Book Review: Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey

By Abigail Wilson
Thomas Nelson, 2020
333 pages

Amazon Description:

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 murder, 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.

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Thanks to TLC Book Tours for sending me a copy to enjoy!

If you like Regency romance with mystery and intrigue, then Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey is the book for you! This is the first book I’ve read by Abigail Wilson and I very much enjoyed that mix of elements. I thought she did a great job setting up the mystery and revealing it all in the end.

At the center of Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey is a storyline that I always find intriguing — the older brother marrying the girl his younger brother got into trouble. I don’t know why that is so intriguing to me but I can think of several other books that followed that same pattern that I really enjoyed (Surrender Bay and The Painter’s Daughter, in case you were wondering). Perhaps I’m drawn to the noble nature of someone who would make that kind of sacrifice, especially if they do it with a good attitude.

I also really liked the intrigue. I’m not sure if I just didn’t read the description thoroughly before I started or what, but for some reason I wasn’t expecting that element of danger and mystery. I thought it was well done and gave Adrian and Elizabeth a common goal to work towards, adding an interesting aspect to their courtship. All in all, I give Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey two thumbs up and I’ve already added two other Abigail Wilson books to my library wish list.

P.S. Isn’t that cover gorgeous? If I had any talent in graphic design I would want to create book covers. How fun would that be?