{Review} Masquerade (Games#3) by Nyrae Dawn

Posted by Donna
Release Date: June 24th, 2014
Finished Date: June 20th, 2014

Publishers: Headline Eternal
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 352

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

After his father is put in prison for murder leaving his mother suicidal, Maddox Cross is left in Brenton, Virginia, without his sister, Laney, and a future in football. At a loss with what to do with his life, the one thing he has found is tattooing, and when he meets a feisty young woman in the club where he works security, he has no idea that she might change his life forever.

Bee Malone has just moved to Brenton to open her first tattoo parlor, Masquerade. Despite her success, nothing is as it seems. After being kidnapped at a young age, Bee struggles to be the daughter her parents lost, and can’t let go of the ‘parents’ who raised her. When she meets Maddox, there’s an instant attraction that leaves Bee wanting to connect with him in more ways than one.

Once Maddox finds out about Masquerade, he wants nothing more than to join Bee. But letting him in means Bee must figure out who she is, and this is something she’s not ready for. Maddox and Bee are forced out of their comfort zones as they lean on each other more and more. 

Will their stubborn nature tear them apart? Or push them closer together?

The Review: Addictive, heart-breaking and highly emotional, Masquerade is a gut-wrenching story about two lost people coming together when they least expect it. 

Maddox Cross’s family was left broken after his father killed a little boy. His mother keeps trying to kill herself and his sister, Delaney is dating Adrian – the father of the little boy that was killed. Maddox will do anything he can do to protect Delaney, even if that means sacrificing his own happiness. It’s not until Maddox finds tattooing that he finally feels passionate about something, until tattoo artist Bee storms into his life.

Bee trying to escape from her past starts fresh in a new town and open up a tattoo shop. Determined to do it on her own, it’s one of the reasons she turns down Maddox when he comes looking for work. But Delaney makes Bee see something in Maddox that Bee can see in herself. Can Maddox and Bee work together while trying to fight their attraction for one another? But more importantly, will they get the happy ending they both didn’t know they wanted?

I completely adore the Charade series and when I found out Nyrae Dawn was writing Maddox’s story, I have to admit I was little hesitate. I was worried his story would be similar to Delaney’s who we saw in Façade mainly because they are brother and sister. However, I’m so glad I was completely wrong and once I started reading Masquerade, I simply couldn’t put it down. 

Masquerade is a heart-wrenching read. I found both Bee and Maddox’s story at time quite devastating. They are both similar as characters that neither of them wants to let anyone into their lives. They are content living the way they do, even though they are clearly not happy. They just go from day by day, not really living life but slugging through. It’s when they finally meet each other it’s like they can both recognize that they are the same, even though they are dealing with different hardships, they can connect to each other . I loved that about the story, I loved that it was the two of them against world, and I really enjoyed reading their story coming together. 

Overall, I’ve really enjoyed this series and Masquerade was just as good as the other books and I can’t wait to see to what Nyrae Dawn comes up with next! 

Thank you to Headline Eternal for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

A Review for Façade (Games #2) by Nyrae Dawn

Posted by Donna
Release Date: September 23rd, 2013
Finished Date: March 8th, 2014

Publishers: Headline Eternal
Genre: New Adult
Source: For Review

Format: Paperback
Pages: 320

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

No one knows who twenty-one year-old Adrian Westfall is behind his façade. After what he's done, he deserves to live alone with his pain, even if he'd do anything to forget. Anything for a moment of quiet without his past haunting him.

Eighteen year-old Delaney Cross wants nothing more than to absolve her family from her father's sins. To keep her suicidal mom off that ledge, and help her brother Maddox get the light back in his eyes. She thinks their road to freedom is through Adrian.

Adrian and Delaney are bound together by tragedy... Only Adrian doesn't know it. As their lives intertwine, they find a solace in each other they never knew existed. Laney knows she needs to tell him-to come out from behind her smoke screen, but to say the words could mean losing him.

Two people. Two disguises. True love. Will it be enough to save them when all secrets are bared?

The Review: Powerful, emotional, beautiful, ugly, raw and intense, Façade is a story that was impossible not to love. 

Delaney’s father makes a fatal mistake that leaves two families shattered. Told from both Delaney and Adrian’s points of view, we see the aftermath of the mistake made and how it affects both their families. Feeling like she needs to redeem her father’s actions, Delaney sets out to try and makes things right, and that means trying to make things better for Adrian Westfall; a guy that she can’t help be attracted too, even though she’s suffering just as much. 

Living a lie and always trying to run from his feelings, Adrian has put himself in a horrible routine that he can’t escape. It’s not until Delaney enters his life that he finally feels a connection to the world. Unbeknownst to Adrian, he and Delaney have a lot more in common then he realises. Can two people rocked by the same tragedy find love and heal together? 

At the start of 2013, I was introduced to Nyrae Dawn with her book Charade. Now it’s 2014 and Façade was everything I wanted it to be and gosh, I loved it. I think it was because it such a moving story that touches on a difficult subject – more so than Charade ever was – and because of this, it’s a more memorable story. 

Delaney and Adrian’s lives were far from easy, both struggling with their own demons and could never find the end of it. When they enter each other’s lives, it’s like they finally had some release, like they could finally breathe and see the end they both desperately needed. Their story was passionate, and even though the way they came together was possibly a little wrong, in the end, the outcome was beautiful. I really loved both Delaney and Adrian – flaws and all – their characters were so mesmerizing from start to finish of the book.  It was a pleasure to read their story.

One thing I love about standalone books that are a part of a series is that we get to catch up with previous characters, like Colt and Chey. It’s so good to see they are doing well and I really enjoyed how much involvement they had in Delaney’s and Adrian’s story too. It definitely got me excited to get Maddox; Delaney’s brother’s story. I can’t wait to crack open his head and find out his secrets! 

In all, Façade was a fantastic read! 

Favourite Quote: “You reminded me what it feels like to love. You made me fall in love and, f**k, I don't want to lose that. I don't want to lose you.” 

Thank you to Headline Eternal for the opportunity to review this book, in exchange for an honest review.