i really enjoyed reading this book, I liked the two different perspectives. The characters were great and I really enjoyed the story itself.

I must admit, I did not like Jasmine in the beginning of this book. Or Cameron. If I take my notes I wrote while reading, the first one is 'That relationship does not sound like my kind of healthy. Could still go either way though'. Jasmine grew on me though, I really did like her in the end (Cam still not so much though).

That brings me to something I love a lot about 'She Wears the Mask' - the way the characters splash from the page, and are so realistic. You do not have to like them, but the story shows how they all came to be where they are, and that they are human. Well, most of them, there are one or two characters ... but I won't divulge why I wanted to bash their heads in, no one likes spoilers after all.

I started reading this book expecting mostly a mystery. Where is Emma Jean? Is she still alive? And what is Jasmine's secret? In the end, the last question is answered pretty quickly, the other two take until the end. However, while they are means to keep the plot going, the story is so much more than that. The whole book is about relationships. How fare are you willing to go, how much of yourself are you willing to give up for others? And on the other hand, how much are you willing to throw others under the bus for your own hopes, dreams and ambitions?

'She Wears the Mask' made me think about my own life, and my own decisions, all while telling a wonderful story.

I received a free copy. My opinions about this book are my own.

Shelly Stratton’s She Wears the Mask initially caught my eye on NetGalley because the synopsis gave me The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes. And even though I have never read Taylor Jenkins Reid’s beloved book, I didn’t hesitate to download She Wears the Mask. It sounded like a very “me” book.

Now, I’m normally a skip the author notes type of person, but I noticed She Wears the Mask was self-published and I wondered why. Stratton states in her notes she tried to get the novel traditionally published but couldn’t find it a publishing home. This made me pause, She Wears the Mask sounded like the dual-timeline historical\women’s fiction publishers love. Why no takers? There were no answers in Stratton’s author note but she believed in this story and the characters and took a chance by self-publishing the novel. Stratton’s belief in her story and characters made me even more interested in the novel. Taking a chance to self-publish can be a risk, especially for a novel of this type.

So, I decided to take a chance on She Wears the Mask.

Long story short, after reading the novel I understand why Stratton believed the stories of Jasmine and Angelique were special. As with most dual-timeline women’s fiction novels, there are two “main characters”. In She Wears the Mask, readers are introduced to Jasmine and Angelique. Two equally complicated women with complex, difficult backstories. While learning about Jasmin and Angelique and how their past spaced the women they have become in the when the novel opens, it was easy for to understand as a reader why they made certain decisions. Even if most people would consider their actions questionable. They were just very realistic characters that I connected with instantly.

One of the issue that often arises in dual-timeline narratives is the past overshadows the present. Stratton avoided this problem, making sure the reader ends up equally invested in both. Instead of what I find happens, the present story being used to tell the story from the past. This also aided in the development of Jasmine as a character. Angelique’s story did not overshadow Jasmine’s, Jasmine was allowed to have her own fully fleshed out character arch. She was allowed to grow naturally in the story instead of a having a few reflective chapters serving as character growth tucked away at the end.

One of the standout element of She Wears the Mask is the storytelling. After reading the first couple of chapters, I got confused about “the present” and questioned why the book read like a novel was from the late 1980s or the 1990s. I had to flip back a couple of chapters to see the clearly labeled 1994 time stamp. Stratton nailed the 1990s speech patterns and slang without being overdone. The writing style is on par for books in this category, women’s fiction. The writing is not a standout, but what I expect from this genre. I didn’t have any problems with writing, Stratton writing style kept me engaged in the Jasmine and Angelique’s journeys.

The only “major” issue I had is the final plot twist. I will not discuss the twist in depth (no spoilers) but I thought the last plot twist was a little tired and predictable. Authors drop in a tidbit of information and allows the readers general knowledge to fill in the rest. This twist is not very imaginative and I’ve seen one-to-many times.

Overall, She Wears the Mask was a pleasant surprise and Shelly Stratton has earned herself a place on my list of authors to watch.

This was my favorite book of the year by far. Everything about She Wears A Mask was beautifully complex. There were scenes and lines that made me sit there and cry.

The plot was cleverly woven, with each scene leading toward a larger goal. The conclusion answered all the questions, but left an open ending allowing me to ponder the remain what-if scenarios.

Angelique and Jasmine drove the story and I connected with each one so deeply that I didn't want their story to end. I was totally invested in them throughout the entire book.

She Wears the Mask by Shelly Stratton was featured as Book of the Day across all my social media platforms and will be included in weekly and monthly roundup of new releases.

This was really well written - and was the first I've read by this author, which clearly means I need to read her romance titles. I thought the ending was a surprise and overall thought the tying together of the various storylines was really well done.

Although I have read this author's work under different names, this book really tops them, and I have enjoyed several of them. Set into two different time periods, a woman tells us of her past, while trying to find the daughter she gave up. The woman helping her has secrets of her own and when every thing comes to light, someone will be left out.

I kept thinking I knew how it was going to end, but I was totally wrong. I really enjoyed reading this book. The author made the characters so life like I thought i was watching a movie. I will definitely be looking for more of her work.

This is my first time reading a book by this author. I must say the storyline got my attention from the first beginning until the end, which I was not ready for the book to end.
The characters were well developed and you felt like you are right there feeling the emotions of what the characters were going through. Some of the characters I felt like they needed to be strangle which was Angelique son Edgar and Jasmine's husband Cam..
I like how the author had the storyline between the two main characters Jasmine and Angelque intertwined taking place in two different era's in time 1950s and 1990s, from each characters voice. There were a lot of plot, twists and turns, along with romance, buried secrets and lies, hurt and pains.
I highly recommend this book to read and look forward to reading more books by this author.
Cassandra H.

I received a ARC of this book via Netgalley and this review is voluntary of my own honest opinion and thoughts.

#SheWearstheMask #Netgalley #ShellyStratton #HistoricalFiction #WomensFiction

Angelique Bixby is braving the streets of 1950's Chicago. After her husband Daniel's death Angelique has had trouble supporting herself and newborn, Ella Jean. Living on Chicago's South Side as a white woman married to a black man has not been easy. Feeling she has no other choice, Angelique leaves her child with a respected family and tries to move on with life. Years later, Angelique has remarried into a family of privilege. She has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer and wants to amend her will to include the daughter she left behind. Angelique hires Jasmine Stanley, an ambitious, rising star at her law firm. Jasmine's has been asked to keep strict confidentiality with Angelique's task. At first, Jasmine believes that Angelique is another stuck up debutante, however as she digs into Angelique's past, she realizes that they are more alike than they seem; both women hold onto life altering secrets.

She Wears the Mask is a story about secrets, identity and family. The characters were well developed and I could feel the heartbreak as Angelique made the most difficult decision of her life as well as the emotional weight of the secret Jasmine carried. The writing skillfully worked across dual timelines divulging bits of Angelique's history as we learn about her present circumstance as well as unraveling the history of pain in Jasmine's family without giving everything away early on. I do wish we got to see a little more of Angelique's story at the end. Along with the themes of reconciling the past are themes of gender, race and the perceptions and weight that the color of your skin can carry. Overall, She Wears the Mask is an intense and absorbing plot and interesting characters.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Beautifully written. Very emotional. A wonderful story that lingers on and on. Had a book hangover because I couldn't stop thinking about the characters. Pick up this winner of a book and prepare to be dazzled. A must read. Happy reading!

Where yo start with this book
In one word Amazing
I honestly didn't know what to expect reading this book since this is the first book of the author I've read but oh my goodness how i was blown
This book like a history lesson that i loved, then again I'm a sucker for anything history
I also loved the suspense that was woven around the book plus the two point of views
This is a book everyone should definitely give a chance and you'll probably won't be disappointed.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This fascinating story covers two time periods: 1950s Chicago and 1990s Washington, DC.

A female lawyer, Jasmine, is asked by her law firm to represent the mother of an important and powerful client. As Jasmine works with Angelique and hears her story, they form a special bond. Angelique wants to find the daughter she left on a minister's doorstep many years earlier in a black neighborhood in Chicago.

As the book progresses, we discover that both Jasmine and Angelique have been living with secrets that they have kept from family and friends.

The mask is symbolic of how these two woman have hidden their histories from the people they love and the rest of the world. How would others see them if their masks were removed?

This is an outstanding story about a very wealthy woman who hires a lawyer to help her find her daughter that she abandoned forty years ago. The lawyer and her wealthy client both have many skeletons in their closets . They both have lived with lies most of their lives. They develop a strong bond as they search for the missing daughter. Many secrets are revealed throughout the book as we read what their masks are hiding. There are many sections of the story that address the black / white conflicts, the unfair treatment of the black people and “Passing for White”. The story covers the late 1940’s to the present. I couldn’t put it down! Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I fear that I'm not going to be able to articulate my thoughts about this novel clearly. I often read a book that is so compelling and produces so many *feelings* and residual emotion that words don't suffice. WELP Let's just say that I LOVED this novel and take it from there.

I've just finished a second read of this book and have recently been thinking about the lives of these two women-- Angelique and Jasmine-- and how they're virtually parallel.

Angelique contracts Jasmin, an attorney to modify her will, as she's been diagnosed with a potentially terminal illness and wants to get her affairs in order. Her affairs, however, seem to be more involved than gathering some papers and doling out her estate. Angelique wants to include all of her children in her will, including the daughter she hasn't seen since she was eighteen months old. Jasmine's job is to find this child.

Despite thinking Angelique is a doddering old woman with idealistic dreams of being reunited with a child she gave up, she feels a kinship to the kind woman and perhaps some sympathy to her, given her illness. Completing this task could give her some clout at her law firm. It also gives her something else to focus on besides her tattered family (estranged mother, bitter sister, jerk-adjacent husband) and the odd calls and letters she's been receiving, threatening to expose a misdeed in her pat that she needs to keep under wraps.

Both have explosive secrets, the remnants of past lives. The women that they've come to be, for the most part, do not exist. They are a figment, a creation borne out of necessity for survival. Both have taken extraordinary measures to bring them to their current state of life. Both have individuals in their present who cannot know about their pasts, and someone who will use that past against them.

And yet, it's only a matter of time before these secrets are revealed and lives are altered.

This book is told from Jasmine and Angelique's POV and in two time periods. I love a well done dual time period novel. In particular, I am enamored with how Stratton constructs the timelines. Not simply bouncing from present to past, but how Angelique's story is meted out at intervals, breadcrumbing back to the inciting incident when she decided to don the clothing, persona, and privilege of a woman she was not and choose to live what feels like several lives that way.

This book *sort of * reminds me of The Sixth Sense, when you find out the twist (though there isn't really a twist in this book) and then you want to go back and watch it, knowing everything you didn't know the first time. The clues and hints that you didn't pick up, the nuances that are skirted over at first glance.

This is why I think the second read of this book has been so eye-opening- less learning the story and more digestion of it- and it makes me wonder...

...if you knew then, what you know now, would you still do what you did?

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Shelly Stratton for providing me with an ARC of She Wears the Mask.

This was a wonderful book that I thoroughly enjoyed! The two story lines were so interesting and really kept the plot moving. There are themes of sadness and anger, happiness and peace. I also enjoyed the perspective of the mother/child relationship. As someone who isn’t close to their mother, it was nice to see a forever type of love. I recommend this to anyone!

Thank you again to those named above for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

Just finished She Wore the Mask by Shelly Stratton, and I am trying to digest the wonder of this book. It is a tale of two women who, for various reasons, try to be what they are not. While they do succeed at the pretense, the toll it takes on Jasmine and Angelique is tremendous. We learn of the trappings of their success, but we also learn of the anger and sadness in their lives as well as the lack of happiness. They are women who eventually discover who they are, begin to learn to be at peace with themselves and to enjoy the true happiness that comes with being true to oneself. This book also explores the love of a mother for her child. A love that is everlasting regardless of circumstances. The characters in this book (both major and minor) are fully developed and we often feel like we are living through the various situations with all of them. The ending while unexpected and added to my enjoyment of the book. This is a good book, which I would recommend to anyone. I would certainly buy another book by Ms. Stratton.