Unmasking Maya by Libby Mercer

Hi there!

Welcome back to the Friday edition of Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers, where the reading is always served piping hot and the reason behind the featured title gets more interesting by the day.

No, seriously.

I don't schedule out in advance most of my reviews (unless it's a blog tour or calendar commitment) not simply because I often run short on time but also because I read an eclectic mix and often times the day will dictate what I feature.  Keeps it more interesting for me and for you (I hope) and speaking of interesting...

...for those of you that follow me on Twitter, you've probably already read all about my interesting day at job one.  If not, I invite you along for the journey.  It's short and sweet and a great reminder of what NOT to do if you are ever tempted to...*ahem*...really burst a few thought bubbles I had floating around.  Anywho, how does that factor in to today's post?  Well, I've selected a title I read not so long ago that falls squarely in the Women's Fiction (aka Chick lit aka Contemporary Romance...ok, so perhaps "squarely" was the wrong term there) category and stars an up and coming young lady who has a little game of hide and seek identity wise to straighten out before she can fully meet her potential, let alone make room for love.  Sound good?  If so, yay!  If not, keep reading...it gets better.  ^_^  Today's book of choice is...

Unmasking Maya

by

Libby Mercer

About the book....

Defamed, Disgraced and Displaced...
Fresh from a career-killing scandal, New York fashion girl, Maya Kirkwood, arrives in San Francisco to reinvent herself as a fine artist. She's offered the opportunity to create an installation at the Silicon Valley headquarters of a hot new tech company. Fabulous, right?
Not so much.
She can't stand Derek Whitley - wunderkind software genius and CEO of the company. Hot as he may be on the outside, inside the man is a cold, unemotional, robotic type. Way too left-brained for her right-brained self.
As Maya and Derek get to know each other, however, their facades begin to crack. She catches her first glimpse of the man behind the superhuman tech prodigy, and he starts to see her as the woman she used to be. But is this a good thing? Once that last secret is revealed, will it bring them closer together or will it tear them apart?

My summary:  Girl meets boy.  Boy deceives girl dramatically.  Girl leaves shamed and downtrodden but not completely broken.  Girl starts new life with a new name.  Girl catches public's eye because she ROCKS, inadvertently leading to a situation that can (*ahem* WILL) blow her cover with consequences that may not all be for the better...and an ending that was definitely not anticipated.

My thoughts:  Maya was a doll!  Her ex?  Not so much.  I mean, he probably ranks lower than that gum
you scraped off your shoe yesterday.  Does she let it keep her down indefinitely?  Not exactly, though her shyness in letting her true talent be recognized is a stumbling block but an artist craves creation and she is no different.  Her canvas has changed to actual canvas (among other things) but her drive and ambition remain untarnished.  The works of art she creates with fabric and print sound amazing even in text...and though Derek fails to recognize said talent, we'll forgive him this one transgression.  Why when it seems to be a focal point?  Because I said so...no, really, because he has many other areas that are spot on, they just take some time to warm up to the light of day.  Trust me, initially you'll think he's a pri....I mean, not-so-nice person that you'll either go "ugh!" and walk away from or smack upside the head.  Give him time though.  Ambition can be food to one soul and a drug to another....reactions vary and coming out from under the effects of it takes longer for some than others.

In the end, it was a fun reading tryst through the streets of San Fran with an unlikely duo exploring just how artistic talent and tech savvy can mesh together to create a masterpiece worth analyzing.  You'll laugh as things aer bungled and misunderstood yet again, smirk at the flirtation and lack thereof as it unfolds, gasp at the treatment of some and faux pas of others, and you may even shed a tear when defenses come tumbling down, but overall, you'll enjoy the ride.  I mean if you can't understand why an artsy New York gal showing up to the tech company picnic only to be drawn into a game of softball and a sudden desire to learn the rules of "flutter guts" (still waiting on that explanation though) is funny?  I'm not sure I can fully explain it to you, but it is and since I have your best reading interests at heart, you should totally trust me.  K?  ^_^

Author Libby Mercer

Ebook for review courtesy of author Libby Mercer.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as her increasing number of works, be sure to stop by her site, friend her on GoodReads, like her on Facebook, and of course, follow along on Twitter.  After all, how else do we all love to pretty much instantly connect in this e-world?  Well, besides books I mean.  ^_^


Until next time...have a great weekend...and happy reading!