Unmask Me if you Can by Shana Galen

 Unmask Me If You Can

by Shana Galen

★★★★★

 

The Survivors are a group of friends. They have survived

horrible experiences. And they can always depend on each other.

Lord Jasper has forced himself to live in the shadows. He feels like

the burns he survived are too much for most people to see. He has

a super power. To find things. To find people.

Olivia has been hiding away. To protect her son as well as herself.

Her son, Richard, is the product of a vicious rape. Withernsea

was engaged to Olivia. He decided to show Olivia some of what

she had to look forward to after their marriage. She became

pregnant. Her only choice was to run and hide.

 Jasper was tricked into finding her. He was injured just as he neared

her home. While he was out playing, Richard found him. Olivia

nursed him back to health. In the process, she taught Jasper that

his scars were not the real him. They came to know each other.

But now, the mystery slowly unravels. Jasper helps Olivia to

get her own life back. She struggles to trust him. Jasper struggles

to let her into his life. It's a true love story. But the only way

it has a happily ever after ending is if they both allow it.

The title says it all, Unmask Me If You Can.

I received an advance copy to read.

Review by Lisa Hutson





Susan's Review of Wicked Whiskey Love by Melissa Foster

Fall in love with Bones Whiskey in Wicked Whiskey Love, an emotionally riveting, sexy new standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster. A magnificent love story for those who enjoy fiercely loyal and insanely sexy alpha heroes, smart, sassy heroines, families, bikers, babies, and more!

In WICKED WHISKEY LOVE…

After escaping abusive parents and, later, an abusive relationship, Sarah Beckley has spent a lifetime watching snakes shed their skin. With two small children to care for and another on the way, she’s finally found a home in Peaceful Harbor with the brother she hasn’t seen in more than a decade. She’s still searching for her sister, but life is good. If only she could stop thinking about the sinfully sexy doctor/biker who has taken to her children like a loving uncle—and to her like a hungry man.

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Melissa Foster has the perfect descriptive voice to tackle difficult issues. Her characters embody the spirit and lives of ordinary people. In Wicked Whiskey Love, Ms. Foster takes on challenging subjects of verbal and physical abuse, daily struggles of the homeless and the challenges of single motherhood. She presents these issues in an honest, compassionate, caring way.

Melissa Foster portrays Sarah Beckley as a survivor, not as a victim. This plot choice drew me into the story. I wanted Sarah to have it all- her family, career and the love of a good man. Sarah’s story unfolds bit by bit during the story. She didn’t have many choices or opportunities until she came to Peaceful Harbor. Through her conversations with Bones and the woman at the homeless shelter, it’s apparent that her children are her priority.

At first, I thought that Wayne “Bones” Whiskey was not the perfect choice for Sarah. I was wrong. Bones appears to be an introvert—he’s very different from his brothers. He is kind and compassionate and very romantic. His story and his choices are revealed during the novel. Loved the scenes when he met with his cancer patient, Wendy. Bones realizes that both Wendy and Sarah put their children first and then take the time to sort through their issues. Single moms have different priorities whether they are working to make ends meet or fighting aggressive cancer.

One of my favorite chapters is when Sarah accompanies Bones to the homeless shelter. She reaches out to Tracey and a few other women and shares her story. Sarah’s gift to these women was hope. By sharing her story she wanted her new friends to know that they could overcome their issues and fears and that not all relationships were abusive. Sarah’s story of hope and the capacity for forgiveness is a powerful message for all of us.

I loved how the Whiskey clan supported Sarah and her children and welcomed them into their family. Sarah’s children Bradley and Lila brought a lot of love and light into the story. The last few chapters of the novel are well-paced; several issues that have haunted Sarah and Bones are resolved. I loved the last few pages of the novel—it’s full of hope, joy and Whiskeys!

The characters and their journey stayed with me for days. Sarah’s story of hope and forgiveness is the perfect message for all of us! Thank you Melissa Foster for another amazing novel!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by the Author

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.

Susan's Review of Unmask Me If You Can by Shana Galen

This masked lord... Lord Jasper, younger son of a duke, suffered horrible burns fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. He wears a mask to hide his face from the stares and screams and finds comfort in the shadows. Jasper is an exceptional bounty hunter, so when a woman summons him to her deathbed and asks him to find her runaway daughter before she passes away, he doesn't refuse. Jasper is close to his quarry when he's knifed by an assailant. Imagine his surprise when he regains consciousness in the arms of the woman he seeks. Except she's not at all what he expected.

Is not the only one with scars. On a remote cliff on the sea, Olivia Carlisle calls her five-year-old son in from an approaching storm. But the little boy is more interested in the man he's found on the trail to their hidden cottage. Olivia fears men and wants nothing more than to leave the injured man where she found him. But his knife wound is severe, and with the approaching storm, she knows leaving him will condemn him to death. As Jasper begins to heal, Olivia acknowledges her attraction to him, even though such emotions terrify her almost as much as returning to London. Jasper must convince her that her only chance at safety is to challenge the man who pursues her. They must travel into the lion's den—he to face his vulnerability and she to face her worst fears.

Unmask Me If You Can is my favorite book in Shana Galen’s Survivor series. It’s an emotional story filled with fabulously written characters, great dialogue, romance and intrigue.

Jasper Grantham was a member of Draven’s dozen, an elite group of men who fought in the Peninsular War. Draven’s troop was given the most dangerous assignments. Jasper was badly burned when he ran back into a burning building to save a member of his troop. He wears a mask to cover the burns. Olivia Carlisle was betrothed to the powerful, violent Duke of Withernsea. Olivia disappeared from her home and society before they were married. Lord Carlisle has hired Jasper to find Olivia because her mother is dying.

Olivia’s son finds an injured Jasper on the path leading to their remote cottage. The couple forms a tenuous bond during a three- day rainstorm. They are attracted to each other but each has a lot of issues to overcome. Shana Galen made an excellent plot choice when she compared Jasper’s visible wounds versus Olivia’s emotional wounds throughout the novel. This decision drew me into the characters and their story and made for an excellent read.

The romance between Jasper and Olivia is fabulously written. Loved that Jasper understood that he could be loved for himself; a loyal, brave loving man. He realizes that his scars don’t define him. They are invisible to those who love him. Olivia learns to trust Jasper and is able to overcome her own fears. Loved the honest dialogue between the couple. Olivia is a survivor but, she falls back into the complacent daughter role when she returns home until Withersea shows his true colors. The last few chapters are suspenseful and kept me guessing. Loved the intrigue threaded throughout the novel and the unmasking of the villains in the story.

Unmask Me If You Can has all the feels—great characters, sizzling romance and suspenseful plot.

And the teaser about Draven was perfectly executed—I can’t wait for the next book in Shana Galen’s Survivor Series!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by the author

Shana Galen is three-time Rita award nominee and the bestselling author of fast-paced, witty, and adventurous Regency romances. Kirkus says of her books, "The road to happily-ever-after is intense, conflicted, suspenseful and fun," and RT Bookreviews calls her books “lighthearted yet poignant, humorous yet touching." She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city. Now she writes full time. She's happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making.

Want to know more? Visit Shana's website and sign up to be notified when Shana has a new release .