Sophie is the slightly plump daughter of two very outgoing college professor parents.  She is a librarian by trade and a curious woman by nature.  One thing she is very curious about is some of the sexual positions and actions that she has read about.  But, she has never been able to let her inhibitions go to try any of them.  This changes when her roommate gets tickets to the highly secret and infamous Sexquerade Ball.  With a costume, a mask and a color coded card you can leave all of your inhibitions at the door and conduct an anonymous affair.  At the ball, she is attracted and sought after by Mac, she calls herself Scarlet and has is able to try a number of things she wants to.  When Mac asks her to call him so they can get together again she vows to think about it.

Sophie is stunned to find out that he is the person that is supervising the job she is doing cataloguing his uncles library.  It is even funnier when he doesn’t recognize her.  She finds herself living a double life, Scarlet at night, and Sophie during the day.  She only wishes that Sophie was good enough for Mac.  Sophie has been down this road before and knows that when Mac figures out Scarlet and Sophie are the same he will not only be mad but will drop her as she is not the size three socialite that will be needed for his lifestyle.  Can Mac convince her differently?

Masquerade is a story reminiscent of the masked balls I have read about in historical romances with the added twist of a little gratuitous sex.  I loved how Sophie was able to live out her fantasies without the normal insecurities of the man she liked knowing her secret side.  What made this tale so special was the fact that they did know each other, but Sophie is the only one who really understands all that is going on for quite a while.  The author made the story come to life in my mind, and I thoroughly loved the fact that the heroine was not a little size three woman.  Ms. Black can write one hot sex scene, and added to the fact the story had a well written plot and a number of humorous situations and you have one of my September Recommended Reads.  Masquerade is one that I think most will like.