Blooming with Books: Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey ~ Review with Interview and Giveaway

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey
By Abigail Wilson

Elizabeth Cantrell is on her way to an obscure life as a housekeeper, due to her disgrace as the unwed mother of an infant son. But when her carriage is waylaid by a highwayman her life takes a most unexpected turn when Lord Torrington proposes marriage to her. He needs to protect his identity and offer Elizabeth the protection of his name.

Elizabeth never expected to marry, considering her abandonment and shame she never thought any man would offer her his name. But for her son Elizabeth accepts Adrian's proposal. There is just one catch she has to convince Lord Torrington's daughters and his mother-in-law that she is in love with him. Can they pull off this masquerade and find the traitor in their midst?

When a guest at Middlecrest is murdered Adrian and Elizabeth know that danger has followed them. Worse someone has taken a personal interest in Elizabeth? Was bringing Issac to Middlecrest a mistake? Or can her new husband indeed keep him safe? And can Elizabeth keep the secret of Issac's identity? Or will she admit the truth to the man who is threatening to win her heart?

Now this book is not listed as being part of a series, but several of the characters in this book made appearances in Abigail Wilson's previous books In the Shadow of Croft Towers and Midnight on the River Grey. So you can read this book as a standalone title or enjoy them in the order they were written. As this book is set within the Regency Period of English history there is plenty of cloak-and-dagger action. And is often the case there is a French threat to English interests so plenty of secrets abound. Altogether a delightful read to while away a few hours of downtime. If you have not yet read Abigail Wilson's work give it a try with this newest offering you won't regret it.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

In this new Regency romance, Elizabeth knows she must protect her heart

from the charm of her new husband, Lord Torrington. She is not, however,

prepared to protect her life.

When the widowed Lord Torrington agreed to spy for the crown, he never planned to impersonate a highwayman, let alone rob the wrong carriage. Stranded on the road with an unconscious young woman, he is forced to propose marriage to protect his identity and her reputation, as well as his dangerous mission.

Trapped not only by her duty to her country but also by her limited options as an unwed mother, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her infant son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. There she is met by Torrington’s beautiful grown daughters, a vicious murderer, and an urgent hunt for the missing intelligence that could turn the war with France. Meanwhile, she must convince everyone that her marriage is a genuine love match if her new husband has any hope of uncovering the enemy.

Determined to keep her son’s true identity a secret, Elizabeth will need to remain one step ahead of her fragile heart, her uncertain future, and the relentless fiend bent on her new family’s ruin.

Author Interview:

What do you most like about the Regency era? 

What a great question, but equally difficult to narrow down an answer. The Regency era balanced such an intriguing mix of women constrained by society, gentlemen boasting of codes of honor, and the constant threat of danger brought about by the Napoleonic Wars. But if I have to choose one aspect, I believe my favorite part of Regency life would be the immense country estates and the grand manor houses that loomed large during the period.

These stoic structures continually provide my imagination with the perfect backdrop for strange happenings or even murder. When I feature houses in my books, I strive to create living, breathing characters, each with unique secrets and stories of their own.

“For an instant the house lay motionless as if holding its breath to appraise me, so still and hollow I thought that if I called out, I would receive an echo back.” –Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey

Here is the house in England that inspired Middlecrest Abbey:

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This is Chettle House, which was built1710 in North Dorset, England for a man named George Chafin. It was sold in 2015 for £3.95m and is being restored as a private residence.

Wouldn’t you love to take a stroll through those doors?

What one author past or present would you like to mentor you?

I would have to say, Mary Stewart, one of my favorite mystery writers of all time. She wrote brilliantly in a tight, first-person point of view and created compelling suspense. I admire not only her hard-to-put-down mysteries but her intelligent style of story-telling. An opportunity to learn from her would be life-changing.

If you could share a cup of tea (or coffee) with anyone who would it be?

I can only dream of sharing a cup of tea with Jane Austen. Not only could I pepper her with questions about the Regency era and the depths of her writing, I’m fairly certain I would find her wit and imagination just as appealing.

Which character/characters in Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey would you like to spend the day with?

I would love to spend some time with Torrington’s youngest daughter Phoebe. She’s got such a wonderful passion for life, a unique perspective on the ever-evolving role of women, and the gumption to follow her dreams. She’s an artist, who chooses to see the best in people. She’s the one person that welcomes Elizabeth to Middlecrest Abbey with open arms.

I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind a late night billiards session with Lord Torrington either.

What one question do you wish you would be asked and how would you answer it?

What should a reader expect from Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey?

As a huge fan of marriage of convenience stories, I was so excited to get the chance to
write one of my own. The Regency era lends itself so nicely to this well-loved trope, and
Elizabeth Cantrell was the perfect character with which to present just such a situation.

Marriages in the early 1800’s were agreed upon for many reasons, especially for

women—safety, security, status, and of course, love. Considering what a predicament the

fiercely independent, Elizabeth was in at the end of Croft Towers, she would certainly
consider all her options. And when Lord Torrington, the self-proclaimed bachelor we met
in Midnight on the River Grey, makes a terrible mistake in his spy work, his own integrity
is put to the test.

If their marriage holds any chance of love, they have to find perfect the balance of trust
and redemption. After reading Elizabeth and Torrington’s journey, I hope readers are
filled with a sense of hope, the relief of restoration, and the freedom that’s only found in
truth.