Love's Masquerade

Rating:
Summary: Love's Masquerade
Review: Fans of lesbian romance need look no further than any of Radclyffe's books for the most romantic, erotic, intelligent, thrilling tales of women finding each other and finding love being written today. No other author combines all of the elements necessary for a grand romantic reading experience quite the way Radclyffe does. Her characters are all strong, compelling women, unapologetic about loving women and intensely passionate-in life and in love. In Love's Masquerade, Radclyffe yet again exceeds all expectations. When Auden Frost accepts the position of director for Palmer Publishing's new division of lesbian fiction, she begins working directly for the head of Palmer Publishing, the devastatingly attractive and powerful Haydon Palmer. Love's Masquerade is the story of Auden and Hays, their secrets, and the path that may lead them to love, but it is also a testament to the power of the written word. Radclyffe weaves a story within a story, taking us inside the world of lesbian publishing by giving us not only the story of Auden and Hays, but also the writing of other Palmer authors. The result is the delicious equivalent of having several books in one. The writing in all is superb and profoundly erotic. The original approach Radclyffe utilizes to tell Auden and Hays' story, is a perfect example of why her writing is in a class by itself. It is apparent Radclyffe constantly pushes herself to exceed what she's written before and she does not, and will not, settle for anything less than creative excellence. If you like your lesbian romances with steamy, sexy, passionate love scenes, you will not be disappointed. Radclyffe instinctively knows the ingredients to place in the pot to bring us to a slow boil. She does not hide from the deeply intimate physical or emotional love that exists between two women .

*Note to romance novel addicts* Unlike many authors who publish a new book once a year, if that, Radclyffe is one of the most prolific writers in the lesbian romance genre. She publishes several books per year, all of the same high quality. Readers can rest easy in becoming addicted to Radclyffe's work. I have to believe she is a fan of lesbian romance herself, and knows all too well what it is like to wait for that next book to be published, because she never lets her fans down.

For readers such as myself who for years settled for books that "passed" as lesbian romance novels, Radclyffe is an oasis in the desert. Love's Masquerade, like all of Radclyffe's books is a genuine treasure.

Rating:
Summary: The Essence of Romance
Review: In the tradition of Love's Melody Lost, Radclyffe has written another heart stopping, tender romantic story.

Auden, unsure of her own sexuality, is destined to fall in love with her boss, the mysterious Haydon Palmer. But Haydon has secrets of her own that make her reluctant to become involved with Auden or with any woman for that matter. She just doesn't know how much time she has.

Radclyffe emerses us into the world of writing and publishing romance. Those of us that love to read romance get a glimpse of the world behind the storytelling.

This gripping story will have you turning pages well into the night, smiling with tears in your eyes at the same time. Even in the last ten pages, you will question how it will end.

Rating:
Summary: Love's Masquerade
Review: Interms of depth, this is likely Rad's very best. However, it is really hard to say that since she is the very best writer in this genre today.

Rating:
Summary: Love's Masquerade
Review: It's always a pleasure to fall in love with a writer's work and then to have the pleasure of watching her writing - always excellent both in matters of content and style - improve over time. LOVE'S MASQUERADE, Radclyffe's fourteenth published work of lesbian romance fiction, is, simply put, magnificent. In the tradition of Love's Melody Lost and Passion's Bright Fury, Love's Masquerade is a soaring tale of romance: of love's power to heal those wounds that go deeper than the physical, of the potential for agony to which falling in love leaves one vulnerable, and of the strength love gives to enable one to make the most difficult of choices. It is the story of Auden Frost, newly appointed director of Palmer Publishing's new lesbian fiction imprint, and her relationships with the reclusive best-selling novelist Rune Dyre, whose work Auden edits, and her boss Haydon Palmer, who is hiding a devastating secret of her own.

But beyond being a glorious, sexy, synapse-frying romance, Love's Masquerade is a love story about love stories. And it is about the power of stories to heal as they enable us to recognize ourselves - our hopes, our dreams, our fears - in the lives of the characters who leap from the page. It is about the way stories can make us feel less alone. It is about the relationship between writers and readers, about the often unspoken dialogue that two people have through a page of text. Radclyffe's novels are always special - she tells stories as no one can. But here, she celebrates not only women who love women, but readers and writers who love words. Interwoven with the love story are erotic vignettes from Rune Dyre's published works as well as her works-in-progress; Radclyffe's ability to deftly fuse Auden and Hays's love affair with this story-within-the-story is the mark of a true artist of the written word.

For those of you who've never met Radclyffe's writing in any form, this book is a powerhouse introduction to what the lesbian-romance genre can be in the hands of a modern master. And for those of you who've only read her novels in online beta-versions, the pleasures to be had in reading this book in its entirety, text in hand, are beyond compare.

Rating:
Summary: Love and Fiction
Review: It's always a pleasure to fall in love with a writer's work and then to have the pleasure of watching her writing - always excellent both in matters of content and style - improve over time. LOVE'S MASQUERADE, Radclyffe's fourteenth published work of lesbian romance fiction, is, simply put, magnificent. In the tradition of Love's Melody Lost and Passion's Bright Fury, Love's Masquerade is a soaring tale of romance: of love's power to heal those wounds that go deeper than the physical, of the potential for agony to which falling in love leaves one vulnerable, and of the strength love gives to enable one to make the most difficult of choices. It is the story of Auden Frost, newly appointed director of Palmer Publishing's new lesbian fiction imprint, and her relationships with the reclusive best-selling novelist Rune Dyre, whose work Auden edits, and her boss Haydon Palmer, who is hiding a devastating secret of her own.

But beyond being a glorious, sexy, synapse-frying romance, Love's Masquerade is a love story about love stories. And it is about the power of stories to heal as they enable us to recognize ourselves - our hopes, our dreams, our fears - in the lives of the characters who leap from the page. It is about the way stories can make us feel less alone. It is about the relationship between writers and readers, about the often unspoken dialogue that two people have through a page of text. Radclyffe's novels are always special - she tells stories as no one can. But here, she celebrates not only women who love women, but readers and writers who love words. Interwoven with the love story are erotic vignettes from Rune Dyre's published works as well as her works-in-progress; Radclyffe's ability to deftly fuse Auden and Hays's love affair with this story-within-the-story is the mark of a true artist of the written word.

For those of you who've never met Radclyffe's writing in any form, this book is a powerhouse introduction to what the lesbian-romance genre can be in the hands of a modern master. And for those of you who've only read her novels in online beta-versions, the pleasures to be had in reading this book in its entirety, text in hand, are beyond compare.