Are you Scared?

Masked Men

by Jaye Pratt

Getting snowed in wasn’t on my bingo card this Christmas—but neither was my ex-boyfriend announcing he’d be bringing the girl he cheated on me with to Christmas dinner. When my uncle offered me his apartment for the week, I planned to drown my sorrows in alcohol and seasonal music, wallowing in peace.

What I didn’t expect was for three men in Santa suits and glow masks to show up unannounced. Apparently, my best friend took it upon herself to sign me up for a fantasy-fulfillment website. I just hadn’t realized she actually booked an experience for me.

Over the next few snow-filled days, these mysterious men show me just how much better I deserve—how love, pleasure, and self-respect can go hand-in-hand. But when their masks come off, I learn they’re not who I thought they were.

Now, faced with a life-changing choice, I decide to take the leap. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? One thing’s for I’ll never look at tinsel the same way again.

Genres: Dark Romance, Christmas, Novella, Holiday, Why Choose, M M Romance, Smut

146 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 14, 2024

Reviews

[Kendra Renae · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️5 🌶️5


whew baby I love Santa daddy and his two elves🤭. Ate this right tf up!

[Анастасія ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Якщо чесно, то очікувала гіршого, але сподобалось 🤭

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may or may not be drooling slightly 🤤 Not one, not two but three masked Santa’s, I make no apologies when I say yes, please, Sir and with a side helping of MM too, sw👀n.

Our FMC, Lenny is staying at her Uncle’s mansion before Christmas to drink herself into oblivion due to her boyfriend slipping, you know what I mean!

What she doesn’t expect is three masked Santa’s breaking in, she believes they are a gift from her best friend. The story progresses and I am not prepared to give anything away as it is a fairly quick read. Let me say, the spice is spicing, the smut is smutting and I have quickly added Ford, Taylor and Zeph to my Christmas wish list 🤭🎅🏻🎄O! And there’s a little bonus at the end 😉

[little book library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, spicy, and completely addictive. This holiday novella delivered exactly what I was craving. It’s quick, it’s dirty, and I had so much fun reading it.

As the third book in the series, I really felt like this one leaned more into the humour, and I caught myself giggling more than I expected (which just made it even more enjoyable). There’s something about that chaotic, why choose dynamic mixed with a small town setting that just works, especially when it’s done at this pace.

The strangers to lovers tension hits fast, the spice doesn’t hold back, and before I knew it, I’d finished it in one sitting. It might be short, but it definitely leaves an impression.

These novellas are proving to be such an easy, entertaining escape, and I already know I’m going to fly through the rest of the series. Fast paced, fun, and unapologetically spicy exactly what I wanted.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ate this one up! I loved the banter and the spice - it was perfect!

My favorite character is Daddy (aka Ford). His relationship with Lenny was so sexy. And the cheekiness of this book omgggg I was laughing at the revenge that Lenny got multiple times!

I also listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Autumn Ivy and Chris Merlin. They definitely enhanced my reading experience. READ THIS BOOK, especially if you want a good laugh (and to be turned on)!

[Anna Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this.

If you like masked men, why choose then you should definitely check this one out. I could not put it down.

[booksandkelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for a quick spicy Christmas read with not one, not two but three masked men!? Give this a read! I’ve loved all of these A Masked Men novellas Jaye has written

[theappleisledreamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐
4 🌶️

First we wanted to get caught by Harlen, North and Eli. Then, we wanted to hide out in the open for Kennedy, Archer and Tai. Now, we definitely want Taylor, Zeph and Ford to scare us... and tie us up with tinsel and Christmas lights!!!!!

Jaye had done it again! She has created yet another spicy holiday novella that I could not put down, and built another cast of characters that I didn't want to say goodbye to. Cleverly, the story was similar enough to the other to stick to the theme, but so vastly different that there wasn't a single moment in the book that left me feeling like I had read this before!

The fact that Jaye was able to include the Wild Steps business and the character Tillie from Nowhere to Hide in this book and use it to make the storyline plausible was absolutely genius!

Favourite Line: (after tying Elena up with Christmas lights) Zeph: "Can we plug her in?"

This was again a fast paced, spicy, seasonal dark romance novella in a similar addictive style to the previous two! I highly recommend that everyone reads Elena's story with her 3 criminals!!! Swoon!


Tropes: Masked Men, One night stand to More, MMFM, Multiple POV, Age gap, Grumpy/sunshine, Stuck together (snowbound), mistaken identity, kidnapping to love, revenge on ex, you only live once, criminals on the run.

Triggers: alcohol, bodily fluids, bondage, cheating, confinement, graphic sex, hostage situation, incarceration (previous and only discussed, not depicted), nudity

[Ryn Emilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

HO HO HOLY HELL
Book Review: Are You Scared by Jaye Pratt
aka: “Reverse Harem Christmas Chaos Featuring Masked Men, Emotional Damage, and Questionable Home Security”

We know I love masked men. It’s a personality trait at this point. But make it reverse harem masked men at CHRISTMAS?? I’m in my ✨sleigh me, daddy✨ era and I never wanna leave.

We’ve got Lenny (Elena), our messy little Christmas gremlin. She’s drunk off her tits at her uncle’s house, blasting Mariah like it’s her personal war cry. She’s got trauma, sass, and absolutely no idea what she wants except maybe to scream into the void and get railed ( thank you Ana bestie for the idea).

Then BAM.
Masked men break into her house.
Except it’s less “murder-y” and more Santa hat-wearing, slide-down-the-mansion-slide, tie-you-up-with-Christmas-lights energy. It’s like Home Alone but make it ✨adult content✨ and emotionally healing through creative uses of tinsel.
( Ford, Taylor and Zeph love the nicknames she gives them!)

There’s no rope.
There is a slippery slide.
There’s so much snow, oh no.. we’re trapped.
All in 120 pages of Christmas chaos that will jingle your bells and emotionally validate your inner goblin.

Do they fix Lenny’s broken little heart with group therapy?
No.
They fix it with group activities—if you know what I mean. 😏

This is the kind of Christmas read that says:
🎁 “Unwrap me, tie me in fairy lights, and ruin me emotionally and physically.”
And I say: yes. YES. Yule love it.

🛷 Add it to your holiday TBR immediately or Santa’s gonna cry.

[Kacie Mummawh0reads.x · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4🌶️3💧0

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas… Queue Christmas smut!!!!

This spicy novella was a great way to start the countdown to #smutmas2024, with its fast pace, decent spice and sinfully delicious MMC’s with face masks and Santa hats, what more could you need!

#jayepratt #areyouscared #darkromance #steamybooks #bookrecs #steamyreads #audiobook #bookaholic #readingtime #bookshelf #instabooks #bookblogger #bookreview #booktok #reading #booklover #bookworm #booknerd #goodreads #aussiebookstagrammers #aussies #australianreaders #darkromance #reading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #instabook #booksofinstagram #booksarelife #spicybooklover

[xS!kDollReaderx · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Can we keep her?” Taylor says. “Your ex might not have seen your worth, but you are perfect, Lenny. Never forget that.”

As always, Jay Pratt provided us readers another spicy masked men novella. This time in Santa suits and glowing masks.

Elena is stuck alone in her Uncles house due to a severe snow storm. But she doesn't expect 3 men dressed in Santa suits and glowing masks to appear.
She thinks her friend hired these men to show Elena a good time after her ex bf cheated on her. But that is far from the truth.

🎁Masked men
🎁Why choose
🎁Forced Proximity
🎁Daddy kink
🎁Cheating (not by MMCs)

[Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ 4🌶️

Love a holiday themed spicy book. LOVE Jaye pratt’s books. OBSESSED! Very quick read

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Am I scared? Yes. Of all the bloody brain cells I lost reading this.

[Phobe Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three words…. I Loved It.

[Britny Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely started out slow , but it quickly picked up , the spice was spicing 🥵 by the end I was wishing for more ! On to the next !!!!

[Jessica Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very taboo very smutty very hallmark vibe farfetch book but I’m here for it

[K Tickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masked men holiday novella! I should have read this a few days ago... nevermind, it was still spectacular.
I really enjoyed the revenge aspect of this one. Brilliant!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story, lots of spice. No complaints 😂 you know what you sign up for from the beginning 😜

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! What a great spicy Christmas story to read! This is the second book I’ve read of Jaye’s and about to add the rest to my TBR!

[Brandy Wine · Rating 5 out of 5]

yes please

I am not a huge fan of Christmas but this novella really turned it around. A HEA all wrapped up in a Santa hat

[Mandy Hackett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of hot cocoa.

[Nicole Casaceli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun, short, masked man mmfm book.

[Caitlyn Gage · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you call your sex partner, significant other, your one night stand, WHOEVER, “Daddy” during sex or saying it sexaully.. please stay away from me.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

too short Too short

Omg this story was too short Miss Pratt. I need more of Lenny and the guys. This was so damn good. Lenny gets out of a relationship with her long time boyfriend (that cheated on her) and now she’s snowed in at her uncle’s house by herself, well until three masked men break into said house and oh boy what goes on from there is crazy good. This was too short of a story for me I need more. A lit of “ cough cough” interactions if you know what I mean lol

[TheCasualCrypt · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Are You Scared by Jaye Pratt was such an unexpectedly fun five-star read for me. It’s a novella (about 129 pages), and for its length it delivers a surprisingly satisfying mix of light dark romance, forced proximity, and snowy holiday spice.

The story follows the FMC as she’s snowed in with three masked men—though they’re not nearly as brutal or depraved as the setup might imply. This is definitely on the lighter side of dark romance, and it ends on a “happy for now” note that feels genuinely earned.

There’s a touch of why-choose (MFMM), a bit of miscommunication, and a nice forced-proximity setup thanks to the snowstorm. The FMC actually gets a small but noticeable character arc; when we meet her, she’s going through quite a bit emotionally, and by the end she feels stronger, more grounded, and more in touch with who wants to be versus what’s expected of her.

We do get some character background for all three MMCs, but especially for Ford—the oldest at 38—who brings an age-gap dynamic into the story. The FMC is 21, so the “daddy” element is definitely present. If that trope isn’t your thing, consider this your heads-up. For me, it normally bothers me, but here it worked since the other MMCs jokingly call him “Daddy,” and the FMC later adopts it into the spicy scenes.

There is an ex-boyfriend in the picture, and the sheer audacity of his behavior makes it very easy to root for the FMC to grow, thrive, and rediscover herself. She embraces parts of her personality and desires that her “normal life” never allowed her to explore, and that added an extra layer of enjoyment for me.

The darker elements are fairly mild—nothing too graphic, brutal, or taboo (beyond the daddy kink, which again is purely a roleplay thing; no actual taboo or familial relation involved). There’s an initial moment of dub-con spice thanks to the masked-men mishap, but it quickly shifts into fully consensual spice.

If you enjoy:
• Snowed-in romances
• Light dark romance
• Masked men
• Why-choose dynamics
• Holiday spice
• Forced proximity
• A bit of kink but nothing too heavy

…this is such a fun little novella to pick up.

I genuinely enjoyed the ride and would absolutely read more from Jaye Pratt.

[Valentina Gonzalez · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

Not loving the “daddy” 🫣

[Xanny Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎄🔪 5 ★ — Are You Scared? by Jaye Pratt

“All I wanted for Christmas was masked men in Santa suits.”
Apparently… so did this book. 😮‍💨

This was filthy, festive, unhinged perfection and I ate up every single second of it.

The setup alone had me hooked—snowstorm, isolated house, renovations giving chaotic Home Alone 2: Lost in New York energy, a heroine hiding from heartbreak… and then three criminals in Santa suits and glowing masks break in and she mistakes them for men hired to fulfill her fantasies???

I mean.

Come on.

That premise is INSANE in the best possible way.

And somehow it wasn’t just hot (though… good god was it hot 🥵), it was clever too. That whole fantasy-versus-reality twist worked so well. What starts as this wild mistaken identity holiday fantasy turns into something weirdly emotional and intimate.

And the spice?

Absolute depravity.
Respectfully.

The dirty talk?
Ruined me.

The masks?
Ruined me.

The Santa suits??
Ruined me.

Ford being Daddy af?
Bury me under the snow.

Ford owned me, I’m sorry. That possessive protective older energy? The praise? The dominance wrapped in tenderness? Delicious. Criminal, literally.

And I loved that even after the truth comes out—that these men weren’t hired fantasy performers at all, just actual criminals taking shelter from the storm—she’s basically like…

okay… and? continue.

Iconic behavior.

I adored that this wasn’t only smut (even though the smut DELIVERED). There was emotional depth tucked underneath all the chaos. A woman recovering from betrayal finding herself desired, worshipped, chosen? Yeah, I felt that.

And the group dynamic had so much more heart than I expected. It wasn’t just heat—it had softness, loyalty, comfort. Even little emotional moments between all of them made this feel fuller than a holiday novella had any right to be.

Also audiobook listeners… WE WON.

Listening to the masks, the dirty talk, Ford’s voice—
I was unwell.

This gave me everything I wanted: ✔ Masked men
✔ Why choose holiday chaos
✔ Criminal MMCs
✔ Snowed-in forced proximity
✔ Daddy kink
✔ Unhinged Christmas fantasy
✔ Emotion with the filth

And somehow it balanced playful, dark, filthy, and sweet all at once.

Honestly? This delivered on everything.

It was sexy.
It was absurd.
It was tender.
It was wickedly fun.

And yes…

I, too, would like a bunch of masked men for Christmas. 🎅🏻🔪

5 stars. No notes.
This was delicious.

[A. King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Jaye Pratt has me all giggly over another of the masked men Why Choose books. First of all, let me just say that I'm glad that I have gotten a little more of the mm pushed into my attention this way. A little forced proximity is something that sometimes we all need in order to open our senses up to things that we are missing out on and I'm noticing that I truly was missing out when it came to the genre. I always used to think that there was no way that I could be affected by it, so I would skip over the scenes and only read the story for the plot which was usually enough for me. With these stories being so clearly smut focused (and I am NOT complaining in saying so), I will say that it's been fun finding my way into the mm world of kinks because it has shown me that it's not all about who the Alpha male is, beat-my-chest-rawr sort of thing. There's connection. There's love. And affection. Shared traumas that lead to leaning on one another and even some traits that make it so hard to want to let go.

In this holiday pick, poor Elena has been put in the wrong place at the wrong time, snowed into her Uncle's home without any chance of escaping though it seems like it is precisely what she needs. Which actually leads me to say that strike that and reverse it, because she is absolutely in the RIGHT place at the RIGHT time and nothing can convince me differently.

In meeting the trio of masked men, she assumes (at first) that they are the men her best friend hired from this site that gives in to secret wants and kinks. And boy, do they ever go into just about anything she wants to experiment with. And while it takes a little bit for the truth to come out about who they really are and what they were doing, in the end, all things come full circle as they help her to realize that she was living a life she didn't want to before them. And now, finding herself is the best part in all of it. Who would have thought that "intruders" would turn her life around?

The only downside to the book was a VERY abrupt ending (and a high amount of corniness at times which sometimes works and other times does not but still, not much to complain about), which I'm hoping to hear a little more from these four through the rest of the series because I need to know how it works out!

[Theresse (Tess) Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

♡ “Yes boys, we’re going after our girl. We were kidding ourselves - there’s no way we can stay away.” ❄

What more could you ask for during the holidays than three masked men chasing you down and helping you forget that your terrible ex is bringing the woman he cheated on you with to your shared family Christmas dinner? This was such a fun, quick, and unapologetically spicy holiday read that never tried to be anything more than what it was, and that honestly worked in its favor.

❄ “While we are here, we are going to own you. When you leave here…you will remember your worth and still feel us on your skin.” ♡

From the very beginning, the MMCs had me laughing, especially once it was revealed that they’d committed a crime dressed in Santa suits and glowing masks…the exact outfits they later wear to break into the house where Lenny is staying. It was ridiculous in the best way. I also really enjoyed how these three strangers help Lenny relearn what she deserves from men. The chemistry between all four of them is instant and intense, and the story fully leans into that energy.

♡ “If it were up to us, we would have you right by our side, and I’d be touching you all day.” ❄

One thing I especially liked, particularly compared to other books in the Masked Men series, was that Lenny didn’t immediately run away once she learned who the men were. If anything, she probably had more reason than most FMCs to bolt, given she had no connection to them outside of the initial encounter, but her decision to stay made the story even more entertaining for me.

❄ “I think she’s plenty warm now” ♡

♡ “Good, she has a few more minutes to warm up…and then, I plan to spank her cute little a*s.” ❄

This is not the book to pick up if you’re looking for low spice, a deep plot, or something to heavily analyze. But if you want high spice, masks, a festive setting, and don’t mind some very creative uses of tinsel and Christmas lights, then this one absolutely delivers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stars: 3.5/5 (rounded up)
Spice: 3.5/5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tropes:
❄ Masked MMCs ♡
♡ RH / Why Choose ❄
❄ Forced Proximity ♡
♡ Christmas ❄

❄ “Come on, are you scared? Come play with our little gift.” ♡

[Tropes_and_Taboo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you scared? (Masked Men) by Jaye Pratt
⭐⭐⭐⭐🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Standalone * Christmas * Masked Man * Strangers * Cheating (not the MCs) * Revenge Plot * MMFM * MM * Forced Proximity * Hide And Seek * Catch Me & Fu©k Me * Spanking * Age Gap * Daddy Kink * Primal Play * Grumpy x Sunshine * 146 pages

Jaye Pratt is another author who has a talent for writing short novellas that are sexy, smutty, and still manage to have a fleshed-out plot and amazing characters with often up to four of them. How they can pack all of this into so few pages is mind-boggling. But honestly? I’m here for it.

This one is the Christmas edition within the Masked Men series. They are all standalones, but they all exist in the same world (and this one definitely nods to the website introduced in 'Nowhere to Hide').

The premise: our FMC, was recently cheated on and now very single, is drowning in alcohol and self-pity while staying at her uncle’s mansion. Her friend mentions a kinky website where vetted smex workers can bring your fantasies to life. Before she can learn more, the line cuts out (thanks, blizzard).

Cue three criminals breaking in wearing Santa suits and neon masks. And our FMC? She thinks the website sent them. Oops. Massive miscommunication… but also exactly where the fun begins.

And while there are some seriously amazing smex scenes, sword crossing, Christmas bondage, hide-and-seek, and plenty of spicy chaos, there’s also a surprising amount of character growth and self-worth conversations happening. The emotional layering on all sides is thick.

All in all, I remain a big fan of Jaye Pratt’s work. I’ll definitely keep going with the Masked Men series because I love them masked… and I’ll be branching into their other series soon.