The Heiress Masquerade Book Review
“You just have to accept that I’m protective of certain things.”
“I don’t have to accept anything. And I’m not a thing. I’m a woman, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
Synopsis
Bridgerton gets a taste of The Princess Switch in this irrepressibly charming historical romance.
New York heiress Aimee Thornton-Jones knows her mother’s plans precisely―to ship Aimee to England and marry her off to an eligible, titled lord. Only Aimee has no interest in becoming another “dollar princess.” Instead, she concocts a daring plan: to swap places with her fair (but poor) cousin for six weeks as a trainee at her father’s company and prove she’s just as valuable as any son. There’s just the small matter of her father’s too-perfect protégé, who she’s certain is endangering the entire business.
Harrison Stone doesn’t know what to make of the determined young woman in his employ. She’s vexingly irksome, reckless with her safety, and riles him at every turn. Each day, he’s torn between shipping her home…or thoroughly kissing her pert mouth. But Harrison―who loathes a charlatan―is certain she’s hiding something. And with the company under threat of sabotage, he’s resolved to find out exactly who this young lady truly is.
But in this masquerade of secrets, all it will take is one illicit kiss to ignite the spark…and bring them―unknowingly―to the edge of disaster...
REVIEW
Book 2 of the Dollar Princess series, The Heiress Masquerade by Maddison Michaels is an enjoyable historical romance that aims to blend the opulence of Bridgerton with the playful charm of The Princess Switch. The story follows Aimee Thorton-Jones, a spirited New York heiress determined to escape her mother’s plans of marrying her off to an English lord. Instead, she swaps places with her cousin and takes on the challenge of working in her father’s company, all while trying to keep her true identity hidden from Harrison Stone, her father’s formidable protégé whom she instantly dislikes … even if he does look like an Adonis.
With tropes such as enemies to lovers, forced proximity, he’s her boss, she’s a secret heiress, and she (surprisingly) falls (begrudgingly) first, there’s a lot to like about this book. Aimee’s determination to prove herself in a man’s world is both admirable and relatable, and the tension between her and Harrison—both romantic and otherwise—is well-executed. The sparks that fly between them as they clash and then begin to fall for each other are some of the best parts of the story. I also enjoyed the clever tie-in with book 1, The Heiress Swap, and fans of the series will appreciate seeing how Aimee’s story runs parallel to that of her cousin Evie.
That said, the pacing of the book left me wanting. Despite a couple of nice plot twists and some genuinely sweet moments, I found myself feeling like the story was still in its early stages, even two-thirds of the way through. The repetition of the same conflicts made it hard to feel like the characters (or at least one of them …) were truly growing until a sudden, somewhat unbelievable resolution near the end—though I adored what Harrison did for Aimee in Paris.
Overall, The Heiress Masquerade is a pleasant read with both old and new characters I’ve loved reading about, and I’m especially looking forward to seeing where Sam’s story goes in the next installment. If you enjoy historical romance with a mix of drama, intrigue, and a dash of corporate espionage, this one just might be worth your time.
Content warnings include death, threat of harm, kidnapping, child abandonment, and murder.
Expected publication date is 20 August 2024.
Author Profile
Maddison Michaels, is an award-winning historical romantic suspense author, who captivates readers with her signature blend of “Sexy History with a Dash of Mystery.” Her debut novel, “The Devilish Duke,” won the prestigious Romance Writers of Australia RUBY Award in 2019, along with two of her subsequent novels being finalists in the 2021 and 2022 RUBY Awards. Maddison is the published author of ten historical romance novels, that promise page-turning mystery and suspense, and keep readers hooked until the last word. She’s also set to release two non-fiction writing craft books, aimed to help her fellow writers let their stories take flight!
She lives in Northern New South Wales, Australia, with her own handsome hero, little princess, and fur babies. She’s recently taken up golf with her husband (you don’t want to know her handicap… even she doesn’t want to know, lol) and she’s a committed coffee connoisseur (read: total caffeine addict), who always starts her day with a cup of liquid gold!
TL;DR
- Rating: 3 stars | Genre: Historical Romance | Pages: 352
- Book 2 of Dollar Princess series
- Enemies to lovers, forced proximity
- He’s her boss, she’s a secret heiress
- She (surprisingly) falls (begrudgingly) first
- FMC is admirable and relatable, MMC is an adorable Adonis
- Tension between MCs is well-executed
- Pacing is a bit off and plot develops slowly
- CWs: death, threat of harm, kidnapping, child abandonment, and murder
