Lord of the Masquerade: A Regency Romance

Erica Ridley

Aug 2021 · Erica Ridley

About this ebook

A fun, fast-paced interracial romance full of banter, scandal, and devastating secrets, from a New York Times bestselling author:

Entrepreneur Miss Unity Thorne helped two different men amass their fortunes—only to end up on the street. She’s scraping by at the theatre, but this isn’t the show she plans to star in. The next fortune Unity builds will be hers alone. Her masquerade-themed assembly rooms will rival the ton, but to do so, she’ll have to apprentice the most dangerous rake of all.

The arrogant, sexy-and-he-knows-it Duke of Lambley’s weekly masquerade parties are decadent odes to excess: unlimited food, drink, dancing, romantic gardens, and private pleasure rooms upstairs. Everyone loves his balls, and he likes it that way. He’ll take a wife someday, but it certainly won’t be the pretty termagant who challenges him in the ballroom and the bedroom…

In the Rogues to Riches historical romance series, Cinderella stories aren’t just for princesses!

Ratings and reviews

I loved, loved this book. Loved the characters, the premise, the story, the writing style, and definitely the romance between the two main characters. The Duke of Langley has hosted his extravagant weekly masquerade parties for several years. Miss Unity Thorne is determined to find out what makes his balls so successful. She intends to not replicate but to offer her own masquerade-themed assembly rooms. She no longer wishes to work for others who have benefited from her ideas but wants to succeed on her own merits. It was refreshing how natural she was in her conversations with Julian as well as when she joshed with him. She was direct. He liked that about her. One of my favorite sayings she made to Julian was, “People attend Almacks because it’s a means to an end. A way to secure their future. Your guests come to your parties because they wish to. A chance to forget the future and live in the moment.” It was so enjoyable seeing how their relationship developed. Julian thought he was incapable of emotions and could not let anyone get close to him. He had reason to feel that way. But Unity discombobulates him. He always has to be in control but Unity encourages him to be spontaneous. She understands his meticulousness as she is the same. In Julian’s society, Unity was of the wrong color and class, but to Julian, she matched him. This was such an entertaining read. All the characters were so enjoyable. I liked meeting several of the characters from previous works again, especially Fairfax who was featured in the first book in the series. I was fortunate to receive an ARC and offer this voluntary review. All opinions stated are my own. I rate it 5 Stars with a heat level of 3-3 ½.

I've waited YEARS for Lambley's story! The Duke of Lambley's masquerades are familiar to those of us who've read the earlier Rogues to Riches stories, so I was thrilled to see that the Duke himself was finally getting a story. And what a story it is! There's nothing predictable about this story, except that we can always rely on this author to give us a stunning, triumphant HEA. Unity is a mixed-race young woman who is determined to chart her own path in life, no matter how hard that is for a woman who is also Black and of humble means. She was a delightful, inspirational character and I was captivated by her approach to life and attention to detail. Julian was so much more interesting in this story than I could have ever imagined. His backstory is heartbreaking, even as it explains his current eccentricities. The spontaneity diary was a stroke of genius, and I adored how it was used by both Julian and Unity to further their own agendas. The HEA was so much more than just a resolution for our young couple. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing certain matters put to rights and proper restitution being made. I loved the way their differences were celebrated and how the author always reminds us that love is the only thing that really matters in life. I highly recommend this book, as well as the entire series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Lord of the Masquerade is a fun, flirty, romance. It may be the best book in the series yet! It is the story of Unity Thorne, a young, biracial lady who has spent her life helping others amass a fortune. Now Unity wants to gain her own fortune. She chooses the Duke of Lambley's notorious masquerades to emulate. The only problem is getting an invitation! She dresses provocatively and has a calling card made up with her name and her occupation of courtesan. That gets her in the door but her brains keep her there. I love the interactions between Lambley and Unity. She is fun and flirty, while he tries to remain stoic and sober. This book is such a great book you definitely can't put it down once you start it.

About the author

Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of witty, feel-good historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, starring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?

In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!

Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England. 

When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Central America, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.