A Time Traveler's Masquerade - (Proper Romance Time-Slip) by Sian Ann Bessey (Paperback)

About the Book

"Isla Crawford is suddenly transported from a modern costume shop to 1605, weeks before Guy Fawkes's Gunpowder Plot. Seeking refuge in a Tudor manor, she meets Simon Hartworth, who is drawn to her mysterious presence and dire warnings about Parliament's demise. Together, they must stop the traitors, even as they discover their growing attraction for each other across the centuries"--

Book Synopsis

Romance blossoms when Isla Crawford steps into McQuivey's Costume Shop in London and is swept back in time to 1605, where she and Lord Bancroft attempt to thwart Guy Fawkes's Gunpowder Plot.

One moment, Isla Crawford is inside McQuivey's Costume Shop trying on a Jacobean-style gown for the parliamentary Autumn Ball, and the next, she is standing in an unfamiliar garden, barefoot, coatless, and at the mercy of a fierce storm. Confused, she seeks refuge in a Tudor manor, where she discovers that she has inexplicably traveled back to 1605, mere weeks before the culmination of Guy Fawkes's infamous Gunpowder Plot.

Simon Hartworth, Lord Bancroft, finds his orderly seventeenth-century life disrupted when a mysterious woman appears on his sister's doorstep during a storm. Intrigued by the stranger's quirks and bewildering speech, he feels compelled to protect her and heed her warnings about a fatal plot against Parliament. As Simon is drawn into Isla's dangerous scheme to stop the evildoers, he can't help but also feel drawn to her.

With seemingly no way to get back home, Isla uses her twenty-first-century knowledge of the past to try to thwart Guy Fawkes and his coconspirators without altering the course of history forever. She and Simon must race to unravel the threads of the treasonous plot even as they wonder how their hearts will navigate their deepening connection and the seemingly insurmountable four centuries that separate their lives.

Review Quotes

"This story is a fun fish-out-of-water romp. The romance builds at a believable pace and the history is well-integrated into the plot . . . Well-researched and rated G, it's suitable for both adults and teens."

-- "Historical Novel Society" (5/5/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"Excellent historical detail, high-stakes suspense, and lovely familial relationships, including Simon's young nephews, make this proper romance an enjoyable and page-turning read. Teens who like historical fiction, particularly Anglophiles, will enjoy this intriguing romance."-- "Booklist" (3/13/2025 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Sian Ann Bessey was born in Cambridge, England, and grew up on the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales. She left her homeland to attend university in the US, where she earned a bachelor's degree in communications, with a minor in English.

She began her writing career publishing several articles in magazines while still in college. Since then, she had published historical romance and romantic suspense novels, along with a variety of children's books. She is a USA Today best-selling author, a RONE Award runner-up, a Foreword Reviews Book of the Year finalist, and a Whitney Award finalist.

Sian and her husband, Kent, are the parents of five children and the grandparents of four beautiful girls and two handsome boys. They currently live in southeast Idaho, and although Sian doesn't have the opportunity to speak Welsh very often anymore, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch still rolls off her tongue.

Traveling, reading, cooking, and being with her grandchildren are some of Sian's favorite activities. She also loves hearing from her readers. If you would like to contact her, she can be reached through her website at www.sianannbessey.com. You can also follow her Facebook page, Sian Ann Bessey, or join her Facebook group, Author Sian Ann Bessey's Corner. Find her on Instagram, @sian_bessey.