Masquerading Our Love
by Audrey Rich
ASIN: 978-1946134011
Pages 397

Connect with author Audrey Rich
     

Synopsis:  Junior year has been tough on Thalía Reynari.

A new high school, trying to fit in with new friends, schoolwork, family commitments. With everything going on in her life, Thalía could use a break, an adventure.
So when Thalía meets Christopher Cooper, the most gorgeous guy in town, her life should change for the better, right?

Don’t bet on it.
Thalía and Christopher find themselves caught in the middle of a simmering feud that’s kept the two families apart for a decade. And no one is sure if young love will be enough to bridge this divide.
As they hide their relationship behind masks Thalía must decide if this new love is worth losing her parents’ approval.First-time novelist Audrey Rich imbues Masquerading Our Love with the joy and pain of how teens live life today as they wrestle with love, friendship, and faith. Thalía, Christopher, and Rich’s entire cast of characters is so vibrant, so alive, that they’re sure to leap off the page—and into your heart.

 "In a stagnant genre overcrowded with illicit language and explicit behavior, Masquerading Our Love is a breath of badly needed fresh air."                                                                                                         RJ's Views

REVIEW
In a stagnant genre overcrowded with illicit language and explicit behavior, Masquerading Our Love is a breath of badly needed fresh air. Masquerading Our Love is a good-ol-fashioned story that mixes young love, faith, and friendship - the result is an adorable, light-hearted story that comes full circle at a family reunion.

I do Not want to spoil this book for readers.

Thalia Reynari is a junior in High School. She just transferred from Newton to Stonehaven. The two schools couldn't be more different. She never worried about money matters at Newton. Now she found herself embarrassed by her things and wishing her parents could afford more. Then feeling embarrassed by her thoughts. Everything changed the moment she laid eyes on Christopher Cooper. She was totally smitten. The two talked like they had known each other forever. Thalia knew her parents had said she was too young to date, but she continued to find ways to see Christopher. The teens were painfully aware of the feud that had existed between their Moms for years. The feud was yet another obstacle to overcome.

Thalia was a good student, a Christian and had a good relationship with her Mom (Mami) Her parents expected the best from her and she had always obeyed them. Until now. Thalia became a girl named Cassie and Christopher became CM, a young man with no last name. And so went their relationship, sneaking, lies and half truths. After months of pretending Thalia refused to accept Christopher's ring until their Moms knew the truth. Ironic.

In recent years, I have steered away from reviewing Romance, YA novels because I could not fairly evaluate them. I was put-off and offended by the dialogue that I couldn't finish many of the books.  Audrey Rich created central characters that are easy to relate to, three-dimensional and interesting. The secondary characters were not as thoroughly developed and I never felt a connection with them. Had those characters been thought through and fleshed out it would've added depth to the story. There were a few dialogue "hiccups" where it wasn't clear who was talking. These weren't egregious and didn't affect the story as a whole. The chapters varied in length with some being 10 pages while others were only 2 or 3. It was a fast read. I enjoyed reading the book.

Although Masquerading Our Love is categorized as Romance/YA, it is nothing like other books on the shelf. I recommend it to readers of all ages.