Moonlight Masquerade

Moonlight Masquerade

by Ruth Axtell

About the book (from the back cover):

Lady Celine Wexham seems the model British subject. French by birth but enjoying life in 1813 as a widowed English countess, she is in the unique position of being able to help those in need -- or to spy for the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte. When Rees Phillips of the British Foreign Office is sent to pose as the countess's butler and discover where her true loyalties lie, he is confident he will uncover the truth. But the longer he is in her fashionable townhouse in London's West End, the more his staunch loyalty to the Crown begins to waver as he falls under Lady Wexham's spell. Will he find the proof he needs? And if she is a spy after all, what then will he do? With sharp wit, fast-paced dialogue, and infectious intrigue, Ruth Axtell deftly creates a world where black and white burst into a confusion of colors -- and no one is who they seem.

My take:

I was drawn into the book at the very beginning as Rees ("Mr. MacKinnon") is searching through Lady Celine's dressing room for evidence that she is a spy. I felt my heart beating faster and faster as it became certain that he was going to get caught. I was eager to keep reading, but was kind of disappointed when the chapters to come failed to keep my attention. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this sort of book at the time, but I never did find the same excitement as I did at the beginning. I thought the idea for the story was great, but it didn't intrigue me the way I thought it would.

I give this book a "3."

Available March 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.


About the author:

Ruth Axtell is the author of thirteen novels, including Wild Rose, one of Booklist's Top Ten in Christian Fiction. Currently a resident of Downeast Maine, Axtell has lived in the Canary Islands, Miami, and the Netherlands.









Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Tutor's Daughter

The Tutor's Daughter

by Julie Klassen


About the book (from the back cover):

Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father when his boarding school fails, accompanies him to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But soon after they arrive and begin teaching the two younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte at night, only to find the music room empty? And who begins sneaking into her bedchamber, leaving behind strange mementos? The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry Weston, wrestle with problems -- and secrets -- of their own. They both remember the studious Miss Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her... 

When suspicions escalate, can Emma figure out which brother to blame and which to trust with her heart? Filled with page-turning suspense, The Tutor's Daughter takes readers to the windswept Cornwall coast -- a place infamous for shipwrecks and superstitions -- where danger lurks, faith is tested, and romance awaits. 

My take:

I absolutely adored this book! I am a huge Julie Klassen fan, and was thrilled when I saw her newest book was up for review. I was definitely not disappointed when I read this one!

I loved this book so much, I can't say enough about it. Before I read this one, my favorite Julie Klassen book was The Maid of Fairbourne Hall. But now I think it is a tie between that one and The Tutor's Daughter! I really enjoyed discovering the mystery of who was playing the pianoforte at night, and who was slipping into Emma's room at night. And I was very pleasantly surprised to fall in love with one of the characters I seriously disliked in the beginning!

Reading this book and Klassen's other books has renewed my interest in revisiting England someday. I am hoping that day comes sooner rather than later! Cornwall (where this book takes place) is going on my list of places to visit!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction/romance in the Regency period. I happily give this one a "5."


About the author:

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane - Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She has won the Christy Award: Historical Romance for The Silent Governess (2010) and The Girl in the Gatehouse (2011) which also won the 2010 Midwest Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. Find out more about Julie at http://www.julieklassen.com/.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."