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Saturday, March 9, 2013

Review: Moonlight Masquerade by Ruth Axtell



Moonlight Masquerade by Ruth Axtell
Revell / 2013
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:


Sometimes it is hard to tell if you are the cat or the mouse.

Lady CĂ©line 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 rating:
Did not finish
(read about 70 pages and then skipped to the last few chapters)

My thoughts:

I haven't read any of Ruth Axtell's books before, so I was really looking forward to reading Moonlight Masquerade. Unfortunately I just couldn't get into it.

The book starts off with a bang and I thought the first chapter was great (there was a lot of suspense), but then the book just sort of fell flat for me. After reading around 70 pages, and still not connecting to the story, I decided to just call it quits. So I skipped ahead and skimmed parts (including the end). I hate not finishing a book (and hardly ever do), but I just couldn't connect to this book.

One reason I think Moonlight Masquerade didn't hold my attention is because at times it seemed like there was too much description/thought and not enough dialogue (at least to me).

Maybe things would have gotten better had I continued reading, but with so many books to read I didn't feel like trudging through it to find out (especially after reading a few reviews from bloggers who I trust that didn't love this book). I have heard great things about Ruth Axtell's other books (especially Winter is Past) and look forward to reading them.

So while Moonlight Masquerade wasn't a book for me, if you typically enjoy regency romance novels, you might like it. From reviews on Goodreads, it seems like there are quite a few reviewers who enjoyed this book very much.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

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


1 comment:

  1. Well, I love historical novels and I am definitely going to try this soon
    GREAT review, melanie
    Your reader,
    Soma
    http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

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