Review: Unmasking Juliet

Unmasking Juliet

By Teri Wilson

Published: May 27, 2014

Ever since she was a little girl learning to make decadent truffles in her family's chocolate shop, Juliet Arabella has been aware of the bitter feud between the Arabellas and the Mezzanottes. With their rival chocolate boutiques on the same street in Napa Valley, these families never mix. Until one night, when Juliet anonymously attends the annual masquerade ball. In a moonlit vineyard, she finds herself falling for a gorgeous stranger, a man who reminds her what passion is like outside of the kitchen. But her bliss is short-lived when she discovers her masked prince is actually Leo Mezzanotte, newly returned from Paris and the heir to her archenemy's confection dynasty. 

With her mind in a whirl, Juliet leaves for Italy to represent the Arabellas in a prestigious chocolate competition. The prize money will help her family's struggling business, and Juliet figures it's a perfect opportunity to forget Leo…only to find him already there and gunning for victory. As they compete head-to-head, Leo and Juliet's fervent attraction boils over. But Juliet's not sure whether to trust her adversary, or give up on the sweetest love she's ever tasted...

My review:

Unmasking Juliet is a humorous and slightly steamy contemporary romance based loosely on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Unlike the play, there is no tragedy so readers who like their happy endings will be pleased.

Juliet and Leo have sizzling chemistry and I enjoyed their career rivalry as well. It made for entertaining reading. In a departure from the source material, Juliet is not immediately won over by Leo. She may be very attracted to him but she still views him as the enemy while he is more open-minded and ignores the family feud. 

In addition to the romance, I also enjoyed the humor and the descriptions of yummy chocolate desserts and the scenery. What I found a little disappointing were the over-the-top drama of Leo's uncle and Juliet's mother. They were both one-dimensional characters and I wouldn't have minded some more development or character growth for them. Otherwise I thought this was a satisfying romance. Leo and Juliet are appealing characters and they grow and overcome the obstacles in their path to happiness. 

Note: I received an e-ARC for review purposes courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley