He had the element of surprise on his side. He couldn't wait to see her again.New Year, new promotion, what more could Sophie Franklyn ask for? Her one night stand not turning up at work would be top of her list. Unfortunately, luck isn’t on her side and in the middle of a medical emergency, Alex Scavoni shows up like an avenging angel. Life just got a little more interesting. Or was it more complicated?Waking up to an empty bed after the best night of his life could’ve been a blow to Alex’s ego. But it wasn’t. He knew he’d see his masked woman again. He had the element of surprise on his side.When they find out their night together has consequences neither of them expected, they must decide if it’s going to remain as a one and done deal. Or will it become forever?
USA Today Bestselling author Nicole Flockton writes sexy contemporary romances, seducing you one kiss at a time as you turn the pages. Nicole likes nothing better than taking characters and creating unique situations where they fight to find their true love.
On her first school report her teacher noted "Nicole likes to tell her own stories". It wasn’t until after the birth of her first child and after having fun on a romance community forum that she finally decided to take the plunge and write a book.
Apart from writing Nicole is busy looking after her very own hero – her wonderfully supportive husband, and two fabulous kids. She also enjoys watching sports and, of course, reading.
When I finished reading Masquerade my stomach was a bit in knots from the last few intense scenes. I loved it! I loved Sophie and how brave she was when she met Alex and chose to act on their connection for a night of magic. That she was holding that memory close and then to find out she would be working with him! lol I connected with the emotions of the heroine and hero and I was wrapped up in their drama…
The heroine Sophie works hard as a emergency nurse and is very good at her job. She’s just earned a promotion and is worried about failing her responsibilities. She’s also rebounding from breaking her engagement to a coworker that she discovered was lying to her and just wanted her for her father’s money. I immediately connected to Sophie and related to her hopes and fears.
The story starts when she’s all dressed up and attending a New Years Eve Masquerade ball to represent her property tycoon father’s support. She is uncomfortable with the position that places her in, her friends from work are sitting at another table relaxed and having fun and she is placed at a table with the wealthy sponsors and feels like a fraud. But she always tries to do the right thing and it’s just one night. And it’s New Year’s Eve.
Alex is new in town and attending the hospital’s masquerade fundraiser ball is one of his first outings. He’s seated at Sophie’s table and they introduce themselves. There’s an immediate connection between them.
“She couldn’t believe she was feeling this way after only meeting him a couple of hours ago Maybe it was the mask that was heightening her emotions and reactions toward him.
She’d often heard people refer to flirting with eyes, but she’d never experienced it herself. Right at this moment, she didn’t care what he looked like. She even wondered if the spell would be broken once the masks were removed.”
They share the last dance and Alex tells her he’s been drawn to her evening but he can only offer her one night… One night. They share a New Years Eve kiss and Sophie decides to throw caution to the wind and enjoy one night with Alex.
I could see why she would, Alex is delicious! He’s Italian, so there’s the accent He also demonstrated respect for her feelings and didn’t assume where the evening would lead. And later as more is revealed about him, I loved his sense of purpose, humor and determination.
Poor Sophie! She starts her new job as the emergency room nursing unit manager and Alex, Dr. Scavoni, arrives to begin his new job as the emergency room director! I ached for her and was proud of the way she performed her duties and earned Alex’s professional respect.
“Her fantasy lover, the man she’d pushed aside her inhibitions for. He wasn’t meant to turn up for real in her life. He was meant to stay as a memory. One she pulled out of the recesses of her mind when life got too much to bear. He especially was not meant to turn up in her professional life.”
I enjoyed watching them deal with this complication in their lives and decide if they could or should pursue a relationship outside of their one unforgettable night. Sophie’s not the only one with baggage and insecurites. Alex doesn’t think he can be successful at a long term relationship because of the demands his job puts on his life and his first marriage’s resulting failure. He doubts that anyone would love him enough to put up with his stressful responsibilites.
“He closed his eyes and savored the moment. He never thought he would be able to hold Sophie in his arms again. After their night together, he consigned the yearnings of trying to find her to the depths of his sould.
He had to remember the vow he’d made to himself after his marriage collapsed. A relationship would never work with the hours he committed to his job.”
The hospital activity felt real to me and I enjoyed reading about the emergency room and seeing them work together on a professional level. And the scenes when they eventually reconnect on an emotional (and physical!) level were delicious! I loved the secondary characters too. Sophie’s best friend Phoebe is a darling. She made me laugh and recognize a true best friend. I raced through this story and couldn’t put it down.
Here are a few more fav lines.
♦”Since that moment you’ve been everywhere I look and you keep chasing when all you wanted–no, all you said you could give me–was one night. One night, Alex. So why are you still chasing?”
“Because one night was not enough.”
♦ “Sophie layed her head on his shoulder. It felt so right to be in his embrace. To be held by him…”
I recommend you pick up Masquerade and get swept up into dance of two relatable people struggling to find a balance with work and life and falling in love despite their best intentions. I was rooting for them the entire book and I love reading sweet, emotional stories like this where I end the book feeling happy.
Nicole Flockton's Masquerade is a delicious journey of love, loss, and sacrifice. Sophie Franklyn and Alessandro Scavoni are both hard-working, dedicated medical professionals risking their own happiness to save people's lives. An exclusive New Year's Eve masquerade is the perfect opportunity for both to shed their responsible personas and live vicariously in a stranger's embrace. Little do they know, when they return to the work they love, Sophie and Alex are thrust together in the same hospital. And soon, normal isn't normal anymore. What transpires during work hours and afterwards, in an amazingly glamorous apartment building in Perth, rocks both their worlds. Congrats, Ms. Flockton for crafting such a wonderful story of devotion and passion.
Everyone loves a masquerade and reader you will love this story!
This is a great little romance in a medical setting. Nurse Sophie and Scrumptious Dr Alex Scavoni don't realise that they are destined to be colleagues when they meet at a New Years Eve Masquerade Ball. The instant attraction between them is hard to resist and they agree to succumb. Just for one night. What happens when they both turn up to work will test both their resolve and their beliefs about what they want in life.
This is a lovers to friends story as the hero and heroine deal with the aftermath of their one night in the day to day bustle of a busy hospital E.R. All of the characters are well drawn. Even the ones we don't actually meet. The heroine is likeable and easy to relate to. Dr Alex is adorable. I enjoyed the development of the relationship. Both characters have past history that impacts in a realistic way on their decisions about the relationship. The book is nicely paced and finished on a high. A very enjoyable read. Of it's type it is fairly predictable but in the context of this kind of book I really like the comfort of a story that is not going to give me a nasty surprise. That is exactly what I look for in a romance of this kind. Nicole has a nice fresh way of writing and draws you into the lives of her protagonists. Will certainly read other work by this author.
The title of this book and the cover are testament to the old saying 'never judge a book by it's cover'. I had thought it would be something darkly erotic. And I couldn't have been more wrong. And that's the second time a book has fooled me recently.
Sophie and Alex meet on New Year's Eve at a masked ball. Both are hurting from broken relationships and the possibility that their job/position in society may make it impossible to ever be in a happy relationship. They're drawn together and decide to spend the night together, top secret and no repercussions. But life has a way of sneaking up on you and catching you out. Especially your next day back at work.
I've no intention of spoiling the surprise, but believe me, when you've been no hold barred intimate with someone and they're working beside you right after that, this is one heck of a problem. What do you do? Carry on as if it never happened? Or get into a relationship anyway and see if it will work out? What have you got to lose anyway?
An intriguing little story. I enjoyed it a lot. I confess I was a little astonished that Sophie didn't take medication when she was ill, especially given the nature of her profession, but I suppose people in medicine and nursing are human just like the rest of us. I also confess that I was a little disappointed in the hero at the black moment., although he redeemed himself just in time. Maybe other readers wouldn't agree, but then, that's me....
I enjoyed this book and would recommend this to readers of romantic fiction.
When a story starts out with a handsome masked stranger at a Masquerade Ball, offering a tempting proposition, you know the heroine is in for some fun – and so are you!
I loved Masquerade. In this book, you have two really likeable and relatable characters in head nurse Sophie Franklyn and hot doc Alessandro Scavonio (Alex). It’s a medical romance, so it was such a treat that their romance plays out in the hospital setting and all the chaos that ensues. Although, that pails to the conflict that inevitably happens when Sophie realizes her one night stand is her new Director of Emergency. Oops!
What I like about Sophie – sure she’s got money, but she doesn’t flaunt it. She’s a hardworking nurse who has taken great pains to build her career and not be defined by her wealthy family. Then there’s Alex. Oh,deliciously handsome, Alex. His first marriage ended in divorce due to his demanding career. He’s not looking to repeat it. The problem: He quickly realizes that with Sophie he wants more, but is he ready to commit to a relationship?
This is a fast paced read with rich dialogue between the two as they get to know one another and what makes them tick. Toward the end of the story, I realized that Alex and Sophie were the absolute perfect couple because of their convictions. I couldn't wait until they realized it!
In short: Scrub in! This book is the perfect medical romance to put on your must-read list. The party won’t disappoint and when the masks come off, the real fun begins!
Sweet, passionate, sensual, romantic, passionate are just some words that came to mind while reading this fabulous book!
I completely adored that Sophie and Alex have a hot and steamy night together( the whole masquerade ball idea LOVED IT) and then go their separate ways until a cruel twist of fate brings them back together so forceful that they both feel like they have been hit by a truck and are in need of some serious medical attention.
The characters were beautifully brought to life by the truly unique writing of Nicole Flockton. Both were strong, independent, go getters and both found it impossible to resit the strong and overpowering sexual attraction between each other.
The characters were so real that I felt as it I could actually feel the anguish of poor Sophie and the roller coaster of emotions Alex takes her on.
I loved the medical backdrop and the incorporation of real medical emergencies gave the book that true life feel. I loved that there were interesting main and secondary characters and the whole book was just a delight to read.
I loved that this was a easy read the words rolled of the pages.
Excellent work Nicole I look forward to your next one!
I loved this story, although it was a short steamy read at 109 pages. But what a good 109 pages they were. Alex Scavoni could not have been any hotter! Talk Yum...even the reader could desire him as all the female characters desired to be "seen" by his dark eyes. Sophie Franklyn, what a lucky character to be found so desirable by the Italian doc! She tries to keep it professional, but the two are truly drawn to one another and when there is a life threatening situation in the ER....all bets are off and all secrets die there. The characters in this read are done exceptionally well, especially the nosy best friend and the weasel of a former boyfriend.
Nicole writes a fluent story, fast paced but a lot happens in just a few pages! And for any woman who reads Masquerade, it is like a fairy tale become real! I empathized with the characters and their hopes and desires . If you like a good romance, I think you'll love the read too!
I was disappointed with this story for several reasons. First, how could a seasoned nurse not take the proper birth control options available to any woman that wanted to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. Alex defended Sophie when Neil called her a cold fish but immediately accrued of lying about him being the father of hurt unborn children. I found that to be off.
This is a clean, predicable romance. It’s easy to follow, and you don’t need to think to hard as the words flow along. This is the type of book I enjoy every so often in between reading books that you have to think about. However, I got the hint that daddy was rich the first time it came up. Having it repeated wasn’t necessary. And I feel Sophie didn’t put up much of a fight on not falling for Alex. After her previous relationship fell apart, I felt she walked into this one too quickly. I would have liked to see her be more frozen at first after the first deal ended. I also felt the ending was rushed. It was obvious the junkie would attack her, but it came across weak.
All in all, it is a good read and I’ll certainly be reading more of this author. And if you want a quick, easy read. This is for you.
Who is Sophie? Where do we find her going and why? What does she do for a living? Who is Allesandro Scavoni, aka Alex? What do they talk about during the event? Who are Phoebe, John, and Nigel? What promotion does Sophie get at work? What does Neil say to Alex that comes back to his memory after Alex puts some things together? How does that affect his working relationship with Sophie? What does he do for a living? When her life is on the line, what is realized? Read and see!
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.
Sophie decides to have a one night stand at a masquerade ball. They both said it would be for one night only, but he shows up as her new work colleague. She's been badly burned by a workplace romance before so she's hesitant to get involved. After a lot of back and forth, they decide to go for it.
My pet peeve with this book and several others lately is that the man makes a big mistake that results in hurt and anger and the woman suddenly forgives him. Like it wasn't a big deal but it should have been. Overall, it's a good story but I would have preferred for Alex to have to grovel or for Sophie to not forgive so quickly.
This is a standalone with an HEA for Sophie and Alex. I'm intrigued enough to want to read the next book in the series.
The book I read is Masquerade. However, it is showing up as Lily.
There seems to be some mix up between this book that I just read, Masquerade, and this author's book, Lily.
With regard to Masquerade, I liked that the heroine is strong and independent. She is not the artificially independent woman that is found in some books.
Those women are often irrational, rebellious, and defiant. They demand their way and stand their ground for the silliest of reasons.
I seemed to notice a few possible editing errors, that I used the Kindle function to question and report.
this was surprisingly good actually. while i didnt have any interest in this originally, and its been on my kindle for about a year and a half, this turned out quite well. i normally dont like third person point of view novels, but this was another type of book that still implanted you in the characters heads. ti had a lot of good tropes, as well as an underlying sense of tension as a result of phil(you creepy evil mother fucker) and neil(you disgusting scumbag of a man). i liked this book quite a lot overall and would definetly recommend it.
I was intrigued by the plot line between Sophie and Alex and jumped right into the book and just kept reading until I ran out of book! I enjoyed the forced interactions between these two who are undeniably drawn to one another on a personal level, but need to maintain distance for their professional demands. Both Sophie and Alex were likable real characters with past pains that drive their current choices.
I buy the medical stuff but that's it. The Insta love and climax were both unbelievable. Both needed time and building. The truth is there were too many ideas shoved into a tiny novel. Her twist that wasn't a twist could have been bumped. That would have left room for a thriller to be developed or a friends to lovers thing to happen.
This book had promise. It did. But I’m a little disappointed to tell you the truth.
The characters could’ve easily been a 10, when in reality they were a 5. There could’ve been so much more done with this storyline. At times it was SO predictable, that it became annoying.
I'm into super dark romances. So reading this was like PG 13 for me. But it was wholesome with a bit of mystery so to speak. I really enjoyed the story line. Didn't care for the POV it was written in. It was like I was reading the POV of someone giving me the opinion of the characters with bits of the actual characters thoughts in aa well. That threw me a little. But still a great read.
1st time reading this author and I fell in love with all of the characters from the very beginning. I loved the dynamic of the characters and I enjoyed this story very much and will be reading more.
Lovers Unmasked. A good read. Sweet and dramatic. A serious case of one night stand mixer with oh hell I just slept with my boss. Lots of angst and passion. A new author for me and I like it.
A good read for people who are in to the series recommend highly can't wait for the next one of the series a really enjoyable read but quick shaping up to be a enjoyable series must read the next one of the series
I really enjoyed this book, as I absolutely love the theme of masquerade balls and the mystery of the whole event. The book was well written with characters you could relate too. One or two grammatical errors, but on the whole it was well written and a pleasure to read.
This book was so good. I couldn’t put it down! I highly recommend everyone read it! It’s a book you will feel really good while reading it. Plus it stays with you afterwards!
A good read from a new to me author. Sophie and Alex are stunning together, and yet maddening at times. It seemed Alex was much more honest and bearing than Sophie, and it almost cost her the relationship. A nice HEA.
Romance is in the air! For two unsuspecting medical professionals. I love reading romance. Thought It would be a good break from reading gore and thriller. Maybe not as intense as I remember reading others. Would recommend as a good quick read for a sunny beach day.
Had all the feels. A great read on how the unexpected surprises in life can be the happiest and best moments in life. Highly recommend. i read on the Galatea app. The whole series is on that app. $69 a year for subscription. So not to bad.
Another entertaining story. Would have been better without the sex details as that added nothing to the story. There were many other things that could have been detailed instead.