Reviewed by True
TITLE: Unmasking You
SERIES: Hidden Hearts #1
AUTHOR: JoJo Stone
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 292 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 30, 2025
BLURB:
He was the wound that never healed
Jamie
A chance encounter at a charity event brings the past I thought I left behind rushing back—along with the one person I never wanted to see again.
Now, plagued by his presence, I’m drowning in memories. Some devastatingly bitter, some heartbreakingly sweet. Feelings I buried long ago are clawing their way to the surface.
I don’t want to want him. I don’t want to need him.
But when he touches me, the chaos quiets, and for the first time in years, I feel like myself again.
Do I turn away, unable to trust him again? Or is there a chance to rebuild something beautiful from the mistakes of our past?
Shane
I never expected to see him again, not with the weight of my guilt holding me back. I never imagined I’d have the chance to ask for forgiveness, to make things right.
But when the opportunity comes, I become someone I never thought I’d be—someone who lurks in the shadows, following him everywhere, just hoping for a fleeting moment to talk, to apologise.
Staying away from him is harder than I thought, and when the chance to protect him from pain arises, I don’t hesitate—even if it means putting myself in harm’s way.
Will I carry this guilt and these unrequited feelings forever? Or can we rise from the ashes of our past to build something new?
REVIEW:
Jamie Wilson was bullied by Shane Campbell and his friends. He’s still carrying the scars on his soul.
Ten years later, Jamie and Shane meet at an upper-class masked charity event, not aware of the others’ true identities, they laughed and even tentatively kissed, but when Shane’s mask moved a bit and uncovered half of his face, all Jamie’s hurt and distress were back. A hard shove, and he walked away.
Shane comes from old money and values, in the eyes of his parents and especially his monster of a father, he’s never enough, a failure, a troublemaker, and an outsider.
He can’t walk away, his father finances Shane’s LGBTQ foundation and uses it as blackmail. Shane has to follow orders or he’ll stop the money. He has already reduced some.
Shane understands that the poor boy from ten years ago became quite a famous IT genius.
He wants to make up for what he did to him.
“There is no freedom in my life. Every step I take is controlled by the person who feeds me, and there’s no point in rebelling because I’ll be the one to lose.”
Shane is obsessed with Jamie, he desperately wants to talk to him. Jamie refuses and runs every time Shane approaches him. Shane even follows him and parks by his house, yes, it’s stalkerish.
Jamie relives his terrible time. The situation worsens when they are forced to be in each other’s proximity.
Back and forth, between past and present, we get what happened ten years ago.
There’s a lot of hurt to overcome, a lot! For my pleasure, Shane’s redemption could have gone a bit harder, more hurt. But hey, Jamie is a gentle soul and would never let anyone suffer too much.
It’s a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, hurt comfort story. If these are the tropes you like, you will enjoy this one like I did!
While the topic is heavy, the writing was gentle and considerate, making it all bearable.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
