Book Review: The Masked Baron

The Masked Baron starts out with such a great setting and atmosphere, it almost came across as a gothic mystery. There were some elements of a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but the author definitely made the story her own. I was interested to find out how the mystery of the witch would unfold and who would ultimately solve it and really enjoyed seeing how the secondary cast of friends and servants rallied around the hero and heroine. (I hope the author does another story that gives Ellison's best friend a book of his own!)

Unfortunately, I had a really hard time enjoying the romance in this one. "Annie" is Ellison's ward and she seems very young throughout the story. The romance with her guardian, who seems much older, just didn't work for me at all. There were also quite a few story elements that just didn't make sense and were not believable, which I think could have been solved with one more thorough edit. With that said, however, I do have to say the author does a wonderful job with the mystery and the setting portion and I wouldn't mind trying another book by her.

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Here is the back copy:

Andalin is accustomed to her father’s frequent travels—and to being left behind. So when he returns home and instructs her to pack her belongings, she is bewildered—but there is no time for questions as she is whisked away on a mysterious journey under the cover of night. When their tense flight leads them into the forbidding Black Forest, the pair quickly finds themselves in great peril. With little hope of escape, father and daughter are spared when rescue appears in the form of the mysterious Dark Rider, a notorious deadly highwayman feared by all he meets. But his assistance does not come without a price: he is taking Andalin with him. Now her fate rests in the hands of the enigmatic masked man whose secrets are inescapably tied to the beautiful young woman now in his charge.