Masquerade: The irresistible new queer YA romance

by Calum McSwiggan

The Prom meets Groundhog Day in the irresistible new queer romance from the author of Straight Expectations.

Prom is supposed to be the night you remember your whole life. But for seventeen-year-old Zach, it's about to become his whole life - after a kiss from a masked stranger, Zach finds himself stuck in a time loop, endlessly repeating the same day.

Zach thinks that the only way to break the cycle is to work out the identity of his mystery admirer. But when everyone around him is wearing masks of one kind or another, how can he ever find out who his true love might be?

Inclusive, feelgood romantic comedy perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Casey McQuiston.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Gay, Queer, LGBT, M M Romance, High School

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2025

Reviews

[Rah · Rating 3 out of 5]

you know when you’re getting real invested in a mystery and it’s getting close to the end so you know the big reveal is about to happen, so you’re thinking, “wow, i’m sure there’s a bunch of details i’ve missed the whole way that will slot together and the twist will be really satisfying!”?

thats not what happened. the answer was so out of left field and, while the entirely of this book relied on a suspension of belief, there are only so many red herrings you can throw before a plot twist like this one feels… cheap. anyway.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was torn between 3 and 4 stars but i just read 150 pages in one sitting, which i rarely do so it has to be 4 stars.
it was rather hard to get into it cause the first chapter is 110 pages long and only about ONE DAY. but once the time loop started i was fully invested and while it was rather predictable, i was very pleased about them figuring out what the loop was really about.

[Morgan]

I'm not giving it a rating because I don't really have anything positive to say and I feel bad since there aren't many ratings.

I was excited when I saw the concept for this book but I wasn't a fan of the execution.
It was a little too much of everything and a little too much of nothing. I just didn't care. The time loop was poorly used, the kissed by a stranger trope felt almost like false advertisement considering how little it mattered. The bad guys were too bad, the good guys were too good no nuance on either side. Trying to twist around so much at the beginning about who could be the love interest but soon enough there's only one way it can go.
The first chapter was also way too long. I'm pretty sure it could have been cut in half and instead expend on the time loop part. The exposition of the book wouldn't be missing anything.

[Mathias Lyngs · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really sweet and romantic queer YA feel good story. It’s not groundbreaking or a literary masterpiece, but I was engaged, entertained and charmed. The author combines a Groundhog Day-style narrative with a classic high school romance, sprinkled with a bit of mystery. I wish the romantic plot had remained a mystery all the way to the end, because by the halfway point it was pretty obvious who Zack would end up with. When the cover illustration, the description and the beginning of the story all set it up as a mystery about the anonymous, masked person who kissed him at midnight, I expect a plot that will leave my jaw on the floor in surprise at the end. So I’m a bit disappointed that there wasn’t a big plot twist in the end, but I’m happy with the romantic outcome, and I had a great time reading it and got that warm feeling a good feel-good story should deliver. But I end on 3 stars because of my disappointment with the missed potential and because is was maybe a little too much over the top and a little to unrealistic in the great love finale to my taste. Maybe they should have made a different cover and description, that doesn't give the expectations of a mystery and thereby a huge plot twist. But on thing I really love about this book is how it cheers for being kind, understanding and supportive for the people around you. And I liked the way the characters evolved. If you are looking for a sweet gay summer romance, this is definitely worth reading. Just don't expect a big mystery.

[Suzan de Bruijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! At first, it was a lot, since chapters are really long, and a lot happens. Then, the plot keeps twisting and turning…
A lovely story about friendship, love, claiming your voice and respect.

[Fabie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute read

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable Timeloop romance to pass the time. It's nothing too deep, you can have it figured out fast, but I had fun either way!
The writing was solid and the characters were fun.

Prom night, baby!

[Emma-Rose Wilson]

4.6 this book was adorable hehehe

[Alexander Yaroslav Berg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book way back when i was admitted to a psych ward and it honestly left me dissappointed. When i first saw the the summary on the back i thought id be getting a mystery novel about how the main character has to chase down the mysterious guy that kissed him and might have caused this time loop that hes currently stuck in but what i then read did not correspond with what it was advertised as. The time loop is as basic as it gets, we dont get to know ANYTHING about why the "mysterious guy" kissed the mc and how the timeloop even happened and IF that kiss had something to do with any of it. It didnt matter at all and it felt like the author threw out the original plot out the window and continued writing with a completely new one. Its like there wasnt too much thought put behind the book and felt more like something youd read on ao3 rather than a book. I myself am a queer person and its really hard to find books about queer teenagers that i could like already so it was really disappointing to read this and get something so much more different than you were expecting. I have no words and i genuinely couldnt recommend this book, but i also cant hold you back from reading and or liking it.

[Libra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I loved this premise and all the side characters were so fun to watch interact. I will say, while I liked Zach, he was also a little bland as the main character, I feel like I barely know anything about him (and I also didn't understand why everyone has or had a crush on him, like come on). I did really love Kellen, even though he was a bit hard to like at the beginning.

I also think they went from trying to solve the loop to crashing out a little too fast? I would have really loved to see some more fun/unhinged iterations of the loop involving the actual prom.

Despite all my small issues, this was still a super fun read and I flew through this book!

[Leon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, well. I can say for sure that i got the romance i wanted and more. I love corny, and all loose ends tied stories. Loved seeing Tiffany get what she deserved. The trans rep, the humour, the annoyance of top bottom labels (!!!!!!) was all perfect. All i could ask really was maybe a bit more expansion on Kellen's s/an and troubles with Rhys, but for being lighthearted it made sense not to dwell on that. I do like that the kiss at the start wasn't the actual love interest. That was a good twist.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

It's the day of prom at Zach's boarding school. He wants to make a move on Cameron. And there's Ethan, and Josh, and Owen, and Tiffany, and Bec, and Chase, and Rhys, and Kellen, all with their own hopes for the day. It ends badly - and then... starts again?

Yes, it's Groundhog Day, with a couple of cute twists. Decently plotted and written. But a full third of the book is day 1: 110 pages for the first act. All in one chapter. So much setup, and it becomes a slog.

[Drakoulis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, joyful, hilarious!

Easily Calum's best book so far, a queer spin on Groundhog Day with a lot of drama, a lot of heart, love, friendship, villains getting what's coming for them, a nerdy main character, oblivious boys, a teacher who is fed up with everything and a glorious finale!

I don't know why there's so little promotion for Masquerade, it has nothing to be jealous of the best YA LGBT books out there!

[Apple · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was quite the mediocre book in my opinion,
It felt more like a wattpad story than an actual thought out novel especially with the many modern pop references that already feel outdated even if the book was released less than a year ago.
It also felt like there was no real thought put into it with the many plot events or "twists" making little to no sense unfortunately.
All in all it just read like a childish fantasy written out like a fanfic.

[Logs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly decent execution of its premise, but I’m personally not particularly fond of it. I didn’t particularly like the characters, they fell a bit flat and there was arguably too many.

It was definitely a very queer book and a celebration of that, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this might be good for you.

However there are a lot of sexual references for a YA book, apt for teenagers but not everyone’s thing.

[Katrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

REALLY loved this story that's inspired by Groundhog Day.
Zach's journey of finding out what his purpose in all this chaos is and also finding out more about himself and the people around him was such a fun read. I absolutely LOVED the banter.
♥

[Marije Vellinga · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1 dag uitgelezen, dat zegt genoeg denk ik. Echt een mega leuk en luchtig boek met zelfs de nodige shock factors hier en daar (had ik niet verwacht). De main "plot" is wel super voorspelbaar, maar dat mag de pret niet drukken.

[Zoe Carney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up on sci-fi, I love a well executed time loop, and this was close to perfect. Some weird moments - why does a lake in the UK have fireflies? - but overall, an adorable, entertaining read.

[Nienke Faber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heerlijk boek. Uiteindelijk wel een beetje voorspelbaar maar vond het heerlijk om te lezen. Het einde is echt prachtig en de scenario's tussendoor waren echt geweldig. Het is kort om een heerlijk read die zo weg leest.

[mateo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it so much. The writing style was great and the characters were so lovable. Such a feelgood story with tons of friends to lovers inside their friendgroup. The ending was perfect.

[Lily Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

really cute! I was excited to find out what would happen and read it all in one sitting 😅

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute and original. I liked the characters and the few "plot twist". Good for them really.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t say I loved it, but I do not regret reading it either. Fun read, but the whole plot kinda lacked in surprises.

[Alizé · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great time loop story. I just wish it was a bit longer because what we had was so fun

[Francesco · Rating 4 out of 5]

lowkey didnt like the ending couple but okay

[Moo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

Read this to cheer me up after a really sad book. It definitely served it's purpose.
Felt like a fever dream.
Left wondering if this is an accurate view of the cis teenage boy mind.

[Lauren Everitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute YA novel...starting to think that if Calum writes it, I'll read it. Love that the writing style is just so easy and engaging

[Hoppellinchen77 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ‘m usually not a fan of time loops, but I had to read it because, I really wanted to know who it was that kissed Zach. But RHYS?! Noo 😭

And Kellen was right to break up with Rhys. Also, YES Tiffany get fcking exposed Bitch. Chase and Zach’s other best friend (I forgot her name) are soo funny sometimes

:,)

And the PE teacher, I cannot get into how funny she is enough, because what do you mean prom sets fire every year 🥲

[George Karanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is beautiful story and fun twists when they are in stuck time loop. I love the trans people representing on the book because it is rare. I am really enjoying it and sometimes it is so funny especially josh character 🤣. I am really impressed with the author.