The Curse Behind The Mask

The Dirty Heroes Collection #6

by Holly J. Gill

I'm no Prince Charming. I’m your worst nightmare.

Tonight, at the erotic masquerade ball, I get to choose a girl to play with. She'll endure my deepest, darkest, erotic pleasures.
I'll ruin her for any other man, push her limits.

I finally see her, a beautiful brunette, her body made for me.
She must play my game, submit to my demands under the watchful eye of the evil queen, if she wants to survive.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Book Club, Smut, Royalty, BDSM

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 11, 2020

About the author

Wife, Mum and a nana, lives in the UK, enjoys writing and getting her heart lost in characters and following their journey.

Reviews

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty short novella :) of retailing and some steamy moments and dark moments.. it was okayish..

Elijah is a "cruel" prince with a taste of pain play and dominant and he's looking for his next playmate at the ball he's hosting with the "evil queen" and he spots her he already has plans for his girl. And when he finds out she's so pure and innocent he tries to back out since he feels something for her something more. As for Megan she's confused at what Elijah now she's trusting him but darkness wins for a moment, the evil queen curses Elijah when he didn't go through with hurting Megan. Now he did hurt her (he rapes her but he was like brainwashed so he doesn't remember).

Now both have to survive and not let the evil queen win can they?

Low angst, no ow/om drama, no cheating, Drama, sexy times, virgin girl and playboy idk when he slept with anyone

Recommend- maybe
Cover-⭐⭐⭐

Slowinsta
Bdsm-ish
Public sex
Dub-con turned consent
Sexual assult (brainwashed)
No condom
HFN

[Berry Appleton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry to write a bad review, but this wasn't really my jam. I wouldn't normally mind the situation the characters got themselves into, but what happened to Megan is something I consider as rape. Even in BDSM, S/M relationships, sadist has to get the consent, preferably with a safe word they agreed on.

Yes, I understand that this series is about sensitive subjects, pushing limits; dark, broken heroes full of cruelty, evilness and violence, but I sadly didn't enjoy this book even though I love before mentioned themes in my books.

I found it a little confusing, not sure what to think about the Queen's powers or about all the curses...

[Books2lovenow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not finish. The writing was not great. The plot did not flow. Instead of a plot it just seemed like one awful scene after another. I love dark romance. This was dark but there was no romance, no chemistry between main characters.

[Tai Nelson-Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

*First time reading author
**KU read

The Curse Behind the Mask is unlike anything I have read in a while. It took me a minute to figure out what the heck was even going on. Elijah and Megan are doomed right from the start. The Evil Queen makes sure of that. Elijah has no chance of making it up to Megan unless Megan can become strong enough to fight off the curse.

I have to say even though this book does start off a little strange, I did enjoy the rest of the book. A great addition to the collection.

[Joy Westerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare yourself for a wild ride! This is not your average Prince Charming story. It’s so much more! Prince Elijah is holding a Ball, and not your everyday kind. This one is full of evil deeds and he is at the center of it preparing to chose a woman he will ruin. Until he sees Megan and all bets are off. There is something about her that makes him feel different, but why? He knows he must keep her away from the evil Queen as she calls the shots. Can Elijah keep Megan from harm? I’m really enjoying this series of distorted modern day fairytales and this one really goes the distance. Even though Elijah is perceived as evil, as I read, I got a feeling that maybe he wasn’t really as evil, but couldn’t quite be sure. And Megan, portrayed as an innocent, just makes you feel like anyone can overcome obstacles in life to find their true love. I had to know what happened, so I read this incredible story in one sitting. I really enjoyed these characters and twisted story, and so will you!

[Lynn Stifle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was absolutely fabulous! Prince Elijah is holding a ball and not your average ball, it’s an erotic ball, one where you can fulfill your every sexual desire and Elijah is looking for the one woman he can ruin. Megan goes to the ball, sent there by her father and not having any idea of what happens there. When Elijah sees Megan enter, he knows this is the woman he will choose and he must have her. When they meet and speak he knows somehow she’s different and must keep her away from the Evil Queen. This book is a bit dark, twisted, with action, twists, passion, and a storyline with characters whom you can’t help but fall for!

[Giulia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone, extremely poorly written and the plot was also poorly developed and didn’t make any sense at all!!!
I just feel like i waisted my time reading this.
After all the positive reviews i read about this i just felt Extremely disappointed.

[Thea™]

▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOnLk...

The DIRTY HEROES COLLECTION (https://www.goodreads.com/series/288664)
Fourteen standalone novels which each follow a well-known hero from favorite Disney classics.

01. The Black Fox
02. Finding His Strength
03. While She Sleeps
04. Bound in Sacrifice
05. Never Lost
06. Curse Behind The Mask
07. Clockwork Stalker
08. Kiss and Tell
09. Skeleton King
10. Make Me Real
11. Cruel Water
12. The Masked Prince
13. Hunted
14. The Lady

[JuiceReading · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful.

[Gina Burkart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was gifted to me.. This was a very intense hot read that takes you on many twists and turns throughout the darkest times. I was very excited to read this book and I dug right in and didn’t put down tell I was finished. My heart was betting fast and hard and I was needing more of the story that had me feeling like I was right there in the story. This is a very good hot steamy read and can’t wait to read more from this collection.

[Melissa {I’m All Booked Up Reviews} · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am loving this series! Each book brings a unique retelling of well known heroes. I was excited to see that in this novella, we meet the Evil Queen that is responsible for the havoc she caused with opening the box.

Elijah, the Prince, and Megan meet at an Erotic Ball where ones deepest fantasy comes to fruition. Only Megan doesn’t know what goes on behind these castle walls.

The queen’s evil spells reign supreme over Elijah, causing him to hurt the one who can break him of his life long spell.

Instalove and dark themes are expected while reading this.

If you read the other books in this series, I suggest you read this one, too. I have a feeling we will be seeing the queen again.

[Laura Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few of Holly's books and this genre is completely different to her other books.

This book is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. This one is about Prince Elijah, who hosts an erotic ball to claim one person as his own so he can ruin them. But when he meets his latest conquest, little did he know he would start to develop feelings and do everything he can to protect her from the other guests and the evil queen.

This book is definitely not hearts and flowers and could have triggers. But if you love dark and dangerous then this is the book for you.

[Sue Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I This book is so different from the writers usual style and it took a lot of reading to get into it, once I did I enjoyed it but it isn't one that I would read again like some of her other books. It is a bit dark in places but very well written, I thought he was going to prince charming and at the end he was

[valeria · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is the same as in book two of this series,that scene was non con

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please note this contains spoilers.

I love dark adult fantasy but this is probably the worst one I read.

I say it take a couple fairy tale stories and ties to mash them up.

There is a queen and a prince. They live in the modern world and have a erotic ball where you can let your fantasy's come true even if it means killing your partner.

Prince choose his victim at the ball and once decided he suppose to let the queen know and she gets her ready. Well this one's a virgin and didn't read the TOS. So prince is freaking out. Doesn't want to hurt a virgin. Tires to give her pleasure but while he in-between her legs the queen who is watching calls him away and curses him to act like a beast. Prince ends up being sadistic on the girl. She mad blah blah. Prince has no idea what happen just wakes up in the girls blood.

So girl escapes and hate prince. He finds her and tries to tell him that he was cursed. The whole conversation is just super unrealistic for a fantasy book. She goes home finds out her dad sold her cause she was a virgin (also he was cursed) and she goes back to the princes home. She wants the truth. Yeah after a week I totally run back into the arms of the man who acted like a beast after being told he was cursed. Even more I have sex with him cause he promised to be sweet to me! Ugh.

You find out Queen is the princes half sister. Daddy had an affair. No back story nothing. Queen murder mommy and daddy. She hates the prince cause she just wants everything.

Also lets not forget Queen open Pandora box. How did she have Pandora's box? supposedly mommy and daddy were keepers of that box. So everyone cursed. They defeat the queen cause the girl told the prince she loved him. I know it fantasy but it been a week and being brutally raped AND you fall in love? Not buying it.

but it not over. Queen had the cursed guards seize them both. tells the story about murdering the prince's parents. It was a very dramatic page and half of nothing. she puts another curse on the prince but this time to kill the girl. Well guess what it didn't work. Why? Cause prince did his own magic. The now not cursed guards take the queen away and the book says THE END.

It an 85 page story of sex.

Only thing I liked is that the book was free on the kindle and I didn't have to spend any money.

[Xanny Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐ 1 Star

The Curse Behind The Mask by Holly J Gill

This book was an absolute disaster from start to finish. I went in expecting a dark, twisted romance that played with consent and power. What I got was a story that completely erased boundaries and excused assault with a flimsy “curse.”

✔ Premise had potential — a cursed antihero, a masked ball, a dangerous fairytale twist.

✘ Execution was atrocious. Elijah is introduced as being “soft” for Megan, only to be instantly flipped into a monster the second his sister, the so-called Queen, curses him again.
✘ The assault scene was brutal, graphic, and not framed as consensual in any way — this isn’t CNC, it’s straight non-con, and it left a bitter taste.
✘ Using virginity loss as a shock-value rape scene is dehumanizing and insulting.
✘ The morning-after whiplash, where Elijah is suddenly back to himself and “searching for her,” was laughable. Damage done, yet somehow Megan still hears him out and forgives him? Falling in love after that level of trauma is not romantic, it’s nonsensical.
✘ The curse functions as a cheap excuse to absolve him of accountability, which makes the so-called redemption arc even worse.

Dark romance can be brutal, yes — but it still requires trust, boundary play, and emotional payoff. This book had none of that. It wasn’t daring, it wasn’t edgy. It was careless, exploitative, and downright offensive.

One star. Would not recommend.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, damn. I’m on book 6 and I’ve already read at least 2 amateur, immature books in this series only to find myself a third of the way through another one. Was there some sort of invitational to a bunch of budding teenage writers to rewrite some fairy tales and legends into erotica? Seriously: “Carted I was through the house and into a room that I was never allowed to use, it was her room. Thrown I was into a chair and strapped down.” “My heart swelled into the pit of my tummy. This was the part I died.” I’m not even sure that English is the first language of this author. These stories could have been so much better if written by more experienced writers with better editors/proof readers. Instead, most of this series, so far, is full of inexperienced teenage fantasy with a lot of grammatical errors. There was no good wrap up, no resolution, no satisfying epilogue. Plus, this was not a retelling of any fairy tell or legend. Apparently it was the explanation of the curse for all the other books? IDK. It wasn't made clear, just like the rest of the damn story. What a waste of a good idea!

[ErikaWasReading · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars, but I rounded up since this was the story that explains the series.

The writing in this is just bad. The author couldn’t seem to decide if this was a medieval fairy tale world or a modern story, so there are chunks of prose interchanged with vulgar interjections.

The mistakes like using “cease her” vs. “seize her” are one thing, but at times this book just felt stitched together with different voices. The scenes jump quickly, the story pacing feels rushed, and then you get weird sentences that can only be described as a middle-school guy describing fake encounters with his made-up girlfriend who “lives out of state.”

[Carolyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible. It’s written in first person but the speakers constantly switch from “I did,” to “I am doing,” which made it painful to try and get through. There were a ton of run on sentences and other grammatical errors, the book really could have used an editor. The plot was all over the place, I’m still not entirely sure wtf it was about. Finally, the phrase “Cease her,” was used and it obviously was supposed to be “seize her.” All of the Dirty Heroes books are hit or miss, and you should definitely miss this one because it was awful.

[BooksA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this and read it in one go as I couldn't put it down as I needed to know where it was going. You start reading it thinking it's going in one direction and then it does a full 360 in another. Holly J Gill is a new to me Author and will definitately be reading her other books x

[Laiba Malik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not your normal, sweet and romantic fairytale with a loving prince charming. It's way more darker and twisted.  Simply love this new version of fairy tales, this new kind of ball. Love the portrayal of Elijah and the innocent Megan.

[Mandy Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I loved this book so much. There was an edge to it that shows the bravery of Holly. The storyline was great and it has good strong characters. I think I just found my newest author to stalk!!

[DMA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark read

This is a dark, twisted deviant tale which is so well written you don't want to put it down. Short gritty read.

[Kimme · Rating 5 out of 5]

The curse

Great read for a lazy afternoon. The characters are compatible. The Queen is horrendous. It was a nice love conquers all tale.

[Hiba ✰]

Dnf...this was so bad.

[Honestygal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this short story. Really surprised by the bad reviews.

[Kayle Fairman · Rating 1 out of 5]

This really wasn’t great. The writing was awful, the plot was so jumpy and where was the spice other than a really bad scene? It was just so rushed and wasn’t really that enjoyable.

[Myriam · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 ⭐️

El principio bien, todo lo demás horrible xd

[Mai · Rating 2 out of 5]

a short read, and not that fcked up as expected. almost kinda cute. well, that curse-thingy is weird and fcked up, but whatever

[Kristian Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

enough story and smut together read within 3 hours. The Queen well.