Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: The Swap Masquerade

AUTHOR: Annabella Michaels

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 219 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2021

BLURB:

“A night of passion and pleasure awaits you. No names, no faces, just the chance to live out your wildest fantasies. Leave your keys in the bowl and let fate decide who you’ll end up with.” After years of hiding his sexuality from his family and teammates, Elliott Stone is tired of living a lie. However, with only three months left until the baseball season is over and he graduates from college, he’s determined to keep his secret for a little bit longer. But the words written on a party invitation offer another option. One that might allow him to finally explore what it’s like to be with another man. Gavin Holt loves being a college professor, but living and working in a small, conservative town makes discretion essential when it comes to his sexuality. That’s why he likes going to Swap Masquerades. Hiding his identity under a mask is the only way he can truly feed all of his desires without anyone finding out. Behind a mask, is the one place they can both let their inhibitions go, but what happens if the person finally revealed is someone who’s off limits?

REVIEW:

Oh my goodness gracious I was so excited when this story popped up in my in box and I literally couldn’t wait to open it. Let me tell you Annabella Michael’s definitely didn’t disappoint with this one!

Elliott Stone has been stuck in a life of lies and he can’t hardly wait the three more months until he is finally graduates college and can finally live the life he wants, not what his father has pushed him to be. No more hiding his true self. But, at 22, can he bear to make it one more minute living a lie that he can hardly handle. When studying late at the library Elliott finds a very intriguing invitation in his stack of printing…a invitation to a masked all-male sex party! Can this be his answer to all his pent-up sexual frustration and still remain hidden?

There is a couple things that kept rattling around on my brain:

• Who prints their über exclusive invitation to a gay sex swapping party, including their private email address on it, and then leaves it in the library printer?
• I know that both Elliott and Gavin have masks on and they might not have easily recognized the other the first night they met at the swap. Elliot my was overwhelmed with what he was seeing and Gavin was “busy” with his key swap partner. But when they had got to know each other better at the Habitat for Humanity site and kept meeting how could you have not recognized features. It was a stretch to me that they still didn’t recognize each other’s hair, build and especially voice. They were on a first name basis.

This is why I took the .50 heart away. But other than that I madly loved this book! The chemistry between “Tyrion and Mystery Man” was combustible! And the camaraderie between Gavin and Elliott was natural and comfortable. They finally had another person to talk with. Elliott needed his talking time with Gavin so he could finally release his frustration over what to do with his father’s goals over his needs and desires for the future. Their talks at the worksite is where I finally saw Elliott become comfortable in his own skin.

I also understand Gavin’s shock at the hotel where he accidentally discovers Elliot’s real identity. But ghosting Elliott after he takes his virginity to protect himself was a bit unforgivable. I get it. His career was in jeopardy but he really needed to at least text him. Especially when he must have seen how deviated Elliott had become in class. Elliott confronting him was great but I could have easily seen them agreeing to wait the final weeks before graduation before they resumed their affair. But the heart and desire are hard things to reel in when passion was as great as these two had. And they had everything in each other they had desired and searched for. Love was in their hearts and lust in their bodies…a strong magnet indeed!

I still remember meeting Annabella at GRL in Portsmouth and chatting about the Swap parties of the 60’s. I am delighted that she chose to change this theme up a bit so that gay men of all ages could have expectations of remaining anonymous but be free to explore their desires in a safe and protected setting. I really enjoyed this book and hope you do too.

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

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