For five years, I’ve stayed away. I’ve hidden myself away like I was asked, abided by the threats that came my way and kept my mouth shut. I’m done hiding. Returning to my childhood town after so long wasn’t an easy decision but I needed to move on from the past, take my life by the horns and make it my own again; scars and all. Yet, moving on isn’t so easy when the man who stole your heart as a … stole your heart as a child turns up at your parents’ house and with a shiny, new fiance hanging on his arm.
Between balancing the skeletons stashed away in my closet and my forbidden feelings that still lingered for Axel, I was sure my life couldn’t possibly get any more overwhelming.
That was, until the threats began to pour in again and this time with a very deadly promise attached.
*This is an MF romance. There is dark content such as rape and abuse, and fertility/miscarriage scenes.
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So this book had me a little confused a lot. I was in and off in the book because I couldn’t get into it at all. Have no idea why. I was on and off with why did this happen, like really that is stupid, and what not. But I finally did finish it and well can’t say I’m disappointed. I was disconnected with it at first but the last few chapters made a whole of a lot of difference with what I was thinking of the book. I was finally able to get into it and all the juicy details as to what had happened to Olivia. I kind of knew a little of what had happened because it was a bit obvious, but I didn’t know half of the stuff she was hiding nor did I know that Axel was hiding anything at all. He just seemed so sweet and nice and everything the good guy besides his temper. I just didn’t know how dumb I was really. Regardless of everything. It was a pretty good book and I’m just wondering what is going to happen in the next one.
Olivia and Axel grew up together and have always loved each other. No matter how much Olivia loved him she knew she had to leave him to protect him and her family. After five long years she’s coming home and little does she know Axel is home too. There are so many secrets between them but Olivia knows she has to tell him the truth of why she left if she ever wants to make things right between them. The question is will they get their happy ever after or will there be too many obstacles to overcome.
I just have to say WOW! This book was just everything! Every emotion you can think of is in this book. I was completely hooked from the very beginning and absolutely couldn’t put it down until I was finished. I loved Olivia and Axel so much. Olivia is such a sweetheart and has been through pure hell. Axel is the sexy alpha and together they just make the most perfect couple ever. Their story is a story of such heartache and pain. I really truly loved this story and I can’t wait to see where book two goes.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy for an honest and voluntary review
This book was heartbreaking and amazing I absolutely fell in love with Olivia and Axel’s story!!! They were both amazing characters. I loved the storyline, also. I found myself rooting for Olivia and Axel!! This is the type of story that really sticks with you I’m so glad this was written in dual POV, so you get a real understanding of what each character is going through, and how they feel
Olivia and Axel have been friends forever, are young lovers and have so many plans for their futures….Until secrets tear them apart. Olivia leaves Axel, because she feels that it’s for the best.
After 5 years, Olivia returns home to find Axel has become an infamous MMA fighter (to help him cope with Olivia leaving), and has a new fiancée on his arm. Unfortunately the secrets of the past are still looming….
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK
Behind The Mask by Harper Ray is a second chance romantic suspense. This is the first book in The Masked Duet and does end on a cliffhanger.
The book does come with a warning: “While this book is a second chance love story, it has vulgar language, vivid sex scenes and mention or rape with flashbacks.”
This is the first book of Harper’s that I have read and it definitely won’t be my last. I was pulled in from the very first chapter and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. Axel and Olivia are both broken but you can’t help but root for them to be together so they can help heal each other.
The cliffhanger left me begging for more. I can’t wait for the next book in the series Behind The Lies to be released so I can get the rest of Axel and Olivia’s story.
I would recommend this book if you like second chance romances or romantic suspense.
I have been following this author for a while now even before she published this book.. I read the original and now the published copy and I have to say the changes are amazing!! The way the characters are defined and the plot and story line in itself is a must read. I can’t wait to see how this all continues!!
Oh man! I can’t even tell you how good this book is!
The emotion behind this book is amazing. I felt everything that Axel and Olivia felt and went through. From the first page you get sucked into this story and I love that you get right into it. I love a good second chance romance and boy I didn’t even see some of the things happening that did. It’s a rare talent to expertly show both points of view in this love story! There have been a couple times that I had to put this book down and take a breath because I was so mad at the character! can’t wait for book 2!!
NOOO!!! I did not even see a cliffhanger coming when I started this. I somehow missed that is was book 1 of a duet until halfway through and then I went “oh no…I bet…” yep. I was right. Now I’m left on the edge of my seat pulling my hair and screaming. Haha
I very much enjoyed this book and devoured it in mere hours. It is full of angst, sympathy, mystery, and thrills (both in the sexy way and the nail biting way). I was initially annoyed with Olivia because of her approach to things, I wanted to scream at her to just stop being so…ARGH!!!! Same with Axel at some points, to be honest. HOWEVER, i just couldn’t put this book down. I had to see what would happened next! Of course, now I’m still left with questions but that’s how you know you have a solid story on your hand, right? It leaves your readers wanting more. 😉
Needless to say, I cannot wait for book 2!!!
*°*° Beautifully heart-wrenching °**°
We all hide a part of ourselves, hurt or pain, and for some, it goes a lot deeper than that. Author Harper Ray peels back the layers on two young lovers who have been friends since forever, and whose lives together seemed set in stone, until secrets and threats blew their plans out of the water, and the consequences had far reaching affects.
At the Prologue when I couldn’t even imagine the secret that Olivia was keeping, but my heart was broken for both her and Axel, and I could barely keep my emotions in check. From there on in, it was an amazing read and I don’t know if I can even tell anyone in words adequately enough just how much of a beautifully heart-wrenching story this truly was.
For a start, it’s a second-chance romance written in my favourite dual POV and Axel had not only grown into a gorgeously handsome alpha-male, but he’s a famous baller and infamous MMA fighter due to the heavy baggage Olivia left him with when she left him with no explanation. Check, check and check.
I believe that Ms Ray has written Olivia beautifully and sensitively. Her choices right or wrong were nothing short of heart-breaking and the written ‘gut-wrenching heartbreak’ when they see each other for the first time in five years had my own heart dropping like a heavy stone in my chest. I hit this book in one sitting, and I knew going in that there’s another book. So many hooks have been left and the veneer of those who affected Olivia and Axel’s future has only just started to be lifted. Those 5-year-old threats to Olivia, Axel and her family are going to be carried out it seems…
I tell you; it is absolutely hard to believe that this is Harper Ray’s book baby, her debut release. It was my lucky day to have been introduced to this author’s book through a book friend, and I am desperate for more. Off I stalk! Absolutely 5 Stars for this book
Olivia has managed to run away from the events which nearly killed her. She planned to go back home and open her studio. What she didnt plan for was to walk into her kitchen and find her ex standing there with his fiancee. He is still looking for answers as to why she left without looking back but is he really ready to find out the truth of the horrors which she has lived? This book shows the real truth about life and how much it could it rip you apart with out remorse. Must read.
Wow, this was an absolutely amazing read and I can’t wait to read the rest of the story! Olivia goes through her own trauma and leaves the love of her life, Axel, and her family to protect them. After coming back home and seeing Axel again the chemistry between them is off the charts. This was an emotional and steamy read with plenty of twists and surprises. I absolutely loved the characters and how real they were with their emotions and reactions. The author did a fantastic job handling some very sensitive topics and I can’t wait to read more!
Harper Ray first released Behind The Mask in April 2020; it’s since been reworked and given a swanky new cover. I never got around to reading the original, so this review is based entirely on the revised 2022 edition of the book.
Olivia’s story is both heartbreaking and tragic, but I couldn’t relate to Axel at all. When Olivia first left him, back when they were still teenagers, Axel’s reaction probably wasn’t the most constructive course he could’ve taken. In the five years since, he’s supposedly grown up and gotten over Olivia, falling in love with a fiancé who has helped him to learn to love again. Except that when he and Olivia reconnect and things become challenging, he reverts to the angry teenager he once was. He hasn’t grown up at all and his behaviour is a stark contrast to all that Olivia has had to learn to deal with.
Reading Olivia’s flashbacks and her current struggles, I felt every moment of her pain. In romance novels, there’s a tendency to rush past the after-effects of sexual assault and gloss over the consequences of events. Ray doesn’t do that and she doesn’t hold back explaining just how damaging Olivia’s experiences have been. It’s by no means easy reading; it’s raw and honest but thoroughly agonising.
The first 3/4 of the book is slow-paced, focusing more on retelling the past than moving the story forward. It’s necessary though. Without this part of the story, the final quarter would be near-meaningless and considering so much is crammed into those final chapters it’s worth waiting to get to that point.
It’s rare that I comment on an author’s choice to spread a story across multiple books but this time I have to speak up. I can see why Ray has decided to split this story (and it splits in the perfect place) but at only 157 pages long, it feels like it could easily have been a single book written in two parts. In any event, you won’t have long to wait until book two, Behind The Lies releases on 5 February. In fact, that’s just enough time to read this book.
Behind the Mask by Harper Ray is the story of Axel and Olivia. She ran….and after many years, she’s back. She needs to face everything. But, some things she can’t overcome. One of them is her love for Axel. There are so many secrets, anguish, pain, shocking revelations…and so much more in this crushing story.
These characters are flawed, real, hurting, and afraid to delve into the truth….what an incredible read!!!! Ends in a major cliffhanger that is completed in book two of this duet!!!
I am volunteering to leave a review for an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Do you ever want to throw your kindle across the room after finishing a book? I’ve honestly never wanted to more, in one of the best, most frustrating ways because cliffhangers are the bane of my existence. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED this story from Harper and I’m going to be impatiently waiting for the second book to this duet. This book had twists and turns like you wouldn’t believe and has themes that are darker, so please read the trigger warnings before continuing. Olivia and Axel have a tumultuous relationship and history with each other but they truly love one other, even if they don’t show it. Im ready to see the growth both of them go through in the next book and where the story will take us. I’m ready for book 2!
Olivia goes back to her hometown and her parents. She left home years ago harboring secrets. Now she is back home and the reason she left is present. There is revenge, betrayal, sadness, some heat and lies. Warning cliffhanger
A great introduction to an incredible author!
This is a highly emotional and tragic read. It also has a beautiful turn out and I can’t wait to read the conclusion to the story. These were terrific characters that I’ll remember for a long time!
This was a really good second chance romance. Harper Ray knows how to tell a heartbreakingly beautiful story. Olivia and Axel were best friends and than the perfect high school sweethearts until tragedy struck and pulled them apart.
Olivia and Axel’s story is emotional, heartbreaking, intense read that pulls you in and takes you along has secrets from the past finally come to light and can they survive what has kept them apart for so long? This bokmmpulled my head and heart all over the place with tears in my eyes as I kept reading and not wanting it to end. Can’t wait to read what she has next.
3.5 stars
“That he wasn’t your knight in shining armor, but your prince of darkness?”
“She was my angel in the darkness, she kept a light shining for me so I could find my way home. To her.”
I understand Behind The Mask was a debut for Ms Ray, she has made a splash into the indie pond. A friends review drew me into her book and I’m thankful I took a chance. I’m on the fence and a little unsure how to start my review. So the storyline was awesome and I can’t wait to see where the next book takes me. Woven with intrinsic but hidden details, it was twisty and unpredictable. However I couldn’t connect with the characters for some reason and it has me torn. I’m not sure if it was the flow, lack of their communication and honestly it’s driving me a little crazy. One of my bugbears is when words are missed, repeated and this book has numerous, I find it distracts me from the story being told, so I’d advise getting a good editor or proofreader prior to publishing. All in all this was a great debut novel 4 star if it didn’t have the errors. Ms Ray has wisely left herself some room to grow.
Olivia ended her relationship with her neighbour and boyfriend, she packed up and hightailed it from her family home without any explanation. Several years later she returns, thinking she is in a better headspace only to find out she isn’t. As her past hits her front on, she goes spiralling into a vortex of panic. Olivia has secrets hidden because of the devastation the truth would cause. It’s time to come clean and lay it all out on the table.
Axel was devastated when Olivia took off, leaving him in the dust. She was his one, but she left him with a gaping wound and a bleeding heart. Seeing her face to face again has reignited his emotions, but he has built a new life. He wants answers though, why? His heart still beats for her, his body recognises it’s soul mate, but he’s angry that she’d just walk away from him. Frustration and anger misguided him and he fell into his own rabbit hole.
This was a brillant debut book. Although it started off slow and had me struggling to connect, the last few chapters made up for all of that.
Had to scale up my rating just for that reason.
Looking forward to the conclusion of their story and hope to see some vengeance.
‘m not positive but I think this is the first book I’ve read by Harper Ray. Boy, I am so glad that I have. This book was so good that I read it in one setting. Couldn’t put it down it was soooooo good. This book had so many emotions that it would be hard for me to pick out the best one. Looking forward to book 2.