2.5 stars

I received at an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Masked Baron intrigued me, between its straighforward, yet suspenseful title, to the blurb which conveyed a semi-Gothic atmosphere and a lot of intriguing questions that needed answering. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me.

The setting is incredibly atmospheric, and I felt the evocative nature of the Black Forest was well conveyed. And the central mystery, surrounding the titular character, concludes in a satisfying way, exploring why Ellis chose to adopt the masked persona and providing closure for the demons of his past.

However, in other aspects, the story felt very confusing. Others have mentioned the story being a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but I did not find tho aside from Ellis’ overall arc. And I felt nothing for Annie, finding her more frustrating in her stubbonrness than anything else, but given my mixed experiences with Gothic heroines, this is not surprising.

I did feel like some of the secondary characters, especially the loyal servants, redeemed the story to an extent, and I think I would have liked a story exploring them and their relationship with Ellis a little more, especially since it would amplify the Beauty and the Beast connection, particularly with some of the more modern and well known incarnations.

This was a bit of a disappointment, but perhaps another reader who likes Gothic and fairytale inspired stories will like this a bit more. It seems to have garnered a mixed early reception, based on some of the reviews I read after finishing for comparison, so it’s very possible some people will enjoy it.

This story is a nod to Beauty and the Beast. While it doesn't follow the fairy-tale exactly it is obvious enough to see likenesses in it. But instead of having a mystical castle with enchanted servants the mystical part lays in the story of the witch and the dark forest. The servants are all normal humans that are loyal to their master. Things like that are stark differences that make the story Ms. Walker's own instead of copying the fairy-tale.

The story takes most of the book to unfold. There are secrets that the reader doesn't get to know about before the reveal to the characters so I really couldn't guess how it was all going to play out. Kept me wondering the whole time. I kept trying to guess the last secret and I was pretty much all wrong. The secret stayed a secret until it was revealed.

There are multiple villains in the book and a number of side characters that added to the story. There could be additional books about some of those characters in the future. They were rounded out to be real people enough to make me want to see their happily ever after too. I can guess how things went for two of them but Miss Dubois is mysterious enough to have anything happen in her story.

I enjoyed the story overall though I think I liked the hero better than the heroine. But I kinda find that to be the case in the fairy-tale too so it pretty much fits.

Sex: kisses
Language: no
Violence: yes
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book through Netgalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

A regency retelling of Beauty and The Beast. I love fairy tale retellings. This is so well written. I loved the twists and turns this book takes. Andalin works in her father's bookstore. She has heard tales from outsiders of the Dark Rider. She loves a good story and retells the tales to the children that visit the store. She had no idea she would actually meet him one day. The Dark Rider saves Andalin and her father while they were traveling through the Black Forest. Unbeknowst to Andalin a bargin had been struck between Lord Cadogen and her father before he ever saved them. She was to become his ward. And so the adventure begins. I loved this book and would highly recommend it!

The description and cover of The Masked Baron grabbed my attention from the moment I saw it and I am happy to say that I ended up loving it. I was slightly surprised when I started reading it and was a little confused by the fairytale or supernatural feeling to the story, as I assumed it was just another Regency book like Anneka Walker's previously published novels. There is nothing in the description of the book that mentions anything like that. It does have a little of the Beauty and the Beast feeling to it, but I think in order to properly enjoy this novel, the reader needs to not compare this novel to that fairytale or any other book or legend. This story is completely unique- a historical regency story that has myths, legends, a little bit of fairytale, a lot of mystery, romance and a lot of heart. Just let it be its own thing and you will love it, too.
As for the characters, I loved all of them, of course except the villains. The supporting cast was lovable and added a lot of warmth to the story. Ellis, the hero, is a big mystery but that is what makes the story fun to read and you get to unravel a bit of who he is and get to know him better as the story progresses. You get to know him little by little at the same time Andalin, the heroine, does. You, as the reader, aren't privy to much that she doesn't know and that is what makes the twists and turns of the story so fun. There were surprises right up until the end that I didn't see coming or could predict. Ellis is handsome, fierce, loyal, brave and confident but is not without his flaws. Andalin also has her flaws, but I don't think she can be judged too harshly. I love that her emotions, frustrations, fear and confusion really came across the page. While she might seem ungrateful or whiny at times, what else would one do when suddenly taken from everything you knew and thrown into a world so unlike anything she has ever known? I know that if my parent dropped me off and left with no reason why, I'd be a little put out, too. But the change happens when Andalin decides she can do hard things and looks at herself as more of a participant and not a victim of her situation. The ability to change an outlook or attitude can make all the difference sometimes. I loved the conversations between Ellis and Andalin. They had such great chemistry together. There is also an important lesson learned on being careful about how we use our words and realizing that they have the power for good or bad, even when we don't realize it. Overall this story was new, unique and charming with a satisfying ending and I will definitely be adding it to my list of favorites.

I didn’t expect to be approved for this title considering I had to “wish” for it. However, I assure you it was granted well because I soaked up every word as though my life depended on it. In the last year or so, I have gravitated more and more towards fairytale retellings, and The Masked Baron did not disappoint.

Disclaimer: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is one of my all-time favorites, so I was excited to lose myself in the magic of this book with new characters that are still familiar. In this Regency romance, I found Andalin (Beauty) to be a bit too precocious and stubborn for my liking with a lot of growing up to do, but she did grow on me. Meanwhile, Ellis (the story’s “beast”) was frustratingly mysterious – but I liked him from the start. (I'm always a sucker for the broody, peculiar, and sometimes dark fictional men!) Is it fair to say that there are elements of Villeneuve’s original tale – particularly the idea of preparing young women for arranged marriages and an exploration of social status?

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and am grateful for the opportunity to visit this fresh take on such a well-known and beloved classic romance. Don't be fooled, though! While there is an essence of familiarity throughout the book, the plot is original and the twists and turns are highly satisfying!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Masked Barron • Historical Fiction • Clean Romance •Release date March, 2, 2020 • Publishers Covenant Communications • Mysterious • Beauty and the Beast feeling • Loved the Cover • HEA• Didn’t like the heroine • Wanted to like the Hero more • Dragged a little • Liked it well enough to read another by this Author • Netgalley read • I gave a honest review and all opinions are my own •

Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favorite fairy tales so I'm super skeptical of re-tellings. At first I wasn't sure if I loved where this one was going. The more I got into the story, the more I loved what she did with it. The story is a little more fantastical, a lot of high drama, so keep that in mind going in. I especially loved how she ended it.

This was an interesting take on Beauty and The Beast.

Andalin's father takes her to the Dark Rider's house for protection and they don't start out on good terms. He tells her she will learn to be a lady so she can go into society and find a husband.

Ellison, aka The Dark Rider, has been looking for his sister for 10 years and he keeps secrets as well.
As Andalin and Ellison spend more time together, they form a friendship and fall in love.

The story is original enough and kept my interest, and the cast of secondary characters added to the story.

I didn't understand why he insisted on being called Ellis and why he called her Annie. It didn't make sense to the story.

It's a regency romance but the writing style seems more appropriate for a younger audience, like it was a fairy tale being told to children.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I was drawn in by the gorgeous cover and the description of the story made me intrigued. The plot has promise, but, unfortunately, I found the story stilted and the characters a bit shallow in their underdevelopment.

This book was so good. I didn't to put it down! The characters were well rounded, and the storyline sucked you into it and made you feel like you were really there. The author did an great job telling this story.

I’m not sure what story the author was trying to tell. It seemed part Beauty and the Beast, part fantasy/witch hunting and part huh? The heroine started off seeming smart and mature and then she suddenly devolved into an immature wimp with no backbone. The witch part of the story made no sense and when it came to explain, it was a complete labyrinthine mess. Everything was forced into a semblance of a tidy bow without doing the actual work in getting there. A hero who had turned his life upside down for 10 years gets a ridiculous answer for why things had occurred as they did and when he gets mad, one small comment completely changes 10 years of emotion? I think not. The author tried to throw in some bit about scripture just before the climax as if that would help fix the sudden forgiveness. It failed miserably.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The beginning of this book was kind of frustrating to me; I was kind of frustrated by how much the readers were kept in the dark about why things were happening, like why Ellison really wanted to take Andalin on as his ward and why he wore a mask, and both Andalin's and Ellison's emotions seemed to be all over the place (which would perhaps be realistic but the writing of those emotions felt messy or jarring sometimes). In the middle, it picked up for me, but then the ending wrapped up too soon. All in all, I liked the premise but the execution could have been better.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

When a young woman finds herself estranged from everyone and everything she has ever known in a home full of secrets ...

In this regency set retelling of The Beauty and The Beast fairytale, Beauty is a stubborn and mannered miss easily swayed by rumormongers and gossips, and the Beast, a man on a mission to extract revenge for his family’s destruction.
This is my second read by Mrs Anneka R. Walker, and I had hope for a witty tale like in Love In Disguise. While it has its fun and clever moments, this story has few spaces for humor.
Andalin is quite young and her reactions show it, for the first third of the story, she was more a pouting spoiled child than a miss on the verge of a whole new future.
I tried to understand her as she was torn from all she ever known but she let rumors alter her own judgement and by that she makes it more challenging to find her place in Ellis’ household.
Ellis is a man surrounded by secrets and lies, he lives in an in between world, hidden from society but also in the many talks of it. But behind the mask he wears, there is still a man with a heart, and whatever he is said to have done, his true actions show the goodness he wears in his soul.
Sure, his need for revenge made him the bearer of many deceits and some might hurt Andalin if she learns about them.
I loved him more than Andalin, probably because of her youth and often immature actions but in time she came to grow and be the one woman to stand by Ellis. Ellis is not perfect, he hides and without truly lying he keeps things secret by omission, why I knew Andalin will have to flourish in the right way to be able to accept everything he kept from her.

The side characters add charm and entertainment to this story, supporting Ellis and trying to show Andalin the right path.

4 stars for this coming of age tale, where one has to leave behind the childhood fears to face life’s challenges.

I was granted by the publisher Covenant Communications an advance copy. Here is my true and unbiased opinion.

"The Masked Baron" by Anneka R. Walker is a first time read by this author. This story resembled a "Beauty and the Beast" genre for me, however I did enjoy the story. The characters in the story were good and at times I found myself tugging at my heart. At times, I found the heroine mannerism, i.e. subbornness very frustrating but overall the the premise of the story came to a good ending.

Overall, the description of the story drew me to wanting to read the story but was not what I was expecting. It was just an okay read and could have been better.

Thank you Netgalley and Covenant Communications for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

2-Stars

I enjoyed this novel so much. I found myself even getting teared up at the end which hasn't happened forever. The characters were wonderful with enough for everyone to have a favorite. The main heroine was frustrating at times with a pull between complacency and stubbornness that didn't always seem to flow but overall, such a great work.

The premise of this book was promising but it didn't really work for me. There was some mystery and a little romance but the characters just didn't seem to click. I found myself skipping through pages, just didn't hold my interest. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

This novel was an enjoyable read. A bit of mystery and adventure as well as romance and secrets. This story has similarities to Beauty and Beast but with a twist,. Andalin is a young woman who longs to travel with her father, is well educated, but is not a lady in the eyes of society. When an incident causes her father to make a decision, Andalin has no idea she will be staying with the Dark Rider, who has a rather horrible reputation, but is considered a member of society. What could her father be thinking? Andalin already has her mind made up about the Dark Rider, not willing to see the man behind the mask. Over time though, her attitude towards him changes, and she begins to see the man behind the mask, who suffers greatly from the past. The Dark Rider has his own motives for keeping Andalin, and struck a deal with her father. What neither realized is the feelings that would develop between them. But the Dark Rider has enemies and they will use Andalin to get what they want.

3.5 stars.  This was a fresh take on the Beauty and the Beast story - the plot thickened with added layers of characters and challenges.  The mysteries are uncovered slowly and keep the reader on their toes throughout.  The storyline was very well conceived.  It would best be read slowly to catch the nuances and details, due to the writing style. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions are my own.

This is a sweet clean mystery that needs some help. I liked the premise of the story, Andalin is a young lady from a good family, at least that is what we are told, yet, we never find out exactly who they are? Her father inexplicably gives her away to Lord Carogden, who is young, not related but somehow becomes her guardian? The mystery is good, but reads like a faiery tale, and you never know if it is serious, or just mystifying? If this is supposed to be Christian, then why is a witch involved? There were too many unexplained parts of the book that kept me from enjoying the book. I suppose if you read it in more simplistic terms, then yes, it is enjoyable, I loved the hero, the heroine got on my nerves, I found her spoiled, and whiny.
I recommend if you read it as a faiery tale. Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

In this unusual gothic tale, shopkeeper's daughter Andalin Durante becomes the ward of Lord Cardogen, the infamous masked baron known as the Dark Rider. Young and beautiful, Andalin has devoured and repeated stories of the evil and frightening Dark Rider. Ellison Cardogen is a man haunted by the death of his parents and disappearance of his sister years ago, and has dedicated his life to searching for the woman responsible.

While this short novel has a Beauty and a Beast, it also features a vengeful would-be suitor, an intimidating "highwayman", and even a witch. The complicated plot kept me guessing the outcomes of the various plot threads until the very end. It is so very enjoyable when the storyline is not predictable!

Walker's characters are well-drawn and her prose is lovely. The novel is clean. As other reviewers have mentioned, a few secondary characters deserve stories of their own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for a an ARC of this enjoyable novel.