Review - - The Heiress Masquerade

The Heiress Masquerade

by Maddison Michaels

Dollar Princess - Book 2

Publisher: Entangled: Amara

Release Date: August 20, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

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...

PJ's Thoughts:

If you read The Heiress Swap (read my review), the first book in Maddison Michaels' Dollar Princess series, you've already met Aimee Thornton-Jones, the wealthy cousin of orphaned Evie, heroine of book one. The Heiress Masquerade tells the story of what happens to Aimee after she and Evie switch places upon arriving in London. Both books take place during the same six-week period.

If you enjoy historical romance romps with enemies-to-lovers romance, fish-out-of-water heroines, exasperated heroes, a mystery to solve, and plenty of steam, this is the book for you. If you enjoy underestimated heroines with something to prove, you'll probably love Aimee. I did. I was cheering her on the entire way as she went toe to toe with Harrison in her quest to prove something very important to her father. I loved her indomitable spirit but my heart also ached for her when her heart was broken. Never fear, this is a romance and with a little help from an unexpected ally, Harrison finally realizes the error of his ways which leads him to a grand gesture that had me sighing happily even as I kept trying to nudge them back to safety. 

The mystery in this one was well crafted with more than a few surprises I wasn't expecting. There was a thread left dangling regarding one character that I would have liked seeing addressed on the page but other than that, good job on a mystery I didn't solve before the reveal. I do enjoy when an author accomplishes that.

The end of this book leads me to think there may be more books in the Dollar Princess series. I hope so. 

Review - - The Heiress Swap

The Heiress Swap

by Maddison Michaels

Publisher: Entangled Amara

Release Date: July 25, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

Evie Jenkins didn’t know what she was thinking by agreeing to switch places with her American heiress cousin. After all, she’s naught but a poor―and usually quite sensible―companion. All she has to do is spend six weeks among London society, pretending to be an heiress…and ensure that absolutely under no circumstances does she accept any proposals of marriage.

When his cousin declares himself in love with a new woman visiting from the States, Alexander Trenton―the sixth Duke of Hargrave―is determined to prove that the young lady in question is just another American "Dollar Princess" desperate for an English title. She seems innocent enough, but Alex is determined to expose her…by thoroughly seducing the lovely and fiercely intelligent heiress himself.

What he assumed would be just one simple kiss erupts into something wild, uncontrollable, and much too public. Now the duke must save her reputation with a betrothal…little knowing that his charming Princess harbors a secret that would certainly ruin them both.

PJ's Thoughts:

A fossil loving, sensible young woman pretending to be her American heiress cousin meets a fossil loving, American averse, English duke. She's fascinated by the grumpy man who is the first to share her scientific interests as well as set her heart aflutter. He's fascinated by this young woman who seems more interested in an ancient lizard than his title. She's well aware they have no future. Past experience has taught him to be wary of her motives. Yet love is determined to have its way, regardless of the obstacles in their way. Did I mention that one of those obstacles is an unknown person determined to get them both out of the way? 

Maddison Michaels has crafted a fun romp that kept me entertained throughout. Evie is a wonderful heroine. I love how open and genuine she is, unafraid to voice her opinions and be herself. The banter between Evie and Alex sparkles. She may be affecting an American accent (she grew up in London) to mimic her cousin but everything else she presents to Alex is pure, unadulterated Evie. I was in her corner, cheering her on the entire way. Alex has some issues to work through - there were times I wanted to dump him in the Thames - though I very much enjoyed how his close friends, and Evie, held him to account. In the end, he learned the lessons he needed to and made satisfying amends.

There's a bit of a mystery woven through the story that adds another layer of intrigue. I was certain I knew who the villain was right up until the reveal when - whoa - I did not see that twist coming! I love when an author catches me off guard. 

While this story focuses on Evie and Alex, Evie's cousin Aimee is in London at the same time pretending to be Evie while she learns the secretarial trade at her father's company. We only get glimpses of Aimee's experiences but it's enough to leave me wanting more. I do hope the author has plans to write her story as well. 

 

Tour Review - - The Bachelor Betrayal

The Bachelor Betrayal

by Maddison Michaels

Secrets, Scandals, and Spies - - Book 2

Publisher: Entangled: Amara

Release Date: March 8, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

 

He wants justice

Underestimating Marcus Black is the last thing his enemies ever do. After all, the respected Earl of Westwood is a deadly threat… when her Majesty needs him to be. And his only goal is to avenge his brother’s murder. Which would be much easier if the viciously-skilled Lady Kaitlyn Montrose wouldn’t swoop in, knee him in the bollocks, and then run off with his only lead…

She wants revenge

Kat is determined to avenge her beloved uncle’s murder and nothing will stop her. Especially not the devastatingly handsome, and equally lethal Marcus Black. The fact that he’s after the same target is a complication she hadn’t planned on. And as much as she enjoys taunting him, she has a job to do—one that doesn’t include sparring with the infuriating man at every turn. Except Kat has a new plan… one that Marcus will just hate.

Now they’ll have to work together… if they don’t kill each other first

Individually, Marcus and Kat are deadly. If they worked together, they could be unstoppable. But when attraction gets in the way of vengeance, it’s more than hearts on the line. And only one person can win…

PJ's Thoughts:

If you enjoy plenty of action and suspense mixed in with steamy historical romance, you are going to love The Bachelor Betrayal. It's the second book of a series but stands well on its own, though I will definitely be going back to read book one, The Bachelor Bargain.

Michaels tossed me straight into that action from the first pages of this fast-paced story and didn't let up until the final, breath-stealing conclusion. I loved that Kat was as skilled, confident, and fearless as Marcus. In fact, in many ways she was more so, as he soon learned. She had been trained by her uncle since childhood, after all, but she was more than a one-note weapon. The author did a good job of allowing her emotions to evolve, showing a softer side without losing that finely-honed edge.  

Marcus is a man with baggage. A lot of baggage. He's also a man on a mission and isn't about to be led off course by a slip of a woman. Until he encounters Kat, all grown up and not willing to take a back seat to anyone when it comes to avenging her uncle's death. I really enjoyed the chemistry between these two, the snappy banter, how they challenged one another, and ultimately became a formidable team. I loved how Marcus came to respect Kat's abilities, how he desired her, fell in love with her, but never diminished her. How they worked together, each taking the lead at different times.

The mystery facet of this book was tightly plotted, with numerous twists and turns along the way that kept me guessing right up until the final reveals. I'm not easily stumped when it comes to mysteries, but Michaels did an outstanding job of keeping me on my toes. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, there came another twist and off we went again with a new suspect. I loved it!

This was my first book by Maddison Michaels. It certainly won't be my last. I very much enjoyed her writing voice, characters, and romance mixed with danger and suspense.