The Masquerade

I just finished 'The Masquerade' and I absolutely loved it! The book starts with three sisters, and the youngest- who is the plainest and...well...chubbiest.... is Lizzie, and she is in love with Tyrell de Warenne. After he saves her life twice, they meet a ball and are supposed to rendezvous. Circumstances prevent the meeting, however a few months later Lizzie's older sister has a startling confession to make. And the book simply sizzles from there. This book was awsomely written. With the pages leading up to Lizzie meeting with Tyrell with baby Ned in tow, I was feeling the tension, and was freaking out for her. (My husband kept looking at me like I was crazy when I read this book.) I had absolutely NO problem with meeting Tyrell in the middle of the book. It was simply a different plot tactic, and in order for Ms Joyce to have that storyline, she needed to set the stage. In my experience with Regencies, there is only so much the hero does ANYways- he's handsome, titled, rich and merely has to realise he loves the heroine and come to his senses. In this case, Ty has to overcome his duty to marry the paragon of Lady Blanche. An overused plot line if there is one, however in Ty's defense as well as the author's , that would have been a very probable cause for tension in that time period. Lady Blanche is the epitome of perfection- rich, blonde and beautiful, and has a regal bearing. Now I have read some readers disliked how Tyrell wanted to marry Blanche and still carry on with Lizzie. Ty was simply wanting to have his cake and eat it. I think it is a very human emotion and showed a flawed yet realistic character. There was a scene where he was thinking that the 'right' thing to do would be to give Lizzie up, but then the thought of losing her was so terrifying he decided he couldn't. Selfish, yes. Honest, yes. Human, yes. Of course this is in the first stages on love/infatuation/lust. He eventually does the 'right' thing by breaking it of with Blanche, defying his father, and asking Lizzie to marry her. I liked Lizzies progression throughout the book, she goes from plain and plump, to more and more confident and slightly less plump. By the end of the book she is a woman, and Ty realises he needs to love her and have more babies. The Masquerade also sets up Lady Blanches story as well, and as someone else mentioned, made me want to reread The Prize. I am a very satisfied reader, and I must say that I was very impressed by Brenda Joyce.

The Masquerade by Brenda Joyce was emotional book. The author makes you like the main characters and when they have heartache you have have heartache. This story starts when Elizabeth is ten years old and has her first encounter with Tyrell De Warenne. Tyrell becomes the center of Elizabeth's fantasies and because of fate and Elizabeth's pure heart they are thrown together. I finished this novel in two days -- what a ride!

I just finished reading my first Brenda Joyce book and I feel like I just rode a roller coaster! For over five hundred pages I could not put this book down. I fell in love with Tyrell just as much as I hoped and wished for Lizzie to capture him. The emotion Lizzie showed over his child Ned made me take a moment to regroup myself because I felt as if I was there apart of him as well. As you go from childhood to adulthood with these two, you feel that you have grown with them. She feels unworthy and then undeserving. He feels like he must choose when he really has no desire. You feel the confusion and anger within Tyrell as the plot lines begin to thicken and you feel the dispair in them both. She did an excellent job of taking you with her characters. It was a page turner that I was sad to see end. I am anxious to pick up her next book and see where that journey takes me.

I so enjoyed this book. It brought me feelings I rarely have when I read books. I love that there was no mad jealous villain after the heroine. Although the hero was engaged, the readers can sense she is really not a threat to the heroine. The real threat here was the social status that separates the main characters and family obligation. I felt the love Lizzie has for Tyrell. Ms. Brenda Joyce made sure the reader can not detached themselves from this story. I was moved when Tyrell was begging Lizzie not to leave him. I cried when Lizzie is force to make a decision to spare her family more shame. Not once did I doubt that Tyrell loves Lizzie. This book was written beautifully. I couldn't put it down, I read it until 2 am and woke up at 4:30a to read again. Now I have to go to work and I have a splitting headache. The funny thing is I'm just dying to read it again tonight after I come home from work. Thanks Ms. Joyce. I feel like 15 again when I first read my romance novel. Captivated.