bookishtalkwithjess's profile picture
✨📚 The Heiress Masquerade📚✨

By: Maddison Michaels
4⭐️

✨I’ve been wanting to read a historical romance and so thankful for the opportunity to read this eARC!!

✨One of my favorite things about historical romances is when the FMC is trying to buck the system which drives me crazy because I’m internally screaming “you’re not supposed to be doing that miss” but sat the same time internally screaming “same girl buck the system” and I love it. ((I’m complicated I know))🤪

✨This book kept with that theme since Amiee wants to go against the grain of society norms and run her father’s business. So queue me internally screaming “just listen to so-and-so woman, jeeze” knowing good and well I would…may🤔…. be just like Amiee! 😂

✨And Harrison Stone, lawd. That’s it that’s the review. 😂

✨Do yourself a favor and go ahead and add The Heiress Swap to your TBR when you start The Heiress Masquerade because a halfway through I was saying “I NEED Evie’s story!” Luckily enough it’s available!!! Yay!!!!

This book gave me the strangest déjà-vu at the beginning, and then I realised it’s the sequel to the brilliant ‘The Heiress Swap’ - the other half of the story if you will!

Aimee & Harrison have an oddly compelling hate-to-love-you romance. She hates him on principle - him having all she ever wanted and her father seeing him as the son he never had. He hates her because loving terrifies the crap out of him after having lost both his parents at a very young age and finding himself all alone in the world. But Cupid doesn’t’ give a f*** and it’s lust at first sight!
They taunt and tease and bicker and drive each other nuts! They fight so hard, kissing is the only way to shut them up, and since one kiss is never enough… and little miss independent is rather bold and curious - her knight finding himself completely defenceless - the spark ignites!
She’s going for friends-with-benefits while his honour demands he marries her - and we’re back to fighting. Add to that an important business deal being sabotaged from the inside, him needing her to fix it, a jealous ex-mistress and a handful of envious secretaries, and you get one big messy mesmerising emotional rollercoaster of an office romance!

A good read with a strong plot and very entertaining MCs, albeit not as great as the first book in my opinion. Some parts felt a bit rushed, the hot-and-cold game between the MCs dragged on a bit, and a few things I would have liked to see, happened off page.
The mystery miscreant, however, surprised me - really didn’t see it coming, very clever! - and the last chapter was very romantic and exactly what I imagined for these two headstrong heartbroken fools and a hard-earned but well-deserved happily ever after!

And now I’m eagerly looking forward to book 3! It looks like Sam, the earl and the duke’s cousin from book 1, will be hunted down by more than one Dollar Princess… I can’t’ wait!

This book was a lot of fun. I enjoy an FMC with a little bit of spirit, without being mean. And her MMC was fun too!
I enjoyed this book, and I look forward to trying some more of Maddison's books!

The Heiress Masquerade by Maddison Michaels is the second book of her Dollar Princess Series and OMG, how much I loved it!

So in the first book, we got to experience the love story of Evie and Alex... now it's Aimee turn!

Well, Aimee and Evie switched places. Evie has to attend balls and pretend to be Aimee - the heiress, while Aimee pretends to be her cousin. All she wants is to work with her father at his company. So what could be better than learning all about as a secretary trainee?
Well, everything could have been so easy... but Aimee never expected Harrison Stone (the right hand of her father) to be so handsome, but oh, so annoying too.
If that doesn't cause any problems...

I was sooooo excited and happy to get to know the other side of the swap with Aimee and Harrison!
Oh my, these two!
They're definitely like cat and dog. There's an instant dislike between them when they first meet... and awwwww! It's soooo good!
I definitely felt the chemistry!
Oh my... they've this really special kind of EXPLOSIVE CHEMISTRY!
Awwwww! Even while I'm writing this review, I'll get GOOSEBUMPS!
I loved the way they annoyed each other, how there was a special kind of attraction... 🤭😊🥰🥵
Aimee Thornton-Jones is a wealthy heiress and absolutely not shy. A strong and self-confident young woman who knows what she wants and how to get it.
I absolutely enjoyed their banter and that Harrison didn't give in small!
He's also self-confident and kinda stubborn.
And... Do you know what happens when two stubborn people have to deal with each other?!
YES! SPARKS FLY! Well, in this book, it's like that. 😊🌟😁

The storyline was so good, and next to lots of sizzling chemistry and humours interactions, there was also a good portion of suspense! Oh my! So many surprises I didn't see coming! I loved it! 😍

All in all: The Heiress Masquerade was a perfect continuation of this really good series. I enjoyed both stories and would highly recommend them to anyone who loves historical romance with sexy times, banter, drama, and suspense.

Thank you so much to Maddison Michaels and Entangled Publishing for this ARC via NetGalley.
This is my honest review in my own words.

New York heiress Aimee Thornton-Jones decides to slap identities with her cousin Evie, when she uncovers her mother’s plan to marry her off to an eligible, titled lord. By swapping with Evie, she can work for six weeks as a trainee at her father’s company, and prove she’s just as valuable as any son. Yet when she meets her father’s too perfect protégé, Harrison Stone, sparks begin to fly. He finds Aimee reckless and yet so clever/ He knows she has a secret but when they discover that the company under threat of sabotage, he soon discovers that there is more to her than he thought.
Aimee and Harrison are two very fiery characters and so the chemistry and banter between them is instantaneous. Once that stopped fighting, which did take some time, their romance was enjoyable to read. The background story lifted this beyond a simple romance, making for an interesting read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I LOVED THIS!! I started it at 6 pm, and stayed up way past my bedtime reading, and then I woke up at 5 am before work so I could finish it. I haven't been this excited reading a historical romance since I can't remember when. It had everything, and I mean absolutely everything, that I could want in a romance. Mistaken identity, one of my top favorite tropes, check. A self-made hero, check. Enemies to lovers, double check. Tons of witty banter and sizzling chemistry. I adored Amy. She is one feisty lady, and the fact that she is intelligent but likeable at the same time really won me over. I really have been struggling with these types of heroines because they come across cold, but not her.

This book had just enough mystery in it as they both were working to uncover who was attempting to ruin her father's business and kept me guessing to the end. The romance didn't take a back seat to the mystery. It was the perfect blend. I really can't wait to read more from Maddison Michaels and will definitely be reading her prior releases. This series has turned me into a new fan.

This book is so good!
Aimee, an heiress from America and her cousin who is her companion trade places when Aimee's parents send then to England. Aimee wants to work at her father's company instead of going to parties to find a husband.
Harrison, who runs the London branch of the company has no intention of ever falling in love or marrying after losing his parents as a child.
From the moment Aimee and Harrison met, there was great chemistry and tension between them throughout the story. There are a lot of plot twists and a fabulous storyline.
This is the second book in the series but can be read as a stand-alone.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️5
🌶2

Tropes:

🎀Enemies to lovers
🎀Office romance
🎀Hidden identity
🎀Forbidden romance
🎀Alpha MMC/Headstrong FMC

I love a good historical romance and this book did not disappoint. The sparks immediately fly between Aimee and Harrison, and so do the flames.

Aimee wants to learn her father's business and her parents want her to live a life of luxury and become the next "Dollar Princess" and trade her heiress money for title, and promptly ship her to London for the Season. Harrison was taken in by Aimee's father and has been groomed to take on the company, the position Aimee covets.

Harrison and Aimee have a chance meeting in a back alley when he "rescues her" from an assailant (though I know my girl could have handled herself) right after Aimee swaps her cousin into her spot in Society so she can work at her father's company. The attraction is instant. Then they learn they will be working together and it's insta-hate for them both. Or is it?

Trouble on the books leads to Harrison and Aimee spending more time together to discover who is trying to sabotage the company stocks. Soon the hate-filled looks turn into stolen kisses and these two are attracted to each other like moths to a flame.

I loved this book. I had so many notes where I was like YES, QUEEN whenever Aimee stood her ground and chased her dreams. Harrison was such a growly, possessive MMC and we love to see it. You'll want to read this one, y'all.

I liked the first book okish, enough to want to read the second one as I was interested in Aimee's story, but she is awful. She is arrogant , rude, argumentative , and angry. Harrison is less so then her but all the do is yell and argue then kiss. They are soooo yelly for no reason. Very chapter feels like a miscommunication. Like I really have no clue what Anyone would like her. He is less angry with other people but neither are truly enjoyable together. Oh there is a little OW drama which isn't my favorite either, so that didn't help. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Heiress Masquerade
by Maddison Michaels
Pub Date: Aug 20 2024

New York heiress Aimee Thornton-Jones knows her mother’s plans precisely—to ship Aimee to England and marry her off to an eligible, titled lord. Only Aimee has no interest in becoming another “dollar princess.” Instead, she concocts a daring plan: to swap places with her fair (but poor) cousin for six weeks as a trainee at her father’s company and prove she’s just as valuable as any son. There’s just the small matter of her father’s too-perfect protégé, who she’s certain is endangering the entire business.

Harrison Stone doesn’t know what to make of the determined young woman in his employ. She’s vexingly irksome, reckless with her safety, and riles him at every turn. Each day, he’s torn between shipping her home…or thoroughly kissing her pert mouth. But Harrison—who loathes a charlatan—is certain she’s hiding something. And with the company under threat of sabotage, he’s resolved to find out exactly who this young lady truly is.

But in this masquerade of secrets, all it will take is one illicit kiss to ignite the spark…and bring them—unknowingly—to the edge of disaster...

Each book in the Dollar Princess series is STANDALONE:
* The Heiress Swap
* The Heiress Masquerade

This book is the other half of "The Heiress Swap." I read these two books back-to-back and it was interesting to see how the stories meshed. It would be possible to read this book by itself but it was fun reading both. This is the story of Aimee the American heiress. She trades places with her cousin so that she can get training at her father's company. Running the company was her father's main man Harrison. The two of them began butting heads before Aimee even set foot in the office. The workplace battles were alarming and the romance was sizzling. This was the wildest enemies to lovers story that I've read in quite some time. I couldn't put the book down so I tried to be sneaky and read it at work. Unfortunately, I started tearing up well before I could reach the happy ending. Hopefully no one noticed!
I received a free ARC from Entangled and NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled publishing for sending me this ARC for review. My thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Aimee Thornton-Jones, only child and heiress to the Thornton-Jones fortune, has certain social standards she is expected to uphold. In the year 1890, Aimee is of marrying age and expected to do so by her family. She wants nothing of that life. Her true passion lies with business like her father. She wants to run the family company when he retires, but in this day and age, a woman of her station in the workplace is unthinkable. So when her parents ship her to England to find a suitable husband, she has the brilliant idea to switch places with her low-born cousin, Evie, who was expected to work at the family's company's England branch training as a secretary for the summer. Aimee soon finds life as Evie is very different from what she even considered. For one, Aimee and Evie are very much opposites, Evie is docile and reserved, whereas Aimee is an ambitious go-getter with a mouth to match. A mouth that may just land her into trouble with her father's all too perfect protégé Harrison Stone, her boss.

Harrison is uncertain what to make of the young woman. She was described in a very different light than what he was presented with. Though he finds her ambition endearing, he is also bothered by the recklessness of her behaviors. Their introduction starts off rocky with lots of banter as they work together. However, he can not help but lust over her and eventually caves into the feeling altogether. Although he still feels like she is hiding something. As his skepticism for her grows, they have to work together to determine who is trying to sabotage the company.

A work trip to discuss the sale of a business that was jeopardized in the sabotage attempt takes a turn for the worse as pieces of the puzzle fall into place.



This book was filled with secrets, hidden identities, and dissecting emotions, all leading to a very unexpected twist. I truly enjoyed how the author took all aspects of the characters' emotions into effect and how the occurrences of their pasts affect their future. This book was action-packed, which is saying something, considering it's mainly located in an office setting. I feel like the pacing of this book was rather fast. There were no lulls. The characters were all very well developed, and even side characters were well thought out. This plot provided a heavy dose of feminine rage due to the inequality of that time period and from what was expected from women in societal standards during that time. There are graphic depictions of violence and spice. As far as spice goes, I would give this book a 2.5🌶 rating. A couple of instances were described, and others implied. I enjoyed how the romance did not take away from the plot. With that being said, though, there were a few repetitive internal monolog instances that I found to be distracting, predictable, and rather annoying. Sometimes, it felt as though the author portrayed the romantic feelings between the characters forcibly. I would much prefer a story to show me rather than tell me. With that being said, though, the characters did respond accordingly to the situations given their back stories.

This book was very neatly wrapped up, which I very much appreciated. Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical romances, rivals to lovers, strong FMC's, banter, feminine rage, mystery, secret identities, slow burn romances, and spice.

This one was a quick read for me. I very much enjoyed the chemistry between Aimee and Harrison. The story line moved along quickly and was easy to immerse myself in. I look forward to reading Evie's story in another book.

Stymied by her parents wanting to keep her in a rigid box, when all she wants is to run her father’s business, Aimee is put out when even though her mother cannot accompany her, she insists that she must still have a London season. However when it is decided that her cousin will accompany her, she jumps at her chance to learn about the London arm of her father’s empire and swaps places with her cousin. Aimee loves the freedom of not being a heiress and only thinking about clothes, balls and proper conduct but the arrogant head of the London business enrages her like no other man before, unfortunately she is also attracted to him as she never has been before. Will she give up her dreams to be merely a man’s accessory? Will Harrison let himself fall in love having lost his parents as a child and then been abandoned?
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the story of a young heiress who doesn’t want to go to balls, and get married. She would rather have a hand in her father’s business. So when Aimee is sent to England to land a husband, she switches places with her cousin, who is going to England to learn how to be a secretary, at the British branch of her father’s business empire.

The male protagonist Harrison Stone, find that he would prefer an employee who did what he said, rather than argue with him. But that is what he has gotten in Aimee, and he is both annoyed by it, as well as lusting after her.

The lust came on a little strong, but hey, I can take that in a romance. And Aimee is a bit spoiled, and feels that she always gets what she wants, and at some point, she wants Harrison.

There is also a little bit of a mystery in the story, as to who is trying to sabotage the business.
All in all, a quick read, and a cute story. Aimee was a bit annoying, but I agree with her on most things, though not carrying her gun around with her all the time.

The main problem I had with this romance was that the cover didn’t convey what was going on inside the story. And while I know that you can’t have a woman in an office, to show where much of the action takes place, I wouldn’t have minded them kissing in front of a desk, in her business clothes, rather than wherever this cover kiss is supposed to be taking place.

Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 20th of August 2024.

The sister book to The Heiress Swap and just as wonderful a read. The chemistry between the couple is entertaining, explosive and steamy. She is his perfect match in every sense. The story elements include secrets, enemies to lovers with sabotage and kidnapping and murder to boot. All around engaging and hard to put down. And soon, it will be Sam’s turn to look forward to.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

“The Heiress Masquerade” is the second book in the “Dollar Princess” series by Maddison Michaels. Last year, “The Heiress Swap” was released, and I received an ARC of that book and an advance copy of this second entry.

The stories are interconnected, but each can be read independently of each other. Set in 1890, two cousins who switch places when travelling to England from NYC. Younger cousin, Evie Jenkins, pretends to be her rich cousin in the first book; there are hints of what heiress, Aimee Thornton-Jones, is up to – pretending to be Evie to work in her father’s company as a secretary.

In “The Heiress Masquerade”, Aimee takes centre stage. She has spent much of her life trying to convince her father to teach her about the family business so that she may one day take over the multinational corporation. Aimee nurses a grudge against Harrison Stone, a young man mentored by Aimee’s father and the man in charge of the English corporate holdings – he is the heir apparent of the company rather than Aimee herself.

There is a lot of scope for a compelling story of women in business, gender expectations, rivals-to-lovers, Americans navigating English high society, etc. But these elements feel under-developed or unexplored by the author in favour of scenes that do not seem to advance a compelling narrative.

I love the friction of enemies or rivals to lovers. I also think it is incredibly hard and very satisfying to create a compelling narrative of two people who are on different sides learn empathy and appreciation for their opposite. The friction and attraction must be equally compelling and unwanted to get the satisfying ending. Push rivals too hard and they seem mean / intractable, the eventual romance unbelievable.
I thought the fighting between Aimee and Harrison felt contrived, going from 0 to 200 too quickly rather than being drawn into arguments, which has the unfortunate effect of veering into the dreaded shrill woman stereotypes.

When I finished the book, I went back and compared Michaels editors because the writing and focus felt very different from other works published by Entangled.

The change of opinion by Aimee’s father was too fast for me after years of denying his daughter’s aspirations. There were a lot of good elements to this book, but a bit of a disappointment from an author I really like. 3.5/5

American heiress Aimee masquerades as her poor cousin Evie in order to get a job working at her father’s London office. The London boss Harrison is immediately attracted to the pretty spitfire who isn’t afraid of anything. While they both know an office romance is not a good idea, they can’t help themselves. What will they do when all the truths come out? I received an ARC from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for my honest review.

4 1/2*STARS*
American heiress, Aimee Thornton-Jones has her own agenda when she and her cousin Evie arrive in London. Change places with her cousin to work in her father's London office and prove she can take the reins of his business. No more treating her as merely a lady with no business capabilities. Her first obstacle is Harrison Stone, head of the London office of the Thornton-Jones empire. Right away it's head to toe confrontations and a sexual attraction with a slow burn that eventually bursts into flames. When she discovers discrepancies in the accounting ledgers, a business buyout could fall through, unless she and Harrison can discover who's behind it. When it comes to love, neither one wants it, but can they live without it?
Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I very much enjoyed this novel and the intrigue of the story.

The story is developed and there is some depth. I do think it could have had some more development and some less predictable surprises but it didn't take away from the reading of this book. The pacing was also quick and easy to read.

I loved the FMC, Aimee, and her ahead-of-the-times mindset. She is truly fighting for the right to work and be more than a dollar princess. I love her grit, determination, and smart mouth. I equally loved the MMC, Harrison...swoon. He is fighting his own past while also learning how to rail against the societal expectations of men and women during the time period. Their chemistry is hot and smoldering. I like how on the page they just can't resist one another. I think that is done very well.

The ending comes at you fast, again predictable, but enjoyable. This is where I felt like there could've been more development to solidify all the action that happens.

Recommend this read to anyone who love historical reads and romance.