Unmasking Charlotte by M.D. Saperstein & Andria Large

Some say that I'm cynical. Some say that I'm flippant. But I am neither of those things. I am just a realist, who through an unfortunate turn of events, learned the hard way that everything is in fact black or white. At least for me it is, and always will be.

But then there is Calvin King. The thorn in my side, the pain in my ass. He is what some would call the perfect man - an imposing businessman, an even more impressive ladies’ man. Every man wants to be him and every woman just wants him. At least that is what I hear. I’m not admitting to anything beyond that.

What I do know and will concede to, is that my resolve is tested as soon as I meet Calvin. He ticks every box off my checklist - sexy as sin, tall, dark, rich, intelligent, and funny. My body craves just the thought of him. How can I possibly keep him at arm’s length when he is the only man I want and desire? And it doesn’t help that he kisses like a god and sets my body on fire. Crap! Don’t ask me how I know that, he doesn’t play fair.

Most importantly, I can’t let him unmask me, it’s my only defense.

Unmasking Charlotte is book 2 of the Taboo Love series and picks up where Hey There, Delilah left off. As with Hey There, Delilah, it is a standalone - so don’t worry if you haven’t read Hey There, Delilah, yet - with a HEA. That means no cliffhanger! Oh, and expect to see some of your favorite characters.

Having read Hey There, Delilah, I was already familiar with Charlie and Calvin and was really looking forward to reading their story. As funny as those two were in book one, I never imagined that I would be bawling like a baby while reading the Prologue of Unmasking Charlotte. The way in which Charlie and Calvin’s lives intertwined long before the ever met one another was heart wrenching. I was devastated for Charlie to learn what she went through at 16, yet relieved to learn that her family’s support and love for her never wavered.

Unmasking Charlotte is exactly that, the tale of how Charlotte became the Charlie we met in the first book and how the tap dance she does with Calvin helps her to recover Charlotte – and no, I’m not making mental health references to split personalities here. Rather the traumatic incident that is revealed in the Prologue forced Charlotte to leave her innocence of youth behind and reinvent herself as Charlie – the spunky, feisty spitfire that says what she means and means what she says. I adored Charlie before, but I fell in love with her character is this book. Despite all that has happened to her, she refuses to live her life as a victim, but rather lives her life to the fullest. Her sense of humor and antics kept me laughing throughout the book – although it was the scene in which Calvin meets her cat that had me laughing so hard I nearly peed my pants. As for Calvin, when his initial attempts to get close to her are shot down, he tries to keep his distance from Charlie in order to avoid temptation. This becomes more and more difficult as their best friends are involved and social events keep putting them in one another’s paths. When Charlie realizes that her feelings toward Calvin are more important than her fears, all bets are off and the sparks fly. Calvin and Charlie have some serious chemistry going on and that made for some scorching sex scenes.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Calvin and Charlie fall in love. And when Charlie’s past came back to confront her, I was freaking out because I really didn’t know what to expect. Yet Ms. Saperstein managed to give that scene an unbelievably satisfying resolution. As the blurb states, Unmasking Charlotte can be read as a standalone. However, if you read book one you will be pleased to know that you will get to catch up with Nick and Delilah and see how their relationship continues to develop. This was a great addition to the Taboo Love series and I am looking forward to reading Crossing the Line because I cannot wait to read Parker’s story – and get an update on all the other characters. 

Warning: This book contains descriptions of a rape done to one of the main characters during her teenage years.

I loved this series and was so happy to see that Delilah and Nick play such large roles in this book since I loved them so much.  But as much as I loved Delilah and Nick, Calvin and Charlie are even better.  The two of them are just so perfect for each other.  Charlie suffered a tragedy while still a teen but has put that behind her and to move on in her life. 

When we were introduced to Calvin in the first book I loved his loyalty and charisma and as I got to know him better in the second book I fell in love with him even more.  However, just as I am about to believe he is the perfect man he makes a huge mistake, and it is how he mends this mistake that endears him to me.

Calvin and Charlie are so fun to watch interact because they shoot witty one-liners at each other and are not only lovers but friends as well.  I loved watching their relationship grow and strengthen as they help each other heal past hurts.

I loved this book and am really looking forward to reading Parker’s story. I hope the two couples from the first books will play large roles in that book as well so I don’t have to say goodbye to them quite yet.

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