Masquerade, by Nancy Moser

I enjoyed Nancy Moser's novel Masquerade.

Lottie's parents send her to New York to meet a potential husband, a man of wealth that will be the rescuer of their own floundering financial situation. Dora, her maid and best friend accompanies her on the journey.

Lottie wants adventure and independence, not a marriage without love. On the ship to America she cooks up the plan to swap places with Dora. Dora would become Lottie and have the chance of a lifetime -- move from a lowl ...more I enjoyed Nancy Moser's novel Masquerade.

Lottie's parents send her to New York to meet a potential husband, a man of wealth that will be the rescuer of their own floundering financial situation. Dora, her maid and best friend accompanies her on the journey.

Lottie wants adventure and independence, not a marriage without love. On the ship to America she cooks up the plan to swap places with Dora. Dora would become Lottie and have the chance of a lifetime -- move from a lowly maid to a wife to one of America's wealthiest heirs.

What the real Lottie didn't bargain for was her financial means to be stolen immediately upon embarking the streets of New York. Suddenly she's as poor and destitute as all the other immigrants she's surrounded by.

The plot was one that raised my blood pressure, I'm sure. Both girls are in precarious situations and it was anxiety producing for this reader, but in a good way of course. :-)

It's a good novel. Things lined up a little too well for reality, but I guess the author's point in that was how God was orchestrating all the details. I can appreciate that.

I loved the Fact or Fiction part at the end of the book where the author shares the facts of the time frame written about. And I also liked her sharing the pictures from late 1880's catalogs which she based her characters' wardrobes. That was a fun and clever addition to the book.

My copy of Masquerade was graciously provided by Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Masquerade is available now at your favorite bookseller of Bethany House books.