Honore de Balzac 
Love in a Mask 

"Now that I am free, perfectly free, I intend to remain so."Today, this would be a clear message to look for another online date.In 19th-century Paris, Leon de Preval, a captain in the Sixth Horse, does not take the hint. The focus of his intrigue is a mysterious young widow in a mask, who is enjoying the freedom that the death of her controlling husband has allowed her.The woman’s identity remains a secret, but they meet a few weeks later at another masquerade ball. When Preval asks for a third meeting, she agrees – but with a set of challenging conditions.’Love in a Mask’ is a romantic story with a sharp edge of commentary about women’s role in society and their treatment by their husbands.If you like this, try Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Sense and Sensibility’ or ‘Madame Bovary’ by Gustave Flaubert.-