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Miss Caroline Hawkins: the invisible belle of the ball who prefers it that way.
Caroline Hawkins has mastered the art of blending in. With deliberately dulled hair, thick glasses obscuring her keen eyes, and dresses that could best be described as 'tent-like', she navigates the glittering world of English society unnoticed and unbothered. Just the way she likes it.
But every perfect disguise meets its match.
Enter Pierce Byrne, the enigmatic Black Baron, whose piercing gaze cuts through Caroline's carefully constructed facade. He's intrigued by the woman who is everything society's belles are not—strangely fascinating, compellingly odd.
She planned to hate him, he planned to win her.
One unexpected night, their paths cross in a way Caroline never intended. Pierce discovers Caroline's secret—a secret so aligned with his own that it binds them in a curious new way. Suddenly, the game of hide and seek with society's expectations turns into a thrilling chase of wits and wills.
Can two masters of disguise find truth in the masquerade?
As they delve deeper into each other’s hidden lives, what starts as mutual curiosity evolves into something neither can escape. Before long, Pierce and Caroline must confront the truth: their deepening connection could either ruin them or offer the companionship they've both secretly desired.
Underneath the gray, a colorful tale of intrigue and romance unfolds.
BREE WOLF is a USA Today bestselling author and award-winning word wizard, who is rarely seen without a book in hand or fingers glued to the keyboard.
This was such a gorgeous story, so well written. Caroline and Pierce both had so much to hide, helping others under disguise, getting to know each other, learning to trust each other and slowly falling in love with each other. And, of course bringing a villain to justice which was nicely wrapped up in the end. It was enchanting, definitely a Happy Ever Regency romance!
This delightful tale shares much of it's timeline with How to Climb a Lady's Tower. However, in this book we are told the story from Pierce and Caroline's points of view and the author fills in much of the missing story. Pierce, Lord Markham, aka the Black Baron, cares not about the secrets peers of the realm hold. He sees people as they truly are, not hidden behind masks. When Miss Caroline Hawkins catches his eye, he realizes that she is hiding behind secrets. She wears gray, drab, high necked gowns and wears thick lenses to hide her beautiful blue eyes. He happens upon her one night when she shouldn't be out alone and finds she is filled with fire, a stiff backbone and is fearless. This story is the perfect blend of romance and suspense.
Caroline and Pierce are two people who mask their identities for very different reasons and they meet and slowly fall in love.
Gosh, how I love this series, Each of the stories I've read in it becomes my next favorite. Funny how that happens, but it just shows that each is an improvement on the previous ones.
Loved the story, loved all of its characters and I am so happy to have read this book.
Shining light in a dark world, that is what Charlie Lane does. Just as Cora’s writing brings passion to the ladies of the ton, Charlie’s writing brings me such a glow of hope and happiness. This story has so many underlying messages but the greatest of those is hope. Cora has stuffed all hope so deep down that she can no longer believe in its existence. She loses herself in her midnight readings, her scandalous writing as a way to feel wanted, to feel loved but buried deep is that hope to be loved for real. Watching Liam chase his wife clear across the countryside builds a hope in the reader, that they will find their way. Their attraction always held something more but both of them needed to let themselves be free first so they could build a real love not based on perception and obligation, but based on truth and desire. The cat & mouse chase of this story built such a delicious anticipation, the constant interruptions providing a levity to the situation that was funny in its absurdity. How difficult can it be to be alone with one’s wife? Apparently very difficult indeed. The surprise visit of a certain Brute and his mischievous wife was the perfect cherry on top. If anyone could inspire daring, it’s Sarah & Xavier. My grin just about split my cheeks when I realized who they stumbled upon. This story will give you hope that everyone deserves and can find a happy ending of their own.
Another winner from Charlie! Lady Isabella acts as a maid in a hotel, to obtain gossip to assist debutants with avoiding fortune hunters and the like. Fitzhugh sees the "maid" running about his hotel, but finds she doesn't actually work there. He is attracted to her and sees her, as a Dukes sister, as an asset to his business as well. He goes to her brother asking to court her, unbeknownst to Isabella. The attraction between the two is almost instantaneous, but as in all good romances, takes time to cultivate. Definitely recommended!
I enjoyed the banter between the main characters. The heroine is trying to make sure her brother marries someone worthy of him so she infiltrates a hotel. The hero needs a wife to be more acceptable as a business owner. They come together for these reasons, but they may get more than they bargained for. This was a cute story.
I really loved this book, but of course I’m in love with each and every one of this author’s books. In this one I must confess that I related to Isabella so much! She’s somewhat of a control freak like me. And I totally understand that it’s hard to let it go. Actually, Rowan needed a woman who took control of his life and wrenched him from the shadows in which he was much too comfortable. He needed to be managed and he was! I really loved the side characters as well, because in Lane’s books they are always as gorgeously fleshed out as the main ones. And I especially loved the ladies, the old friends of the late Duchess, who are always helpful and funny. A gorgeous, five star read!!!
This has been such a wonderful series, and this has to be my favorite story yet! Isabella and Rowan are pure delight! The storyline is charming and the clever dialogue and banter between those two make for a most entertaining read. She is a Duke’s sister and he, a successful hotel owner, yet nevertheless a commoner. He could never be accepted by her world, but their hearts say otherwise. I was rooting for them all the way, and enjoying every page of their romance!
