Love Unmasked
By Becky Dean
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Publication date: July 15, 2025
Print length: 384 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0593647875
Reading age: 12 - 17 years
Grade level: 7 - 9
Lexile measure: HL680L
Publisher’s Blurb:
From the author of Hearts
Overboard comes a swoony mystery-filled romance in which a girl on a
school trip to Venice gets swept off her feet by a mask-wearing stranger...but
does she know him already? Lose yourself in the masquerade—because sometimes,
the greatest adventure begins when you unmask your heart.
People pleaser Evie Whitmore can’t believe her art and architecture class trip
has brought her to Venice—home of gondolas and crumbling palazzos, and the
inspiration for both her art and her hidden passion, Elven Realms, a series of
novels set in the very city she’s about to explore.
Rumors about an underground Elven Realms fan club swirl, and Evie, wearing a
costume and mask, sneaks out at night to find it. There’s no way she can tell
anyone what she’s doing—not her friends, and certainly not Gabriel Martinez,
the bad boy loner she’s been partnered with on the trip.
But Evie’s not the only one on this clandestine quest. She collides with
someone else in disguise—a stranger whose eyes hold secrets. He calls himself
Angelo, and he too loves the novels. Venice is a labyrinth, and as they unravel
clues together, their connection deepens. Who is Angelo, really? And who does
Evie want him to be?
My Thoughts:
Becky Dean has been on my “must
read” list since the first time I read one of her books. (Reviewed here.)
This book just supports that assessment.
Once again, Dean gives us a story
of a high-achieving girl on the brink of adulthood. Evie’s dealing with stress,
parental expectations, sibling examples, and the death of her father. She’s
worked hard to present a certain image at school: always helpful, always
reliable, always well-behaved. But secretly, she geeks out over a series of
fantasy novels that she enjoyed with her father before his death. So when she
gets the chance to visit Venice—where there’s a secret fanclub for the books—on
a school trip, she plans a minor rebellion.
Her daytime plans get abruptly
changed, when she’s assigned to partner with standoffish Gabe. In contrast, the
first night she sneaks out to find the club, she meets a boy who’s also masked,
with the same purpose in mind, and the two bond quickly over their shared
fandom. Evie finds freedom in being masked; she can be her true self with no
repercussions. So she continues, gradually trying to forge a friendship with Gabe
by day, while hanging out with “Angelo” all night.
With help from her best friend, who
is in on her secret, Evie tries to figure which of the students on the trip
might be Angelo. But she’s also developing feelings for Gabe, who turns out to
be sensitive, funny, and even wise. He helps her to stand up for herself.
I loved their explorations of
Venice, a city that I spend half a day in a few years ago. They visited two of
my favorite places as well! So it was easy for me to visualize the setting as I
read. Even without having visited there, I think Dean’s descriptions were thorough
and engaging.
The running “what are you thinking”
game between Evie and her friend group was a lot of fun. The minor characters
here were well-done. The dialogue rang true.
It takes a lot to get five stars
from me. Basically, it has to be a book I not only enjoyed but will read again.
This book checks those boxes.
Possible Objectionable Material:
Past death of a parent. Sneaking
around. Mention of bullying. Kissing.
Who Might Like This Book:
People interested in art, Venice,
and coming of age.
Thank you to the publisher and
NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
#LoveUnmaked #NetGalley #BeckyDean
#YALit #BookReview #DelacortePress
No comments:
Post a Comment