sees her as just that...........a friend. When Henrietta's maid finds a beautiful, mysterious mask.....Henrietta decides to attend the Masked Balls....hidden behind this mask and a costume. She hopes to win her true love................without him knowing that it is her. Will Henrietta get her wish?? What is in store for her??

I will never tell.............but you can find out by ordering this book, which should be out by the end of August.

It is a short read........but so enjoyable!! A great book......worthy of 5 STARS!!

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a beta copy of The Mask for an honest review -- Elizabeth Lance will draw you right into the world of a young lady and her meddeling mother - how Henrietta finds love without the help of her mother - how she pulls a fast one over her mother and all the people who attend these masquerade balls - Ms Lance is a wonderful writer and will have you wanting more - can't wait to read more of her books - thank you Ms Lance for giving me the opportunity to read your story - would definitely recommend this book to everyone

[Catherine Stovall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mask by Elizabeth Lance is an amazing tale of mystery, love, and a young girl trying to survive a meddling mother as she looks for love.

Mrs. Lance takes the reader back in time with her beautiful descriptions and period language. The characters pop off the page and you dance and laugh right along side of them. Another fun and brilliant read by Mrs. Lance, The Mask a treat for readers of all ages.

[Sonia N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so very much! It's my first book from Ms. Lance and I have been reading Historical Romance for over 30 years!
It was such a refreshingly sweet romance. Growing up she had a crush with her neighbor Oliver, but he eventually has to leave for Eton. It's been 10 years since she has seen him, but she still has feelings for him.
Miss. Henrietta is the only child, her loving father is a Baron. Her mother is very controlling. She desperately wants Henri to get married.
Henri's maid finds a beautiful Mask in the attic and shows it to her. She is captivated by the beautiful and mysterious mask. The parties given in the month of October are masked. She decides to wear it and all the gentleman are enthralled by the beautiful Miss. Mysterious!
I recommend this book, it is a must read. It's a short, but very sweet read. I loved the attention to detail, the storyline and the happily ever after!!

[Tara Dawn (Colourful WordWench) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*received from the author in exchange for an honest review*

First and foremost I would like to just do this *siiiiiiiiigh*
Okay, I looooooved this novella. That being said here is my short description so I don't ruin anything for you:)
Henrietta Moore is preparing for Season in the hopes that her childhood love Oliver will be there to ask for her hand in marriage. If she doesn't find a husband by All Hallows Eve her mother will be choosing one for her. Unlike her mother, she wants to marry for love. How would she ever catch Oliver's attention as being more than a friend?
Henri's maid Sally finds some lovely gowns and a beautiful mask tucked away in storage and they decided that she will wear these under the gawd awful hideous dresses her mother bought for her and she will change out of it when she gets to the Masquerade. When she wears them she feels beautiful and intriguing and she hopes that Oliver can't resist her. Sneaking away during the Masquerade,she hides the dress she came in and realizes she will never be able to reveal who she really is. Oliver is taken by her along with everyone else and she is nicknamed Miss Mysterious. The papers are even wondering who she is and if she will reveal her identity. So she decides to keep up this charade in the hopes Oliver will figure who she is. All the while her mother is parading suitors all around her and others start to show an extreme interest. Will her heart stay true to Oliver or will another see passed her rouse and truly see her and win her heart?

I loooooooved this story! I'm a sucker for a beautiful historical romance. I loved Henri's character. She's your average young lady who feels like no one sees her. That is until she puts on this mask. She may see it as magical but we all remember what it was that gave us confidence as a young woman. We also remember too those who saw past our "masks" and those who could only see the package offered. It truly is a beautifully written story of a young lady who finds love in the end by being herself and the knowledge that she was just as amazing all along.

This is a stand alone novella but there are others in this regency setting. This is the first I've read and can't wait to get my hands on the rest of them. Wonderful job Mrs Lance! Your writing is impeccable! The flow and wordplay swept me away from page 1 and I was so sad to see it end. It was waaaaaay too short in my eyes.

[Jenny Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a beta copy of this book in return for an honest review. Oh I must say that I absolutely love this author's writing style and the way she can capture her audience and draw us in. I love a happy ending too. Of course, my heart is full of joy and happiness. I love the characters, especially Henrietta, she was so full of spunk and so vivacious, I absolutely adored her. Of course, I also loved Miss Mysterious as well, who grab my heart and well as the men's hearts. This book is full of my favorite things, including being set back in the 1800. I did a lot of day dreaming while reading this book and it is the main reason it took me so long to read it. I felt like I could of been Henrietta in the story. I felt happiness, anger, sadness, joy, and love wrapped up in this magnificent story!!! This is a RECOMMENDED MUST READ Y/A story that will also entertain and entice adult readers as well. An amazing story that I will soon not forget and will be a part of my heart forever. Thank you, Elizabeth A Lance, for this extraordinary read of a lifetime!!! I give this story 10+*s .

[Jacquie Talento · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy from the author for an honest review.
This story is based on the 1800 times. Henrietta has loved Oliver for most of her life. As it is time to find a suitor, Henri was given another season to find the one that will be the chosen one. When one of the maids gives her a mask from the attic, it brings Henri to life and she finds herself flirting and challenging any and all suitors to discover her identity. But will Oliver be the one to discover who she really is or will there be someone else that catches her eye and her love? This was a really sweet love story that many will love. I strongly recommend this to anyone that loves romance.

[Stalking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply beautiful

The author has such a way with words and story telling. I was so immersed in this world and the lives of these characters I just couldn't stop reading. I wanted to be transported into their world and live their lives. It is simply breathtaking to read. I feel so full of love and dreams after this experience. I highly recommend the Regency Romance series to anyone who enjoys clean stories about love, happiness, and dreams.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Light “Regency”

I am a die-hard fan of Regency romance, so I just about always pick up any book that says it is Regency to see if I will find a new story that I will love or an author that I will enjoy. I just want to say that technically this isn't really a Regency. It takes place a few years before the true Regency period started. I've seen this in other books, and I really do think that authors should be aware of the actual years of the time period they're writing about! This story is super light and frothy, even for a Regency. I had a hard time suspending my disbelief that a little mask would make such a difference in this girl's life. She had been ignored earlier in the season, but when she wears this old mask, everyone is all of a sudden wild about her, and she becomes the toast of the season. The prologue is misleading. To say too much more would be a bit of a spoiler, but this book is not written to fulfill the typical reader expectation. I thought the language, too, was a bit stilted and unnatural. On a completely different note, the mask that she wore that was such show stealer was dark blue, not the gold like on the cover. The dress on the cover is definitely NOT Regency.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy a well-written Regency romance, you will enjoy this book. Henrietta is a young woman who is in love with her childhood friend, Oliver. Her overbearing mother has put out an ultimatum: Henrietta must be engaged by Halloween! However, Henri wants to marry for love, not out of an obligation or arranged marriage.

When her maid, Sally, discovers a beautiful mask in the attic, Henri decides to were it to the next masquerade ball. She soon finds herself the center of attention as Miss Mysterious! Continuing to wear the mask and draw tons of attention from the eligible bachelors (including Oliver), she has to find "Mr. Right" before her Mother can carry out her threat of an arranged marriage.

The narrator did a great job and added a lot to the book. If you are looking for a light-hearted Regency romance without a lot of intrigue, you will enjoy this book.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, This author with her word and charter building is able to transport you back to a time of high society balls and masquerades. Henrietta growing up had a crush on her neighbor Oliver. Ten years have passed and her mother is controlling hr pushing her to marry. Henri's maid finds a beautiful in the attic and Henri decides ti attend a masquerade ball as Miss. Mysterious. All the men are enthralled and drawn to her, but who is Miss. Mysterious and who ends up unmasking her? Does she find true love and her HEA? Grab your copy and find out I highly recommend this book and this author! I will definitely be reading more from her!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and all opinions expressed herein are my own.

This is a quick, light regency romance. It centers on Henrietta, who has pined for Oliver since childhood. She decides to wear a mask to a ball and is suddenly the talk of the town with the attention of many different gentlemen, including Oliver. So the question becomes, will it be Oliver she persues? I only wish the author had Henrietta do a big reveal at the end to see everyone's reaction. Overall, very enjoyable.

The narrator, Sally Roughton, did a very nice job.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet read.
What an amazing tale this author's writing style and the way she can capture her audience was outstanding. A Masquerade, a beautiful mask, and a lovely gown has given this young woman the chance to experience something she never expected. Miss Mysterious was my favorite character and this story is a must-read it was a magnificent piece. I highly recommend. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She find a mask and she wears to a ball hoping to get the one she thinks she love will find her. It seems she has become the town of the town.She meets another and then her mother tells her to marry or else she will arrange a marriage. Who will she end up with? Will she find true love? Will her mother force her to marry? See what will happen

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[BobaFett114 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and sweet

Hennri has a wonderful idea to disguise herself at a masquerade ball. She can feel more confidant. The one man she thinks she loves, down at love her, but there is another man in the mix now. It was a sweet story and I loved the ending. I didn't like Hennri's mother at all, she was very selfish.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick short story to read, it is well written and held my interest until the end. This is the first book by this Author that I have read. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marina Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful story. My first book by this author, and I know it won't be the last. I loved the characters, even with her old friend who she thought she was in love with and even her meddlesome mother.

[Momus Najmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice, short and happy read.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and enjoyable audiobook. I thought the story was very original and felt it flowed smoothly. Easy to listen to the narrator.
I received this audiobook in exchange of an honest review.