Behind the Mask

by Juliet M. Sampson

A young girl dreams of finding her Prince Charming and falls head over heels in love, only to discover early on that she has been completely deceived. Caught in a web of deceit; in a resentful, angry, emotionally and physically abusive relationship, she tears away the mask behind which hides a love without compassion. Only a few years earlier she had graduated from university and was blissfully happy and enjoying life. Love she thought would just add to her blessings. Now she finds herself stranded on an island in Thailand with no passport or return ticket to Australia and fearing for her safety and life. If only he would change back to the Prince Charming she had first met. Still dreaming about a love without hurt, she suddenly finds herself sinking in deep waters, struggling to keep afloat her self-esteem. Not knowing how to escape, she is determined to control resentment and focus on shaming the behavior that let her down.

Genres: Contemporary, Memoir

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Juliet M. Sampson is an international award-winning author. Dance Demons, her third novel won 2016 Book of the Year in the Reader’s Choice Awards in the AusRomToday competition. She was also one of ten finalists for 2016 Author of the Year in the same competition. Her other three novels are Behind the Mask, Bon Voyage! and Outback Wonder.

Her debut picture book Grace's Mystery Seed was a Finalist in the 2019 International Book Awards. It also was shortlisted for the 2019 Speech Pathology Award.

Cato's Can Can Juliet's second picture book was released in 2021.

Her next book Folow the Rainbow will be released in 2023.

After several successful years as a primary teacher, Juliet decided to made a commitment to full time writing and became a novelist as she wanted her stories to reach a wider audience. As well as writing books, Juliet has written various articles for magazines and online blogs.

She loves to inspire others and her quote ‘spread sunshine and inspiration,’ has reached a global audience.

Juliet lives in Melbourne near the bay where she is surrounded by family and friends. Her other passions are sunflowers, travelling, dancing and sketching.

To find out more please visit her website www.julietmsampson.com.au

Reviews

[Karen Tyrrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest true-life crime story of love gone wrong, emotional and physical abuse ... and betrayal.
A young girl's dream of true love shatters. Why didn't she see the warning signs?
Learn what lies behind the Mask of the victim and the perp.
And discover how the victim finally empowers herself.

[Crystal Oros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Even though most of the book reminded me of the first cruel intentions film, it had me on the edge of my seat waiting to read how everything unfolded for each of the characters that I had become quite attached to.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behind the Mask tells the story of a young girl, Juliet, and how she meets Jamie, who she believes is the love of her life, but he is not what he pretends, and she ends in an abusive relationship.

I didn't expect the book to be as good as it was, I thought Juliet was going to be a naïve and silly girl, but I was completely wrong! Juliet was smart, she knew what she wanted, was independent and I could totally see myself in her; so, what happened? She fell in love.

Jamie, at the start of their relationship is the perfect, dedicated boyfriend, so charming he even deceived Juliet's parents. He starts taking control over Juliet's world she doesn't even notice until is almost too late.

Juliet did an amazing job telling this story. While reading this book I couldn't help but wonder what I'd have done under the same circumstances, and even if I didn't know if I would not have made the same choices, I understood the reasoning behind them. I think everyone could learn a thing or two from reading this book.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lovely author had posted a signed copy to me and I managed to read this in just over a day!! It was one book I could not put down and it's one of my favourites.. I recommend this read to all women!! This is a story of an intelligent and ambitious woman who is from a good home and just started her career. She fell in love with who she believed to be her Prince Charming as all young people do only to find him to be a manipulative, deceiving and abusive man behind the mask. The story takes you through this brave woman's journey and survival of an abusive relationship and sends a clear message to all readers that it is never too late to find happiness..heads up.. you WILL gape at the end!! ..5 stars!! ..Juliet, once again thankyou so much for sending me a free copy!! It will be cherished forever!!

[Megan Higginson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juliet has shared her heart as well as her painful experience of being in abusive relationship, lifting the lid on this often shameful and hidden topic. Written in a simple to read, diary like way, Juliet takes us into the often misunderstood world of abusive love. I recommend this for anyone who is going through, has gone, or even thinks that they may be in, that sort of relationship. It is a quick read also.

[Drew Constance · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars [ A wonderful book, a touchy topic - Please pick it up]

http://bittenbybooklust.blogspot.com....

[Joke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to.say that this book was very easy written. The vocabulary was easy and the story was easy. This book only teachs you one lesson. But it teachs good.
It was my second book.about abuse and this could have been more cruel and touching if It was writtin with more details. but however, I enjoyed reading this.

[jyweniverel]

You Go Girl!

[Read3r’z Re-Vu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turning 5 star read

I met the lovely Juliet M. Sampson via social media and she posted an advanced copy of this book to me. I managed to read this in just over a day!! It was one book I could not put down and it is now one of my favourites.. I recommend this read to all women!!

This is a story of an intelligent and ambitious woman who is from a good home and just started her career. She fell in love with who she believed to be her Prince Charming as all young people do only to find him to be a manipulative, deceiving and abusive man behind the mask… The story takes you through this brave woman’s journey and survival of an abusive relationship and sends a clear message to all readers that it is not OK to stay in an abusive relationship and never too late to make the decision to leave and find happiness..

Heads up.. you WILL gape at the end!! Such a page turner with an unpredictable twist.. I give this 5 stars!!

Juliet, once again thankyou so much for sending me a free copy!! It will be cherished forever!!

- Annie

[Coleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: A copy of this book was sent to me by the author for review. I was not paid to review her book nor did I pay for anything.

First off, I just want to say thank you to Ms. Juliet M. Sampson that she gave me this opportunity to send me her book and review it for her. And I am deeply sorry for the delay of this review.

I hope you guys enjoy the review!

This book is a real story. Some names must have been changed but all the things written in the book were real.

If you've read the back part of the book, you may have read something about a princess looking for her "prince charming" and getting stuck in Thailand. In my point of view, I thought the back part of the book was a metaphor. It wasn't really about a princess and prince. It was about a girl who found her prince charming, or her "dream guy" and fell head over heals for him. After 3 years, they got married. She then noticed that Jamie, the "prince" was changing. As time went by, he became very abusive towards the girl (Or, Juliet) and thought she needed help. Now, I don't want to spoil anything, so if you want to know more about the book, You should read it!

What I thought of the book:

This was the first time I've read a book with a real story. I gave this book a 3.5/5 but Goodreads didn't have a 3.5 so I just clicked the 3 stars. Anyway, Why did I give it 3.5/5? I thought this book was very inspiring. It had really great quotes that I enjoyed reading and I'm pretty sure when you read the book, you can relate a little. Especially when you have family problems. The only thing I thought was wrong about the book was it had so much things going on in 1 page. I thought the story was going TOO fast and I think she should've been more detailed about the things happening. Especially the scene when they were in Thailand. I thought that part was too fast because The blurb at the back said it was about a girl stuck in Thailand. But the book wasn't even about that at all. It was more about the physical things going on in her life. I just wish the book had more pages.
But needless to say, I think this book was enjoyable and inspirational to other people especially to me. I hope you pick this book up, because it is an amazing book!

[Sarah McGrath · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rate this book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. I have read Juliet's 2nd book Bon Voyage 1st and gave it 4 stars. This is because i enjoyed the plot more than the one in the first book and because I've never traveled before so i was excited reading about other's experiences.

First off i just want to say that i won't do a summary in my review like what other's had as everyone can clearly find out for themselves what the book is about in the blurb. Second of all that Jamie dude is a douche and numerous times throughout reading this book i just wanted to punch him in the face!!

Anyway, i just wanted to congratulate and thank the author for her courage in sharing her story to create awareness of domestic abuse. I acknowledge how difficult it would have been for Juliet to open up old wounds and allow these awful memories to resurface. Especially how there would be some people who would criticize her and her parents for their 'lack of judgement' or in better words 'benefit of the doubt' in this unique situation.

I say 'unique situation' because as some other readers have pointed out in their reviews, it is rare for abused parents not to intervene by encouraging the abused to end the relationship when they first become aware of the domestic violence. My interpretation of this (and i do hope the author doesn't take offence as it's just my perspective) is that the parents overstepped the boundaries of Miss Sampson's relationship with the abuser by becoming too involved in their relationship.It's like the relationship included 4 people instead of 2. As mentioned in the book, Juliet is an only child and so her parents viewed the abuser as their son, causing them to become emotionally attached to him too soon. Therefore i believe the author's parents were just as much a victim as the abused.

Just like the 2nd book i feel the dialogue could be improved and that events didn't have a 'flow' to it as it jumped from one setting to another. However, i did enjoy some of the descriptive language, plot and the blurb on the back was very well written. Of course this is just the start of the author's career in writing and i'm confident with time and experience, Juliet's writing will improve greatly - all the best! :) xo

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behind the Mask by Juliet M Sampson is a story and account of a young, innocent, naïve girl in love seeking her Prince Charming only to find his true personality is hidden Behind the Mask.

Your Prince Charming may not be the man you really see or believe him to be. Hidden behind the mask could be a totally different person.

The book is served as a warning to look out for the signs of abusive love whether it be verbal or physical as you may fall prey to an obstructive, selfish, abusive person unless you take notice of the early warning signs and act quickly to get out of the situation.

It's Juliet's account of being controlled by a person who is obsessed with his own power and not admiring her for the person she already is.

There is always some hope that the man she believed in the beginning to be her Prince Charming would improve but unfortunately Leopards Never Change Their Spots.

So, just beware of the signs of abusive love until you find the man who truly loves you for just 'being you' as you don't want to get caught up in a situation which may harm you.

Juliet M Sampson was very brave to write this book and can now continue to enjoy life to it's fullest now she is taking control of her own life.

[Clive Dickinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book sometime ago. However, I am familiar with the story and believe it is a book that every teenage girl should read before she contemplates marriage. It is salient lesson in 'All that glitters is not gold'.

It tells how a young girl fell in love with a dashing young man who she thought would be her 'White Knight'. Unfortunately he turned into a monster who was intent on controlling her and moulding her to his own design. The girl was very naive and, although she saw signs of the future before her marraige, she refused to acknowledge those signs, still clinging to the hope that all would become rosy after their union.

It ended very sadly and disrupted not only her life but the lives of her family and friends. It took a long time for her to extricate herself and even longer for her to recover from the experience. Fortunately the violent undertones referred to in the story did not result (as they could have) in permanent physical harm.

As a first attempt at putting her feelings, thoughts and story on paper, Juliet Sampson has made a very creditable effort and shows promise as a writer. This is the silver lining to the dark clud.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juliet takes you on a walk through her life and her relationship with open and honest dialogue, detailing how easy it is to make a simple mistake that can throw you life into total turmoil.

This book is very easy to read and engages the reader as you follow along the path that leads Juliet to discover that abuse comes in many forms and can insideously seep into your life like a slow leak.

A book I would recommend to anyone who has experienced or knows someone who is in a relationship that "does not seem quite right". The warning signs are they if only you are open to reading them.

A courageous book by an up and coming new author. Congratulations Juliet

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first reaction after finishing this book was awe. The amount of courage, determination and brutal honesty contained within the pages of this book are mind-blowing.
Many people who have suffered abuse in their marriage or abuse in general would be able to relate this book... and maybe it might encourage them to speak out.

You've done a beautiful thing Juliet M. Sampson. Thank you so much for writing this book!!

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different to my normal genre of books but can empathise with Juliet as I have been there in totally different circumstances. I didn't realise when I first started reading it was about the author & admire her strength in being able to write her story to hopefully help others in a similar situation. It takes strength to leave such a relationship & I admire Juliet for having that strength.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behind the Mask was an easy read for me, I'm used to reading Dutch books and sometimes English books, but there were no difficulties.
The story itself was very beautiful but also sad. I'm glad the story ended that way and I think this is one of the best books I read about abuse!

-I want to thank Juliet M. Sampson for the ARC!

[Mingshuangding Santoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a book that easy to read, but difficult to ignore.
It is not a big book, but brings a strong message.
It is a book, which shows courage of a woman in love with a monster.
Love is blind… when you are in love you might not see what is happening… but others might…
Please take your time read the book and help women experienced domestic violence.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Adam Courtenay · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in understanding not just the anatomy of abuse but the history and genesis of it, this book comes highly recommended. Sampson understands that abuse doesn’t just happen, but has its origins in dysfunctional families, distorted parental-child relationships, which continue to poison above and beyond. In other words, the abuse is almost genetic in nature. And if course, she details with great clarity what the abusee had to go through, none of it, naturally, her fault. A simply told tale of domestic horror, but not simple at all in its quest to understand why it happens.

[Samantha Rooney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel immediately immerses you with the authors life in her early 20’s and the progression of the relationship with her abusive partner. I did find it a bit of a hard slog, but I am glad to see Juliet survived the experience. Made me think of it a more personal, 20 something version of a John Green novel.

[Aryani Siti · Rating 5 out of 5]

True love is not about perfection or fairy-tale ideals but about mutual respect, compassion, and emotional safety. Never let the illusion of love blind you to toxic behaviours, and you always value your self-worth enough to walk away from harmful relationships.

[Jen Kolevich · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it easy to read and read it within an hour or so, I wanted to find out how the story ended really. I think it would be a good book for people who don't read that often or aren't book readers as it is quite simple in its grammer. I found it to be a little too simple for my liking. Although it could be likened to a conversation that 2 people have over coffee, thus the jumping around from place to place, and the grammer not being of too high a standard. A very heartfelt subject being abuse, and not a nice thing for anyone to go through. I think though once Juliet falls for Jamie, she does become a bit of a doormat, which explains how easy it was for her to be controlled.
Anyway, was a happy ending that she was able to get out of this strange relationship and hopefully find happiness.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story that everyone should read. Love and betrayal are so common in life.

Are people brave enough to write about this?

Set in Sydney in contemporary times, Behind the Mask is about searching and finding Prince Charming. A lot of girls do this. But does every man turn out to be Prince Charming or do they hide behind a mask.

Some stories that dig into these issues are simply the best.

Written in a straight forward manner and to the point, Behind the Mask is a book for all to read and to learn from.