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 . . .
Oh my mutha effin stars!! I'm all friggin’ grease lightening over here! Masquerade is book 3 in The Games Series by Nyrae Dawn. Maddox was introduced to us in book 2, Facade and in my review for Façade I stated that I hoped he would get a story of his own because I was intrigued by him. Yippie ki yay brotherlovers--- here he is!!! On top of that, Nyrae gave me an awesome female character to gush over. I love me some Bee!!
In Maddox's story, the reader gets to feel his issues in depth from what was learned about him as a supporting character in Facade. Maddox is his ever broody, cocky, manly self, which makes him mysterious and delicious. He's shut off from the world and drowning in guilt. We see his inner self and his battles. The reader also sees his uplifted side. And my personal favorites- his sexy side, and his smirk, and his voice, and his- my even more favorite... His britches! But most of all, his heart. So, this proves that I do favor him of all the broken beaus in The Games Series. I just felt like I connected with him the most out of the male characters in all three books. I believe it was because of the responsibility and burden he carried.
Maddox has met his match, oh yeah! Bee is a feisty girl.
She's straight up raw and keeps it real with no holds barred. What you see is
what you get. Physically that is. Inside, she was destroyed in two halves. This
character had my full support and I wanted to jump in the story just to hold
her hand and let her know I was there. I
couldn't help but envision her as Pink.
The introduction between Maddox and Bee came on full force
and it was hot. And then, and dennnn... Well, we have two hard, hot heads who
are both brutally honest and both are shattered from traumatic memories. These
characters let their past control their present. And now, they live behind a
mask shutting everyone out so their true emotions can stay hidden.
I love the way they had no intention of wanting anything
more than sex and how they constantly tested their instincts and fight their
temptation. The reader gets to visualize how badly these two needed each other.
I ate, breathed, and slept the emotions of Maddox and Bee. I felt their pain,
their lust, their need, their triumph. Their tension was scrumptious... I swear
reading about it was like an aphrodisiac of words. They shared the physical
attraction and fought the emotional attachment. Each had their own inner demon
and they succumbed to it. No matter how hard they fought it, they brought out
the best in each other. Their connection was binding. When they knocked down
those barriers and came together, it was like a melody in my heart. Aaaahhhh...
But what a joy it was to see them fumbling over emotions and coming outside
boundaries and slaying those dreadful memories. Most of all, I admired their
growth of commitment. When you've been through what these characters have,
trust can be frightening. You have to learn it, earn it, understand it and
give it.
This novel made me realize that for Maddox and Bee, love
does wonderful things. Like for instance, it can make you stop surrendering to
your own drama. It can turn the negativity you live with into positivity. It
makes your heart open up. And now, you can breathe. You can smile. Bee and
Maddox have come a long way.Seriously though, I've really enjoyed this series. The author puts so much emotion behind the characters and their stories that the reader instantly has a connection and it makes it feel so personal. You feel their pain, the triumph, the tension, the craving, and the lust behind these people. And the one worded titles are very significant to their stories. All of the characters are linked and they all suffered painful events in their lives. To have seen them find happiness was an honor. Their emotions were raw, and struck you like a fist to stomach. It really takes a talented author for their words to strike their readers and for the reader to bond with the characters and the setting.
What's pretty awesome about Nyrae's new adult books is the romance is tastefully written. It's not explicit dirty, but sexy dirty. It leaves more to the imagination. More emotion and desire.
You can see my reviews for the first two books by clicking the titles.
Charade - book 1 of the Game series
Facade - book 2 of the Game series
Purchase Masquerade by Nyrae Dawn at Amazon or Barnes &Nobles
KIMBERLY