Books

UnMasked

What if your mother shared a huge family secret and told your daughter, “Don’t tell your mom!” Would you confront her or carry on as though nothing happened?

As the world battles a raging pandemic, three generations of women face a challenge that could forever change their dynamic and family legacy.

UnMasked chronicles the tension, drama, and secrets of three remarkable, irritating, and perfectly flawed women.

Long-held issues are brought forth and the women need to decide if they will confront the elephant in the room or risk repeating past mistakes.

3 Women
3 Generations
3 Voices

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Read what reviewers have to say about UnMasked

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers’ Favorite
“I don’t usually enjoy novels written in the first-person narrative because most of the time it feels a little forced. However, this is not so in UnMasked. Julie Cadman breathes life into each of her characters and makes sure the narrative style feels like a conversation with a friend. Kylie is a 16-yearold high school student whose social life is affected. Thanks to The Pandemic, she cannot meet her friends, and her beloved lacrosse season is put on hold. Her grandmother Patti’s love and her mother Jen’s support are the only thing keeping her going these days.

However, Kylie is caught up in a drama all too soon and there is nothing she can do to stop it. Granda Patti has a secret. She doesn’t share it with her daughter Jen, but with Kylie, which puts Kylie in a tough spot. The lockdown is almost treated as a blessing for the Blake family, because the secret is not so much a secret but a catalyst for how it will all play out for these women from three different generations.”

Reviewed by Grace Ruhara for Readers’ Favorite
UnMasked by Julie Cadman is the story of three strong generational women named Kylie, Patti, and Jen. What I loved about UnMasked is the use of multiple narrators. This allowed me to experience each narrator individually – I could resonate with each of the character’s feelings, thoughts, and emotions. This helped me connect with each character and made the experience enjoyable. I also liked how well the characters were developed, with each playing their role perfectly to make the story entertaining and realistic. I recommend it to readers who love family dramas; it will keep you enthralled and leave you wanting more.”

Reviewed by Manik Chaturmutha for Readers’ Favorite
UnMasked by Julie Cadman follows the lives of Patti, Jennifer, and Kylie, three generations of women in the same family. Julie Cadman effectively highlights the small events that happen in people’s lives that may not be significant but still have considerable impact. The characters learn small things about themselves and become closer than they were at the beginning as they strengthen their bond. Each character’s story will be relatable to different age groups. I recommend it to those who love to read about life events and enjoy a family-focused approach.

Reader’s Choice Book Award
Author: Julie Cadman
Title: UnMasked
Review completed: March 2023

A year that changed history, and the lives of the Blake family, by author Julie Cadman

UnMasked tells the story of the Covid19 pandemic through the eyes of three generations of the Blake family; seventy-three-year-old grandmother Patti; her daughter, forty-eight-year-old Jenni; and granddaughter, sixteen-year-old, Kylie. The three women describe their personal experiences during the Covid19 pandemic, their individual struggles as the world went into lockdown, their relationships with other family members and how they changed during the pandemic, and how they found hope during this time of unprecedented change. Prior to the pandemic, Patti was the life and soul of the party, she loved to entertain and spend time with family and friends, but as life slowed down during the pandemic, she felt lonely and isolated from her loved ones. With increasing amounts of time spent alone, Patti reflected on her life, which brought to the surface unresolved grief. Jenni struggled with the  demands of working from home and looking after three teenage children, the youngest with autism and severe  medical needs. She also faced financial struggles as first her husband lost his job, and shortly after she was laid off from her job as a Chief Marketing Officer. Jenni was forced to reassess her life, and her relationship with her mother, which had been strained for many years. Teenager, Kylie, was sad and frustrated at missing out on school, social events, sports activities, and major milestones, such as her driving test, which was cancelled several times during the pandemic. She was inadvertently caught up in the conflict between her mother and grandmother.

UnMasked is an honest and heartfelt novel by author Julie Cadman. This is a fictional novel, written in the first-person perspective, which alternates between the voices of the three women. The novel deals with some of the key challenges faced by ordinary people during the pandemic, including fear of catching the virus, vaccine hesitancy, loneliness, isolation and mental health issues, working from home, home-schooling, travel restrictions, and many more. It also describes some of the benefits of lockdown, such as lie-ins, cooking together, and family time. I particularly enjoyed reading about the different experiences and perspectives of three strong female characters, each in a different boat in the same storm. This is an engaging and insightful book, that will resonate with women and girls of all ages.

Star rating: 5 Stars
Summary: An honest and heartfelt novel, about a year in the life of three women during the Covid 19 pandemic.

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Upcoming Books

Book Two of the UnMasked Series

Book Three of the UnMasked Series

We all want a love like Jen and Ben’s. With all they have going on, how do they keep it together?

Book Four of the UnMasked Series