Dangerous Masquerade by Peta Lee Rose

Orphaned at 16. Married at 17. Widowed at 18. Destitute—or dead—at 19?

To avoid either fate Ria St. James has to thwart her deceased husband’s nephew who intends to marry or murder her—either will do! She must also contend with well-meaning matchmakers and evade the determined pursuit of the Earl of Arden. Though she yearns to succumb to his advances she can’t risk his discovering what she has had to do to foil the nephew. If she fails, she could lose her heart, her life, or both.

The Earl of Arden enjoys the life of a rake and has a particular liking for widows as they understand the rules of engagement. But his seduction of Ria St. James does not go to plan when he becomes captivated by the innocent widow. Then he realizes she has a secret and is in danger. She needs to reveal it so he can protect her. If he fails, he could lose her forever.

Dangerous Masquerade, the first book in the Regency Masquerade series, is a historical romance flavored with suspense, humor and a pinch of paranormal.

Review

Ria and her elderly relatives are in danger of being evicted from their own home if her husband's nephew can prove her marriage of convenience was never consummated (and thus is not legally binding). Ria needs to get rid of her pesky virginity, and fast. Aided by the ghost of her late husband, she sets out to seduce her childhood crush at a masquerade ball.

And that's just the first chapter.

Not only is the nephew tenacious and possibly murderous in his efforts to gain 'his' inheritance, her estate manager is rebelling, and her crush wants to start an affair - even while searching for his mysterious seductress.

This wasn't a bad book but I found it a little hard to follow, especially at the start. There were a lot of characters that popped in and out and some inconsistencies that left me a little unsatisfied. I did like the Aunts and Cousins with their blatant matchmaking. I was also very struck by some of the lovely introspection once everything was out in open. Overall it was a bit of a mixed bag.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.