Eve Manor is a pastry chef with a passion for chocolate and romance. During the annual masked Black & Lace ball, Eve has a plan. She created a signature chocolate dish that was sure to knock the socks off every famous chef and food critic attending the ball. Everything hinges on the night’s success.
Christian Grier is a man with a secret. In the foodie world, he’s known as the Editor-in-Chief of the famous magazine, Sizzle. When his old college roommate, Josh, asks him to attend the ball his company is catering, Christian intended to turn him down. But when Josh reveals Eve’s secret plan, he knew he needed to do everything he could to help. Will hiding behind his mask help in his quest to seduce Eve or will she decide he’s not what she wants after all?
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This is a fast-paced story full of sexual tension set amongst the sinfully sweet world of a dessert and Masquerade Ball. And if that wasn't enough decadence for you, two people who have been having an emotional tug of war finally decide to give into temptation and that's when the real sparks fly.
This is the second book in the Masquerade series and it stands nicely on its own with the only connection to Book One being a shared character. So there's no problem jumping right into this book, and jumping in is exactly what you'll want to do once Eve and Christian come together. They've felt a sexual attraction to one another since they first laid eyes on one another at BDSM club Ganache. But Eve wants fame as a pastry chef while Christian wants to keep both his club and culinary magazine going strong. They've hid behind masks for so long that they finally decide to give their feelings a chance and that's when things get scorching. I found their sexual interlude very satisfying and wished things hadn't been cut short. They're a likable couple and I felt equally as frustrated by their interlude being interrupted.
They're not the only likable characters in The Mask though. Eve's boss Josh is flamboyantly flirtatious and I'd love to see him find his match. He's outspoken and larger than life and great for tension relief. So too is Eve's grandfather, Harold. He tells it like it is while being the rock Eve needs to go for her dreams. He's lovably gruff and I'd also love to see him find someone to love since he seems lonely without his one and only love.
While the characters drew me in wholeheartedly, there were a lot of frustrating storylines left unresolved. One or two intriguing events happen with no resolution and I felt a bit cheated. I can only hope that Ms. Winter is working on a third book in the Masquerade series to tie up these loose ends. The storylines started in this book are a tempting morsel and any plans Ms. Winter has for these characters in the future has me totally on board.
My rating for this is a B-
*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
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