Masquerade: Nyrae Dawn
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A biker. A tattoo artist. A love to last a lifetime.
Maddox Cross has always had to be tough. When his father went to jail for murder, the teenager took care of his sister and mother. Now on his own and working security at a night club, Maddox wants to become a tattoo artist-a dream that comes closer to reality when he falls for the hottest, most tatted woman he's ever seen. She's wild and beautiful, and Maddox will do anything to be with her.
Bee Malone came to town to open up her new tattoo parlor, Masquerade. Since being kidnapped as a young girl, Bee has had trouble getting close to anyone. But when she meets Maddox, she sees that under his hard biker's body is the sensitive soul of an artist. What starts out as a sizzling one-night stand soon becomes so much more.
Bee wants Maddox to join her tattoo business, but letting him into her life means revealing all her most intimate secrets. And as the past begins to intertwine with her present, Bee fears their love may not be as permanent as their ink . . .
"Loss is loss. It's not a contest about who's been hurt more. We all have our own battles to fight."
We met Maddox in Facade. He is Laney's motorcycle riding, tatted, loner, older brother. His past has been traumatic and complicated. He is closest to his sister, but their family had serious issues that continue to haunt them. He has always had to take care of the women in his life, but he also has secrets, guilt, and regrets and feels that he has failed them.
Bee is lost, wary, and closed off. Her past has left her unsure of who she really is and who she is supposed to be. Her views on love are skewed and she hides behind protective walls.
One night these two collide and never thought they'd see each other again. But it just so happens that Bee owns the tattoo shop that Maddox is dying to apprentice at.
These two people are so similar that it is scary. They have the same ideas on keeping distance and not becoming attached. Neither likes to share or ask for help. Bot have secrets and have been shaped by their past. They don't want to let the other in and fight to resist. They try to be strong and not need others. They do not let anyone in to see their real feelings, pain, loss, or guilt. They are both broken and lost and in need of change.
I want to wrap her inside me where we can both pretend we're not f***ed up and lost.
People say that opposites attract, but in this case they are almost the same person in male and female form and they are drawn to each other to spite themselves. Their actions speak louder than words. Their game is a masquerade of hiding who they really are. They both need to break free from the past in order to open up and face the future. And they both need to learn to let themselves feel and share and be real.
It was a journey that required patience, healing, and pushing boundaries. This installment (like the rest of this series) had interesting, unique back stories. There was emotion, angst, drama, turmoil, resistance, humor, and pain. This book brought back the couples from Charade(Cheyenne and Colt) and Facade(Laney and Adrian) and allowed us to see their continuing stories. I would recommend atleast reading Facade first because you get more background into the complicated past of Laney, Adrian, and Maddox and the tragedy they are all still dealing with. They are all interweaved together through pain friendship, and love. There were secrets that needed to be exposed to bring closure to some areas. It was good to see them all trying to recover from their pasts and move on, but it is an ongoing process. This one tied all of the books together.
Life is f***ed up, it hurts, and it’s not always pretty, but damned if it can’t be beautiful too.
Thanks to Nyrae Dawn, Forever/Grand Central Publishing, and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. Quotes are from ARC and my change in final draft.
Other books in this series:
Charade (Book 1): Twenty-one-year-old Colt never wanted college and never expected to amount to anything, but when his mom's dying wish is for him to get his degree, he has no choice but to pretend it's what he wants too.
Cheyenne needs a fake boyfriend to get back at her ex and Colt needs cash to take care of his mom, so they strike a deal that helps them both. But what if Cheyenne’s past isn’t what she thought? Soon they’re trading one charade for another—losing themselves in each other to forget about their pain. The more they play their game, the more it becomes the only thing they have that feels real.
Both Cheyenne and Colt know life is never easy, but neither of them expect the tragedy that threatens to end their charade and rip them apart forever.
Can love save them?
After her father commits a crime that shatters her family, eighteen-year-old Delaney Cross is tired of pretending everything is all right. Packing up her car, she sets out to find the people her father hurt. Her search leads her to places she’s never been—and into the arms of Adrian Westfall.
To the outside world, Adrian is a sexy, charming ladies’ man. But his playboy persona is just an act. Secretly his soul is tortured by a memory too painful to share. Only Delaney seems to see through his façade to the real man underneath. And for the first time in his life, Adrian feels he can begin to open up about his past.
Together, Adrian and Delaney share a passionate love they never expected to find. Yet both still harbor their own secrets. When the dark truth is finally revealed, will it bring them closer together—or tear them apart forever?
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I am a compulsive reader and writer who loves YA fiction.
I love nothing more than writing about young adults. There is something so fresh and fun about it. You can pretty much always find me with a book in my hand or open document in front of me.
I live in Southern California with my husband and two children.
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