Title: (Un)Masked
Author: Anyta Sunday & Andrew Q. Gordon
Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy
Length: Novel (206pgs)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (17th August 2012)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Jay Walker has two wishes: to perform the play of his dreams alongside his best friend at Wellington’s Tory Street Theatre, and to meet that special someone. Someone he’d go to the ends of the earth for. Someone who might only exist in fairy tales.
When Jay meets accordion busker Lethe Cross, it’s like living a dream come true. Lethe’s music captivates Jay, and he resolves to meet the man who plays so beautifully. But then he discovers Lethe’s life is more like a nightmare. The phrase “down on his luck” can’t begin to cover it. Determined to help, Jay does some snooping for answers—and winds up on the wrong end of a centuries-old curse. The good news is there’s a way to break it. The bad news is it might cost Jay his life.
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3151
Review: Jay and his best friend, Gristle, have one dream together, to perform at Wellington’s Tory Street Theatre. and Jay has another dream, to meet his soul-mate. Lethe, an accordion busker turns out to be that person, but there is more to Lethe than meets the eye and Jay does his best to support Lethe when he learns the truth. But, something in the shadows wants them to fail and will do anything to ensure it.
This is a story that will leave you with more questions than answers, but still oddly satisfied with the end result. Jay and Gristle have been best friends and brothers for twelve years, when Jay meets Lethe, he discovers that there are things out there that he never imagined, but it doesn’t stop his feelings for Lethe. Lethe has never had anyone want him just for being him before and the two begin to fall in love, but something tragic happens that could drive a wedge between them and Jay tries to break Lethe’s curse, but it could cost him his life.
I just want to say before we go any further that Gristle was my favorite character. He was full of life and made Jay live his life with a touch of excitement and anticipation. Even though he was the best friend and straight, he gave this book a lot of character throughout the first part of the book and I will never, ever forgive the authors for the shock they gave me in part two… never, because I carried that shock throughout the second half and I felt everything that Jay did. I could fully understand Jay’s need to do the play the way he did and his need longing and guilt was so well written.
We get to know the characters as best we can, but we aren’t given much background about them, which left me feeling a bit frustrated. How did Jay and Gristle become such good friends? What’s their back story? Why was Lethe’s bloodline cursed? These are things that the more I read, the more I wanted to know the answers to. The characters are brilliantly written with the emotions laid out bare for us to see. Jay’s sacrifice towards the end was breath-taking, the ultimate gift of love with just a touch of selfishness thrown in. Although there is romance and love between Jay and Lethe we don’t see any sex scenes, it’s all off page and surprisingly you don’t feel like you missed out.
I am going to recommend this to those who want something a bit different in their paranormal, as it is just hints and lingering feelings. Who want a soul touching story of two young men fighting to make a go of it when the curse goes against them, of a love between friends that brings tears to your eyes and a happy ending with a challenge still lingering in the future.