Asha certainly gets more than she bargained for when she crashes an exclusive, invite only ball to confront her cheating partner, when the incredibly handsome Durand kicks her out of the ball. Asha soon finds out that he is infact the owner of the exclusive club - Sphinx Society, and sets her sights on gaining membership to this club whatever it takes. When Asha is continuously finding herself in his path, it is only a matter of time before the attraction begins to simmer.

This is a fun, swoon worthy read that had me well and truly hooked! I loved the way in which the author told the story and the characters that they created within it. A definite must read for those who enjoy a steamy romance.

I enjoyed this book and can confirm that it is quite steamy!

I would have liked to see more character development outside of the bedroom.

Masquerade by Cara Lockwood.
Asha gatecrashes a party to try and catch Connor with someone she doesn't know what she is getting into when Mathis catches her eye. When he mentions the sphinx society Asha wants in. She will do anything. But Madelyne Mathis private secretary is not happy.
Absolutely brilliant read. I loved Asha and how determined she was. Really loved Mathis yum. I really didn't like madelyne. Read in one sitting. Loved the cover too. 5*.

Steamy and quickpaced romantic fiction from Mills and Boon. It is a glamorous and international based story with strong female and male characters.

When Asha crashes an exclusive ball to confront her cheating soon to be ex she gets more than she bargained for when the dashing Durand kicks her out, She finds out that he is the owner of the exclusive Sphinx Society and sets out to gain membership any way she can. But as Asha puts herself firmly in his path she finds herself setting up residence in his heart as well, they need to overcome their barriers and learn to trust each other.

This story has potential, but the characters are not as relatable as they could be and the mystique and sensuality of the secret club and masquerade ball is not fulfilled.
The love scenes are well-written but the emotional connection is lacking for me.

I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Loved this
Cleverly plotted with great characters

Highly recommend

Masquerade
By cara Lockwood
Pub date 24 Dec 2020
May contain spoilers
I loved this book it’s filled with a dark fantasy of love with a high society of a class ball only members. I love how asha will do anything two get an invite two the club. Asha rich and will try anything with Mathis two get an invite by him. I love how strong and determined asha is. The story is brilliant written I loved the chemistry between asha and Mathis. I loved how asha had the power and the lawyers if she wanted Mathis. But Mathis not having any of it his. Mathis character is mystery fun and didn’t treat woman with respect even though he could have any of the woman he wanted he used them for fun and play.
Overall I enjoyed the story it had many plots two it I loved reading this book.

A secret socialising society for the well to do movers and shakers.

Two strong willed characters, one the owner and the other the gate crasher.

How attraction and love grows with these two, unfolds in this romantic story of love.

With a happy ever after ending in this romance, both sharing in the true feelings of love, commitment, marriage and everlasting happiness.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Recent Dare stories have made me think Mills and Boon are right to cancel this line as it seems to have lost its way,

I've read some brilliant Dare books: Jackie Ashenden's The Debt and Bad Boss, and Avril Tremayne's Getting Lucky, Naughty and Even trilogy for example are simply fabulous. . Those books all have nuanced and rounded characters, who engage your interest from the first page; and plotlines which flow seamlessly and believably and where the romance is developed by the sex scenes not overpowered by them.

Masquerade had a great blurb but sadly the book does not live up to it. It's an over-the-top, melodramatic piece of tosh wrapped around an attempt to be erotic. A disappointment on all fronts - character, plot and execution.

Sorry, but I really need to like the heroine or be engaged by her in some way to be interested in what happens to her. I like the hero to be a bit of an alpha but with a heart of gold. Mathis Durand showed great promise but he was sadly under-written and gave in to Asha far too quickly for me and then lost his trust in her too quickly again..

By the way, who refers to a man by his surname all the time? Every time she called him Durand instead of Mathis, it threw me out of the story.

Asha was an utterly unbearable heroine for the first third of the book. Spoiled, demanding, rude, egotistic - I could go on but I won't. Her behaviour was like a toddler's. It was all 'I want, I want now, poor me, me me.' I just could not believe in her and as for her supposed reasons for behaving as she did? No, it never struck me as real.

She demands membership of a private club and when turned down, she turns up at Mathis' office with 2 lawyers to demand he lets her join. Seriously? It's a PRIVATE club! We're supposed to see this as her fighting her corner as a woman who has faced discrimination on account of er heritage?. Sorry, I didn't buy it at all.

As for Madelyn, the villainess of the piece - this was again a really weak piece of writing. To treat Asha as she did when she had no idea what the relationship really was, struck me as idiotic and totally unrealistic. As for the betrayal at the end which damaged Mathis so badly - it also made no sense. Everytime I met a plot hole, it there me out of the story again.

This author can write - her prose and her dialogue shows that but this particular story just did not work for me. The sex scenes did not make up for the weaknesses in the story. two stars.