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Masquerade
Meet Clarissa, a young, divorced LDS mother in desperate need of a job to support herself and her little girl. Bring in Slade, a handsome Hollywood star, also divorced and also LDS, in desperate need of a nanny for Bella, his four-year-old whirlwind of a daughter. Throw them together in Hawaii and the scene would be set for the perfect romance – except that Clarissa had to pretend to be married to get the job in the first place, and now she doesn't dare tell Slade other-wise.
What if he fires her for her little masquerade? Or worse – what if he despises her and never wanted to see her again? Join Clarissa as she finds herself swept up in a maelstrom of glamor, mixed messages and tabloid mayhem that leads to a delicious resolution. Masquerade is a funny, romantic adventure that you're sure to love.
What if he fires her for her little masquerade? Or worse – what if he despises her and never wanted to see her again? Join Clarissa as she finds herself swept up in a maelstrom of glamor, mixed messages and tabloid mayhem that leads to a delicious resolution. Masquerade is a funny, romantic adventure that you're sure to love.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2001
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1234 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews
October 19, 2017
I got frustrated enough to stop at 68% in. It's kind of lopsided with a single conflict taking up all of the plot. Which would have been fine if it could have been maintained and let me still respect Clarissa and Landon. Unfortunately, at that point Clarissa just became too naïve to believe any more and her continuing deception stopped being supportable and still think of her as a good person. Yeah, it started innocently enough and you can maintain that for a while. But once you're actively inventing cover stories you're crossing lines. And when someone uses the threat of exposure to manipulate you into betraying people you care for it is absolutely time for your moral compass to assert itself and stop relying on the fantasy that "maybe it'll work out . . . somehow". At that point, Clarissa is either really, really stupid or willing to compromise her integrity while letting others bear the cost of her being wrong. And since she isn't stupid...
Thing is, she knows the kind of people she is dealing with and not just because Landon has warned her, but that reason alone should be enough for her to stop kidding herself and go into damage control mode. But no. She .
So yeah. Clarissa broke the story for me. She's either too stupid or too weak to maintain my sympathy any longer. So I'm bailing before the stupid hits the fan and gets all over everything I actually liked in the story.
Thing is, she knows the kind of people she is dealing with and not just because Landon has warned her, but that reason alone should be enough for her to stop kidding herself and go into damage control mode. But no. She .
So yeah. Clarissa broke the story for me. She's either too stupid or too weak to maintain my sympathy any longer. So I'm bailing before the stupid hits the fan and gets all over everything I actually liked in the story.
February 19, 2013
I'm breathing a sigh of relief now that I've revised this book and put it out as an ebook. It's nice to be able to fix all the things that bugged you in the printed edition. I wish I could do that with every book I've ever written.
January 31, 2017
This is a good read. I like the way Rallison writes, there is always the laugh out loud moments and a fun read. This was a good contemporary read and when I'm in the mood for one I like to pick up a Rallison book. Very clean.
May 1, 2020
I didn't realize this new edition was out yet, I hurried and downloaded it and am curious to see how it varies from the original Masquerade by Sierra St James (aka Janette Rallison).
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January 16, 2020
While I prefer my love stories to be between two single or widowed individuals, it was hilarious to watch the desperate measures the heroine went through to keep her divorce from her husband a secret to keep her job. The poor hero, on the other hand, had to go through desperate measures to try and keep her safe and sound for her husband while wondering what on earth is wrong with that man. And the two of them had more than enough on their hands trying to keep two little girls from getting into mischief at a celebrity resort...
Review first posted on my blog: https://agencyofbooksandspies.blogspo...
Review first posted on my blog: https://agencyofbooksandspies.blogspo...
December 4, 2025
I've read this one a few times, I'm trying out audio books and thought I'd pick one I'd read before to see how I like it. Its a fun story, I love anything written by Janette Rallison, this is one of her earlier books, but is timeless and just as enjoyable each time I've read it.
Content: Clean.
Content: Clean.
February 1, 2016
Fun, witty, clean, and one I will read again!
September 5, 2014
Fun! Seriously that about sums this book up. I love romantic comedy so this was a hit with me.
Masquerade made me smile and I enjoyed the time I spent reading this sweet funny romance. Janette always seems to make me smile with the humor she bring to her story lines. This book was good clean fun that I can recommend to anyone who enjoys light-hearted fun romance.
I loved watching Clarissa fall for her boss while masquerading as a married woman. Lots of crazy things happen that made me laugh. This is a fluff read, a book to pick up when you just want to escape into a story that will bring you a few laughs and sighs. Nothing deep in this one but I did admire the way both characters placed their children's needs as a high priority.
Masquerade was originally released in 2001 as LDS Fiction but it was edited and LDS references were removed. It was Re-Released as a Romantic Comedy in November 2012.
Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book
Content: clean with some mild innuendo
Source: Purchased as part of the Romance Through the Ages Boxed Set
Masquerade made me smile and I enjoyed the time I spent reading this sweet funny romance. Janette always seems to make me smile with the humor she bring to her story lines. This book was good clean fun that I can recommend to anyone who enjoys light-hearted fun romance.
I loved watching Clarissa fall for her boss while masquerading as a married woman. Lots of crazy things happen that made me laugh. This is a fluff read, a book to pick up when you just want to escape into a story that will bring you a few laughs and sighs. Nothing deep in this one but I did admire the way both characters placed their children's needs as a high priority.
Masquerade was originally released in 2001 as LDS Fiction but it was edited and LDS references were removed. It was Re-Released as a Romantic Comedy in November 2012.
Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book
Content: clean with some mild innuendo
Source: Purchased as part of the Romance Through the Ages Boxed Set
December 1, 2012
Another charming and clean romantic comedy by one of my favorite authors, Janette Rallison. It had the same type of voice and wit as her young adult novels do, but with a grown woman stumbling through embarrassing situations instead of a teen.
The story was completely enjoyable. Rallison has the ability to make me forget that I am not part of the plot. I melt into the world of the characters, and get lost in their ups and downs. I laughed so much during this book, and it was refreshing to read something other than teen angst.
I appreciated that both of the main characters were divorced (in a non-morbid way of course). But it made the story less picture perfect and more believable. I loved how neither Clarissa or Slade were flawless. They were both just average people with regular problems that happen to land in one humorous situation after another.
For only $2.99, you can't go wrong with this one.
The story was completely enjoyable. Rallison has the ability to make me forget that I am not part of the plot. I melt into the world of the characters, and get lost in their ups and downs. I laughed so much during this book, and it was refreshing to read something other than teen angst.
I appreciated that both of the main characters were divorced (in a non-morbid way of course). But it made the story less picture perfect and more believable. I loved how neither Clarissa or Slade were flawless. They were both just average people with regular problems that happen to land in one humorous situation after another.
For only $2.99, you can't go wrong with this one.
December 9, 2012
4.5
I was really looking forward to this book for two reasons: First, I love Janette Rallison. She is one of my favorite authors. Her books are always fun, sweet and most important to me CLEAN!! My second reason was my friend Kath. She had been so excited about this book that in turn it makes you more excited!
I will say I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was everything I loved about a Rallison book. I liked the characters and I thought it was pretty believable. I guess the only critique that I have is I think the cover and the story do not match up. I get the title and I understand what Rallison was going for, but I think the cover is confusing to the story. I think they needed a more modern cover to go along with the modern story.
Also, I think the way that Clarissa dealt with Slades daughter was amazing. She seriously is going to be put up for sainthood. :)
Over-all very cute!!
I was really looking forward to this book for two reasons: First, I love Janette Rallison. She is one of my favorite authors. Her books are always fun, sweet and most important to me CLEAN!! My second reason was my friend Kath. She had been so excited about this book that in turn it makes you more excited!
I will say I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was everything I loved about a Rallison book. I liked the characters and I thought it was pretty believable. I guess the only critique that I have is I think the cover and the story do not match up. I get the title and I understand what Rallison was going for, but I think the cover is confusing to the story. I think they needed a more modern cover to go along with the modern story.
Also, I think the way that Clarissa dealt with Slades daughter was amazing. She seriously is going to be put up for sainthood. :)
Over-all very cute!!
August 13, 2016
Another charming and clean romantic comedy by one of my favorite authors, Janette Rallison. It had the same type of voice and wit as her young adult novels do, but with a grown woman stumbling through embarrassing situations instead of a teen.
The story was completely enjoyable. Rallison has the ability to make me forget that I am not part of the plot. I melt into the world of the characters, and get lost in their ups and downs. I laughed so much during this book, and it was refreshing to read something other than teen angst.
I appreciated that both of the main characters were divorced (in a non-morbid way of course). But it made the story less picture perfect and more believable. I loved how neither Clarissa or Slade were flawless. They were both just average people with regular problems that happen to land in one humorous situation after another.
For only $2.99, you can't go wrong with this one.
The story was completely enjoyable. Rallison has the ability to make me forget that I am not part of the plot. I melt into the world of the characters, and get lost in their ups and downs. I laughed so much during this book, and it was refreshing to read something other than teen angst.
I appreciated that both of the main characters were divorced (in a non-morbid way of course). But it made the story less picture perfect and more believable. I loved how neither Clarissa or Slade were flawless. They were both just average people with regular problems that happen to land in one humorous situation after another.
For only $2.99, you can't go wrong with this one.
February 8, 2012
I found this book so delightful I actually hugged it when I finished the last page. :) There were so many laugh-out-loud moments, that I just want to read it over again. Janette Rallison (Sierra St. James is a pseudonym) is a romantic comedy genius!
July 24, 2013
So fun. A nice, light read that could be categorized as clean...
Please head here:
http://bloggingbrookeworm.blogspot.co...
to read the rest.
Please head here:
http://bloggingbrookeworm.blogspot.co...
to read the rest.
March 29, 2016
This was a cute (clean) romantic comedy.
January 8, 2013
I read a blog post by Janette Rallison, where she mentioned that she had been able to make changes to one of her earlier novels, and it made me interested in reading it. It's only $2.99 for the ebook right now on Amazon.
So, the main characters in this romance are Clarissa and Slade. Clarissa is a divorced single mother of a three year old daughter (her husband was verbally abusive). She is working multiple jobs trying to make ends meet, and she finds a great job opportunity in becoming the nanny for Slade's four year old daughter. Slade is a movie star who is also divorced (his wife cheated on him) and as a single, handsome, rich man he is very wary of women who want to use him for his Hollywood connections, so the unwritten qualifications for the position of his daughter's nanny is to not be an aspiring actress and to be married. Clarissa doesn't feel comfortable about deceiving him, but she really needs the money.
She's hired and off they go to Hawaii together (Slade, Clarissa, and their two daughters). Pesky reporters, leering movie stars, overturned salad bars ensue, and Slade and Clarissa fall in love. If only that pesky lie about still being married weren't between them, then maybe they could actually admit that they were in love.
It's a cute novel. If you've liked the fiction Rallison has written for the younger audience, then you will enjoy this sweet romance novel.
And you'll find some solid parenting advice in it as well!
"Opportunity didn't knock for Slade Jacobson—it rang his cell phone at 10:34 pm while he was putting his daughter to bed for the third time. He ignored his phone and tried to convince Bella she was tired, this time using a cockney accent and a dragon puppet who begged the four-year-old to stop bouncing around the bed because he 'ad a blazin' 'eadache."
"Slade sat down on a recliner and rubbed his eyebrows. 'If this has anything to do with women, I'm not interested. The last one you set me up with had the personality of moss.'
Landon laughed. 'Well, maybe, but she had other compensating qualities.'
Right. If she had been any shallower, she could have been classified as a kiddy pool."
"Writing a eulogy would have been easier, Clarissa mused as she looked down at the employment application. At least when you said glowing things about the dead, no one asked you to provide references to prove it was the truth."
"Clarissa didn't like filling out her application. Reducing her life history to one-sentence answers made her sound so ordinary.
Accomplishments?
She tapped her pen against the clipboard her application was attached to. What had she accomplished lately? She'd survived a divorce. She'd single-handedly moved her belongings into an apartment. She'd recently bought an ironing board, a blender, and two outfits for her three-year-old daughter at a garage sale and got change back from her ten-dollar bill. That had seemed like a great accomplishment at the time.
What else?
She tapped the pen some more. How could she be busy from seven in the morning until midnight every night and yet never accomplish anything?"
"If she ever felt lonely for someone whose main purpose in life was to point out her every shortcoming, she'd buy a subscription to a beauty magazine."
"He hated apologies. It was like rehashing the event all over again. And women made it even harder than it had to be. With guys, apologies were easy. You just said, 'Hey, you're not nearly as obnoxious as you were yesterday,' and the other guy said, 'And you're not as ugly!' Then you slapped each other on the shoulders, and the thing was over.
Women always wanted to discuss their feelings, analyze every word you said, and point out your many flaws along the way. The expected things like candy and flowers; and the prettier the woman, the more things she expected."
"Slade took hold of her arm, catching her. He didn't let her go right away. 'Are you okay?'
'Yes,' she said. 'It's just these heels. They're too high.'
His gaze slid down her legs to her feet. 'You'd think after being liberated for so long, women would have done away with heels altogether.'
'We were liberated from men,' she said, 'not from fashion.'"
"It would be better if they all stayed in and watched something on TV. He would have suggested it, but by this time Clarissa and Meredith were busily engaged in a conversation about masquerade costumes. At least he thought they were talking about masquerade costumes. When he heard two women using terms like 'period clothing,' he just didn't want to ask."
"Did movies really need car chases and shoot-outs to be successful? Would the audience refuse to come if there wasn't a set number of sex scenes?
Was that realistic?
Realistic, realistic. He said the word in his mind over and over again. Didn't he want something more uplifting than reality? Wasn't the whole point of stories to encourage a better reality?
So how could he ever write about that?
Maybe he was doomed as a writer. Maybe the time for his kind of writing was over and now people just wanted to watch naked women and exploding cars."
And I thought the author's bio at the end was really funny.
"Janette Rallison has five children, all of whom have embarrassed her at one time or another with the comments they've made in public. Two recurring favorites through the years have been, 'How come that man's teeth are so yellow?' and 'Why is that lady so fat?'
It all works out in the end though, because now her children are teenagers, which means that everything she says in public somehow embarrasses them.
Janette likes to write romances—because she's always been a romantic at heart, and, hey, where else do you get the chance to use the words wry and brooding?"
So, the main characters in this romance are Clarissa and Slade. Clarissa is a divorced single mother of a three year old daughter (her husband was verbally abusive). She is working multiple jobs trying to make ends meet, and she finds a great job opportunity in becoming the nanny for Slade's four year old daughter. Slade is a movie star who is also divorced (his wife cheated on him) and as a single, handsome, rich man he is very wary of women who want to use him for his Hollywood connections, so the unwritten qualifications for the position of his daughter's nanny is to not be an aspiring actress and to be married. Clarissa doesn't feel comfortable about deceiving him, but she really needs the money.
She's hired and off they go to Hawaii together (Slade, Clarissa, and their two daughters). Pesky reporters, leering movie stars, overturned salad bars ensue, and Slade and Clarissa fall in love. If only that pesky lie about still being married weren't between them, then maybe they could actually admit that they were in love.
It's a cute novel. If you've liked the fiction Rallison has written for the younger audience, then you will enjoy this sweet romance novel.
And you'll find some solid parenting advice in it as well!
"Opportunity didn't knock for Slade Jacobson—it rang his cell phone at 10:34 pm while he was putting his daughter to bed for the third time. He ignored his phone and tried to convince Bella she was tired, this time using a cockney accent and a dragon puppet who begged the four-year-old to stop bouncing around the bed because he 'ad a blazin' 'eadache."
"Slade sat down on a recliner and rubbed his eyebrows. 'If this has anything to do with women, I'm not interested. The last one you set me up with had the personality of moss.'
Landon laughed. 'Well, maybe, but she had other compensating qualities.'
Right. If she had been any shallower, she could have been classified as a kiddy pool."
"Writing a eulogy would have been easier, Clarissa mused as she looked down at the employment application. At least when you said glowing things about the dead, no one asked you to provide references to prove it was the truth."
"Clarissa didn't like filling out her application. Reducing her life history to one-sentence answers made her sound so ordinary.
Accomplishments?
She tapped her pen against the clipboard her application was attached to. What had she accomplished lately? She'd survived a divorce. She'd single-handedly moved her belongings into an apartment. She'd recently bought an ironing board, a blender, and two outfits for her three-year-old daughter at a garage sale and got change back from her ten-dollar bill. That had seemed like a great accomplishment at the time.
What else?
She tapped the pen some more. How could she be busy from seven in the morning until midnight every night and yet never accomplish anything?"
"If she ever felt lonely for someone whose main purpose in life was to point out her every shortcoming, she'd buy a subscription to a beauty magazine."
"He hated apologies. It was like rehashing the event all over again. And women made it even harder than it had to be. With guys, apologies were easy. You just said, 'Hey, you're not nearly as obnoxious as you were yesterday,' and the other guy said, 'And you're not as ugly!' Then you slapped each other on the shoulders, and the thing was over.
Women always wanted to discuss their feelings, analyze every word you said, and point out your many flaws along the way. The expected things like candy and flowers; and the prettier the woman, the more things she expected."
"Slade took hold of her arm, catching her. He didn't let her go right away. 'Are you okay?'
'Yes,' she said. 'It's just these heels. They're too high.'
His gaze slid down her legs to her feet. 'You'd think after being liberated for so long, women would have done away with heels altogether.'
'We were liberated from men,' she said, 'not from fashion.'"
"It would be better if they all stayed in and watched something on TV. He would have suggested it, but by this time Clarissa and Meredith were busily engaged in a conversation about masquerade costumes. At least he thought they were talking about masquerade costumes. When he heard two women using terms like 'period clothing,' he just didn't want to ask."
"Did movies really need car chases and shoot-outs to be successful? Would the audience refuse to come if there wasn't a set number of sex scenes?
Was that realistic?
Realistic, realistic. He said the word in his mind over and over again. Didn't he want something more uplifting than reality? Wasn't the whole point of stories to encourage a better reality?
So how could he ever write about that?
Maybe he was doomed as a writer. Maybe the time for his kind of writing was over and now people just wanted to watch naked women and exploding cars."
And I thought the author's bio at the end was really funny.
"Janette Rallison has five children, all of whom have embarrassed her at one time or another with the comments they've made in public. Two recurring favorites through the years have been, 'How come that man's teeth are so yellow?' and 'Why is that lady so fat?'
It all works out in the end though, because now her children are teenagers, which means that everything she says in public somehow embarrasses them.
Janette likes to write romances—because she's always been a romantic at heart, and, hey, where else do you get the chance to use the words wry and brooding?"
October 22, 2024
Review from 1/14/23:
A witty, heart-warming feast for fans of romantic comedy!
Clarissa Hancock married young and is currently a divorced, single mother of three-year-old Elaina. Clarissa has limited job skills, an unfinished college degree in family science, and is currently working multiple low-paying, part-time jobs to support herself and Elaina because her coldly malicious ex-husband has legally outmaneuvered her. Though he has granted Clarissa full physical custody of Elaina, he refuses to have anything to do with his daughter or provide more than the bare minimum of child support, forcing Clarissa to live a hand-to-mouth existence, lodged in cheap housing and shopping for Elaina's toys and clothing at garage sales.
When Clarissa applies for a job through an employment agency, she is shocked to discover that the job counselor assigned to her is an acquaintance of her ex-husband who attended her wedding and doesn't realize she is no longer married. He helps her get an interview to become a nanny for a movie star, one of whose requirements for the position is that the nanny be married so she won't be hitting on her boss.
Slade Jacobson has a four-year-daughter named Bella who is the product of his broken marriage with a gorgeous TV star who cheated on Slade and abandoned her daughter. Bella is a holy terror whose endless brushes with disaster have driven off countless nannies. She is Slade's top priority, but he is out of his depth raising her, and when he sees that Clarissa is an experienced mother with a warm, nurturing personality, and moreover is young, energetic and able to roll with the punches of raising Bella, he hires her on the spot.
Within days of hiring her, however, Slade decides he wants to take Bella with him on a business trip to Hawaii, and he asks Clarissa to come along and care for his daughter. It's the opportunity of a lifetime, an all-expenses-paid trip to paradise, with Elaina not simply tolerated by her boss, but a much-wanted companion for Bella. Not only that, Slade consistently treats Elaina with a degree of gentleness and affection that Elaina has never known from her father. How can Clarissa possibly pass up this offer?
Unfortunately, what begins as an innocent masquerade as a married woman spins out into a massive comedy of errors until, ultimately, not only is Clarissa's cushy job at stake, but her heart is very much on the line as she finds herself irresistibly falling for a boss who is far more than a pretty face.
I am a huge fan of Janette Rallison. I've read and added to my keeper shelf every one of her young adult novels. I stumbled across this book in the process of re-purchasing in Kindle format all of her books that I had originally bought in paper format. A bit of research into the history of this book led me to discover that it had originally been published by Rallison under the pseudonym Sierra St. James, along with several other adult romantic comedies:
Trial of the Heart by Sierra St. James (March 1999)
Masquerade by Sierra St. James (June 2001)
What the Doctor Ordered by Sierra St. James (June 2004)
Time Riders by Sierra St. James (June 2004)
Ms. Rallison recently re-released Masquerade as a Kindle edition with, apparently, some edits to the original edition, and hopefully she will be able to do the same for the other three St. James books in the near future.
As a Kindle edition, this book is outstandingly formatted, edited and designed with a lovely cover.
The story itself is an absolute delight! Over the years I've enjoyed thousands of romantic comedy novels, and this particular book is one of the best I've ever read. There are few authors who manage to create a book filled from beginning to end with humor based on verbal wit--especially clever repartee between the heroine and the hero. In those books that have any repartee at all, it tends to vanish within one or two chapters. Not so with this wonderful book. The exchanges of wit continue from beginning to end with countless laugh-out-loud moments. Other terrific sources of comedy are the many adventures of the intrepid Bella and Slade's numerous attempts to protect Clarissa from seduction at the hands of Landon, Slade's flirtatious, womanizing friend, who is a fellow movie star. Even the scenes revolving around the main antagonist frequently generate belly laughs.
One of the key elements of any romance is the hero, and Slade is absolutely wonderful, not merely a collection of sexy body parts, but a man of integrity and heart. Clarissa is also a strong, sympathetic heroine. She is determined, kind, intelligent, and has an appreciation of the absurdities of life that is one of the chief traits she shares with Slade. Beyond that, the subcharacters are clearly and colorfully drawn, each one distinct and contributing powerfully to the flow of the main plot of the book. An important feature of all of Rallison's work, heart-warming emotional connections among characters, abounds in this book as well.
By the way, this book is what is known in the romance industry as a "clean" or "sweet" romance. There is no swearing and no overt sexuality beyond mild kissing.
In every way possible, this book is an utter joy to read--another tremendous gift to her fans by a virtuoso author.
Third read 10/22/24: I totally agree with everything I wrote about this book in the review above. I enjoyed it just as much today as I have in the past. I am sure I will revisit this terrific romance novel at least once every couple of years.
A witty, heart-warming feast for fans of romantic comedy!
Clarissa Hancock married young and is currently a divorced, single mother of three-year-old Elaina. Clarissa has limited job skills, an unfinished college degree in family science, and is currently working multiple low-paying, part-time jobs to support herself and Elaina because her coldly malicious ex-husband has legally outmaneuvered her. Though he has granted Clarissa full physical custody of Elaina, he refuses to have anything to do with his daughter or provide more than the bare minimum of child support, forcing Clarissa to live a hand-to-mouth existence, lodged in cheap housing and shopping for Elaina's toys and clothing at garage sales.
When Clarissa applies for a job through an employment agency, she is shocked to discover that the job counselor assigned to her is an acquaintance of her ex-husband who attended her wedding and doesn't realize she is no longer married. He helps her get an interview to become a nanny for a movie star, one of whose requirements for the position is that the nanny be married so she won't be hitting on her boss.
Slade Jacobson has a four-year-daughter named Bella who is the product of his broken marriage with a gorgeous TV star who cheated on Slade and abandoned her daughter. Bella is a holy terror whose endless brushes with disaster have driven off countless nannies. She is Slade's top priority, but he is out of his depth raising her, and when he sees that Clarissa is an experienced mother with a warm, nurturing personality, and moreover is young, energetic and able to roll with the punches of raising Bella, he hires her on the spot.
Within days of hiring her, however, Slade decides he wants to take Bella with him on a business trip to Hawaii, and he asks Clarissa to come along and care for his daughter. It's the opportunity of a lifetime, an all-expenses-paid trip to paradise, with Elaina not simply tolerated by her boss, but a much-wanted companion for Bella. Not only that, Slade consistently treats Elaina with a degree of gentleness and affection that Elaina has never known from her father. How can Clarissa possibly pass up this offer?
Unfortunately, what begins as an innocent masquerade as a married woman spins out into a massive comedy of errors until, ultimately, not only is Clarissa's cushy job at stake, but her heart is very much on the line as she finds herself irresistibly falling for a boss who is far more than a pretty face.
I am a huge fan of Janette Rallison. I've read and added to my keeper shelf every one of her young adult novels. I stumbled across this book in the process of re-purchasing in Kindle format all of her books that I had originally bought in paper format. A bit of research into the history of this book led me to discover that it had originally been published by Rallison under the pseudonym Sierra St. James, along with several other adult romantic comedies:
Trial of the Heart by Sierra St. James (March 1999)
Masquerade by Sierra St. James (June 2001)
What the Doctor Ordered by Sierra St. James (June 2004)
Time Riders by Sierra St. James (June 2004)
Ms. Rallison recently re-released Masquerade as a Kindle edition with, apparently, some edits to the original edition, and hopefully she will be able to do the same for the other three St. James books in the near future.
As a Kindle edition, this book is outstandingly formatted, edited and designed with a lovely cover.
The story itself is an absolute delight! Over the years I've enjoyed thousands of romantic comedy novels, and this particular book is one of the best I've ever read. There are few authors who manage to create a book filled from beginning to end with humor based on verbal wit--especially clever repartee between the heroine and the hero. In those books that have any repartee at all, it tends to vanish within one or two chapters. Not so with this wonderful book. The exchanges of wit continue from beginning to end with countless laugh-out-loud moments. Other terrific sources of comedy are the many adventures of the intrepid Bella and Slade's numerous attempts to protect Clarissa from seduction at the hands of Landon, Slade's flirtatious, womanizing friend, who is a fellow movie star. Even the scenes revolving around the main antagonist frequently generate belly laughs.
One of the key elements of any romance is the hero, and Slade is absolutely wonderful, not merely a collection of sexy body parts, but a man of integrity and heart. Clarissa is also a strong, sympathetic heroine. She is determined, kind, intelligent, and has an appreciation of the absurdities of life that is one of the chief traits she shares with Slade. Beyond that, the subcharacters are clearly and colorfully drawn, each one distinct and contributing powerfully to the flow of the main plot of the book. An important feature of all of Rallison's work, heart-warming emotional connections among characters, abounds in this book as well.
By the way, this book is what is known in the romance industry as a "clean" or "sweet" romance. There is no swearing and no overt sexuality beyond mild kissing.
In every way possible, this book is an utter joy to read--another tremendous gift to her fans by a virtuoso author.
Third read 10/22/24: I totally agree with everything I wrote about this book in the review above. I enjoyed it just as much today as I have in the past. I am sure I will revisit this terrific romance novel at least once every couple of years.
April 1, 2013
reviewed on Clean Adult Fiction
I loved this book! Clarissa was a single mom with a critical and disinterested ex-husband. She needed a job and found an old friend of her ex's at a temp agency. He thought she was still married and sent her over to Slade the movie star's house for a nanny interview. The guy told her Slade preferred the nanny to be married so she wouldn't be another girl trying to get his attention instead of nannying his daughter. Slade thinking Clarissa was married was not the most promising start to a romance, but it got interesting. Then there was Landon, Slade's movie star friend she met in Hawaii, who either didn't believe she was married or didn't care.
Told from both Clarissa and Slade's POV made it even more fun and frustrating. The poor guy thought she was married for crying out loud. I enjoyed the parts with Clarissa and her daughter and Slade and his daughter, very sweet. Slade's daughter was a handful making for some pretty funny/embarrassing scenes. Like I've said before, Janette Rallison writes the most cringe worthy and hilarious embarrassing moments.
Masquerade was a light-hearted, entertaining, clean adult romance. I recommend it to any romance lover.
Content Ratings:
sexual: mild
language: none
violence: none
I loved this book! Clarissa was a single mom with a critical and disinterested ex-husband. She needed a job and found an old friend of her ex's at a temp agency. He thought she was still married and sent her over to Slade the movie star's house for a nanny interview. The guy told her Slade preferred the nanny to be married so she wouldn't be another girl trying to get his attention instead of nannying his daughter. Slade thinking Clarissa was married was not the most promising start to a romance, but it got interesting. Then there was Landon, Slade's movie star friend she met in Hawaii, who either didn't believe she was married or didn't care.
Told from both Clarissa and Slade's POV made it even more fun and frustrating. The poor guy thought she was married for crying out loud. I enjoyed the parts with Clarissa and her daughter and Slade and his daughter, very sweet. Slade's daughter was a handful making for some pretty funny/embarrassing scenes. Like I've said before, Janette Rallison writes the most cringe worthy and hilarious embarrassing moments.
Masquerade was a light-hearted, entertaining, clean adult romance. I recommend it to any romance lover.
Content Ratings:
sexual: mild
language: none
violence: none
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March 20, 2017I haven't read any of Janette Rallison's adult books before, so I was pleasantly surprised that this book was just as fun as her books for teens. There's still the humor and voice that I've grown to associate with her novels, but grown up just a little bit. The main female character still gets in embarrassing situations, but it's handled more maturely.
I know this book was rewritten from an earlier edition, which I never read, so I can't really compare them.
Normally when a book depicts someone (who is single) falling in love with someone who they believe is married, I get an icky feeling in my stomach. But luckily, you still love Slade's character and don't feel like he's icky at all. That's probably because .
The two little girls in this book are adorable, and very true to real life. I could completely see the acting in the way they did (which kind of makes me scared for when my own little one reaches that age ...)
I know this book was rewritten from an earlier edition, which I never read, so I can't really compare them.
Normally when a book depicts someone (who is single) falling in love with someone who they believe is married, I get an icky feeling in my stomach. But luckily, you still love Slade's character and don't feel like he's icky at all. That's probably because .
The two little girls in this book are adorable, and very true to real life. I could completely see the acting in the way they did (which kind of makes me scared for when my own little one reaches that age ...)
May 20, 2013
This was the third book of Ms. Rallison’s I’ve read. Sometime in the first 15% I was laying on my back, legs curled in the air, thrashing from side to side squeezing a steady stream of tears from my eyes from laughing so hard. It was quite a spectacle. At that time I vowed to read every one of her books. Laughing is good for the brain (it makes it produce one of the happy endorphins and we all need more of those), it’s good for the soul and the world. I have rarely laughed that hard in a book. And around 75% of the same book I repeated the whole ordeal.
Until ‘Mall World’ (another of Ms. Rallison’s books) I didn’t realize there was a romantic comedy genre. I’m still not sure it’s a thing. I only know her books don’t fit into any other category I’ve read.
Her voice is hilarious, her characters are delightful, the dialogue is smart and sarcastic. I might have a secret author crush. This is an adult book, in that the characters and conflicts are adult, but the content is suitable for any age. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a good long laugh!
Until ‘Mall World’ (another of Ms. Rallison’s books) I didn’t realize there was a romantic comedy genre. I’m still not sure it’s a thing. I only know her books don’t fit into any other category I’ve read.
Her voice is hilarious, her characters are delightful, the dialogue is smart and sarcastic. I might have a secret author crush. This is an adult book, in that the characters and conflicts are adult, but the content is suitable for any age. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a good long laugh!
November 27, 2012
Janette Rallison is one of my FAVORITE authors!
Her books are SO GOOD!
I have read A LOT of them and LOVE each one!
I have read:
My Fair Godmother
My Unfair Godmother
Just One Wish
It's a Mall World After All
Revenge of he Cheerleaders
Life, Love and the Pursuit of Free Throws
Dakota's Revenge
What the Doctor Ordered
Masquerade is Janette Rallison's newest book.
I knew it would be good just because Janette wrote it...and it really was!
Actor Slade Jacobson is looking for a nanny for his little girl...Bella...
Clarissa is trying to find a job to support her and her little girl...Elaina...
When Clarissa finds out she can nanny for Slade and have Elaina there too instead of at a babysitter she jumps at the job offer...
Only problem...she absently put that she was married on her application...when in reality she is divorced...
When Slade offers to take Clarissa and Elaina to Hawaii in order to nanny Bella the masks will need to come off...
Her books are SO GOOD!
I have read A LOT of them and LOVE each one!
I have read:
My Fair Godmother
My Unfair Godmother
Just One Wish
It's a Mall World After All
Revenge of he Cheerleaders
Life, Love and the Pursuit of Free Throws
Dakota's Revenge
What the Doctor Ordered
Masquerade is Janette Rallison's newest book.
I knew it would be good just because Janette wrote it...and it really was!
Actor Slade Jacobson is looking for a nanny for his little girl...Bella...
Clarissa is trying to find a job to support her and her little girl...Elaina...
When Clarissa finds out she can nanny for Slade and have Elaina there too instead of at a babysitter she jumps at the job offer...
Only problem...she absently put that she was married on her application...when in reality she is divorced...
When Slade offers to take Clarissa and Elaina to Hawaii in order to nanny Bella the masks will need to come off...
February 27, 2017
Clean story
This was a cute clean story that I probably won't remember, but it was a quick read. I enjoyed it. Why only three stars? There was just something about this book that bothered me under the surface. I think a lot of the dialogue was very cliche. I enjoyed the story line. Unbelievable story, but that's the fun of fiction.
Language: completely clean
Sexual content: completely clean
Religious: not at all
Overall story: As I mentioned above, perhaps too cliche and a little anticlimactic, but still a quick enjoyable read.
This was a cute clean story that I probably won't remember, but it was a quick read. I enjoyed it. Why only three stars? There was just something about this book that bothered me under the surface. I think a lot of the dialogue was very cliche. I enjoyed the story line. Unbelievable story, but that's the fun of fiction.
Language: completely clean
Sexual content: completely clean
Religious: not at all
Overall story: As I mentioned above, perhaps too cliche and a little anticlimactic, but still a quick enjoyable read.
December 2, 2023
One Little White Lie
When Clarissa becomes a nanny to a famous movie star she only tells one little white lie, that she’s still married. They wouldn’t hire a young single mother to tag along with her daughter and a Hollywood heartthrob. That’s all fine in theory, but when she gets to know Slade that one pesky lie keeps getting in the way. I loved their precocious girls, the humor, and the masquerade party at the end.
When Clarissa becomes a nanny to a famous movie star she only tells one little white lie, that she’s still married. They wouldn’t hire a young single mother to tag along with her daughter and a Hollywood heartthrob. That’s all fine in theory, but when she gets to know Slade that one pesky lie keeps getting in the way. I loved their precocious girls, the humor, and the masquerade party at the end.
October 6, 2014
This was a fast read that had me hooked the whole way through. It was the story of a divorced woman who pretends to be married in order to get a nanny job for a divorced movie star. I liked the portrayal of a mother of a toddler--it's not something I read every day. The book follows the standard conventions of the romance genre, so that's a nice refresher. Honestly, I prefer books in which the romance is the subplot, rather than THE plot of the novel.
October 3, 2016
Hilarious, light, done in a day, with a few unexpected twists to keep me guessing. Clever and independent herione, so this book hits all the right notes!
February 18, 2014
Very cute book. Lots of smiles and lol moments for me. Having a four-year-old right now made me laugh at some of the antics and child innocence. There are no secrets. :o) And I always love the celebrity reads. What a cool name - Slade.
Moral Note: Some mild innuendos, and talk of infidelity in relationships. A few "hecks".
Moral Note: Some mild innuendos, and talk of infidelity in relationships. A few "hecks".
October 18, 2022
This is such a cute book! I’ve read (and loved) a few books by Janette Rallison and this one is adorable!
Clarissa (the nanny) and Slade (the movie star) were quite the unlikely match, yet they worked so well together! It was fun to see both of their sides of the story and how everything worked out over time when they both dropped their “masks” and let the other one in.
Clarissa (the nanny) and Slade (the movie star) were quite the unlikely match, yet they worked so well together! It was fun to see both of their sides of the story and how everything worked out over time when they both dropped their “masks” and let the other one in.
September 12, 2023
This book deserved more stars. Why? Because Rallison named all the elements that make a good rom-com. There was good comic relief, fleshed-out characters that made me cheer or hate them as intended, good intrigue in the secondary plots, and a fun and satisfactory resolution. I wish this book was a movie and I don't say that often about contemporary romance books.
May 13, 2011
This is one of two LDS romance novels that I can stand to read and actually really like! This book and the other (Trial of the Heart) are both written by the same author. It's clever and funny. I like to pick it up occassionally for a quick fun read.
August 20, 2011
Sierra St. James and I share a similar sense of humor. I am actually reading this book again (as my in-between books before I can get my hands on another book :) and I forgot how witty it is. I am reminded of how cute it is, and I'm pleasantly surprised.
June 1, 2016
Huh, I know I've read this before. I must have forgot to review it. Another really cute one by Janette Rallison. This one was a little bit more for adults than for teenagers. I wouldn't recommend it to mine. But a fun read and Slade, he's perfect.
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