Masquerade

I just finished reading the book, Masquerade, by Nancy Moser. On the pages of this book, I found two very different girls. Charlotte Gleason finds out that her family's wealth has been lost, and her father has been named for his indescretions. In order for Charlotte to be provided for in the way she is accustomed, her parents sent her across the ocean to New York City to marry into a prestigious and wealthy family. Her ladies maid, who had also become a close friend, agreed to accompany Charlotte on the trip. Charlotte does not want to be told who to marry and contrives a plan to switch places with her maid/traveling companion, Dora Conners. Dora agrees to the plan and both girls find themselves in situations they could never have imagined.

This was not a book that really grabbed my attention in the first few chapters. The story line was nothing new at first. It was the usual rich family loses their wealth type beginning. However, as I continued to read I was pulled in by the plot. Masquerade never did become the type of book you just can't put down, but I did change my original impressions as I continued to read. The characters for the most part were well-developed and some had unexpected qualities that I did not originally foresee. There were some moments that caught me off-guard during the story, as well as some predictability. Overall, however, I do think Masquerade was an enjoyable book to read. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.