Once Upon a Masquerade

by Tamara Hughes

Librarian's note: Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781622664511.

New York City, 1883

A Prince Charming meets his match...

Self-made shipping magnate Christopher Black first spies Rebecca Bailey at a masquerade ball and is captivated by her refreshing naivete and sparkling beauty. She's a stark contrast to the hollow behavior of the ton and the guile of his former fiancée, but the closer he gets to her secrets, the further she pushes him away.
 
A Cinderella with a secret...

Rebecca is drawn to the charismatic Christopher from the first, but she cannot risk him discovering that she is really a housemaid impersonating an heiress. Her father's life depends on it.
 
A Happily Ever After that could never be...

When Christopher's investigation of the murder of his best friend leads him straight to Rebecca, he fears his ingenue may be a femme fatale in disguise. Now he must decide if he can trust the woman he's come to love, or if her secrets will be his downfall.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Amazon, Adult, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tales

ebook

First published February 10, 2014

About the author

A small town girl with a big imagination, Tamara Hughes had no idea what to do with her life. After graduating from college, she moved to a big city, started a family and a job, and still struggled to find that creative outlet she craved. An avid reader of romance, she gave writing a try and became hooked on the power of exploring characters, envisioning adventures, and creating worlds. She enjoys stories with interesting twists and heroines who have the grit to surmount any obstacle, all without losing the ability to laugh. To sign up for her newsletter go to: http://mad.ly/signups/113875/join

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Was she a femme fatale acting the part of a sweet and rather naïve lady? Could she possibly be a callous murderer or did she hold other secrets, just as dark and for her, just as deadly? One thing for certain, Rebecca was nothing like the ladies of society and Christopher Black was falling for her, in spite of himself.

Rebecca needs help. As a housemaid she had no way of saving her father from his gambling debts and his life was on the line. She needed money and protection. She never expected that impersonating an heiress could be so difficult or that the one man who could help her also suspects her of murder. And she was falling hard for the self-made man.

ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE by Tamara Hughes brings historical romance out of England and places it firmly on American soil. Perhaps it was that setting that changed the atmosphere from a bosom heaving romance to something more down-to-earth.

The combination of a murder mystery and a damsel in distress was a nice twist, but Rebecca seemed almost too naïve for such a daring plan on her part. Then again, when your life hangs in the balance…her plan fit her desperation!

Christopher has been burned before by love, and seemed rather hard at times. Still, Rebecca did seem to send his heart reeling, in spite of his assumptions about her.

Together, they DID have chemistry as a couple, but it became a bit too much of a roller coaster ride. I would have loved more on the setting, I wanted to visualize it in my mind a little clearer and would have liked the pace to pick up a bit. I will say though, this was a nice way to watch a mystery be solved and love found!

Publisher: Entangled: Scandalous (February 10, 2014)
Publication Date: February 10, 2014
Genre: Historical Romantic Suspense
Print Length: 295 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Black is a self made shipping magnate. Rebecca is a housemaid impersonating an heiress to become a mistress to a rich gentleman, in order to get the money she needs to pay off her father's gambling debts. The deadline has been lessened to a week, and if she fails, she'll be killed.

Christopher spies Rebecca at a masquerade ball and is captivated by not only her beauty, but her personality. She's so different to the other ladies of the ton, especially from his ex fiancee. But the closer he gets to her secrets, the more she pushes him away, and when he notices she bears more than a passing resemblance to the housemaid who spilled tea on him days before....he tries to fight his feelings for her.

When Christopher's investigation of the murder of his best friend leads him straight to Rebecca, he fears the lady he's started to love, could be a murderer. He now has to decide if she's guilty, if he can trust this woman he's come to love, and if her secrets will be his downfall.

I thought Once Upon a Masquerade was full of intrigue and mystery, it kept me hooked from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. There where so many threads to the story all woven together, and I honestly could not work out who the murderer was, I was in the dark until the big reveal!

I loved the character of Rebecca, she was very genuine to me, and full of depth, and was just one of a whole host of well written characters with many different sides to them, and depth that is nearly deep enough to hide their secrets.

The world building was fantastic, I felt like I was there, and there was so much beautiful imagery. The costumes for one of the balls for instance, provided some beautiful visuals. The story itself was fast paced, trotting from point to point, with details being very concise, and no pointless words bogging down the pace, or the flow of the book.

The romance between Rebecca and Christopher was the kind I love, slow burn. I loved how the attraction built, and then the secrets got in the way, and then Christopher was an ass and they had so much to overcome. I loved the jealousy Christopher felt, and how protective he was, it was such a realistic, and totally cute romance to see develop.

Once Upon a Masquerade is a truly enchanting read, filled with beautiful imagery and a deep and dark mystery, all woven together to create quite a romantic masterpiece that will have you hooked until the end!

[ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...] · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...

TBH, I requested for Once Upon a Masquerade for its gorgeous cover as I had no idea what to expect. The blurb sounded quite interesting. Debut author Tamara Hughes’s efforts are seen throughout the story but the plot seemed bit too scattered for my liking. I’ll try my best to elaborate in my review.

The story is set in mid 1880’s New York. Apart from the gorgeous cover, what caught me in the blurb was that the heroine masquerading as an heiress when she’s anything but. Rebecca is one of the maids of the Endicott houseold and has been for the last 5 years. But she hasn’t been a maid all her life. Rebecca is actually from a once prosperous family where she had the love of her parents who doted on her. Sadly, ever since her mother’s death, her father sort of gave up on ‘life’ and living, starting to depend more and more on incessant gambling and heavy drinking to bury the pain of losing his wife. Things went downhill from there. As an only daughter, it fell on Rebecca to take care of her ailing father. She has been doing whatever she could so far, hiding away her own hopes and dreams in the plight of her daily life.

Lately, things have become real bad and her father has had death threats from men to whom he owns huge amount of money lost in gambling. Rebecca has tried talking to her father but it seems all in vain; he doesn’t seem to listen, or even care. Right now, she’s desperate for this money she needs and probably would do anything for it. There comes the plan, an utterly ridiculous one, hatched by Mary, the lady’s maid of Ms. Endicott, the spoiled daughter of the master of the house where she works. Mary convinces Rebecca that she needs to attend this masquerade ball hosted by some high-society family and ‘trap’ some wealthy peer..... what I couldn’t understand was what Mary wanted her to do. She didn’t exactly ask Rebecca to prostitute herself, though she hinted at it, she being the more ‘adventurous’ type or so to speak. Rebecca knew she can’t really sell her body, she’s the marrying-type. Yet marrying a wealthy man is also out of question because, when her real identity is out, no man with fortune will give a sh!t about her. So I kept thinking, on what basis did she agree to Mary’s plan when there was nothing practical or even remotely logical in it? The only answer I could come upon that Rebecca was way too desperate to even think exactly what she’s jumping into. Her near blunders throughout the story proved this to some extent.

Christopher is the heir to the Black Shipping legacy and has come into a big fortune lately. He’s the one who mans his father’s ship, has been working with him since he was a teenager. He’s even toured around the world and loves his sailor’s pants. Lately, he’s been itching to return to the sea again, but his plans have been thwarted by the very sudden and unexpected murder of his close friend, Nathan. Christopher is not only mourning his death but also, helping the police in the case to identify the killer. It’s been a year though, and his efforts have almost been zero, except for the fact that the police are sure the killer was a woman because of a comb found near Nathan’s body. Christopher also hasn’t been able to identify the woman Nathan asked him to ‘save’ before taking his last breath. Christopher is sure that ‘woman’ was Nathan’s love. He’s growing frustrated not knowing what to do. Nathan was a kind, generous man in life so he has no idea who might’ve done this to his friend and for what purpose. Christopher also feels guilty that he didn’t accede to Nathan’s request for borrowing some money before his murder. But, guilt or not, Christopher is resolved to find this woman and whoever killed him and bring that person to justice ASAP. Or he’ll die trying.

Rebecca and Christopher’s first meeting turns out to be something less than spectacular. Christopher, at that time, was paying a very reluctant call on Ms. Endicott. It was plain awkward as Rebecca spills tea on him because she was feeling jittery after learning of her father’s latest mess. Christopher doesn’t see her face as she’s required to keep her head down, thanks to Ms. Endicott and her owl-eyed stare. But both notice each-other on a different level, as in, a sense of each-other’s presence. Christopher, though, shakes it off, blaming it on the burn she gave him (he’s not as mean as his hostess) but Rebecca can’t seem to forget him. And when she dresses herself as a ‘maid’ for the masquerade, thanks to Mary’s help(?), to attend that ball, Rebecca instantly zooms in on Christopher cause she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

But before that, she manages to pull off a façade of an heiress from Boston, very new to the society of New York. She also meets a few other interesting characters. One would be the dashing Phillip Westerly, a rakishly handsome man who shows an amount of interest in her that gets her both exhilarated and confused. Another man was Christopher’s best friend, Spencer, a jolly young man who loves all sorts of exaggeration and hyperbole; who is constantly sprouting Shakespeare and acting as Hamlet or whatever comes to his mind. I instantly loved Spencer cause he made me laugh on many occasions. But, rest assured, he’s not nearly as idiotic and air-headed as the impression he likes to give. Spencer is as witty and sharp as they come.

Though Christopher notices Rebecca, he can’t identify the déjà vu, that he saw her somewhere but can’t remember where. Rebecca tries her best to act as a noble lady. It was, at times, impossible to believe that she somewhat convinced other people that she’s an heiress. Rebecca tries to avoid Christopher, afraid that he’d recognize her and blow her cover. She shifts her interest towards Westerly instead. Christopher is attracted to her no doubt. But his interest piques when he finds Westerly attached to her. He always harbored a dislike for the man, and knowing what kinda rake he is, Christopher decides to warn Rebecca away from him. In doing this, he also begins his own pursuit of her.

Now, this far, I was enjoying the story much. But when Christopher identifies the comb Rebecca was wearing in the masquerade ball as the twin of the one found in Nathan’s murder scene, instantly he decides two things: one, this is THE woman who murdered Nathan and two, probably, also THE woman of Nathan’s life.

After that, Christopher’s attitude towards Rebecca changes too. He doesn’t want to get close, but can’t stay away either. He wants to find out if his hunches are correct or not. When he finds that Rebecca has been living in the Endicott house, his suspicion grows tenfold, because on his last days, Nathan seemingly had an obsession with that place. The only other person Christopher thought might be involved was Ms. Endicott. But after meeting her that suspicion had been laid to rest cause the woman is not nearly smart enough to pull it through. So Rebecca must be involved in it somehow!

Rebecca was, of course, feeling guilty of lying to Christopher. She knew nothing about him being suspicious of her or whatever it is going inside his head. She tries her best and keeps avoiding him in social gatherings tough it proves to be difficult because he won’t let her. Yet another thing I found unbelievable, as Rebecca goes through several social gatherings, that none recognized her, not even Ms. Endicott when they’re ‘introduced’ by Spence at his house party. But it was becoming obvious that her plan of ensnaring a peer is not working and time is running out. Her outings with Westerly don’t come to bear any fruit. Instead, after Christopher saves her from some thugs while she was on her way after meeting her inebriated father in his hidey-hole, Rebecca decides she has fallen in love with him. He takes her on his ship that was anchored nearby to spend the night... and, they end up having sex. I wasn’t expecting sex because there was basically nothing between them but subtle attraction. I would say that their relationship was still awkward at best, and in the lights that both were hiding things from each-other, the sex felt entirely wrong to me.

Then, the next day, another misunderstanding. To Christopher, it was wrong to have sex with the woman Nathan had loved and asked him to take care of. But he doesn’t explain the whys of it but only that what they did was wrong...... Way to go buddy, to tell a girl on the morning after that the sex was wrong! As you can guess, Rebecca is hurt and tries to leave........ Christopher comes after her, offers his protection from those thugs who, it was revealed, were paid to kill her and not her father and Rebecca is a puddle of longing once again. She becomes super jealous when she meets Christopher’s ex-fiancée, Nathan’s sister Adele at a gathering. I’d not even go into the details of what she does next because she was feeling hurt and jealous. Then we find Christopher fighting with Westerly when he tries to talk to Rebecca alone, because he was feeling the ‘all-protective-alpha-jerk’ in him. *sigh*

Well, this went on for way too long. Rebecca would put herself in the danger’s way, Christopher would save her. She’d want him, sometimes throwing herself at him and he’d push her away because it didn’t seem ‘right’ and he’d be a colossal jerk to her to ignore what he really feels for her. He also kept validating his actions by trying to convince himself that there’s no future for them. But buddy, did you even try? To me, for a long time, you didn’t! Christopher kept on telling Rebecca that he can’t marry her, which I assumed, was because of her social status. Yet he wouldn’t be able to stand anyone coming near her. So yah, I thought he was a jerk to her... yet, when Rebecca would do something exasperating (i.e. doing something she shouldn’t), I’d end up thinking maybe he has reasons to be a jerk. But, at the least, Rebecca was honest about her feelings and more than once, tried to show Christopher that. Either way, for me, it got old after a while because story-wise nothing much was happening but this cycle of frustration.

Honestly, I couldn’t see exactly why Christopher was so sure it was Rebecca or she was involved in some way in Nathan’s murder. And for the majority of the story they let this ‘misunderstanding’ between them fester; both hurting, creating more misunderstanding. It was just too obvious a plot scheme, one that I’m not fond of. The more I read, the more I felt if they only had taken a few mins and talked seriously, things would be so much easier for them. Soon enough, Christopher even figures out that Rebecca is not an heiress, then that she’s THE maid that spilled tea on him that day at the Endicott’s. He already had his suspicions because of her faltering social etiquettes, yet he never confronted her. His first excuse was that he wanted to be sure about her involvement. But when he became sure she wasn’t, I don’t have any idea why he still didn’t confront her, until the very end of the story. As I said, it got old...

And the entire time, I didn’t even feel the ‘love’ between them but some lukewarm attraction. Apart from this, the scattered plotline, the drama and those misunderstandings just took away the fun of the story for me.

Now, onto the good things. The interactions between Rebecca and her father and her yearning for those happy days when her mother was alive and everything seemed perfect. It very much tugged at my heart-strings, so much so that I ended up shedding tears. I was so happy that her father finally saw that he had done wrong to ‘his Becca’ by leaving her to fend for herself for so long and how he was squandering away his precious time that he can enjoy spending with her. And, I think Spence was my most favorite character in the book. I’m willing to read his story if the author decides to give him his own book.

I also have to give it to the author that she kept me going to find out exactly who Nathan’s murderer was and why that person did it. I wasn’t surprised but the revelation sure was unexpected! The last few chapters were the most engaging (and the best IMO) with all the action (though, yet once again, Rebecca jumped into a situation and made herself an easy target *sigh*), so I ended up wishing that the rest was this good.

When every puzzle was put into place, and solved, I liked that both Rebecca and Christopher came to see their fallacies and acknowledged those in earnest, rather than playing the blame-game any longer. 3.75 stars.


This ARC was provided to me by Entangled Scandalous via netgalley which didn’t influence my review and rating in any way.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one, provided by the publisher through netgalley, was a little bit different. It had lots of redeeming features, but didn't quite fulfill its potential and left me feeling a tad flat.

What did I like?

- The setting: why is that the only romances-with-corsets seem to be set in England? There is a whole world out there, and I LOVED that this was set in the US, when Society was every bit as ridiculously restrictive as Regency England, but with a melting pot of immigrants and poverty right outside the swanky doors of the elite. I loved that this was the setting for this book.

- The plot: I guessed who the baddie was, but not straight away. There were some interesting twists and turns as well.

- The pacing and balance: for a historical romance with a murder mystery, this book seemed to balance everything going on really nicely. Not easy to do, and it felt right

What didn't I like so much?

- Much, much more could have been made of the setting. It felt that apart from a few descriptions of locations (which were really good), not enough was made of the New York Society setting. What was a servant's life like, for example? What about more about the New York harbor docks? What was there was really good, but there could have been more.

- The heroine, quite frankly, was a passive idiot, and it drove me nuts. Would she really have been able to support her wastrel father on a maid's salary? (What was a maid's wage in New York then?) She spent half the time being pushed around by the hero, and the other half doing TSTL stuff. It was all very annoying, because the maid playing at Society Lady is a superb idea.

- The hero and heroine were intimate far, far too soon. They trusted each other straight away, with no real justification, and they go it on far too quickly. It would have been wonderful to have had much more tension and unrequited attraction between before they did the dirty. It threw the pacing and the plot, and I couldn't figure out why they were so attracted to each other because it happened too fast.

So, 3 stars. I liked it.

[Ingrid Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Once Upon a Masquerade last night, let me first say, I am not a romance fan, but I love a good mystery with a wonderful love story and a bit of history thrown in. That's why two of my childhood loves were Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt. Thank you, Ms. Hughes, the author of this great book, for reminding me of them.

From page one, the author had my attention, to the point that putting it down so I could actually get some work done was difficult at best. The main character, Rebecca, was truly a heroine I could enjoy, support and admire. As for Christopher Black, wow! Yes, I really liked him.

I hope you keep writing, Tamara Hughes, you have a fan for life!

[Crissy Conner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, set in the 1800's. Lot's of scandal and mystery. Loved it! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book for my honest review.

[Tonyalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love starting out my reviews with confessions, so here goes; Historical Romance use to be one of my least favorite genres. Ever. No particular reason why, per se, I just didn't care for em. But over the years, our taste change and we grow as readers, and for me-- it has become one of my *new* favorite genres to read. So when I got the invite to join the tour, I jumped right on it. Plus, hello pretty cover with a mask.

Once Upon a Masquerade was so much more than I was expecting. Sure, there's obviously a mystery from the synopsis and since the tag line speaks for itself, I had it in my head which way the book was going to go. Well, I was wrong. This totally surpassed my expectations.

This is a very well written, fast paced mystery that had me enraptured from page one. I loved how smooth the story flowed and everything intricately weaved itself together. Told in dual POV with Rebecca and Christopher, we get to see both sides of what it going on and that definitely made things more interesting. I was really shocked at the all the twist and turns, not even figuring out everything until almost the end.

As far as our main characters go, we have Rebecca; a housemaid impersonating an heiress to save her father; and Christopher, a self-sufficient wealthy man, on a mission to find his best friends murderer. I really liked Rebecca. I loved how loyal she was to her father, although personally, I would have held a stronger grudge. Having once been apart of Society, her father had gambled everything away, leaving her to care for herself and him. Which goes to show how loving she is. She had her times of "damsel in distress", but overall, I thought she did pretty well holding her own. She's a very strong, brave woman and I admired that about her. She was a little daft at times, but her heart was in the right place.

Now Christopher. Whew, this man gets a lot of conflicting emotions from me. On one hand, I admired his drive to find the person who killed his friend. He is determined, resourceful and loyal as well; but man this guy was a pompous ass. He was so hot and cold with Rebecca, it drove me mad. In the same token, from where he started and where he ended up, he grew a lot--more than Rebecca, in my eyes-- and redeemed himself in the end. Their relationship was very sweet and passionate. I loved how they got to know each other-- albeit with a few lies between them-- and their connection developed slowly as the story progressed.

My Peeve- The world building was really good. I thought she did a great job capturing the beauty of the Era, but I wanted more. This doesn't hinder my thoughts of the story overall, just something I wished I got more of. Have I mentioned I can be picky?!

Overall- Loved it. Edgy, enchanting and full of twists, Once Upon a Masquerade is a must read for all romance and mystery fans! Highly recommend!

*An eBook was provided by the publisher for an honest review*

[SE Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca Bailey first spots Christopher Black while pretending to be an heiress in a high-society ball. Despite being drawn to the charismatic, self-made shipping magnet, she knows that she’s on a mission: raise the money to pay her father’s gambling debts. And the clock is ticking since she has only a week to come up with five hundred dollars. So she needs to stop thinking about Christopher before she gives away the secret that she’s actually a maid.

Christopher Black notices Rebecca’s naivety and spunk when he first spots her at a masquerade ball. He can’t get his mind off her, though his investigation into the death of a good friend leads him to suspect that Rebecca may be the murderer. Now he must figure out whether he can trust the woman he’s quickly falling in love with and how she fits into his investigation.

This was the first historical romance that I’ve read in a while, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The best thing about this novel was the balance of historical details. It’s set in New York in the late 1880′s, and there were enough details to remind me about the setting. But they didn’t overwhelm me either. I especially enjoyed the way that the author wove historic aspects into the story, making them cause difficulties for characters or make parts of the plot possible. This happened numerous times with cumbersome women’s clothing.

As for the characters, Rebecca and Christopher were pretty well matched. Rebecca’s plucky nature made her endearing. She may have been out of her depth stepping into high society, but she still knew who she was. Christopher, likewise, didn’t exactly conform to the upper crust standard since he only recently came into money. But that allowed him to see things differently than those around him.

My only complaint was that the Rebecca’s relationship with her father felt pretty cliche. I predicted pretty accurately how it was going to end. While I understand that there’s a standard with romance novels, I’d hoped that there would have been more tension that gave me doubt about the outcome.

Once Upon A Masquerade would be a great light read for a fan of historic romance set during the late 1800′s.

Rating: 5/5

Once Upon A Masquerade by Tamara Hughes will be published by Entangled Publishing on February 11th, 2014 and will be available as an eBook.

*I received an advanced copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review here: http://lilmissvixreads.blogspot.co.uk...

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

First of all, to state the obvious, the cover to this novel is stunning! It sold the book to me before I had even read the blurb. Rebecca Bailey is a maid desperate for money to pay off her father's gambling debts, and in a moment of madness she decides to pose as an heiress in the hope of attracting a wealthy suitor. Christopher Black, a dashing shipping magnate who is both captivated and intrigued by Rebecca from the moment he sets eyes on her at the masquerade ball, seems the likeliest candidate, were it not for the fact that he might recognise her for who she really is.

Stories with multiple view points tend to grate on me, but in this instance it worked perfectly as it allowed Christopher and Rebecca to each tell their side of the story.

I couldn't help but be a little infuriated by Rebecca; I liked how she was capable of defending herself - far from your conventional damsel in distress- yet despite Christopher's honest intentions to help her, it takes her forever to muster up the courage to tell him the truth about her situation. As for Christopher, what can I say? Not quite the blue-blooded Prince Charming, but a perfect gentleman - even better in my opinion. I couldn't help but picture Matthew Goode as I was reading the descriptions of him, which only made him all the more lovable. All of the other characters are well written and distinctive, I especially liked the overly theatrical Spencer Henley. From ballrooms to vast country estates and run down side streets, the settings are so well depicted that you could picture the scenes as vividly as if you were watching a film.

The perfectly paced blend of action, mystery and romance had me gripped, and I finished the novel in a day. I predicted the ending, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the plot; I almost didn't want it to end.

5/5 stars: Cinderella with a twist; an enchanting read that will hold your attention from start to finish, perfect for lovers of fairytales and historical fiction, with enough action and adventure to appeal to the more cynical romantic.

[Cher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Historical Romance. It started a bit slowly but then you couldn't have pried my hands away from my reader if the house was on fire!

Take a girl that had once been from a wealthy family, whose father has never gotten over her mothers death. He gambles himself into a real mess and she has 1 week to pay his debts or they will kill her.. But why kill THIS girl? What in the world will these men get from killing her?


Enter Mr. Black a man on a mission trying to find the girl of his late best friends dreams.. protect her... That was what he was charged to do.. did this girl kill his friend or was she his love?

The only clue a hair comb.. and the matching one he spots in a house maids hair as she is playing a wealthy heiress.. though it takes him a while to realize this lady once spilled tea on him.

Now it got me why does the other maid in the story push her into playing an heiress and then suddenly go with her every where? Why is she seen with the man she is encouraging her friend to become a mistress too?

And still how to keep her alive, make the money to pay for her fathers debts.. yet would that even save her life? And why do they want her dead?

Will her love interest Mr. Black save her or turn her in as his friends murderer?

Don't let the slow start get you bogged down.. when this gets going the plot twists and turns have you thinking and jumping and looking for clues.

Add in a crazy guy who loves to dress in odd costumes including walking around in his union suit :) Makes for a great read!

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Upon a Masquerade by Tamara Hughes is an entertaining historical romance that combines a mystery with the tale of the challenges facing a dutiful daughter, Rebecca Bailey, who is desperate to save her father from his own downward spiral which has resulted in a threat to his life. Christopher Black is determined to discover who murdered his friend but he becomes embroiled in a different situation when the mysterious woman he meets at a masquerade captures his attention and his affection. Can a successful ship’s captain who has been hurt in the past find a way to forgive a woman who has been less than truthful to him? Better yet, can she remain alive long enough to convince him of her true affections for him?

This is a fun peek into high society in New York during the era of the Astors as the nouveau riche and the established wealthy jockey for acceptance and position. The class distinctions persist as those in service have to deal with the vagaries of their employers and the difficulty of escaping from a vicious cycle of gambling debt is highlighted. I enjoyed the intriguing glimpse of the past although I was less than convinced of the flowering of the relationship between the main characters since they seem to have such an erratic attraction to each other. There are charismatic secondary characters who enhance the story and it will be interesting to see if further tales are presented which involve Christopher using his detective skills to solve other mysteries in this milieu. An enjoyable light read.

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely romance, with secrets and thrills in store, Once Upon a Masquerade was a wonderful read. I really liked this book. It was a truly enjoyable read.

Rebecca was a great heroine. She was strong, determined, and very loyal to those she loved. I really liked her. I thought she was a lovely character.

Christoper was also wonderful. He was clever and sweet and very determined once he set his mind to something. He could be frustratingly stubborn at times, but it was never a big issue. Overall, I really liked him.

The romance was good. Rebecca and Christopher were very sweet together. Even with all the obstacles in their way and both of their reluctance to admit to it, their feelings were always obvious. And, the attraction between them was there from the moment they met, with a lot of steaminess along the way. I thought they were perfect together.

The plot was fast paced and I was hooked the entire way through. There were surprises along the way, and I never suspected who turned out to the be culprit behind all the chaos. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was lovely.

Once Upon a Masquerade was a wonderful historical romance. I really liked this book and I truly enjoyed reading it. Romance lovers, this is a book worth checking out.

*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[My Book Addiction and More MBA · Rating 4 out of 5]

ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE by Tamara Hughes is an exciting Victorian Historical Romance/Suspense. What a thrill ride!! Meet Rebecca Bailey, a housemaid in trouble and Christopher Black, shipping magnate. Fast paced! Filled with passion, danger, and romance. A most impressive debut for this author. Although, I do not condone lies, deceit, or disguise, I totally understand Rebecca and her need to keep her father safe. Christopher in looking for the killer of his best friend, which he thinks Rebecca may be, but his instincts tell him she is not. He feels she has a secret and his determined to find out what that secret is. Rebecca is posing as a heiress! Passion and love follows danger, mystery, suspense, secrets,betrayal and a real threat. Christopher is Rebecca's Prince Charming and Rebecca is Christopher's Cinderella. A great read and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical romance, the Victorian era, and suspense. A great romp though Victorian England! Well done, Ms Hughes!! I look forward to your next story! Received for an honest review from the publisher and Net Galley.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: HOT
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, courtesy of My Book Addiction and More

[Dana Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher is searching for the murderer of his best friend and when he encounters the lovely Rebecca, he senses there is more to her than meets the eye. In dire financial straights and struggling to protect her reprobate father, Rebecca assumes the identity of an heiress and the romp begins. A true Cinderella story complete with sexy scenes and tingling deceit, Christopher, Prince Charming extraordinaire, is determined to get to know the woman he has become fascinated with. Will her secrets be both their undoing? Will she reveal her true nature to a man who captivated her from the very first? You will have to get this one to find out!

I liked this book because the setting was different. Historical New York is not often written about in this context and I quite enjoyed it. The Cinderella factor is one that always charms me and this book was no different. A page turner from the first, I had trouble putting it down. The blend of the fairy tale theme and the almost Downton Abbey feel made me love it even more.

Great read!

4/5

[Barbara Longley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca, a housemaid for a wealthy New York family, has only one remaining relative—her father. He's in trouble, and she'd do anything to help him. When another maid she works with suggests that the best way might be to find a wealthy benefactor, and the only way to do that is to crash a ball while disguised as a wealthy heiress herself, Rebecca decides she has nothing to lose. She agrees.

Christopher black is searching for the murderer who took his best friend's life. He attends the same ball as Rebecca. The two meet, and neither can deny the instant attraction. But their affair takes a nasty turn when Christopher suspects Rebecca might have been involved in his friend's murder. He wants to stick close until he can prove her innocence—or guilt. NO SPOILERS!

I really enjoyed this book. It's a fast paced, tightly woven romance/historical/mystery and suspense all rolled into one!

I received this book as an ARC for review, and I'm lucky I did.

[Fran · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise was really interesting. I thought it was right up my alley; however, the book fell flat for me. I'm a fan of historical romance, and I didn't really mind the low reviews much. But when I finally read it, it certainly was disappointing. Maybe I was just not in the right mood for this kind of story.

[Aislynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life hasn’t been the easiest for Rebecca and her family over the last decade. She lost her beloved Mother and watched her Father fall into depression, gambling and drinking. Leaving her to fend for herself, she’s taken a position with the wealthy family in hopes of helping her Father climb out of debt. Unfortunately, Rebecca isn’t prepared for everything that comes along with her Father’s issues – including someone trying to kill her.

In a desperate act, she dresses as a debutante and attends a masked costume ball in hopes of finding help with her predicament. Her friend and fellow maid Mary convinces her that getting a wealthy protector to pay off the debt is the only way to save her Father.

Mr. Black is intrigued by the young woman he meets at the ball, but something about her seem familiar and he can tell she’s keeping something from him. He decides to find out more about Miss Bailey, but manages to get himself pulled into her problems.

This was an interesting twist on the traditional “Cinderella” story, but with a bit of mystery, intrigue and murder thrown in for good measure. Miss Endicott plays the roll of the ‘evil’ step sisters; bossing and bullying Rebecca. Mary plays the pseudo roll of the ‘fairy godmother’ helping find a dress and means to the ball to meet Prince Charming.

I liked that Rebecca was willing to do whatever she could to help her Father, who has lost his way after the death of his wife. I felt for her, she loved him so much and was going to give herself away to get enough money to pay off the debt. Christopher isn’t the typical Prince Charming type hero, but was there to help Rebecca – despite his misgivings. These two manage to get into piles of trouble, almost get themselves killed and… well you’ll have to read the book to find out more!

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed Tamara’s take on Cinderella and her great characters. I wonder what happened to Miss Endicott though and Mr. Henley – who I found very funny! I was hooked from the beginning until the very last page; devoured the book in a matter of hours. Would I read more by this author? Yes, I look forward to seeing what Tamara comes up with next.

[Denise Hallauer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review can also be found on my blog. I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

First I didn’t realize this book was set in 1800′s NY (Yes it says that on goodreads but it didn't in the email I received) or I wouldn’t have requested it, as I know I’m not a fan of that setting. I like the era I just prefer stories set in England. That being said I am really disappointed in this book. I was rolling my eyes from the beginning and things just got worse. I made it about 75% of the way through the book before I couldn’t finish it anymore.

My first problem is with the masquerade ball. It wasn’t so much a masquerade as it was a costume party. When I think of masquerades I think of beautiful masks (like the one on the cover), over the top elegant gowns, fancy up dos, jewels, men in tuxedos, lavishly decorated ballrooms, etc. I was expecting all of that and instead I got a Halloween costume type of party. And really a maid? That’s a little obvious of a costume. What high society woman is going to go to a costume party dressed as a maid? They wouldn’t.

There are several things that feel very out-of-place in the era that the store takes place in. The characters ‘Christian’ names are used way too frequently even out of dialogue, and it’s very odd to me. There is no way that a single woman should be called by her first name by a man she is not related to, nor should she be calling him by his first name.

I really didn’t care for either character. Hughes tries to convince the reader that Christopher is a gentleman and a good guy but he’s really a jerk. He’s a self-made business man, and while he is wealthy and tolerated by man in the ton many look down on him because he’s self-made and works in trade. So because of this I think it’s ridiculous that he looks down on Rebecca because she’s a maid and that he treats her like she’s lower than him. He treats her like she is an idiot, can’t make her own decisions, or choices. He treats her like a child and it’s annoying. Rebecca is a little too naive and silly. She’s overall a pretty boring character.

[Lady Entropy · Rating 3 out of 5]

(ARC given by Netgalley)

I rather enjoyed this book -- oh yes, I confess I didn't expect this retelling of Cinderella to be located in New York, and half the time, I'm convinced it was written with the English society in mind, but I can understand the choice -- not only nationalist but also because this entire premiss would be far harder to pull off in the much stricter and informed society of the English Ton.

Oh sure, there were still moments of "damsel in distressness", but I couldn't but help liking the protagonist: she cared for her father (but came to a point where she didn't want to keep slavishly throwing her life away for him), when she was attracted to someone, she took charge, and she at least tried to save herself. She was genuinely a nice person, and I found myself rooting for her.

The mystery isn't particularly brilliant (and could be quickly guessed who the involved parties were from halfway the book) but it still keeps us entertained -- the end of the second act is a bit deflated, and the arrival of Victoria, which should be a big "issue" brings hardly any consequences.

The love interest was... okay. Not particularly memorable, but not an asshole (almost) either. His flip-flopping about marriage left a bad taste in my mouth (especially because it makes him seem that he only wants marriage when he finds out she is descended from "high society") although I'm fairly sure that wasn't the intention.

I did love the secondary characters (even if Victoria needed to be more developed)so, with Mary as the fairy godmother, the long suffering father and, my favourite, the insane Hamlet. So, all in all, it was a fun read and one that kept me gripped. Also, it made Cinderella look like a much more intense and interesting story, rather than just the "girl sitting down and wishing for a better tomorrow" then letting others do all the work for her.

[Stacy Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn into this story from the beginning. I liked how readily I empathized and rooted for Rebecca. Of course, Christopher himself is scrumptious. Not as edgy and intense as how I love my heroes, but he was enough to draw me in. From the get go I could see they would be great together, and I enjoyed the journey the author took me on. Rebecca is sassy, kind, smart, and kick-ass enough to make me happy. Christopher is honorable, kind, protective, and dashing.
The story was fast paced and kept me firmly rooted waiting to see how Rebecca and Christopher would overcome their conflicts. Once Upon a Masquerade was intriguingly unraveled, keeping me on edge while I read. I love Historical and I liked the glimpse I got of the bon ton of New York. I hope I get to see more in Spencer’s story. I am hoping he gets a story sometime in the future. As a secondary character that only appeared a few times, I found myself really liking him.
There was a couple moments I was not happy with the heroine, enough so for me to remove an entire star. Without giving away the plot, she handed herself over to the villains. I read that part three times, disbelieving. I cared not one whit what her motivations were. She fully understood what vile creatures they were and knew how improbably her plan was. What was she thinking?
It was resolved wonderfully of course, but I actually wanted something to happen to her to teach her she should listen. Lol. Not anything too bad, probably a slap or two. (Horrible of me I know.) I was still loving and rooting for her, but I gave her a few solid slaps in my head.
It was a wonderful read and I will definitely be reading other works by Tamar Hughes. I would recommend this book to all that love historical romance.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinderella in this story is a young woman working as a maid to support her father who has gone into a decline following her mother's death. She's up against the wall trying to cover his latest gambling debts, which come with the threat of physical violence if they fail to come up with the money.

Rebecca ends up masquerading as an eligible young woman, hoping to woo a gift or loan out of a wealthy bachelor. I didn't love that idea, but I guess she was scrambling for money anyway she could get it. I did think that she and Christopher had a certain sweetness together. His decision to stay close to her because he suspected she was involved in the death of his friend felt familiar but was an okay ploy. I loved the eccentric friend!

Overall, I don't think is a super memorable story, but it's a fun read and I happily recommend it!

Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Lola Karns · Rating 4 out of 5]

First - this cover is gorgeous. It lured me in. I enjoyed the unusual time period for this romance - late 19th century New York and the glamorous heyday of the American tycoon. Heroine Rebecca's family lost their fortune and she works as a maid. When a fellow maid suggests she masquerade as a fine lady attend a ball in order to gain a generous suitor to help her family's money woes, she gets more than she bargained for. Christopher, a swoon worthy hero for sure, attends the ball hoping to assist the police in finding his friend's murderer. Rebecca has the right jewelry, but is she a murderer? His investigation puts his frozen heart at risk.

There's rich historical detail in this book and the depth of the mystery surprised and pleased me. All in all, a fun read.

[Mariel Hoss · Rating 2 out of 5]

***ARC from NetGalley in Exchange for an honest review***

This is a Cinderella story that’s peppered with mystery and action. Not a bad premise eh? Unfortunately, neither Rebecca nor Christopher were developed to my liking, falling back on a stereo-type that had me fast-forwarding in spots. Rebecca, while capable and intriguing in some instances falls into the damsel-in-distress, oh-woe-is-me irritating girl. And Christopher is playing at being a detective but really is not. The cast of supporting characters were also not developed well…leaving me with questions about motivation and a few “huh?” moments. Okay…not great but not horrible either.

[Cas H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very intriguing, it appealed to me once I read the description. A maid, poses as an heiress to save her father from death, only to be swept up in a scheme to murder her. Thankfully Christopher Black saves her, and decides that he wants to keep her safe. I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion

[Nan Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful debut, I couldn't put it down. Finished the book in 2 days!
I loved that the book was set in New York but had all the wonderful historical aspects: masquerade party, class distinctions, home parties, mazes and servants. And of course the mystery of why anyone wants to hurt the feisty heroine.
Well done!

[Daydream Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A likable historical story that takes the reader on the tantalising journey of secrets, ballrooms and the naughtier side of Regency London while not embarrassing a lady about 'ton sensibilities too much. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lily Maxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty quick to read (short novel length, I think), and I enjoyed it very much. A unique setting, a murder mystery, and, of course, romance (with some really good jealous moments!).

[Ty · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idiots who shelved this is as a fairy tale retelling need to be neutered.

[Robin Selvig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story. Really enjoyed and a fast read. Love the cover!

[Amber Daulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca Bailey works as a maid in an upstanding New York household. After her father loses a ton of money in gambling and a couple of thugs threaten both him and Rebecca, she takes her fellow maid’s advice to find a rich man, become his mistress, and get the money to save her father. With a borrowed dress and jewelry, Rebecca attends a fabulous masquerade and meets the one man she never wanted to see again.
Christopher Black is searching for the person who killed his friend and for the woman his dying friend had begged Christopher to save. Unfortunately, both he and the police believe the killer and the mystery woman are the same person. He meets Rebecca at the masquerade, not realizing he already knows her as a maid. Though she looks the part of a highbred lady, she doesn’t act like it. He knows she has a secret, and he’s determined to uncover it.
I liked both Rebecca and Christopher. She’s headstrong and stubborn, but foolish when she drinks too much. He’s protective but blind to the way his words and actions hurt her. They lied to each other a lot, and it took a murder attempt for them to finally open up to one another. Their constant distrust became a little tiresome after a while, but it also made sense for the story line. I guessed who the villains were midway through the book, so the ending wasn’t a surprise, but their reasons for why and how they did what they did was definitely a twist.
One thing I really liked was the mention of real people in the book. The masquerade Rebecca and Christopher attended was a real party thrown by the Vanderbilt family in their newly built mansion. The attention to detail was great.
There were a few typos but nothing major. I really enjoyed the story and would love to read more from Ms. Hughes.
4 Stars