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Sean and Blaise Chardone are on the run from their sordid past and run headlong into Culley’s circus. For years they have been trapeze fliers, and they are two of the best out there. Sean is dark and dangerous, with violence that is lurking beneath the surface, only waiting to be unleashed. Blaise is charming and handsome, easy to get along with and popular with the ladies. Together, they set out to forget the lives that they once had, and to make new memories. They had no idea what their paths would lead them to…
Randa Starr is a famous supermodel and has million dollar legs. When she refuses to prostitute herself for her manager/boyfriend, he beats her so badly that she ends up in the hospital, nearly dead. She has to escape his wrath, before he does end up killing her. So she heads to the streets, where she wanders from place to place, aimlessly, avoiding being recognized at any cost. Her efforts are for naught though, because her beautiful face gets recognized by a bounty hunter who wants to send her back to her abusive manager, for a nice fee. She once again escapes, and disguised as a boy, runs to the circus. She is immediately attracted to Blaise’s boyishly handsome looks. He takes her under his wing, but has no idea that she is really a female. What’s a girl disguised as a boy to do when she takes a liking to someone? She changes her name and turns herself back into a girl, in the hopes of getting Blaise’s attention. Can she make him fall in love with her, or are all of her efforts for naught? How was she to know that she would get both of the brother’s attention? Can these three outrun their pasts and make inner peace?
Nick is Randa’s manager, is desperately searching for her and will do anything to bring her back. The only person in the world that he got along with is his now deceased mother. Now he is on a wild goose chase to find Randa and her million dollar legs so that he can get back what he lost, his money and his woman. Both for purely selfish reasons, Randa will have no idea what hit her when he finds her, she will be sorry that she ran to begin with.
Nick’s choice of rescue, Ace Hudson, a PI, that is as slippery as an eel. Ace may only have one eye, but nothing gets by him. He infiltrates the circus to get close to Randa and send her back to Nick. After all, Nick may not be much, but he pays well, and the money is what Ace needs. The problem is, once he joins the circus, he finds that he has an inner conflict. He fits in better with the circus than he does in the real world. It is there that he finds a group of people that he can call family, and a place that he can call home. Will his heart rule his head or will he seal Randa’s fate by sending her back to Nick?
DARK MASQUERADE is a story that links numerous characters through a traveling circus. Each of the characters is haunted by their pasts and mistakes that they have made. None can find inner peace, no matter how hard they try. Their only choice is to hide their inner demons through various forms of disguises and masquerades. The storyline is bittersweet and emotional. The characters go through endless trials and tribulations searching for love and acceptance, or just trying to win a fight against their inner turmoil. Ms. Godwin pens an emotionally ravaging erotic thriller that has some titillating sex scenes and not a lot of love making, while packing in a great deal of action and suspense.
Reviewed by Ansley Velarde
for The Road to Romance
May 28, 2004
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