Review: Autumn Masquerade (Timeless Regency Collection) by Josi S. Kilpack, Donna Hatch, and Nancy Campbell Allen

Autumn Masquerade (Timeless Regency Collection) by Josi S. Kilpack, Donna Hatch, and Nancy Campbell Allen
Source: I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
My Rating: 5 Stars

 

(Summary from Amazon)

**Amazon Top 100 in Regency Romance** 
**Amazon Top 50 in Victorian Romance** 

From the publisher of the #1 Amazon bestselling A Timeless Romance Anthology series in Clean Romance. 

Join three bestselling Regency romance authors, Josi S. Kilpack, Donna Hatch, and Nancy Allen, for three new Regency romance novellas in AUTUMN MASQUERADE. 

A MERRY DANCE by Josi S. Kilpack. When Lila overhears her uncle talking about a man coming to look for property in the county, she doesn’t think twice, until her uncle says he hopes Lila will find enough interest to marry the man. How can she marry someone named Mortimer Luthford, not to mention that his advanced age of thirty-three, and especially since she’s already in love with her absent cousin Neville? But when Mortimer arrives, Lila has to try every trick known to women to act not interested in the rather fascinating man, which proves a very difficult façade to maintain. 

UNMASKING THE DUKE by Donna Hatch. The last thing Hannah Palmer wants to do is flirt with men in a crowded ballroom, but when her sister throws a Masquerade Ball, Hannah can’t say no to the invitation and takes comfort behind a mask. She dances with a charming masked man, matching him wit for wit. When the glorious evening culminates in a kiss, and the two remove their masks, Hannah is horrified to discover the man she’s been flirting with all night is her most despised neighbor, the Duke of Suttenberg. No matter how charming the duke was at the ball, and how wonderful the kiss, he is the last man she’d ever accept. 

WHAT’S IN A NAME by Nancy Campbell Allen. Penelope Timely has a terrible secret. She’s been writing letters to the Duke of Wilmington, pretending to be her ever-proper twin sister, Persephone. Now, the duke has written that he’ll be coming for the Autumn Masquerade Ball and Festival. Penelope will have to continue the charade while the duke is in town in order to protect her sister. The Duke of Wilmington isn’t fooled for a moment, but instead of confessing that he knows about the deception, he finds himself utterly charmed by Penelope and jumps into the game of deception to see how far the twin sisters will take it. 

Other Timeless Regency Collections: 
A Midwinter Ball (Coming December 2015) 
Spring in Hyde Park (Coming March 2016) 
Summer House Party (Coming June 2016) 
A Country Christmas (Coming October 2016)

My Review:

What an adorable book! I love the Regency time period and each story brought a different offering to an Autumn Masquerade. Now I'm dying to attend one.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the antics that Lila came up with in A Merry Dance. She has had her heart set on marrying her cousin, who is in America for a time. She is such a great eavesdropper and discovers that her uncle has another in mind for her. Determined to deter this new man, Mortimer, Lila does the opposite of everything a woman should do to attract a man--and finds herself in very humorous situations. Lila is so unconventional and imperfect, but I couldn't help but admire her. She knows her mind and heart, after a few struggles, and follows them. I loved the interesting characters, the fun story line, and the captivating romance. 

There's nothing worse than having a gorgeous man forget he's ever met you. In Unmasking the Duke, Hannah discovers that the hard way. She's so shy and clumsy, but discovers she's the opposite when she can hide behind a mask. After a stolen kiss at the ball, she's shocked to learn the identity of the man whom she's falling for. Hannah is easy to relate to, at least for me. The power of a mask is so evident in this story and until she truly feels comfortable with someone, it's a necessary tool to hide behind. The Duke seems to have it all--looks, money, title--yet he, too, finds it easier to be himself behind a mask. I loved how this story shows that we all wear masks and all use them to hide behind at times in our lives. That right there endeared me even more to this beautiful romance.

What's in a Name is a fun story about twins--identical on the outside, but so different on the inside. My sister and I are just over a year apart and although I don't think we look that much alike, we were often mistaken for one another. It's so easy to fall into expectations based off of what a well-meaning adult wants for her charges. These sisters have an overzealous aunt and it's up to them to be true to who they each are--at a cost. I love how the Duke immediately knows which twin is which, but the aunt has no idea. He truly knows the heart and soul of the one he loves--all through letters--but he knows. I loved the descriptions of the ball and the tender interactions between sisters and suitors.

Content: each story has mild romance (kissing); no violence, language, or religious elements. Clean!

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Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.



Donna Hatch is the award-winning author of the best-selling "Rogue Hearts Series." She discovered her writing passion at the tender age of 8 and has been listening to those voices ever since. A sought-after workshop presenter, she juggles her day job, freelance editing, multiple volunteer positions, not to mention her six children (seven, counting her husband), and still manages to make time to write. Yes, writing IS an obsession. A native of Arizona, she and her husband of over twenty years are living proof that there really is a happily ever after. 





Nancy Campbell Allen is the author of 12 published novels and several novellas, which encompass a variety of genres from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction. Her Civil War series, Faith of our Fathers, won the Utah Best of State award in 2005 and two of her historicals featuring Isabelle Webb, Pinkerton spy, were finalists for the Whitney Award. Her newest Regency romance, My Fair Gentleman, will be released from Shadow Mountain January, 2016, and her steampunk novel, Beauty and the Clockwork Beast, will be released also through Shadow Mountain later in 2016. She served on the 2015 LDStorymakers Conference Committee and currently serves as the marketing coordinator for The Teen Writers Confrerence. She has presented at numerous conferences and events since her initial publication in 1999.

Her formal schooling includes a B.S. in Elementary Education from Weber State University and she has worked as a ghost writer and freelance editor, contributing to the recent release, We Knew Howard Hughes, by Jim Whetton.

Nancy served as the Teen Writers Conference chair in 2011 and 2012, and has presented at numerous conferences and events since her initial publication in 1999 with Covenant Communications. Her agent is Pam Van Hylckama Vlieg of D4EO Literary Agency.

Nancy loves to read, write, travel and research, and enjoys spending time laughing with family and friends. She and her husband have three children, and she lives in Ogden, Utah with her family and one very large Siberian Husky named Thor.