Midwinter Masquerade

Full length Regency era novel set in Scotland in 1816, Midwinter Masquerade is now under my full name!

Outline

In Edinburgh, December 1816, young widow Lady Lenora Fitzallan accepts an invitation to the country estate of Edward Montgomery, the man she once thought to marry seventeen years previously. Until he left without explanation. Accompanied by her godmother, Lady Pettigrew, Lenora forms a friendship with Edward’s young niece and ward, Annabelle, who has a propensity for getting into scrapes and falling in love with the wrong man.

In the days leading up to the Masquerade Ball on the Winter Solstice, another guest arrives. Mr. Henderson has a particular reason for meeting Annabelle, who distrusts him on sight. Meanwhile, Lenora struggles with her rekindled feelings for Edward, while thinking of Robert Masters, the sophisticated man who hopes to marry her when he returns from abroad. As past secrets begin to unfold, Annabelle is rescued from harm, and a dashing, costumed stranger arrives at the Ball.

Once the past is revealed and the real villain unmasked, Lenora must decide where and with whom her future now lies.

Midwinter Masquerade is available from Amazon UK, Amazon US 

Sample Reviews

'Midwinter in the Scottish countryside is a perfect setting for this historial romance. I enjoyed the clever threads of stories running through this book, with the widowed Lenora's romantic turmoil a nice contrast to the more whimsical escapades of the younger Annabelle. The unanswered question of why Lenora's past love, Edward, abandoned her, only to now invite her to his home years later, provides intrigue and a page-turning simmering tension between the two. The supporting cast of characters weave further mystery and drama on the lead up to the magical masquerade ball, and we are left wondering who will capture Lenora's heart.'  Amazon Reader Snow White

'Although this is an historical novel, set in the winter of 1816, the intrigues and relationships are every bit as appropriate to the modern age. We are immediately captivated by the back story of Lady Lenora Fitzallan and Edward Montgomery and the mystery of why he abandoned her is nicely sustained as the tension between them develops. But theirs is not the only story: Annabelle's reaction to Mr Henderson and Lenora's problems about Robert Masters, the other suitor in her life, provide strands of the story which weave and interweave and keep the story moving along at a pace which makes this a real page turner.
   The characters are well delineated, subtly defined and engaging. I particularly liked Annabelle with her rather scatterbrained approach to life in general and men in particular and the underlying humour adds an extra dimension to the novel.
   The nicely judged focus of the winter Masquerade draws us towards the very satisfactory conclusion when motives are made clear and personal difficulties resolved. Another most enjoyable story from Romy Gemmell.' Amazon Reader Myra Duffy