Unmasked by the Earl by Anna St. Claire

Tracy’s Rating: 3/3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Witches’ Ball, #4

Release Date: September 12, 2023

Lady Charlotte “Charlie” Penrose along with her grandmother, the dowager Countess of Penrose, and her twin brother Caden, Viscount Penrose are on their way home to Bocka Morrow to attend the Witches’ Ball when they see two men being attacked and intervene. Charlie is immediately smitten with the handsome stranger and soon finds herself falling for him. Charlie comes from a long line of female witches and has guarded her secret from non-magical humans for her whole life, but when she shares a kiss with Logan at the ball, she knows she must tell him the truth and hopes he can accept it. But when the confession doesn’t play out as she hoped, she flees and soon finds herself filled with regret and wonders if she will be blessed with a second chance or if this is how her story ends.

After the unexpected death of his brother, soldier Logan Thomas, becomes the new Earl of Fitzwater. He leaves the continent and travels home to Cornwall after being away for four years. He and his batman, Bronson are just a day away from his home when they are set upon by highwaymen, they are fighting off the men but they are outnumbered and Logan has been shot and stabbed and rapidly losing consciousness when two blonds join the fight, Logan is not sure, but he thinks one of them might be a woman. Later he wakes to learn that he was rescued by Caden and his twin sister Charlie. He is enchanted by Charlie and is surprised at how fast his feelings for her develop and how quickly his thoughts turn to forever, especially when he has no plans to marry anytime soon. But surprising revelations, assumptions, and highwaymen may end their HEA before it even begins.

This was a quick read, filled with likable characters, a sassy cat, dancing lessons, highwaymen, a magical kiss, great secondary characters, and finally a HEA with the promise of more to come. I enjoyed this story, despite the title errors and the somewhat confusing telepathic conversations, so if you like, slow-burn, no-steam romances that end in HEA, this is the book for you. The book is part of the Witches’ Ball series, but can easily be read as a standalone title as this title is very loosely connected.