Review: MASQUERADING OUR LOVE by Audrey Rich

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, the most gorgeous guy in town, her life should change for the better, right?

Don’t bet on it.

Thalía’s conservative parents insist she’s too young to date. Plus, 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 they must decide if this new love is worth losing their 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.

Buy this stand alone novel and lose yourself in a clean, wholesome story about young love determined to stay together...no matter what.

Reviewed by:  Celia

Rating: 3 stars

 

Review: Surrounded by her new high school’s crowd of Beamers, Lexis, and Benzes, Thalía Reynari was the “clunker” of Stonehaven. Always academically driven and her nose in a book, she has always been the odd-girl-out and wouldn’t dare trade in her non-social status for the in-crowd…well, unless she’d have a shot at Parade Guy, for whom she might disobey her parents for.

As the story progresses, a whole slew of characters enter the scene, which portray the typical high school setting. It definitely brings you back to high school with all the various cliques and nameless faces. Story just had some characters that you forgot almost instantly—just like high school. It probably would’ve been better if the story had limited some of these characters.  

Thalía is a smart, endearing character that readers could look up to, but I guess I had a hard time understanding her journey. Did she want to be a swimmer or a life guard? What was her purpose?  And who was Parade Guy and why was he called that?

 

For me, the story had more questions than answers. The writing was good, but I just could not connect with the character or the story.