Becky Dean has written another spectacular novel with “Love Unmasked”. Some might call it swoon worthy, and it certainly is! My favorite part of her novel though isn’t just the romance between the leads, but the everyday life that her characters are dealing with. In Love Unmasked, Evangeline “Evie” Whitmore is a self-conscious popular girl who lives to help others. She has a hard time saying “no” and when her teacher Mr. Owens asks her to partner with Gabriel Martinez, the new student who gives off loner vibes and seems to be the only person who does not like Evie, she once again gives in and agrees to be his partner. Evie has secret plans to find the fan club for the Elven Realms books while in Venice, but because of her fear of not being accepted by her peers for her “nerdy fangirling” she keeps this part of herself hidden from all but her best friend Natasha. While trying to sneak out to find the club, Evie befriends another masked student who is trying to locate the club as well. During the day, Evie and Gabriel start to learn to work together and realize that they may have judged each other hastily when they first met. Through her time in Venice, Evie must decide who she wants to be and whether she should let others see her true, authentic self. Throughout the novel the theme of being authentic to yourself and not hiding behind masks is present. I think this is a valuable lesson for all of us today. We cannot be afraid to be who we are. There were elements of learning not to judge others too quickly or assume others won’t accept you for who you are in this novel as well. I highly recommend it, and I love that Becky Dean writes in a way that I can feel comfortable putting them in my 6th-8th grade library. My students love her books and always eagerly await her newest one!