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audiobookmel's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.
Michaela Chui ia a masquerada. They are a type of supernatural who take on different “masks”. They can become completely different people, with different looks, ethnicities and even genders. The more powerful the masquerada, the more masks they can have. With Michaela, we really only see two. The one she is currently wearing as Michaela and another as a Russian man named Yuri, who is a bit of a protector of hers. She does lose control and becomes him once in this story.
Cormac Redoak is a fey. He’s been exiled by the Queen of Fairy. He is tied to his forest in the Queendom. As his forest dies, because he’s unable to tend it, he’s also dying. He must get back on the queen’s good side or he and his sister will not survive. Cormac also has a secret. He’s much more powerful than the queen knows. If she finds out about his special powers, she will kill him as the queen did with his mentor.
Michaela is head of security for a secret council of supernaturals. When a human is killed in her office, she is tasked for finding the killer. Cormac is assigned as “watcher”. His job isn’t to be part of the investigation, but to ensure that the investigation is handled properly. There are some who believe Michaela could be the killer. What is is more likely is, she is the target. From the back, Hiro and Michaela look very similar.
As MIchaela and Cormac are investigating this murder, things get pretty intense. There is a lot of action and plenty of desire. Michaela and Cormac each have their own plans and neither consider mating as part of those plans, but things can change when life throws things at you.
There are several different supernatural species in this book, but masquerada is the main focus. In this one, we learn more about the fey and Fairy. We also learn a bit more about vampires. I think you can read this book without having read the previous book, though I really enjoyed that one too. I’m really excited to see where this series goes from here.
**Book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway.
Michaela Chui ia a masquerada. They are a type of supernatural who take on different “masks”. They can become completely different people, with different looks, ethnicities and even genders. The more powerful the masquerada, the more masks they can have. With Michaela, we really only see two. The one she is currently wearing as Michaela and another as a Russian man named Yuri, who is a bit of a protector of hers. She does lose control and becomes him once in this story.
Cormac Redoak is a fey. He’s been exiled by the Queen of Fairy. He is tied to his forest in the Queendom. As his forest dies, because he’s unable to tend it, he’s also dying. He must get back on the queen’s good side or he and his sister will not survive. Cormac also has a secret. He’s much more powerful than the queen knows. If she finds out about his special powers, she will kill him as the queen did with his mentor.
Michaela is head of security for a secret council of supernaturals. When a human is killed in her office, she is tasked for finding the killer. Cormac is assigned as “watcher”. His job isn’t to be part of the investigation, but to ensure that the investigation is handled properly. There are some who believe Michaela could be the killer. What is is more likely is, she is the target. From the back, Hiro and Michaela look very similar.
As MIchaela and Cormac are investigating this murder, things get pretty intense. There is a lot of action and plenty of desire. Michaela and Cormac each have their own plans and neither consider mating as part of those plans, but things can change when life throws things at you.
There are several different supernatural species in this book, but masquerada is the main focus. In this one, we learn more about the fey and Fairy. We also learn a bit more about vampires. I think you can read this book without having read the previous book, though I really enjoyed that one too. I’m really excited to see where this series goes from here.
**Book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway.
itskoo's review against another edition
4.0
Michaela is a masquerada, a shape shifter, and is a likeable lead. She is an intelligent individual capable of taking care of herself and has done so for many years. When a colleague is found murdered in her office, she is tasked with heading the investigation. Exiled fey Cormac is quick to not only question her ability to conduct an unbiased investigation but to also volunteer as watcher, someone assigned to be with her all times to oversee the investigation. This obviously doesn't sit well with Michaela, especially when Cormac starts feeling like she needs protecting. Their relationship as well as the investigation is the focus of this book.
Initially hesitant to start the book, I found I couldn't stop reading it after feeling obligated to get it off my TBR. Thank goodness for obligations! Masked Desire provides just enough background that it can work as a standalone despite it being the second novel in the series. Delacroix provides a balanced mix of romance and the paranormal that I didn't feel it was a romance novel disguising itself with nonessential paranormal elements. I've been tricked before and was also wary of this when beginning the book. I found Masked Desire to be an example of a paranormal romance done well.
Michaela stays true to character throughout the book with her changes as well as changes to her relationship with Cormac mostly organic to the overall story. A lot is packed into the book, and I could easily have seen this being a duology if Delacroix had chosen to flesh out certain plot points. I kind of wish it had been because I enjoyed their story. The story is well paced. Not all loose ends are tied up by the end of the story but its still satisying enough that readers will not be left hanging. Overall, I had a positive experience reading the book and will be reading more from Delacroix.
Initially hesitant to start the book, I found I couldn't stop reading it after feeling obligated to get it off my TBR. Thank goodness for obligations! Masked Desire provides just enough background that it can work as a standalone despite it being the second novel in the series. Delacroix provides a balanced mix of romance and the paranormal that I didn't feel it was a romance novel disguising itself with nonessential paranormal elements. I've been tricked before and was also wary of this when beginning the book. I found Masked Desire to be an example of a paranormal romance done well.
Michaela stays true to character throughout the book with her changes as well as changes to her relationship with Cormac mostly organic to the overall story. A lot is packed into the book, and I could easily have seen this being a duology if Delacroix had chosen to flesh out certain plot points. I kind of wish it had been because I enjoyed their story. The story is well paced. Not all loose ends are tied up by the end of the story but its still satisying enough that readers will not be left hanging. Overall, I had a positive experience reading the book and will be reading more from Delacroix.
eloiseinparis's review
3.0
I did not read the first book in this series, but that was fine. Everything about this world was clearly explained so I never felt lost. The world building was good, and a lot of thought was put into the intricacies of the cultures and species. Michaela is a ok heroine, but I never felt connected to her. Cormac is a ok hero, but I didn’t really care about him either. Nor did I care about anyone else, villains included. This is a book with a interesting premise and has a strong heroine with a complicated past, it should’ve been something I loved. Instead I found myself struggling to stay focused.For most of it I found myself bored. It’s not a bad book, but for me it was not good either. I will not be reading the next book in this series.
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