Midnight Masquerade (Lord Belami and Miss Deirdre Gower Book 1)

I have been reading Joan Smith novels for a few days and so far, this is one my favorites. I loved the little French heroine, Minou - okay she was 1/2 English but her persona was totally French. Lord Degan, the stodgy hero was fun and then there was the ultra smooth, capable and sexy Henri, the French refugee who was touted as Minou's cousin, but is he really her cousin, or perhaps something else?Minou, her mother and her brother, Eduardo, left England 10 years ago due to a misunderstanding/argument/parting of the ways between Minou's totally French mama and her totally British father. Who knows what actually happened? It takes some time to get all this figured out, but we do know that Minou has found her way home to England and to her papa to try and get someone to go back to France and rescue mama and Eduardo from the guillotine.While papa drags his feet attempting to use his contacts in the government, Henri begins making plans from day one to attempt a rescue. However, since Henri lost all his wealth when he left France, he is hampered a great deal until the ultra righteous, conservative Lord Degan, nephew to Minou's father, decides to join the game.You see, Degan and Minou have clashed since their first meeting - she has French ways and is way more loose and free and Degan can't abide it - thinks she's shameless and needs a protector to tag along and make sure she doesn't ruin herself. Oh yeah, Baby! We can see where this will lead.Back to France Minou, Degan and Henri go to enact their daring plan and there is loads of danger due to the nightmarish situation known as the French Revolution but then, there is also the funny stuff and the sweet romance. So much fun to watch stiff Lord Degan loosen up, not just a little but a lot! Very fun read!

This review will be a general review of this series of books rather than simply a review of Midnight Masquerade:Desperate for more of Joan Smith, I decided to try her Lord Belami Series. Although they aren't among my favorite Joan Smith books - after awhile, I found Belami and Deidre began to grow on me to the point I've now read all the books in the series.Some background: Deidre is the ward of the Duchess of Charney who is quite the tyrant, albeit with a kind heart toward Deidre. Charney is stingy with her money and a constant hammer pounding down on Lord Belami's head - Belami being Deidre's erstwhile fiance. I use the word "erstwhile" because their betrothal is on and off again throughout the series of books, primarily due to Belami's "fake" involvement with the various female characters in the books. He simply "cooperates" with these women in order to gain clues or leads in solving the mysteries presented in the stories. Of course, I didn't care for the fact that he often kisses them, has them sitting on his lap, finds himself in a tight embrace with flimsily clad ladies - you get the picture.Furthermore, Deidre gets the picture loud and clear. Nevertheless, she always comes back to Belami's arms and over time, he realizes what began as a betrothal based on his "compromising" of Deidre, placing him in the position of being an unwilling fiance - turns into a real love for this young woman. So, yes - this set of books gave me some pleasant hours. There is a big plus in the humorous conversation and antics of Belami's bosom buddy, Pronto - the fumbling, dumbo sidekick.

Joan Smith is a genius in blending romance, mystery, and humor. She has an incredible skill in creating interesting characters and weaving them into an imaginative plot. Her novels are always highly recommended.

I love Joan Smith novels and plan to read them all. However, this one did not work for me. What I liked was the setting of the French Revolution as seen by its victims. I found the depictions of the desperate mob mentality and raw power grab which almost destroyed France to be powerfully impactful. What I did not like were the false interactions of the main and secondary characters which felt completely wrong. Not one of them reacted to situations or to each other in believable ways. The flow was awkward, choppy, and forced. I give credit to Smith for taking on this worthy and interesting subject and would recommend reading it for its many good points. Smith shines when she is humorous but the French Revolution has little opportunity for humor.

Minuet is one of Joan Smith's best! Smith's novels are usually a light read (funny and predictable), but this one was different in that the backdrop of the French Revolution gave it a bit of an edge. Smith's description is so vivid that it put me in the thick of it with her characters, and she doesn't bother telling much of the history, she shows her characters experiencing it in all its gruesome horror using action and dialogue to communicate the history of the Reign of Terror. It's a great read, and the storyline propelled me forward with a compelling plot and characters that go through a wonderful (and believable) transformation.

Another wonderful romantic entanglement by Joan Smith, overshadowed by the horrors if the French Revolution. A bit heavier than othe Joan Smith romances yet still a worthwhile read.

If you read regencies for sex, this is not your author. But if you want a well developed witty plot with pathos and humor, you will enjoy this author. I cannot testify as to period authenticity, and this particular piece is set before the regency period, but it seems to me that she has done her research.

Worth reading once. Book one of the Lord Belami quartet. The quartet is:midnight masqueraderoyal revelsdevious duchesslarcenous ladyjust for those like me who stumbled into it in the middle.

The first of four stories to rival those about the Berkeley Brigade. The Berkeley Brigade deal with murder, Belemi and friends with other crimes. I thought this series was excellent, and would love to read more from them.

There are so many laugh out loud moments as we’re introduced to our hero & heroine & their adventures.Joan Smith has written such a lively historical novel which includes danger, intrigue & a vivid description of what the ordinary people endured through the French Revolution.This is an absolute classic, well worth revisiting.